© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY

Author: Greg Ray

This author has written 481 articles
Read more about the article The Catterthun sinking at Seal Rocks, NSW

The Catterthun sinking at Seal Rocks, NSW

The loss of the SS Catterthun off Seal Rocks, NSW, in August 1895 is a story that has captured many imaginations. Thousands of gold sovereigns, en route to China, went to the bottom, ensuring the wreck has remained a magnet for treasure-hunters. When I read contemporaneous press accounts of the disaster I'm struck by the terrible fate of so many of the passengers - especially the women and children - and can't help wondering whether some of the ship's officers and crew might have done more to help save more lives. "Don't panic": fatal advice The…

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Read more about the article Local government and accountability

Local government and accountability

Once upon a time, local government in Australia - or in the Hunter Region of NSW at least - was regarded as the most accountable level of government. Federal government was remote, distant and concerned mostly with big picture aspects of our lives. State government was all about sucking money out of the four corners of NSW to spend in Sydney. Local government was where you could find some accountability because you could talk directly to your local councillor - who stood some chance of having an effect on local policies - and you could easily…

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Read more about the article Velocipedia: some ancestors of the bicycle

Velocipedia: some ancestors of the bicycle

It was 1868, and the pages of the monthly publication The English Mechanic were about to be deluged with correspondence from inventors keen to create a perfect personal transport machine. The rise of the middle classes, the spread of technical education and the increase in literacy created a large pool of would-be inventors who shared their ideas – good, bad and indifferent – in cheap specialized journals and through “mechanics’ institutes”. An 1869 issue of The English Mechanic, featuring a velocipede. Author's collection. Up until then, horses and horse-drawn vehicles had been the main form of…

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