history Archives – Lord Howe Island Signal

Sparks from the Past, Part 15A – Waterfront Wars Begin

Chris Murray — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:35:00 +0000

Growing up on Lord Howe during the halcyon days of the flying boats, the Lord Howe waterfront seemed like a sea of tranquillity: cheerful crowds congregated at the jetty to greet and farewell passengers; flower leis were romantically cast into the lagoon by departing passengers; Hawaiian music was piped in the vicinity of the jetty; and it all happened against the backdrop of Lord Howe’s opalescent lagoon and towering southern mountains… surely the picture-perfect setting?

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Sparks from the Past – Part 13

Chris Murray — Fri, 31 May 2024 06:23:02 +0000

Some of the earliest communal events in Island life were the ship days, where Islanders would gather at or near the landings to collect freight, mail, meet or farewell friends, family or guests – but let’s not forget, to also meet up with each other! Once flying boats started to operate (1947-74), their arrival and departure also created a vital economic and social hub.

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Postscript to Julie Booth

Signal Contributor — Thu, 09 May 2024 10:51:06 +0000

Owing to the extraordinary diversity of fish, invertebrates, and corals in Lord Howe waters (a mix of tropical, temperate, and endemic species), the State and Commonwealth Governments proclaimed a Marine Park jointly in 1999.

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Pioneering Citizen Scientist, Julie Booth

Signal Contributor — Thu, 09 May 2024 10:35:18 +0000

In 1970, US freelance photographer Malcolm Kirk sailed to remote Wreck Island on the Great Barrier Reef. His purpose: to photograph former Lord Howe Island resident, Julie Booth.

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Mystery coin

Ian Hutton — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:35:28 +0000

Ian Hutton, curator at the LHI Museum, found a breakthrough in identifying a worn copper coin discovered by island resident Esven Fenton near Capella hill, thanks to an online app named CoinSnap, after previous attempts had failed.

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The vessel that launched 10,000 planes

Stephen Sia — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 04:18:06 +0000

In Spanish, Reposado means ‘calm or peaceful rest’, but being shipwrecked could hardly be described as a ‘peaceful’ event ... It was an inglorious end to a top-end boat that had begun life as the Taconite, a luxury motor cruiser commissioned by Bill Boeing, the founder of the Boeing Aircraft Company.

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