June 1959 School Magazine

MAGAZINE of the

BRISBANE GIRLS' GRAMMAR SCHOOL

JUNE, 1959

Registered at the G.P.O., Brisbane, for transmission by post as a Periodical

Published by Mrs. H. M. McDonald, Brisbane Girls' Grammar School and printed by Allan William Cramb, Albar Street, Wavell Heights, for The Read Press Ply. Ltd., 610-616 Ann Street. Vallev. Brisbane.

USE

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qoe're <:Delighted ... 93ri~bane i~ deliCJhted .... everyone i~ delighted with the new

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Phones ·: 2 2:401-2-3. Box 1676V. G.P.O.

CHERMSIDE DRIVE -IN SHOPPING CENTRE It's a dream come true . . . a fabulous "big-city" store where you can shop with effortless ease . . . where you will find variety, glamour, s·omething for everybody. You can park without effort in the 700 car parking area (no dockets to present, no charge, no chalk marks). Walk a few steps and you're inside a complete Shopping Centre. Here you will find many speciality shops in addition to a wise old department store, all under the one roof. Find pleasure in your shopping for every member of the family . . . pile the youngsters into the car and come as you are .. , become acquainted with this wonderful new way to shop.

88 EAGLE STREET, BRISBANE

At Kerr' s , pupils study in comfortable sur· roundings cmd hav e the use of specia lly de- signed furniture a nd modern equipmen t. Each student has the benefit of personal instruction from highly-qua lified teachers.

Ken's Courses Cover :- SECRETARIAL DUTIES. SHORTHAND. TYPEWRIT- ING, BOOKKEEPING AND CORRESPONDENCE.

DAY OR EVENING LESSONS

An Island of Retailing in a Lake of Parking

K. H. S. KERR, F.A.S.A., Principal

Phone 2 5812

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If you study

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Give your daughter the advantages of this SMART, WELL-TAILORED SCHOOL-WEAR

Bring your daughter to our specialised Girl's College Wear de- partment, and outfit her with · everything she needs in the way of College wear. You will find ea.ch garment is correctly and expertly cut from the highest-quality materials. She benefits from its enduring smartness. You benefit from the quality which spells a true economy both now, and in the long run. Girl's Co!leqe Wear Dept., IN THE YOUTH CENTRE - SECOND FLOOR T. C. BEIRNE'S, THE VALLEY, BRISBANE - 5 0151 jSTUDENTSj • • • The Q.E.D. can supply ALL your school needs. They :nave the most comprehensive ranqe of school text books, stationery, pens and pencils in Queensland. Remember too, that Q.E.D. can service and repair all makes of :fountain pens. Books of every dE?scription are also available, including works on General Literature, Fiction, Art, Music, Poetry, Drama, Sporting, QUEENSLAND BOOK DEPOT can supply all your SCHOOL BOOKS STATIONERY FOUNTAIN PENS BOOK DEPOT 61 - 63 Adelaide Street (opp. City Hall), BRISBANE Technical, etc. QUEENSL.AND

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Your Future GJeappiness and Security depend on decisions made Now I

'C:he '1nagazine oJ

EDITORIAL

JN this year of 1959, we, as Queenslanders, natur- ally turn our thoughts to the celebrations of the State's Centenary. As pupils of the Brisbane Girls' Grammar School, however, we realise.that our school has grown with Queensland, and is not very much younger than our State. In the past hundred years, the State of Queensland has seen great development in many fields. The drays and waggons of our great-grandparents' days have given way to jet air transport, and the outback stations are lonely no longer since the invention of ihe motor car, the pedal radio, and the inauguration o f the Fly ing Doctor Service. A Centenary, however, is not merely an occasion for reminiscence; it is also a turning point. We should now look into the future-that of our school as well as c,f our State. During the past eighty-four years our .school has grown, not only in size and scholarship, but in tradition, which is the greatest heritage of age. It remains for u s to keep alive the traditions which have been handed down to us by past generations, and to pass them on intact to those succeeding us. I

STOTT'S Secretarial Course is planned to enable young women of good education to qualify for the most desirable positions in the business and professional fields . Enrolments are limited and preference given to applicants with the necessary basic education.

For appointment telephone 31 1627

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-M.V.

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:Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

July,, 1959

July, 19591

Brisbane Girlls' Grammar School Magazine

lnter-form Swimming Competition was keenly contested at the Valley Baths on Mmch 23rd, and resulted in VIC narrowly defeating IliA. Tennis and basketball matches are now in progress; and the hard work put in by the teams with Mrs. Melzer's h~lp augurs well for future results. Athletics practices are now in lull swing, in preparotion for the Inter-form Competition in July. This year, we welcomed to the teaching staff, Miss Brown, Miss Roche, and Miss Hebden, and at the end of first term we said good-bye to Miss Minogue, who left us to go overseas. During the year, the slope above the tuckshop has been ierraced and cemented, a new front fence has been erected, a tennis practice board built, and the roof of the main building :has been painted. The production of "The Merchant of Venice" by the Reper- iory Theatre was enjoyed by Fourths and Thirds, and Sixth Form, with some Fifths, will shortly be seeing Twelfth Night's production of "The Tempest" . Third and Fifth Forms spent an entertaining afternoon at the A.B.C.'s Schools Concert, while Fifths and Sixths attended ·a special Schools' Concert given by the Sydney Symphony Or- ·chestra. On the 26th February a number of the Sixth Form were -fortunate enough to be present at a most impressive ceremony held in the City Hall, the Women's Centenary Rally and Dedica- tion Service. Another important occasion at which some Seniors were present was the opening of the new Women's College at St. Lucia, where, after we had served afternoon tea to all present, we were very interested to see over this fine building. At the time of writing, the School Concert is close at hand, ·and all concerned are working hard, while preparations are -already under way :for School Day, on September 19th, to raise enough money so that work on the swimming-pool may be com- menced very soon. Finally, all pupils of the School extend to Mrs. McDonald, who was married last December, their very best wishes for her :happiness.

CURRENT EVENTS The first six months of this year have been amazingly full for all girls, but the remaining months promise to be even busier. The project to which most of our excess energy has been directed is our swimming-pool, and, thanks to the hard work of many people, this will soon be a reality. The site has been chosen-the present tennis-court below the Gym., and the pool is part of an overall plan which the Trustees have drawn up to cover all future major improvements. Everyone is working hard to raise money. The girls are filling cards which we hope will form a "Mile of Pennies", this being organised by Miss Dunn. Mrs. McDonald gave a picture evening on the l{)th April, and the Parents and Friends' Association held, at the school during the holidays , a successful card party, while other functions are being held in various suburbs. With such enthusi- astic support, our pool is rapidly approaching nearer.

THE NOVELTY RACE, 1959.

-C. YOUNG, VI A.

Even without it, our teams excelled themselves in the Inter- school Swimming and Lifesaving Competitions held at the Valley Baths on the 7th March and the 3rd April, respectively, in both competitions gaining second place. We congratulate Somerville House, who won the Swimming Carnival; and St. Hilda's, who won the McWhirter CupJor life-saving. Our own

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July, 1959

1lrisbane Girls' Grammar School M0qazine .

Brisbane Git,!s' Grammar School Magazine

July, 195!!'

BETTY WOOLCOCK CHALLENGE CUP, 1958 "Strive, and hold cheap the strain; Learn, nor account the pang; dare, never grudge the throe."

Kendall Broadbent Natural History Essay, 1958 IN A QUEENSLAND JUNGLE

Seventy miles south of Brisba ne , overlooking New South Wales, there is a high p la teau region covered w ith sub-tropica l rain forest. Most of this beau tiful coun try is included in a huge National Park, which means tha t its wild life , b oth flora a nd fauna , is strictly protected by the Governmen t. Thus , so close io our busy capitaL these mountains teem with wild creatures l iving amid natural surroundin(,Js untouched by man; in fa ct , so rugged is the country a nd so d ense the vegeta tion, tha t there -are still some parts where man ha s never set ·foot. I have spent a number of holidays on this plateau. Ea ch iime I have learned a little more about its wild life, a nd about that ingenious planner , Nature. · A wa lk of one hundred yards through the cool forest with a Forestry Rcmger a s sole compan- ion , has yielded me fa r more informa tion than hours of study Jrom a text-book could have done. The early morning is the ideal time for this, when the air is crisp , and the birds are twittering noisily around a nd above. Frequent ha lts must be called , when a tiny log-runner , obliv ious of his watchers, .scuffles through the undergrowth searching for insects ; or a whip-bird calls, so close that y ou are sta rtled a nd yet y ou sca n the trees in vain for the elusive b ird. But watch the track a head as well, for there may be a scrub-turkey or a rock walla by feeding just a round a b end , a nd there will sure ly be a sticky sp ider 's web well stocked with insects , and the glis teni-ng threads will defy a ll your efforts to pe~l them from face and hair. I a m particularly fascinated by the p la nt life of the jungle for , while most of the birds and a nima ls may be found through- ou t coasta l Australia, many of the former grow only in the few moun ta inous rain forest regions of Queensla nd a nd northern N ew South Wales . With a n average a nnua l rainfall of over thirty inches, con- sta n tly moist a tmosphere and rich volca nic soil, trees reach g igantic proporiions. Cedars , p ines, sassafras., mahogany, rose- wood, eucaly ptus a n d tristanias,..the- ta llest of a ll, of inca lculable value for their timbe r, stand proud ly, safe: from the greedy tim- ber-getter's axe. Only the great cyclones which strike the moun- tains can b ring them crashing to the gr-ound, to rot away b efore the next a ttack. Few jungle trees .hc::ive tap-roots , a nd instea d , ma ny are p rovided by Nature with huge buttresses·,which s ta nd ·OUt Up to twelve feet from the trunk an d extend up just a s fru . 13

I. .. THEY WEPT ..•

A child there sat all in a twilight glow Of armistice called thirteen years ago; Up a t the house, the very a ir felt gay- A half duy's school, mysterious holiday- Carillons clattered crazily for hours In ecstasy, from the'r triumphant towers. What thoughts could then have stirred her infant brain? Un til she ·saw, how could she know the pain? In th is confusion, legs-a-dangling so, She sat astride a bwnch- and longed to know.

II ••• OVER THAT RIVEN TOMB • ..

And still it stood, a ruined cemetery Of brick and tile-a shattered effigy In cl cathedral, empty, vast, and bare Of the vibrant chmity of prayer; But from the crypt, asylum of a ll men,

Not from the skyward vault as it did then, Resounds the exultant echo; for no more Will dread foes ravage England's sharp-edged shore! What would the mighty Milton then hove said, Frobisher or Cromwell, Foxe or Speed, As aeroplanes a nd bombs roared overhead? (For Cripp]egate lies with the l::uried dead.) Vvould they have wept cis this isle's heart was turned To ash-vain rubble, as the City burned? Could they have bared their heads to sky-sent fire, As London, to that deadly, war-wrought pyre? As the New Life that once d id blossom red, On the white corse of a martyr~City's dead, The blood-bright furrow blazoned on its brow Is changed to scarlet hope; for there are now New b uildings where the old had ceased to be, Destroyed amid d s truggle's agony. When yearning youth leek on itself to dare,

III ••• BUT NEW LIFE .HAD RISEN!

Excitement waiving worldly, selfish care, It proved this land might suffer, yet survive; Though dying, paid the only price to live.

Then ring ye, Bow Bells, once more to distant lands, And raise ye, City spires, yeur heav' nwctrd hands! Li fe's lesson learnt, no bitter pangs remain; Who strove, a'nd lea rned, know God . conceived the strain; Who dared, and lived, know God was wor th the pain .

--CLACE BIRKBEC!C

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Brisbane GW!s' Grammar School Magazine

July,, 195$

July, 1959

Brisbane Gitls' Grammar Sc:hool Magazine

The crowns of these trees form one tangled canopy of green, through which direct sunlight seldom filters. Great elk and stag- horns encircle the trunks , and exotic orchids nestle in the forks . Lawyer vines twist in and out, and giant water-vines, which may have a circumference of twelve inches, hang in loops from the tree-tops to the ground. These vines are hollow and a large quantity of water is stored inside, but only a desperate person should seek proof of this, for to cut the vine is to kill it. Nature is seldom guilty of leaving a plant without some form of protection against its enemies. The wild raspberry vine, with its summer crop of juicy red berries which the jungle birds love, has thorns covering its leaves and stems. Impenetrable prickly hedges of raspberry border mountain roads and tracks ,. and it is one of the first greedy jungle plants to encroach upon cleared land. But a pricking from a wild raspberry is not to be compared with the sting of the dreaded Gympie tree (Lapor- tea moroides). This giant softwood (its average height is one hundred feet, but several on the plateau are twice this, and have a girth of over forty feet) grows in the valleys and lower parts of the mountains. It is hardly ever found above 3000 feet. The leaves are large, round and flat, and are covered with tiny hairs which attach themselves to the skin of any unfortunate· person who brushes against a fallen branch or young tree. These invisible poison barbs inject formic acid into the skin, and, remaining embedded there, still cause agony days after the initial contact whenever the skin is placed in water. Fortunately,. my knowledge on this subject is not first-hand. The pain is so exquisite that it has been known to drive a horse mad. Yet, the Gympie is not invincible. Its leaves are usually full of holes eaten by a tiny insect which, by some miracle of Nature, is immune to the sting, and devours even the barbs. The popular antidote for the sting is the juice of the calla lily or cunjevoi, which can always be found growing at the foot of the Gympie ,. but the Foresters say that they find the best relief comes from the sap of the .tree itself. Few tree trunks are free from any growth. Some are cov- ered with moss and lichen (at least, only one half, the southern, is covered, while the northern portion of the trunk is quite smooth; this fact is useful to a lost bushman). Others are covered with vines. The strangest of these is the Watkin's Strangler Fig. When the seed, dropped by a bird, lodges in a tree, it sends roots down to the ground, which criss-cross all over the host tree. The fig grows, the roots thicken, and the tree is actually "strangled to death".. Yet the fiq is not a true parasite, for it 14

obtains its own food. Eventually the host tree rots away and all that remains is a skeleton of latticed roots which form strange grotesque patterns, cmd a head of fig leaves far, far above. It is interesting to compare different stages in the process of de- struction, for there ore olwoys plenty of exomples around in the jungle. The most remarkable of oll trees on the ploteou is the Ant- arctic Beech, Nothofagus moorei. At obout 3,500 feet, the pine trees suddenly disappear, and miniature forests of these beeches take their ploce. Reputed to be 3000 years old, they are so nomed because they have been found in a fossilised stote in the Antarctic continent. Their blackened roots rise six feet out of the ground, exposed by soil erosion over the centuries, ond a person foolish enouqh to brave what reptiles may be lurking there, moy easily stond in the great cavity. The beeches hove· an atmosphere about them which I find quite awe-inspiring. Gnarled, and encrusted with grey "beard" lichen and bracket fungus, they command the admiration of even the least romantic hiker. New shoots grow out from the base of the tree and it is thus that their life is preserved. The fresh wood, with smoll glossy leaves, seems incongruous ogainst the bla ck trunk. If the tree itself is not beautifuL its inseparable companion, the Beech orchid, certoinly is. Small ond delicate, with white star- like flowers, it can always be ·found growing on any Beech, and nowhere else. Attempts to propogate it on other trees have failed. The link is strange for, compared with its host, the orchid is a very new plant. The great old trEJe is unfortunately dying out on the plateau. As old trees inevitably fall victim to cyclones, no new y oung ones are taking their place. Seedlings spring up but they soon die, for climatic conditions are very different now from those· 3000 years ago. It is a miracle that the parent trees have with- stood the changes. A similar "dying out" is taking place in the few remaining homes of the Beech-the west coast of Tas- mania, New Zealan.d, and Patagonia. Many other treE~S, countless varieties of fungus, lichen and flowers are worthy of discussion here, but I think perhaps that I have said too much already. I shall be satisfied if this account provides sufficient inducement for one person to visit the plateau and see for himself or herself what is so difficult to describe. -ELAINE WILKINSON. 15

July, 1959

"Brisbane Girls ' Grammar School Magazine

July, 1959

Brisbane Gh1s' Grammar School Magaz ine

Middle and Lower School Lyric Competition, 1958 THE TRACK

BRISBANE - 1859 The old man sat on the verandah of his home, smoking his evening pipe. Before him lay the township of Brisbane, with the river winding throuqh the town and snaking away into the distance. The light of the setting sun touched the houses with gold a nd softened the harsh outlines of the buildings of rough, quarried stone. Andrew Petrie, one of the oldest free residents of the colony, gazed at the scene with unseeing eyes-he had been blind for e leven years. But not even the loss of his sight could dim his memories of Brisbane. As a young man he had come to the colony, and in the years that followed he had s hared in its hardships and sorrows, as the little settlement struggled to establish itself. This year had seen the fulfilment of a ll the ir aspirations, but of that first handful of loyal settlers only he, Andrew Petrie, was left to witness the historic occasion -the birth of Queensland. As he sat on the verandah of his home at Petrie Bight that December evening, he saw as clearly as his own sight could ever have shown him, the scene which lay before him. There was Oxley's river, whose banks were the site of the township. And there by the river bank was the only ferry across the river. Punctually at half-past eight every morning old Tom Kinsla, the ferryman, stood on the bank crying "Oh-ver," in a loud voice. The people hearing his cry knew that the ferry was waiting, and hurried down to the river to be rowed "over the water", as it was termed. The town really must have a bridge, thought Andrew Petrie, and for a moment he longed passionately for his sight, that he might build that bridge, as he had built so many of the older buildings in the town. That large pond of water down there by Roma Street had been christened by the townsfolk the "Horse Pond". Little did Andrew Petrie dream that on the very site of the Horse Pond would one day be built one of Brisbane's finest buildings, the City Hall. And there towards the eastern part of the town was Fortitude Valley, where Dr. Lang's firs t colonists had settled, naming the district in honour of the ship whiCh bore them to their new home. Over there on the hill stood the Old Windmill, where the convicts had laboured, grinding the corn for their meagre rations. The day of the convicts had passed, but the old mill still stood there, a grim reminder of the years when Brisba ne had been a penal settlement. The part the convicts had played 17

When rust-rimmed clouds Fleck filtered fire on the glossy Curves of slow-maturing apples; When misted myriads of minute insects Din the empt iness With heavy-winged singing, A whitely-winding track, deep-grooved Of boisterous towns; Trembles, as passing Footsteps flc:g the thirsting Grass with speckled palls of dust; Broods in the long-dra·wn Shadows of straight-limbed gums; And falters on the brink of night and day. With scars as old as Time, Lingers shyly at the bounds .

-JENlFER KELLY.

-KAY HARDCASTLE, VB.

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Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

July, 1959

July, 1959

'Brisbane Gi.ds' Grammar School Maqazine

in building the colony would soon be forgotten. Indeed, they were not deemed worthy of remembrance. And yet there were memorials of their work in every part of the town. The early buildings of the town were built of the rough stone they had quarried with their own hands as they laboured in the stone- pits. And almost all the roads in the colony had been built at the cost of the convicts' sweat and blood. The old man turned his face towards the centre of the town where stood several large stone buildings, in a very mili- tary atmosphere. There were the old military barracks, and beside them the convicts' quarters. The impressive building across the street was the Commandant's quarters. But these would not be in use much longer. The newly-completed Gov- €mment House was the official centre of the colony now, for this was no longer the Moreton Bay District, but the new and independent colony of Queensland. Andrew Petrie's thoughts travelled back to the previous day, the lOth of December, 1859-Separation Day. How much that Separation meant to the people of this colony! Once more he re-lived the atmosphere of that day of loyal speeches, royal proclamations, wildly-cheering crowds. Every man, woman and c hild in the town had turned out to meet the new Governor and his wife, Sir George and Lady Bowen, and frock coats and ·Crinoline gowns were the order of the day. How quickly the town had grown. It seemed but yester- day that he had stood on the deck of the ship bringing him up ihe river to the new colony. He had looked across at the little duster of Government buildings on the river bank-a convict settlement-nothing more. And yet he, Andrew Petrie, had lived to see that convict settlement become a flourishing town- ship, the capital of an independent colony. Suddenly he felt ·an old man. Other men, younger men, had taken over the work \that had once been his. The colony needed young men now, not old men like himself. When he was dead, the people would .soon forget the part he had played in building their town. But he had not forgotten, there was so much to remember. ... The last light of the summer evening gave place to dark- ness, as night fell silently over the town. Gleams of yellow light sho:rre in the windows of the houses like glow-worms in the darkness. Only the humming of crickets in the bushes beside the house broke the stillness of the night. But the old man did not hear them. His head was sunk forward on his breast and he was lost in his dreams of yesterday. ·- HELEN ALLAN, IVA. is

CLUES

ACROSS

35. An open wooden vessel. 8. Part of a window. 36. First person, singular, 9. Actively engaged; occu- pied . mood of the verb 'to be' .10. Third singular indicative present tense, indica tive 37. First person, plural, ob~ jective case of the per- mood of verb 'to be' (French).

1. Captives. 9. To exist.

11. A contest in speed. 12. A large vehicle for con-

v;eying passengers.

sonal pronoun.

13. A long pillow; a pad. IS. To cease from sleep. 19. A fermented malt liquor . 23. A utensil with a long handle for serving out 21. Spherical.

38. Plural of 'I. '

14. 1 o repeat.

16. Not to be fou':'d.

39. To deceive; to mock.

17. Condensed mmsture frorn 40 . Mere; downright.

the atmosphere.

42 . A girl's name.

18. To come mto orderly 43. Slang.

~rrangement.l · vf~ted~xamp e

( bb 44. Western Australia (abbr.)

liquor from a vessel.

20

a re- 45. Cans .

25 . To make able.

2 ? p 1 . ·

1 th

46. To blunder; to stray.

27. Not s ta le.

DOWN

.....

er alnlng o

e nose.

30. T'J speak or to mention;

24. s .mooth and glossy.

1. Rewards.

to nominate.

26. The s!d e oppos!le to the 2. A small rodent.

34. Elephants have them.

. 1 .

3. Covered with ice.

35. A boy's name.

28 Anght. 4 Calm· unruffled 29. To concl~de; to cease . s: A v/ord tha t ~xpresses 36. An approach. 31. To cut w1th a scythe. negation. 38. To have on . 32. A f!ymg mammal. 6. Precious stones. 41. Female sheep . 33. A flower. 7. Royal Navy (abbr.) 43 . Same as 28 across. · preposl IOn.

(Solution on Page 32) 19

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

July, 1959

July, 195S

Brisbano Girls' Grammar School Magaz1ne

HUNTED It was high noon in the heart of the Leopolds as a tall, well built aboriginal stumbled past the sun-baked walls of the gap, and into the gorge below. He was Jerrabri, the notori o~s killer, and robber of outlying stations. Patrols had dogged h1s footsteps for days and he was now forced into the tribal refuge, a range of hills honeycombed by caves and passages where a hunted man might escape his pursuers if hard pressed. Selecting a suitable cave, he settled himself in a protected position and waited. A few minutes later, a patrol came riding dow:n the gorge. The trackers had cut his tracks and were working towards his hiding place. Gloatingly, Jerrabri raised his Winchester and fired at the foremost rider. To his disgust, the bullet missed its mark and, ricochetting off a boulder, it whined down the gorge. Instantly, the men leapt to cover and began a steady fire at the mouth of Jerrabri' s refuge. Half an hour later, Jerrabri's ammunition was a lmost ex- pended and he fired only occasionally. Suddenly, a chance bullet whistled into the cave and, glancing off a rock, it tore a gaping hole in his shoulder. Chewing his beard in agony, Jerrabri fired once more in to the sunlight a nd then crawled back into the dark passages. Knowing that the superstitious trackers would not venture inside and that the patrol men could not, he felt reasonably secure as he climbed the last tortuous path to the open air, and a ft er daubing wet clay on his wound, he confidently set out for his di stant hunting camp, leaving the baffled patrol to search the ranges in vain. -M. PAT2RSON, I!IB.

THE ARCHIBALD MEMORIAL, HYDE PARK, SYDNEY

FOUNTAINS, HYDE PARK, SYDNEY J. F. Archibald, when he died, left a sum of money for the erection of a bronze memorial to commemorate the association of France and Australia in World War I. This Archibald Mem- orial was erected in Hyde Park in Sydney. It is in the form of a fountain, one of the best works of sculpture of its kind in Australia. In the photograph the figure a t the top is Apollo who repre- sents the Arts . The' one on the left is Diana, the goddess of purity and the chase. In the centre is a young god of the fields and pastures, and on the right is Theseus vanquishing the Minotaur. In the background is St. Mary's Cathedral, one of the most beautiful pieces of Gothic architecture in Australia . -CLARE WILLIS, VIC. THE LEAF

Withered leaf thct has been b lown From the stem you called you own, Where a-re you going?-! cannot say. The storm broke down the gredt oak tree Which wc1s my strong but lone mainstay. The fickle winds from land and sea Have ~ode me follow in their train; Blown w here they will, (take no thought. From mount to va·le I have been brought, From the forest to the pla"in . I am going where the wind takes me, Without complaint or fear; I go where everything soon goes- Even the petals of the rose, And the laurel leaves grow sere. From a French poem by A. V. Arnault. 21

-C. YOUNG, VI A.

-M. VALLANCE.

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Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Maqazine

July, 1959

'Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Maqazine

July,: 1959

THE WARRUMBUNGLES Names on a map have always held a particular fascination ior me. Many of the Aboriginal names gracing our maps have a beauty that has been recognized by Australian poets. The name Warrumbungle has a grotesqueness which is in keeping with a range of volcanic monoliths, stark and dramatic, sur- rounded by eucalypt scrub. North-west of Coonabarabran and east of Gilgandra in central New South Wales they lie, a tangled mass of peaks, rising to heights of 1500 to 2000 feet above the general level of the plain. Oxley in his journey down the Murray River climbed Mt Harris in 1818 and wrote that he saw "a most stupendous range of mountains," which he called the Arbuthnot Range. In 1953 the whole area was officially gazetted as a National Park, donated by a grazier of the Wambelong Valley. This history we did not know when we entered the Worrum- bungle National Park at the very end of last December. From Coonabarabran to the entrance, the skyline had been jaggedly exciting. The colour of the peaks was a deep blue, accentuated by the pale blue of the sky and the yellow of the dry grass in the foreground. Our car bumped over the dry bed of Cummin- Cummin Creek and along the road past the tent of the ranger, who greeted us heartily. He had spent that morning nailing aluminium markers along a hiking route. We set up camp near the creek under Belougery Cleft Rock. As I lay that evening near the tent facing the rock, the setting sun shone through the

CRATER BLUFF.

cleft restoring in part its natural reddish colour, while the rest lay in sombre shadow. The following morning we drove to Camp Fincham and started our hike from there. The gums towered over the track, blotting out all views of the mountains, and for several miles, when gaily coloured rosellas claimed our attention, we had no indication of the grandeur we were to see. The mountains are volcanic in nature and consist of the old trachyte cores of volcanoes, resembling the Glasshouse Mountains. Ledges, ter- races and some tablelands are sandstone of Jurassic and Triassic origin, while other tablelands are basalt -flows . Sud- denly, after the last crossing of the dry Spirey Creek, the track zig-zagged up a steep slope. There appeared through the trees an amazingly slender needle of rock, 500 feet high, its width ranging from a knife edge to ten feet. Soon afterwards we caught our first glimpse of Belougery Spire, an impressive towering pinnacle. ·we approached the Breadknife along a ledge high above a green valley, and as we skirted its base, it appeared to grow in width. Rock flaked away in my hand, and I could appreciate the, courage and skill of the few people who have scaled its heights. Given new life by the breath- taking view of Belougery Spire, now quite close. Else and I hurried up to the top. As we struggled up the last few hundred yards, we continually turned round to see the Breadknife from above and the valley surrounding it. I sank exhausted on a flat rock to gaze down. 23

FROM BELOUGERY SPIRE TO· THE BREADKNIFE. 22

July, 1959

Brisbane GilJls' Grammar School Magazine

Brisbane Girlls' Grammar School Magazine

July, 1959

FLIGHT Engine throbbing, a blue and white man-made bird g lides from the tarmac, across the expanse of grass, and wheels to face into the wind. Shivering under maximum throttle, the single-engined, four- seater monoplane woits, as the pilot gives his instruments and controls a final quick but thorough check, then watches the control tower till eventually the green light appears. The brakes are released and we hurtle up the runway until flying speed is reached. Flaps down, ailerons level, and elevators raised, we speed on, as the ground falls away below, and the Piper Cub is airborne. ·we are watching the rapidly shrinking airfield and the surrounding houses. How neat they all look. Timber in the yard of a sawmill seems like a pile of matchsticks. The brown ribbon of creek threads its winding passage through fields the size of pocket handkerchiefs, bordered by fence posts as big as splinters. Both metaphoricc:rlly c:rnd literally spec:rking, we are on top of the world, and our hearts sing in tune with the engine. -H.G., VB.

Breadknife was only one of the remains of a crater rim in a distinct circle. To the east lay Belougery Spire, with a dark hawk wheeling excitedly about a ledge close to the summit, and near it was Crater Bluff, dramatically rising several hundred feet from the gums. The horizon to the west was a shimmering gold, splotched with dark red, hazy in the distance. The green of the valley on the other side had a cooling effect-it was this I studied as we rested before it was time to start for home. Later , as we ca~e to Canberra with all its man-made be;:xuties and splendidly designed structures, I realized what a deep impression this majestic disorder had made on me. -JENNIFER NIELSEN, VB .

LOGAN CREEK, BRISBANE VALLEY.

B. NICHOLSON, VB.

NO AFTERNOON TEA There are only a few girls left in the room, And they too, will be leaving soon, They've :done their detention, all but me, I only hope I'm in time for tea . Oh why did I do my history in French? And why, oh why, did I make such c:t stench In the chemistry lab.? It was only in fun, And my remark in English was only a pun. I wonder wha-t my mother will say, And we had an early lessen !a-day; I could have been home having afternoon tEa, But it's half past four, that will never be.

-ADRIENNE BUCHANAN, II!D.

-GERALDINE WHO::ELER, Form VA .

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25

Jqly, 1959

Brisbane Gids' Grammar School Magazine

Jqly, 1959

'Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

ENGULFED It all started in Calcutta. I left my ship to do some sight- seeing, and before long was standing before a bazaar, examin- ing some pottery. The Indian, not wishing to miss an oppor- tunity, began pestering me to buy something. .Seeing I was not interested, he brought forth a bronze lamp of such wonderful workmanship that I was immediately attracted to it, and he• had no difficulty in persuading me to buy it. However, my wife did not like it, and for years it stayed in the attic. Then, five years later, when I was searching for a picture frame, I discovered my lamp lying in a dusty corner. I picked it up and wiped off the surface dust. This operation brought to light an inscription I had not previously noticed. With the help of a friend of mine, an expert on Sanskrit, I managed to decipher it. The gist of it was that the owner of the lamp was granted a hundred wishes. Naturally I was sceptical, but, on trying it out, found, to my amazement, that it actually worked! The years after that discovery were happy ones. I procured myself a new laboratory and with the help of the lamp, con- ducted many successful experiments. One day, while studying an amoeba under a microscope, and watching it engulf a minute animal I had placed on the slide, I said, without thinking, "Looking through a microscope always seems to put me at a distance. Wish I could get down there among them and watch from close up." Next moment I found myself on the slide with the amoeba towering above me. The cries of the entrapped animal were ear-splitting-and I had to cover my ears in order to be able to think at all. I realized, of course, what had happened, and was about to wish myself out of this fantastic situation, when a sudden thought occurred to me. "Why, I'll bet no one has ever been in .this position before, I'll wait until it has moved close enough for me to touch it, and I'll be the only man ever to have touched an amoeba!" The unfortunate animal I had put on the dide was now gone, and the amoeba was advancing slowly towards me. I touched it lightly. The sensation sent chills down my spine and I hurriedly wished myself back in my original position. But nothing happened.

With rising apprehension I wished again. Panic stricken, I realized I must have used up my wishes! I turned to run, but found myself surrounded by a wall of protoplasm! I ran and threw myself at it, trying to break through by sheer force of weight. With a sob of terror I found myself held tenaciously by a strong sticky substance. Struggling to fre13 myself I noticed a layer of protoplasm seal off any hope of escaping through the top. Another layer closed over the bottom, trapping my feet as effectively as quick- sand. Screaming, I tore my hands out of the horrible stuff, but the impetus flung me headlong into the ghastly wall of death! I felt myself sucked in to the white stickiness... Gasping for breoth I swollowed o mouthful of water-my lungs bursting, it flashed upon me that I wos in the contractile vacuole, and I swam about desperately, looking for an opening. I knew I was drowning-! could not breothe. Enzymes were poured upon me-l screamed, and my lungs were filled with water-the pain was excrucioting-as I gasped out a final prayer the whole universe exploded with a blinding flash . ... Next instant I found myse lf standing in my laboratory. The windows had been shattered with the onslaught of the violent storm and rain was blowing into the room. The lamp lay-shattered on the floor. I realized that · its power was no more. With a prayer of thanks I went out to tell my wife, knowing of course, that she would never believe me.

-BARBARA KAY, VA.

- ROSLYN TAYLOR. Form IV C.

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27

July, 1959

Brisban€1 Girls' Grammar Schcol Niagazine

July, 1959

Brisbane Gir'ls# Grammar School Magazine

There is one mine, Golden Ridges, which is not far distant from Wau, still in operation. Visitors are permitted to inspect it. Koranga open-cut, on the edge of the township is also an interesting sight. Immense volumes of water harnessed for the purpose, are directed with tremendous force on to the mountain face, tearing it away while the incessant search continues. Natives do most of thE:? work. The New Guineo: native, as distinct from the Papuan, is darker in colour o:nd slower of movement. Their ho:ircut is different and their meris (women folk) dress differently. The natives we saw around Wau seemed td be o: particularly good- natured, lo:w-abiding· type, although we were told that the Kuku-kukus, a very small built but warlike tribe, are not far away. The water "races" which harness water for sluicing opera- tions in the open-cut mines are in themselves picturesque. There are three; high level, mid level and low level, each with o: cleared path beside it for maintenance purposes, which pro- vides an easy and pleasant walk. The mo:n-made waterways wind endlessly o:round the mountainsides, sometimes just o: channel, sometimes encased with wood. At higher levels clusters of native huts used by the "bois" in charge of the section add interest to the scenery. , We thought thot we really understood before we left ·wau, why a retired Englishman and his friend, a Frenchman, both artists, who have roamed the world and continue to do so at intervals, have settled there and surrounded themselves by a garden containing almost every known kind of flower or shrub, with an Olympic sized swimming pool set in its midst, filled by the Little Wcxu Creek. Almost anything seems to grow in this enchanting emerald valley which surrounds Wau. -LEONIE BUCHANAN, VC. JACARANDA The murky smog envelops all the town , Factories, shops, the newly-wakened streets Are lost in mists of yellow and of brown While the risi.ng sun this pall of vapour meets . Yet look! Against this ugly man-made cloud, This symbol of a leading city's power A jacarandd, by God's hand endowed With silhouetted trunk and purple flower , Stands, clothed in g lorious simplicity; And, oh, what joy, what love, wells up in me! -R. McDONALD, VIA. 29

THE WAU VALLEY Nestled in a basin in the rugged Owen Stanley Ranges lies Wau. Here WE! spent an enjoyable fortnight escaping the endless enervating heat of Port Moresby. The flight to Wau over this majestic range with miles upon miles of tree tops broken only by river gorges, affords a full appreciation of the seemingly impenetrable jungle which confronted the soldiers who blazed the Kokoda Trail. ThE! beauty and grandeur of New Guinea is also striking during the flight. Many of the rivers form a delta before mingling with the deep, deep blue of the sea and the mountain peaks rise so high that pilots seek a course between them. There is no night flying in New Guinea owing to the danger of these peaks and even for day flying, pilots need a sound knowledge of the area to avoid "stuffed cloud" or mountain peaks, obscured by the cloud formation. The light and shade in the valleys forms an enchanting picture. Over one of these valleys we circled and quickly lost height, which produced an eerie feeling as the pine clad mountains completely surrounded us. w·e made an abrupt landing on the strangest airstrip I have ever seen. It is on a steep slope and we tax;ied up the runway to halt at a spot with a pretty view all over Wau. The famous Bulolo pines dotted up the mountain sides made a lovely picture; the dark green of a coffee plantation stretched beyond the foot of the runway. In this plantation lies the wreckage of a huge freighter, which, on its maiden flight, was left insufficiently chocked and careered down the treacherous slope to its doom. Keindi, a peak of gre:Jt altitude, shelters Wau on the east and the morning sunshine rarely reaches the valley early. Sometimes such a thick mist veils the valley to Bulolo that the whole effect resembles a huge lake covering the area. We made a trip to the summit of this peak by jeep, taking supplies to the few miners who now remain there. The wealth of Edie Creek at one time was fabulous. The winding, narrow road has a steep ferny cutting on one side and a sheer drop into the gorge on the other. The scenery was magnificent as the township of Wau gradually vanished, lost in the valleys. At our destination we were amazed to find a delightful garden displaying flowers never thought of for Port Moresby gardens . It seemed incredible that it could be cold enough in New Guinea in the heart of summer to grow these plants. 28

July, 195~_

July,. 1959

Brisbane GirJs' Grammar School Maqazine

Brisbane Gi~ls' Grammar School Maqazine

THE: LADY OF SNOWDON Every child has learned a little of the history of the British Isles, but it is surprising to realize what a small knowledge we have of the history of Wales, and of the last queen of the land, The Lady of Snowdon. We have all read the story of Gelert, Llewellyn's hunting dog, who was killed os the result of a great deed. His :inaster, Llewellyn, was the greatest and last of the Welsh princes. His. wife is reputed to hove been the most beautiful and ·kindly maiden in the country. She was Eleanor, the daughter of Simon de Montfort, and she had fled to France after her father's death in battle. Eleanor had sailed from France with her destination as Woles, but she had been captured by English sailors on the way, and taken to London. In the ensuing year, peace was made between Wales and England and eventually, Eleanor was allowed to journey to Wales to become Llewellyn's wife. The Welsh subjects loved their queen, and she is remembered as a great peacemaker, for, during the years after her marriage, Eleanor maintained the peace between England ond Wales. In her position as Queen of Wales, she possessed the title of "The Lady of Snowdon," and being the last person to hold that name, she is often remembered by it. Eleanor lived in the island of Anglesey, and throughout her lifetime, Wales prospered. Four years after her marriage, Eleanor died, and with her death came the end of peace and happiness in Wales, as, soon afterwards, war broke out. Llewellyn was killed, and the English were victorious. From that time, the Welsh hove had no queen except the Queen of England, and with Llewellyn, died the history of Wales as on independent nation.

-E. EDWARDS, IIIB.

SUN-STRUCK

Windings of smoke Steepled and curled in a mellow profusion Of sun-suckled flowers and fruit; Thick gold on blunder ing heat-drunk bees Glowed warmly and faded;

Dust-dulled, yet red-gold, hens murmured contentment; Petals afire with ecstastic colour, Sunflowers blC!zed their message of gladness; All had their moment of glory- Then clouds hid the sun.

-JENIFER KELLY, VB .

- MERRILYN LEAGH-MURRA Y, VA.

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30

Brisbano Girls' Grammar Schcol Magazlne

july, 1959

july, 19591

Brisbane Gh11.s' Grammar School Magazine

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD.

WHY I WOULD PElEPER ONLY ONE MAGAZINE A YEAR To the group of happily chattering girls comes the word from the one on guard, "SHE'S coming!" Something in these words causes half of the number to slink away fearfully, while those who are left, half-laughing, half-pitying, await "HER" arrival staunchly, but then, they have nothing to fear. As I guiltily dod9e around corners and hide myself away in secluded spots, maybe accompanied by another refugee, still shivering from the last brush with "HER," I wonder what I have done to deserve such persecution. Perhaps it was the piece of doggerel I wrote months ago, carelessly left lying about, that has brought this state of affairs on my head. I cannot hide for much longer; delay will only worsen matters, so at last, I set out on my task. By dinner-time, one verse only is on paper and not much more in my head, but summoning all my courage, I assume a satisfied air and actually face "HER" when "SHE" next ap- proaches. To the inevitable question I manage an appeasing answer and depart, cdter assuring the persevering form maga- zine representative that my contribution will be in on Friday morning. Now pEla·ce at last; at lunch-time bell ThG copy's in her hand, And all, thank goodness! now is well. But such pests should all be bann'd! -A. NONNY, assisted by MOUSE, !VB. ON A MAY MORNING There's something afoot this morning! The sun has just breasted the horizon, the chilling, penetrating morning mists. hang like a pall over the place; yet it is already humming with activity. People are hurrying from place to place, but eventu- a lly, all strangely garbed, they run to gravitate towards a long , narrow strip of ground, where they stand shivering, pathetically huddled together for warmth. Earliest arrivals have, it seems, secured the choice position, and hold these, with triumph, against the onslaught of glares and veiled insults directed at them by their less fortunate fellows . As more people arriv10?, and the rising sun throws more light on the subject, the crowd is seen to be broken up into many small groups, some actively hostile to others. Within each group, there is anxious counting of heads, and each new addition to the group is hailed with elation. Eight or nine seems to be the· desired total, as when this is achieved by some group, there is a perceptible lessening in the anxiety and tension evident on 33

28 . On. 29 . End . 31. Reap . 32. Bat. 33. Aster. 35. Tub . 36. Am. 37. Us. 38 . We. 39. Illude. 40. Sheer. 42 . Mae. 43. O .K. 44. W.A.

ACROSS

45 . Tins. 46. Err.

13. Bolster. 15. Awake, 19. Ale . 21. Globular. 23. Dipper. 25 . Enable.

l. Prisoners. 9 . Be. 11. Race. 12. Omnibus. 14. Iterate.

DOWN

l. Prizes. 2. Rat. 3. Iced. 4. Serene. 5. Not. 6. Emeralds. 7. R.N . 8 . Sill. 9. Busy. 10. Est.

27. Fresh. 30. Name. 34. Tusks.

16. Lost. 17. Dew. 18 . Rally. 20. EG 22. Nasal. 24 . Sleek. "26. Left.

35 . Tim. 36. Adit. 38. Wear. 41. Ewe. 43. On. -ESMA HANSEN, VC.

-ANN COOPER, III E.

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