#Indigenous to the Illawarra

[alienssstufff]

BLOODHOUNDS

ft Y.T and Tripwire

[their ‘duo name’ is Bloodhounds from now on btw… if you even care..]

alternative title ver- it would’ve taken away the effect of the *COUGH* easter egg

notes n what not coming soon

The sketch and the flowers used :3

The composition originally was going to be a lot different (had two in mind) where the Red King’s involvement would’ve been more prominent. Went with this one simply cuz it was just more fun to experiment, where the negative space is made front and centre focus :]

Whennnn picking out the plants ddint think for a second about symbolism- and going off of just ANY flower for flower language would have been too big of a selection pool… So in respects to SL environmental setting - native Australian plants it was.

-The golden wattle trees by its abundance and have benefited Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders for thousands of years to create various markers and tools. The plant survives harsh droughts, and its seeds have a coating strong enough that can be salvageable beyond bushfires.

-as a signifier of Spring and new beginnings hence rebirth, the golden wattle to me was also very thematically fitting for a season like Secret Life :]

-I never looked into what Illawarra flame trees (the flowers of the coat my SL!Bdubs design is wearing) before until today.. and I quote “Regains confidence and self-approval, able to make commitments with the strength of self-reliance. Clarity in life and ability to adapt to all situations. Secure enough to express and communicate true feelings. To be beautiful and strong ” [SOURCE: Australian Bushflowers] which…. Ok damn. There’s also alcohol in it.

-Eucalyptus trees in Indigenous Australian culture represent the division between the underworld, the Earth and heaven.

The selection of plants while don’t represent Bloodhounds together - but more of what Martyn and Bdubs are individually, they’re interesting in the things they have in common what they represent. And the differences they go about this loyalty throughout the seasons and why they devote - especially in LimL and SL.. Fascinating stuff.

[mybeingthere]

Garry Shead (b 1942, Sydney) is one of Australia's most celebrated contemporary figurative painters, with his work steeped in allegory and symbolism, inviting spiritual, philosophical and historical interpretation.

"Garry Shead is regarded as one of Australia’s finest narrative painters and printmakers. Along with Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd, Shead has illuminated the Australian story and its myths to a wide and appreciative audience. His imagery has an ability to transcend the personal and reach into that universal realm of shared meaning. The inspiration behind one of Shead’s enduring narrative series was the novel Kangaroo written by the great English novelist, essayist and poet, D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930). Shead had developed an affinity with the writings of Lawrence during a trip to Papua New Guinea in 1968, and, in Kangaroo, this would trigger a resounding deep-felt response to the distinct Lawrentian narrative that Lawrence himself described as a ‘thought-adventure’.

After arriving in Fremantle in May 1922, Lawrence and his wife Frieda travelled to Sydney where they soon found themselves in the small coastal village of Thirroul, renting a seaside bungalow named Wyewurk. It was here the adventure began - an adventure that would last less than three months and produce the novel Kangaroo in just over six weeks.

The emotional complexity of the novel radiating from the protagonists, the poet/writer Richard Lovatt Somers and his wife Harriet; the simmering nationalist urges arising from the aftermath of World War I; the socialist ideal for a more equal society, all played out against the implacable backdrop of the bush. While the ocean and beach to the east reflected a feeling of purity and pleasure, the bush to the west remained a dark, impenetrable mystery - a brooding presence.

This contrasting impact is reflected in two fine disparate works by Shead. The Cliff 1992 is in many ways an antipodean seaside idyll with a twist; while The Visitation 1993-94 could be construed as a premonition of a long overdue reckoning. In the former work, the lovers are interrupted in their reverie by the presence of a raucous kookaburra. The scene is inspired by the steep cliff face at Thirroul overlooking the sea. Shead locates the cleansing sea as a place of respite – of atonement. In addition, the menacing posture of the kookaburra implies an unwelcome presence. The lovers could be seen as intruders, ignorant of the deep time that has forged a unique and mysterious landscape and culture. The precarious proximity of the cliff face in relation to the lovers also signals the tenuous hold the European mindset has on this land.

The lovers could be seen as the protagonists of the novel, Richard and Harriet, or perhaps Lawrence himself and Frieda. Yet again, it could be Shead and his then wife, Judit. In any event, there appears to be a pesky kookaburra to contend with, adding a comic note to the clifftop coupling.

In The Visitation, Shead has painted a curiously disturbing composition. The presence of the male Indigenous figure standing on the veranda railing appears real yet strangely dreamlike. Probably from the local Dharawal people of the Illawarra, he is adorned in ceremonial markings signalling the gravity of his ‘visit.’ Curiously, the symbolic image of Kangaroo, leader of the ultra-right movement who once dominated Lawrence’s thoughts, has now receded into the background. The local political intrigue and its concomitant of players falls to the wayside. The writers’ thoughts are now focused on the indigenous presence that has survived theft of lands, atrocities, and systematic marginalisation. In the novel, little detail is revealed about an Aboriginal presence in the landscape. Yet, early in the novel Richard Somers does confront the ‘spirit of the place’1 while walking in the west Australian bush. The anonymous narrator of the novel delves into Somers’ predicament as he confronts his fear of the bush: ‘As a poet, [Somers] felt himself entitled to all kinds of emotions and sensations which an ordinary man would have repudiated. Then he let himself feel all sorts of things about the bush … Waiting, waiting – the bush seemed to be hoarily waiting. And he could not penetrate into its secret. He couldn’t get at it. Nobody could get at it. What was it waiting for?’

To further appreciate Shead’s The Visitation, one needs again to delve into the text of the novel, tracing Somers’ and Lawrence’s apprehension of the place: ‘He felt it was watching and waiting. Following with certainty just behind his back. It might have reached a long black arm and gripped him. But no, it wanted to wait ... It was biding its time with a terrible, ageless watchfulness, waiting for a far-off end, watching the myriad intruding white men.’

Back on the veranda at Wyewurk, one senses the beginning of a dialogue between the invader and the usurped. Thirty years since Shead painted The Visitation, the nation is now finally focused on reconciliation. Perhaps in time, we will witness this ‘far-off end.’

Written by Garry Wilson, an independent curator, landscape architect and author. https://www.menziesartbrands.com/items/cliff

[axvoter]

Blatantly Partisan Party Review XIX (NSW 2023): Ungrouped Independents

Phew! I was worried I had started my reviews too late to cover all the Legislative Council candidates before election day. Life might have got in the way, but here we go: the final review!

At the far right of your large Legislative Council ballot paper, you will find a column of 11 ungrouped independents below the line. These are people running solo campaigns without a running mate, so they do not get a separate column below the line nor a square above the line. The only way to vote for any of these candidates is to vote below the line. This means none of the 11 has a chance of winning a seat, but they’re always interesting to look at anyway.

I covered one of the ungrouped candidates, Colleen Fuller, when reviewing the Indigenous–Aboriginal Party of Australia. She’s second in the list of ungrouped indies. Let’s run through the other 10 in ballot order.

Stefan Prasad (Facebook profile)

Recommendation: weak or no preference

Prasad has done a politics degree but he does not seem to have learnt much about how to campaign effectively. He has a limited web presence and an even more spare policy platform. A Facebook post urges people that “if you don't know who to for Vote for, Vote for me!!” This is not a very compelling pitch. In response to a reply asking for his policies, he says that “since the needs of the NSW constituents are ever changing, I didnt think it was necessary to provide a set of fixed policies, policies need to change in accordance to the needs of the people”. Yep, this is a policy-free space from a guy who does not seem to stand for anything.

Warren Grzic (Facebook)

Recommendation: decent preference

Grzic is a bit of a serial candidate—he has stood in state and federal elections before, both as an independent and for Sustainable Australia. I haven’t reviewed him previously but here’s last year’s b_auspol review. He’s a big fan of greater investment in railways—to quote from a page he made for the 2022 federal election, “Expand railway networks across Australia to fight traffic and pollution and climate change”. This is pretty much the quickest way to get me onside and he pushes railways and public transport more than anything else. Indeed, he’s not just focused on one aspect of the system but makes comments on urban commuter networks, freight rail, and long-needed regional upgrades alike.

But let’s consider his other priorities. He supports striking nurses and better investment in staffing throughout the healthcare sector. He wants better management of water infrastructure. I’m a little unsure about his attitude on development and housing—his prior SusAus involvement makes me wonder if there’s a bit of NIMBYism, but if there is, it’s not prominent. I’m also not clear exactly what he wants when he calls for the tax system to be simplified: is this an inane demand for flat taxes, or untangling arcane parts of the tax code? All in all I’m favourably disposed towards him but with some queries.

Van Huynh (website)

Recommendation: middling to decent preference

Van George Huynh—his website is votegeorge dot org but the name on the ballot will be Van Huynh—offers an ambitious and eccentric plan for NSW. The first thing you see when opening his website is that “we will win this war on inflation” but oh boy his ambitions go well beyond beating inflation. He wants to “Convert Chatswood into the new world financial capital”, create a new Silicon Valley stretching from the North Shore to the Central Coast, establish major new business centres in Sydney suburbs and the Illawarra, build more universities, found a “cinema of Australia” in Newcastle and “one of the world largest entertainment centre in the state's outback near Griffith”, and much more. He would add two new public holidays: Multicultural Day in February and “Christ Day” on 31 July (mate you are aware of Christmas, right?).

Some of his ideas are good, some are complete pie-in-the-sky, some are best left unrealised. I suggest a middling to decent preference if you’re voting below the line because he is far better than a lot of the racists and cookers clogging the ballot.

Archie Lea

Recommendation: weak or no preference

Lea stood at the 2021 Upper Hunter by-election as an independent and came last in a crowded field of 13. He had previously run for Fred Nile’s now defunct Christian Democratic Party in 2016 and 2019, a big red flag. In his entry in the NSWEC’s register of candidates, he describes himself as an “Independent Christian conservative for member of Legislative Council. Independent Candidate.” It’s hard to find much more on him. At the 2021 by-election his HTV was openly pro-coal and pro-mining. Naturally I think poorly of a conservative anti-environmental candidate.

Michelle Martin (how-to-vote card)

Recommendation: weak or no preference

Martin has not made much information available online. She was listed fourth on the UAP’s Senate ticket for NSW at last year’s federal election, so that’s a bad sign. Her HTV is in milder language than many cookers, but “ensure your health choices are YOURS” leans very much towards anti-vaxxer and anti-fluoride suspicion of effective public health measures. Her open rejection of digital IDs and “cashless society” refers to two tropes currently prevalent in Australia’s conspiracist circles. She is best avoided.

Lee Howe (website)

Recommendation: decent to good preference

Howe is running on a platform of “vote 1 homes first”. She wants a fairer and more equitable society achieved through “access to safe, suitable and affordable housing”. She highlights that only 9% of rentals in NSW are affordable for those with very low incomes and that rental stress is widespread. Expanding public housing stock is a major priority for her, alongside repairing existing public housing to modern standards. She wants new developments to contain at least 15% social and affordable housing, with specific targets for houses for elderly and Indigenous people. She would abolish “no grounds” evictions, place caps on annual rent increases, and otherwise pursue positive reforms to protect tenants’ rights. Her approach is neither urbanist nor NIMBY, but focused on addressing poverty, homelessness, and insecure housing. She’s a little bit of a single-issue candidate, which always makes me hesitant, but in this case her core issue speaks to a range of policy areas.

Mick Allen (website)

Recommendation: middling to decent preference

Well this fella is entertaining. His campaign page is “Mad Mick for a Better World”. It has links to some specific policy pages… and then just a bunch of photos of his sustainable garden and the wildlife in it. It’s wonderfully eccentric. What do his policies cover? He is concerned with climate change and wants to act on UN IPCC reports—or at least “tak[e] their recommendations into consideration”. It’s no more specific than that. He’s justly angry that women still earn on average less than men: “it is bloody stupid they haven’t got it [equal pay] yet”. He suggests “We should be learning more about Aboriginal culture”, without specifying how this might occur other than that Indigenous knowledge should inform more environmental planning. He wants to stop public housing being demolished or sold, and he has very nebulous concerns about redevelopment in Blacktown that has some possible NIMBY vibes. Finally, he wants to limit vaping to reduce how many children vape—by making it subscription-only! These are all pretty simple thought bubbles, but on the other hand there’s more here than some parties and much of it trends in the right direction. Seems harmless enough.

R Cheetham

Recommendation: weak or no preference

I can find virtually no information about the candidate R Cheetham, whose registration details with the NSWEC indicate this is short for Ruth Cheetham. I cannot find a social media profile or website for a Ruth Cheetham that is definitively this candidate. She is, however, aligned with Lee Howe: one of Howe’s HTVs is authorised for both her and Cheetham, with Howe 1 and Cheetham 2. It’s strange that Howe and Cheetham didn’t run as grouped independents to get their own column on the ballot. This alliance implies Cheetham is also concerned with the social and affordable housing issues that underpin Howe’s campaign, but it's certainly not a given. The joint Howe and Cheetham HTV indicates that they feel they both have the most in common with Labor, Greens, Animal Justice, and the Public Education Party. That’s promising but again tells the prospective voter nothing about Cheetham. In the absence of any substantive information, if you’re voting below the line and preferencing fully, I’d suggest Cheetham get a weak preference but one above the cookers, fundies, and similar crackpots. If she wanted better preferences, she should have campaigned more effectively.

Guitang Lu (website)

Recommendation: weak to middling preference

Guitang Lu, a migration lawyer who in some documents also goes by the name Luke, is running on a platform of anti-racism and anti-bullying. It is based on his own experiences, which he describes here. It is the most detailed part of his site. His policies on anti-racism focus largely on remedies relevant to his complaints, but they are beneficial more broadly and extend to gender discrimination as well as racial discrimination. A bit of a single-issue candidate, but an important issue and my initial impressions were positive.

I was, however, concerned by his how-to-vote card and his instructions to potential voters. He tells voters to “Just give me ONE – 1”, or to vote below the line 1–15. The crucial word here is “or”. There is no square above the line to just vote 1 for Lu. Any voter who interprets his advice in such a way they only vote 1 for him will not cast a valid vote, as you can only vote for him below the line, in which case you must distribute 15 preferences. Worse, his HTV’s suggestion for preferences is bizarre: he suggests preferencing the top 7 candidates from the Public Education Party, which is fine, then… the top 7 candidates from the anti-vax lunatics at Informed Medical Options. This gives me serious cause for pause. I was going to suggest a decent preference for Lu but this advice to voters is misleading and implies sympathy with cookers.

George Potkonyak (website)

Recommendation: weak or no preference

Potkonyak is standing as an independent on behalf of Capellia Children Inc. It’s hard not to view him as a bit paranoid when you read “the NSW Liberal government has sold your children into the hands of the so called ‘charities’ (private subcontractors)”, as in child protection agencies. It gets worse: he has been struck off as a lawyer on the basis of professional misconduct. He is described as misinterpreting relevant legislation, behaving offensively in court, misleading the court, and “consistently engaged” in conduct “falling short of the standard of competence and diligence expected of a reasonably competent legal practitioner”. Oooof.

I think we can safely ignore anything this guy has to say. He also has a quixotic account on academia dot edu, a for-profit site which obtained its dot edu domain before this address was restricted to educational institutions. I can’t say I’m in a hurry to read his piece about whether Jesus was born of a virgin. (h/t to the author of the aforementioned b­_auspol blog, who hasn’t had time to do reviews this election but confirmed my bad vibes here)

[m-ultraarticles]

Eels upset Rabbitohs 36-16 to snap losing NRL run, Dragons snatch 24-22 victory over Roosters

Parramatta has pulled off a stunning upset, snapping South Sydney’s six-match winning streak with a 36-16 triumph over the Rabbitohs in Indigenous Round. Earlier on Friday night, St George Illawarra – playing only three days after head coach Anthony Griffin was sacked – scored a converted try inside the final 20 seconds to defeat the Sydney Roosters 24-22. Desperately needing a win to breathe…

[malleedesign]

New Post has been published on http://malleedesign.com.au/portfolio-jamberoo-consults/

Portfolio: Jamberoo Consults

I have been visiting this rural property on and off for the last 3 years, each time providing the client with onsite sketch designs for different areas of the expansive garden.

Working on this garden has been an absolute pleasure and I look forward to each new stage. The client has a knack for collecting useful creative people whom have all worked on making my scribbles a reality, it is a wonderful way to work if you have the right people around you.

When I first arrived and met the client my initial reaction was ‘you need a landscape masterplan’! However, after much chatting we decided to instead go with multiple site visit and consults and this has worked wonderfully. We tackled the area around the house first, getting rid of slippery muddy grass slopes and putting in steppers and proper pathways.

The stone and decomposed crushed granite steps lead around the side of the house to the outdoor pizza oven and dinning and then up to the workshed area.

The steep bank has been planted with Lomandra, Hardenbergia, Rhagodia, Phormium, Dianella and Themeda.

In the image above you can see the main residence below viewed from the outdoor work shed area.

The next area we worked on was the erosion control down the driveway from the top of the property. Plastic turf pavers were laid to hold the driveway gravel and stop run off.

This is an extension of the driveway to reach the new studio being completed at the top of the block. Corten steel has been used to retain garden beds and mulch and also to help direct overland water flow.

A recycled sleeper crossover marks the beginning of a swale which directs water away from the main driveway.

This diverts the water to the sloped paddock on the other side where it flows into an existing creek line.

The banks of the swale were planted with native reeds and grasses which are beginning to fill out and create a beautiful soft embankment.

I love the mixture of Poa labillardieri, Dichelachne crinita, Juncus usitatus, Ficinia nodosa and Anigozanthos sp. they have grown very quickly from tube stock planted 12 months ago.

The last consult some 6 months ago was to do a sketch design for the studio entrance garden bed. This has a beautiful new drystone retaining wall and will quickly fill out with native ground covers and shrubs.

Opposite the studio is the chook pen which is somewhat off a palace under the gum trees 😉

The photo below is from the top of the property, to the left is the chook pen and top the right is the studio.

The lawn pavers are doing a fabulous job of resigning soil and providing a stable surface for cars, machinery and foot traffic.

An extra large fire pit area is being built at the front of the house, in the image above you can see the cortex steps in place ready for the grand opening of another outdoor hangout space.

The fire pit will be surrounded by some very special seating made from concrete and steel designed and made onsite by theplutoprogram You can see them in the distance on the grassy field in the image above, I love Harleys work and will definitely be incorporating it into my own garden at some stage.

[ricstappen]

This is amazing! 

“This weekend, the charity that provides science books and early reading material to remote Australian Indigenous communities will have its logo beamed around the world.”

“This F1 season, one of McLaren's sponsors is donating its space on the car to worthy not-for-profit organisations. Ricciardo said the advertising space was being used "to tell the world about work that matters". The logo was originally only going to feature on the side of the car, but McLaren decided to add it to the halo as well — the safety ring around the driver's head which also displays sponsorship.

It's something that has never happened before — companies pay millions of dollars to have their brand on an F1 car and the fact this charity that is grass roots and born and bred in the Illawarra is going to be on a car is unbelievable."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-05/mclaren-to-feature-deadly-science-logo-on-f1-cars/100964280

[spicezen]

AUSTRALIAN NATIVE FRUITS AND HOW TO USE NATIVE FRUIT POWDERS

Australia has a unique biodiversity with its native flora and fauna. Indigenous Australians have foraged this native flora and fauna for nourishment and sustenance for thousands of years. Australian native food is also colloquially known as 'Bush tucker'. It includes kangaroo, emu, crocodile, witchetty grubs, native fruits like Davidson plum, finger lime, quandong or spices like aniseed myrtle, lemon myrtle or native lemongrass. The availability of native bushfood has declined due to several factors since the colonisation of Australia including introduction of non-indigenous food and destruction of indigenous land for western cultivation.

The food industry, across the globe, is craving for new flavours, exciting tastes, local and regional cuisines. Australian natives have seen a revival not only in the food industry but also in the landscaping, health and cosmetic industry. Australian natives are a hero ingredient in Michelin star kitchens and popular TV shows like MasterChef.

Australian native food is adding a distinct ‘Australian flavour’ to regional and international cuisines. The popular Australian native fruits include Davidson Plum, Kakadu Plum, Illawarra Plum, Finger Lime, Sunrise Lime, Lemon Aspen, Outback Lime, Muntries and Quandong. These nutrient-dense fruits from the Australian backyard are now considered ‘superfoods’. Let’s take a look at some of these Australian native fruits and how to use their fruit powders in our daily lives.

DAVIDSON PLUM

Davidson Plums are native to tropical rainforests in northeast Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW). They are dark blue/purple in appearance and have a reddish-pink soft juicy pulp. Davidson Plum has an earthy aroma of rosella and stewed rhubarb with floral, earthy and musk notes. It is slightly astringent and intensely tart in flavour.

Davidson Plum is one of the most nutritionally powerful native fruits and has a high level of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. It contains vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, folate, zinc, magnesium and calcium. It has properties that may support eye health, diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, obesity, autoimmune and cardiovascular health.

Davidson Plum fruit powder is available at Spice Zen’s online store. It is freeze-dried to maintain its flavour and nutrients. This fruit powder gives a beautiful rich red colour to the dishes. Because of its strong acidic taste, the Davidson Plum is rarely eaten as fresh fruit. Instead, you can use it to flavour acai bowls, muesli, cocktails, juices, protein shakes, smoothies, sorbets, salads and yoghurts. You can also add it while baking and in chocolates, desserts, ice-creams, jams, sauces and relishes.

It is excellent as a meat glaze for duck, kangaroo, pork, and curing fish. It can help balance flavours in sweet dishes or desserts. You can enjoy it in a refreshing cup of either hot or cold tea.

KAKADU PLUM

The Kakadu Plum is known by many names such as Gubinge, Bush Plum, Billygoat Plum, Murunga and Kabiny Plum. It grows in the subtropical region of Kimberley (Western Australia), Northern Territory and Queensland. It is considered a 'gift of the Dreamtime', and Indigenous Australians have revered this bush tucker for many years because of its culinary, nutritional, preservative, and medicinal properties. It has a yellow/ green fruit with an oval shape and when ripe, quenches thirst with a boost of energy!

It is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial, enhancing immunity and anticarcinogenic properties. It is a rich source of vitamins, folates and minerals. It also has a high potassium to sodium ratio, which can help reduce hypertension.

It boasts of having the highest Vitamin C levels of any fruit globally, with 100 times more Vitamin C than oranges, 5 times more antioxidants than blueberry, and the same amount of folate as in broccoli.

Spice Zen’s Kakadu Plum powder is made from wild-harvested plums of the Kimberley region of Australia that are freeze-dried to retain the flavour and nutrients. It has an aroma of stewed apple and pears with floral-musky notes. It is slightly astringent and tart in taste with a strong stewed fruit flavour intensity.

You can add Kakadu Plum powder to juices, smoothies, acai bowls, muesli, shakes, and sorbets. Sprinkle it over your salads, puddings or just add it to your water bottles. You can also use it in jams, sauces, relishes, preserves, baking, desserts, and ice creams. To add an exotic touch, you can sprinkle it over seafood and chicken. Add Kakadu Plum powder to your homemade face masks and cosmetics.

FINGER LIME

Finger limes grow in the lowland subtropical rainforests in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales. This native lime looks like a regular lime rolled into a sausage shape and as the name suggests, is barely the size of a little finger. Yet this unusual citrus (whose skin colour ranges from emerald green, to purple, crimson and black) is a nutritional giant! Unlike regular limes, the inside of a Finger Lime is packed with tiny translucent caviar-like pearls, and when popped, each one releases a delicious splash of tangy flavour. This has earned the fruit the nickname "citrus caviar or native caviar".

Finger lime has an aroma of fresh, citrus, slightly minty with fermented notes. It is refreshing, citrusy, sweet, tart with some astringency and bitterness.

Indigenous Australians have used Finger Lime for thousands of years for its nutritious and medicinal properties and for warding off diseases. It was applied topically as an antiseptic on sores. Finger limes are rich in Vitamin E, Vitamin C, potassium and folate.

Spice Zen’s Finger Lime powder is freeze-dried to preserve the flavour and nutritional value. With its lightly bittersweet taste, Finger Lime can be used instead of regular lemons or limes in practically any recipe. It is a natural flavouring for sweet and sour dishes. It is ideal for dressings, sauces, jams and marmalades. Use it in ice cream, sorbet, cookies, cakes and fruit bread. Sprinkle it on salads, fruits and mild cheeses. It pairs very well with Dukkah.

You can add it to seafood dishes like grilled fish, prawns and oysters or scallops with vinaigrette. It also works especially well in mocktails, cocktails, gin, vodka, mojitos, margaritas, martinis and other beverages. So, sit back and enjoy your favourite delicacies with a tangy twist.

SUNRISE LIME

Sunrise Lime is a cross of Finger Lime with Kumquat and Mandarin. This fruit is harvested during the winter months. The Sunrise lime fruit is small, pear-shaped with golden orange colour. This fruit can be eaten fresh (including the skin), or in the form of fruit powder. It is sweet, sour with a hint of bitterness. The juice is tangy and fresh with delicate floral notes of kumquat.

Sunrise Limes contain high levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin E. They are also rich sources of potassium and folate. It helps increase immunity, boosts eye health and vision, leads to healthy teeth and gums, and lowers blood pressure.

Spice Zen’s Sunrise Lime powder is a freeze-dried fruit that has been ground to retain all the nutrients and flavour. It has similar uses to Finger Lime. It is great in fruit dishes, beverages, and preserves. You can also use it in your baked goodies like cookies, biscuits or fruit cakes. Or just add to your spice rubs for a sweet, citrusy tang to your dishes.

LEMON ASPEN

Lemon Aspen, also known as Pigeon Berry, is found in tropical and tableland forests of northern Queensland to north-eastern New South Wales. This pale lemon coloured fruit has a rigid star-shaped core and a thin spongy flesh. Lemon Aspen fruit has citrus, tart, strong lemon taste with a hint of grapefruit. It has a tropical citrus aroma with notes of spice and eucalyptus. It is best enjoyed when slightly raw.

Lemon Aspen is a rich source of folate, iron and zinc. It contains magnesium, calcium, and has a superior antioxidant capacity than blueberries.

This fruit powder can be used as a fruit flavouring in sweet and savoury dishes or to replace any other lime. As it is very strong, just use it in small amounts. It is great with seafood and poultry.

Spice Zen Lemon Aspen powder is a freeze-dried fruit to retain all the nutrients and flavour. It can be used in syrups, sauces, dressings, relishes, chutneys and jellies. Like other native fruit powders, add it to juices, smoothies, cocktails, liqueurs, cordial or fruit wines. It can also be added with other spices for a tangy flavour.

OUTBACK DESERT LIME

Outback Lime, also known as Desert Lime is true native lime and belongs to the Citrus Glauca family. It grows in semi-arid areas of southwest Queensland, western New South Wales and South Australia. They are like small green grapes and the tree does not have any thorns. The Outback Lime has an intense rich lime flavour with an aroma of stewed fruit and freshly cut grass.

Outback Lime is a powerful source of antioxidants, Vitamin C and folate. It is a rich source of calcium, folate, Vitamin E and lutein. It also has a high potassium to sodium ratio, which may help to reduce blood pressure. Outback Lime can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes just like other native limes but it certainly packs a punch.

Spice Zen Desert Lime powder is a freeze-dried fruit to retain all the nutrients and flavour. It has a pleasant, sharp, slightly sweet citrus taste. Use it to flavour sauces, butter, jellies, jams, dressings, mayonnaise, aioli. Perfect in cordial, syrups, liqueurs and beverages. Add a zing or balance the flavours in your cakes, cookies, yoghurt, chocolate, ice cream and sorbets. Drizzle desert lime burnt butter over oyster or your seafood.

Now that you know all about the Australian native fruits, which of these are you going to try?

Do check out our herbs and spices collection and our Australian Natives collection. All Spice Zen products are gluten-free. They do not contain any added preservatives or flavourings.

[thegrandimago]

Not since 1923 have scientists gazed upon the Australian cloaked bee. That is, until recently when scientists located a few populations in the wild. But its rediscovery comes as a mixed blessing owing to its potentially threatened status.

Six. That’s it—just six.

Only six individuals of this species, Pharohylaeus lactiferus, have ever been seen until recently, and none since 1923, when one of these handsome fellows was spotted in Queensland, Australia. These rare bugs are commonly referred to as cloaked bees on account of their cloak-like abdominal segments.

Scientists, fearful that the species had gone the way of the dodo, launched a last-gasp investigation to find out. The good news is that some specimens were actually spotted, but the bad news is that they’re likely in really big trouble on account of extensive habitat loss. Entomologist James Dorey, a PhD student at Flinders University, is the lone author of a new paper describing the re-discovery of this species, which now appears in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.

“It’s not often you get to cast your eyes on a creature feared to be long-gone,” wrote Dorey in a commentary published at the Conversation. “I found the cloaked bee P. lactiferus during a major east coast sampling effort of more than 225 unique sites. The discovery, and what I learnt from it, helped me find more specimens at two additional sites.”

In total, Dorey managed to find three populations of cloaked bees in New South Wales and Queensland, and he found them by sampling their favorite plant species.

“I only found P. lactiferus on two types of plant: the firewheel tree and the Illawarra flame—both of which boast exuberant red flowers,” he wrote.

All cloaked bees spotted by Dorey were found within 660 feet (201 meters) of these plants, which are only found in tropical or subtropical rainforests. The bees paid attention to these plants at the “exclusion of other available floral resources,” indicating possible floral and habitat specialization, according to the paper.

These results are concerning as it suggests the bees are suffering from population isolation; Dorey attributes the rarity of these bees to a highly fragmented habitat and the bees’ preference for these two plants. The habitat specialization of the cloaked bee suggests it has an “above-average level of vulnerability to disturbances, particularly if it needs a strict set of requirements to make it through its entire life-cycle,” wrote Dorey at the Conversation.

That habitat loss is a major factor here is hardly surprising. Australia has lost 40% of its forest and woodland areas since the onset of European colonization. And as the new research points out, the bees are particularly vulnerable to bushfires. That’s upsetting news given how vulnerable Australia is to bushfires, as witnessed by the devastating fires of 2019-20 that, among other things, wiped out or impacted an estimated 3 billion animals and destroyed sites sacred to Indigenous groups that also filled important ecological functions. Bushfire risk is also rising as the climate heats up, making catastrophic fire conditions more likely.

Australia hosts 1,654 named species of native bee. The potential loss of the cloaked bee is significant, however, in that it’s the lone representative of an entire genus: Pharohylaeus.

Now, it’s possible that more cloaked bees are buzzing around Australia, including in places scientists aren’t looking, such as the rainforest canopy. But that’s a potential problem, said Dorsey, as rainforests are “notoriously hard to sample.”

“P. lactiferus persists, which is wonderful,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, we can’t yet say whether or not it is threatened.”

What’s required, he says, is a “robust, extensive and targeted survey regime.” Only then will we know the true status of these rare and beautiful insects.

[ashleyfrostart]

Exhibition Video: Ashley Frost - Escarpment from theme media on Vimeo.

ASHLEY FROST’s works often capture the sublime transition of early morning or evening dusk light. Fluid in form and composition, His paintings engage otherworldly evocations of light through a vivid and viscous palette. Known for capturing city and streetscapes as well as coastal scenes, Frost takes to new body of work and his viewers on a bush walk up to the escarpment forests. Located in the Illawarra and accessed by the Wodi Wodi Track – named for the original custodians of the land of this area – the Illawarra Escarpment or official the Illawarra Range and its fold-created cliffs and plateau-eroded outcrop mountain range west of the Illawarra coastal plain south of Sydney. It contains the most extensive area of rainforest in the Sydney basin. In his Escarpment series ASHLEY FROST strives to express through his paintings a coherence of the natural form of the escarpment. FROST’s key focus is to be on creating a sensation of the light of the area; one that is both felt and visually observed. A distinctive feature of the Illawarra escarpment forest is its proximity to the ocean – in some cases like Stanwell Park only a few hundred metres – creating a dramatic convergence of mountain and sea. On any still day the early morning light is reflected off the south coast ocean like a mirror, throwing light into the forest from all directions. This dazzling light has the effect of radiating light and colour from all objects in all directions, shortening shadows and eliminating silhouettes. ASHLEY FROST’s practice of painting en plein air at often drastically different times and moments throughout the day allows him to capture this enchanting divergence. FROST revels in a diverse mixture of eucalyptus on the escarpment. However, he takes particular interest in its upper points where the angophoras dominate on high. From the deep orange reds of its distinctive bark FROST is compelled to play with the colour and temperature of his paintings. This coupled with the relentless twisting and turning limbs of the Angophora sees a natural linear abstraction emerging within ASHLEY FROST’s work. The sensory peace and meditative state of this environment allowed for the artists work en plein air to brings forth and provide a bridge to a deeper experience of place; one that considers the Indigenous histories and the environmental balances of what is a dramatic backdrop to the artist’s local town of Thirroul that spans 200 million years of geological history. ASHLEY FROST has had many solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. He has been in many prestigious art prizes, including, the Mosman, the Paddington Art Prize, the NSW Parliament Plein Air Art Prize, the Archibald Prize in 2017 and currently as a finalist in both the Wynne and Sulman Art Prizes 2021.

[aatgeog2260]

Something There Is...

“Nothing escapes your keen eyes / and your pen records it” (Nicholson 40-41)

Chapter three of the textbook includes the poem Something There Is… by Barbara Nicholson. I was really interested in this poem when we read chapter three but did not have enough time to further analyze it. I am happy to have the opportunity now to look into it deeper and reflect on it. 

Aunty Barbara Nicholson

Aunty Barbara Nicholson is an Elder of the Wadi Wadi people of the Illawarra region. “She is a poet, activist, recipient of numerous awards in Aboriginal Education, a published academic, university lecturer and has taught course work to inmate students at Goulburn Gaol and Junee Correctional Centre” (Aunty 2020).

Invasion of Space

The following is an important line in her poem regarding conducting research:

“You go to a university / and get a bit of paper / that says you are qualified. / Does it also say that you / have unlimited rights / to invade my space?” (2-7)

As a researcher, you can’t just head into the research process solely thinking about the research when you are dealing with people. It is especially crucial when working with Indigenous Peoples because they have been exploited throughout history and are still treated unfairly today. Building trust would be difficult but very essential. A diploma from a university, of course, does not give anyone the right to invade a person’s space. 

Ethics

This poem illustrates very vividly the subaltern critique (subaltern meaning people or groups who are marginalized, oppressed, exploited, etc) of colonial research and how research is something that can very easily objectify people and violate their privacy (Hay 2016). It solidifies the vitality of the processes of ethics and consent. 

I think something that is overlooked is the result after the research is done. What happens next? We consider the idea of dropping yourself in on someone’s life and home is disruptive, but what happens next can be just as disruptive. Western science has often misrepresented Indigenous peoples and groups (Hay 2016). The participants involved don’t have enough power to change what is published and released into the world.

Expanding on this, researchers sometimes tend to try and fix what they see is wrong. However, it’s typically only wrong from their point of view and they fail to consider the way of life that Indigenous Peoples live and the traditions they follow.

“They will take over your lounge-room / and lay down laws for you to live by / --all for your own good of course; / they will point out to you / the necessity of changing your way of life / the prescriptive patterns of social behaviour” (94-99)

The line “all for your own good of course” is really interesting. Of course, in this context it is sarcastic. It is not for their (the participants) own good, that’s just how the researchers see it and will phrase it to those people. A person should not have to rearrange their way of life because another person states that their way is “correct”. 

Hope for Future Research 

This poem was written in the year 2000 and I am sure in the last twenty years things have improved. Of course, all of this doesn’t mean that people are no longer being exploited. However, courses like this one provide hope that future researchers are learning the importance of ethical considerations, consent, challenges in cross-cultural research, and the trust between the researcher and participant.

References

Aunty Barbara Nicholson. Sydney Writers Festival. (2020). https://www.swf.org.au/writers/aunty-barbara-nicholson/#:~:text=She%20is%20a%20poet%2C%20activist,Doctorate%20of%20Laws%20(UOW).

Hay, I. (2016). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography. Fourth ed., Oxford.

Nicholson, Barbara. (2000). Something There Is....

[ournorthshore]

To provide shelter from the sun, a number of shade trees will be planted. These trees will be propagated in Northshore’s tree farm. Trees are a cost effective and environmentally sustainable choice. 
 The Tree Waratah (Top) would be suitable as they are native to Queensland, attract bird life, and thrive in full sun. They have warratah-like flowers which suits the aesthetic of north shore. The Queensland Brush Box (Bottom left) is another native species that would be an appropriate choice. This is because they are suitable for growing in full sun, are extremely resilient and have small white ornamental flowers.  Flame Tree (Bottom right) would also make a great choice because it grows quickly, as a native tree has a rich history of being used by Indigenous Australians, provides habitat for animals, and has beautiful bright red flowers.


https://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/flowering-plants-shrubs/jacarandas-trees/ https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lophostemon-confertus-queensland-brush-box.html https://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/alloxylon-flameum-tree-waratah/ https://inspiringnsw.org.au/2017/05/30/festival-of-flame-in-the-illawarra/

[w2qw]

Police review recommends 'no immediate action' against officers accuse..

Police review recommends 'no immediate action' against officers accuse.. Police review recommends "no immediate action" against officers accused of Tasmanian Aboriginal man"s alleged assault  ABC NewsAlleged police assault of Indigenous man  Illawarra MercuryView Full coverage on Google News.. . . . . . . . .

[jeremystrele]

16 Talented Artisans That Deserve Your Undivided Attention

16 Talented Artisans That Deserve Your Undivided Attention

TDF Design Awards

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

Lucy Tolan pieces. Photography – Shelley Horan. Art Direction and Styling – Both.

Alison Frith ceramics plinth. Photo – Tania Bahr-Vollrath.

Lucy Tolan, Seams

The objective of Seams by ceramicist Lucy Tolan was to investigate technique and form through the construction and deconstruction of the vessel. The body of work explores the textile qualities of clay and convergence of materials through accentuated joins – seams.

See our feature on Lucy’s practice here.

Alison Frith, Ceramic Plinth

Inspired by the need for function yet the desire for considered design, Alison Frith created the Ceramic Plinth. Made entirely by hand, each plinth is wheel thrown, with composite pieces formed and joined together.

Precise attention was paid to weight and form to ensure the final piece could serves as a functional side table or a standalone sculptural object.

Georgina Proud ceramics. Photo – Georgina Proud.

Eun Ceramics. Right photo – Isabella King. Left photo – Jess Brohier.

Georgina Proud, Flotsam//Jetsam

Flotsam//Jetsam is a collection of clay vessels featuring embedded materials to create unique and distinct surfaces. In making the collection, ceramic artist Georgina Proud experimented with materials found on beaches throughout Victoria such as pebbles and sea glass, and investigated how these react to the ceramic process.

Eun Ceramics, Curved

Eun Ceramics’ Curved collective is an observation on societal norms. Irregular curves meeting the narrow neck opening, representing our individuality being suppressed or shaped to fit a status quo.

The unique style of ceramicist Jess Choi means each angle carries a different form and texture, creating new perspectives in the unusual clay bodies.

See our feature on Jess’ practice here.

Oh Hey Grace ceramics. Photo – Jess Brohier.

Oh Hey Grace, A Place To Call Home

A Place to Call Home is a collection of sculptures made from mid-fire glazed ceramics using a combination of sculpting, hand-building and wheel throwing by ceramicist Grace Brown. Sculpted utopian cityscapes and dwellings were developed in response to the often dystopian reality outside, particularly during 2020-21.

See our feature on Oh Hey Grace here.

Hamish Munro rings. Photo – Peter Ryle.

Left: Bioregional Rings by Kyoko Hahimoto. Photo – Kyoko Hashimoto. Right: Bioplastic Vessels by Jessie French. Photo – Pier Carthew. Art Director – Thalia Economo.

Hamish Munro, The Joan Series

The Joan Series by jeweller Hamish Munro consists of interchangeable, genderless rings designed around the precise geometry and angled position of individual stones. Pieces explore the removal of surface area within the ring, instead ‘subtracting’ from the classic form of a band and creating a dynamism between stones.

This collection represents a deviation and expansion on Hamish’s previous jewellery pieces as he broadens his experience with technique, process and familiarity with stone.

See our feature on Hamish’s practice here.

Kyoko Hashimoto, Bioregional Rings

This series of rings by Kyoko Hashimoto presents materials that can be found and processed locally in Sydney Basin bioregion. Raw materials include Hawkesbury sandstone conglomerated in the earth 250 million years ago, and coal from the Illawarra Coal Measures that formed in geological strata several kilometres deep below the sandstone.

The body of work intends to define a region by its environment and earthly yield rather than the borders imposed by humankind.

Other Matter, Algae Bioplastic Vessels

Tempering aesthetic beauty with future thinking, Other Matter has generated a collection of bioplastic tableware made using algae polymers and pigments. These aesthetically striking pieces reminiscent of glass are recyclable, biodegradable, and can be composted in a home system.

Other Matter is the studio founded by artist Jessie French. Her solo practice explores speculative futures and material boundaries through work with algae-based bioplastics. Her research into seaweed supply chains has taken her from artist residencies in Morocco to group shows in New York City.

See our feature on Jessie’s practice here.

Left: Liam Fleming glass. Photo – Josephine Briginshaw. Right: Jenna M Lee works. Photo – Henry Trumble.

Liam Fleming, Post-Production

Glassworker Liam Fleming’s practice combines mould-blowing and cold lamination. In Post-Production, he subjects objects to a rough surface treatment, fusing them at high temperatures in a kiln, then joining them in a manner at odds with the precision of cold lamination. The glass slumps and warps, collapsing under its weight and expanding with pressure.

The body of work was created as part of ‘Preliminary Strcutures’, a group show of seven designers curated for Melbourne Design Week 2021. The makers represented contemporary glass and ceramic work, displaying non-traditional and interpretive structures for their media.

Jenna M Lee, Body Language

Jenna M Lee is an artist and graphic designer living in Melbourne, whose highly symbolic work seeks to reclaim agency over the historic representation of Aboriginal people in Australia.

Using pages from the colonial text ‘Aboriginal Words and Place Names’, the artist created three dilly bags embellished with red silk thread and glass beads. The paper-based pieces in the Body Language series explore the relationships between cultural objects and adornments as an extension of the body; the body itself as an extension of Country and language; and Country, language and body as elemental factors of connection and healing.

Left: Sarah Rayner + Sophie Carnell works. Photo – Greg Piper. Right: Jan Vogelpoel ceramics. Photo – Jan Vogelpoel.

Sarah Rayner + Sophie Carnell, Florilegium

Porcelain artist Sarah Rayner and silversmith Sophie Carnell collaborated to create 42 small handcrafted sculptural works inspired by the complexity and richness of native flora. The duo’s chosen materials of porcelain and silver have been morphed from inert matter into 3D works.

Initially driven by a passion for the natural environment and the process of collection, the pieces en masse represent the poetry of flowers. The series is tactile, sensual and compelling.

Jan Vogelpoel Ceramics, Future Curve, Space Cadet and Curve

These three ceramic pieces are inspired by the curves of the Glebe House designed by Chenchow Little, and the Taal monument designed by Jan van Wijk. Restrained forms allow the form, curves and clay to work their magic without overworking or overthinking the design or the process.

Jan Vogelpoel‘s forms are undulating, organic and honest.

See our feature on Jan’s practice here.

Left: Photo – Polly Wright. Right: Photo – Ferro Forma Studio.

Erin.k jewellery + Koorie Tales, Source of Life + Essence at Dusk

Jewellery label erin.k jewellery created two collections featuring artist Holly McLennan-Brown of Koorie Tales’ artwork. Pieces convey elements of Holly’s Yorta Yorta culture, with the intent of making Indigenous art more accessible.

5% of sales from pieces in the collection are donated to Koorie Heritage Trust.

Alison Jackson & Dan Lorrimer, Flow Form Vases

Flow Form Vases by Alison Jackson and Dan Lorrimer (now Ferro Forma studio) blend small-scale metalsmithing production techniques with one-of-a-kind artwork processes to create a series of unique tableware objects. Complex hydraulic pressing tools allow the initial tubular form (in either brass or stainless steel) to be pressed repeatedly along its length, each time changing the surface.

Once formed, a multi-step finishing sequence layers the surface of each piece with a unique patina.

Left: Artist Alycia Marrday with her work. Photo – Marrawuddi Arts & Culture. Right: Erraarnta (red-tailed black cockatoo) by Rona Rubuntja of the Hermannsburg Potters. Photo – Hermannsburg Potters.

Alycia Marrday of Marrawuddi Arts & Culture, Baladjdji (Backpack)

Artist Alycia Marrday independently created this woven backpack with the support of community arts centre Marrawuddi Arts & Culture. Combining both ancient and traditional methods, the large and bright piece is an example of phenomenal weaving mastery. All materials are natural including Kunngobarn (pandanus) and Kala (natural dye) collected on Country.

Alycia says: ‘Maybe my kids give me idea, Anita. My kids really love the backpacks weavings. I look at the backpacks my kids have and try weave same pockets. I just used it from my own mind, I get the kala (colour) from my partner’s homeland.’

Rona Rubuntja of Hermannsburg Potters, Selected Works

Rona Rubuntja of the Hermannsburg Potters’ joyous style is distinctive, humorous and imaginative. Rona is a deaf and non-verbal person, and uses the medium of pottery to tell stories of her life. Each of these works emanate joy while depicting contemporary life in Ntaria (Hermannsburg community) and speaking to Western Aranda values.

The Hermannsburg Potters are an artist collective established in 1992 and has grown to nearly 20 artists. The artists paint stories of the surrounding Country, community, animals and memories of family onto the surface of their hand-built terracotta pots, topping each piece with a figurative sculpture. The works are vibrant, cheeky, purposeful and original, displaying a deep knowledge of Country, and a playful, vivid view of contemporary desert life.

See our feature on the Hermannsburg Potters here.

[malleedesign]

New Post has been published on http://malleedesign.com.au/the-iconic-illawarra-flame-tree-brachychiton-acerifolius/

The Iconic Illawarra Flame Tree: Brachychiton acerifolius

Wow it has been a dry, windy, horrible winter here on the east coast of NSW, in the last week the rain has finally reached us. However it seems to me that this is exactly the sort of weather the flame trees enjoy…so many of them are in full early bloom and what a show they put on when they decide to flower 😉

It was a 1970’s ‘theme’ to plant them with Grevillea robusta and the Jacaranda, so they could all flower together red, yellow and purple….very 70’s

I like them alone as a feature tree, where you really see their beautiful form, and when they drop their flowers they sit in a pool of scarlet.

Brachychton acerifolius is considered to be a medium sized feature tree growing to approximately 10 metres high, they can be a little slow growing and can take unto 7 years to flower. There grafted Grafted forms out now that should provide more reliable and quicker flowering periods, check out ‘Jerilderrie Red’, ‘Bella Donna’ and ‘Bella Pink’, they will also grow into a more compact or smaller tree. Now you don’t need a park style garden to do them justice 🙂

[hooptrition]

Patty Mills brings it back home

“Who would've thought?” The text message on her phone finished with four words that sent Rebecca Kelley wandering off down a memory trail that dated back to the year 2000.

As assistant coach for the Canberra Under 14 boys team in that year, she had been part of the team's season that culminated with a trip to Townsville in far north Queensland for the Australian Club Championships. And it was her mum Di, having been that team's manager, who was now texting the question that had to be asked, as the baby of that long forgotten team, Patty Mills, prepared to return home with the NBA Championship trophy.

In all the wonderful hoopla that accompanied Patty's return to Canberra, including the awarding of the Keys to the City, the story behind the story and the lessons it may hold still lies in wait, to hopefully be applied to and appreciated by following generations of youngsters and their parents.

Kelley, now a deputy director in Canberra's governmental machine and a mum to her own growing family, remembers a tiny youngster who was already moving to a different beat.

“He was the first kid I'd ever seen wearing headphones as he wandered around and naturally I had to ask him just what he was listening to. He gave me a listen and I have to say that the rap I heard from Eminem really wasn't my thing and in fact wasn't really something that most kids in Canberra were even aware existed at that time,” she explained.

Despite being the youngest and smallest and not having much of playing role at that national tournament, Patty was the central team motivator and energy creator for the group, revealing for the first time possibly the origins of his world famous towel waving antics years later in San Antonio for the Spurs.

“On the team bus he'd be standing up, singing and carrying on and more often than not would have the whole team standing up rapping and dancing along. Here was the baby of the team who wasn't playing much and yet he had a unique rapport with all the kids, on the bench he was constantly animated and vocal and at training he was going the whole time.

“You wouldn't have thought back then he was a kid going places. He was good but he wasn't outstanding, but who knew what was ahead?”

Kelley's last honest reflection is part of a larger question that has produced an incalculable amount of literature and theorising about just what is talent, whether it's mostly down to nature or nurture and what exactly are the things we should be looking for that might indicate a tiny 11 year-old might one day scale the basketball world?

By the next year Patty had started to blossom on the court and at an Under 14 tournament hosted by key regional rivals the Illawarra Hawks, he began a rivalry with Hawks star forward Daniel Jackson that would track all the way to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and Australian Junior teams.

Brad Luhrs who has a been a seemingly constant figure over the past fifteen years in Canberra junior basketball was Patty's coach at that event for the first time.

“You could tell he was a clear standout at that level then,” Luhrs said, “as was Jackson for Illawarra, though he was way taller and bigger.”

“Patty was quick and he had great ball handling skills but if you'd asked me then, I would have thought the other kids would eventually catch up or that he'd slow down.”

Within a couple of years Patty was the point guard general for Canberra's Under 16 State team and had begun to draw the interest of national talent identification coaches who were part of the now disbanded Intensive Training Centre (ITC) across the country.

Naturally Patty had also attracted the attention of other sports, and as well as setting and still holding almost every junior record at Woden Little Athletics club, he dabbled in Australian Rules football alongside his basketball.

Jason Denley was Patty's coach for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) team that contested the Under 16 National Championships in 2003, Patty still being 14 at the time due to his very unGladwellian August birthdate.

“He was small, incredibly fast and utterly fearless and for a kid with such athletic talent and I was most surprised by his lack of ego,” Denley said. “He never complained to referees and somehow he seemed to be someone that his teammates and opponents both admired for the endless energy and passion he brought to every play.”

ESPN's Sports columnist Bill Simmons has long held a view that every successful franchise needs a team “Chemist” to keep everyone happy and connected and along those exact lines Patty was continuing to expand his role as the supreme on and off court motivator.

“There was a group in our large boys and girls ITC training sessions that Patty used to be one of the leaders of, and in the warm up stretching they would launch into singing that they had obviously choreographed some time before,” Luhrs remembered.

“Amazingly James Taylor's 'How sweet it is to be loved by you' is the one that sticks in my head and to hear 14 and 15 year old boys harmonising and chiming in at coordinated spots at the top of their voices might have been something other coaches wouldn't have tolerated. Somehow though that sort of comfortability as a group and self-confidence was their calling card and at the end of the day how can you not want that?”

An invitation to his first Australian Junior Camp followed soon after 2003's Under 16 Nationals and as that camp stretched across an age range from 14 to 17 Patty was once more the smallest and youngest fish in a pond that was becoming increasingly concentrated.

At the camp Patty was one of the two standouts guard prospects along with Victoria's Scott Pendlebury, who would famously eventually choose Australian rules football over basketball thus clearing the way for Patty to start on scholarship at the AIS.

Brian Goorjian was at that time the new Australian Boomers Head Coach following on from the team's disastrous qualifying loss to New Zealand that had scuttled 2002's World Championship plans and he was front and centre at that camp to see what the next generation had in store for the program.

“Within the first half hour of Goorjian arriving on the floor there was one kid that he used exclusively to demonstrate every defensive and offensive drill,” Denley recalled.

“Paaaatty get out here, delivered in a rolling Californian twang, was pretty much the chorus for the camp and despite being so young, Patty was clearly already some sort of leader by the dint of his sheer energy and joy for each task and endless clapping and hollering for anyone and anything he or the group came across.”

Interestingly, at the same time Goorjian was possibly signalling that even at that early stage Patty was going to be part of his national team plans (Patty would eventually find his way to the Beijing in 2008), an entirely different version of Aron Baynes to that which played a part in this year's Spurs triumph alongside Patty was lumbering through drills at the camp.

Shortly after that camp Patty moved in to the AIS on a full time basis but still maintained his role as the spiritual leader of the ACT junior teams he continued to play for at Junior National championships.

“My overriding memory is of his infectious energy, the talk and support that just never waned,” Luhrs recalled from his later time as ACT Under 18s Head Coach. “And this was with him as the star of the team and it was obvious that this wasn't just something he discovered when he was sitting on the bench. It was part of him.”

At the AIS Patty bought all his familiar calling cards into play as then Men's Assistant Coach Paul Gorris confirmed.

“You'd watch him play and he was super quick and talented but when you think back then about the idea of the NBA you never could have imagined it,” he said.

“I was lucky enough to also be coaching the ACT Under 20 team back then and the thing that sticks with me is just how humble he was around the group. He was our big ticket item, with everything run around him and all his team-mates knew that, yet he was always mindful of involving them. He was playing with his mates he'd been with since they were 11 or 12 and they were quite happy to defer to him as needed, but somehow he was able to keep things so that it was never about him.”

The all singing and dancing Patty was still very much in evidence in those team and Gorris' favourite memory of those teams inevitably gravitates back to the off-court feel of the group Patty inspired.

“Back the there was an unwritten rule that I'd drive the 12-seater van to the stadium for each game and everyone would sing along to whatever sort of weird music the team had selected to prepare with. Naturally it was Patty and his cousin, Luke Currie-Richardson, (now not surprisingly a dancer with the world famous Bangarra Indigenous company) who would be leading the chorus up the front of the van. Coming into Ballarat stadium with the whole bus rocking along in full voice is something I never grow tired of remembering.”

For an outsider looking in, the overriding question would have be to just how did this diminutive energiser bunny with super quicks, a solid skill package, a streaky shooting stroke (the recent improvement in which is story all of its own a certain Mr Engelland may be able to explain more fully) and seemingly unquenchable faith in the power of positive encouragement make it in arguably the world's single most challenging athletic league?

Rebecca Kelley recalled running into Patty on occasions around the AIS years after her involvement with the Under 14s.

“He was always one of those people you have touch points with and although my involvement with his basketball career was like a grain of sand on the beach, he's always remembered me and is always quick with the 'G'day Rebecca!' and a chat. I guess it's part of his personality, he's a nice guy and he's not just going to be a great athlete, he's going to be a leader in his own way like the Cathy Freeman of this generation.”

Gorris has been in regular touch with Patty since he first left for St Mary's College in 2007 and commented how much he hasn't changed despite the time away and the constant spotlight.

“He's matured and grown up a little bit from worldly experience but deep down it's still, the same Pat, still very much about the family, still very much about everyone else.” he said.

In the back end of 2011 during the NBA lockout Patty played nine games for the Melbourne Tigers before a forgettable stint in China and his rescue by the Spurs early in 2012. He was four or five in line on San Antonio's guard depth rotation then yet something about him and his approach to that situation or challenge separated him. To watch Greg Popovich's (San Antonio's Head Coach) grizzly visage turn sunny side up every time Patty and his side line support antics were mentioned in interviews during ensuing years is in itself truly amazing.

Is it possible that the natural talent of selflessness and never-ending positive energy is actually way more powerful and valuable than any analyst can put a finger on? Are the tendencies Patty displayed way back in 2000 as a 12 year-old in Townsville the sort of things talent identifiers should be more heavily factoring in?

Are team “Chemists” as Simmons like to call them, a species all to themselves that someone should be tracking or nurturing?

Fittingly Daniel Jackson, Patty's regional rival from those heady junior days has now migrated to Canberra as one of the centre-pieces of the city's semi-professional team, and trying to size up exactly how Patty has been able to do what he's done thus far, is maybe best left to him.

“I've known him since he was 12 and never heard anyone say anything but what a great guy he is...not that he's a nice enough guy or a good guy, but a great guy.” he offered, “and when that's the case there's no doubt it's easier to succeed as everyone in your team is in your corner and pulling for you to be good.”

[hummingzone]

LIVE: Indigenous stars shining in beloved round

LIVE: Indigenous stars shining in beloved round

Indigenous Wests Tigers duo Daine Laurie and James Roberts have shone in their beloved round to inspire their club to a 34-18 win over the St George Illawarra Dragons. Proud Bundjalung and Yaegl man Laurie again reminded the rugby world of his supreme talent, scoring a try, setting up another, making a line-break and registering 196 metres. Meanwhile, proud Bundjalung man Roberts marked his…