Lilian's Tree

 It's been a slow reading month for me, only five books. BUT I did spend a lovely relaxing time on the Murray River in South Australia, cruising on the Murray Princess. My author of the month was Michelle Montebello, you can go to her website here  michelle The first book I read was the Quarantine Station, set in Sydney at the old Quarantine Station on North Head. This is the link to more information about the  qstation   or here  Quarantine Station The book is set both in 1918 and 2019, featuring Emma, whose grandmother, Gwendoline, was born on the quarantine station and now has dementia and wanders and from the past Rose Porter, Gwendoline's mother. Emma enlists the help of Matt, who works at the station and together they unravel the mystery. An excellent read, with twists and turns, that have you wanting more. I then found another new author, recommended by a friend, Deb, who writes a book blog,  debbish   The author was Darcy Tindale and the book w...

 Well I hope you enjoyed my travels around New South Wales. In 2023 and 2024, Paul and I did nearly 6,000klms around our home state. It is a diverse state for scenery, flora, fauna and fun. Don't bye-pass a small town, to get to the bigger one. Small towns are often the best and now towns have bye-passes, pull in and enjoy the town, minus the traffic. Take the long way to a place, rather than the most direct route, follow the Silo Art Trail. But don't forget to have fun.

  Wednesday 30 April   Z –  ZETLAND (Co Cumberland) 33°90’S 151°20’E Zetland is an inner-city suburb 0.8km 2 (0.3 sq mi) in size and is 4km south of the Sydney CBD. Zetland was named for Thomas Dundas, 2 nd Earl of Zetland. Zetland is an archaic spelling of Shetland. I have gone to the City of Sydney Archives site for photos of Zetland .  Archives Royal South Sydney Hospital, Joyton Avenue, Zetland, 1916. Tram, Bourke Street, Zetland, 1954. This photo is from the ANZAC War Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney. It contains soil from Zetland, indicating the a soldier at lived their, at the time of his enlistment.

 This month I read six books, of which three were paperback ones. But there was one paperback one I didn't finish, something I don't do often. In The Dead Of Night, by Greg Haddrick, is about the murders of Russell Hill and Carol Clay in the Wonnangatta Valley, Victoria. The book tells the story of how the investigation took place and how the police painstakingly put their case together. Very interesting read. The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge, by Janet Gover. Set in the Hunter Valley Region of New South Wales, it is about Bree Johnston, a former city lawyer, leaving that life behind and doing something very different, in Wagtail Ridge. There is a love interest, a controlling grandmother, family struggles and the townspeople. An easy read. A Bird In The Hand, by Ann Cleeves. (Ann writes the Vera Series, that I enjoy reading and her new Two Rivers Series, that has got me hooked.) This book is the first featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones. Set in Norfolk, it is about a birdw...

  Tuesday 29 April   Y - YASS   (Co. Murray) 34°51’S 148°54’E Aboriginal, a corruption of Yarh or Yahr meaning running water. On the Yass River, established c1830. Town gazetted in 1837. Yass Cemetery Yass River

  Monday 28 April   X -   X marks the spot. There isn’t a place in New South Wales, that I can find, that starts with X. So, mark your map with an X to show where you are going. Yes! A paper map. The blue dot is where I'm heading, sometime this year, Broken Hill, in the far west of New South Wales.

  Saturday 26 April   W –   WARIALDA,   (Co. Burnett) 29°07’S 150°35’E Aboriginal, place of wild honey.   On Warialda Creek, established in 1837, village gazetted in 1850. Warialda   This link for more information on the town, and others in the area.                                                                           Cranky Rock Nature Reserve.                     WALLERAWANG,  (Co. Cook) 33°25’S 150°04’E Aboriginal, plenty of water. On Adams Creek, settled in 1821   Wallerawang  This is a link to more information.  We had morning tea in the bakery, delicious.                        ...

  Friday 25 April   V - VILLAWOOD  (Co. Cumberland)   - 33°53’ S 150°58’E Looking at the map of New South Wales, I realised that I hadn't been to any of the places starting with V, so picked the suburb of Villawood, where an aunt and uncle lived.  A suburb of Sydney, some 27 klms west of the CBD. This link  Villawood  give more information of the suburb, both good and bad. Villawood Train Station      Villawood Shops

  Thursday 24   April U –  URALLA   (Co. Sandon) 30°39’S 151°30’E Aboriginal, in a little while, big hill or red wood. On Uralla Creek, surveyed in 1849 by John Galloway, laid out and gazetted in 1855. Situated between Tamworth and Armidale in the New England Ranges. The bushranger Thunderbolt is commemorated  in Uralla.  

  Wednesday 23 April   T –  TAMWORTH, (Co. Inglis) 31°06’S 150°55’E On the Peel River, discovered in 1818 by John Oxley, settlement in 1834 on the western side of the river. World War One memorial. The view from the lookout.                                                    The Big Golden Guitar. Tamworth is the Country Music Capital of Australia.                                                                                    Reflection.  TENTERFIELD   (Co. Clive) 29°03’S 152°01’E On Tenterfield Creek, discovered by Charles Tuckwood.  

  Tuesday 22 April   S –  SCONE   (Co. Brisbane) 32°03’S 150°52’E After an ancient village in Perthshire, where the ancient kings of Scotland were crowned. On Figtree Creek, originally Invermein, discovered in 1824, by Henry Dangar, settled in 1825 by Francis Little.

  Monday 21 April   R –  ROBERTSON   (Co. Camden) 34°35’S 150°35’E This strange object is the Big Potato.  Robertson in in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. To celebrate 30 years of the movie Babe, the Big Potato has been painted as a pink pig! Pink Pig

  Saturday 19 April   Q –  QUIRINDI   (Co. Buckland) 31°30’S 150°41’E On Jacob and Joseph Creek, settled c1830.                                                            Silo Art, they do a light show of an evening.                Street Mural. The railway station.

  Friday 18 April   P –  PORTLAND   (Co. Roxburgh) 33°21’S 149°59’E On Dulhuntys Creek, settled in 1863. 

  Thursday 17 April   O –  OATLEY (Co. Cumberland) 33°97’S 151°07’E Oatley is 18km from the Sydney CBD. Named after the convict James Oatley Snr, a convict clockmaker, he was transported in 1814 for live on the Marquis of Wellington.   In 1821 Governor Macquarie appointed him overseer of the Town Clock at the Hyde Park Barracks. For his installation James was given a conditional pardon. Oatley Clock Tower.                                                                             Oatley War Memorial

  Wednesday 16 April  N –   NARRABRI ,  (Co. Nandewar) 30°20’S 149°47’E Aboriginal, forks, forked sticks or possibly large creek. On Narrabri Creek, settled in 1834 NARRANDRA   (Co. Cooper) 34°45’S 146°33’E Aboriginal place of lizards. Gazetted a village in 1863. On the Murrumbidgee River, gazetted in 1863. A koala, Narrandra. Narrandra Wetlands