Australian History

[Ditherer and Son]

I began in 1866 and was called upon for the last time on the early morning of May 27th 1974 - the day after a particularly memorable east coast low. I was formed to save souls from drowning. I had a north and a south division, sitting astride what once was one of the most dangerous harbours in the world. My members with Government jobs were docked a days pay when I called them to duty. Over 350 men were members over the 136 years of my existence. I was called in when the weather was at it's worst, and I often employed the breeches buoy. The helicopter made me redundant. I was remembered in a memorial unveiled in December 2013.

What was I?

 

[Tathradj]

From ABC Newcastle.

The Newcastle Rocket Brigades were in operation from 1866 until 1974, often working alongside the lifeboat crews, and were a crucial part of trying to save the lives of those on board vessels that foundered along our coast.

The job of the Rocket Brigade was to attach a line from the beach to a distressed vessel in order to enable a 'breeches buoy' or other device to be hauled to the ship and return passengers and crew safely to the shore.

"If the ships were too close to the shore, the lifeboats wouldn't be able to get to them. So if a ship was beached but there was still so much water raging around them, people couldn't get off safely."

The Newcastle Lifeboat Service operated from 1838 until 1946, but the Rocket Brigade was still in service until 1974 and was last used on the Sygna. Indeed, one of my volunteers was trained around 1965."

Deb Mastello says Newcastle was an incredibly difficult port, "It was so dangerous to come in here, especially before the breakwater was built. Ships that tried to come in between Nobbys and the mainland - that was just craziness."

 

[Ditherer and Son]

Correct Tathradj, you're up

 

[Mr Boring]

i recon u got that Tathradj... the quick and the dead

 

[Tathradj]

I thought I did good. 10 Minutes.
I must be getting slow. LOL
It is all good fun and a learning curve on some of our fantastic history.
.
.
.
I am a place of Many Meetings or I can be beautiful.
Founded around the 1830's by a cattleman. Before long, Along came 2 famous brothers who also started cattle farming. I slowly grew over a small period of time until a flood nearly wiped me out. So I moved across the river and have been there since.
I prospered and grew and is home to one of the largest food manufacturers in the country.
.
What is my Name?

 

[Mr Boring]

Murry River? Mildura

 

[willo1]

I will take a stab in the dark at this one, but I will say Bega.

 

[Tathradj]

willo1,
Well done. LOL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bega,_New_South_Wales

Over to you mate.

 

[willo1]

Got to love the south coast.....

Anyway, here is a very easy one for everyone. See who can Google the quickest.
What Australian band was originally known as 'FARM'.

 

[Tathradj]

Midnight Oil.

 

[willo1]

Got it in one, Tathradj.

 

[Paydirt]

Legends

 

[Tathradj]

I was a massive event around the 1500 to 1600 Era.
I caused a lot of damage as far away as America.
There are legends amongst the Koori people as to what happened.
There is still a lot of evidence to this day as to what this catastrophe was.
I gave the Kiwi's something to think about as well.
Where and what was I?

 

[Paydirt]

Tsunami hit the east coast, evidence in high places

 

[Tathradj]

I will give that one to you Paydirt.
Apparently a meteorite exploded out off Narooma creating a huge Tsunami to sweep up and down the East Coast of Australia.
An elder first told me of the legend back in the early 1980's.
The wave caused a fair bit of damage over between the 2 Islands of New Zealand and impacted South America.
To give you an idea how big this wave was, Look up "Kianinny" in Tathra NSW.
In the middle of the inlet there is a big rock. The wave coming over the headland washed it off into it's present location and cut the small deep channel on the land side.
It must have been one big wave to do that.
I always thought that the headlands around this part of the coast were swept clear because of huge sea's. Apparently not.

 

[Paydirt]

Apologies for delay - that was an edumacated guess (actually we studied evidence of them in strange places (outside Crookwell) in Geology 101.
Ok try this - I spent the early part of my life harvesting food. I took Australians to war. I spent a fair bit of time unloved and neglected in northern NSW. Im now looking at whole lot better and feeling the love and admiration deserved,my name strikes fear into some with good reason. What am I and what's my name.

 

[Rickd]

Are you a boat?

 

[Paydirt]

eye

 

[Mackka]

Am I a BRUMBY, horse and footy team?
Mackka

 

[Paydirt]

Sorry Mackka, I'm not living but named after a living thing