Australian History

[DrDuck]

One was the warfies, and they had a disgraceful record of striking and sabotage during WW2. One of the worst cases was:

"One of the most obscene acts occurred in October, 1945, at the end of the war, after Australian soldiers were released from Japanese prison camps. They were half dead, starving and desperate for home. But when the British aircraft-carrier HMS Speaker brought them into Sydney Harbour, the wharfies went on strike. For 36 hours, the soldiers were forced to remain on-board, tantalisingly close to home. This final act of cruelty from their countrymen was their thanks for all the sacrifice."

Was the other workers in small arms factories? Women manning the production line in Bathurst defied union officials wanting them to go on strike, and pelted them with tomatoes and eggs.

 

[Magilla]

Yes mate, the warfies were one of the groups I was after. They refused to unload American ships in Darwin even though the yanks had traveled to the other side of the world to try and help us defend our country. To be honest things have not improved much on that front. The other group were coal miners, not all of them but a couple of mines went on strike. I don't know how those guys could sleep at night.

 

[DrDuck]

For Gawd's sake, I was almost frightened that you would give it to me, Magilla. Now I have to think of a question!

 

[DrDuck]

Well, I must have asked hundreds of questions on this thread, so it's getting harder to think of a new one. The last topic was strikes, and this brought to mind the great timber strike in Sydney of 1929.

Anyway the question is not about that, but about an unusual (by today's standards) use of timber in Sydney in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It solved a big problem for the city back then.

Someone may know the answer, but if not, clues will be forthcoming...

 

[jamie]

only a guess Dr but was it used as fill for re-calming land within the harbor for building development

 

[DrDuck]

No, Jamie, but that answer is sort of trending in the right direction. The use of timber I have in mind was terrestrial.

 

[jamie]

i think i know it but will wait for others as i cheated and google'd what i thought it may have been after my first guess

 

[nucopia]

Timeber that made the warves in sydney harbour

 

[DrDuck]

Googling is not cheating in this game, Jamie, so fire away. The trick is to make the clue a bit cryptic so it's hard to find the answer on Google.

Not the wharves, nucopia, although it is related to transport.

 

[jamie]

now you have said that about transport it has thrown me, i was going to say could it be the portable timber cottages that where popping up in and around Sydney that were designed to be assembled by the buyer and didn't really need any skill as it was made to just go together simply
http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/exhibitions/timber-cottages-portable-machine-made-ready-cut

Edit to add website for the interested

 

[goldtruck59]

Trams Dr Duck?

 

[nucopia]

Trams Dr Duck?

Yep people forget Sydney had trams once apon a time

 

[DrDuck]

Not trams, or those portable buildings. That was a really interesting story that I did not know about.

The use I had in mind was more infrastructure than vehicles, and remember, it would be an unusual use of timber these days.

 

[nucopia]

Planting Norfolk pines all over the place for ships masts

 

[jamie]

bridge building to cross creeks/rivers on the outskirts of sydney

 

[Bacchus]

Was it using wooden blocks as pavers for Sydney streets ?

 

[Balmain Bob]

Gday Dr Duck.
Would it be timber used to line open drains, channels or canals? Now days done with concrete

Bob

 

[DrDuck]

Bacchus gets it. Between the 1880's and 1930's most of Sydney City's streets were paved with hardwood blocks.

http://bytesdaily.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/sydneys-woodblocked-streets.html

 

[Bacchus]

Cheers Dr Duck

Who am I ?

Born in South Australia I left school at 13 in the early 1900's, packed my swag to wander the outback living with Aboriginies developing bush survival skills, at 18 I was an outback camel driver.

More clues to follow if required

 

[slowflow]

Thomas Elder