Australian History downloads
Submitted: Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 11:07
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Member - JohnR (Vic)
Folks, I was looking up sites following Wombats post about building a hut like some of the pioneering days and came across Project Gutenberg.
http://gutenberg.net.au/explorers.html
When we travelled up through the
Innamincka area last year was struck by the history of the
Cooper Creek area and the Burke and Will expedition ending there. There is a lot of information in the public domain and it is easy to access at sites like the Gutenberg site above for most Australian
Explorers. It is available as ebooks , text files, or html files and easy to take with us as we travel to the more remote parts. I reckon in future I will take some of the historic journals on the laptop too as an adjunct to the maps and other information. It will add another depth to the touring we do
In my thoughts I don't decry the indigenous history too but I am not aware of a site where that is easily accessed, specific to areas, except the oral histories round the country. Not a lot is written where we can readily access information prior to European engagement.
Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 11:58
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 11:58
Thanx
John very timely and interesting
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Follow Up By: niikki - Sunday, Mar 27, 2005 at 10:52
Sunday, Mar 27, 2005 at 10:52
Hi all, thats a great site
john and very handy to have access to....it will come in handy on my next trip which is coming up soon...
thanks again
niikki
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Reply By: Nudenut - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 12:21
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 12:21
Great site JohnR
have saved to favourites...cant spend anymore time looking at it now....fishing is more important :)
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Reply By: Bob of KAOS - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 12:58
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 12:58
Thank you
John
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Reply By: The Explorer - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 13:32
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 13:32
Hello - try post 15426 for this and other sources of info on
explorers etc.
Chhers
Greg
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 16:42
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 16:42
Greg, thanks for the reminder of the earlier post. I don't think it hurts to keep the availability of history on the net in front of people, and the availability of the journals which are very handy when you start to know areas like these. I wish I had them last year when we were there.
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Reply By: Ruth from Birdsville Caravan Park - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 15:43
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 15:43
WEll John, this is a very thoughtful and insightful post - great idea though. Was thingking of you this a.m. in relation to the Nat. Gathering. Went out to Big Red last night to show to some people - my how it's changed. The big blow on the western side has dished right out and moved east about 2 - 3 metres. Been plenty of wind in the summer and the tops of the dunes are HIGH. Also want to talk to you about
Robe this year. All quiet on the western front here - two campers and some fishing friends of Ian's just turned up. Weather nice - bit windy from the south - billabong has been graded this week and looks a million dollars (bullrushes graded also so can see water again). Diamantina Barra for dinner tonight because it's Good Friday. Dogs are happy and Mr Kitty assisting with typing of this and Mozart in the background - thought you and Heather would be away camping?
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 16:39
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 16:39
Hi Ruth, would love the feast of Diamantina Barra and some yabbies too for a large entree. Had hoped you folks would have made the EP this last February but some of our gear was getting repaired. No, not the Nissan, the Oztent suffered at the hands of God and being tied down.
I am sure the river looks a picture and we look forward to being back there seeing you folk. We want to go to
Coongie Lakes on the way next time, we are sending friends Bonz this week for you though -
well in a week or so. We saw the other 25 EO at the Murray Sunset gathering not so long back. Seems ages already. We had been to the Davis Cup round in
Sydney and in convoy across NSW with the Baz family, the Mick family, PaulPatrol and Peter. Called to see our MP in
Canberra in his new office - you know who.
You think that I get bogged everywhere do you? Want to talk to me about
Robe eh, indeed. LOL
We have the National Folk Festival playing here and no barra, but salmon I hear.
Well I better be on my bike........... Be camping near Christchurch in ten days.
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 20:46
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 20:46
We will be taking along some of this info with us on our jaunt which starts tomorrow, see you soon Ruth, hope the dunes arent THAT high that I have to cross.
John again thanx for the info and for the call.
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Reply By: Member - Rick (S.A.) - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 17:50
Reply By: Willem - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 20:08
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 20:08
Thanks Bro
Another interesting explorer, although of a more recent time, was Michael Terry, who drove out towrds the
Canning Stock Route in 1932 in Morris Tracked vehicles.
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Follow Up By: Member - Rick (S.A.) - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 21:42
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 21:42
G'day to the Lad in
Peterborough,
Did you ever, in your travels in the NT, come across Alan Davidson's explorations?
I think the Tanami was " his" region, in the early 20th C, but I'm going from memory, and that is not reliable on these matters!!!!!!!!!
Did ya ever drive/cover any of
John Ross's routes in the centre?
Cheers, & sorry I missed the white lightning in the Sunset country. We used to go there (Sunset country) when we lived in the Mallee. Very scenic country from there north to the bitumen
Mildura highway. Had a Ford Raider back then, which was a good bus with shocking seating.
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 23:26
Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 23:26
Rick, Willie would have felt better had you been there in MS too as he would have had slightly less in the bottle.
I reckon Bro, I learn a lot talking and listening with you each time, but that is spoken history. I love that too in fact. Your internet site too.
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Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 at 19:02
Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 at 19:02
G'day Rick
Alan Davidson was one of the first to take tourists into what is now known as
Kakadu as I recall. He operated safaris in Woolwonga Reserve back inthe '60's. These days Max Davidson(not related I think) runs a very successful fishing operation in Arnhemland.
Not sure of
John Ross. I take it the
Ross Hwy is named after him.
There is still about 200ml of White Lightning left. But Bonz is due to arrive here soon, so it may get depleted.
Yeah Bro, hope you have learned NOT to mess with MY fire....hahahahaha Good to see the GU all shiny again!
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 at 19:53
Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 at 19:53
Brother Willie, I reckon that White Lightning will flare up Bonz' fire too, so you better be wary. LOL Should be with Mr and Mrs Des now.
That
pic was in NSW before I got to the Murray Sunset. I want a new
pic soon though with the Lightforce Blitz 240s on the front. They make an awesome change to night visability.
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Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 at 20:12
Saturday, Mar 26, 2005 at 20:12
Bro, I must be the only one without spotlights. Then again, I don't drive around at night :o)
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Reply By: Member - Mungo Explorer (NSW) - Sunday, Mar 27, 2005 at 23:40
Sunday, Mar 27, 2005 at 23:40
"In my thoughts I don't decry the indigenous history too but I am not aware of a site where that is easily accessed, specific to areas, except the oral histories round the country. Not a lot is written where we can readily access information prior to European engagement."
The reason for that, of course, is that Aboriginal society before European "engagement" did not write anything down. Some of the white
explorers' accounts, if read properly (making allowance for their European bias), are quite good sources, but nothing beats talking to Aboriginals on your travels.
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Monday, Mar 28, 2005 at 08:09
Monday, Mar 28, 2005 at 08:09
I think we are making the same point Mungo, but in preparation for trips it would also help to have some local reference material to pre-European history on that specific local area. I would have to agree on the bias too that would have to apply. I guess I have had little experience in the re-engagement myself and when I have my industrial deafness with my lack of practice have sometimes made the process more difficult. Perhaps it was the localised tongue too.
I know I should read more in the local history department.
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Follow Up By: Member - Mungo Explorer (NSW) - Monday, Mar 28, 2005 at 20:04
Monday, Mar 28, 2005 at 20:04
One method I found productive sometimes is to find out the name(s) of the local tribe(s) and google for them. To take just a couple of NSW examples, "wiradjuri" yields over 15,000 pages, and "barkindji" over 600. You'll also have to try different spellings in some cases, such "ngyampa", "ngempa", etc. It's surprising what you can find out that way, especially if you combine that with the name of a locality.
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Monday, Mar 28, 2005 at 22:05
Monday, Mar 28, 2005 at 22:05
I guess at the time I was at school there was a limit to the Australian history that was taught, but the poignancy of the Burke and Wills deaths around
Innamincka wasn't lost. I needed to know more of the indigenous history to know what to look for. I am sure there are a lot of people like me too.
I did read the fictional 'Pemulwuy' to try to understand a point of view, by Eric Willmot though, which is still resident on the book shelves.
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