Canberra author, researcher and editor, Penelope Hanley’s latest book, After She Left, takes readers on a journey through five decades, focusing largely on three main characters: bohemian artist, Deirdre O’Mara, an Irish émigré in 1927 to Sydney, where she soon gives birth to her daughter, Maureen. Maureen takes a different life path to her mother, opting for marriage at a young age and devotion to husband, children, hearth and home. … Read more.
Author: Geri Bryant-Badham Page 5 of 10
Canberra is renowned for its laid-back and country-like lifestyle which also has the sophistication of quality hotels and restaurants, as well as excellent learning centres, schools and tertiary institutions, and national institutions including Parliament House and the National Gallery of Australia. Among Canberra’s sought-after suburbs are those in Weston Creek. Established in 1968 and named after Captain Edward Weston from Sydney’s Hyde Park Convict Barracks, this precinct is often dubbed by residents as ‘a well-kept secret’, with well-priced housing, in a compact setting of undulating hills and wide-open green spaces. … Read more.
In his memoir, A Very Great City One Day, well-known Canberra architect, Roger Pegrum, intersperses stories of his family background and personal, academic and professional life, tracing times from his arrival in Canberra as a 10-year-old with his twin brother, Tony (who also became an architect). The family settled into the new Canberra suburb of Narrabundah. … Read more.
Very popular with many Australians (including Canberrans) and international tourists, Victoria’s Great Ocean Road stretches along the south western coast of the state spanning the Surf Coast (Torquay to Cape Otway) and Shipwreck Coast, further west of Cape Otway. Heritage listed, winding (treacherously so at times) and hugging the coastline, the road was built by Australia’s returned soldiers during 1919-1932, and dedicated to soldiers killed in World War I. … Read more.
Fish is a speciality of Weston Creek’s BYO Croatian restaurant, Maestral. And with exquisitely-prepared food, generous servings, friendly staff and low corkage charges, it’s not surprising that it attracts diners from interstate as well as the ACT. Set among a coterie of eateries overlooking Trenerry Square carpark, Maestral’s extensive menu includes fish stew/soup, seafood platters, reef and beef steak (with prawns), scallops, lemon sole, cod, sardines, along with various accompaniments. … Read more.
Around two and a half hours’ drive from Canberra via Tarago and Nerriga across various State Forests that meet the Princes Highway just south of Nowra, the Huskisson Bed & Breakfast (www.huskissonbnb.com.au), is hosted by Kate and Steve, renowned for their hospitality in ensuring that guests enjoy a peaceful break from modern life. … Read more.
Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary, Sally McManus’s book, On Fairness, was launched in Canberra by welfare advocate, Dr John Falzon, and Sally outlined the work and achievements of the ACTU and union movement, and acknowledged earlier generations of Australians in securing the employment and social programs enjoyed today. … Read more.
Distinguished Canberra journalist, Paul Bongiorno, recently presented his views on democracy in Australia in a lecture entitled, Mediating democracy: journalism in the post truth age. This was part of the Forum Series: Whither Democracy, chaired by Emeritus Professor, John Warhurst AO, at Christians for an Ethical Society, Barton (www.ces.org.au). … Read more.
Located 80 km north west of Canberra, Wee Jasper (pop 100) boasts a variety of attractions, including camping and recreational reserves – perfect of course for adventurers and outdoor people wanting to explore nearby caves such as Careys Caves (which has seven chambers of crystal formation) – www.weejaspercaves.com/. Set among a mix of broad acre and grazing properties, Wee Jasper’s other attractions include heritage-listed sites such as the Wee Jasper Bridge over the Goodradigbee River. … Read more.
A holiday in Japan provides experiences of history, culture, people, natural and urban geography, architecture, food and way of life which contrast markedly with that of Australia. Rather than staying in hotels, a better way to experience “everyday living” may be Airbnb accommodation. Apartments are small, have tiny kitchens and compact laundry/bathroom facilities and little space for entertaining, but generally have all that a tourist needs. … Read more.