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Read more about the article Doug Lithgow: an activ(ist) life
Doug in National Service uniform

Doug Lithgow: an activ(ist) life

There was a time when it seemed as though no contentious conservation or heritage issue could arise in Newcastle, NSW, without the opinions of Doug Lithgow being sought and quoted. Never self-interested or egotistical, Doug was (and still is) the epitome of a generation of modest, hard-working community-minded idealists. Born in Gladesville, Sydney, in 1933, Doug loved the area around Gladesville; sailing on the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers with the Warrego Naval Training Group. He spent some of his early years with family at Gilgandra, under the shadow of the Warrumbungle Mountains. His police officer…

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Gravestones to be returned to the Cathedral cemetery

About 40 gravestones now in storage at Newcastle City Council's works depot are expected to be restored and replaced in their original positions at the city's Christ Church Anglican Cathedral. Council project manager Tony Ayling told me the work was scheduled for the 2021-2022 financial year, provided funding was available. The historic cemetery, originally proclaimed in 1817, received more than 3300 burials by the time it closed in 1884. Sadly, despite its great historical significance, the burial ground suffered badly after it was transferred to the ownership of the council in 1972. Many stones were shifted…

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Language, marketing and racism

Coon cheese is finished as a brand. The most surprising thing is that it took this long. The brand's owner, Saputo, has decided it will move with the prevailing tide of public opinion and change a name that some have perceived as racist. And while it is certainly true that the name doesn't have racist origins - it was named after famous cheesemaker Edward Coon - the company has evidently opted to take the same line so recently taken by other big food product makers. That is, if the brand-name is upsetting a growing number of…

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