From in space

It has been a long time between posts, but not a great length of time in galactic terms. So I've gone into space for inspiration - the result:

Trami

In September European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst recently shared a series of incredible images of Typhoon Trami from the International Space Station, where he is currently serving as Station Commander for Expedition 57.

Trami

‘Trami’ was originally a category 5 super typhoon but has since weakened to a Category 3 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of approximately 195 km/h as it prepared to make landfall.

Trami

According to CNN, ‘Trami’ comes on the heels of Super Typhoon Mangkhut, which cut a swath of destruction through northern Luzon in the Philippines less than two weeks ago.’

Gerst described it ‘as if somebody pulled the planet’s gigantic plug.’

Florence

Also in September, Gerst took another series of photographs, this time of Hurricane Florence as it approached the United States.

Florence

Then in October Gerst captured a brief and yet beautiful time-lapse of the Aurora Borealis dancing above Earth.

Inspiring nature

Faye Halliday is a travelling artist best known for her incredible black marker illustrations. 

Originally from the UK and currently living in Costa Rica, the artist has amassed huge followings on Instagram and Facebook as she shares her ongoing artworks and creative pursuits. 

In an ongoing series of illustrated paper cutouts, Faye has been using nature’s vibrant palette to fill in her works and she has been using the results as inspiration for her coloured prints and canvases.

The stories behind the faces:

Faye has been drawing these animals for years. She sees “each creature has brought with it a lesson and a means for me to heal and grow as a person during different points in my life. 

Sometimes I'd approach the paper with a particular intention in mind and have it reflected back to me. Other times, the meaning or lesson behind the animal would reveal itself towards the end of the piece.

This is why I refer to these creations as ‘family’. The countless hours of love and attention that went into creating them...and the warm reminders of the lessons and support they gave me. 

In my experience, people have resonated with the pieces that carry a meaning relevant to their present circumstances. 

Which is why it might be interesting for you to see which animal you're drawn to, before finding out its meaning." 
(Check out the Meet-the-family link).

< Possibly my fave 'Rajaga' (Fire)

Faye produces her designs as prints for sale, and also t-shirts, temporary tattoos, and as phone cases.

The story behind the 'Pani' (Water) phone case design.

Heaven on earth is waiting for us to relax into our hearts, let go of the burdens we hold onto and wake up from the dream of stress. Inspired by the colours dancing in its glimmering surface, Pāṇī is an acknowledgement of the endless lessons to be found in water.

In a world of rigidity, water shows us how in all of its gentle flexibility, it cannot be destroyed. Freeze and it turns to ice, boil and it turns to vapour, drink it and it endlessly nourishes the people it passes through before eventually returning to its source.

Enclosing Australia

‘Fences of Australia’ by Jack Bradshaw.

Fences in the rural landscape are prosaic affairs. From stone to post and rail, from the utilitarian to the sculptural, a well-built fence is a thing of beauty and a monument to workmanship. These practical but symbolic structures are part of the story of Australia.

A reconstructed post-&-rail fence of separate panels rather than overlapping rails

Starting with 7,000-year-old Aboriginal fish traps and ending with a look into the future in a chapter on virtual fencing, Jack Bradshaw (who was inspired by the rabbit-proof fence) traces the history of Australia's fences in words and pictures.

A section of the rabbit-proof fence

The materials, design and method of construction reveal a great deal about the surrounding landscape, the type of farming enterprise and even the economic conditions of the time.

Dry-stone limestone fences at Kappawanta Station's shearing shed, on the Eyre Peninsula - still in use

A 90 year old split rail/paling fence around an orchard at Deeside near Manjimup, W.A.

Sheep yards built by the Pergandes family in the 1920s using layers of rock from a nearby outcrop, near Bencubbin, W.A.

Must emulate Jack – travel around the countryside taking photos of fences.

One of the more bizarre fence materials, around a W.A. wheatbelt homestead

The Stinson (the aftermath)

March 1937 and onwards

Bernard O'Reilly was lauded by the general public but never received any official thanks or reward and returned to the guesthouse. The 'Green Mountains' guesthouse has remained with the O'Reilly family ever since and is now a high end retreat 'O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat', and it still celebrates Bernard’s achievements.

O'Reillys accommodation

O'Reillys have special 80th anniversary treks to the crash site with a commemorative ceremony that you can join.

The Stinson wreckage in 1990s

Stinson Walk Option 1 – Walk in Bernard’s Footsteps

Starting from O’Reilly’s Resort we hike along the same route that Bernard followed in his search for the Stinson Wreck in 1937. The walk begins on the Border Track, later going off the graded trail into rough terrain and dense misty rainforest, summitting Mount Throakban to reach Point Lookout and on to the Stinson clearing where we shall meet up with the Rescue Route group. There is an opportunity to go to Westray’s grave.

Stinson Walk Option 2 – The Rescue Route

Walking from the Christmas Creek end of the track, this walking group will creek cross, rock hop, and make their way alongside the tumbling creek to the site of Jim Westray’s grave. From creek level you will then climb steeply up the side of the hill to eventually reach the site of the Stinson Wreck. Reaching the Stinson clearing you then have the option of continuing a little further to Point Lookout to look towards Mount Warning in N.S.W.

Both groups meet at the Stinson Clearing for lunch and time for a commemoration and to hear the remarkable tale of the Stinson rescue.

The Stinson crash had a profound effect on Australians, and via the results of the inquest, saw changes to Australian aviation. The much discussed topic of radio communications and navigation led to (Check out the local connection in the 'Nhill Aeradio Station, navigating safely' story) a network of radio beacons across the country to aid pilots.

In 1940, after he had volunteered to join the Air Force, "and since the future is so obscure" Bernard fulfilled requests to write the story of the rescue - the result was the book "Green Mountains and Cullenbenbong".
Bernard O'Reilly died in 1975.
John Seymour Proud continued his career as an engineer, and died in 1997. Joseph Robert Binstead's death date of 1969 is uncertain.

Sources: Bernard O'Reilly "Green mountains", Jennifer Beck "Crash", Trove historic newspapers.

 

The Stinson (2nd)

At dawn on Tuesday 2nd March 1937, the rescue team began the descent of the ridge in steady rain. Each 8 man stretcher team had to be rested every 10 minutes. It was some 11 hours later, after 4pm in the afternoon, when the stretchers reached the foot of the mountain.

The searchers with Proud & Binstead on stretchers (Wix.com)

The Stinson (1st March)

In the early hours of Monday 1st March 1937, Bernard O'Reilly and the locals were organising 2 rescue parties. The first led by Bernard and accompanied by Dr Lawler would follow Bernard's route back up the Christmas Creek to the Stinson survivors. 
Another party would cut a 14 mile long track along the ridge to ferry out the stretchers (Bernard’s fast route was too steep and treacherous for men to carry stretchers, even the ridge route required men at the front to carry the stretcher extended over their heads while the men at the back held it below knee height, in an attempt to keep it relatively level). 
Bernard’s party started out at 3am and arrived at the wreck site around 11am. They triaged the survivors and carried them up to the ridge. 
The Ridge party arrived around sunset.

Dr Lawler had been prepared to amputate Proud’s leg at the crash site but as the fly maggots had eaten the putrid flesh, they had actually slowed down/prevented gangrene infection setting in and poisoning the leg. The leg was saved but Proud never regained full use of the limb.

The Stinson (28th)

At about 8am on Sunday 28th February 1937, Bernard O'Reilly reached the summit of Mount Throakban, where he waited for the swirling mists to clear momentarily…and then suddenly I saw something which made me jump. Eight miles away by map, on the third range, “Lamington Plateau”, just where it swelled up to join the border range, was a tree-top which was light brown…the brief view gave Bernard a reference point to aim for. 

The view from Mt Throakban (from 'Green Mountains & Cullenbenbong')

Some 8 hours later, around 4pm, he heard a voice ahead and sent out a “Cooee” which was answered. He came upon the plane wreckage (22 miles from the Guesthouse) with 4 bodies still trapped inside, and unbelievably 2 men barely alive beside it.

John Proud a 30 year old mining engineer…his eyes far back in his head, like a corpse, lying as he had lain for ten days on that wet ground with a broken leg that was green and swelling and maggoty…Proud had been in the act of writing his final message (carving into a piece of the tail plane with his pen-knife).

Joe Binstead a 54 year old wool buyer…his hand was like raw meat. His legs, too, were like that, and the legs of his trousers were worn away in crawling over the rocks (Binstead had been keeping them both alive by crawling to a nearby creek, 300 yards away down an almost perpendicular slope, and filling a thermos, which had survived the fire, with water).

They asked after Westray (James Westray a 26 year old English insurance man, the only other survivor, who though burned in the crash had gone for help on the day after the crash)

Toolona Falls

Bernard gave them a quick cup of tea and after a half hour, at around 4:30pm, left to get help. Following the track left by Westray for ½ mile he came upon a waterfall plunging down a 30’ cliff and signs where Westray had fallen down the cliff. A further 2 miles on he came across the body of Westray (he had damaged his ankle in the fall and died of internal haemorrhages) sitting against a rock starring out towards his goal.

In the growing dark Bernard continued along the Christmas Creek and down the mountains towards the settlement of Lamington and civilisation, to raise the alarm and a rescue team. Lamington was the closest population centre to the wreck site at around 9 miles.

The Stinson (27th)

On Saturday 27th February a young bushman acting on a his own reasoning with regards the missing Stinson, set out on the bush-walk of his life, with an “Expect me when you see me”

Bernard O'Reilly took a hessian sack to act as a coat and a jam tin billy, 2 loaves of bread a pound of butter, 6 onions (to be roasted in the camp-fire), and some tea & sugar in a sack. (His 4 year old daughter Rhelma had wanted to accompany him).

He set out from the 'Green Mountains' guesthouse to the Border Track and the lookout at Mount Bethongabel (12.6km from the Guesthouse), where he sent his horse to find his own way home and continued alone on foot.

The view down into New South Wales from Toolana Lookout on the Border Track

The Stinson (26th)

Friday 26th February 1937 a reward is posted by Airlines of Australia, the owners of the Stinson, for any information that might lead to the discovery of the plane, and the fate of its crew and passengers.

Mrs. H. Proud, mother of Mr. John S. Proud, one of the Stinson's passengers, made an offer to the company of £500 for a continuation of the aerial search in the Broken Bay region, and particularly around Patonga. The company, however, decided not to take advantage of her offer, but decided to make another search of that area, at the company's own expense.

The Telegraph (Brisbane) 26th >>

Living up at ‘Green Mountains’ guesthouse on the Lamington Plateau, Bernard O’Reilly only caught up with the national newspapers on Friday 26th, when he visited his brother Herb in the Kerry Valley at the foot of the mountains.

But he did listen to the locals who were sure they had heard the Stinson passing over as usual, headed towards the ‘Lost World’ up in the McPherson Range.


Below: the Kerry Valley from near 'Green Mountains', with the promontory of  'Lost World' on the left.  

The Stinson (24th)

Wednesday 24th February 1937

Maitland Daily Mercury 24th

Sydney Mail, 24th

Jean at Archerfield on 26th, The Telegraph (Bris)

The 'Miss Jean Batten' referred to, was a female pilot and New Zealand's greatest aviator. 
In the 1930s she set solo flying records. In 1936 she was the first person to fly direct from England to New Zealand. In February 1937 she was in Australia prior to her long distance Australia to England flight.
She joined the search for the Stinson, convinced it had gone down around Berowra, and what is now the Ku-ring-gai Chase and Brisbane Water National Parks.


All newspaper articles on the Stinson sourced from Trove.

The Stinson (23rd)

Tuesday 23rd February 1937, the Royal Australian Air Force which had been participating in the search for the Stinson, call off their search.

The main area of the search was focused on the Broken Bay area (for all those 'Home & Away' fans, the next bay north of Summer Bay), as the lighthouse at Barrenjoey had not logged the passing of the plane.

Barrenjoey lighthouse

The Cairns Post 22nd

The Stinson (25th)

Thursday 25th February 1937 after a week the search is called off, and all official air, land and sea searches are terminated.

Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton) 25th >>

The search held the whole nation's attention, as shown by the article below published on 25th from the Daily News in Perth.