Introducing Free Wi-Fi at Sutherland Shire Libraries
Beginning 1 July 2013 we are introducing free Wi-Fi at Sutherland, Cronulla, Caringbah, Miranda, Engadine and Menai Libraries.Time limits apply
Although there will be no charge to access the Internet on your own devices in the library, you will be restricted to a maximum of 4 hours per day on each device. The time limit applies to total use throughout the opening hours of the library. You could use the entire 4 hours in a single block or you could connect to the Internet for 4 separate 1 hour periods throughout the day, for instance.If you expect to be at the library for longer than 4 hours we recommend that you disconnect from the Wi-Fi when you are not actively using the Internet in order to maximise the Wi-Fi availability and ensure you don't reach your daily quota.
Please note: our public Wi-Fi is an unsecured network. It is unsuitable for communicating sensitive or personal information, for example, online banking.
There is no Wi-Fi available at Bundeena or Sylvania libraries.
This Day in History ( June 28 )
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Friday, June 28, 2013
The Outlaw Ned Kelly and his gang are finally captured!
Born: June 1854/55? unknown
Died: 11th November 1880
Aged: 25 years
In June 1880, after years of successfully eluding police, the Kelly Gang deliberately staged a final confrontation at Glenrowan in Victoria. Kelly had hoped this confrontation would stir up a rebellion of citizens against what he saw as an unjust legal system. The gang took over the Glenrowan railway station, but Kelly was careful not to damage the telegraph, so the station master could alert the police.
The gang moved the railway staff to the Glenrowan Inn where they also took the guests as hostages. Because many of them were Kelly sympathisers, the night was spent in song and merriment as they waited for police to arrive. Eventually, a local school teacher (who was released by Kelly to check on his family) alerted police to the gang's whereabouts. Police and railway staff surrounded the inn, ready to fire at any of the gang members who left the building.
Wood engraving - Australian News 17/7/1880 |
At around dawn (on the 28th), Ned Kelly appeared in his armour outside the hotel. Emerging like a ghostly apparition from the trees that surrounded the hotel, his appearance horrified the authorities. According to a railway station guard:
...I heard the thud of a bullet where I was, on looking back I saw what seemed a tremendous black fellow with something like a blanket on him this would be about 6.45am and the morning being hazy or else the smoke from the guns hanging about made him look a deal bigger than he was... the strange figure still advanced on us... I saw Sergeant Steele run from a tree close behind Kelly, as he shot at me, and fired twice very low, I saw Kelly fall ... – Glenrowan Railway Station goods guard
When the rough armour was removed, Ned was found to have some 28 bullets in his body.
Tony Robinson - DVD |
The police started a fire in the hotel to smoke out the remaining gang members. They shot Joe Byrne as he came out of the side of the burning hotel, while the two other gang members – Steve Hart and Dan Kelly – died in the fire. Ned Kelly himself was the only gang member to survive. He was tried by Judge Redmond Barry and sentenced to death. At Ned's request, his picture was taken and he was granted farewell interviews with family members. His mother's last words to Ned were reported to be 'Mind you die like a Kelly'. (they sure bred them tough back then!)
Ned's famous last words were 'Such is Life'
Although photography was quite new in 1880, a number of photographers helped record the dramatic events at Glenrowan as they unfolded.
Source: Dowsett, J 1973, 'The capture of Ned Kelly' [manuscript ca. 1880], La Trobe Journal, No. 11 April.
iBLURB for Kiddies 7
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Quote: If you want your children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders. - Abigail Van Buren
The star of this book – is a crazy, paranoid kid who takes life more than literally – as he finds himself falling apart and losing it, panicking over each and every harmless adage made in the world around him. When asked by his dad to give him 'a hand' for example, our Nervous Nelly panics over how he is going to live without it, and how he can assure that his hand stays on the end of his arm - by using some good strong glue, I suspect.
(Enjoy this book, but just don’t lose your mind!)
The star of this book – is a crazy, paranoid kid who takes life more than literally – as he finds himself falling apart and losing it, panicking over each and every harmless adage made in the world around him. When asked by his dad to give him 'a hand' for example, our Nervous Nelly panics over how he is going to live without it, and how he can assure that his hand stays on the end of his arm - by using some good strong glue, I suspect.
(Enjoy this book, but just don’t lose your mind!)
Henry and Amy (right-way-round and upside-down) by Stephen Michael King
Henry always felt
out of step with the world around him. When everyone looked up, he looked down.
If he thought it was going to be a sunny day, it usually rained. Amy could do
everything right, she never tied her shoelaces together, or forgot her
umbrella. Amy showed Henry everything she knew, but deep down she wished she
didn't always have to be so perfect. So Henry showed Amy how to dress funny and
roll down hills sideways. Together, they could be serious or silly,
right-way-round or upside down. As long as they were together they could do
anything! (It's a bit whimsical, it's a bit silly and more than a little bit cute)
Just another ordinary day by Rod Clement
Like most kids, Amanda gets dressed, goes to school, plays with friends, and eats dinner with her family. But don’t be fooled by this deceptively simple story — readers will soon find out that Amanda is no ordinary girl! Best-selling Australian artist Rod Clement has created a wickedly funny picture book in which the artwork tells an extraordinary story of ‘Just another ordinary day.’
Just another ordinary day by Rod Clement
Like most kids, Amanda gets dressed, goes to school, plays with friends, and eats dinner with her family. But don’t be fooled by this deceptively simple story — readers will soon find out that Amanda is no ordinary girl! Best-selling Australian artist Rod Clement has created a wickedly funny picture book in which the artwork tells an extraordinary story of ‘Just another ordinary day.’
Bawk & Roll by Tammi Sauer
C'mon over--there's a whole lot of clucking going on in this hilarious follow-up to the popular Chicken Dance. Marge and Lola have hit the big time! The dancing duo is ready to rock 'n' roll their way across the country, touring with the great Elvis Poultry. But when the lights go down and the curtain goes up, stage fright sets in. Will our two beloved chickens be too chicken to perform? Or will they find their courage and totally bawk, shake, and flap? (the illustrations are hilarious - Elvis Poultry steals the show!)This Day in History ( June 23 )
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Lachlan Macquarie |
Governor Macquarie officially opens Australia's first post office.
June 23, 1810
In 1809, Lieutenant Colonel Lachlan Macquarie arrived in Sydney to take up the position of Governor of the New South Wales colony, which he held from 1810-21. With his military training and vision for organisation and discipline, Macquarie was an ideal candidate to restore order to the colony, following the Rum Rebellion (DVD) against deposed Governor William Bligh (yes, the same Bligh as Mutiny on the Bounty). Macquarie upheld high standards for the development of New South Wales from penal colony to free settlement. He introduced the first building code into the colony and ordered the construction of roads, bridges, wharves, churches and public buildings.
(George Street façade) circa 1900 |
One of Macquarie's earliest duties was to appoint an official postmaster. The first postmaster of Sydney was Isaac Nichols, an ex-convict who took
up the post on April 26, 1809. Isaac quickly opened Australia's first post office at his home in George
Street in Sydney. He began advertising in the ‘Sydney Gazette’ (the equivalent
of a newspaper in those days) the names of all those who were fortunate enough
to receive mail. The people listed could collect their letters from Nichols'
home by paying the fixed price of a shilling per letter, with parcels costing
more depending on how heavy they were. High-ranking members of
the community received personal deliveries from Nichols.
'Sydney Views' - a red 1d stamp; the first issued in New South Wales |
Our first Christmas stamp |
Stamp of Australia - ABC |
In 2009 AusPost celebrated 200 years as Australia's
oldest, continually operating organisation. A marvellous achievement indeed!
#faraway Twitterchat Tuesday, 25 June 8.00pm
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Have you enjoyed reading some faraway reads throughout June? Share your reading and discover some new faraway reads by joining us this month for the live twitter discussion on 25 June starting at 8.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. 9.00pm New Zealand Time, 6.00pm Singapore Standard Time, 12.00 noon Central European Summer Time. Note : this is a staggered start to the discussion.
Use the tags #faraway and #rwpchat as you discuss the reading, watching playing that is your experience of faraway, so others can join in the conversation too.
To read or not to read- Once upon a time...
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Saturday, June 22, 2013
To read or not to read...that is the question! This is an appropriately dark re- telling of a classic fairy tale, originally made into a movie. Yes,it does still end happily ever after...but this ending is achieved in a most unexpected way.
Read the opening paragraphs of this book and you decide whether to read or not to read the rest of this book!
Once upon a time...
It was the coldest winter the kingdom had ever known. Frost covered the gravestones. The rose-bushes in the castle garden were nearly bare, their leaves shriveled and brown. King Magnus stood on the edge of the forest with Duke Hammond, waiting for the other army to arrive. The king could see his own breath. The slow steadyclouds expanded in front of his face, then disappeared into the cold morning air. His hands were numb. He didn't feel the weight of the armor on his back, or the way the chain mail pressed against his neck with metal so cold it stung his skin.He didn't worry about the enemies on the other side of the battlefield and he wasn't afraid.
Inside he was already dead.
Yet his army stood behind him. One of the horses whinnied through the fog. It has been nearly a year, he thought. She died almost a year ago. He had held her head in his hands, watched as the light left her eyes. What was he to do? Who was he without her? He sat in his chambers, his young daughter perched on his knee, but the cloud of grief was too thick. He couldn't hear a word she uttered. "Yes, Snow White," he'd say, his mind somewhere else as she peppered him with questions. "Right my darling, I know."
Far across the field, he could see the enemy army. They were shadow warriors, a dark clan gathered by some inexplicable, magical force. They stood in the morning mist as ghostly silhouettes-nameless and faceless. Their armor was dull and black. At times it was hard to tell where the forest ended and they began.
Duke Hammond turned to him, his brows knitted together in worry. "From what hell comes this army?" he asked.
King Magnus set his jaw. He shook his head, trying to pull himself out of the stupor that had lingered for months.
He had a kingdom to protect, now and always.
" A hell they'll soon revisit!" he yelled. Then he raised his sword leading his troops to charge.
They raced towards the enemy army, their swords aimed at the figures throats. Soon the shadows were upon them. The warriors armor was similar to theirs, but beneath it were black shadows that shifted and swirled like smoke. A faceless warrior ran towards King Magnus, his weapon drawn. The king swung his sword, and the figure shattered like glass, thousands of black shards flying out in every direction. The king looked up stunned.
To keep reading this book, request a copy from the Library.
Read the opening paragraphs of this book and you decide whether to read or not to read the rest of this book!
Once upon a time...
It was the coldest winter the kingdom had ever known. Frost covered the gravestones. The rose-bushes in the castle garden were nearly bare, their leaves shriveled and brown. King Magnus stood on the edge of the forest with Duke Hammond, waiting for the other army to arrive. The king could see his own breath. The slow steadyclouds expanded in front of his face, then disappeared into the cold morning air. His hands were numb. He didn't feel the weight of the armor on his back, or the way the chain mail pressed against his neck with metal so cold it stung his skin.He didn't worry about the enemies on the other side of the battlefield and he wasn't afraid.
Inside he was already dead.
Yet his army stood behind him. One of the horses whinnied through the fog. It has been nearly a year, he thought. She died almost a year ago. He had held her head in his hands, watched as the light left her eyes. What was he to do? Who was he without her? He sat in his chambers, his young daughter perched on his knee, but the cloud of grief was too thick. He couldn't hear a word she uttered. "Yes, Snow White," he'd say, his mind somewhere else as she peppered him with questions. "Right my darling, I know."
Far across the field, he could see the enemy army. They were shadow warriors, a dark clan gathered by some inexplicable, magical force. They stood in the morning mist as ghostly silhouettes-nameless and faceless. Their armor was dull and black. At times it was hard to tell where the forest ended and they began.
Duke Hammond turned to him, his brows knitted together in worry. "From what hell comes this army?" he asked.
King Magnus set his jaw. He shook his head, trying to pull himself out of the stupor that had lingered for months.
He had a kingdom to protect, now and always.
" A hell they'll soon revisit!" he yelled. Then he raised his sword leading his troops to charge.
They raced towards the enemy army, their swords aimed at the figures throats. Soon the shadows were upon them. The warriors armor was similar to theirs, but beneath it were black shadows that shifted and swirled like smoke. A faceless warrior ran towards King Magnus, his weapon drawn. The king swung his sword, and the figure shattered like glass, thousands of black shards flying out in every direction. The king looked up stunned.
To keep reading this book, request a copy from the Library.
Many Happy Returns ( June 22 )
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Happy Birthday, Dan!
Name: Dan Brown - Author
Born: June 22, 1964 (age 48), Exeter, New Hampshire, United States
Books: Digital Fortress, Deception Point, Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno
Movies: Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Be Cool
Awards: Book Sense - Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction
His Runaway Hit! |
Prequel to Da Vinci |
Brown's interest in secrets and puzzles stems from their presence in his household as a child, where codes and ciphers were the linchpin tying together the mathematics, music and languages in which his parents worked. The young Brown spent hours working out anagrams and crossword puzzles, and he and his siblings participated in elaborate treasure hunts devised by their father on birthdays and holidays. At Christmas, for example, Brown and his siblings did not find gifts under the tree, but followed a treasure map with codes and clues throughout their house and even around town to find the gifts.
Dan's third novel |
Dan's first novel |
Brown's first three novels had little success, with fewer than 10,000 copies in each of their first printings. His fourth novel, The Da Vinci Code (ebook), became a bestseller, going to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list during its first week of release in 2003. It is now credited with being one of the most popular books of all time, with 81 million copies sold worldwide as of 2009.
Dan Brown's latest offering - reserve it now! |
This Day in History ( June 20 )
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Thursday, June 20, 2013
The Hand of Fate decides the destiny of our country in 1802. It could have been so different! ‘Mon Dieu!’
Name: Nicolas Baudin
Name: Nicolas Baudin
Birth: 17 Feb. 1754
– France
Death: 16 Sept. 1803 - Mauritius (at 49)
Occupation: explorer, cartographer, naturalist.
June 20, 1802 French commander Nicolas Baudin (pronounced Bow-dan) arrives in Port Jackson with the intention to claim Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) as French, but with his crew ill and ships needing repair he has to abandon his plans.
During the late 1700s and early 1800s, both France and England were seeking to expand their respective empires. Both countries claimed and colonised new lands around the world, and both countries explored lands in which the Dutch had shown little interest, such as Australia. Although James Cook formally claimed the east coast of Australia in 1770, this did not dissuade the French from charting the coastline, and even making a claim to the west coast in 1772.
During the late 1700s and early 1800s, both France and England were seeking to expand their respective empires. Both countries claimed and colonised new lands around the world, and both countries explored lands in which the Dutch had shown little interest, such as Australia. Although James Cook formally claimed the east coast of Australia in 1770, this did not dissuade the French from charting the coastline, and even making a claim to the west coast in 1772.
Late in 1800, French explorer and naturalist Nicolas Baudin was commissioned to lead an expedition to complete a French survey of the Australian coastline, and make scientific observations, commanding two ships, 'Le Géographe' and 'Le Naturaliste'. He reached Australia in May 1801, being the first to explore and map the southern coast, and a part of the western coast of the continent. The scientific expedition was a great success, with more than 2500 new species discovered. The French also met Aboriginal Peoples and treated them with high respect.
Marks the meeting of Baudin & Flinders |
In April 1802, he met Matthew Flinders, also engaged in charting the coastline, in Encounter Bay, S.A. Scientific investigations were carried out between May-July 1801, and again between January-May 1802. However, during this time, the ships were battered by bad weather, while most of the crew suffered debilitating sickness. Baudin then stopped at the British colony at Sydney for provisions, ship repairs and medical attention for his crew. By the time he sailed into Port Jackson on 20 June 1802, only four of the crew of the were fit to serve. In Sydney he bought a new ship — Casuarina — named after the wood it was made from. From there he sent home Naturaliste, which had on board all of the specimens that had been discovered by Baudin and his crew.
After spending several months in Port Jackson, and with his crew fully recovered, Baudin continued south to finish surveying Van Diemen's Land, but not before revealing his intention to colonise Van Diemen's Land, in a moment of indiscretion. Governor King sent Charles Robbins to Van Diemen's land to successfully dissuade the impending French claim. Robbins met with Baudin and successfully persuaded him to abandon his plans. Baudin then continued north along the west coast to Timor. Baudin then set sail for home, stopping at Mauritius, where he died of tuberculosis.
After spending several months in Port Jackson, and with his crew fully recovered, Baudin continued south to finish surveying Van Diemen's Land, but not before revealing his intention to colonise Van Diemen's Land, in a moment of indiscretion. Governor King sent Charles Robbins to Van Diemen's land to successfully dissuade the impending French claim. Robbins met with Baudin and successfully persuaded him to abandon his plans. Baudin then continued north along the west coast to Timor. Baudin then set sail for home, stopping at Mauritius, where he died of tuberculosis.
Nicolas Baudin - the extensive expedition map |
Note: According to researchers from the University of Adelaide, during this expedition Baudin prepared a report for Napoleon Bonaparte on ways to invade and capture the British colony at Sydney Cove.
Miles Franklin Award Winner 2013
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
The Trust Company, as Trustee, and the 2013 judges this afternoon announced Michelle de Kretser as the winner of this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel, Questions of Travel at an event held at the National Library of Australia, Canberra.
Questions of Travel by Michelle DeKrester |
A mesmerising literary novel, Questions of Travel charts two very different lives.Laura travels the world before returning to Sydney, where she works for a publisher of travel guides. Ravi dreams of being a tourist until he is driven from Sri Lanka devastating events.
Her fellow 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlisted authors were:
Floundering by Romy Ash
Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany
Congratulations to all the authors.
This Day in History ( June 19 )
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Margherita of Savoy |
The modern
pizza is invented.
Name: Margherita
of Savoy, was the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy during the reign of her
husband, Umberto I
Birth: November 20,
1851, Turin, Italy
Death: January 4,
1926, Bordighera, Italy
The word ‘pizza’ has been in existence for many
centuries longer than the modern pizza. The first time the word was noted was
in the year 997, in Medieval Latin, in reference to a
Neapolitan (someone who comes from Naples). Bakers in Naples used the flatbread as a tool to gauge the
temperature of an oven, and it was not intended to be eaten at all.
Pizza ingredients! |
According
to legend, the Margherita pizza was born in Naples, Italy June 19, 1889 when a famous baker/pizza maker (Raffaele Esposito) made a pizza in honour of the visiting Queen Margherita. He used the pizza
flatbread base and topped it with a combination of fresh Italian tomatoes-red,
mozzarella cheese-white, olive oil
and basil-green.
Naming it after the Queen, Esposito had created the very first ‘Pizza Margherita’. He had designed a
pizza featuring all the colours of the Italian flag, and this delicious recipe
has been used ever since.
James & Thom Elliot |
Looks Delicious! |
Queen Margherita
encouraged artists and writers and founded cultural institutions, notably the Società del Quartetto - society of
quartets, and endorsed the Casa di Dante - House of Dante (a famous Italian poet) that is now a three storey museum in Florence, Italy. She was a benefactress of many
charities, especially the Red Cross.
Bravo! |
JUNE - FarawayReads for Teens
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
“Science fiction is the most important literature in the history of the world, because it's the history of ideas, the history of our civilization birthing itself. ...Science fiction is central to everything we've ever done, and people who make fun of science fiction writers don't know what they're talking about.”
― Ray Bradbury
― Ray Bradbury
The Watertower by Gary Crew
It is a story for sophisticated readers who can sense the alien threat that is present as two boys go for a swim at the old water tower. The stunning illustrations and understated text combine very effectively to convey the enigmatic latent menace. (an intriguing, thought-provoking picture book for young & old... whoops... older!)
Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody
(pronounced as Ober-new-tin)
I wondered if I had been caged too long to contemplate freedom.’ Elspeth is one of a new breed born into a world struggling back from the brink of the Apocalypse. A world where the all-powerful Council rules with ruthless force, destroying those who stand in it's way. Drawn inexorably to the remote and sinister mountain keep of Obernewtyn, only Elspeth, with her mysterious powers, can stop the masters of Obernewtyn unleashing the evil forces of the past…
Tomorrow, when the war began by John Marsden
Somewhere out there Ellie and her friends are hiding. They're shocked, they're frightened, they're alone. Their world has changed, with the speed of a slamming door. They've got no weapons - except courage. They've got no help - except themselves. They've got nothing - except friendship. 'Tomorrow, When the War Began' (movie) is the first of an enormously popular series that has been translated and published all over the world. It is the book that started the series that became the legend...
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world. No one expected them to be heroes.
Least of all, them. (Promise Me... that you will start reading this series soon. If you read nothing else this year ... let it be this one!)
Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life & wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television 'family.' But then he meets an eccentric young neighbour, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television. When Mildred attempts suicide and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life. (this is a classic tale of mind control and manipulation by the ruling powers of the day)
Prime Ministers Literary Awards Shortlist, 2013
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Monday, June 17, 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Arts Minister Tony Burke today announced the 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlists.
Now in their sixth year, the 2013 shortlists recognise the best in Australian fiction, poetry, non-fiction, history, young adult and children’s fiction published in 2012. congratulations to all the short listed authors.
Fiction
Floundering by Romy Ash
The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey
Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser
Lost Voices by Christopher Koch
Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany
Poetry
Burning Rice by Eileen Chong
The Sunlit Zone by Lisa Jacobson
Jam Tree Gully: Poems by John Kinsella
Liquid Nitrogen by Jennifer Maiden
Crimson Crop by Peter Rose
Burning Rice by Eileen Chong
The Sunlit Zone by Lisa Jacobson
Jam Tree Gully: Poems by John Kinsella
Liquid Nitrogen by Jennifer Maiden
Crimson Crop by Peter Rose
Non-fiction
Bradman’s War by Malcolm Knox
Uncommon Soldier by Chris Masters
Plein Airs and Graces by Adrian Mitchell
The Australian Moment by George Megalogenis
Bold Palates by Barbara Santich
Bradman’s War by Malcolm Knox
Uncommon Soldier by Chris Masters
Plein Airs and Graces by Adrian Mitchell
The Australian Moment by George Megalogenis
Bold Palates by Barbara Santich
Prize
for Australian History
The Sex Lives of Australians: A History by Frank Bongiorno
Sandakan by Paul Ham
Gough Whitlam by Jenny Hocking
Farewell, dear people by Ross McMullin
The Censor’s Library by Nicole Moore
Young adult fiction
Everything left unsaid by Jessica Davidson
The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett
Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson
Fog: a Dox by Bruce Pascoe
Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield
Children’s fiction
Red by Libby Gleeson
Today We Have No Plans by Jane Godwin and illustrated by Anna Walker
What’s the Matter, Aunty May? by Peter Friend and illustrated by Andrew Joyner
The Beginner’s Guide to Revenge by Marianne Musgrove
The Sex Lives of Australians: A History by Frank Bongiorno
Sandakan by Paul Ham
Gough Whitlam by Jenny Hocking
Farewell, dear people by Ross McMullin
The Censor’s Library by Nicole Moore
Young adult fiction
Everything left unsaid by Jessica Davidson
The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett
Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson
Fog: a Dox by Bruce Pascoe
Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield
Children’s fiction
Red by Libby Gleeson
Today We Have No Plans by Jane Godwin and illustrated by Anna Walker
What’s the Matter, Aunty May? by Peter Friend and illustrated by Andrew Joyner
The Beginner’s Guide to Revenge by Marianne Musgrove
This Day in History ( June 17 )
Sutherland Shire Libraries
Monday, June 17, 2013
Henry Lawson, one of Australia's best known writers, was born today in 1867.
Name: Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson
Birth: June 17, 1867
Death: September 2, 1922
Occupation: Author, Poet, Bard.
Death: September 2, 1922
Occupation: Author, Poet, Bard.
Henry Lawson : A Life |
Yarns as read by Jack Thompson |
Lawson gained a loyal following when the Bulletin started to publish his stories and poems in 1888. However, he never really recovered from his childhood hardships and rejection by his peers, and in his later years became an alcoholic. He died at home alone on September 2, 1922. Thousands of citizens who had come to relate to his writing also paid their respects at his funeral.
Lawson had attended school at Eurunderee from October 2, 1876 but suffered an ear infection at around this time. It left him with partial deafness and by the age of fourteen he had lost his hearing entirely. Lawson's most successful prose collection is While the Billy Boils, published in 1896.
Elder writes that ‘he used short, sharp sentences, with language as raw as Ernest Hemingway or Raymond Carver. With sparse adjectives and honed-to-the-bone description, Lawson created a style and defined Australians: dryly laconic, passionately egalitarian and deeply humane.’ Most of his work focuses on the Australian bush, such as the desolate Past Carin' (below), and is considered by some to be among the first accurate descriptions of Australian life as it was at the time. Lawson was the first person to be granted a New South Wales state funeral (traditionally reserved for Governors, Chief Justices, etc.) on the grounds of having been a 'distinguished citizen'.
Past Carin'
For the kids - The loaded dog! |
The great black crows are flyin',
And down below the spur, I know,
Another`milker's' dyin';
The crops have withered from the ground,
The tank's clay bed is glarin',
But from my heart no tear nor sound,
For I have gone past carin' --
Past worryin' or carin',
Past feelin' aught or carin';
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