Patriot Realm

On 14^th February, 1879 NSW and Victoria decide to act in unison. The NSW premier, Sir Henry Parkes proposes that each state put up 4,000 pounds for the capture of the gang, ie., 2,000 pounds for each member. Victoria agrees. The Ovens and Murray Advertiser describes it as the biggest reward ever offered anywhere in the world for the apprehension of any criminals.

On 23^rd April, 1879, the incarcerated sympathisers, who have spent 107 days in prison for no legal reason, are discharged. The magistrates cannot continue the abuse of process any longer.

When I read Viv's article about forestry, I couldn't help but cast my mind back to the bushfires and the hell that they unleashed on our magnificent country in recent years. To the droughts and the starving stock, the desperate farmers and the ever growing discontent in all parts of the community over restrictions and rules, fines and heavy handed bullying tactics by the people we once turned to for support and help.

Before I knew where I was, I found myself in a sea of frustration and anger. How could we have let things get so bad so fast?

Green extremists plan to convert Australia into “tree heaven”. They will bully this through, no matter what the cost.

Huge areas of forest are already converted to “locked-up-land” – national parks, world heritage areas, Kyoto protected trees, remnant vegetation, aboriginal reserves, wildlife habitat and corridors etc. Many lock-ups are so large and so poorly managed that they have become extreme bushfire hazards and a refuge for wild dogs, cats, goats, camels, pigs, lantana, groundsel and other weeds and pests.

China has exploded on the world scene in recent years with economic growth never seen in world history. Three years ago, China made no laptops and now makes 40% of those sold worldwide. They produce most of the world’s cell phones and are the number one shoemaker globally, producing half of the world’s shoes! In addition, the Chinese make the television sets that Americans watch.

The American most responsible for Red China’s success is President Richard Nixon, whose trip to China was “the week that changed the world.” It is considered the most important trip ever made by a U.S. President. Nixon‘s trip kicked awake the sleeping red dragon.

_{Black holes, time warps and wormholes may be understood only by physicists, but they exist in everyday life.  As I become older, my encounters are on the increase.  I fear I may eventually be swallowed up.}

_{An actual black hole is formed when a star collapses at the end of its life, and gravity is so strong that everything around is sucked in and nothing can escape, even light.  The nearest one known to astronomers is 1500 light years away, which means that it takes light travelling at 300,000 kilometres per second 1500 years to reach us.  They are however around us.}

It was 1854 and Australia had been gripped by gold fever. It had all started back in 1851 when Edward Hargarves made the first “ official discovery near Orange in NSW.. His gleeful exclamation of “ Gold! “ sparked a feverish reaction throughout the colonies of Australia and made the corona virus fever of 2020 look like a mild temperature and a bit of a chill by comparison.

But I have gotten ahead of myself.