News
Ancient aboriginal settlement one step closer to World Heritage listing
One of the earliest known aquaculture systems on Earth, in south-western Victoria, is one step closer to becoming Australia’s 20th World Heritage site.
Tag: history of australia
On This Day
On this day: Captain Moonlite’s hanging
Love letters, shootouts and bank robberies – Andrew George Scott’s life and relationship to James Nesbitt has left historians intrigued.
Destinations
Land, rediscovered
Four hundred years ago a Dutch explorer made landfall on WA’s remote coastline at Dirk Hartog Island. Alongside this year’s commemorative events, a unique ecological project aims to restore the state’s biggest isle to the wilderness it was in 1616.
Video
Benjamin was probably not the last thylacine, says study
It’s the 80th anniversary of the death of the last known thylacine. But Benjamin’s relatives likely lived on longer, say scientists.
History & Culture
How do you perform a taxidermy on a 160kg fish?
Ninety years ago, a valuable international contract called for some inventiveness, and even a little coercion, on the part of the Australian Museum.
Destinations
Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail
Australia boasts many fine long-haul walks, but few are livelier than this five-day, 66km coastal track.
Destinations
GALLERY: Discover Dirk Hartog Island
On 25 October 1616, Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog landed on a long, narrow island off the Gascoyne coast in Shark Bay. To mark the 400th anniversary of the first Dutch contact with Western Australia, an ecological project aims to restore the island to the wilderness it was in 1616. Enjoy these stunning pics of WA’s biggest isle and read more in the latest issue of Australian Geographic (AG#134).
History & Culture
Moments in time: vintage Australian postcards
These historic Australian postcards dating back to the 1880s provide a nostalgic glimpse to our nation’s past.
History & Culture
Top 10 Forbes Carlile achievements
How did the Aussie swimming coach and all-around sports legend Forbes Carlile get his athletes across line faster than anyone else and help break 31 world records? This is how.
History & Culture
Early Victoria: Bushfires, gold rushes and sad bushrangers
FROM VICTORIA’S GOLD RUSHES to its bushrangers, English artist William Strutt’s (1825-1915) paintings captured the state’s colonial history in vivid scenes and sketches. William arrived at Melbourne in 1850 and began work as an illustrator painting portraits of people such as explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, who’s famous expedition with William John Wills ended in their tragic deaths. William illustrated the scenes around Burke’s demise in the epic ‘The burial of Burke’ (1911). He also recorded many historical events such as Victoria becoming a separate state and the devastating Victorian bushfire on Black Thursday in 1851. His paintings depict the hardship of colonial life, exploration and the dangers of the environment. His oil paintings, watercolours, portraits, prints and preparatory sketches will be on display at ‘Heroes and villains: Strutt’s Australia’ exhibition at the State Library of Victoria until 23 October 2016. The exhibition is the first retrospectives of William’s work in Melbourne, it includes pop-up talks of three of his well-known paintings; ‘Bushrangers’ (1887), ‘The burial of Burke’ (1911) and ‘Black Thursday’ (1864).