TRY THESE BISCUITS

1930, Hobart Mercury small ads - not exactly the heyday of persuasive copywriting.

Port of Hobart, c1960

I love this beautiful photo from the Tasmanian Archives. The tone and light and detail are so magnificent, that when you look closely at it, any small section could be a film still. Each little setting seems pregnant with possibilities, with things about to happen.

A fat beast

This is from a 1930s tourism brochure for Flinders Island, Tasmania. It reads as though it is also intended to convince visitors to stay and take up farming. I know people were more in touch with the land back then, but the amount of agricultural detail is surprising. Note: 'rape' is a common seedcrop that was renamed 'canola' in the 1970s.

Wisdom from the back page of a savings passbook

This is the back page of a Hobart Town Bank passbook, c. 1860

The fruits of my research - some small giggles

Everyone loves the old "f instead of s" don't they?

This is the "pay car" of the Emu Bay Railway - looks like 1940s or 1950s. I am guessing it drove up and down to where the workers were on payday, handing out wage packets?

Don Quixote, Sydney, 1974

The pic came from my Auntie Wendy, who has written on the back;

While his two sisters watch admiringly Chris, accompanied by his two faithful followers sets off to "Clean Up Australia" (Years later someone else will claim to have originated the idea).

Ms White Socks at left must be Sally, although it doesn't look like her. Wearing the very daring stripy number in the doorway is Jacki. In the Sancho Panza role behind me is our cousin Helen. I don't know who the happy guy she's strangling is.

Sunshine harvester parts are a hoot

I have just been sent a copy of the parts catalogue, 1911. As you'd expect, it's a laff riot!

Each part has a code word, to make it easier to order by telegraph. The code words all start with S, and include (strangely) a lot of seemingly French, Italian and Spanish terms, as well as … well, I'll just list some.

SOOTHFAST (Shaker crank, front)
SOPBROOD (Pulley for headings elevator, top; 1 and one-eighth inch bore)
SPODESTO (Arm for seven-eights inch square riddle adjuster bar)
SPAINO (Trace eye for one horse swingle tree)
SPOELWORM (Collar between 148 & H156)
SPALTBAR (Trace hook on one horse swingle tree, Argentine only)
SPASTICUS (T Head bolt, 6 x five-eights inch, for plummer block 83a)
SPASMATIS (Bolt to fasten fan bracket to winnower frame, one-a-half x three-eights inch hex, with lock nut)

Just to confirm, I did not make up any of that. Oh, and SPASTIC is there too (1 shilling), as is SPONGELET(6 shillings) and SPLITGAT ( 2 shillings and sixpence).

You can well imagine the irate telegrams coming in to HQ at Sunshine from Ouyen, Manangatang, Warracknabeal and beyond, when the goods train arrives with the urgent part, and it's the SPONDE (off side bracket for broad elevator bearing, bottom) rather than the SPONDEBAS (near side bracket for broad elevator bearing, bottom). Those were the days.