#Flinders Island

[whats-in-a-sentence]

To stop this, some early graziers saw the value of cool fire and tried to imitate it, but they too might be prosecuted for burning, and they lacked the precision to burn properly. In south-west Australia HW Bunbury wrote in 1836,

[By the] extensive bush fires . . . every two or three years . . ., the country is kept comparatively free from under wood and other obstructions, having the character of an open forest through most parts of which one can ride freely; otherwise, in all probability, it would soon become impenetrably thick . . . This has already been proved in the case of Van Diemen's Land, where, in consequence of the transportation of the Natives to Great or Flinders Island, and the consequent absence of extensive periodical fires, the bush has grown up thick to a most inconvenient degree . . . It is true that we might ourselves burn the bush, but we could never do it with the same judgement or good effect as the Natives, who keep the fire within due bounds, only burning those parts they wish when the scrub becomes too thick or when they have any other object to gain by it,¹⁶

and a western Victoria pioneer observed, 'all the country around here . . . was covered with kangaroo grass – splendid summer feed for stock of all kinds . . . The country was like this for some years after 1846, until destroyed by the indiscreet use of fire.'¹⁷

16. Dec 1836. WSP Bunbury & WP Morrell (eds), Early Days in Western Australia, Oxford University Press, London, 1930, pp. 105-6.

17. JC Hamilton, Pioneering Days in Western Victoria, Exchange Press, Melbourne, c. 1913, p. 37.

"Country: Future Fire, Future Farming" - Bill Gammage and Bruce Pascoe

[trucenz]

FLINDERS TO PORTLAND ROADS

[techdriveplay]

Lonely Planet's Top 10 Camping Destinations for This Easter

Discover the untold beauty of Australia’s most enchanting hidden gems, from the haunting allure of Yerranderie Ghost Town to the luxurious solitude of Faraway Domes in Glen Innes. Venture into the heart of nature with Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary’s star-studded skies, immerse yourself in the off-grid elegance of Aquila Glamping, or find serene isolation at Bruny Island Hideaway. Each…

[todropscience]

RARE FISH SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE WILD

Australian researchers have found what is believed to be a narrowbody handfish (Pezichthys compressus) for the first time since 1996.

Narrowbody handfish were first discovered by CSIRO in 1986, and was last seen in 1996, but just in 2009 was identified as a different species. Using ROVs, researchers recorded these small fishes at 292 metres depth, at northeast of Flinders Island in Tasmania. This species is only know from two specimens in the Australian National Fish Collection, collected from deep waters off southeastern Australia.

In life, the is uniformly pale pink, with no evidence of spots or other markings in types, is also small, reaching at least 42.4 millimeters in length. Photo by Last & Gledhill.

These weird fishes are related to the spotted handfish Brachionichthys hirsutus a critically endangered fish, only found in some parts of Tasmania. While nothing is known of the breeding ecology, or the preferred habitat of narrowbody handfish, it is likely that the prolonged trawls and dredge efforts in its habitat has impacted on the distribution and abundance of this species.

[mindblowingscience]

In a twist to the native animal survival story, new research shows that a threatened rodent that only survives on offshore islands prefers one of Australia's most invasive weeds for food and shelter. In a new article published in Wildlife Research, scientists from Flinders University and the University of Adelaide discovered that African boxthorn bushes are a top dining destination for the rare greater stick-nest rat on Reevesby Island, a small island off the coast of Port Lincoln, South Australia. The secret was revealed in the small, timid animal's droppings, says lead author Annie Kraehe, a College of Science and Engineering Ph.D. candidate at Flinders University.

Continue Reading.

[typhlonectes]

Review of Australian Species of Paracheilinus Fourmanoir (Teleostei: Labridae), with Description of a New Species from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea

#FlasherWrasses

Yi-Kai Tea, Fenton Walsh

Abstract

Australian species of the cirrhilabrin labrid genus  Paracheilinus are reviewed. Four species of Paracheilinus are reported from Australian waters: P. amanda, new species, from Flora, Holmes, and Osprey Reefs, Coral Sea, off northeast Queensland, and Harrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef; P. filamentosus from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef; P. flavianalis from Evans and Flinders Shoals, Timor Sea, off northeast Darwin, Northern Territory, and Ashmore, Scott, Seringapatam, and Hibernia Reefs in the north-western shelf of Western Australia; and P. nursalim from Flinders Shoal, Timor Sea, off northern Darwin, Northern Territory.  Paracheilinus amanda, new species, has previously been confused for P. rubricaudalis from Melanesia, but molecular analysis of mitochondrial COI recovers both species as reciprocally monophyletic lineages, differing from each other by 1–1.2% in genetic distance. They further differ in aspects of live coloration of terminal phase (TP) males. Both species are allopatric and do not overlap in distribution. The new species is described on the basis of six specimens: the holotype and two paratypes from Harrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef, one paratype from Flora Reef, Coral Sea, and from two paratypes collected off Hula in southern Papua New Guinea, along the north-western margin of the Coral Sea. The discovery of P. nursalim in Australia represents a new and significant range extension from previous locality records of West Papua and Ambon Bay.  Paracheilinus is rediagnosed, and keys, diagnoses, photographs, and Australian distribution records are presented for all species herein.

Read the paper here:

Review of Australian Species of Paracheilinus Fourmanoir (Teleostei: Labridae), with Description of a New Species from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea (bioone.org)

[nando161mando]

January 26 is 'Australia Day', AKA 'Invasion Day' or 'Survival Day'.

There will be protest rallies around the country.

The following text is via 'WAR: Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance':

2024 INVASION DAY RALLY - MELBOURNE — Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Lands

Invasion Day Rally Melbourne

10AM Friday 26 January 2024

Parliament House Victoria.

We continue to call for treaty, truth and justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The 26th January, Australia Day is not a day to celebrate. It is an annual reminder of invasion, occupation, genocide and the ongoing impacts of colonisation that continues to destroy our lives, our lands and our waters. As the oldest living culture in the world, it is our right and our responsibility as First Nations people to protect our country, culture and our people. That is why we meet this day with protest and mourning, as one of the longest standing protests in the world.

A Dawn Service will be held at 5am at Kings Domain Resting Place, Linlithgow Avenue. This will be followed by the Invasion Day Rally where we will be meeting at 10am at the Victorian Parliament on Spring St and marching to Flinders St Station.

In recent months, distinct lines have been drawn both nationally and globally, marking those who endorse settler colonialism and those uniting to resist the enduring colonial forces that we strive to counteract. The repercussions of settler colonialism have been starkly illustrated in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by Israel, supported by all other settler colonial states, including Australia.

In the wake of the unsuccessful 'Voice' campaign, the imperative to ensure the resonance of Indigenous Rights campaigns across the nation has become increasingly apparent. The concluded 'Voice' campaign exposed our community to reprehensible levels of vitriol from racists, sparking discussions about our humanity. This unsettling experience highlighted the perils of misinformation and disinformation during the referendum, aimed at demonising the Indigenous struggle. In response to these challenges, we are taking to the streets to demand treaty, truth, and justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

On this Invasion Day, as on every such occasion, we stand united for our families, communities, and all, asserting that all Black Lives Matter.

The Australia colony is a racist nation: there is no other conclusion from the referendum. We know and live this every day. Reconciliation is dead.

We want our land back now!

Join us in our fight to Abolish Australia Day.

We demand:

Treaty/Treaties

Land back and land rights - stop selling land promised to us

End Aboriginal deaths in custody

Climate justice

End the theft of Black children and return all Black children to their families and kin

Abolish police and prisons

Reparations

The Australian government stop arming Israel

We call on everyone to respect our demands and take action with us. We also remind attendees that COVID19 is still impacting our communities and we encourage all attendees to wear a mask, bring hand sanitiser and take all necessary precautions to keep each other safe.

Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance will be available for media interviews in the lead up to the rally. Please email warcollectivevic@protonmail.com for interviews.

@antifainternational @anarchistmemecollective @kropotkindersurprise @left-reminders @radicalgraff

[southeastasianists]

Timor Island might not have been a stepping stone. Many archeologists have theorized that the island, served as a sort of way station for travelers en route to destinations further south and east, like Australia. The island lies southeast of Indonesia and about 450 miles from Australia’s northern coast.

But the sheer number of artifacts — and the fact that many dated to the same time period about 45,000 years ago — instead indicates the island was targeted for colonization, according to a study in Nature Communications.

Signs of Human Settlement

The archeologists focused their effort on a cave named Laili, where they discovered an arrival signature — a drastic contrast in layers of sediment under the cave’s floor.

“Laili had an exceptionally dense layer of initial occupation material with dark organic sediment and hearths and hundreds of stone artifacts overlying sterile cave sediments, which were a pale yellow,” says Sue O’Connor, a professor at Australian National University and an author of the study. “The interface between these two units was strikingly clear.”

Besides indications of what was once a well-trod floor with several fireplaces, they found tens of thousands of stone artifacts.

“We rarely find occupation of this age so intact and well preserved […] not to mention abundant,” says O’Connor. “This is why we think initial occupation colonizing groups were quite big.”

To confirm that the cave settlement was likely the first human occupation on the island, Mike Morley, a professor at Flinders University, in Adelaide, Australia, performed chemical analysis on blocks of sediment from the excavation site as well as from other spots on the island. He found that the sediment beneath the human occupation layer from the cave sample was indeed sterile and lacked any signatures of the human occupation layer.

“This is the first time that we have found such evidence,” says O’Connor. “We have excavated over a dozen sites in Timor, and evidence for human occupation in the sites always extends down to the rocky cave base so we are never sure if we have found the earliest evidence for human arrival – because we have never found sterile sediments lacking human occupation.”

Exploring Colonists

Confirming the colonization time also helps rule out the island as an early jumping-off point to Australia, since there is evidence that humans inhabited that continent before Timor Island. O’Connor suspects early migrants to Australia travelled via New Guinea.

As for the reasons why its first settlers stopped at the island, O’Connor believes that, contrary to some earlier opinions, the inhabitants didn’t randomly stumble upon it. Instead, the colonists likely checked out several nearby islands, since many of them are visible from each other.

“I think it is highly likely that colonists explored the islands that they could see when weather and sea conditions were calm,” O’Connor says. “To that extent I suppose you could say it was ‘intentional’, maybe intentional exploration to check out new resource zones rather than intentional colonization.”

[engineer-gunzelpunk]

Locomotive Rights in Australia (Victoria): Part 1

(One of the patron saints of the Locomotive Rights movement in Victoria, VR S-Class Pacific S300 Matthew Flinders, who was scrapped before he could be saved. The scrapping of the S-classes spurred the IRL steam preservation movement in Victoria)

Here I am, riffing off @joezworld's posts about Locomotive Rights as they developed around the world. Here is my personal take on what happened in Australia in regards to this issue.

(Disclaimer: Needless to say this is all fictionalised and not to be taken as a comment on any historical personage or real life locomotive. No slander is intended, this is a headcanon extrapolating Locomotive Rights in the GunzelVerse, and the TTTE/RWS AUs I write about in them, "This Is Sodor: The Iron Age" and "Red And Black Steam on Southern Metals".)

(I use the term “Lokodammerung”, literally meaning “Twilight of the Locomotives” in regards to the mass scrapping of locomotives. The Great Scrapping seems too cold, while “Dammerung” has a sad and apocalyptic timbre, which I what I wish to convey.)

If I don’t cover WAGR(Western Australia), SAR (South Australia) or QR (Queensland) , its because they are not my special interest in locomotives and I don’t know all that much about them. My apologies for the exclusion and I will try to rectify it in the future with time and research.

The situation of the railway and locomotive rights in Australia is a very strange and complex one, coded in State’s rights, custom and ideology more than anything systematic. It would be best dealt with State by State.

In spite of the celebrity of NSWGR C-38 Pacific 3801, it didn’t translate into a proper acknowledgement of non-faceless vehicles as people in of themselves until the 60’s. And even then, it was not an even process. The push actually began in the States of Victoria and New South Wales separately and converged later.

Prehistory

Upon Federation, every single State had their own specific gauge, an expression of the fervent desire for independence of the colonies before they were brought together as one nation when Australia was made into a Federation in 1901. Attempts to bring the country to a single gauge failed as each state battled with open hostility to the idea.

In the specific case of the colony of Victoria, the Broad Gauge (known widely as the “Irish’ Gague at 5’3’’) had been decided upon but as BG rolling stock and locomotives were purchased, a change of leadership brought a change of decision as to what sort of railway gauges would be used. NSW decided upon Standard Gauge of 4 ft 8 ½ inches like what was used in Britain. Victoria in a fit of pique having already paid for their goods, refused to reconsider a change of gauge.

(The Victorian terrain also suited the BG quite well, the long, broad and steep inclines requiring a more stable kind of gauge provided by the BG).

Oz is also an enormous place compared to the UK. The State of Victoria alone is the size of Great Britain and around 2700 times the size of the Island of Sodor; the states themselves cover a lot of territory compared with states in the USA. Each is its own country virtually, which makes it difficult to organise, and with the difficulties in the per-internet age toward reliable communication between engines of different states (the old break-of-gauge problem!) , it was remarkable that a resistance movement got started… and started it did.

I will now speak mainly of the State of Victoria and it’s locomotives, as this is my tendency. Without rail, Victoria could have never have been the State power that it was.

***

It was said that by the late 19th century, a Victorian human was never more than 25 kilometers from a railway line, and this was thanks to lobbying by politicans promising lines to voters… and the locomotives that requested them. As the state and the railway companies were flush with Gold Rush money, they had plenty of cash to spend to do so. The famous “Octopus Act” allowed a virtual spiderweb of iron to embrace the State, creating a near total domination of goods and passenger traffic.

Thus the locomotive was able to range quite freely within Victoria wherever they pleased, and combined with strongly built depots the sizes of which eclipsed the fleets of the NWR (the North Melbourne Locomotive Depot alone shedded 120 locomotives, compared the the total number of locos at the NWR, which was around 80 at the same time before the Norf depot was demolished) developed a certain state of educated consciousness that meshed quite nicely with the tendency towards radicalism and trade unionism.

This was aided by the amalgamation of private lines post the Railway Mania era into the governments aegis, so branchlines remained open and ready until the local version of Beeching later on turned a lot of them into tramways.

Encased within their little Broad Gauge bubble imposed by the patriotic fervor of the colonies pre-Federation, locomotives could not be as easily replaced by out-of-state loaners. The early days tended towards foreign imports that were then used as templates to be built locally… and built locally they were as a matter of state pride. A lot of VR locomotives were built at Newport Works and at Phoenix Foundary, Ballarat.

The standardization plan brought forth under the reign of Chairman of Commissioners Richard Speight in the 1880's introduced five new classes of locos (A, D, E, the so called New R-class later renamed RY, and Y) that were built locally with the aid of Kitson and Co. of Leeds, England involved in the design phase, with the view that parts could be used interchangeably across classes.

This contributed to create a certain kind of mentality within the VR locomotives of a sense of separateness and self-sufficiency which cleaved with the ever present state rivalry with their Northern neighbor, New South Wales. The overall treatment of locomotives was one of a certain kind of affection, they were tools to be sure, but more than that. It was somewhat better than the British tendency to treat the locomotives as nothing more than iron pack mules, but this was not coded into law. Status of the locomotives was by custom rather than law, which was to have consequences later on.

For a time, things were very, very good for locomotives within Victoria. An American-railways inspired Railway Commissioner , Sir Harold Clapp (the Oz equivalent to a Director, as the VR was run by a board of Commissioners spoken for by a Chairman of Commissioners), the First Thin Commissioner, had been Vice President of the Southern Pacific railways in the US and brought heavy reforms to a VR seemingly stuck in the 19th century; amongst his ideas were the integration of American design principles to VR locomotives and rolling stock, creating a distinctly rugged look to the locos with their bar-frames and pilots as well as a general increase in size, to better fit the uneven terrain of Victoria with its regular inclines of 1-50, 1-44 and even 1-30.

The amiable K-class Consolidations and the sturdy, hard working Xs and N Mikado classes were introduced in this period.

This reached the peak of design with the creation of the mighty 3 cylinder S-class Pacifics of the "Spirit of Progress" fame and then Heavy Harry at Newport, who was meant to be the first of three other H-classes built for express passenger work across Victoria. The American inspiration can be seen in his rugged bar plate frame imported from the US, the specific use of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railway's name for the 4-8-4 wheel configuration, "Pocono" for him and his very strong resemblance in appearance to fellow 4-8-4s the NYC Niagara and Union Pacific 844 Living Legend. (The other two H-classes were partially built, then scrapped during the war. So Harry had two stillborn brothers, a point of lingering grief for the big engine.)

(For more info on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western 4-8-4 "Poconos"", see here)

Classes tended to be modified rather than outright replaced, like the A and D classes (each went through at least 2-3 waves of modifications and were marked with special names designating them as such, such as A1 , A2 and Dd ) as a cost-saving measure and often lasted a long time relative to their cousins in Britain, such as the 1915 built A2 -class 4-6-0 No 986 “Pluto”, who was only withdrawn in 1963, even though the R-class Hudsons were sent from Glasgow to replace them in 1951. In their naivety, they never thought the humans could ever turn against them.

Unfortunately, Victoria with a change of Commissioners was to echo Great Britain in the bizarre way that steam was phased out and reforms brought in. Wartime Austerity and the increasing costs of running the railways were used as excuses for local "mad choppery".

Country lines deemed unprofitable were cut, maintenance was reduced and fewer and fewer services were run, which tended to alienate people from the railways.

The VR also had some people within it that like their UK equivalents, had a deep suspicion of socialism and thus sought to break the back of the trade union of drivers and firemen by literally taking away their locomotives, and replacing them with easy to drive diesels and electrics with easy to train drivers, with the excuse that they were cheaper to run, cleaner and just overall better.

(The railwaymen’s strike in 1950 was supported wholeheartedly by the locomotives of the VR, who’s maintenance had been sorely neglected in the post war austerities; the strong presence of the unions and their relationship with the bitter, fallen prince of the fleet-turned-radical Heavy Harry and the fact that an entire depot was claimed by the Communist Party at the country town of Donald gave them more impetus to phase out steam power).

Others genuinely did believe that the time of steam was passing and the future needed to be embraced. They didn’t hate the locomotives personally, it was just that they were deemed obsolete. The steam locomotives were relics, and relics didn’t deserve a place at the main table in a rapidly changing world.

So they had to go.

With no real legal protections that other locomotives had in other countries like the USA, Europe and the Soviet Union, the Victorian locomotives were vulnerable to the encroaching end. Custom and public affection by itself cannot protect against sanctioned injustice.

14th of July 1952 was the beginning of the end for steam in Victoria. The first diesels, the pug-nosed B-class had arrived in Victoria, were built by Clyde Engineering in NSW (ironically, the same home Works that birthed the mighty NSWGR C-38 Pacifics) from an American design. The complacent VR locomotives were caught by surprise by the lean and hungry diesels who were now bedecked in the same blue and gold livery as the S-class Pacifics, who’s time was running out quickly.

The Lokodammerung had reached the Broad-Gauge southern fiefdom and showed no mercy.

The fact that this left a lot of people unemployed, destroyed a lot of side industries that made up the railway (workshops, suppliers, etc) and the costs of conversion left them unmoved. If they didn’t care about humans, they sure as hell weren’t going to care about locomotives, even if they talked and thought as humans.

As if to underline the point with extreme sadism, the mighty S-class locomotives were withdrawn and scrapped with not a hint of ceremony or acknowledgement of their hard work. That the diesels were painted in their old livery served to underline the viciousness of the insult to the VR steam locomotives.

It was an ideological point clearly made even to the humans. The enginemen seemed to read it correctly and the locomotives felt it deeply, shocked that their lieges were to be the ones sacrificed as an example to the hungry god of Modernisation.

(The R-Class was often blamed in railway enthusiast circles for giving the VR an excuse to introduce diesels, but this is backwards logic placing blame on a convenient foreign imported scapegoat. They were ordered and then the decision to bring in diesels was made and excuses were built around their seeming lack of performance when they were abused and poorly treated.

As locomotives, they did not get the chance to show their virtues… as they were deliberately worked into ruin on grain haulage jobs they were never suited for by the VR, so by the time the preservation movement got their act together, only two of their number were actually in operating condition and only 7 of 70 were saved. That the R-class clan thrived in restoration clearly indicates they have had the last laugh, they outlasted the VR!)

To Be Continued...

[weirdlet]

you know what, I have nothing better to do while waiting for background check and flailing nervously over 'can I do 9-5 and not crash', so I'm going to write up last week's session (this week's called on account of Halloween)

So! When last we left our bold heroes, we'd just spent two years of downtime growing into our home-base of Leilon. Our wizard studied, our former wizard ran the town council, our revenant ranger/rogue skulked about learning about his foes, our paladin ran her village, our barbarian formed the village police. Glory and Carver got married, and you can read that write-up here- Right around a year in, there was a visit from a boatload of giants, claiming Leilon as 'Little Mintarn' due to the massive influx of Mintarn peoples, and therefore a client state of 'Hogarth'(? my hearing sucks, I know that's not his name) the ancient red wyrm that demands tribute every few years. We tell them to fuck off, and spend the next year preparing. A few days after scheduled, the boat of giants arrives.

Carver, the now immensely powerful cleric, is on the other beach with civilians, handling that story-wise and making up the backup in case anything makes it to proper shore. Meanwhile, there's a series of little islands out in the bay that most ships have to pass to get into the harbor- and the bay is further blockaded by floats of barrels and flotsam lashed together to push our enemies where we want them to go. Trinidad swims out (swim speed, and breathes under water!) and rips holes out of the bottoms of their boats, then swims back.

On the shore, we stand with ballistas and gathered archers and mercenaries (see last episode about the dissolution and dispersal of the White Sails). By the time the two remaining ships of giants arrive on shore, we have been sighting and picking a very few of them off from a distance- fire and frost giants, and hill giants and ogres with howdahs on their backs full of goblins. But when they hit the shore, that's when things really get interesting.

Did you know a 15th level wizard can just fuckin... reverse gravity? Because I didn't.

So while on one side Alain the revenant brought back to create justice is laying waste about him with his ballista installation, on the other we have a ship full of floating, angry giants, just- drifting on up into the sky. Their ship is on fire, they're being shot at by a tiefling with 8d6 sneak attack and a generous DM, chased by an angry paladin, and shit is generally not going their way. The fire giants at least are throwing flaming debris at us, but we're ducking and weaving and hiding behind the peaked roofs of the administrative buildings that have been evacuated to ready us for this assault.

There was a cloud giant who initially said he was just an observer- and then tried the whammy on Alain to get him to turn the ballista on us.

Tried.

It did not go well for him.

One frost giant actually made it up onto the shore and started laying waste to the mercenaries on the ground, whomst were healed several times by Maeve the paladin using made-up mass combat rules, but took heavy losses as he started stomping around. Just as she was taking him out at the knee, Sorianna our wizard releases the reverse gravity spell-

-and the boat turns to flinders as most of its already softened-up residents are turned into jelly by the unforgiving ocean floor. Because control water is a cleric spell, and there just happened to be an interested party on a further shore.

The fight ran long, so we wrapped it up pretty quickly after that, but there was a solid implication of 'home for tea and medals' and there's definitely going to be some relieved kissing by the (un)holy-husbands.

Next week's homework- what's the worst trick your character ever played on someone, or- what's your character's favorite, 'try and take this from me and you will draw back a stump' kind of treat? It's also mentioned that- due to other world events of the previous campaign- basically, our group? At fifteenth level and having achieved a certain amount of notoriety for slaying dragons and basically pacifying the region- we are the cavalry for handling shit like this. So the Lords' Alliance wants to talk to us about that red dragon and his flunkies that have been burning and pillaging...

[moneeb0930]

The Land of Punt(Ta netjer, the “land of the gods”)

After the end of the New Kingdom period, Punt became “an unreal and fabulous land of myths and legends.”

At times, the ancient Egyptians called Punt Ta netjer, meaning “God’s Land”.This referred to the fact that it was among the regions of the Sun God, that is, the regions located in the direction of the sunrise, to the East of Egypt. These eastern regions’ resources included products used in temples, notably incense. Older literature (and current non-mainstream literature) maintained that the label “God’s Land”, when interpreted as “Holy Land” or “Land of the gods/ancestors”, meant that the ancient Egyptians viewed the Land of Punt as their ancestral homeland. W. M. Flinders Petrie believed that the Dynastic Race came from or through Punt and E. A. Wallis Budge stated that “Egyptian tradition of the Dynastic Period held that the aboriginal home of the Egyptians was Punt…”.The term was not only applied to Punt, located southeast of Egypt, but also to regions of Asia east and northeast of Egypt, such as Lebanon, which was the source of wood for temples.

Location

The oldest known expedition to Punt was organized by Pharaoh Sahure of the 5th dynasty (2458-2446 BC). Also around 1950 BC, in the time of King Mentuhotep III, 11th dynasty (2004-1992 BC), an officer named Hennu and three thousand men from the south transported material for building ships through Wadi Hammamat, and to Punt acquiring a number of exotic products including incense, perfume and gum was brought to Egypt. A very famous expedition was for Queen Hatshepsut in the 18th dynasty (1473-1458 BC). It was formed of five ships, each measuring 70 feet long, and with several sails. These accommodated 210 men, including sailors and 30 rowers, and was led by the Nubian general “Nehsi”. They departed at Quseir on the Red Sea for what was primarily a trading mission, seeking frankincense and myrrh, and fragrant unguents used for cosmetics and in religious ceremonies. However, they also brought back exotic animals and plants, ivory, silver and gold. A report of this voyage is left behind as temple reliefs in Deir el-Bahri, Egypt (see reliefs below). The reliefs shows the departure of the expedition, its arrival at the mysterious land, the landing of the ships with the gifts by the Puntine leader to Hatshepsut, and the preparations for the return voyage. The temple reliefs also showed the features of the Puntine people, who were black Africans, as well as another race much resembling Egyptians. Donkeys were depicted as the method of transporting goods, and white dogs guarding the people’s houses. Birds, monkeys, leopards and hippopotamus are also seen, as well as giraffes which are typical African animals, to live in Punt. The Nubian Nehsi is then shown in front of his tent with a banquet offered to his guests, and observing the gifts presented.

And then there is the story of The Shipwrecked Sailor, 2200 BC which references Punt.

Petrie, W.M. Flinders. The Making of Egypt, London. New York, Sheldon Press; Macmillan, 1939:

Page 77

“Some of the most obvious public works of the 1st dynasty were the carrying on of earlier undertakings. The great historical maces, and the irrigation works, had been developed under the Scorpion king of the Aunu, and both may have originated much earlier. Many vases and bowls bear his name.”

“Origins in Elam and Punt. The distinctive character of the 1st dynasty, which separates it from all that went before, is the conquest and union of the whole land of Egypt. It became thus subject to the falcon-bearing tribe of Horus, which was the natural enemy of the Aunu, the Set-bearing tribe. This falcon tribe had certainly originated in Elam, as indicated by the hero and lions on the "Araq knife handle”. They went down the Persian Gulf and settled in the “horn of Africa.” There they named the “Land of Punt,” sacred to later Egyptians as the source of the race. The Pun people founded the island fortress of Ha-fun, which commands the whole of that coast, and hence came the Punic or Phoenic peoples of classical history. Those who went up the Red Sea formed the dynastic invaders of Egypt, entering by the Qocier-Koptos road. Others went on to Syria and founded Tyre, Sidon and Aradus, named after their home islands in the Persian Gulf (Strabo, XVI, iii, 4). This migration formed the basis of the great spread of Puni, by the colonies of Carthage around the Mediterranean, and into the Atlantic on both north and south.“–W.M. Flinders Petrie

The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Ian Shaw, p. 317, 2003:

"There is still some debate regarding the precise location of Punt, which was once identified with the region of modern Somalia. A strong argument has now been made for its location in either southern Sudan or the Eritrean region of Ethiopia, where the indigenous plants and animals equate most closely with those depicted in the Egyptian reliefs and paintings.

It used to be assumed (primarily on the basis of the scenes at Deir el-Bahri depicting Hatshepsut’s expedition to Punt in the mid-18th Dynasty) that the trading parties travelled by sea from the ports of Quseir or Mersa Gawasis, but it now seems likely that at least some of the Egyptian traders sailed south along the Nile and then took an overland route to Punt, perhaps making contact with the Puntites in the vicinity of Kurgus, at the fifth cataract.

The Deir el-Bahri scenes include depictions of the unusual Puntite settlements, comprising conical reed-built huts set on poles above the ground, and entered via ladders. Among the surrounding vegetation are palms and myrrh trees, some of the latter already in the process of being hacked apart in order to extract the myrrh. The scenes also show myrrh trees being loaded onto the ships so that the Egyptians could produce their own aromatics from them (and it has been argued that this in itself may be an argument for the combined Nile-overland route from Punt to Egypt, given the fact that such plants might well have died during the more difficult voyage northwards along the Red Sea coast). These myrrh trees might even have been replanted in the temple at Deir el-Bahri itself, judging from the surviving traces of tree pits there.”

The oldest known expedition to Punt was organized by Pharaoh Sahure of the 5th dynasty (2458-2446 BC). Also around 1950 BC, in the time of King Mentuhotep III, 11th dynasty (2004-1992 BC), an officer named Hennu and three thousand men from the south transported material for building ships through Wadi Hammamat, and to Punt acquiring a number of exotic products including incense, perfume and gum was brought to Egypt. A very famous expedition was for Queen Hatshepsut in the 18th dynasty (1473-1458 BC). It was formed of five ships, each measuring 70 feet long, and with several sails. These accommodated 210 men, including sailors and 30 rowers, and was led by the Nubian general “Nehsi”. They departed at Quseir on the Red Sea for what was primarily a trading mission, seeking frankincense and myrrh, and fragrant unguents used for cosmetics and in religious ceremonies. However, they also brought back exotic animals and plants, ivory, silver and gold. A report of this voyage is left behind as temple reliefs in Deir el-Bahri, Egypt (see reliefs below). The reliefs shows the departure of the expedition, its arrival at the mysterious land, the landing of the ships with the gifts by the Puntine leader to Hatshepsut, and the preparations for the return voyage. The temple reliefs also showed the features of the Puntine people, who were black Africans, as well as another race much resembling Egyptians. Donkeys were depicted as the method of transporting goods, and white dogs guarding the people’s houses. Birds, monkeys, leopards and hippopotamus are also seen, as well as giraffes which are typical African animals, to live in Punt. The Nubian Nehsi is then shown in front of his tent with a banquet offered to his guests, and observing the gifts presented.

And then there is the story of The Shipwrecked Sailor, 2200 BC which references Punt.

[right] chief of Punt “Parakhu”; [left] his wife queen “Aty”

Original copy at the Museum at Cairo (No. 34419)

There is still some debate regarding the precise location of the mythical land of Punt:

Breasted, James Henry, Ph.D., Ancient Records of Egypt, Historical Documents, Vol. II, 1906:

Pages 102-104

“These are undoubtedly the most interesting series of relief’s in Egypt, and form almost our only early source of information for the land of Punt. They are as beautiful in execution as they are important in content. They record an important expedition of the queen thither, which was successfully concluded just before her ninth year.”

“The only earlier evidences of intercourse with Punt are as follows: In the Fourth Dynasty a Puntite negro appears as the slave of one of the sons of King Khufu, in the Fifth, King Sahure sent an expedition thither, and King Isesi sent another, which brought back a dancing dwarf; in the Sixth, an officer of Pepi II, named Enenkhet, was killed by the Sand-dwellers on the coast, while building a ship for the Punt voyage, and another expedition thither under the the same king was led by assistant treasurer, Thethy; in the Eleventh Dynasty, Henu, chief treasurer of King Senekhkere-Mentuhoptep III, dispatched an expedition to Punt, which he accompanied only to the coast of the Red Sea; in the Twelfth Dynasty, an officer of Amenemhet II, named Khentkhetwer, records his safe return from Punt; and finally there was also an expedition under Sesostris II.”

“The question of the location of Punt is too large for discussion here, but is was certainly in Africa, and probably was the Somali coast.”

“Historically, it is important to note that Thutmose III appears only once in the Punt reliefs, and that in a subordinate position, so that, as far as this source is concerned, the queen is the author of the expedition, which she undertakes in accordance with an oracle of Amon”.

Page 117

Punt under the Queen

“But I will cause thy army to tread them, I have led them on water and on land, to explore the waters of inaccessible channels, and I have reached the Myrrh-terraces. It is a glorious region of God’s-Land; it is indeed my place of delight. I have made it for myself, in order to divert my heart, together with Mut, Hathor, Wereret (Isis), mistress of Punt, the mistress, ‘Great in Sorcery’, mistress of all gods. They took myrrh as they wished, they loaded the vessels to their hearts’ content, with fresh myrrh trees, every good gift of this country, Puntites whom the people know not, Southerns of God’s-Land. I conciliated them by love that they might give to thee praise, because thou art a god, because of thy fame in the countries. I know them, I am their wise lord, I am the begetter, Amon-Re; my daughter, who binds the lords, is the king [Makere] (Hatshepsut). I have begotten her for myself. I am thy father, who sets thy fear among the Nine Bows, while they come in peace to all gods. They have brought all the marvels, every beautiful thing of God’s-Land, for which thy majesty sent them: heaps of gum of myrrh, and enduring trees bearing fresh myrrh, united in the festival-hall, to be seen of the lord of the gods. May thy majesty cause them to grow. My temple, in order to delight my heart among them. My name is before the gods, thy name is before all the living, forever. Heaven and earth are flooded with incense; odors are in the Great House. Mayest thou offer them to me, pure and cleansed, in order to express the ointment for the divine limbs, to offer myrrh, to make ointment, to make festive my statue with necklaces, while I am making libations for thee. My heart is glad because of seeing thee.”–James Henry Breasted

The loading of the ships.

Plate from The Road to Punt, F.D.P. Wicker, The Journal of African History, Vol. 12, No. 1 (1971), 162.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Jones met the proposal with his bedrock belief that the blacks could never be civilised, a belief he saw confirmed by the infamous Black Line of 1830.

As to saddling the Colony with the expense of maintaining the miserable remnant of the tribes of Van Diemen's Land, at present on Flinder's Island, it was quite preposterous. In Van Diemen's Land they were never civilized, and if they were all brought here, and Mr Robinson with them as chief protector, and turned into the woods, what would be the result? They would commit the same outrages here that they did in Van Diemen's Land, where the inhabitants formed a military cordon, to drive the wretched natives into one corner of the island, where they were seized and conveyed to Flinders island for the purpose of being civilised; and that experiment having failed, they were by way of another experiment, to be turned loose on the Colony. It would only be saddling this Colony with a heavy expense, and to send them here would be of no use.

[trucenz]

CAPE BEDFORD TO FLINDERS ISLAND

[charlesandmartine]

Tuesday 7th March 2023

Our apartment could hardly be described as roughing it. The Motels can only be regarded as adequate in most cases and we only used them in the Outback when no Airbnb solution was available. This place is total luxury with the covered area containing the BBQ (with sink), bar style seating, sofas, Netflix and hot tub allow the perceived outdoor Aussie lifestyle become an absolute reality and is extremely desirable. Martine is most pleased because she once more has a cafetiere. I think I want to live here. Thing is, if you go past our superbly appointed apartment around a corner of the outside space, there is what one might describe as a well appointed shed. Perhaps that was where we were supposed to be? The first thing on the agenda was to go down to the station to check arrangements for the train journey on Thursday on the tilt train to Brisbane. We popped into the station at about 5 o'clock yesterday and it was completely deserted and locked apart from a couple of girls who appeared to be living in the waiting room. Well at least the bedrolls were laid out. Perhaps they were Matilda's?

After so much travelling we thought a quiet day was required and the best place to find a quiet day is on a deserted beach. We asked our host, Deborah, where we would find such a place. Well she said you don't need to be in woop woop! Yes they do actually say this! Aussie for middle of nowhere! Anyway on her advice we pointed the Nissan towards Yeppoon. Well that is after we had another go at the station. The staff were all there this morning and we made arrangements to dump our cases there tomorrow evening. I think the itinerant girls had moved out of the waiting room. Yeppoon was 35 mins drive away but we were soon to be getting our first glimpse of the Pacific again after what seems ages. We were heading for Cooee Bay, Wreck Point Lookout, and Lammermoor Beach. James Cook had called here in 1770, but it was in 1802 that the famous Navigator and Cartographer Matthew Flinders arrived as part of his renowned circumnavigation of Australia mapping the country for the first time. Some of his maps are still in use today apparently. Aussies love Flinders and his cat Trim. There are monuments, roads, stations, statues to his and Trim's memory all over. He returned to England and soon after died aged 40 in 1814. Big hero, gone. Not only that but he was buried in St James cemetery near to Euston station but even in 1852 the exact location was lost. Some people were convinced he was buried under platform 4. However when clearing the old cemetery for HS2, they found him! He was one of 40,000 graves cleared. I heard he is likely to be reburied with his father in Lincoln. Wreck Point recognised the loss of the good ship Salina in 1848. She was due into Sydney in July 1847 but she failed to arrive. Instead she washed up at Wreck Point 15 months later with no explanation. Well life is full of mysteries. We had no hope of solving this so we moved on to Lammermoor Beach for the quiet time. And quiet it was too. We had the beach to ourselves. We discovered approaching the beach there was a local outlaw, the Tilapia fish. Report all cases, it is an offence to have one dead or alive! Well we tried to be helpful; looked everywhere for it but couldn't find him. Luncheon came and went, the sun baked down in a cloudless sky moving what little shade there was but still 33 degrees. The beach started to fill as the kids came out of school so we moved on to Emu Park. Now we could do with seeing a few more Emus but it turns out Emu Park is a small township with no Emus apart from an artist's depiction of some but with fantastic views of the Keppel Islands nonetheless. Disappointed, but a couple of Magnums did the trick and we repaired to Woolworths and Liquorland for some beers and other items for another BBQ.

[travelplanneraustralia]

Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations You Must Visit

Australia, a land renowned for its iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, and Uluru, also harbors numerous hidden gems waiting to be discovered. These off-the-beaten-path destinations offer unique experiences and breathtaking landscapes far from the usual tourist trails. Here’s a look at some of Trips Australia’s lesser-known treasures that you must visit.

1. Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Often overshadowed by more famous destinations, Kangaroo Island is a paradise for nature lovers. Just a short ferry ride from Adelaide, this island boasts pristine beaches, diverse wildlife, and stunning landscapes. Visit Flinders Chase National Park to see the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, home to a colony of playful fur seals. Don’t miss the opportunity to spot koalas, kangaroos, and wallabies in their natural habitats.

2. Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Lord Howe Island is a secluded haven with unspoiled beauty. Limited to only 400 visitors at any time, this island offers a tranquil escape. Explore its lush forests, snorkel in the vibrant coral reefs of the lagoon, or hike up Mount Gower for panoramic views. The island’s unique ecosystem supports rare bird species, making it a birdwatcher’s delight.

3. The Kimberley, Western Australia

The Kimberley region is a vast wilderness area that promises an adventure like no other. Characterized by rugged landscapes, dramatic gorges, and ancient rock formations, it is a dream for those seeking solitude and natural beauty. Highlights include the striking Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, the Horizontal Falls, and the pristine beaches of the Dampier Peninsula. A scenic flight over the region offers a breathtaking perspective of its grandeur.

4. Norfolk Island

Steeped in history and surrounded by turquoise waters, Norfolk Island is a hidden gem in the South Pacific. Once a penal colony, it now invites visitors to explore its historic sites, lush landscapes, and vibrant coral reefs. Visit the World Heritage-listed Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area, hike through Norfolk Island National Park, and enjoy the island’s unique blend of Polynesian and colonial culture.

5. Wilsons Promontory, Victoria

Known to locals as “The Prom,” Wilsons Promontory is a lesser-known national park offering stunning coastal scenery and abundant wildlife. Hike to the summit of Mount Oberon for sweeping views, explore the white sandy beaches of Squeaky Beach, and encounter native animals like wombats, emus, and kangaroos. With its diverse landscapes ranging from rainforests to rugged coastlines, The Prom is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.

6. Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

While the Great Barrier Reef often steals the spotlight, Ningaloo Reef offers equally spectacular marine experiences with a fraction of the crowds. Located off the coast of Western Australia, Ningaloo is one of the longest fringing reefs in the world. Swim with gentle whale sharks, snorkel alongside vibrant coral gardens, and explore the untouched beauty of Cape Range National Park. The reef’s relative isolation ensures a pristine underwater environment.

7. Flinders Ranges, South Australia

The Flinders Ranges offer a glimpse into Australia’s ancient geological past with their dramatic landscapes and rich Aboriginal heritage. Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheater, is a must-visit for its hiking trails and stunning views. Explore the Aboriginal rock art sites, take a scenic flight over the ranges, and immerse yourself in the unique flora and fauna of this rugged region.

8. Maria Island, Tasmania

Maria Island, a national park located off Tasmania’s east coast, is a sanctuary of natural beauty and historical intrigue. Accessible only by ferry, the island is free from vehicles, offering a serene environment for hiking, biking, and wildlife spotting. Discover the island’s convict history at the Darlington Probation Station, explore the Painted Cliffs, and encounter diverse wildlife, including wombats, kangaroos, and Tasmanian devils.

9. The Grampians, Victoria

The Grampians National Park is a hidden gem offering dramatic mountain ranges, scenic lookouts, and rich Aboriginal culture. Hike to the Pinnacle for breathtaking views, visit the ancient rock art sites at Gulgurn Manja Shelter, and marvel at the waterfalls, including Mackenzie Falls. The region is also known for its wildflower displays, particularly in spring, making it a paradise for nature photographers.

10. Cape York Peninsula, Queensland

For the ultimate off-the-beaten-path adventure, Cape York Peninsula offers rugged beauty and remote wilderness. As one of Australia’s last frontiers, it promises a journey through tropical rainforests, savannah woodlands, and pristine beaches. Drive the challenging 4WD tracks, fish in the abundant waterways, and experience the rich Aboriginal culture of the region. The northernmost tip of Australia, known as "The Tip," provides a sense of achievement for intrepid travelers.

Conclusion

Australia’s hidden gems offer a diverse range of experiences that go beyond the typical tourist attractions. From secluded islands and rugged mountain ranges to vibrant coral reefs and historical sites, these off-the-beaten-path destinations provide a deeper connection to the country’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. Embark on an adventure to discover these lesser-known treasures, and experience the unique wonders that make Australia a truly remarkable destination. Check out more at https://www.whygo.com.au/.

[nickypoppieandel]

13 June 2024: Hawker (population 350)

Below might have some inaccuracies!! There was SO much information, I’ll just do my best - and make up the rest!!!

I will post quite a few photos of our flight over Wilpena Pound and parts of the Flinders and up to Lake Eyre, because there was so much information passed on to us by the pilot. Corey was our pilot. Young and friendly and a good pilot and he was a mine of information. The problem is, the area is so vast, simple cameras just can’t take it in!! So most of the photos will be nameless, as I went click click click.

Our flight took us over Wilpena Pound and north past Leigh Creek and Lyndhurst and Maree. I have a photo of Maree Man (a geoglyph) but it hasn’t synced from my iPhone yet. Maree Man is a bit of a mystery, and there have been lots of stories about mysterious beings. I think the reality is it appeared between May and June 1998, most likely with heavy machinery and most likely by American personnel at Woomera. OR a man from Maree called Bardius Goldberg, who makes things that are visible from space. Many people believe he must have been made using GPS. Maree man’s outline has been enhanced with calcium line so it is easier to see. He can only be seen by air and is 3.5 km from top to bottom, extending over an are of 620 acres. Whoever made him remains a mystery. BUT HE APPEARED IN 1998.

The rest of the flight was filled with the realisation that this part of Australia is VAST and you can’t see the end of it even from the air. Lake Eyre covers 9,700 sq km and is the 4th largest terminal (with no outlet, because it sits at the lowest point below sea level in Australia, leading to high salinity levels) lake in the world. The water has stopped flowing in and the evaporation level is high, so the lake is receding quickly, leaving vast areas of salt. When full, it is nearly 1/6th of Australia (apparently).

So on this 6 hour flight - with a stopover at William Creek Pub on the Oodnadatta Track, for lunch - flew over Wilpena Pound, Heyson’s Ridge (Hans Heysen described the Flinders as “the bones of the earth laid bare”), Lake Torrens, Rawnsley Bluff, Andamooka (owned by the Indigenous Kokotha Pastoral Co and home to apparently the best opals in Australia - population 260; used to be 2000), Leigh Creek, the Leigh Creek copper and coal mines. The coal mine ceased to operate in 2025 and restoration has been planned but nowhere near completed), Lyndhurst , Maree, Stuart Creek Station, Anna Creek Station (the largest cattle station in the world, 24,000 sq km, running between 10 and 17,000 cattle). We landed at William Creek on the Oodnadatta Track and had lunch at the William Creek Hotel. Then back in the Cessna 206 Stationair (!) and headed back, over Dalhunty Island, named after a couple called Dalhunty who would,canoe to the island and monitor bird lifemore lake, more salt, the rabbit proof fence, the Warburton Groove (the water course leading into lake Eyre, fed by rivers in Qld, including the Diamentina and Georgina Rivers), Woomera, more mountains and valleys!!!

It was a day of learning (and forgetting!) but a reminder just how ENORMOUS Australia is and how impossible it seems that people came out with little or no or the wrong information and little equipment and even less knowledge and tried to make a life for themselves.

I will post the photos separately because Imhave lost a whole screed a couple of times when posting photos.

Good night!