Above is my distance test with my friend Michael Casanova (He's migrating to Australia on 26 April- We'll all miss Him) holding the flash!

Can you see him and the people walking opposite?

The picture was shot using 400D with 24-105 L zoomed out @24mm.

I'm 5'-5" and thats 105 paces, sorry I don't have a long measuring tape.

(Photo NL-4) Photo taken of Pop Smith, Annetta Barone, aged 35 years, Mrs Smith, Joe Sidoti, aged 16 years, born 14 November 1933, Comiso, Provincia Ragusa, Sicily, and migrated to Australia 16 November 1949, Biagio Barone, aged 45 years, Nancy Barone, aged 12 years, Lucy Barone, cousin, aged 15 years, born 6 January 1933, Comiso, Provincia Ragusa, Sicily, and migrated to Australia 19 May 1949, Nancy Barone, (front row) sister to Lucy, aged 18 years, born 14 December 1930, Cosimo, Sicily and migrated to Australia 19 May 1949, and Salvatore Barone, aged 10 years. Pop and Mrs Smith ran the Barber and Umbrella shop next door to the Barone’s fruit shop. Daughter Nancy remembers them as “wonderful, kind and sincere friends.”

The sculptures on the Parramatta Road façade of this former brewery building were designed by Sculptor Paul John Beadle (born England 25 November 1917, graduate of Cambridge Art School 1933 and Central School of Arts and Crafts London 1939). The artist migrated to Australia 1945. Among other appointments, he was Principal, South Australian School of Art from 1958 to 1960. The sculptures represent the farmer, the brewer, the drayman and the publican. They were cast in cement at Newcastle Technical College in 1954.

Small Plover of the coast, seen on beaches, mudflats and sandbars. Migrates to Australia for the southern summer, some stay to winter in the north of the country. Seen on the Esplanade at Cairns, Far North Queensland.

Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer on the RMS Titanic was born in Farlam, near Brampton, Cumbria.

This is the service of commemoration that took place on Sunday 15th April 2012 marking 100 years since the loss

First years and training

Firstborn Son of John Bell, Sr. and Margaret Watson, both agricultural entrepreneurs, Joseph Bell grew up in Farlam, a small village belonging to the Rural District of Brampton, in the county of Cumberland; he had three siblings: Jane (1864), Richard (1865) and John jr. (1868).[1] His mother Margaret died shortly after giving birth to her last child.

Joseph Bell, initially, attended as a child a private elementary school in the village of Farlam and, after the death of his mother, he moved with his father and his brothers to Carlisle, between the districts of Edentown and Stanwix; Joseph and the brothers attended Carlisle's Academy William Harrison. In time, the younger brother John decided to migrate to Australia, embarking on the transatlantic SS Great Britain, while the rest of the family remained in Carlisle.

After leaving Carlisle, Joseph Bell moved to Newcastle, doing apprenticeship as an engine editor at Robert Stephenson and Company.[1] In 1885, Bell was hired by the White Star Line and worked on many ships that traded with New Zealand and the United States. In 1891 he was promoted to chief mechanical engineer.

Sister Jane married William Hugh Lowthian in 1886 and spent many years living in Ripley, Derbyshire, where he was a bank manager. It was probably at this time that Joseph met Maud Bates, whom he married in 1893; the couple had 4 children: Frances John, called Frank (1896), Marjorie Clare (1899), Eileen Maud (1901), and Ralph Douglas (1908).

In 1911, Joseph found lodging in Belfast, along with his wife and younger son. The two daughters remained at Ripley, cared for by both a housekeeper and her uncles (Bell's sister and brother-in-law), while the then fifteen-year-old Frank was studying at the Grosvenor College in Carlisle and later an apprenticeship at the Harland and Wolff shipyards.

On the Titanic

After serving on the Olympic, he transferred to the Titanic, where he was given the post of chief engineer. On the night of April 14, shortly before the Titanic hit an iceberg, Bell received an order from the bridge to either stop or reverse the engines (accounts vary), in an attempt to slow the ship. Despite the crew's best efforts, the Titanic could not avoid the immense block of ice. As the ship began to sink, Bell and the engineers remained in the engine room, urging the stokers and firemen to keep the boilers active, allowing the pumps to continue their work and ensuring the electricity remained on as long as possible. According to legend, Bell and his men worked to keep the lights and the power on in order for distress signals to get out and they all died in the bowels of the Titanic. However, according to the historical record, when it became obvious that nothing more could be done, and the flooding was too severe for the pumps to cope, they all came up onto Titanic's open well deck, but by this time all the lifeboats had already left. Greaser Frederick Scott testified to seeing all the engineers gathered at the aft end of the starboard Boat Deck at the end.[2][3] Bell's body was never recovered.

After Bell's death, the wife and the brother-in-law, William Ralph, inherited the farm of Farlam, of which Joseph had become its full owner since 1904, after his father's death; the farm was immediately sold because both Bell's wife and children never went to Farlam.

At the Church of the Holy Faith in Waterloo, near Liverpool, a plate has been affixed to commemorate Bell; an epitaph was also erected in his memory in the small cemetery of Farlam.

More from this set here: www.flickr.com/photos/davidambridge/sets/72157629467082388/

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar. A member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae, it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of 3 metres in rare cases and weighing up to approximately 70 kilograms.

Their unusually large size has been attributed to island gigantism, since no other carnivorous animals fill the niche on the islands where they live. However, recent research suggests the large size of Komodo dragons may be better understood as representative of a relict population of very large varanid lizards that once lived across Indonesia and Australia, most of which, along with other megafauna, died out after the Pleistocene. Fossils very similar to V. komodoensis have been found in Australia dating to greater than 3.8 million years ago, and its body size remained stable on Flores, one of the handful of Indonesian islands where it is currently found, over the last 900,000 years, "a time marked by major faunal turnovers, extinction of the island's megafauna, and the arrival of early hominids by 880 ka [kiloannums]."

As a result of their size, these lizards dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. It has been claimed that they have a venomous bite; there are two glands in the lower jaw which secrete several toxic proteins. The biological significance of these proteins is disputed, but the glands have been shown to secrete an anticoagulant. Komodo dragon group behaviour in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The diet of big Komodo dragons mainly consists of deer, though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans in the area of West Manggarai Regency where they live in Indonesia.

Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September. About 20 eggs are deposited in abandoned megapode nests or in a self-dug nesting hole. The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and therefore dwell in trees, safe from predators and cannibalistic adults. They take 8 to 9 years to mature, and are estimated to live up to 30 years.

Komodo dragons were first recorded by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits. In the wild, their range has contracted due to human activities, and they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They are protected under Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts.

ETYMOLOGY

The Komodo dragon is also known as the Komodo monitor or the Komodo Island monitor in scientific literature, although this is not very common. To the natives of Komodo Island, it is referred to as ora, buaya darat (land crocodile), or biawak raksasa (giant monitor).

EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY

The evolutionary development of the Komodo dragon started with the Varanus genus, which originated in Asia about 40 million years ago and migrated to Australia. Around 15 million years ago, a collision between Australia and Southeast Asia allowed the varanids to move into what is now the Indonesian archipelago, extending their range as far east as the island of Timor. The Komodo dragon was believed to have differentiated from its Australian ancestors 4 million years ago. However, recent fossil evidence from Queensland suggests the Komodo dragon evolved in Australia before spreading to Indonesia. Dramatic lowering of sea level during the last glacial period uncovered extensive stretches of continental shelf that the Komodo dragon colonized, becoming isolated in their present island range as sea levels rose afterwards.

DESCRIPTION

In the wild, an adult Komodo dragon usually weighs around 70 kg, although captive specimens often weigh more. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, an average adult male will weigh 79 to 91 kg and measure 2.59 m, while an average female will weigh 68 to 73 kg and measure 2.29 m. The largest verified wild specimen was 3.13 m long and weighed 166 kg, including undigested food. The Komodo dragon has a tail as long as its body, as well as about 60 frequently replaced, serrated teeth that can measure up to 2.5 cm in length. Its saliva is frequently blood-tinged, because its teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue that is naturally lacerated during feeding. This creates an ideal culture for the bacteria that live in its mouth. It also has a long, yellow, deeply forked tongue. Komodo dragon skin is reinforced by armoured scales, which contain tiny bones called osteoderms that function as a sort of natural chain-mail. This rugged hide makes Komodo dragon skin poorly suited for making into leather.

SENSES

As with other Varanids, Komodo dragons have only a single ear bone, the stapes, for transferring vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea. This arrangement means they are likely restricted to sounds in the 400 to 2,000 hertz range, compared to humans who hear between 20 and 20,000 hertz. It was formerly thought to be deaf when a study reported no agitation in wild Komodo dragons in response to whispers, raised voices, or shouts. This was disputed when London Zoological Garden employee Joan Proctor trained a captive specimen to come out to feed at the sound of her voice, even when she could not be seen.

The Komodo dragon can see objects as far away as 300 m, but because its retinas only contain cones, it is thought to have poor night vision. The Komodo dragon is able to see in color, but has poor visual discrimination of stationary objects.

The Komodo dragon uses its tongue to detect, taste, and smell stimuli, as with many other reptiles, with the vomeronasal sense using the Jacobson's organ, rather than using the nostrils. With the help of a favorable wind and its habit of swinging its head from side to side as it walks, a Komodo dragon may be able to detect carrion from 4–9.5 km away. It only has a few taste buds in the back of its throat. Its scales, some of which are reinforced with bone, have sensory plaques connected to nerves to facilitate its sense of touch. The scales around the ears, lips, chin, and soles of the feet may have three or more sensory plaques.

BEHAVIOUR AND ECOLOGY

The Komodo dragon prefers hot and dry places, and typically lives in dry, open grassland, savanna, and tropical forest at low elevations. As an ectotherm, it is most active in the day, although it exhibits some nocturnal activity. Komodo dragons are solitary, coming together only to breed and eat. They are capable of running rapidly in brief sprints up to 20 km/h, diving up to 4.5 m, and climbing trees proficiently when young through use of their strong claws. To catch out-of-reach prey, the Komodo dragon may stand on its hind legs and use its tail as a support. As it matures, its claws are used primarily as weapons, as its great size makes climbing impractical.

For shelter, the Komodo dragon digs holes that can measure from 1–3 m wide with its powerful forelimbs and claws. Because of its large size and habit of sleeping in these burrows, it is able to conserve body heat throughout the night and minimize its basking period the morning after. The Komodo dragon hunts in the afternoon, but stays in the shade during the hottest part of the day. These special resting places, usually located on ridges with cool sea breezes, are marked with droppings and are cleared of vegetation. They serve as strategic locations from which to ambush deer.

DIET

Komodo dragons are carnivores. Although they eat mostly carrion, they will also ambush live prey with a stealthy approach. When suitable prey arrives near a dragon's ambush site, it will suddenly charge at the animal and go for the underside or the throat. It is able to locate its prey using its keen sense of smell, which can locate a dead or dying animal from a range of up to 9.5 km. Komodo dragons have been observed knocking down large pigs and deer with their strong tails.

Komodo dragons eat by tearing large chunks of flesh and swallowing them whole while holding the carcass down with their forelegs. For smaller prey up to the size of a goat, their loosely articulated jaws, flexible skulls, and expandable stomachs allow them to swallow prey whole. The vegetable contents of the stomach and intestines are typically avoided. Copious amounts of red saliva the Komodo dragons produce help to lubricate the food, but swallowing is still a long process (15–20 minutes to swallow a goat). A Komodo dragon may attempt to speed up the process by ramming the carcass against a tree to force it down its throat, sometimes ramming so forcefully, the tree is knocked down. To prevent itself from suffocating while swallowing, it breathes using a small tube under the tongue that connects to the lungs. After eating up to 80% of its body weight in one meal, it drags itself to a sunny location to speed digestion, as the food could rot and poison the dragon if left undigested for too long. Because of their slow metabolism, large dragons can survive on as little as 12 meals a year. After digestion, the Komodo dragon regurgitates a mass of horns, hair, and teeth known as the gastric pellet, which is covered in malodorous mucus. After regurgitating the gastric pellet, it rubs its face in the dirt or on bushes to get rid of the mucus, suggesting, like humans, it does not relish the scent of its own excretions.

The largest animals eat first, while the smaller ones follow a hierarchy. The largest male asserts his dominance and the smaller males show their submission by use of body language and rumbling hisses. Dragons of equal size may resort to "wrestling". Losers usually retreat, though they have been known to be killed and eaten by victors.

The Komodo dragon's diet is wide-ranging, and includes invertebrates, other reptiles (including smaller Komodo dragons), birds, bird eggs, small mammals, monkeys, wild boar, goats, deer, horses, and water buffalo. Young Komodos will eat insects, eggs, geckos, and small mammals. Occasionally, they consume humans and human corpses, digging up bodies from shallow graves. This habit of raiding graves caused the villagers of Komodo to move their graves from sandy to clay ground and pile rocks on top of them to deter the lizards. The Komodo dragon may have evolved to feed on the extinct dwarf elephant Stegodon that once lived on Flores, according to evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond.

The Komodo dragon drinks by sucking water into its mouth via buccal pumping (a process also used for respiration), lifting its head, and letting the water run down its throat.

SALIVA

Auffenberg described the Komodo dragon as having septic pathogens in its saliva (he described the saliva as "reddish and copious"), specifically the bacteria E. coli, Staphylococcus sp., Providencia sp., Proteus morgani, and P. mirabilis. He noted, while these pathogens can be found in the mouths of wild Komodo dragons, they disappear from the mouths of captive animals, due to cleaner diets and the use of antibiotics. This was verified by taking mucous samples from the external gum surfaces of the upper jaws of two freshly captured individuals. Saliva samples were analyzed by researchers at the University of Texas, who found 57 strains of bacteria growing in the mouths of three wild Komodo dragons, including Pasteurella multocida. The rapid growth of these bacteria was noted by Fredeking: "Normally it takes about three days for a sample of P. multocida to cover a Petri dish; ours took eight hours. We were very taken aback by how virulent these strains were". This study supported the observation that wounds inflicted by the Komodo dragon are often associated with sepsis and subsequent infections in prey animals. How the Komodo dragon is unaffected by these virulent bacteria remains a mystery.Research in 2013 suggested that the bacteria in the mouths of komodo dragons are ordinary and similar to those found in other carnivores. They actually have surprisingly good mouth hygiene. As Bryan Fry put it: "After they are done feeding, they will spend 10 to 15 minutes lip-licking and rubbing their head in the leaves to clean their mouth... Unlike people have been led to believe, they do not have chunks of rotting flesh from their meals on their teeth, cultivating bacteria." The observation of prey dying of sepsis would then be explained by the natural instinct of water buffalos, who are not native to the islands where the Komodo dragon lives, to run into water when attacked. The warm, feces filled water would then cause the infections. The study used samples from 16 captive dragons (10 adults and six neonates) from three U.S. zoos.

VENOM

In late 2005, researchers at the University of Melbourne speculated the perentie (Varanus giganteus), other species of monitors, and agamids may be somewhat venomous. The team believes the immediate effects of bites from these lizards were caused by mild envenomation. Bites on human digits by a lace monitor (V. varius), a Komodo dragon, and a spotted tree monitor (V. scalaris) all produced similar effects: rapid swelling, localized disruption of blood clotting, and shooting pain up to the elbow, with some symptoms lasting for several hours.

In 2009, the same researchers published further evidence demonstrating Komodo dragons possess a venomous bite. MRI scans of a preserved skull showed the presence of two glands in the lower jaw. The researchers extracted one of these glands from the head of a terminally ill specimen in the Singapore Zoological Gardens, and found it secreted several different toxic proteins. The known functions of these proteins include inhibition of blood clotting, lowering of blood pressure, muscle paralysis, and the induction of hypothermia, leading to shock and loss of consciousness in envenomated prey. As a result of the discovery, the previous theory that bacteria were responsible for the deaths of Komodo victims was disputed.

Kurt Schwenk, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Connecticut, finds the discovery of these glands intriguing, but considers most of the evidence for venom in the study to be "meaningless, irrelevant, incorrect or falsely misleading". Even if the lizards have venom-like proteins in their mouths, Schwenk argues, they may be using them for a different function, and he doubts venom is necessary to explain the effect of a Komodo dragon bite, arguing that shock and blood loss are the primary factors.

Other scientists such as Washington State University's Biologist Kenneth V. Kardong and Toxicologists Scott A. Weinstein and Tamara L. Smith, have stated that this allegation of venom glands "has had the effect of underestimating the variety of complex roles played by oral secretions in the biology of reptiles, produced a very narrow view of oral secretions and resulted in misinterpretation of reptilian evolution". According to these scientists "reptilian oral secretions contribute to many biological roles other than to quickly dispatch prey". These researchers concluded that, "Calling all in this clade venomous implies an overall potential danger that does not exist, misleads in the assessment of medical risks, and confuses the biological assessment of squamate biochemical systems".

REPRODUCTION

Mating occurs between May and August, with the eggs laid in September. During this period, males fight over females and territory by grappling with one another upon their hind legs, with the loser eventually being pinned to the ground. These males may vomit or defecate when preparing for the fight. The winner of the fight will then flick his long tongue at the female to gain information about her receptivity. Females are antagonistic and resist with their claws and teeth during the early phases of courtship. Therefore, the male must fully restrain the female during coitus to avoid being hurt. Other courtship displays include males rubbing their chins on the female, hard scratches to the back, and licking. Copulation occurs when the male inserts one of his hemipenes into the female's cloaca. Komodo dragons may be monogamous and form "pair bonds", a rare behavior for lizards. Female Komodos lay their eggs from August to September and may use several types of locality; in one study, 60% laid their eggs in the nests of orange-footed scrubfowl (a moundbuilder or megapode), 20% on ground level and 20% in hilly areas. The females make many camouflage nests/holes to prevent other dragons from eating the eggs. Clutches contain an average of 20 eggs, which have an incubation period of 7–8 months. Hatching is an exhausting effort for the neonates, which break out of their eggshells with an egg tooth that falls off soon after. After cutting themselves out, the hatchlings may lie in their eggshells for hours before starting to dig out of the nest. They are born quite defenseless and are vulnerable to predation. Sixteen youngsters from a single nest were on average 46.5 cm long and weighed 105.1 grams. Young Komodo dragons spend much of their first few years in trees, where they are relatively safe from predators, including cannibalistic adults, as juvenile dragons make up 10% of their diets. The habit of cannibalism may be advantageous in sustaining the large size of adults, as medium-sized prey on the islands is rare. When the young approach a kill, they roll around in fecal matter and rest in the intestines of eviscerated animals to deter these hungry adults. Komodo dragons take approximately three to five years to mature, and may live for up to 50 years.

PARTHENOGENESIS

A Komodo dragon at London Zoo named Sungai laid a clutch of eggs in late 2005 after being separated from male company for more than two years. Scientists initially assumed she had been able to store sperm from her earlier encounter with a male, an adaptation known as superfecundation. On 20 December 2006, it was reported that Flora, a captive Komodo dragon living in the Chester Zoo in England, was the second known Komodo dragon to have laid unfertilized eggs: she laid 11 eggs, and seven of them hatched, all of them male. Scientists at Liverpool University in England performed genetic tests on three eggs that collapsed after being moved to an incubator, and verified Flora had never been in physical contact with a male dragon. After Flora's eggs' condition had been discovered, testing showed Sungai's eggs were also produced without outside fertilization. On 31 January 2008, the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, became the first zoo in the Americas to document parthenogenesis in Komodo dragons. The zoo has two adult female Komodo dragons, one of which laid about 17 eggs on 19–20 May 2007. Only two eggs were incubated and hatched due to space issues; the first hatched on 31 January 2008, while the second hatched on 1 February. Both hatchlings were males.

Komodo dragons have the ZW chromosomal sex-determination system, as opposed to the mammalian XY system. Male progeny prove Flora's unfertilized eggs were haploid (n) and doubled their chromosomes later to become diploid (2n) (by being fertilized by a polar body, or by chromosome duplication without cell division), rather than by her laying diploid eggs by one of the meiosis reduction-divisions in her ovaries failing. When a female Komodo dragon (with ZW sex chromosomes) reproduces in this manner, she provides her progeny with only one chromosome from each of her pairs of chromosomes, including only one of her two sex chromosomes. This single set of chromosomes is duplicated in the egg, which develops parthenogenetically. Eggs receiving a Z chromosome become ZZ (male); those receiving a W chromosome become WW and fail to develop, meaning that only males are produced by parthenogenesis in this species.

It has been hypothesized that this reproductive adaptation allows a single female to enter an isolated ecological niche (such as an island) and by parthenogenesis produce male offspring, thereby establishing a sexually reproducing population (via reproduction with her offspring that can result in both male and female young). Despite the advantages of such an adaptation, zoos are cautioned that parthenogenesis may be detrimental to genetic diversity.

HISTORY

DISCOVERY BY THE WESTERN WORLD

Komodo dragons were first documented by Europeans in 1910, when rumors of a "land crocodile" reached Lieutenant van Steyn van Hensbroek of the Dutch colonial administration. Widespread notoriety came after 1912, when Peter Ouwens, the director of the Zoological Museum at Bogor, Java, published a paper on the topic after receiving a photo and a skin from the lieutenant, as well as two other specimens from a collector. The first two live Komodo dragons to arrive in Europe were exhibited in the Reptile House at London Zoo when it opened in 1927. Joan Beauchamp Procter made some of the earliest observations of these animals in captivity and she demonstrated the behaviour of one of these animals at a Scientific Meeting of the Zoological Society of London in 1928. The Komodo dragon was the driving factor for an expedition to Komodo Island by W. Douglas Burden in 1926. After returning with 12 preserved specimens and 2 live ones, this expedition provided the inspiration for the 1933 movie King Kong. It was also Burden who coined the common name "Komodo dragon." Three of his specimens were stuffed and are still on display in the American Museum of Natural History.

STUDIES

The Dutch, realizing the limited number of individuals in the wild, outlawed sport hunting and heavily limited the number of individuals taken for scientific study. Collecting expeditions ground to a halt with the occurrence of World War II, not resuming until the 1950s and 1960s, when studies examined the Komodo dragon's feeding behavior, reproduction, and body temperature. At around this time, an expedition was planned in which a long-term study of the Komodo dragon would be undertaken. This task was given to the Auffenberg family, who stayed on Komodo Island for 11 months in 1969. During their stay, Walter Auffenberg and his assistant Putra Sastrawan captured and tagged more than 50 Komodo dragons. The research from the Auffenberg expedition would prove to be enormously influential in raising Komodo dragons in captivity. Research after that of the Auffenberg family has shed more light on the nature of the Komodo dragon, with biologists such as Claudio Ciofi continuing to study the creatures.

CONSERVATION

The Komodo dragon is a vulnerable species and is on the IUCN Red List. There are approximately 4,000 to 5,000 living Komodo dragons in the wild. Their populations are restricted to the islands of Gili Motang (100), Gili Dasami (100), Rinca (1,300), Komodo (1,700), and Flores (perhaps 2,000). However, there are concerns that there may presently be only 350 breeding females. To address these concerns, the Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to protect Komodo dragon populations on islands including Komodo, Rinca, and Padar. Later, the Wae Wuul and Wolo Tado Reserves were opened on Flores to aid with Komodo dragon conservation.

Komodo dragons avoid encounters with humans. Juveniles are very shy and will flee quickly into a hideout if a human comes closer than about 100 metres. Older animals will also retreat from humans from a shorter distance away. If cornered, they will react aggressively by gaping their mouth, hissing, and swinging their tail. If they are disturbed further, they may start an attack and bite. Although there are anecdotes of unprovoked Komodo dragons attacking or preying on humans, most of these reports are either not reputable or caused by defensive bites. Only a very few cases are truly the result of unprovoked attacks by abnormal individuals, which lost their fear towards humans.

Volcanic activity, earthquakes, loss of habitat, fire, loss of prey due to poaching, tourism, and illegal poaching of the dragons themselves have all contributed to the vulnerable status of the Komodo dragon. Under Appendix I of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), commercial trade of skins or specimens is illegal.

On Padar, a former population of the Komodo dragon became extinct, of which the last individuals were seen in 1975. It is widely assumed that the Komodo dragon died out on Padar after a strong decline of the populations of large ungulate prey, for which poaching was most likely responsible.

IN CAPTIVITY

Komodo dragons have long been great zoo attractions, where their size and reputation make them popular exhibits. They are, however, rare in zoos because they are susceptible to infection and parasitic disease if captured from the wild, and do not readily reproduce. As of May 2009, there were 13 European, 2 African, 35 North American, 1 Singaporean, and 2 Australian institutions that kept Komodo dragons.

The first Komodo dragons were displayed at London Zoo in 1927. A Komodo dragon was exhibited in 1934 at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., but it lived for only two years. More attempts to exhibit Komodo dragons were made, but the lifespan of these animals was very short, averaging five years in the National Zoological Park. Studies done by Walter Auffenberg, which were documented in his book The Behavioral Ecology of the Komodo Monitor, eventually allowed for more successful managing and reproducing of the dragons in captivity.

A variety of behaviors have been observed from captive specimens. Most individuals are relatively tame within a short time, and are capable of recognizing individual humans and discriminating between familiar keepers. Komodo dragons have also been observed to engage in play with a variety of objects, including shovels, cans, plastic rings, and shoes. This behavior does not seem to be "food-motivated predatory behavior".

Even seemingly docile dragons may become unpredictably aggressive, especially when the animal's territory is invaded by someone unfamiliar. In June 2001, a Komodo dragon seriously injured Phil Bronstein, the then husband of actress Sharon Stone, when he entered its enclosure at the Los Angeles Zoo after being invited in by its keeper. Bronstein was bitten on his bare foot, as the keeper had told him to take off his white shoes and socks, which the keeper stated could potentially excite the Komodo dragon as they were the same color as the white rats the zoo fed the dragon. Although he escaped, Bronstein needed to have several tendons in his foot reattached surgically.

IN POPULARE CULTURE

Komodo dragons are used as a main theme in Komodo (1999), Curse of the Komodo (2004) and Komodo vs. Cobra (2005).

The comedy team of Bob and Ray performed a popular sketch entitled "The Komodo Dragon Expert."

The plot of the 1990 film, The Freshman, involves a university freshman, an aging mobster and a Komodo dragon.

In the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall, one of the Chinese henchmen in a casino that Bond visits in Macau is overtaken, dragged off and presumably killed by a Komodo dragon.

WIKIPEDIA

(Photo RN-2) Photo taken by a professional photographer to send to Italy of Domenico Caluccio and family at his fruit shop in Blakehurst, 1956. From left, Anita Coluccio, born Rocella Jonica, Reggio Calabria, migrated to Australia 1953, baby Rosemarie Caluccio, born Australia and Domenico Coluccio.

Look familiar? This is Twilight who I rerooted for Peggy but looks like this little lady has decided to migrate to Australia and I couldn't be happier!!

A decorated Karen Community veteran.

Werribee RSL Pre Anzac March

Watton Street Cenotaph

Werribee

Victoria.

Bordy Weeku (aged 90) joined the British Army in 1937, and trained in India.

He migrated to Australia in 2003, after spending almost 20 years in a refugee camp, on the Thai-Burma border.

Your host Wade Chambers migrated to Australia in 1979 and worked for twenty years as a professor at Deakin University. He is widely travelled and enjoys walking, talking and films.

Christ Church, built almost on the corner of Glenlyon Road and Brunswick Street in Brunswick, is a picturesque slice of Italy in inner city Melbourne. With its elegant proportions, warm yellow stuccoed facade and stylish Romanesque campanile, the church would not look out of place sitting atop a rise in Tuscany, or being the centre of an old walled town. This idea is further enhanced when the single bell rings from the campanile, calling worshipers to prayer.

Christ Church has been constructed in a cruciform plan with a detached campanile. Although not originally intended as such, at its completion, the church became an excellent example of "Villa Rustica" architecture in Australia. Like other churches around the inner city during the boom and bust eras of the mid Nineteenth Century as Melbourne became an established city, the building was built in stages between 1857 and 1875 as money became available to extend and better what was already in existence. Christ Church was dedicated in 1857 when the nave, designed by architects Purchas and Swyer, was completed. The transepts, chancel and vestry were completed between 1863 and 1864 to the designs created by the architects' firm Smith and Watts. The Romanesque style campanile was also designed by Smith and Watts and it completed between 1870 and 1871. A third architect, Frederick Wyatt, was employed to design the apse which was completed in 1875.

Built in Italianate style with overture characteristics of classical Italian country house designs, Christ Church is one of the few examples of what has been coined "Villa Rustica" architecture in Victoria.

Slipping through the front door at the bottom of the campanile, the rich smell of incense from mass envelops visitors. As soon as the double doors which lead into the church proper close behind you, the church provides a quiet refuge from the busy intersection of Glenlyon Road and Brunswick Street outside, and it is quite easy to forget that cars and trams pass by just a few metres away. Walking up the aisle of the nave of Christ Church, light pours over the original wooden pews with their hand embroidered cushions through sets of luminescent stained glass windows by Melbourne manufacturers, Ferguson and Urie, Mathieson and Gibson and Brooks Robinson and Company. A set of fourteen windows from the mid-to-late Nineteenth Century by Ferguson and Urie depicting different saints are especially beautiful, filled with painted glass panes which are as vivid now as when they were created more than one hundred years ago. The floors are still the original dark, richly polished boards that generations of worshipers have walked over since they were first laid. The east transept houses the Lady Chapel, whilst the west transept is consumed by the magnificent 1972 Roger H. Pogson organ built of cedar with tin piping. This replaced the original 1889 Alfred Fuller organ. Beautifully executed carved rood figures watch over the chancel from high, perhaps admiring the marble altar.

Albert Purchas, born in 1825 in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales, was a prominent Nineteenth Century architect who achieved great success for himself in Melbourne. Born to parents Robert Whittlesey Purchas and Marianne Guyon, he migrated to Australia in 1851 to establish himself in the then quickly expanding city of Melbourne, where he set up a small architect's firm in Little Collins Street. He also offered surveying services. His first major building was constructing the mansion "Berkeley Hall" in St Kilda on Princes Street in 1854. The house still exists today. Two years after migrating, Albert designed the layout of the Melbourne General Cemetery in Carlton. It was the first "garden cemetery" in Victoria, and his curvilinear design is still in existence, unaltered, today. In 1854, Albert married Eliza Anne Sawyer (1825 - 1869) in St Kilda. The couple had ten children over their marriage, including a son, Robert, who followed in his father's footsteps as an architect. Albert's brother-in-law, Charles Sawyer joined him in the partnership of Purchas and Sawyer, which existed from 1856 until 1862 in Queens Street. The firm produced more than 140 houses, churches, offices and cemetery buildings including: the nave and transepts of Christ Church St Kilda between 1854 and 1857, "Glenara Homestead"in Bulla in 1857, the Melbourne Savings Bank on the corner of Flinders Lane and Market Street (now demolished) between 1857 and 1858, the Geelong branch of the Bank of Australasia in Malop Street between 1859 and 1860, and Beck's Imperial Hotel in Castlemaine in 1861. When the firm broke up, Albert returned to Little Collins Street, and the best known building he designed during this period was St. George's Presbyterian Church in East St Kilda between 1877 and 1880. The church's tall polychomatic brick bell tower is still a local landmark, even in the times of high rise architecture and development, and St, George's itself is said to be one of his most striking church designs. Socially, Albert was vice president of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects for many years, before becoming president in 1887. He was also an inventor and philanthropist. Albert died in 1909 at his home in Kew, a wealthy widower and much loved father.

Window in memory of Charles Marsden, choirmaster & teacher.

“MARSDEN.—On the 14th February, at his son-in-law’s (Mr. H. G. Bolitho) residence, Main North-road, Prospect, Charles Marsden, aged 86 years.” [Express & Telegraph 15 Feb 1921]

“Mr. Charles Marsden . . . was a well known resident of Bowden. He was born in Lancashire. England, and at the age of 30 years he migrated to Australia. For many years Mr. Marsden was employed in the South Australian Railways Department. He was a member of the Star of Freedom Tent, I.O.R., for 55 years. . . a member of the Albert Lodge. . . the choir leader at the Church of the Good .Shepherd, Bowden. . . Three sons, two daughters, and several grandchildren survive.” [Register 16 Feb 1921]

Church foundation stone 1 May 1885 by Dr Kennion, architects Henderson & Marryat, opened 25 Jul 1885, extensions (nave completed & chancel extended) corner stone 5 Feb 1893 by Mrs Kennion, porch foundation stone 8 Mar 1936 by Mrs Everitt, closed, used by gymnastics group, now restored as a church.

Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer on the RMS Titanic was born in Farlam, near Brampton, Cumbria.

This is the service of commemoration that took place on Sunday 15th April 2012 marking 100 years since the loss

First years and training

Firstborn Son of John Bell, Sr. and Margaret Watson, both agricultural entrepreneurs, Joseph Bell grew up in Farlam, a small village belonging to the Rural District of Brampton, in the county of Cumberland; he had three siblings: Jane (1864), Richard (1865) and John jr. (1868).[1] His mother Margaret died shortly after giving birth to her last child.

Joseph Bell, initially, attended as a child a private elementary school in the village of Farlam and, after the death of his mother, he moved with his father and his brothers to Carlisle, between the districts of Edentown and Stanwix; Joseph and the brothers attended Carlisle's Academy William Harrison. In time, the younger brother John decided to migrate to Australia, embarking on the transatlantic SS Great Britain, while the rest of the family remained in Carlisle.

After leaving Carlisle, Joseph Bell moved to Newcastle, doing apprenticeship as an engine editor at Robert Stephenson and Company.[1] In 1885, Bell was hired by the White Star Line and worked on many ships that traded with New Zealand and the United States. In 1891 he was promoted to chief mechanical engineer.

Sister Jane married William Hugh Lowthian in 1886 and spent many years living in Ripley, Derbyshire, where he was a bank manager. It was probably at this time that Joseph met Maud Bates, whom he married in 1893; the couple had 4 children: Frances John, called Frank (1896), Marjorie Clare (1899), Eileen Maud (1901), and Ralph Douglas (1908).

In 1911, Joseph found lodging in Belfast, along with his wife and younger son. The two daughters remained at Ripley, cared for by both a housekeeper and her uncles (Bell's sister and brother-in-law), while the then fifteen-year-old Frank was studying at the Grosvenor College in Carlisle and later an apprenticeship at the Harland and Wolff shipyards.

On the Titanic

After serving on the Olympic, he transferred to the Titanic, where he was given the post of chief engineer. On the night of April 14, shortly before the Titanic hit an iceberg, Bell received an order from the bridge to either stop or reverse the engines (accounts vary), in an attempt to slow the ship. Despite the crew's best efforts, the Titanic could not avoid the immense block of ice. As the ship began to sink, Bell and the engineers remained in the engine room, urging the stokers and firemen to keep the boilers active, allowing the pumps to continue their work and ensuring the electricity remained on as long as possible. According to legend, Bell and his men worked to keep the lights and the power on in order for distress signals to get out and they all died in the bowels of the Titanic. However, according to the historical record, when it became obvious that nothing more could be done, and the flooding was too severe for the pumps to cope, they all came up onto Titanic's open well deck, but by this time all the lifeboats had already left. Greaser Frederick Scott testified to seeing all the engineers gathered at the aft end of the starboard Boat Deck at the end.[2][3] Bell's body was never recovered.

After Bell's death, the wife and the brother-in-law, William Ralph, inherited the farm of Farlam, of which Joseph had become its full owner since 1904, after his father's death; the farm was immediately sold because both Bell's wife and children never went to Farlam.

At the Church of the Holy Faith in Waterloo, near Liverpool, a plate has been affixed to commemorate Bell; an epitaph was also erected in his memory in the small cemetery of Farlam.

More from this set here: www.flickr.com/photos/davidambridge/sets/72157629467082388/

Window in memory of Charles Marsden, choirmaster & teacher.

“MARSDEN.—On the 14th February, at his son-in-law’s (Mr. H. G. Bolitho) residence, Main North-road, Prospect, Charles Marsden, aged 86 years.” [Express & Telegraph 15 Feb 1921]

“Mr. Charles Marsden . . . was a well known resident of Bowden. He was born in Lancashire. England, and at the age of 30 years he migrated to Australia. For many years Mr. Marsden was employed in the South Australian Railways Department. He was a member of the Star of Freedom Tent, I.O.R., for 55 years. . . a member of the Albert Lodge. . . the choir leader at the Church of the Good .Shepherd, Bowden. . . Three sons, two daughters, and several grandchildren survive.” [Register 16 Feb 1921]

Church foundation stone 1 May 1885 by Dr Kennion, architects Henderson & Marryat, opened 25 Jul 1885, extensions (nave completed & chancel extended) corner stone 5 Feb 1893 by Mrs Kennion, porch foundation stone 8 Mar 1936 by Mrs Everitt, closed, used by gymnastics group, now restored as a church.

William Mitchell along with his wife Helen and children migrated to Australia arriving in 1882 in Maryborough on the Scottish Wizard.

Window in memory of Charles Marsden, choirmaster & teacher. One section broken & replaced by board.

“MARSDEN.—On the 14th February, at his son-in-law’s (Mr. H. G. Bolitho) residence, Main North-road, Prospect, Charles Marsden, aged 86 years.” [Express & Telegraph 15 Feb 1921]

“Mr. Charles Marsden . . . was a well known resident of Bowden. He was born in Lancashire. England, and at the age of 30 years he migrated to Australia. For many years Mr. Marsden was employed in the South Australian Railways Department. He was a member of the Star of Freedom Tent, I.O.R., for 55 years. . . a member of the Albert Lodge. . . the choir leader at the Church of the Good .Shepherd, Bowden. . . Three sons, two daughters, and several grandchildren survive.” [Register 16 Feb 1921]

Church foundation stone 1 May 1885 by Dr Kennion, architects Henderson & Marryat, opened 25 Jul 1885, extensions (nave completed & chancel extended) corner stone 5 Feb 1893 by Mrs Kennion, porch foundation stone 8 Mar 1936 by Mrs Everitt, closed, used by gymnastics group, now restored as a church.

Window in memory of Charles Marsden, choirmaster & teacher.

“MARSDEN.—On the 14th February, at his son-in-law’s (Mr. H. G. Bolitho) residence, Main North-road, Prospect, Charles Marsden, aged 86 years.” [Express & Telegraph 15 Feb 1921]

“Mr. Charles Marsden . . . was a well known resident of Bowden. He was born in Lancashire. England, and at the age of 30 years he migrated to Australia. For many years Mr. Marsden was employed in the South Australian Railways Department. He was a member of the Star of Freedom Tent, I.O.R., for 55 years. . . a member of the Albert Lodge. . . the choir leader at the Church of the Good .Shepherd, Bowden. . . Three sons, two daughters, and several grandchildren survive.” [Register 16 Feb 1921]

Church foundation stone 1 May 1885 by Dr Kennion, architects Henderson & Marryat, opened 25 Jul 1885, extensions (nave completed & chancel extended) corner stone 5 Feb 1893 by Mrs Kennion, porch foundation stone 8 Mar 1936 by Mrs Everitt, closed, used by gymnastics group, now restored as a church.

I travelled to the UK in May 2010 for my sentimental journey back to the place where I was born in Bury Lancashire. My parents migrated to Australia in 1955, and I had never been back before.

I only really keep in touch with one original relative now and that is my 90yo aunt, and I have got to know her grandchildren fairly well. This is my aunts great grandchild.

10yo Tegan is the daughter of Jayne and partner Lee.

Tegan seemed to think my accent was entertaining, and I finally found a 10yo who wanted to discuss British politics.

She's the one on the RIGHT

My sentimental journey back to my birthplace.

Sentimental Theme

When researching Cecil Morgan (Colin Meyers) I came across two soldiers with the last name Meyers from Goulburn, These two soldiers then had the same Next of Kin listed on their Enlistment papers. This Next of Kin was their Father Frederick William Meyers. Given that Goulburn was a smaller country town the evidence I have gathered lead to the conclusion that Colin was a cousin of Arthur and Cecil Meyers. The fact that Colin used his cousin Cecil's name upon enlisting adds to this evidence. Due to the enlistment dates and the age of Colin's cousins it is very likely that they enlisted to go looking/ follow their younger cousin to the war.

This attestation paper shows that Arthur Meyers enlisted on the 18th of April 1916. He was 42 years old when he enlisted and worked as a wharf labourer. Arthur is a British Subject meaning sometime during his early life his family must have migrated to Australia. Both Cecil and Colin, are Natural Born Australians so did not migrate to Australia. It is possible that both Arthur and Colin's parents migrated at the same time with Arthur and possibly some of Colin's four sisters (birth places unknown).

References:

Australian Military Forces, Australian Imperial Force. (1916). 'Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad: Private Arthur Edward Meyers.' Australian Imperial Force.

This artefact is a part of this exhibition because its adds depth to the personal history of Colin Meyers and his story. This artefact gives important information about the person that was Arthur Edward Meyers.

Further documentation on Arthur Meyers can be found with a simple search on recordsearch.naa.gov.au

Outside mosque in Mecca:

These are some of my favourite photos I took when I was in the Middle East in January of 2006. I travelled with my father, uncle and grandfather to Saudi Arabia to complete the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) with some other family friends. Afterwards we met up with my younger sister and went to Lebanon to visit my grandfather's family who he left when he migrated to Australia.

This trip was a life changing experience and I absolutely loved it. Hope to go back someday, but not before I grasp the Arabic language... Could be a while...

Name: Kina Parson

Doll: P4F Kina

Origin: Italian

Favourite Colour: Pink

Favourite Food: Gelati

Favourite Animal: All of them!

Kina's life started out rocky, when her grandparents chucked her Mum, Dad and older sister out on the streets in the town of Frascati, near the capital of Italy. When her family migrated to Australia her parents wanted the best lives they could have for the girls, so they sent them to an acting/modelling school, so Kina has grown up being a model. She also loves to sing and has tried unsuccessfully to design clothing. When she retires from being a model (which she hopes won't be too soon) she wants to be a teacher. Kina, with the help from her sister Dia and her parents, thinks she can win 'Bratz Runway Models'.

Glass dome enclosing a profusion of porcelain flowers, a dove, and metal leaves atop an old grave inside the Nichols Point Cemetery, Mildura (www.australiancemeteries.com/vic/mildura/nicholspnt.htm).

Many of the older graves in this cemetery had one or more of these attached to the top of them; it is the first time that I've seen so many in one place.

From examining the dates on some of the graves as I walked around I was able to ascertain that this type of memorial decoration seemed to be popular between 1920-1950. Presuming that the greater longevity of ceramic flowers under glass - as opposed to the constant expense of buying fresh flowers - was a determining factor in why they were so prolific.

Interestingly, from what I've been able to determine, these types of funerary flower arrangements also appeared in cemeteries in Wales and Ireland, suggesting that the custom migrated to Australia (and specifically Mildura) with citizens from these countries.

The Nichols Point Cemetery is located some way out of town near the Murray River, and the dry red soil under foot provided an unusual contrast to the usual cemetery scenery.

Samuel Vickery [ not him in the photo ] HIS REGIMENTS UNIFORM

1843 Devon England

1929 Many Peaks Qld Australia.

He served in the 80th at foot Staffordshire Regiment for many years.

Seeing service in the

Zulu Wars ,

First Boer War.

Punjab India

Afghanistan.

Before migrating to Australia 1885. on board SS JUMA

He adopted my Grand mother Edith Ellen Morton & Thomas Claude Vickery

In 1876 the 80th were ordered to South Africa, arriving in Natal in 1877.Members of the regiment built Fort Amiel, named after Major Charles Frederick Amiel.They subsequently took part in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879-80, initially suffering heavy casualties before playing a major part in the Battle of Ulundi under the command of Major (later General) Charles Tucker. Tucker went on to be colonel of the South Staffordshire Regiment. The regiment left South Africa in 1880, sailing to Ireland where they were stationed in Tralee .

The Regiment's penultimate Battle Honour 'Central India' was won during the Indian Mutiny. After arriving in Calcutta in Feb 1858 they took part in the closing stages of the mutiny, making endless marches in minor punitive expeditions lasting some twelve months. [ Just before Sam joined up ] He got to India in 1864 aged 18. and did general service there for 6 years

Their services in South Africa during 1878 and 79 won the Regiment its final battle honour. They took part in various operations against Sekukuni of the Basuto tribe during 1878, till this action was suspended due to the impending Zulu War.

The Zulu War started on Jan 11 1879 when British Forces invaded Zululand. The first major battle took place at Inyezance when the No 1 column was attacked by the Zulus. This attack was repulsed. The Zulus later attacked and took the British Camp at Isandhlwana on Jan 22 1879 when over 1000 British and Colonial soldiers were slaughtered. British Honour was restored later that day when the hospital and stores at Rorke's Drift were successfully held by only a few men. A further two reverses were to take place, one on March 12 when a company of the 80th were attacked and many killed at Myer's Drift in the Intimbi River. The second occurred at Hlobane Mountain on March 28. However, serious damage was done to the Zulu forces on March 29 at Kambula, when a Zulu force of 20,000 was chased off the battlefield. During the invasion of Zululand on April 2 the British Forces were attacked by 12,000 Zulus who were driven off.

The Final battle against the Zulus was on July 4 at Ulundi when a force of 20,000 Zulus were defeated and Ulundi and other Kraals in the area were burnt. On Aug 15 the principal Chiefs of the Zulus surrendered and on Aug 28 the Zulu King Cetshwayo was captured, bringing the war to an end.

At the conclusion of the Zulu War the Regiment continued their task of defeating Sekukuni. Following a number of small confrontations the Sekukuni town stronghold was captured on Nov 28 1879.

During 1881 the 80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers) were amalgamated with the 38th Regiment of Foot to form the South Staffordshire Regiment.

Young gannets migrate to Australia - leaving parents behind - and return years later to breed. Sort of like human young going off on their "overseas experience"

A great portrait of my parents after my youngest sister's wedding. After migrating to Australia dad and mum did valuable work helping other Dutch migrants in a Christian church context. Dad travelled throughout NSW to help and network Dutch migrants in the early 1950s, while Mum made sure there was always a meal or bed for those who needed it. After 10 hectice but rewarding years they moved to a church in southern Tasmania and a somewhat quieter life. The Netherlands Govt recognised their service via their Honours system.

A pre-WW2 postcard photo of the Market Square and St Martinitoren (tower, built in the 15-16th century) in the late 1930s. From 1947-51 my family lived in this northern Dutch city, and I can remember feeling horrified as a 5 year old at the war damage to buildings around the market place and to the church caused by fighting when the city was liberated by Canadian forces.

My mother saved postcards of the Dutch places where she and her growing family had lived, as well as other pictures for the family photo album. Our family migrated to Australia in 1951 when the eldest of the children was only 5, so this photo album was an important way of keeping us kids in touch with our country of birth.

Designer Philip Hudson; sculptor Paul Montford

Granite, bronze and concrete fountain, 1934

Shrine Gardens, cnr Domain & St Kilda Rds (Melway ref. 2K, J1)

Architect Philip Hudson moved from New Zealand to Melbourne in 1903. He designed several grammar schools, as well as the Shrine of Remembrance, near which this fountain is sited. On this work he collaborated with celebrated sculptor Paul Montford, who migrated to Australia from England in 1921.

The fountain has one pool within another, and a central column upon which sits a bronze figure of a boy catching a dolphin. Water sprays into the pools from bronze animals. The fountain was a gift from Sir Macpherson Robertson to celebrate Victoria’s centenary.

Robertson was a successful businessman and a philanthropist, making his money and name in confectionery; he was responsible for introducing chewing gum and fairy floss into Australia. Robertson gave to many causes and expeditions, Sir Douglas Mawson even naming Mac Robertson Land in Antarctica in his honour. In celebration of Victoria’s centenary, Robertson donated £15,000 as first prize in the Centenary Air Race from London to Melbourne and £100,000 for works to be undertaken around the city. The fountain is one result of this donation.

Photograph by Louis Porter

Christ Church, built almost on the corner of Glenlyon Road and Brunswick Street in Brunswick, is a picturesque slice of Italy in inner city Melbourne. With its elegant proportions, warm yellow stuccoed facade and stylish Romanesque campanile, the church would not look out of place sitting atop a rise in Tuscany, or being the centre of an old walled town. This idea is further enhanced when the single bell rings from the campanile, calling worshipers to prayer.

Christ Church has been constructed in a cruciform plan with a detached campanile. Although not originally intended as such, at its completion, the church became an excellent example of "Villa Rustica" architecture in Australia. Like other churches around the inner city during the boom and bust eras of the mid Nineteenth Century as Melbourne became an established city, the building was built in stages between 1857 and 1875 as money became available to extend and better what was already in existence. Christ Church was dedicated in 1857 when the nave, designed by architects Purchas and Swyer, was completed. The transepts, chancel and vestry were completed between 1863 and 1864 to the designs created by the architects' firm Smith and Watts. The Romanesque style campanile was also designed by Smith and Watts and it completed between 1870 and 1871. A third architect, Frederick Wyatt, was employed to design the apse which was completed in 1875.

Built in Italianate style with overture characteristics of classical Italian country house designs, Christ Church is one of the few examples of what has been coined "Villa Rustica" architecture in Victoria.

Slipping through the front door at the bottom of the campanile, the rich smell of incense from mass envelops visitors. As soon as the double doors which lead into the church proper close behind you, the church provides a quiet refuge from the busy intersection of Glenlyon Road and Brunswick Street outside, and it is quite easy to forget that cars and trams pass by just a few metres away. Walking up the aisle of the nave of Christ Church, light pours over the original wooden pews with their hand embroidered cushions through sets of luminescent stained glass windows by Melbourne manufacturers, Ferguson and Urie, Mathieson and Gibson and Brooks Robinson and Company. A set of fourteen windows from the mid-to-late Nineteenth Century by Ferguson and Urie depicting different saints are especially beautiful, filled with painted glass panes which are as vivid now as when they were created more than one hundred years ago. The floors are still the original dark, richly polished boards that generations of worshipers have walked over since they were first laid. The east transept houses the Lady Chapel, whilst the west transept is consumed by the magnificent 1972 Roger H. Pogson organ built of cedar with tin piping. This replaced the original 1889 Alfred Fuller organ. Beautifully executed carved rood figures watch over the chancel from high, perhaps admiring the marble altar.

Albert Purchas, born in 1825 in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales, was a prominent Nineteenth Century architect who achieved great success for himself in Melbourne. Born to parents Robert Whittlesey Purchas and Marianne Guyon, he migrated to Australia in 1851 to establish himself in the then quickly expanding city of Melbourne, where he set up a small architect's firm in Little Collins Street. He also offered surveying services. His first major building was constructing the mansion "Berkeley Hall" in St Kilda on Princes Street in 1854. The house still exists today. Two years after migrating, Albert designed the layout of the Melbourne General Cemetery in Carlton. It was the first "garden cemetery" in Victoria, and his curvilinear design is still in existence, unaltered, today. In 1854, Albert married Eliza Anne Sawyer (1825 - 1869) in St Kilda. The couple had ten children over their marriage, including a son, Robert, who followed in his father's footsteps as an architect. Albert's brother-in-law, Charles Sawyer joined him in the partnership of Purchas and Sawyer, which existed from 1856 until 1862 in Queens Street. The firm produced more than 140 houses, churches, offices and cemetery buildings including: the nave and transepts of Christ Church St Kilda between 1854 and 1857, "Glenara Homestead"in Bulla in 1857, the Melbourne Savings Bank on the corner of Flinders Lane and Market Street (now demolished) between 1857 and 1858, the Geelong branch of the Bank of Australasia in Malop Street between 1859 and 1860, and Beck's Imperial Hotel in Castlemaine in 1861. When the firm broke up, Albert returned to Little Collins Street, and the best known building he designed during this period was St. George's Presbyterian Church in East St Kilda between 1877 and 1880. The church's tall polychomatic brick bell tower is still a local landmark, even in the times of high rise architecture and development, and St, George's itself is said to be one of his most striking church designs. Socially, Albert was vice president of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects for many years, before becoming president in 1887. He was also an inventor and philanthropist. Albert died in 1909 at his home in Kew, a wealthy widower and much loved father.

Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer on the RMS Titanic was born in Farlam, near Brampton, Cumbria.

This is the service of commemoration that took place on Sunday 15th April 2012 marking 100 years since the loss

First years and training

Firstborn Son of John Bell, Sr. and Margaret Watson, both agricultural entrepreneurs, Joseph Bell grew up in Farlam, a small village belonging to the Rural District of Brampton, in the county of Cumberland; he had three siblings: Jane (1864), Richard (1865) and John jr. (1868).[1] His mother Margaret died shortly after giving birth to her last child.

Joseph Bell, initially, attended as a child a private elementary school in the village of Farlam and, after the death of his mother, he moved with his father and his brothers to Carlisle, between the districts of Edentown and Stanwix; Joseph and the brothers attended Carlisle's Academy William Harrison. In time, the younger brother John decided to migrate to Australia, embarking on the transatlantic SS Great Britain, while the rest of the family remained in Carlisle.

After leaving Carlisle, Joseph Bell moved to Newcastle, doing apprenticeship as an engine editor at Robert Stephenson and Company.[1] In 1885, Bell was hired by the White Star Line and worked on many ships that traded with New Zealand and the United States. In 1891 he was promoted to chief mechanical engineer.

Sister Jane married William Hugh Lowthian in 1886 and spent many years living in Ripley, Derbyshire, where he was a bank manager. It was probably at this time that Joseph met Maud Bates, whom he married in 1893; the couple had 4 children: Frances John, called Frank (1896), Marjorie Clare (1899), Eileen Maud (1901), and Ralph Douglas (1908).

In 1911, Joseph found lodging in Belfast, along with his wife and younger son. The two daughters remained at Ripley, cared for by both a housekeeper and her uncles (Bell's sister and brother-in-law), while the then fifteen-year-old Frank was studying at the Grosvenor College in Carlisle and later an apprenticeship at the Harland and Wolff shipyards.

On the Titanic

After serving on the Olympic, he transferred to the Titanic, where he was given the post of chief engineer. On the night of April 14, shortly before the Titanic hit an iceberg, Bell received an order from the bridge to either stop or reverse the engines (accounts vary), in an attempt to slow the ship. Despite the crew's best efforts, the Titanic could not avoid the immense block of ice. As the ship began to sink, Bell and the engineers remained in the engine room, urging the stokers and firemen to keep the boilers active, allowing the pumps to continue their work and ensuring the electricity remained on as long as possible. According to legend, Bell and his men worked to keep the lights and the power on in order for distress signals to get out and they all died in the bowels of the Titanic. However, according to the historical record, when it became obvious that nothing more could be done, and the flooding was too severe for the pumps to cope, they all came up onto Titanic's open well deck, but by this time all the lifeboats had already left. Greaser Frederick Scott testified to seeing all the engineers gathered at the aft end of the starboard Boat Deck at the end.[2][3] Bell's body was never recovered.

After Bell's death, the wife and the brother-in-law, William Ralph, inherited the farm of Farlam, of which Joseph had become its full owner since 1904, after his father's death; the farm was immediately sold because both Bell's wife and children never went to Farlam.

At the Church of the Holy Faith in Waterloo, near Liverpool, a plate has been affixed to commemorate Bell; an epitaph was also erected in his memory in the small cemetery of Farlam.

More from this set here: www.flickr.com/photos/davidambridge/sets/72157629467082388/

this pic was taken shortly after we migrated to Australia

Monash University Gippsland academic and lecturer, Dr Olga Bursian, whose new book, Migrant Women Act , tells the stories of 30 women from the Horn of Africa, Vietnam, the former Soviet Union, the Philippines and Lebanon who have migrated to Australia, and rebuilt their lives in Melbourne.

For more information, see www.gippsland.monash.edu.au/media/news2012/2012019.html

Peters Hill a Wendish settlement.

On the drive out to Peters Hill we will pass the historic Scottish Ettrick Presbyterian cemetery. It is situated on the banks of a creek which feeds the Gilbert River. Only a few headstones remain in this cemetery. A Presbyterian church was built here in 1864 but closed in 1877 and was demolished in 1881. A school operated in the Ettrick Presbyterian church until its closure in 1877. Further on we reach Peters Hill and St Petri Lutheran Church. This

area was declared as part of the Hundred of Gilbert in 1851 with land sales starting around 1853.The earliest known settler was Johann Duldig in 1855. Another pioneer family were the Huppatz family who took up land in 1857. These families and others who settled were Wends sometimes known as Sorbs. Most Wendish families here arrived in SA on the ship San Francisco in 1848 and moved to Hope valley, then on to Hoffnungsthal near Lyndoch and then finally to Peters Hill in 1856. The Wends came from a specific region of Eastern Germany where they spoke Slavic language related to Polish, but not related at all to German. When the Wends settled in SA the English settlers assumed they were German because they also spoke German and they were Lutheran. But the Wends were a different ethnic group. Today 35,000 people still speak Wendish in Germany, despite the persecution they suffered from the Nazis during World War Two. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the Congress of Vienna redrew the map of Europe and Lusatia, where the Wends lived, was ceded to Prussia from Saxony. The Prussians oppressed the Wends and after 1830 many migrated to Australia (as well as Canada etc.) Although the first Wends arrived in SA in 1848 the largest migration was in 1853-54 after the great European famine of 1848 and the consequent revolutions. The three major Wendish settlements in SA were St Kitts (near Nuriootpa), Peters Hill and Ebenezer (near St Kitts.) No one knows why the area was called Peters Hill but it is believed to be after Martin Petatz whose surname sounded similar to Peters.

The Wends built their first, pug and pine church/school room in 1857. It was replaced by the current larger church in 1864. The Wendish school was established in 1856 and operated here until closed by the government in 1917 during World War One. The first teacher of the Wendish school was Mr. Lehmann and the first pastor Mr. Meir. Until 1917 most lessons were in German. A later pastor was Christian Teichelmann who published the only written record of Kaurna language in 1840 which has been used to revive this dead language recently. His co-author was Lutheran missionary C Shurmann. The first school was located near the first Peters Hill church. In 1864 when the current Lutheran Church was built the congregation also built a teacher’s residence and classroom just south of the church. This was demolished in 1884 when a new solid stone teacher’s residence and school room was built. When the government closed this German Lutheran school it re opened as a state government school with the government paying rent for the school room. When enrolments became too low in the 1955 the government school for Lutherans and Wends and any other locals closed. Unfortunately the stone building was destroyed by a fire in the mid-1960s. The site now has a stone outlined for the original stone school and some remnants like the boys galvanized iron toilet shed and an information board and monument. Beside the school way a half underground cool room.

Wendish family names in this area included Borrack, Duldig, Huppatz, Noack and Schuppan. St Petri’s Lutheran Church is the only church in Australia known to have had services conducted in Wendish. The last known Wendish speaker in the area was Mrs. Seipelt who died in 1957. The church only opens for a few special annual services these days. The cemetery attached to the church is one of two Wendish in cemeteries in the district. The Huppatz family has their own private cemetery. It was the Wendish community, especially from Ebenezer, who began the Great Trek in 1868 to establish the Lutheran settlement of Walla Walla in the Riverina of NSW. Apart from the Wends, Robert Hannaford the portrait artist lives at Peters Hill. This spot can be very cold in winter and the SA archives have a photograph of Peters Hill covered in snow in 1906.The hill itself is 1,728 feet high or 526 metres.

Yoyental tagged me today! check her pics at: flickr.com/photos/yoyental/

Here are 16 facts about me:

1 I would love to migrate to Australia, but i'm afraid i will miss my family and friends to much.

2 I wanne go blond again, but i'm scared people will think i'm a "dom blondje".

3 I used to sleepwalk a lot when I was a kid. I still do it if I sleep in a place wich i'm not used to like hotels.

4 I still say Christian Wilhemsson is hot, although he's not as hot anymore as he used to be.

5 I really suck in doing creative things, I think creativity hates me...

6 I'm addictid to food.

7 dead animals on tv scare me.

8 I don't have 16 friends on Flickr to send this to

9 I love shopping!

10 My guinea pigs are so cute and funny

11 It sucks ,Robert doesn't like cats! ( and I want one)

12 I should eat more vegetables, because my health sucks. But I really don't like them!

13 I want more tattoos!

14 I love doing stupid things with Arjan. He's my best schoolwork buddy :-S

15 I think i'm fat

16 I think getting older sucks, I'm only 22 and I already notice my energy level is going down.. (or would it be the vegetable issue??)...

You must be kidding! Aussies routinely claim Kiri Te Kanawa (opera singer), Russell Crowe (actor), Phar Lap (racehorse) and many other illustrious Kiwis as their own. So why the shyness in claiming this serial miscreant? She was only one when she migrated to Australia and has lived there all her life

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US War Cemetery in Margraaten, in the Netherlands. This moving cemetery is just a short distance from where I lived before migrating to Australia. Took this photo during a 2013 visit to my old home.

Hundreds of Australasian Gannets nest on the rock at Muriwai Beach near Auckland on the North Island of New Zealand, a colony which was established around 1975. One gannet flies above, showing off his wingspan which can reach about 6 feet or 180 centimeters.

The gannet colony starts to reconnect at Muriwai Beach in August and a single egg is laid somewhere September and November. The egg is incubated for approximately 44 days and the chicks will stay in the colony until February or March. For a 2 to 6 year period, the Australasian Gannets will migrate to Australia and then return to the coastal shores of New Zealand.

Joseph Bell, the Chief Engineer on the RMS Titanic was born in Farlam, near Brampton, Cumbria.

This is the service of commemoration that took place on Sunday 15th April 2012 marking 100 years since the loss

First years and training

Firstborn Son of John Bell, Sr. and Margaret Watson, both agricultural entrepreneurs, Joseph Bell grew up in Farlam, a small village belonging to the Rural District of Brampton, in the county of Cumberland; he had three siblings: Jane (1864), Richard (1865) and John jr. (1868).[1] His mother Margaret died shortly after giving birth to her last child.

Joseph Bell, initially, attended as a child a private elementary school in the village of Farlam and, after the death of his mother, he moved with his father and his brothers to Carlisle, between the districts of Edentown and Stanwix; Joseph and the brothers attended Carlisle's Academy William Harrison. In time, the younger brother John decided to migrate to Australia, embarking on the transatlantic SS Great Britain, while the rest of the family remained in Carlisle.

After leaving Carlisle, Joseph Bell moved to Newcastle, doing apprenticeship as an engine editor at Robert Stephenson and Company.[1] In 1885, Bell was hired by the White Star Line and worked on many ships that traded with New Zealand and the United States. In 1891 he was promoted to chief mechanical engineer.

Sister Jane married William Hugh Lowthian in 1886 and spent many years living in Ripley, Derbyshire, where he was a bank manager. It was probably at this time that Joseph met Maud Bates, whom he married in 1893; the couple had 4 children: Frances John, called Frank (1896), Marjorie Clare (1899), Eileen Maud (1901), and Ralph Douglas (1908).

In 1911, Joseph found lodging in Belfast, along with his wife and younger son. The two daughters remained at Ripley, cared for by both a housekeeper and her uncles (Bell's sister and brother-in-law), while the then fifteen-year-old Frank was studying at the Grosvenor College in Carlisle and later an apprenticeship at the Harland and Wolff shipyards.

On the Titanic

After serving on the Olympic, he transferred to the Titanic, where he was given the post of chief engineer. On the night of April 14, shortly before the Titanic hit an iceberg, Bell received an order from the bridge to either stop or reverse the engines (accounts vary), in an attempt to slow the ship. Despite the crew's best efforts, the Titanic could not avoid the immense block of ice. As the ship began to sink, Bell and the engineers remained in the engine room, urging the stokers and firemen to keep the boilers active, allowing the pumps to continue their work and ensuring the electricity remained on as long as possible. According to legend, Bell and his men worked to keep the lights and the power on in order for distress signals to get out and they all died in the bowels of the Titanic. However, according to the historical record, when it became obvious that nothing more could be done, and the flooding was too severe for the pumps to cope, they all came up onto Titanic's open well deck, but by this time all the lifeboats had already left. Greaser Frederick Scott testified to seeing all the engineers gathered at the aft end of the starboard Boat Deck at the end.[2][3] Bell's body was never recovered.

After Bell's death, the wife and the brother-in-law, William Ralph, inherited the farm of Farlam, of which Joseph had become its full owner since 1904, after his father's death; the farm was immediately sold because both Bell's wife and children never went to Farlam.

At the Church of the Holy Faith in Waterloo, near Liverpool, a plate has been affixed to commemorate Bell; an epitaph was also erected in his memory in the small cemetery of Farlam.

More from this set here: www.flickr.com/photos/davidambridge/sets/72157629467082388/

Creator: Unidentified.

Location: Crohamhurst, Queensland.

Description: He received financial aid from the Queensland Government and in 1934 built an observatory at Crohamhurst. Jones was elected a Fellow of the Astronomical Society in 1935. He died at Crohamhurst on 14 November 1954. His work was taken over by his chief assi

Inigo Jones, long-range weather forecaster, was born at Croydon, Surrey, England, on 1 December 1872, the son of Owen Jones, a civil engineer and a descendant of Inigo Jones, the noted English architect. Jones' parents migrated to Australia in 1874 and settled forty miles north of Brisbane. Inigo was educated at Brisbane Grammar School. Clement Wragge, the Queensland Government Meteorologist, was so impressed by the boy's interest and ability that he recruited him as an observer. A few years later the family acquired a farm and settled at Beerwah naming their property 'Crohamhurst' after Lord Goschen's Surrey estate. Here Jones set up his meteorological station, which he maintained for almost sixty-six years. In 1923 Jones began issuing long-range weather forecasts for which he was to become famous.

Copyright: Out of Copyright.

View the original image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/23607.

Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/research-collections.

You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.

This “sketch” was attached to a letter sent from Edinburgh to my mother’s great grandfather, James Bell in 1844. It was amongst a number of other letters and artefacts brought to Australia by her grandfather, an engraver, in 1853. The signature on the letter is partly obscured. It reads “James Im…” For the time being I’m working on the theory that the author was James Imray. James Imray & Son, were , according to Paulus Swaen Old Maps “the most prominent chart makers at the time, and were well known for their concern about the accuracy of their charts…”

The letter mainly deals with explanatory notes for the drawing, which appears to illustrate a device for reducing and enlarging drawings. The writer apologises for the ‘’’rough sketch” and also includes news that “… poor Kemp the architect was drowned in the canal in th (sic0 beginning of last month and [it has] given rise to a sensation not only among his acquaintances but with the [people] generally.”

I have procrastinated for several years over carrying out research based on this letter and other documents and artefacts relating to three generations of Bell Engravers. Despite the existence of the material my mother’s generation were delightfully vague about the activities of their forebears. Perhaps by putting it out in the public domain I might find some encouragement to go the extra mile.

James Bell served in the Royal Navy during the American War of Independence before settling in Belfast. His son William followed him into the Engraving trade which he continued after migrating to Australia in 1853. He engraved (and possibly designed) the Centennial series of stamps for New South Wales. My mother’s father, also named William (1864-1929) was also an engraver and seems to have done some pioneering work in photogravure.

Graham

This trough sits in the main street. The small end section was designed to contain a tap.

George Bills was an Englishman who migrated to Australia, via New Zealand. In Brisbane he met and married Annis Swann from Sheffield, England. The couple had no children but shared a great interest in animal welfare. They ended up in Sydney making a fortune manufacturing mattresses. One thing they thought was important was to see that when a horse came into town there was somewhere for the horse to drink: some also had a dog bowl at the end.

After George's death in 1927 a trust fund of approximately £80,000 was set to manufacture and provide horse troughs wherever they were needed in Australia and the United Kingdom – hence the "Annis and George Bills" trough. Most troughs read "Donated by Annis & George Bills Australia".

The troughs were £13 each plus transport and installation. The majority were installed in Victoria and New South Wales. One exists at St Arnaud, Victoria, another at Newtown, Victoria. One is also at Tunbridge Wells UK.

Reference: ABC Real Stories website and Wikipedia.

White-fronted Tern.

Sterna striata.

NZ Endemic.

Ashley River Mouth

Migrates to Australia

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Please feel free to browse the Cornick family archive. The images were taken from the early 1960s and up to about 1980 in rural Somerset and Gloucestershire, England.

Alistair and Julian Cornick move things out of the horsebox into Julian's home at 18 Crow Meadow, Kingswood, Gloucestershire. Alistair was about to migrate to Australia.

Photo by Jerome Cornick

The main concourse of the US War Cemetery in Margraaten, in the Netherlands. This moving cemetery is just a short distance from where I lived before migrating to Australia. Took this photo during a 2013 visit to my old home.

Trevor migrated to the UK in 1967.

The three of us slogged on till we were able to migrate to Australia 1978 for Norman, 1985 for Pete, & 1987 for Patrick.

This photo was taken in February 2010 in Wahroonga Park at my husband Ian’s 70th Birthday, pictured in the middle, orange T-shirt, large beard.

Ian, gathered here with his 5 siblings and all of their descendants. They are all descendants Alfred Ernest, who is a descendant of Alfred Charlton and Harriett Mussett who migrated to Australia on 4th July 1913 with their three small children, Alfred Ernest Henry, Alice and Marjorie. Alfred had purchased a section of land at Byrnestown, near Gayndah, Queensland.

After sailing from England on the ' Orsova' and finally disembarking in Brisbane, they took a train to Gayndah and travelled on to Byrnestown.

Reality hit, when they saw there was no house to live in and according to Marjorie, they lived in the chook house and were expected to clear the land and build their own home. This was too much for Harriett and after six weeks she refused to stay.

The family then travelled back to Sydney, found accommodation in Darlinghurst where Alfred secured a position with the Daily Telegraph. Eventually in 1918 they moved to Wahroonga where he purchased a Newsagency.

The family grew to eight children by 1929.

Here are all of his descendants, and I’m in the front there on right in a white and colourful shirt.

A postcard photo of the Reformed Church (Gereformeerd, now PKN) in Ijlst in the late 1930s. Between 1943 and 1947 my parents lived in this small Friesian city - it was the first church dad worked with after his ordinattion to Christian ministry.

My mother saved postcards of the places where in the Netherlands she and her growing family had lived, as well as other pictures for the family photo album. As we migrated to Australia in 1951 when the eldest of her children was only 5, this photo album was an important way of keeping us kids in touch with our country of birth.

Strengthening relationships with Asia

In the decades following the Second World War, the White Australia policy increasingly came under question. A centrepiece of Australian foreign policy was the introduction of the Colombo Plan in 1951, aimed at strengthening relationships with Asia. This scheme, initiated by Australia and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), provided aid to countries in need of assistance. The Colombo Plan played a major role in improving stability in the region. Original signatories were Australia, Canada, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Malaya and North Borneo, but later the membership expanded to 25 countries.

By 1970 Australia had donated $A300 million to the Colombo Plan. Assistance was given in the form of expertise, food and equipment and the education of Asian students in Australia, many of whom were Chinese. Although these students had to leave Australia on the completion of their studies, many migrated to Australia. By the 1980s over 20,000 students had benefited from the plan.

Aged Dependent Relative Visa Subclass 114 is a permanent visa. Visa 114 allows an aged person to migrate to Australia who are reliant on their family member for a large portion of their living expenses.

Subclass 114 is an offshore visa which requires the candidate/s to be outside of Australia when applying for Subclass 114 application and when the visa is granted.

Visit: www.isamigrations.com/family-visa/parent-visa/aged-depend...

For more information feel free to contact us: 👇

Email:

perth@isamigrations.com

adelaide@isamigrations.com

☎️ +61 8 6117 0917 (ISA Migrations, Perth)

☎️ +61 8 8120 4199 (ISA Migrations, Adelaide)

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