Stanley Smith was an Australian businessman, WWII operative in China and expert horticulturalist. His life took him from a comfortable Brisbane upbringing to the danger of war and finally to a life half-way across the world. His Chinese-born wife, May Wong, grew up during the civil war in China and the fighting against Japanese occupation. May and Stanley met through their work … [Read more...] about War, Business and Orchids – the Smith Story
War and Conflicts
Review: Waging Peace by Anne Deveson
Anne Deveson was a highly regarded journalist, film-maker and human rights activist who died late last year. Her last book was a memoir titled Waging Peace and was published in 2013. Anne Deveson was a groundbreaker in many ways. She helped Australian society grapple with serious issues that people experienced silently such as mental illness, poverty and abuse. As I expected … [Read more...] about Review: Waging Peace by Anne Deveson
Debut Author Chat: Jayne Persian and the Beautiful Balts
Today I am delighted to publish a post written by Jayne Persian, lecturer in history at the University of Southern Queensland, and author of Beautiful Balts: From displaced persons to new Australians. Her book was published this month by Small Publisher of the Year, NewSouth Books. This post is part of my 'Debut Author Chat' series where authors who have recently published … [Read more...] about Debut Author Chat: Jayne Persian and the Beautiful Balts
Review: The Anzacs by Patsy Adam-Smith
The fog rolled down the river and engulf our house. The cold and damp penetrated the walls and windows. Our only view, an opaque whiteness. Through the stillness, the sound of a lone bugler playing the Last Post reached us from the nearby cemetery. Another old soldier had died. This was the house our family was living in when Patsy Adam-Smith published The Anzacs, her iconic … [Read more...] about Review: The Anzacs by Patsy Adam-Smith
Anzac Day: Reflecting on Australia’s Diverse Experiences of War
I have written several posts over the years about the origins of Anzac Day from the Anzac Day celebration in South Australia in 1915 and the solemn commemoration in Brisbane on 25th April 1916 marking the first day that the Australian and New Zealand troops, together with large numbers of troops from other countries in the Allied forces attacked the Ottomans on the beaches of … [Read more...] about Anzac Day: Reflecting on Australia’s Diverse Experiences of War
