Afrikaan

13 Mar at 5:32 PM

> Goeie middag Tim,

> Hoe gaan dit met u? Ek was in Springs Transvaal gebore. My Oupa en sy broer het daar geboer. My Oupa en sy broer het teen die Britse geveg. As a gevolg daarvan het hulde baie geld verloor, maar dis in die verlede.

> My vrou en ek het drie kinders, nege Kleinkinders en vyf Agterkleinkinders. Ek is bly om te se die hele gesin lewens in Australia.

> Sien u Maandag by ons Duitse lesing.

> Totsiens,

> Brian.

Cycling adventure: Camberra to Nowra

Tasmanian Wilderness

Family Motor Cycling History

I am gazing at a very old photograph   of a very old motorbike. Its taken round 1922 on the Walch to   Armidale road.Its a Douglas opposed twin motor with a  rectangular fuel tank, sweptback handlebars, and exposed  flywheel, a fairly primitive machine but it transported my   father Fred Williams round the northern NSW dirt  roads  in his job as a representative for Williams Bros Motors.

Now weather its genetic or not,I dont know but I took an   instant liking to riding on the back of Geoffrey's 500 CC   Tiger 100 twin motor bike when he drove through French's   Forest and down Tumble Down Dick,the acceleration of these   machines was very rapid from 30mph to 100 mph in 30   seconds,  The feeling of wind in the hair with   associated thoughts of freedom were very apparent . 

                 

This is 1948 , prior to regulations requiring motor Cycle riders to wear helmets       

                 

These machines were the fastest   500 cc stock motor cycle available. There was a faster stock bike, but it was 1000 cc V twin Vincent HRD ,capable of speeds  exceeding 120 mph.  The NSW Police selected Triumph Tiger 100 motor cycles for

 their Highway Patrols.

 At age 16 years and 10 months it was possible to sit for a   riders licence, this test was conducted in Hospital   Road, abreast of the Domaine by RTA officers. The test

 involved driving 50 meters down the road, making a U turn   without putting a foot on the ground, observed by the RTA officer standing in the middle of the road.

Most motorcycle riders would understand this required the rider to operate the hand clutch, change gear by foot controller ,one up and three down, apply the foot brake, and    give a right hand signal for turning. This is prior to   electric indicators blinking  direction changes, so one   hand had to come off the handlebars, where the accelerator   is located.Need I say more,    for a nervous   person the opportunity to dab a foot on the ground while   turning the handlebars, to prevent a fall, was just too

great. Needless to say I failed my test.

Eventually I secured my motorcycle licence at 17.Now all I   needed was a motor bike, and who better to help me than   father Fred.He negotiated a sale with Campbell street agents   Hazell & Moore, having worked in the area pre war,lent me   100 pounds and I rode home on a shiny new Tiger 100 motor  bike.

FAMILY MOTORCYCLE HISTORY

Family Motor Cycles History I am gazing at a very old photograph of a very old motorbike.Its taken round 1922 on the Walch to Armidale road.

Its a Douglas opposed twin motor with a rectangular fuel tank,sweptback handlebars, and exposed flywheel,a fairly primative machine but it transported my father Fred Williams round the northern NSW dirt roads in his job as a representative for Williams Bros Motors. Now wheather its genetic or not,I dont know but I took an instant liking to riding on the back of Geoffrey's 500 CC Tiger 100 twin motor bike when he drove through French's Forest and down Tumble Down Dick,the accelleration of these machines was very rapid from 30mph to 100 mph in 30 seconds, The feeling of wind in the hair with associated thoughts of freedom were very apparent .

modular, pre-fab and off-grid house profile

SALIGNA WOODLOT - The clearing and planting of a new planation, Kangaroo Flat (NSW, Australia)

She approached me along the forest trail dressed in her khaki drill uniform from Greening Australia .I had rung asking for advice in the preparation of planting 5 acres of Sydney blue gum .Her name was Annabel Kater and with her camera we surveyed the land that had been prepared for planting. Bob Carr the then Premier who for political reasons had changed the State Forests regulations ,so former State Forests could be converted to National Parks ,a neat political trick to enhance his standing . Once done it achieved his kudos. Carr’s next step was to call on the landholders of the region to start planting trees to create a resource for the local sawmill at Walcha. I’m not sure if Annabel knew about all these political moves but she was certainly knowledgeable about species selection,Silva culture, weed control and the necessary methodology to accomplish all these practices. With camera she documented the slope in the land already conscious of the high rainfall on the tableland region and that Sydney Blue gum do well in this area. A younger man may have involved her in a relationship because she was attractive very easy to talk to and certainly friendly,but being old I accepted that it was better to stick to business practices and obtain the information that would create a successful wood lot Sydney Blue gum is of particular good flooring quality,in its mature state it can grow to 30-55meters in height,with a diameter at brest height of 2 meters . Exceptional species may attain a height of 65 meters with a girth of 2.5 meters,resulting in an excellent sawlog that the most emasculated sawmiller would salivate over. It is common in an area from the South Coast of New South Wales to as far north as the Eungella area west of Mckay in Queensland,growing to as far west as Carnarvon Gorge.it can survive in altitudes up to 1100 meters.This climate area is mostly warm humid with mean temperatures of the hottest month in the range of 24-33 degrees and mean minimum of the coldest round -2 to 8 degrees. The mean annual rainfall is around 900 – 1800 mm,with a summer maximum ,moderate in the south but strong in Queensland. Best development of this species is on good quality alluvial sandy loam,other soils pod sols and volcanic loam.Soils are generally moist but well drained. The species is characterized by its rough brownish to grayish flakey bark,retained at the base for 1-4meters ,decorating in long strips to leave smooth,blueish grey to white surface above .The Eucalyptus species is the most important genus of Australia forest trees with about 500 species,many are site sensitive and have edaphic preferences. The only shelter on Lot 29 Bloomfield road is a rough hut 6 meters by 3 meters fashioned from species grown on the block,milled at Long Flat to provide steeps to the loft,where the occasional possum rests from storms.The roof is rusty recycled corrugated iron,and flooring that can claim a 100 years of use.100 mm slabs decorate the exterior walls. Annabel and I shared afternoon tea and cake after our trevail,on the meager slatted deck ,discussing other species such as the wondrous cabinet timber Acacia melanoxlyn,or blackwood as it is known in the trade.All this talk must have made an impression because there is now a experimental grove of Acacia melanoxlyn grown from seed collected from a tree growing at St Ives,growing on the blook,but theirs is a 40 year cycle so wont be harvested by yours truly. Annabel was not exposed to the wondrous sounds that are audible at Saligna at night,unidentified birds hoot,dingoes howl,possums fornicate in rapturous delight,the odd bull sends out a call for company,the place come alive all that is missing is David Attenborough’s commentary. The final chapter to the saga is the sawmill closed down,so there is 5000 square meters of structural building timber,possibly enough for two sustainable houses,left talking to nature,I hope they have the language right. ©copyright T. Williams

Centenary Celebrations of Edgecliff Preparatory School (1912- 2012)

Sir Huber Butterely

 

Edgecliff Preparatory School Reunion 2012, Celebrating the School 100 year