It was 1939. My two older sisters and I were riding our bikes to school and Mum told Dad that she had heard a lady say “those Kirke children are strange, the eldest girl (Margery) rides along singing, the next girl (Mickey) whistles, and the boy talks to himself " … it's all true. In fact, I am not at all surprised that a couple of cats actually answer.
Read more: I remember when... I was one of those strange Kirke kids
My wife and are very fortunate to have been able to travel extensively and frequently. This trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway was the longest and one of the stand-out experiences of our lives. These days, with travel having been so severely limited, it is good to be able to share memories of past journeys and past experiences.
Lines are drawn on maps and continents carved up according to some pre-ordained or directed order: create a country, a state or a new political identity by drawing a pen line on a map.
Someone, somewhere, decides that this is where a border will go and so shall it be. The worker ants scurry off to carry out the master's orders.
When we line up to vote we do so because we naively believe that our vote means something. We listen to the policies and promises of each political party and decide which is the best fit for us.
Read more: The plunder in their pockets - at what cost Australia?
The Devil Didn’t Make ’Em Do It, and Neither Did the Pandemic.
A spectre is haunting discussions of the economy — the spectre of Covid agency. Almost from the very moment unprecedented government actions were announced worldwide to stop the spread of Covid-19, people became accustomed to referring to the virus as a sentient being with the ability to bend people to its will.
The killing of Gaddafi 10 years ago has resulted in the death of the nation of Libya and the destruction of its people
I have been thinking a lot about the impact that music has made on my life. Romanic moments when you danced with your loved one , sat and listened to a song together, been in a crowd when a choir sang a particular song . The piece of music that the Organist played for your wedding. Your choice .. your favourite song that meant something to you and your sweetheart.
During WW2, my grandmother used to take me to every official event that was held to honour our fighting servicemen and women. That is what grandmothers did and I loved the excitement of a day out and the chance to see a dive bomber in flight and a day to see a Vultee Vengeance.
I was 8 years old and it was 1943.
Read more: I remember when... biscuits, bombers and parades were patriotic
Recently, a young man I know preparing for the HSC had to write an essay contrasting the saying that Australia discovered its identity at Gallipoli from both a traditional and revisionist viewpoint.
Russia’s northernmost town, where people get KNOCKED OVER by Arctic winds and get power from a FLOATING NUCLEAR reactor. A cold Aussie beer or a vodka on ice? I will leave it up to you.
On July 28, the Wall Street Journal ran the article “Why Is the FDA Attacking a Safe, Effective Drug?” In it, it was outlined the potential value of the antiparasitic drug ivermectin for Covid-19, and the authors questioned the FDA’s vigorous attack on ivermectin.
Here is the authors' response.
Australia's Spirit at the Crossroads – Time to Shake Off the Mud At dawn, when…
187 hits
Muddy, Battered, and Waiting for the Next Kick-Off After a rugby match, the ball always…
272 hits
Dusty Gulch Gazette – Special Edition (Front Page) RUCTION AT THE GULCH OVAL: SETTLED THE…
414 hits
Some men belong to history. Others belong to the national conscience. Bruce Ruxton was the latter.…
348 hits
The Prime Minister Who Disappeared There are many ways for a Prime Minister to leave…
406 hits
From Whitlam to Bondi Beach, how moral evasion became cultural habit Australia has woken up…
416 hits
At 9:41am on Monday, 15 December 2014, Man Haron Monis forced Tori Johnson, the manager…
478 hits
Recent news in Australia has sparked debate: a ban on social media for under-16s. The…
382 hits
Dusty Gulch Gazette – Special Scandal Edition By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble – Foreign Correspondent, Rodent…
375 hits
Back in 1904, H. G. Wells published a short story called “The Country of the…
395 hits
Education, often celebrated as a beacon of enlightenment and progress, can also become a potent…
395 hits
On December 9, 2019, New Zealand's White Island erupted .claiming 22 lives and leaving survivors…
407 hits
They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and nowhere is that truer than…
393 hits
Before the sun had fully risen over Hawaii, a chain reaction had begun — one…
488 hits
“Minor Problem: I Identify as a 73-Year-Old Tabby, Therefore I’m Legally Entitled to X (and…
517 hits
Dusty Gulch Gazette – Special Duck Census Edition By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble – Foreign Correspondent,…
396 hits
Flysa spent some of the early years of his life managing construction projects in the…
433 hits
In the heart of Ballarat in 1854, a ragtag coalition of gold miners took a…
538 hits
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Forty-One Years On — A Legacy That Still Breathes, Bleeds, and…
402 hits
Henry J. Kaiser: The Self-Made Miracle Worker and the Legacy of Vision This article builds…
463 hits
The birth of Australia’s iron ore industry wasn’t just an economic milestone - it was…
449 hits
The Quiet Hanson: Why Lee Sherrard Might Just Save One Nation (and Why She Might…
646 hits
Dusty Gulch Gazette – Emergency Midnight Edition November 27, 2025 – Vol. 147, No. 320…
467 hits
From a disease-ravaged ship anchored off a windswept coast… to thirteen scrappy colonies telling the…
433 hits
In Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, a charismatic Edinburgh teacher enchants her…
602 hits
Elon Musk is more than a billionaire tech mogul...he’s a disruptor, a visionary, and a…
439 hits
Yes, let’s be honest. The days when the Irish, Scots, Italians, Greeks, Poles, Hungarians, Poms,…
457 hits
Picture this: You’re sitting down for a family dinner, and instead of chatting about school,…
450 hits
Dusty Gulch Gazette November 21, 2025 – Vol. 147, No. 312 By Jedediah "Dust" Harlan…
479 hits
by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble - Chief Correspondent for Ratty News - Aeronautical and Ornithological Division…
464 hits
A green hill in the Irish Sea has stood for 1,045 years. It has seen…
475 hits
There are many ships of the Royal Australian Navy that are dear to the hearts…
445 hits