Our web site was down for a short time this morning because of a security breach. We had to redo some of the content that was added on the weekend, as it was lost. Please let us know if you see any other content or structure that needs attention.
New site launched!
The new website has finally been launched. We hope that February 27, 2013 will go down as a turning point for our club in how the website is now will play a much larger role in helping our club stay in touch with one another, our homelands and our community here in Manitoba.
The new site is very different than our previous one, so we encourage you to explore around, and make some notes. We will be tinkering in the first few weeks, adding more content, making edits and of course encouraging participation from all of you. Please send along your suggestions, comments and observations, as well as new content.
– The web team (Brian Hydesmith, Jenny Gates and tech assistance from Sean Yeomans)
New Aussie radio host on 99.1
G’day and welcome to Matt Sutton, the new morning radio show host at 99.1 Fresh FM. Hot off the plane from Brisbane, Australia, Matt is a “fan of good times and making people eat Vegemite sandwiches”.
Sutton is no stranger to Canada, having also worked in London, Ontario, and is apparently addicted to Tim Hortons, loves hockey and doesn’t complain about the cold. You’ll find a few like minds here, Matt!
Tune in to 99.1 FM at 5:30 am weekday mornings to hear Matt in action, and hopefully we’ll get a chance to meet him at an upcoming DUCW event. Beauty, mate!
Feature your photos!

Gum (Eucalypt tree) leaf. – Photo: Brian Hydesmith
As we get this web site up and running, we are seeking photos from members’ own collections which feature typical and iconic scenes from New Zealand and Australia. The images will be cropped to fit the wide, panorama style you see at the top of the pages, so preference will be given to ones that still look good when cropped this way.
Early Contact – Australia
Some years back I bought a book edited by Tim Flannery, titled “The Explorers”, from an ABC store in Australia. It’s an anthology documenting almost four centuries of exploration and includes the work of Eyre, Giles, Hume and Hovell, Leichhardt, Mitchell, Stuart, Sturt, Wills, and many others. One episode, involving Charles Sturt, has stayed with me.
The picture above shows Sturt and his party in a desperate situation. But look closely up on the left bank: there is a native running hard and about to dive into the river. He is a “chief” who Sturt had encountered earlier and made peace with. This man had subsequently realized the danger from the next tribe further along the river and took action. His courage and timing were perfect and enabled Sturt to maintain his reputation for not killing any aboriginals. This other reference takes up the story: Continue reading