Historic Toowoomba – the Regional Art Gallery

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.Aristotle What is art? Ask this question and you will get a myriad of answers. Art, like beauty, seems to be in the eye of the beholder. I am not very good at art. In fact, I failed it …

Living in Dark Times

When we look back over history, there have been many dark periods. Plagues. Natural disasters. Oppression, slavery and unending violence. And countless wars. Yet there has always been a fragile thread of hope in human progress - an enduring belief that life could be better, more secure, fairer and peaceful. After the twentieth century, the …

Australian Women’s History – Notorious Australian Women

A few months ago I started a short series on Australian Women’s History. After completing the first three parts, Come In Spinner, Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, and the Memoirs of Tilly Aston, life kind of hit, and part four has been languishing on my to-do list ever since. My original idea was to explore women …

Historic Toowoomba – the Ups and Downs of Showbiz

The Empire Theatre, Toowoomba We love the arts. Music, dance, musical theatre, film, literature…we love them all and enjoy expanding our horizons and experience of the arts whenever we can. Toowoomba has the largest performing arts centre in regional Australia, the Empire Theatre, and it has a fascinating history. We have attended many performances at …

Historic Toowoomba – Heritage Churches in the City Centre

Not something we'd ever see in Toowoomba! It is not surprising to find old churches regularly listed on historical walks. With their gothic arches, steep roofs and stained glass windows they are incredibly beautiful buildings and even when they are no longer being used as a worship centre, they can make interesting homes, galleries and …

Historic Toowoomba – the Long Arm of the Law

For those of us who are law abiding citizens, the inner workings of the police station and law courts may be a mystery. I have never been inside a court room and only visited the Toowoomba Police station once and that was to hand in a lost wallet I found outside our house. The little …

Historic Toowoomba – the Post Office

The post office has a great charm at one point of our lives. When you have lived to my age, you will begin to think letters are never worth going through the rain for. - Jane Austen Do you remember the last time you received a handwritten letter in the mail box? Walking down to …

Historic Toowoomba – Indigenous History

Gumbi Gumbi Gardens, Toowoomba, QLD As a student of history I love learning about the past. I love learning about the way people lived, the challenges they faced, and the developments that have occurred over time. The history of humanity is a pretty mixed bag, though. There have been great achievements and there have been …

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Seven and a half years ago, before the NDIS and before Dan had finished high school, I bit the bullet and entered back into the world of study. At the time I was working in education, but with Dan approaching the end of formal schooling I could see the writing on the wall. As much …

Australian Women’s History – Memoirs of Tilly Aston

Although we have not seen a million things we understand quite well, we have seen something else with which we can compare new impressions; something which makes it possible for us to SEE, perhaps more vividly than many unseeing sighted people, the gifts of beauty or grandeur strewn around us. Tilly Aston If you are …