lifeasdaddy

A swagger stick from the Lachlan-Macquarie Regiment, the 54th Battalion

Between the First World War and the Second World War the Australian Army comprised two elements; the Militia (part-time army) and the Permanent Military Force.

One of the New South Wales-based units of the Militia was the 54 Battalion (The Lachlan-Macquarie Regiment).

An ornate swagger stick has come to hand which bears the  emblem of 54 Battalion.

The emblem is also the same as the hat and collar badges for the Battalion.

Here it is pictured with a 40 centimetre ruler.  The stick measures 69cm from top to tip. The pointed bottom tip is a hollow bullet and shell, the shaft is wood (possibly mulga wood) and the sphere at the top is of a silver coloured metal.  The light coloured tape wrapping 10cm from the top was, I think,  there to assist placement under the arm.

 

This close up of the top sphere shows the regimental insignia.  It bears parts of the New South Wales Coat of Arms including the southern Cross in the middle with a sunburst behind. The number 54 appears just above the crest with the words "AMOR PATRIA" either side and "LACHLAN MACQUARIE REGIMENT" below.

 

A comparison of the insignia at the Australian War Memorial appears here.

[ Photographing the swagger stick and the decorative heraldic elements was difficult.]

Here's the owner of the swagger stick in traditional pose. Swagger stick  under his right arm and the head held by the upturned right hand.  You'll notice too that the blackboard outside the room behind him bears the sign "HQ 54 bn".

I estimate the year to be around 1939.

 

Here's the owner earlier, as a corporal.  This photograph clearly shows the hat and collar insignia of the 54BN

 

The man here later became a lieutenant in the Australian Army and served during World War Two in the New Guinea campaign.

Famous people I have met.

This is not for the purpose of name dropping.

 

It's to remind myself of moments I savoured as much as anything.  To make the list, I must have at least talked to the person.

 

When you spend lots of years working in some nice hotels you meet some nice people.  Some are not nice.

The only order is that in which they have popped into my head as I write this.

My friend Martin Miles has asked me to categorise these people into nice and not nice.

Here's the key:  N - Nice.  VN = Very Nice

Placido Domingo N - I was working as a doorman at the Hyatt On Collins in Melbourne where he stayed.  I got to open his car door and greet him several times.  Always polite.

Sir Anthony Hopkins VN - He was filming Spotswood and I was the night porter at his hotel.  At that time he already had Hanibal Lector from Silence of the Lambs in the can although it was not yet released. Therefore he was not as well known as he was soon to become. Being very careful with his health he left the hotel at 5.45am each morning to travel to another hotel with a swimming pool he preferred for his exercise.  We chatted several times while he was waiting for his car - he was gracious, charming and funny.

Paul Keating N - Shortly after his electoral defeat in 1996 he was staying in a hotel where I worked.  He absolutely shunned publicity at the time and appeared the opposite of the political brawler he was known to be.

Gough Whitlam N - In the early 2000s he would occasionally stop for a cup of coffee at a well known cafe in Darlinghurst Road not far from my work. I greeted him and told him I was a political admirer.  We exchanged pleasantries.

Kylie Minogue N - Stayed where I worked twice while touring.  A very private person.

Laurence Fishburne N - He attended a party at the hotel in Kings Cross where I worked while he was filming The Matrix in Sydney. We exchanged greetings.

Tom Jones VN - See my comment below. One of the two times in my life I witnessed electrifying charisma.

Max Walker VN - Met in an elevator.

Wendy Harmer N - Met her in an elevator too.

Peter Moon

Brent Thompson N - While I was a doorman in Melbourne helped him in and out of a car shortly after his retirement from horse racing.  It had taken a heavy toll on his legs.

Roy Higgins N - Opened doors and greeted him at a hotel.

Bart Cummings VN - Opened doors and greeted him.

Bill Hayden VN - During his term as Governor-General he stayed at our hotel several times when in Melbourne.

Sir Gustav Nossel VN  A friend introduced us at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

Suzanne Corey VN  - Same friend introduced us at a party at her and husband Gerry Adams' house many years ago.

Leo Schofield VN - I was working as a taxi driver in Melbourne and picked him up at Rockman's Regency Hotel.  I recognised him by name which amazed him.  We had a good chat on the way to the airport.

Kamahl  VN

Tetsuya Wakuda  N

Thomas Keller N

Darren Hayes

Lady (Sonia )McMahon  (Who hasn't?)

Kerry Packer N

James Packer N

Malcolm  Fraser N

Seb Chan  VN

General William Westmoreland N - The year was 1988.  I was a porter at the Regent Hotel of Sydney and the General (long retired) and his wife came to stay. Lean, and hard and very polite.

Caspar Weinberger N

Jack Mundey

Lionel Rose VN

Sir Roden Cutler, V.C. N - I was working at the Manly Pacific Parkroyal Hotel when he arrived driving his Rolls-Royce motor car to attend a funciton accompanied by his wife.  A tall striking man, with a stiff-legged walk.  We're in the elevator.  It Sir Roden, Lady Cutler, the hotel concierge and I. Sir Roden looks at his wife then says to the concierge, "I wonder if you can tell me how the Cutler Room got its' name?" The concierge, having no idea to whom he was speaking said, "No sir, I'm afraid I don't."  I chipped in to say, "You'll have to forgive him Sir Roden, he's from New Zealand.  The Cutler Room is named after a man who grew up in Manly and went on to a distinguished military career, including winning the Victoria Cross. And later to become Governor of our great state." Hotel concierge - you know who you are!

Olivia Newton-John   VN

Mary Donaldson    [ prior to her Princesshood]

David Copperfield

Denis Cox VN

Phillip Adams VN - My friend George Lombard bought a painting at a charity auction with the proceeds going to aid refugees.  The painting was of Phillip Adams plus various allegorical features which had been a non-winning entry in the Archibald Prize for portraiture.  A bonus was that the winning bidder was invited to tea at Phillip Adams' house and a tour of Adams' collection of antiquities and objets d'art.  George kindly invited me to accompany him.  Phillip, a great raconteur, showed us around his collection and regaled us with anecdotes about significant pieces.  George mentioned my interest in wrist watches - and then Phillip picked up a skeletonised Breguet to show me. Phillip said that he and Barry Humphries were in London for the release of Barry McKenzie.  Humphries said it was about time that Phillip had a decent watch now that he was making some money.  The Breguet was the result.

Pauline Hanson VN  [ I sat  next to her on a flight for 90 minutes.  We had a good chat - but not about politics.]

Tony Abbott N - He's the Member of the House of Representatives for the electorate of Warringah.  I live in his electorate and have run into him a couple of times.

Elliott Gould N - A true eccentric.  This was the early 90s.  He was in Australia doing a movie and staying at the hotel where I worked.  His usual mode of dress in the hotel and on the way to and from work was a blue boilersuit - and that had nothing to do with his role.

Jimmy Barnes - I cannot really give an opinion on the true personality of Jimmy Barnes. Several years ago I was asked by a member of his family to wake him from his, uh, slumber.  After some lengthy effort I was able to raise Jimmy from his self-induced twilight zone.  No harm, no foul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Government House 1841 by Conrad Martens

A couple of months ago Rebecca Evans of the Powerhouse Museum ran a bit on the Object of the Week blog about an 1882  Doulton vase which is illustrated with a panoramic in-the-round view of early Sydney.

One of the buildings shown on the illustration was certainly the Garden Palace, however the other building has been more difficult to identify, as shown in the comments stream to the blog piece.  I tried to identify the building but got it wrong. Now, thanks to Lynne McNairn,  we know it is the then New Government House.

To further assist in the exposition, I'm adding a couple of documents here.

This is a sketch by Conrad Martens, September 1841, of "New Goverment House" and is held by the Mitchell Library.

I have scanned the image from page 14 of the book DISCOVERING THE DOMAIN by Edwin Wilson and Shirley Colless copyright by Royal Botainic Gardens and Domain Trust, published by Hale & Iremonger Pty Limited. 

 

On page 10 of the same book there is a map showing the relative positions of the Garden Palace, New Government House and the Conservatorium of Music.

Parts of the Conservatorium of Music building were formerly the Government stables.

Here's a scan of the map:

 

H.M.A.S. Arunta

HMAS Arunta (I) was a Tribal class destroyer which saw plenty of action in the Pacific theatre during World War Two.

Here's a view of ARUNTA from HMAS Shropshire during WWII: