Bones and Liberty
Although I’ve been in Paris a week now, I’ve only managed to get to a few museums. Yesterday was by far the best I’ve seen. My brother and I headed off to the Catacomb, knowing it would be spooky, but not really what to expect. I was impressed by the interpretation in the tunnels about … Read more
Two Grandfathers
The other week I requested the National Archives digitize the WWII service records for my maternal and paternal grandfathers. I’ve just received emails pointing me to their files. My maternal grandfather, Kenneth Donald Dyke – we called him Don – was 23 years 11 months and a journalist in Sydney when he joined up. He … Read more
Book Review: What’s Wrong with Anzac
What’s Wrong with Anzac by Marilyn Lake , Henry Reynolds , Joy Damousi and Mark Mckenna has been on my to-read list since it came out earlier this year. I watched and read with interest all the debate that surrounded its release. I have had a difficult relationship (academically) with Marilyn Lake. For some reason I don’t even … Read more
Mash-up
I have to share these incredible photograph mash-ups from Russian Sergey Larenkov who merges current and wartime photographs of the same place with evocative results. When I’ve been in Europe I have noticed the ghostly feeling of World War Two especially. I’ve spent time in Belgium and somehow it is present there in a way … Read more
The Next Chapter
I’m suspicious that some scandal happened and she changed her name when she married. I can’t find any evidence of this, but I haven’t finished searching yet. Nothing ever works out the way you think it will (or at least that’s my perception). The above quote is where I left off talking about Johanna (Mary … Read more
‘Digger Nurses on the Western Front, 1916-1919′
I have been reading this book by Rosemary Lancaster about Australian women who travelled, lived and worked in France from 1880 to 1945. It is wonderfully interesting and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I was going to do a full review when I’d finished it but last night I read the chapter on the WWI nurses … Read more
