The Wilsons of Williamstown

The Wilsons of WilliamstownStory and photos by Kendrea Rhodes

Labels such as `The Man About Town`, `The Stubborn Patriarch`, `The Slab Hut`, `The Black Hammer`, `The Monarch`, `Dear Nellie` and `The Steam Maker` are curious ways to pay homage to your ancestors. But this is exactly how the Wilson family pays tribute to the many previous generations whom have contributed to where they are today. This family is proud of their roots, they have a genuine interest in history and being sixth generation Australians, they’re about as Aussie as it gets for English settlers. Continue reading The Wilsons of Williamstown

Music Festival for Flying Doctors

Music Festival for Flying DoctorsStory by Kendrea Rhodes. Photos courtesy of the RFDS.

Stories about the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) usually conjure feelings of pride and wonder. As Australian’s we are rightly proud of a world class aero-medical and health care system that spans this enormous country for the good of the people. And we wonder at the seemingly miraculous ways that the RFDS help people in need against all odds. More than 250,000 patient contacts occur every year, that’s one person every two minutes of the day, 365 days a year. Continue reading Music Festival for Flying Doctors

The Lobethal Grand Carnival

The Lobethal Grand CarnivalStory and photos by Kendrea Rhodes

If I said, “Aussie Special” would you immediately think of barbeques, surfboards, beer, bikini’s or perhaps vintage racing cars? Australia was unique in the way it put together race cars in the 30’s & 40’s. Being so far away from manufacturers in Europe, the UK and the USA, these inventive Aussies cobbled up the ‘race cars to beat all’. Of course they were different and hard to replicate due to the availability of parts. But they weren’t fussy, they’d use parts from any make or model such as Ford, Hudson, MG, Riley, Alpha or Bentley. Quite often if an original race car was involved in a crash, its parts could evolve into an Aussie Special out of someone’s back shed. Aussie Specials were raced a lot in Grand Prix’s all over Australia, and Lobethal is no exception, both back then and today. Continue reading The Lobethal Grand Carnival