Snake of the Week – Desert Death Adder Acanthophis pyrrhus
We saw this beautiful snake earlier this year in a creekbed in the borefield 15 or so kilometres west of town. Last Sunday afternoon one of its relatives killed one of our favourite little dogs, Boot-boots.
Marion Scrymgour – picks ‘big stoush’- gets bloody nose
Marion Scrymgour is Australia's most powerful Aboriginal politician who is fighting for her political life as questions are asked about her fitness and capacity to continue as Education Minister.
Garrett’s resale royalty Part 2 – Arts Industry says “Take a Cold Shower, Pete!”
Federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett’s proposed resale royalty for visual artworks has been labelled a “disaster for Australian artists” by the body that administers visual arts copyright and licenses. As The Northern Myth reported two [...]
The Northern Myth – Chapter 1
"...a poor dried up land afflicted by fever and flies and fit only for a college of monks whose religious zeal might cope with the suffocating heat and musketos which admitted no moment of repose." Matthew Flinders describing northern Australia
Towards an (Australian) Indigenous Ornithology – Is Australia an ornithological terra nullius?
Australia is an ornithological terra nullius - an ‘empty land' - It is unforgivable that the most complete references to Australian Aboriginal ornithology are found in John Gould's Handbook to the Birds of Australia, 1865 - published 138 years ago.
Dogs of the Week – Camp Dogs on the Radio!!
I missed this excellent set of radio stories the first time around but Camp Dog Chronicles by Local ABC Alice Springs reporter Penelope Bergen is a wonderful expose on the secret life of [...]
Birds of the week – two freed Wedge-tailed Eagles
I first saw the Wedge-tails free-flying at the Alice Springs Desert Park years ago and have been aware of the often violent interactions between the two captive birds and a pair of wild local Wedge-tails. Now the captive birds have been released.
The Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) – a lesson in indigenous bird hunting and conservation
For too long, western scientists have either willfully ignored indigenous knowledge of Australia's birds or damned it as ‘unscientific'. How we access and record what people know of and how they use birds, and the value of indigenous bird knowledge are important tools for species and landscape management.
White trash – and proud of it!
There has been a lot of talk about white trash in the press over the past few days and most of it bad - but I'm proud to be called white trash - but white trash made good - maybe.
People doing really stupid things with animals…
I don't have a problem with people who want to do stupid things - jump out of perfectly good planes with a bit of silk on their back, off a bridge with a bit of rope around your ankles, play cricket... But I don't like seeing animals in cages...I just can't see the point and my goat really gets got...