#Northern Australia Food

[entegrasignaturestructures]

Check Australian Farmgate Output Insights For Agriculture Production

Explore insights from NFF's Darwin forum and Australian Farmgate Output release a plan of $100M for agriculture production development in Australia. Check out the complete roadmap in our blog and visit our website to know the benefits of farm sheds.

[extemporaneousmusings]

5/2/25

Today I:

-woke up super early to med her up and then take Lulu to the behavioral specialist, finally. It was a really good conversation and we feel solid about what we all talked about and decided, the med changes we're going to make, and the help our trainer will give us as we start to level up again in terms of the goose's care. Also they validated us a lot and told us we're doing a good job which I already knew but obvs it's nice to have a specialist tell you that haha

-had a good 2nd round interview and was told I'll hopefully hear by Friday about next steps so I don't have to wait super long wahoo

-snuggled w/ Lulu while I started thinking about the memo I need to write for the policy fellowship I'm potentially interviewing for at the end of the month

-got an unofficial offer for something part time that I can do on top of a full time job or also up to 20 hrs/wk if I don't get the things I'm currently interviewing for and that makes me feel very relieved with the money I'm about to start shelling out for miss lulu's increased medication and fancy anti-allergenic new prescription diet

[wachinyeya]

Brush-tailed bettongs (also known as woylies) once inhabited more than 60% of mainland Australia. However, the European colonization of the country brought with it predatory feral cats and foxes, and the destruction of much of the animal’s native grassland and woodland habitats.

Between 1999 and 2010, the species’ population size declined by 90% – a drastic drop that some research suggests may have resulted from the spread of blood parasites, alongside other factors. Today, the brush-tailed bettong is limited to just a few islands and isolated mainland pockets in Southwestern Australia: a mere 1% of its former range.

Marna Banggara

“We are on a mission, if you like, to bring back some of these native species that have gone missing in our landscape since European colonization,” says Derek Sandow, project manager of Marna Banggara, an initiative dedicated to restoring some of the Yorke Peninsula’s historic ecological diversity.

Formerly known as the “Great Southern Ark,” the project, which was launched in 2019 by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, was renamed to honor the region’s native Narungga people, who are heavily involved with the initiative.

“Marna in our language means good, prosperous, healthy, and Banggara means country,” says Garry Goldsmith, a member of the Narungga community who works on the project.

The team initially erected a 25-kilometer predator-control fence across the narrow part of the Yorke Peninsula to create a 150,000-hectare safe haven for the first species to be brought back: the brush-tailed bettong, known as yalgiri to the Narungga people. “We’ve reduced fox and cat impacts to a level that’s low enough for these yalgiri to be reintroduced and for them to actually find refuges, find food, and to survive themselves,” says Sandow.

Between 2021 and 2023, the team introduced almost 200 brush-tailed bettongs to the protected area. Sourcing these individuals from various remaining populations across Western Australia helped to “increase the genetic pool,” says Goldsmith.

EcoSystem Engineers

Brush-tailed bettongs feed on bulbs, seeds and insects, but their primary food source is fungi growing underground; to find it, they must dig. “They’re nature’s little gardeners,” says Sandow, “a single yalgiri can turn over two to six tons of soil per year.”

That’s why they’re the first species being reintroduced to the region, he says. All this digging aerates the soil, improves water filtration and helps seedlings germinate – benefitting other animals that rely on the ecosystem.

[onenicebugperday]

Shiny spider beetle, Mezium affine, Ptinidae

Distributed widely in the Northern Hemisphere and has been introduced to Australia. Larvae are known to infest stored foods of all kinds.

Photo 1 by per-hoffmann-olsen, 2-5 by desislaviliev, and 6 (on finger for scale) by fran86

[mantismage]

Honeypot ants are fascinating, but feel like something that in concept, is terrifying. And would definitely be a plotline in a Mad Max movie.

These are specalised worker ants that deliberately consume huge amounts of food, to the point where their abdomens will swell to ridiculous sizes. The sclerites (the thickened keratin armour) on their abdomens will separate, revealing the honey inside of their abdominal membrane.

These ants will collect and store liquid which other ants in the colony will then consume, basically functioning as living larders. When they become big enough, they'll hang from the ceiling and can reach the size of a blueberry or a small grape:

They're mostly found in more arid areas of the world; in hot deserts, dry woodlands and other similar habitats (Australia, North Africa, some areas in the Americas etc.). Their existence is likely to allow for colonies to store food during extreme dry seasons, or during periods where food is scarce.

There's been some research indicating that honeypot ants contain unique antimicrobial properties within their honey, which has been used by indigenous people in Australia for centuries!

(Extra note: They also go by repletes or rotunds?? I love scientists.)

Resources and extra reading:

Conway, J. R. (1991). The biology and aboriginal use of the honeypot ant, “Camponotus inflatus” Lubbock, in Northern Territory, Australia. Australian Entomologist, 18(2), 49–56. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.108392124224680

Dong AZ, Cokcetin N, Carter DA, Fernandes KE. (2023). Unique antimicrobial activity in honey from the Australian honeypot ant (Camponotus inflatus) PeerJ, 11:e15645 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15645

National Geographic (2016). Honey Ant Adaptations. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20210120124043/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/honey-ant-adaptations-wbt/

[uncharismatic-fauna]

A Sweet Time with the Honeypot Ant

Camponotus inflatus, better known as the Australian honeypot ant or the black honey ant, or the yarumpa or wuukurta ant among Aboriginal Australians, is one of the most well-known members of the honeypot ant group. As their name implies, they are endemic to Australia. They can be found throughout the continent, but are most common in the arid desert and scrubland regions of central Australia.

Honeypot ants, including the Australian honeypot ant, are best known for their specialized worker ants known as repletes. Other castes of workers go out to forage for nectar and honeydew, and bring it back to the colony where it is fed to the repletes. The abdomens of these individuals swell as they are fed, so that they can hold several times their weight in food. In times of shortages, this food can then be regurgitated and fed to the workers and larvae. In addition to its workers, each colony can contain multiple queens; some colonies have been recorded harboring up to 6 queens, presiding over 1,000 workers.

Visually the replete and forager workers are quite similar to each other. Both have black bodies with gold striped abdomens. However workers remain rather small, at only 5-8 mm (0.19 - 0.31 in) in length, while repletes can grow up to 1.4 g (0.03 oz) in weight and about 15 mm (0.59 in) in length. When their abdomens become swollen with honey, they turn transparent to show the amber liquid inside.

Black honey ant nests are most commonly found near or under vegetation, particularly the Mulga bush from which workers harvest most of their food. In addition co collecting nectar from the flowers, workers also collect honeydew secreted by the sap-sucking insects that live in the leaves and roots of the bush. C. inflatus in turn is predated upon by lizards and birds. Many Aboriginal peoples, especially the Tjupan, Mutitjulu, Anangu, Arrernte, and other groups in northern Australia, have also traditionally harvested Australian honeypot ants as a delicacy.

Conservation status: C. inflatus has not been assessed by the IUCN. Its populations are widespread and so believed to be stable. While traditional Aboriginal harvesting has not posed a threat, increased commercial harvest for its pharmaceutical properties may put increased pressure on this species.

Photos

Steve Shattuck

Jean & Fred Hort

Wang & Pan et al.

[travelmanposts]

Brambuk National Park & Cultural Centre, Halls Gap, Australia: This award winning centre offers visitors extensive information on the local Aboriginal Culture, history, rock art sites, and the natural environment as well as servicing the needs of visitors to the Grampians National ParkBrowse the displays, take part in tours & activities, and view the Dreamtime creation story of the area. The on-site Gift Shop offers a range of quality products and the Bush Tucker Café serves delicious food and great coffee! Halls Gap is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on Grampians Road, adjacent to the Grampians National Park, in the Shire of Northern Grampians local government area. Wikipedia

[mindblowingscience]

Prehistoric kangaroos in southern Australia had a more general diet than previously assumed, giving rise to new ideas about their survival and resilience to climate change, and the final extinction of the megafauna, a new study has found. The new research, a collaboration between paleontologists from Flinders University and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), used advanced dental analysis techniques to study microscopic wear patterns on fossilized kangaroo teeth. The findings, published in Science, suggest that many species of kangaroos were generalists, able to adapt to diverse diets in response to environmental changes.

Continue Reading.

[dinoflwer]

this odd little goober^^ is called a tasselled wobbegong and is 1 of 12 species of carpet shark in the orectolobidae family (wobbegong being the common name). orectolobidae are found in shallow, temperate and tropical waters of the western pacific ocean and eastern indian ocean, mainly around australia and indonesia. however, one, the japanese wobbegong, strays from this pattern by going as far as japan!

the 12 types of wobbegong are: tasselled, floral banded, gulf/banded, western, japanese, indonesian, spotted, ornate, dwarf spotted, network, northern and the cobbler wobbegong.

the reason for their classification as "carpet sharks" is of course related to their resemblance of ornately patterned carpets but also because they all have 5 gill slits, two spineless dorsal fins and a small mouth that doesn't extend past the eyes, as most of the species have barbels- small whiskerlike organs near the mouth which house taste buds and search for food in murky waters.

the tasselled wobbegong's arguably most distinctive trait is its fringe of branching dermal flaps around the head, which dribble onto its chin. the fringe enables the tasselled wobbegong to camouflage itself against the reef environment. this is done by the complex colour pattern of small blotches and reticulations (a pattern of interlacing lines resembling a net). their colour can actually change colour slowly over the course of several days to blend in with it's environment.

also, they're a nocturnal species and are only active at night. they're solitary snd spends most of the day resting in caves, under ledges, with their tail curled up around them. think of a really odd, kind of distorted and funny looking cat! similar, right? individual tasselled wobbegongs will have what's referred to as a small "home range". these areas contain several preferred resting spots which are used repeatedly.

wobbegongs primary diet is bottom-dwelling fish (mainly the bony type) and invertebrates such as small octopi, crabs or lobsters. when it hunts, they perch on reef and lunge up to suck in its prey. it then clamps down with its large jaw and fang-like teeth, not letting go until it's successfully killed its prey. the tasselled wobbegong is very opportunistic as it tends to remain in its favoured resting spot and whilst it's lounging, it'll ambush its prey. however, the little carpet also has its predators! this includes sharks- like the blacktip reef, horn, nurse, sand tiger and sand shark-, larger fishes and marine mammals.

these guys tend to reside in shallow habitats (ranging from 5 to 50 metres, 160 feet) near coral reefs! they're found in the tropical waters of the indo pacific ocean off of indonesia, australia and new guinea.

the maximum size of this species has been found to be 1 metre (4 feet) and it's complete lifespan is actually unknown but estimated to be about 26 years, between the average shark lifespan. this species has a very broad and flattened body and head, hence the carpet nickname.

we don't actually know much about the biological structure of the tasselled wobbegong but it's assumed to be a viviparous species (give birth to live young) based off of the reproductive habits of similar and related species. the pups are kept inside the womb of the female wobbegong in the form of eggs until they hatch and the young get their nourishment from the egg yolk. in a litter, there's typically 20 or more pups at a time. all measuring to about 20cm long (8 inches). their size at sexual maturity, however, is uncertain. their mating has been reported to have been observed in a cave at night, but not much else is known. one male, adult, was found to be adult at 1 metre - the average tasselled wobbegong size.

compared to other wobbegongs, the tasselled wobbegong is notorious for its "unprovoked attacks" on humans. whilst the species has certainly proved that it's capable of inflicting severe wounds, divers have also been able to approach the species without incident. given the sharks camouflaged appearance and poor vision, it's recommended people avoid accidentally harassing the shark as it will mistake a foot or hand as prey.

this carpet shark doesn't actually have a great economic value. although it's peculiar skin may occasionally be used for leather, it's not fished in australian waters and faces minimal threats. however, elsewhere, it may very well be affected by excessive fishery activity and habitat degradation (loss) from pollution, blast fishing (an illegal method involving explosives to stun/kill schools of fish) and coral removal. regarding this, the ICUN has declared this species of shark as least concern. meaning that it's still plentiful in the wild and isn't considered threatened or,pre 2001, conservation dependant.

note: ive came to the realisation that the previous image shown was a monkfish, not a tasseled wobbegong. i apologise for the misinformation! ive changed/updated the image since! very sorry

[matan4il]

As I promised to update, I'm back from the hospital and I'm okay.

Food was starting to run out (only had enough left for about half a day), I really didn't want to go to the store when it's dangerous to be away from the bomb shelter, but had no choice. Got food, but there's no bottled water to be found anywhere, exactly when Israeli citizens were instructed last night to stock up our bomb shelters with enough dry food and bottled water for at least three days.

The number of confirmed dead is officially at 900 (still not final), the number of wounded is at over 2,600, the number of kidnapped is at least 150. The number of terrorists who breached Israel's border and massacred civilians on Saturday is estimated to be at least 1,500.

I mentioned Mor and her grandmother already, but I felt like hearing her telling their story is important enough to share this vid. Testimonies like this are coming out in incomprehensible numbers.

Since the beginning of this war on Israel on Saturday, five independent terrorist attacks were attempted and stopped. Thankfully, no one was reported to have been murdered, though there are casualties.

In Egypt, a soldier guarding tourists (likely inspired by Hamas' massacre) opened fire at a group from Israel. He murdered two Israelis and their Egyptian local tour guide. At least one more person was also wounded in this terror attack.

There have been rockets fired into Israel from the north by Hezbollah (while Hamas fires thousands of rockets from the south) and there was also a breach of Israel from the north by another terrorist organization named Islamist Jihad. During this, Israel's northern citizens were instructed to lock themselves inside their homes. All of the terrorists who infiltrated Israel from the north were killed, but so was an Israeli commander, Alim Abdallah. He was supposed to finish his army service this coming Sunday. May his memory be a blessing.

On a personal note, my former boss' son was killed (may his memory be a blessing. ז"ל), and one of my colleagues has been kidnapped and is held hostage in Gaza.

Another personal story is that of Lior Asulin. He was a talented soccer player. Among other clubs, he played for an Arab team and helped it become Israel's soccer champion. He was murdered at the music festival that he went to in order to celebrate his birthday, and where at least 270 young people were butchered (ז"ל).

There's news from other countries about anti-Israeli demonstrations where the massacre of innocent Israelis is celebrated, in Australia the pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted "Fuck the Jews" as well as "Gas the Jews."

In at least one protest a pro-Israeli demonstrator was beaten up:

And already there are antisemitic incidents, where Jewish establishments outside of Israel are being targeted.

Countries whose citizens are known to have been kidnapped or murdered by Hamas in the attack on Israel:

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[hossam97]

Emergency: Help Evacuate My Family From GAZA WAR

Dear Humanity,

I'm Hossam from Gaza , from a family of 4 people: my mam and two daughters .

I've witnessed the evidence of the tragedy that has struck our lives in Gaza, where my family and I have survived amidst numerous previous wars. But today, we face the most dangerous and fierce battle in the current war. The urgent need intensifies for us, as we have nothing left and are unable to secure our basic needs such as food, water, and safe shelter.

Here is our story - On October 7th, our lives changed forever, my family and I evacuated from northern Gaza to southern Gaza, hoping to return soon, but it wasn't meant to be. Our home was surrounded, burned, and then completely destroyed, Our home, once a fortress of hope, now lay in ruins, a stark reminder of our shattered dreams.

The night before we left from the north to the south was terrifying. Shelling sounds were everywhere, making a loud noise that felt like it went through our souls. Every explosions shook the ground like earthquakes, sending shockwaves of fear through our trembling bodies. filling us with fear. The air smelled of destruction and blood, making it hard to breathe. When dawn came, we saw the devastation around us, realizing our home was now a symbol of loss and despair.

I was looking at the faces of the people around me, old and young, everyone was scared, everyone was trembling, everyone was asking about his fate.

Everyone is asking where we are going who will receive us if all the houses we know are demolished.

We had nothing but the path of danger, either we walk it and see what the end of this road is, or we stay hidden and expose ourselves to greater danger.

We ran into the streets and with each step we took into the unknown streets, we felt as if we were plunging deeper into the abyss of our shattered existence, leaving behind everything we own in our home: Clothes, important official documents, the car, and literally it's almost everything - the enormity of our loss weighed heavily upon us.

The number around us started to decrease, there was only a little left. I look at the clock and I see it approaching the morning hours. My family and I were walking, burdened with fatigue and sadness. We looked and saw us. When the rockets rained on the place where we were, we walked a distance of at least 14 kilometers. Then we reached another house. We entered. Everyone washed his hands. We stayed for a while. And the people around us rushed and raced. So we left the house, where we only sat for a period not exceeding an hour. We went to the hospital to hide there a week later the second house was demolished and we were literally nothing.

The hospital, which houses more than 20,000 people, has become our home where we sleep, eat, and do our needs before. Before the seventh of October, one of us used to shower at the time he wanted and wash his clothes at the time he wanted. Then we washed once or twice a week, if we could and we were injured, we washed our clothes once or twice, and they were spread on the roof of the hospital, and the sounds of shelling and bullets sent fear inside us.

Before the seventh of October we slept here

And then we slept here.

We used to dry our clothes in our private house safely and reassuringly without seeing anything for others and no one seeing us.

But then we were under the whiz of bullets, doing that, and I will attach a video clip that you will find on my page.

I appeal to the world as a whole to hear my cry and the mournful cry of my family in Gaza. We need the helping hand that reaches out to wipe our tears and build a bridge to safety.

Your donation is not just a donation; it's an opportunity to rebuild life and brighten a better tomorrow. Be part of our hopeful story, for we need your hand to start anew.

And that's why we seek salvation, we hope that you become our salvation, help us survive by donating, every tear counts, every feeling matters, and every soul is sacred.

Your donation means the world to us!

[entegrasignaturestructures]

Check Darwin Unveils $100M Ag Plan for Australian Farmgate Output

NFF outlines a $100M Ag production strategy in Darwin to elevate Australian Farmgate output. It targets renewable farm sheds and farming, safety, and workforce growth. Visit our website to learn more about agriculture production and sheds.

[alphynix]

Strange Symmetries #23: Convergent Earvolution

Although it's not visible externally, owls have one of the most striking modern examples of asymmetry. The ears of many species are uneven, with the right ear opening positioned higher up than the left, giving them the ability to pinpoint the sounds of their prey much more accurately.

But surprisingly this isn't a unique anatomical trait that only ever evolved once in their common ancestor.

Instead, multiple different lineages of owls have actually convergently evolved wonky ears somewhere between four and seven separate times.

The boreal owl (Aegolius funereus), also known as Tengmalm's owl, is a small 25cm long (~10") true owl found across much of the northern parts of both Eurasia and North America. While most other owls' asymmetrical ear openings are formed just by soft tissue, the boreal owl's lopsided ears are actually visible in the bones of its skull.

But despite how many times owls have convergently evolved asymmetrical ears, and how successful this adaptation has been for them, for a long time it seemed to be something that no other animals have ever mimicked.

In the early 2000s asymmetric ears were reported in the skulls of some troodontid dinosaurs, which seem to have been nocturnal hearing-based hunters similar to owls, but proper details on this feature still haven't been formally published.

Then, just a couple of weeks ago, another example was finally announced.

The night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) is a small ground-dwelling parrot found in Australia, close to the same size as the boreal owl at around 22cm long (~9"). Critically endangered and very elusive, it's rarely seen and little is known about it – and it was presumed extinct for much of the 20th century, until more recent sightings of living individuals confirmed that the species is still hanging on.

Recent studies of preserved museum specimens have revealed that it seems to have poor night vision but excellent hearing, and that its right ear opening is noticeably asymmetrical, bulging out sideways from its skull. Much like owls the night parrot relies on acute directional hearing to navigate in darkness, but since its diet consists mainly of seeds it's probably not using this ability to locate food sources. Instead it may be listening out to keep track of the precise locations of other parrots, and for the approach of predators – so its sharp sense of hearing may be the reason this unique bird has so far just barely managed to survive the presence of invasive cats and foxes.

———

NixIllustration.com | Tumblr | Twitter | Patreon

[micewithknives]

Top 5 archaeological sites in Australia that you feel people should know more about? Or top 5 Australian artefacts?

I feel like I’ve talked a bit about artefacts in a few recent asks, and also I feel like a lot of Australian archaeology (and as such, sites) are very underrated, particularly on a global scale. Its often acknowledged in Australian archaeology that getting international academia to recognise the importance of our country’s archaeology is very very difficult.

While there’s a million and one sites I’d love to talk about, I’m going to TRY and give sites that relate to different aspects and locations

This is probably going to be long, so...

1. Nauwalabila, Madjedbebe (Malakunanja II), and the Deaf Adder Gorge region, Northern Territory (Aboriginal)

Rock shelters in this region, and specifically Madjedbebe, are currently the oldest location of human habitation in Australia. Dating evidence from 2017 excavations provided an estimate of earliest occupation of 50 000 years at certainty, possibly extending back as early as 65 000 (+/-6000). It also has provided a lot of evidence for research into the extensive grind stone technologies of the Pleistocene.

2. Cloggs Cave and the Buchan region of the Victorian Gippsland (Aboriginal)

So much research has been done into this region in various ways. Josephine Flood focused her research on Bogong Moth usage (and festivals) within this region, providing some of the earliest accepted academic research in support of Aboriginal peoples’ claims of large scale Bogong Moth Festivals in Australia’s highlands (although the fac that no one really believed communities until then…………..). In 2021 grind analysis found Bogong Moth residue, making this the earliest stone artefact with evidence of insect food remains. And in addition to that recent 2017 research in the area investigated Holocene occupation with Aboriginal community members, with a focus on understanding the interaction of spirituality with the resources found in the caves.

3. Mabuyag Island, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland (Torres Strait Islander)

Mabuyag Island (alternatively known as Mabuiag or Mabuyaagi) has archaeological evidence of human occupation since 7300 years ago. The island is both associated with recent religious practices associated with he heavy processing of dugong remains, and totemic associations with these, which played a role in early 2000s into community lead and directed archaeological research into ritual and religious traditions and practices. In addition to this, Mabuyag is the location of the first archaeological excavations in Australia to find pre-colonial pottery fragments. The fragments at the two sites on the island were associated with Melanesian and Papua New Guinean pottery trade. The excavations relating to pottery on the island played an important role in our understanding of domestic and international trade in pre-colonial Australia, and also formed an influence for the recent excavations at Lizard Island, 300km south, which identified the first datable domestically made pottery technology found in Australia.

4. Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney, NSW

Hyde Park Barracks is part of a collection of colonial heritage structures in Australia, relating to Australia’s time as a penal settlement. Hyde Park Barracks in particular were the location of the housing of convict men from 1819 to 1830, with the 1830s to 1840s also involving the site being a location of additional convict punishment, and the base for the Board of Assignment of Servants. Following on from a reduction of convicts to NSW in the 1840s, the Barracks became the Female Immigration Depot, and the Orphan Institution, later becoming the Asylum for Infirm and Destitute Women.

This time period of women’s occupation provides some of the most interesting archaeological remains, as redevelopment and management of the site has found high rates of preservation within walls, and in areas below floorboards. This includes textiles and fabrics, papers, and other non-organic materials such as pipes (with their tobacco intact) stashed in what was once floor, wall, and ceiling cavities. Archaeological investigations in the area form one of the most detailed assemblages of artefacts relating to instituted women in the British Empire during the 19th century.

5. Notch Point, Western Australia (Multicultural heritage)

Notch Point is a site of varied and mixed archaeology, ranging from pre- and post- colonial period Aboriginal heritage, to diverse 19th century occupation of the region by Chinese, European, Malay, and Aboriginal peoples in association with pearling industries off the coast. In addition to this, the point is located on Dirk Hartog Island (otherwise known as Wirruwana), the site of the earliest European arrival in Western Australia in 1616, and contains archaeological evidence of both various early Dutch interactions with the island in 1616 and 1697, as well as French arrival in 1772, 1801, and 1818. Notch Point in particular also contains evidence of conflict between the predominantly Chinese population of the pearling industry, with white-Australian and European pearling masters, and pastoral agents. Its not a site that is widely discussed, but provides a fascinating overlay of the amount of varied cultural groups that can be present within Australia’s archaeological sites.

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Honourable mentions to:

Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes which should 100% be on this list, but also I feel like I talk about it ALL the time and I wanted to mention sites that I actually don’t see discussed a lot. Theyre super important for cultural reasons, for archaeological reasons, and also for their role the development of archaeology, Aboriginal community consultation, and the role its played in developing repatriation practices in modern Australia. I have multiple posts about them HERE

Budj Bin Eel Traps in Victoria (same reasons, I’ve definitely talked about them before).

Juukan Gorge (and its destruction, im still horrified)

Harrietville Chinese Mining Village

Strangway Strings and The Peake Afghan Cameleer sites

Recherche Bay in Tasmania, and its 1792 French settlement sites

Homebush Mill & Mission Hall in QLD and Beowa National Park sites containing South Sea Islander heritage

[aroace-spec-empire]

History of the AroAce Spec Empire (So far)

(Will update as I rummage through this blog and find posts/events that are considered as important history bits-)

2024

Note: At some point Luxembourg and the AroAce Spec Empire signed an agreement. Luxembourg would help with the invasion of Europe if they got Greenland

May 1 - The AroAce Spec Empire is founded during the Great Bot War Of 2024

May 1 - Almost immediately after being created, the Empire joins the Great Bot War of 2024 on the side of Aspecs

May 2 - The Empire hosts a vote to decide which European country to invade first

May 7 - The Empire reveals a map of Europe covered in dots + Promises to give Northern Ireland to Ireland

May 7 - A vote is made to decide which type of government the Empire should have

May 7-8 - The AroAce Spec Empire decides to not invade France, due to the founder Crystals la Bubble Tea (@/crystalsandbubbletea) being intimidated by them

May 9 - Draft of the AroAce Spec Empire Constitution is created

May 9 - Voting to decide which European country to invade first ends, with Denmark taking the overwhelming majority of the vote

May 13 - Czech Republic offers an alliance to the AroAce Spec Empire

May 15 - The Alliance between the AroAce Spec Empire and the Czech Republic is made official

May 16 - Canada and the AroAce Spec Empire form an alliance

May 16 - The King's Lomatia becomes the National Flower of the AroAce Spec Empire, while Garlic bread becomes the official food

May 16 - A poll just to be silly opens. The poll is for deciding if the Empire should be renamed to Peanut AroAce Spec Empire or Peanut Spec Empire after the Empire was called a peanut twice

May 17 - The USA and the AroAce Spec Empire form an alliance

May 17 - Luxembourg has to remind the AroAce Spec Empire about the agreement

May 17 - Ikea joins the AroAce Spec Empire

May 17 - AroAce Spec Empire and France open up discussions for a possible alliance

May 17 - Crystals la Bubble Tea thinks about making May 17 a national holiday known as "National Update Day", depends on the majority vote though-

May 17 - It is revealed that Crystals la Bubble Tea isn't a government official, due to the AroAce Spec Empire being an anarchy country. Instead they are responsible for polls and writing the constitution

May 17 - Antarctica and the AroAce Spec Empire become allies

May 17 - Arby's and the AroAce Spec Empire are officially chill with each other

May 18 - The Empire made a Discord server

May 20 - A new list of proposed alliances is made. The countries on the list are Germany, Turkmenistan, and Australia

May 20 - Crystals la Bubble Tea announces that they won't be in public as much for a while (AKA finals happening)

May 20 - Alliance with Australia has been confirmed

May 20 - Crystals la Bubble Tea goes out hunting for bots on the ace tags, they find none. This isn't enough for them, as who knows when the bots will be back?

May 21 - The Denmarks know about the plans to invade Denmark, causing Crystals la Bubble Tea to contemplate their life choices

May 21 - The Empire takes a bite out of the flag of Scotland and immediately regrets it

Aug 7 - The Empire faces increasing concern due to both France's losing their memories. Crystals la Bubble Tea goes into hiding

Aug 12 - The Empire gets their memories wiped. Crystals la Bubble Tea thinks about making the empire go into lockdown to prevent further memory loss

Some time between Aug 12 and Aug 19 - The Empire gets it's memories back

Aug 19 - The Empire and Communist America form an alliance

Some point in August - India and the Empire form an alliance

Aug 30 - The British Empire and the AroAce Spec Empire form an alliance

Sept 1 - The AroAce Spec Empire starts the invasion of European Countries

Oct 2 - The Great Bot was is presumably over

[cyrah-is-cool101]

Frank Bruno's Boxing as actual Punch Out characters

I have read a post made by @thorkelsongirl about this game called Frank Bruno's Boxing, which is basically a Punch-Out bootleg according to them with Frank Bruno, a British boxer who once defeated Mike Tyson twice. This game's main opponents have some pretty interesting characters who are similar to the actual Punch Out characters while others are made entirely 'original' so to speak. So I have the privilege to recreate these characters if they were actual (and official) characters in the Punch-Out lore. Of course, I won't be adding Frank Bruno in this series of mine since I am not comfortable about adding real-life people (except if I have to make a new boxer inspired by the character but not this one).

So, here are the opponents which I would like to call Branch D, each of them spit into different circuits of course:

(Minor Circuit)

Canadian Crusher as Bud Lumberjack

From: Ontario, Canada

Age: 30

Weight: 438 lbs.

Height: 6'3

Rank: #2

Fights: 44-0

Bud is the little brother of Bear Hugger from Ontario who works full-time as a lumberjack for a local sawmill. Unlike his nature-loving older brother who hangs out with bears, Bud is also a city guy sometimes who does vlogs about protecting the environment from deforestation, pollution, and natural disasters. He is also the one who teaches his dear older brother how to use a cell phone and a computer. His skills in the ring are the same as those of Bear Hugger, but they are different with a few new moves he came up with himself.

Fling Long Chop as Fang Lee

From: Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Age: 21

Weight: 145 lbs

Height: 5'7

Rank: #3

Fights: 32-1

Fang was once a kung fu artist but later he adapted his skills into boxing and entered the WVBA. He is a student under Hoy Quarlow and is Dragon Chen's fellow classmate. Fang is considered a very friendly guy with an undisputed appetite yet he still keeps in shape. He is a mukbanger and has his own YouTube channel where he does mukbang videos as well as kung fu instructional videos with Dragon Chen as his regular guest on his channel.

Andra Puncheredov as Mr. Baker

From: Kyiv, Ukraine

Age: 33

Weight: 233 lbs

Height: 6'5

Rank: #5

Fights: 56-1

Mr. Baker is world-renowned chef from Ukraine and is known for making delicious delicacy. He is known to be an old-soul with a habit of spoiling anyone with his food, including Fang. He is also drinking buddies with Soda Popinski and Aran Ryan.

(Major Circuit)

Tribal Trouble as Queen Nzinga II

From: Northern Angola, Africa

Age: 20

Weight: 125 lbs

Height: 5'6

Rank: #1

Fights: 69-0

Queen Nzinga II is the direct descendant of the first Nzinga who is known to be a strong woman with a strong will. She is intellectual in the arts of science and music and was the prime minister of Northern Angola until she became a boxer to represent her country.

Frenchie France as Madam Spider

From: Rouen, France

Age: 25

Weight: 130 lbs

Height: 5'7

Rank: #4

Fights: 54-3

Madam Spider is a mysterious woman whose beauty has a deceptive nature hidden beneath. She has a fondness for spiders and gothic fashion. No one has ever tried to interact with her... well some who survive in conversation with her.

Ravioli Mafiosi as Don Marco

From: Sicily, Italy

Age: 33

Weight: 234 lbs

Height: 6'0

Rank: #1

Fights: 70-3

Don Marco is your typical Italian godfather who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty but he likes to be fair to those who he respects as a true fighter. He is a man of culture and honor, with his signature grin and cigar in his mouth.

(World Circuit)

Antipodean Andy as Dean Outback

From: Lithgow, Australia

Age: 27

Weight: 170 lbs

Height: 5'9

Rank: #2

Fights: 29-0

Dean is an outdoor guy who loves exploring, adventures and of course, the animals. He has his own TV show on National Geographic which is dedicated to the beauty of the natural Aussie nature. He is a very rowdy and excited guy who doesn't mind the danger due to his positive attitude. He is also a very muscular guy when it comes to boxing and he was also a former contestant on Ninja Warrior.

Peter Perfect as Stanley Gold

From: Palm Springs, Florida

Age: 32

Weight: 245 lbs

Height: 6'1

Rank: Champion

Fights: 89-1

Stanley is the undisputed champion of Branch D and not only is he an influential actor but he is also secretly working as a drag queen under the persona, Golden Lily. He and Super Macho Man are quite the famous rivals in both the ring and in showbiz but unlike Macho's vanity and pride, Stanley is a simple rich man with a heart of gold and a perfect smile.