Posts in this category place St Helena Island and its history in context with the world around it, including local Brisbane events, Qld and Australian colonial society, Indigenous communities and culture and other prison islands.
Irwin Robert and Octavius Lomas Spreadborough. The Killarney based Spreadbrough brothers were remarkable for their unusual names. But they were also notable for being some of the earliest men to enlist and as a result, like a number of St Helena Warders, saw action at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli in 1914 and 1915. Irwin and Octavius were farmers who had both served in the 14th Australian … Continue reading A family affair – the Spreadborough Brothers
Not all soldiers return from war. In fact 62,000 Australian soldiers did not return home once the guns fell silent at 11am on the 11th November 1918. I’d like to lay tribute to Warder John Mitchell on Remembrance Day 2018. He is the only St Helena Island World War I Warder/ Soldier who did not come home. But his death – nowhere near a battlefield … Continue reading Remembrance Day 2018 – a tribute to the warder who did not make it home
Benjamin Rudhall wasn’t a World War 1 soldier, because he died in action over a decade earlier. As we approach Remembrance Day on November 11th 2018, it seems an opportune time to remember all the Soldier Warders on St Helena Island, including those who fought in the Boer War. Benjamin Rudhall fought and died at Amersfoort, Sth Africa in 1902 and the ripple effect of … Continue reading Remembrance of the St Helena Island Boer War Warder Soldiers
In the search for warders involved in the Great War, I discovered a man highly skilled in all aspects of the military, willing and able to fight for his adopted country, but who never left Australian soil. Warder John Burns was the shortest A.I.F enlistment of any of the St Helena Island prison warders. Originally hailing from Ireland, he had spent 18 years as a … Continue reading John Burns – almost a World War I soldier/warder
“In the going down of the sun and in the morning… we will remember them. Remembrance Day on November 11th 2018 marks the end of World War 1 in 1918. Trouble was, in 2014 my colleague Ranger Daley Donnelly and I had asked ourselves the question “What men?” when it came to remembering Warders in the St Helena Penal Establishment who were also soldiers of … Continue reading St Helena’s World War I ‘Digger’ warders
That would be Grandpa’s place on the island… I think it was to the side of the prison. Grandpa used to come up from the prison and we’d go down the road to meet him…Aunty Grace used to take us to Wynnum every Saturday and get ice-cream. Nell Pearce was born in 1916 and was only a young girl when she spent her holidays on … Continue reading Profiling Grandmas and Grandpas
John Howard is not to be found anywhere. In our current climate of removing and reshuffling Liberal politicians, you may be mistaken for thinking that I am referring to the ex-Prime Minister of Australia, who you may fear from this headline has gone missing along with supporters of Malcom Turnbull. Fear not, as my John Howard is not one in the same – he’s … Continue reading Has anyone seen John Howard?
Scarlet fever cases DOUBLE reaching more than 15,000 – here are the signs every parent needs to know. Common signs of scarlet fever include a widespread, fine pink-red rash that feels like sandpaper to touch and is itchy. There are now calls for parents to check their kids for a telltale rash. In the 13 weeks leading up to April 1st there were 15,549 suspected cases of the … Continue reading RED ALERT: Scarlet Fever cases DOUBLE
This story comes from a personal place. One that reaches back into the past to empathise completely with the pain and heartache felt by parents facing children who are gravely ill. You see my son Rowan has been in hospital this past week, having complex procedures on his heart. The parents on St Helena would have faced their children’s illnesses with the same blend of … Continue reading Childhood illness and death in the 19th and 21st centuries
There are times in our life when the stars align and everything happens just the way it should. This happened last week on St Helena Island, when historians, writers, artists, rangers, educators, authors and researchers got together to capture some of St Helena’s magic. The loveliest aspect was that as a community we were so diverse, yet so driven by the same passion for the … Continue reading What do a Carceral Archipelago, Bella Sombre tree, Moreton Bay convict and St Helena Island have in common?
