Robert Onfray

The 4 o’clock chorus

Our dream to travel around Australia in a caravan for a couple of years was curtailed somewhat by the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020. Instead, we managed to travel around Queensland when lockdown restrictions eased in June. You meet some interesting characters and see varied setups when travelling full time. On the most part, people are …

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Some ramblings on rainforests and dry forests

During our trip around Queensland (Qld), we have visited several forests and walked their trails. Some have included rainforests. The main distinguishing features of these rainforests are high rainfall and fertile soils, such as basalt. Rainforests have a multi-layered canopy of up to 50 tree species, many of which exhibit buttressing. These include booyong (Argyrodendron …

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Growing up in Guildford

This month’s guest blog is by Lloyd Wilson. I met Lloyd online and on the phone when writing “Fires, Farms and Forests”. He enthusiastically provided me with a lot of material for the Guildford chapter of the book. Born at Guildford in 1946, Lloyd spent his childhood living there. Despite its isolation and persistently cold …

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The wonders of Wongabel forest

While staying at the Atherton Tablelands, we enjoyed a visit to Wongabel forest. It interested us so much because the forest had a history of timber harvesting and whilst now reserved, it is an excellent example of a remnant rainforest alongside commercial forestry programs and research plots. The walk is in excellent condition and very …

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The Cooktown Crescendo

Cooktown represents the most northern point we have travelled in Australia thus far. Like others do when up this way, we could have continued our trip to the tip of Cape York. But for now, not for us. Maybe next time when we are better prepared. Everywhere you look in Cooktown there is a reminder …

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Australian Forest History Society Book Review – ‘Fires, Farms and Forests’

If you haven’t bought my book “Fires, Farms and Forests”, this book review on pages 17 and 18 of the Australian Forest History Society Newsletter Number 81 (December 2020) may inspire you to take the plunge. You can view the newsletter online at https://www.foresthistory.org.au/newsletters.html NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS Robert Onfray, 2020. Fires, Farms and Forests. A human history …

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The ABC, an extinction debate, the replication crisis, peer review and questions over the quality of science produced today

Several years ago, I stopped listening and watching the news and current affairs on the ABC. I was sick of being consistently fed what I believe was biased and unbalanced reporting. We are told by ardent ABC supporters this is not how the ABC operates. But you only have to look at their main website to see …

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A youthful Surrey Hills experience – snow, a Ford Model 68 sedan and the helping hand of a Parrawe farmer

This month’s blog is by Allan Jamieson. Most of you would know Allan from his time working with APPM as a chemical engineer at the pulp and paper mill in Burnie, and as the inaugural manager of the new research unit set up by North Forest Products in Ridgley in 1993. Allan is also the …

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