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The Joys of Teaching Kids to Drive

As a parent, teaching your teenager to drive feels like trusting a kangaroo with your car keys. Honestly, the kangaroo would be the safer option. I am teaching my daughter how to drive, which has become quite expensive. I have had to buy several L plates as they are like socks; you can only have one left at the end of the day. Also, add in hair appointments to keep dying my hair as it gets greyer each lesson, the bottles of wine to calm my nerves and avoid a heart attack or stroke after getting out of the car on very shaky legs.

The excitement on her face when I gave in and said, “OK, I’ve lived a full life; it’s time to teach you to drive,” was unbelievable. Jumping up and down and squealing excitedly made my heart race, and my nerves shot to pieces before I even got into the car. So, we start with our street (she has driven in a paddock before, even indicating in it), which is a relatively quiet street with nothing to worry about, or so I thought.

She judged the distance between an oncoming car perfectly; however, she seemed to forget that the parked cars also needed to be avoided. I’m screaming, “The car, you are going to hit the car!” She thinks it’s the oncoming car and is feeling confident in her driving ability and tells me, “To calm down, I’ve got heaps of room”, until she realises that was not the car I was screaming about and jams the break on, just missing the car, by a hair, slamming my head back against the headrest from the force of the stop, putting my neck out and calm as you like says “well I didn’t hit it so it’s not that deep.”

I won’t write my reply to that as this is a family magazine, but let’s say I went home, and the bottle of wine was finished before my hands stopped shaking. I do believe paid driving lessons are in order, as they will be cheaper than me spending 100 hours in the car, getting my nerves shot, and buying a defibrillator.

Lyn and David Wearne At The Bribie Island Community Nursery

An era has ended in the management and operation of the Bribie Island Community Nursery (Wallum Action Group Inc). Lyn and David Wearne have hung up their secateurs after over 20 years of involvement in the organisation in various volunteer capacities.

Wallum Action Group Inc. was formed in the early 90s as a wholesale nursery supplying native trees, foliage, and grasses to the Council and other contractors who were involved in revegetating and landscaping the Bribie area and surrounding area using native species. At that stage, one of their early projects was planting and revegetating the Bibimulya Wetlands in conjunction with the Council.

Years later, it became known as Bribie Island Community Nursery and expanded to become a retail nursery as well. To this day, it still provides native grasses and vegetation to the Council and others but now has a larger range of natives and more popular exotic plants priced very, very well. The nursery is staffed by 38 volunteers who happily and cheerfully give their time, skills, and knowledge. Some have been with the organisation for many, many years.

Most importantly, proceeds from the sale of all plants and supporting items are distributed to many needy community organisations such as sporting clubs, welfare organisations, aspiring young people in a diverse range of fields, and many more. Camp Quality is a recipient dearest to the hearts of Lyn and David. The nursery is located on First Avenue, next to the Orchid House and Bribie SES. When you visit, the whiteboard at the nursery entry lists the recipients of the most recent donations.

Lyn joined Wallum Action Group in 2002 and, a few years down the track became Secretary with John Ward as the President. She wanted to be involved in volunteer community work, and this f itted very well with her previous business. Since then, she has taken on a number of roles. David was still working his day job for several years but also had a lesser degree of involvement. On his retirement, he became fully attached as John Ward’s righthand man.

Sadly, John passed away, and at this point, David stepped into the role of President of the organisation, very ably supported by Lyn and the hard-working and dedicated volunteer staff. Since then, the progression to retail has steamed ahead to the point now where it is a thriving operation with a huge community spirit. A testament to the way in which David has managed the organisation is the cheerful and dedicated workplace that brings out the best in people.

When asked what they considered to be their biggest achievement, they wholeheartedly expressed satisfaction with the good that the nursery does for the wider community. On a humorous note, David, Lyn, and the staff are amused by the startled looks of clients when they see the many snake skins hanging in the shed and their amazement that carpet snakes roam the nursery.

David and Lyn will be missed enormously but have promised to keep in touch. Be assured that the nursery will be in good hands in the future with Alex, Brenda, Janine, and the remaining committee members.

Well done, and thank you, David and Lyn, and best wishes for your second retirement.

GLORIOUS GALA DAY

Saturday, February 15th, saw the first Bribie Island Croquet Gala Day, and yes, it was glorious! What an array of colours! Some players were in uniform, some were dressed for the hot weather in cool cotton, and some were wearing very funny sun hats. There was a blue sky and sunshine, too!

Bribie Golf Croquet Gala Days are always very popular, with clubs from south Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast attending. Players came from Eildon Club, Pine Rivers, Twin Rivers, Caloundra and Headland Buderim because they all knew they would have a great day. So, what makes the Gala Day so special? Apart from exercise in the sunshine. Well, making new friends, meeting old friends, having a yummy morning tea, discussing other competitions and planning travel arrangements.

(There is a big competition in Tasmania at Easter and one in Toowoomba in March.) Then, of course, there are the fun games, the laughter, and the friendly competitive spirit. There were four teams, with a winner and runner-up in each team. Cash prizes were also awarded, as well as a lucky door prize and raffle prizes. I won’t list the winners because everyone was a winner, having had a great time. You could have been part of the fun. Why not give it a try and call Jan? 0437 008 042 See you at the next Gala Day !!

Australian Bush Dance

Oh, who hasn’t heard of Euabalong Ball, Where the lads of the Lachlan, the great and the small, Come bent on diversion from far and from near, To cast off their troubles for just once a year.

These are the words from the first stanza of a song written in the 1880s by A. L. Lloyd and typify the enthusiasm the early settlers of this country had for dancing. He used Euabalong as a typical small outback town located in Cobar Shire NSW. From the earliest colonisation of Australia, dances were an important form of social recreation. They were good fun, and everyone dressed up a bit. They were also a great way to get the locals to mix it up and interact with each other, especially during the progressive dances.

Such was their popularity that legends were born of the dance phenomena. Here is a story, believe it or not, that occurred about 100 years ago, “An American Journo heard of a very popular dance that was seen as almost sacred in the Australian Bush. It was called the “Butcher Dance.” He made the long trip and was eventually guided to a remote town in Outback Qld. The boys from the bush, being as they were, with a serious face, told the journo that he was the first American ever to see this most sacred of Outback rituals. He was told he must remain silent while he set up his camera and began recording. The people gathered until he saw what he perceived to be a Holy Man calling for the people to gather in preparation. Wearing a large wide-brimmed hat and riding boots, the Holy Man began a loud call accompanied by the rising rhythmic sound of ukuleles. Then the bushies, as though in a trance, began to sway as the stirring music of the full bush band began to ring out. The Holy Man became caught up in the fervour of the moment himself. This was it. The American realised beyond all doubt that his long trip had not been in vain. The boys told him that he was about to witness the ultimate performance of rhythm and movement to have ever been conceived. The Holy Man strode to his position in the circle and, in a big booming voice, started to sing, “You butcher right arm in. You butcher right arm out. You butcher right arm in, and you shake it all about….”

The first migrants to our shores, both freeman and convict, English, Scot or Irish, all brought with them the dances of their homelands and a deep desire to “dance on.” Later came the Germans, Poles, and Americans. The folk dances they brought were already very old when they arrived in Australia. Around 1650, an Englishman, John Playford, published a collection of country dances under the title “The Dancing Master” that had been designed for teaching dancing. These included the Haymakers Jig, Irish Trot, the Country Bumpkin, and the Cheshire Rounds. The” Cheshire Rounds” has been published consistently in dance manuals since Playford’s The Dancing Master. By the time it was recorded in the Sydney Gazette of 1803, it had acquired the status of a favourite folk dance.

During the nineteenth century, whether in the ballrooms of Melbourne, Brisbane, Cunnamulla, or in the shearing sheds of the great Outback, people loved to dance, and they did. All over Australia, regular dances were booming out their presence. Some were to celebrate the end of harvest and others the finish of the shearing season. In the cities, there were balls for the upper class where debutantes could be introduced to their social class. Many famous dance rooms were attached to hotels.

By the 1870s, the Waltzes and Quadrilles were by far the most common dances in Australia, and Ball programmes of the period tended to include only two or three of the old country dances. The Schottische and the Varsovienne were then at their most popular, and the 1890s saw the introduction of the Barn Dance, the first of the sequence dances, now called Old Time Dances. Just after the turn of the century, the Valletta Waltz and the Boston Two Step became fashionable, followed later by the Macarena and the Pride of Erin. These dances were popular till after the First World War and represented an era of transition between the older colonial ballroom dancers and the big band dances era when dances like the Foxtrot and Quickstep were the rage. With the introduction of radio and television, we were to see rapid changes in entertainment throughout the world.

Everywhere dances were done, they were done with enthusiasm. People would often travel from miles around and dance till dawn. These early Australian dancers were familiar with polkas, waltzes, galops, the Schottische, the Varsovienne and the Lancers. Of course, not to forget the Hokey Pokey. And everyone who came knew them all. So it was that the Australian Bush Dance began its roots from the very early settlement of the colony. Initially, it was influenced by the styles and customs of the early settlers but evolved to be an amalgam of the early colonial style and dances from Europe and America.

As miners and settlers came to Australia, it became the form of social dancing that was popular in both the country and the city but only got its name during the folk revival in the 1950’s. It is now a style of dance unique to Australia, particularly where the music is provided by a bush band, with the Bushwackers being influential, but many other excellent bush bands still play for public dancing. It is likely you were taught some of these dances at primary school. Contemporary dances, more recently composed in the traditional style, are also featured at bush dances.

In the years after WW1, the white population of Bribie Island hovered around 5000. With few recreational activities available, many residents missed the enjoyment of dancing they had known in their countries of origin. Several families would often gather together at one family’s home and dance to whatever musician was available. They decided they needed a hall with plenty of room for their traditional dances. The community organised a committee, and in 1920, a dance hall was built. It soon became a popular centre for dances, which many knew from their countries of origin. The watercolour depicted here was painted by Gladys (Blundell) Federik. She is the (deceased) Aunt of Celtic Minstrels member, Mike Watts and a member of the Celtic Minstrels. Bribie’s first lawn bowling green was constructed near the dance hall. Sadly, about 1929, it was taken off its stumps and moved down the hill to become the club’s first clubhouse.

In 1942, a big change in dancing arrived with the US Military. Brisbane doubled its population as American GIs arrived in force. “It is not proposed to make total war total misery,” came a statement from Parliament, and “Dancing will not be included in the recreations that are to be restricted to prevent interference with the war effort.” Indeed, for many, dance was synonymous with their experiences of life in the Second World War. American GIs brought with them new and exciting dance styles, and dancing itself was a way to escape the pressures of life under the restrictions placed on the population. Many people of the day, as stated in a newspaper, had “The fantastic illusion that the war was being conducted in American swing time as most radio stations broadcast nothing but American dance music.” It also reported that, “The Services are keeping dancing alive, as there is more dancing during this war than there was in peace-time years.” It went on to state that, “Wherever the fighting men of air, sea, or land camped down, and girls were to be got, they organised a weekly dance.” After the war and its swing era came jive, rock’n’roll, then disco, and except in a few isolated country areas, the colonial ball had become almost extinct.

During the late1950s and ’60s, there was a worldwide folk revival. And here in Australia, collectors set about researching our past and resurrecting the dances of our colonial days. Bush bands, which proliferated through the 1970s and 80s, have fused these early dances with an odd mixture of oldtime dances and folk and country dances from Europe and America. Bush bands then remodelled the instruments of the orchestra to include guitars, bass, and even synthesisers to reflect modern tastes. And so, Bush Dancing was born. The music for the Bush Band is borrowed from the playing of old Bush musicians as well as popular imports from Scotland, Ireland and America. Today at the Bush dance, you will find yourself whirling to polkas, the Dashing White Sergeant, Virginia Reel, waltzing to the Pride of Erin, and the Swedish Masquerade. You may also trip the light fantastic to a Scottish waltz, Berlin polka, or Gypsy Tap. You could even find yourself doing the Hokey Pokey, the Chicken Dance, Macarena and Nutbush.

For the last several years, anyone strolling along the path next to the Pumicestone Passage near the bridge would likely have been entertained by the Celtic Minstrels. The Minstrels were regulars at “The Jetty” in Bongaree and loved to play sets of tunes, with musical friends from around the district joining them at times. In a small town just West of Bribie Island, the people of Wamuran love their bush and old-time dancing. Timber cutters and selectors settled at Wamuran in the 1880s, and in the early 1900s, new selectors moved into the dense scrub to harvest the timber. Today, they dance at the hall, at the very spot where the locals built their f irst dance hall in 1917. The Wamuran Community Hall was opened in April 1985, replacing the old Albert Hall, which was built in 1921. Many functions and activities are held in the hall, and the regular Wamuran Dance is still being held. A number of their musicians often join the Celtic Minstrels to add to both the sheer enjoyment of their music and the wonderful entertainment of the locals.

The Celtic Minstrels have started to teach Bush Dancing for Fun in the Bribie U3A classes and are having so much fun playing for the dancing that they hope to continue throughout the year in any venue that could host a Bush Dance. Two of the band members, Mike and Beth, have been involved with playing bush dancing for over 30 years, starting in Tasmania, where it’s cold enough to warrant a lot of leaping around in the evenings. They are enjoying the challenge now of playing for several hours, with 7 or 8 dances being on the programme. Beth is the caller. She teaches the dance, which may be in longways sets, circles, square sets, or progressive, and could be in jig time, polka time, reel time, march time, and quite often, waltz time. The caller continues to assist once the music starts, but the music itself tells the dancers when to come in, go out, spin, change partners, or progress onwards. The Minstrels are pleased to have been included in the U3A classes, as it’s a first for Bribie to have bush dances such as Waves of Bribie, Strip the Willow, the OXO reel, Haymakers Jig, or Troika. The Celtic Minstrels also teach a dance from the “Dancing Master” titled “Upon a Summer’s Day.”

Dancing still holds a special place in the social calendar of every Australian community and with all the sophistication and technology of modern society, we are yet to find anything more entertaining or exciting as a good old time bush dance.

The Bribie (Yarun) Arts Centre Mural

Local First Nations emerging artist Nicole Gulwell has added another community mural to her impressive portfolio.

Nineteen year old Nicole is a descendant of Dharug and Kamilaroi peoples, and a member of the Pumicestone Indigenous Education and Employment Council (PIEEC). She is also a valued volunteer on the Bribie Island Community Art Society’s Next Generation Art Prize committee.

Having seen her solo work for Bribie Island State School and Bribie Kindergarten, as well as her collaborative projects at the Birali Steiner School Beachmere and Bribie Arts Centre, BICAS Board member and Next Gen coordinator Sarah Cave invited Nicole to design a mural for the Arts Centre’s Cafe 191 courtyard wall.

Sunlight reflecting off the expansive white wall was a significant glare issue for cafe patrons; it was also a large blank canvas begging for an artwork to enhance the courtyard space and make the statement: “This is an Arts Centre”.

Nicole offered six designs incorporating the native flora and bird-life specific to the Centre surrounds in consultation with PIEEC ELDERS. The Selection Committee was unanimous in the choice of the final design.

Time was of the essence. The summer heat and storm season was approaching, and Nicole had only a small window of opportunity before returning to her 3rd year Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art at Griffith University.

So Sarah and fellow Board member Fiona Boxall set about securing a $5000 Quick Response grant made possible by the Australian Government’s Regional Arts fund provided through Regional Arts Australia and administered in Queensland by Flying Arts Alliance.

Sunshine Mitre 10 Bribie Island provided in-kind support, offering a discount on the purchase of the paint. Fiona further promoted the project to Flexihire Caboolture who supplied a scissorlift free of charge for the duration of the project.

Nicole’s assistant artist throughout this project, Trinity Cory, is also a young emerging local artist who previously worked on the “Save the Bees” mural at the front of Bribie Arts Centre. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts at JMC Academy, Brisbane. The pair completed the mural on December 12th to the delight of cafe patrons, Arts Centre members, staff, volunteers and visitors.

You can view this remarkable artwork Tuesday to Saturday 9am – 4pm, Sundays 9am – 1pm.

GLEEMEN’S YEAR OFF TO A SIZZLING START!!!

Late last year, if you thought of the sight of tinsel and Christmas decorations appearing far too early in the stores and piped Christmas Carols blaring out way too soon in the supermarket aisles, then kindly spare a thought for the Bribie Gleemen!!

Always at the ready under the baton of Musical Director Trevor Vincent, and with the Boy Scout motto of “BE PREPARED” in mind, it was far from a “Silent Night” as the Gleemen also began early rehearsals for Christmas Carols!

And Boy! Did it pay off?!! In December, with Carol concerts at Bribie Cove Residents’ Hall, Bribie Island Retirement Village Nursing Home, Bribie Island Retirement Village Residents’ Clubhouse, and the granddaddy of them all……on stage at the Sandstone Point Hotel’s Christmas Celebration Event.

This last one is definitely the biggest crowd we have ever sung to. In mid-January, the men conducted a Sausage Sizzle outside Bribie Mitre 10. You couldn’t hear the sizzle over the happy group singing, but it was very much a fun day, and we hope to do it all again in April. It’s a great way to attract new members!

Keep your eyes peeled for announcements to follow about our next big concert on May 10th……with the theme of food, glorious food and drink.

Men interested in joining the Bribie Gleemen are always welcome. We rehearse every Monday at 3.30 p.m. to 5pm in the Bribie Island Retirement Village, in Foley Street. Come along any Monday and give us a try, or phone Shane on 0493215823.

HELP SUPPORT KAIDEN PATERSON’S DREAM

We are thrilled to announce that our son, Kaiden Paterson, has received an amazing opportunity to join the prestigious West Ham Soccer Development Academy in the UK! After competing in two regional and national ID camps—Redcliffe and Gold Coast—he stood out among participants and has now been selected for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel abroad and train with some of the best coaches in the world.

Kaiden’s journey has been nothing short of inspiring! From his early days with Bribie Tigers to his senior years with the Narangba Eagles, his relentless dedication and love for the game have propelled him forward. This academy experience could be the pivotal moment he needs to realize his dream of becoming a professional soccer player, inspiring many with his passion and determination.

However, we need your help to turn this dream into reality! The costs associated with the camp, including accommodation, transport, and uniforms, are quite significant. We are reaching out for donations to help cover these expenses. Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a tremendous impact and bring Kaiden closer to his goal.

Your support is not just a financial donation; it’s a powerful affirmation of Kaiden’s potential. Join us in making this incredible journey possible! Together, we can equip him with the experience and skills he needs to excel in his soccer career. Thank you for believing in Kaiden!

A word from Kaiden…

Hi, my name is Kaiden Paterson, and I have the life changing opportunity to travel to the UK & attend the West Ham United Development Tour in April 2025.

Those who know me know I’m very passionate about Soccer. I have been playing my whole life but have especially improved my skills whilst playing the past 4 years with my home club at Narangba.

Recently I attended 2x separate ID camps which included travelling to the Gold Coast for a 4 day “try out” & was lucky enough to be hand picked out of over 200+ people for this invitation. With your help in fundraising, I will be able to;

  • Play games & have several coaching sessions with West Ham United & other academies
  • Spend 11x nights in the UK visiting London, Manchester & Edinburgh – 3x amazing cities!
  • Attend 4x professional football matches including an EPL football match at London Stadium
  • Attend Guided tours of London + the Stadium! (Built for the 2012 Olympic games)

This once in a lifetime experience does come at a cost & it isn’t cheap! $10,000 will allow me to go & my mum to supervise me. Pricing mostly includes Flights, UK transfers (luxury coach), 11x nights’ accommodation in excellent hotels, cooked breakfast & dinner, all playing accessories tracksuit, training top, playing shirt, shorts & socks, polo shirts & travel kit bag.

Whether it’s $5 or $50 – Your donation means the absolute world to me & please know YOU are helping turn my dream into my reality.

Thank-you so much! Kaido.

The Hungry Mil By A Finegan

They tramp there in their legions on the morning dark and cold.
To beg the right to slave for bread from Sydney’s lords of gold.
They toil and sweat in slavery, ’twould make the devil smile,
To see the Sydney wharfies, tramping down the Hungry Mile.

This is just one stanza of a poem written in 1930, by a wharfie poet Ernest Antony, a poem that became an inspiration for the Waterside Workers’ Federation. The 13th of April 1943 signified the burial of the hideous, brutal “bull system” on the Sydney waterfront. In the early days of the twentieth century, a worker needed a “starting docket” to enter the wharves for a day’s labour to earn 23 shillings ($2.30). It was a degradingly cruel system.

The name, “The Hungry Mile,” designates a section of Sussex Street, on the Sydney waterfront, along which, from the 1920s to 1943, unemployed wharf-labourers trudged, waiting to be handpicked for the few jobs that were available. For many years, the men who had suffered the “bull gang” days, who had tramped the Hungry Mile of Sussex Street to search for work but failed, could only speak of it in a tremulous quaver, as though of extreme terror. The Hungry Mile is now dead, buried, but not forgotten.

The process started each morning early, at the gates of the wharves. Men seeking employment gathered and waited, desperately hoping to be allocated work. The employers had the whip hand in this situation and gave or withheld work on a whim. Because of the entrenched hostility between the employers and the Water Side Workers Federation, dating back to the great maritime strikes of the 1890s, it was expected that this “pickup” procedure at the dock gates would often be used to even up a few old scores, and to deny work to well-known union activists. Employers’ blacklists did exist and men on that list were often denied work, except when there was some urgency to clear up a backlog on the wharves. The State Government passed legislation giving preference to returned servicemen after WW1. It played into the hands of the employers, permitting them to play off the veterans against the unionists, effectively dividing the workforce and weakening the Union. Occasionally the pickup ended in a violent riot resulting in some serious injuries as too many men fought for too few jobs. At other times, gangs of Union thugs would charge into the hopeful workers, bashing randomly to drive the nonunion workers away. Those who had suffered the attack stayed away for a few days, but then hunger would drive them back to the gate, looking for work. It was a highly combustible situation. All this fighting was simply to pick up a piece of paper, to entitle them to a day’s hard work on the wharves.

The hundreds of men who had missed out on a ticket in the shipowners’ slave market style pickup, walked disappointedly and dispiritedly back up Sussex Street. Lines of fear, pain and anguish were etched in their tired faces, their fingers clutching and toying with the few pence in their pockets. Mumbles echoed about, “They only pick up the big blokes, but I’ve got a wife and kids. Gee what’s a man gunner do?”

Walsh. After the Deportation Board found against him, he was arrested and held at Garden Island, pending an appeal. The appeal was upheld. Meanwhile, the Bull system continued on without interruption, as the veterans and unionists battled on.

The Hungry Mile

In the years after WW1 bitter confrontations on the Fremantle Wharfs gradually escalated, resulting in the State Government organising an armed force of police to break the power of the union. All around Australia, the employers orchestrated a concerted campaign to retain control of the waterfront and to keep the workforce subservient and dependent on the bull system. In the 1930s, in Melbourne, a wharf labourer was shot by police in a riot on the waterfront, and several other members of the union were gaoled for 11 years.

As the 1930s began, and Australia descended into the Great Depression, the workers’ desperation intensified. The numbers searching for work at the pickup gate each morning skyrocketed. Water-side worker bulls were still given first preference, and those who were outsiders fought harder for the remaining few, if there were any. The stevedoring companies, as the employers, kept blacklists of those wharfies and unionists to be shut out as agitators. These lists were also used to warn other employers about union activities. More and more men decided to join the union. Employers resisted any union proposal, fighting them tooth and nail which resulted in widespread riots and gang fighting,

The industrial unrest on Australia’s waterfront had given rise to anger in the wider community. But there have been a number of occasions when Australia has had good cause to be grateful for the radicalism and preparedness of the wharfies to challenge the hegemony of conservative governments. Perhaps the best known of these incidents occurred in 1937 and 1938, when the wharf labourers refused to load ships carrying scrap iron to Japan. The wharfies argued that this pig iron would be used to augment the Japanese munitions and armaments industries, and that Australian soldiers would soon find themselves facing bullets and shells made from Australia’s own scrap iron. The Conservative government in Canberra, spurred on by its ambitious Attorney General, Robert Gordon Menzies, attempted to bring the union to heel with the Crimes Act, and to force the men to continue loading the pig iron destined for Japan. Menzies failed in this endeavour, and history has shown that the union was right and the government was wrong on this issue. One byproduct of the confrontation was the hated nickname of “Pig Iron Bob” that was conferred on Menzies by the wharfies, and which he carried for the rest of his political career.

In April 1942, the Stevedoring Industry Commission was established, charged with making the selection process fairer. It commenced registration of all waterside workers by its local body, the Sydney Ports Committee. Their staff manned the turnstiles at the pick-up centres. They had clerks with shirt sleeves rolled up waiting to register all attendees and noted those who soon left without gaining a ticket, and thus, not to be paid. But the bull system continued.

In April 1943, it all came to a head. The wharfies went on a general strike. They demanded meetings at the Leichhardt Stadium with all workers to come to an agreement on how to eradicate the bull system. Neither the employers nor the union executive saw it coming. It was to be a historic waterfront struggle. Many reported vivid memories of wild scenes as members fought to throw the bull system into the gutter where it belonged. At one of the Leichhardt Stadium hot meetings, the speaker quoted Karl Marx’s wise viewpoint: “Capital is concentrated social power while the worker has only his individual labour power at his disposal. The only social force possessed by the workers is their numerical strength. This force, however, is impaired by the absence of unity.” At this time, my father was on war service in PNG. He along with his unit were informed that the ships bringing the rations and ammunition were held up in Sydney. He and his mates were suddenly on limited rations. The powers that be decided to fly in rations. On medical advice the most available, and that with best nutrition, was baked beans. Accordingly, plane loads of cartons of tinned baked beans began to arrive. He ate baked beans for a few weeks … for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When a visiting general arrived and spoke to the troops, he said he was glad they were all cheerful and full of beans. A loud cry went up, “Yeah, baked bloody beans!” He never ate baked beans again.

Following the first four meetings the union officials negotiated a solution to the hated bull system. It was to be replaced by a rotating gang system. The rank-andfile wharfies at first resisted. Members who did not on that day in April 1943 agree with the Union bosses, voted for the strike to continue. The wharfies were flooded with leaflets. Gradually the support for the rotation system increased, and after the fifth meeting the voting was close. There were near riots at the sixth Leichhardt Stadium strike meeting when the chairman called a vote for a motion for return to work under the rotation system. The chairman said it had been carried by a show of hands. It caused an uproar of dissention with dire threats being flung at the chairman. The Committee, wisely, decided to test the outcome by a secret ballot. This was taken and counted that night. Crowds had assembled outside the stadium to hear the result. When the result turned out to be a majority of 110 in favour of work under the Rotation Scheme, it started a massive riot. So, the 16- day strike by the Waterside Workers’ Federation protesting the new system continued. The Curtin Government ordered troops to keep ships moving.

Following heated arguments, the workers finally agreed to the new system, eventually realizing that their strike was having no effect, and the new system improved conditions by imposing minimum wages, smoke-oh breaks, and overtime pay for weekend work. And most importantly, the new system scrapped the bull system. Men formed teams, or gangs, to work together. A gang was employed for blocks of four hours. Work was duly resumed, but the heat of the feelings cooled only slowly. The new system brought organisation to the supply and control of labour during the critical stages of the war. It therefore served a cause primary to all.

By 1944 labour shortages on the waterfront were critical. Responding to these shortages the Government ‘released’ 700 men from the Army to undertake waterfront work. However, numbers still proved insufficient, and the need to use military personnel on military cargo continued. The memory of the unfairness and the wrongs experienced in these early years has become part of the mythology of today’s Wharf Labourers and helps to explain their reputation for intransience and radicalism. The battle to end the bull system is unsurpassed in the history of Australian unionism.

It created a conflict of such heat that only those who participated in it will remember, and there was enough drama and activity for a dozen sensational films. Wild and dangerous rumours dominated commonsense discussions. It is little wonder that members got into such a state of apprehension at the suggestion of this great reform.

Fishing Report – March 21, 2025

There is no denying that many sharks make great tucker. Good ol’ “flake” has been a fish-and chip shop staple for as long as I can remember.

“Shark depredation” is the fancy term for having your prize catch “taxed” by the men in grey overcoats before you can get it into the boat. This is becoming a big issue in local waters, and I hear all the way along the East Coast. This growing shark problem is no doubt the result of a combination of factors. Many sharks have clearly “learnt” to follow boats and key in on fishing activities. There’s clear evidence that populations of certain species (bull sharks and black tip reef sharks), in particular, have increased in numbers due to changes in bag limits, keeping sharks only under 1.5 meters and a bag limit of one per angler, with a boat limit of 2 sharks. On the one hand, this is a sign of good management of fisheries regulations and can also be due to the lack of interest of anglers enjoying a fillet of locally caught shark. For those who haven’t tried shark, I encourage you to give one a try, as always, bleed and ice after capture for best results. Maybe with a bit more interest from anglers, we may be able to balance the system.

Sarkis and I enjoyed a day on the bay with a mixed bag of fish, responding well to good fishing habits, Early start, burly, light lines, fresh assortment of bait and keeping noise to a minimum. Baits used were school prawns, squid, pilchards, yabbies, and a couple of live herrings for the Mackerel. Most fish were landed with a 7-foot rod 2 – 4kg with 6lb fluorocarbon main line, Mackerel 30lb braid with a 30lb leader with gang hooks. An afternoon session casting lures found an early school of tailor, by far one of my favorite fish to catch and eat. With explosive runs and leaps, many tailor were lost in the battle. So, if you find yourself being bitten off, you may have crossed paths with a school of tailor. Floating pilchards, trolling and casting metal lures are the three main styles used to find and catch tailor. All signs point to a good season ahead.

 

On Becoming a Grandmother

On Christmas Eve, 2024, my only child, my daughter, gave birth – quickly, gloriously, astonishingly – to my first grandchild, a beautiful boy we know as Reuben. Reuben Jack to be precise (his second name belonged to my beloved dad).

Welcome, Reubs!

Now that you’re here, I can’t imagine a world without you. What a darling boy you are! When I look into those eyes, I feel like I’ve known you forever. Somehow you were Reuben from the very start – from those first blurry black and white photos from within your mother’s womb. You were just an indistinct smudge back then (Is that an arm? Oooh, look – that’s his spine!) and even though you were sometimes called ‘Beansprout’ or occasionally ‘Temu’, we came to know you as Reuben. (To explain, your conception coincided with me buying an ancient campervan which I proceeded to ‘fit out’ obsessively with bibs and bobs from Temu, so for a while there, it seemed like a great nickname.)

The months went by, and with your mum, Katie and dad, Jarred, pretty much living with me while you were busy doing your thing – diligently dividing cells, conscientiously growing arms and legs, a brain and all those other bits and pieces – we three often sat around talking to you via your mum’s belly, waiting for your kicks, hiccups and writhing’s which all seemed rather miraculous to us. The longer this went on, the more you became part of our family and our relationship, yours and mine, developed apace. Reuben Jack … I know you. And when I look into your mother’s eyes, I see you. And I remember.

You were there in Katie’s toothless baby smiles, her excited toddler babblings, her trusting hand in mine at the shops. You were there in her baby tears, rare and fleeting, her delighted laugh, her childhood triumphs, and her fierce intelligence as she grew into a strong, kind, talented and thoughtful adult. Reuben, when we hang out, and our eyes lock, I know you see me.

Being a grandmother is very different from being a mum. I don’t like it when you cry, but, unlike your mother, it doesn’t cause me physical pain. You don’t need me to keep you safe, like your mum needed me at your age.

I get to enjoy the sheer ‘babyness’ of you without the worry and stress. Not for me, the concern about the next feed, sore breasts and stupid growth percentiles! I can simply revel in getting to know and love you.

I love the smell of you. I love to kiss your soft head and your growing belly. And that smile!

Reuben – you have my blood. We are family.

I still wonder how it is that I feel I know you so very well, and you’re only seven weeks old. Now, your mum and dad and I (instead of talking to your mum’s belly) sit and stare at you for hours, in awe of your absolute perfection.

Welcome to the world, Rueben Jack!

The Bribie Islander Gloss Magazine March 21, 2025 Issue 235

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World of Human Body Hair: A Closer Look

Have you ever thought of grooming your body hair as akin to mowing the lawn in the summer? You spend hours getting everything just right, only for the grass (or in this case, your hair) to grow back quicker than you can say “razor.” For many, managing body hair is a daily routine that feels never-ending. Just think about it: men can spend over a month of their lives shaving their beards, while women may dedicate hundreds of hours to meticulously removing hair from their legs.

But what’s really going on beneath our skin? The magic happens deep within our hair follicles, where cells are in a constant state of division and growth. As these cells multiply and fill up space, they push older cells out, forming what we recognize as hair shafts. Interestingly, these shafts consist mainly of dead cells reinforced by a tough protein called keratin.

Despite the continuous appearance of hair growth, each strand has its own life cycle. Hair goes through active and resting phases; the active phase is known as the anagen phase, where the real growth happens thanks to cellular division. Depending on what type of body hair we’re talking about, the anagen phase can last just a few months (as with body hair) or several years (like the hair on your head). When a hair enters the resting phase, or telogen phase, it eventually sheds, which explains why scalp hair becomes much longer than hair on your arms. In total, the average person boasts about 5 million hairs! Can you imagine how much easier it would be if we were all completely hairless? When you compare humans to other mammals, we come out on the less-hairy side of the spectrum. Among primates, we are the least furry species. While elephants and rhinoceroses also sport minimal body hair, they have adapted to their environments differently, developing thicker skin to maintain body heat, especially since they often wade through water to keep cool.

Picture this: side by side with a chimpanzee, our closest genetic relative, and you’ll notice just how exposed our bodies look. But the difference isn’t in the number of hairs. In fact, the density of hair follicles on humans is quite similar to that of our primate cousins. Sure, we both have hairless patches— lips, palms, and soles—but humans f launt finer, shorter hair than our chimpanzee friends.

So, what caused us to lose our thicker, primate-style fur as we evolved? Some intriguing theories abound. One posits that early humans were aquatic apes, where less hair made swimming easier. Another suggests that reduced body hair helped limit the spread of pesky parasites that like to infest dense fur. And let’s not forget the amazing leap to bipedalism about two million years ago; standing upright meant only a third of the body was exposed to sunlight, diminishing the need for a full coat of fur to shield us.

No matter what drove these shifts in our evolution, we ended up with a unique pattern of body hair. The thicker patches grace our heads, underarms, and genitals, while areas like our backs are significantly less populated. At first glance, this may appear random, but there’s a fascinating logic behind our hair distribution.

So, the next time you pick up a razor or a pair of scissors, remember that your body hair tells a story—a tale woven into the fabric of our evolutionary journey!

Unlock Radiant Skin with the Power of Mint!

Imagine inhaling the invigorating aroma of mint—it’s like a refreshing breeze for your senses! Now, picture your skin being pampered with this delightful herb. How fabulous would that feel? Mint isn’t just a flavour for your favourite gum or tea; it’s a hidden gem in the world of health and beauty!

For centuries, mint has been revered for its remarkable properties. From the ancient Egyptians to the Romans, this herb was valued not just for its scent but for its incredible benefits. Fast-forward to today, and you’ll find mint featured in a plethora of beauty products, from shampoos to luxurious moisturizers. Dive into the rich history of mint and discover how it connects us to a potent force for enhancing health and beauty.

When browsing beauty product labels, keep an eye out for “Mentha piperita” or “Mentha spicata”—the scientific names for peppermint and spearmint, respectively. These varieties are among the stars of the mint family, and their benefits are nothing short of amazing. With over 30 species in this family, choosing the right skincare with mint is like picking the best treasure in a bounty!

Mint is not just a pretty face in skincare; it’s a powerhouse! You’ll find it in creams, toners, body lotions, and invigorating face masks. From mint juice to mint oil, this herb can be transformed into various beauty treatments when combined with other natural wonders like lavender, chamomile, and aloe vera.

But wait, there’s more! Mint’s refreshing properties make it a favourite ingredient in shampoos, lip balms, and mouth rinses, giving you that exhilarating burst of freshness.
Yet, its true magic unfolds when it comes to skincare. Mint acts as a soothing anti-pruritic agent, calming itchy or irritated skin. Do you have pesky mosquito bites? Mint can help
heal those, too! Just remember, as with any ingredient, always perform a patch test since some may be allergic.

Did you know that mint oil is another secret weapon against bothersome blemishes? With its natural astringent qualities and high salicylic acid content, it helps fend off acne by unclogging pores and allowing your skin to breathe. Imagine a world with fewer pimples and clearer skin—mint could be your ticket!

The benefits don’t stop there—mint may even have cancer-fighting properties! Rich in perillyl alcohol, studies suggest it could help prevent skin cancer cells from forming. Talk about an amazing ally for your skin and health!

MINTY FRESH SKIN TREATMENTS YOU CAN’T MISS!

Not only does mint smell delightful, but its versatility in skincare is absolutely
captivating! Whether you prefer commercial products or the DIY route, incorporating mint into your routine is a game-changer. There are a variety of skin cleanser products that contain mint, or you can make your own using fresh mint leaves.
Why not whip up your own mint facial mask at home? They’re especially great for oily skin and can be made by mixing two tablespoons of fresh mint with oatmeal and yogurt.

Slather it on your face, relax for 10 minutes, and rinse off with warm water to unveil a revitalised complexion.

Cleanser products infused with mint are also a fantastic choice. They work wonders as astringents, shrinking skin tissue and reducing oiliness. The options are endless, and the benefits are undeniable!

If you visit a spa, you’ll likely find that many treatments include mint. Despite its health benefits, spas mostly use mint for its scent, which many people find relaxing and soothing. It’s often combined with other natural scents, such as lemon or lavender, for body and face treatments.

So go ahead! Dive into the wonderful world of mint and let it transform your skincare routine into an exciting adventure toward healthy, glowing skin!