Wightman

A pot of tea solves most problems. First Australians enjoyed a herbal brew made from native plants. There was tea aboard the First Fleet. In 1882, Alfred Bushell opened the first tea shop in Queensland. His sons would form the Bushell’s Company in Sydney during 1899. Much loved Scottish Comedian, Billy Connolly recently offered in his lament, the melancholic television series, Made in Scotland, “But tea is the best substance in the world. Tea, I love tea. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel jolly. Tea is the substance,” he said. Connolly, like many working-class Brits, fell victim to the dreaded drink but is now considered a pin-up for teetotalism; a term used by the Preston Temperance Movement to demand abstinence from alcohol in the 1830’s. Kath & Kim stars and writers Gina Riley and Jane Turner created every episode at Turner’s house. They would drink coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon to fuel and replenish their creative juices. In our family, tea is a...

My late father would often quote the famous saying “penny wise and pound foolish” coined by Mathematician, Oxford University Scholar, and vicar of St. Thomas’s Church, Robert Burton in his therapeutical memoir which became a medical textbook, The Anatomy of Melancholy first published in 1621. A person who is “penny wise and pound foolish” is said to be be careful with small amounts of money but wasteful with large sums. I am confident my dad was unaware of the saying’s origin, however that didn’t inhibit its regular use. And like many analogies and idioms and sayings we adapt meaning over time, in this case 400 years, to suit our own interpretation. He would most often refer to the saying when discussing suits. Ill-fitting clothing was his biggest gripe. Suits that “fell off the shoulders” or “were swimming on him” should be avoided at all costs. Dad followed with advice regarding preparedness to pay that little bit extra to ensure the wearer would not return to their chosen purv...

The 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, glimmered hope of bringing the troops home from chaotic war efforts in Vietnam when he prematurely offered in the early 1960’s, “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.” The saying, although not of the president’s pen, was popularised because of his world standing. I found myself in a tunnel this week with family and friends. The Derby Tin Mining Tunnel is an amazing section of the Blue Derby Mountain Bike Trails. The Examiner Newspaper’s Deputy Editor, Zona Black, wrote of the tunnel in 2017 before access was granted on a 29er. “It was built in the late 1800’s to wash away tailings from the mine. It was the means to an end of a feud between three companies who couldn’t decide how to dispose of the by-product. “So one mine’s management took it upon themselves to drill through the granite to make a tunnel, and that was that,” Ms Black wrote in 2017. In the North-East, granite is even more common than potatoes ...

Richard ‘Harry’ Harris exits stage left. The audience hold their applause until he is out of sight. A standing ovation doesn’t seem appropriate. Perhaps out of admiration, those in attendance remain seated while he stands. It is the first time I have experienced such deeply profound respect. ‘Dr Harry’ is a remarkable man with a remarkable story. Dr Richard Harris SC OAM is the joint 2019 Australian of the Year along with Dr Richard Challen SC OAM. Dr Harris is an anaesthetist and experienced cave diver who also has expertise in medical retrieval. Dr Challen is a veterinary surgeon, technical diver and cave explorer. Both men played crucial roles in the rescue of the Wild Boars - 12 junior football players and their assistant coach trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai Province , Thailand . They were also awarded the Star of Courage, which recognises acts of bravery by members of the community. Dr Harris and Dr Challen were recruited by British cave adven...

In recent weeks, two sporting heroes exemplified the ups and downs of life. It has been a case of triumph and tragedy. Triumph is often associated with war, competition and, ultimately, victory. Great achievements borne of great struggle and sacrifice become stuff of legend. Tragedy, conversely, quickly shelves the euphoria associated with triumph and balances the highs of victory. Tasmanian Tim Paine, the accidental Australia Test Cricket Captain, perhaps two years ago more likely to sell you a Kookaburra bat than lead his country to victory in the Ashes in England, made us proud. And then Danny Frawley, the St Kilda legend and media personality who was the funny guy, died. Frawley passed away as a result of a car crash. He had suffered depression for a significant period and, as a result, bravely became an advocate for those suffering mental health issues. There is a common saying that the Australian Test Cricket Captain is only second in importance to the Prime Minister. The...

You may not know it, but the Local Government portfolio is one of the most important ministries in any government. Local Government is a key driver of economic development and vital for service delivery. Whilst the refrain of 'rates, roads and rubbish' regarding Councils’ remit is certainly a truism, Local Governments around Tasmania also reflect the views of their communities and, for the most part, Tasmania has a pro-active and community-driven sector. I’ll leave the debate about Council amalgamations for another time! State Government's role is to set the framework within which Local Government operates and to provide Councils with the support needed to ensure that they function responsibly and responsively for their communities. That's why the Property Council was encouraged to see Mark Shelton appointed Local Government Minister in the last Cabinet reshuffle. There aren't too many people in the Meander Valley who haven't dealt directly with Mr Shelton...

When world number 2 Naomi Osaka convinced 15-year old Coco Gauff to join her for an interview on Arthur Ashe Stadium at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the US Open, the world took notice. Not because Osaka had convincingly defeated her young opponent. Rather, she chose to acknowledge Gauff and recognise her life journey thus far. Gauff was in tears; overcome with emotion and no doubt releasing pressure by reacting in a child-like manner: weeping with disappointment. Osaka consoled her; it was a touching moment and a valuable lesson. There are times we find excuses for professionals who we admire, convincing ourselves that they have been wronged or unfairly treated. They haven’t. It just doesn’t suit the opinion we wish to have of our sporting heroes at that time. Yet, this was such a different moment in sport. It was refreshing. We are so accustomed to hyper-competitiveness often stimulated by fame and fortune which produces poor sportspersonship. I was no different, a...

I enjoy stories told by people from all walks of life, positions in society and representative of our diverse communities. And although I don’t mind a chat, perhaps surprisingly, listening has always been my strength. My parents had children later in life; bringing with them a world of experience, which encouraged wisdom to be nurtured.  My brother and I were very fortunate and, with no other family in Australia, listening to our elders occurred regularly and was expected. As a result of that upbringing, inquisitiveness and current job, I spend significant time travelling, much of that in taxis talking to drivers. My opening line usually begins with, “My parents were born in Northern Ireland, how about yours?” Ninety-nine per cent of the time, I am chatting with a matured-aged, overseas born male student, either studying at university or finding the transition to work in jobs like accounting difficult. We initially discuss their homeland. Of war-torn countries and family terror,...

As Australians, we have a perverse admiration for sportspeople performing heroics on the field after serious injury. Names such as McCosker, Brereton, DiPierdomenico, Ponting, and Cronk - who played an NRL Grand Final with shoulder injuries like a car crash victim, have all been lauded for their bravery. And now it has happened again. The former Australian Test Cricket Captain, Steve Smith, should never have resumed his innings during the fourth day of the recent Ashes Test at Lords. Admittingly, I am not a brain expert, medical doctor nor trauma specialist, however I understand duty of care in the workplace. And for professional cricketers, the cricket field is just that. Smith had already been struck a significant blow on the forearm with a large haematoma developing before medical staff could run out to assist. He was then felled by a 148kmph thunderbolt from English debutant and Hobart Hurricanes player Jofra Archer. And although he was wearing a helmet (without a StemG...

Launceston City Council Deputy Mayor, Councillor Danny Gibson will no longer present his weekly Events in Northern Tasmania segment on ABC breakfast radio. For full disclosure, Danny Gibson is my friend. Launceston is a small regional city. Tasmania is a small state. Across the North-East, it’s not uncommon to know many townsfolk or, in fact, be related to them. On most occasions, living in a close-knit community is pleasurable and relaxed; with g’day or hello common greetings when strolling the city, suburbs or towns; offering salutations to people you only know through tenuous community or family connections. It’s what sets us apart. In a mainland city it just doesn’t happen; it’s too big and too busy to enjoy the pleasantries that we hold dear. Occasionally, familiarity has its drawbacks. Particularly if wearing ‘tracky dacks’ or ‘sneens’ with bedhead hair accompanying your quick trip to the shops, because you’re in such a hurry to grab the kids’ ‘must-haves’. The emb...

I’ve had the misfortune of meeting Walter Mikac AM. Walter, the husband of Nanette and father of Alannah and Madeline, was playing golf on 28 April 1996 when his family, and 32 others, were horrifically gunned down by a deranged psychopath at Port Arthur. He is a beautiful man, but I wish I’d never met him. Diminutive, attentive yet softly spoken, unassuming, and generous with his time even though he shuns the spotlight. Understandably, Walter rarely speaks at events nor attends memorials; he prefers it that way. A charitable organisation he co-founded, and remains patron, was established in response. The Alannah and Madeline Foundation’s most recognisable initiative are Buddy Bags which provide vulnerable children escaping trauma and violence with basic essentials. As a result of the tragedy we, as Tasmanians, view gun violence and mass shootings through an unenviable lens. Further, we are very clear about how to limit such events ever happening again. Former Prime Ministe...

Rodney Howell and Riverside High School There is a story about retired Riverside High School Assistant Principal and Exeter Primary School Principal, Mr Rod Howell that you may not know. A version of events that, until now, he has never shared publicly. When the recent search and rescue operation of a 57 year old Victorian man, and a father and daughter from Western Australia began in the Tasmanian highlands during the depths of winter, along with compassion and hope, I had two thoughts: Antarctic Explorers Shackleton and Mawson, and the tragic tale of Teacher-in-Training, Ewen McLeod Scott “aged 27 years” and Riverside High School student, David Julien Kilvert “aged 14 years” who perished on an expedition to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair Reserve, “…on or about the 21st day of May, 1965…” (Coroner’s Report, 3 August 1965). 14-Year-old Riverside High School Head Prefect, Rodney Howell along with 14 schoolmates; a visiting student from Sydney and three teachers took part in the muc...

I don’t have anything against four-wheel drive vehicles nor those who traverse the beaten track. In fact, we own a car capable of such adventures. However, my relationship with the four-wheel-driving community was once, best described as, strained. During 2012, thousands of enthusiasts escorted me on a drive to Smithton to discuss the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area. It’s fair to say that there was no one on my side of the decision-making matrix, but they were quite respectful. Thus, it was with a sense of irony that we began our journey, with dear friends, from Bridport to Bellingham last weekend on a track known as St Albans Bay, described in 4WD parlance as hard. Following completion…the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife website told me that the classification of hard means: “These tracks are for experienced four-wheel drive or trail bike users only. Deep bogs, steep slopes, and soft sand will test your driving skills. Travelling in company is the only way to traverse these tracks sa...

When I was a young bloke, fortunate to be travelling overseas, a family member said to me on mentioning Tasmania, “Tanzania you mean!” The assembled crowd laughed heartily in unison. It was in jest, but a common jibe that made me retract into my young shell. As a result, I would often lower my eyes and place my chin on my chest when asked where I was from. The United Republic of Tanzania is situated in East Africa. The country is famous for Mt. Kilimanjaro, a volcano which is the highest point in Africa – 5895 metres above sea level. Tanzania has very little similar with Tasmania apart from a capital T and British colonial rule, which ended in 1962 yet continues with gusto in Australia. You don’t need to cast your mind too far back to remember when our state was considered a backwater, both economically and socially. The endless taunts from mainlanders aimed at dismissing Tasmania from any important discussion regarding the fabric of Australian life and rarely, if ever, the positive im...

It’s a long flight From Launceston, Tasmania to Perth, Western Australia; two flights for those travelling from the northern capital. Not lengthy by international standards where the LAX -Melbourne flight reigns supreme in terms of testing emotional strength, but a long internal flight from the bottom of the earth to a point just slightly above. Business travel presents significant opportunities for catch-up; reading meeting papers or making time for professional reading. However, I am predictable and, although with the best of intentions, a movie will take my fancy, and the in-depth component of work tasks will have to wait. Western Australia is, by landmass, Australia’s largest state - 2,527,013 square kilometres (32.9% of Australia’s total) compared to Tasmania’s 68,401 (0.9%). It is rich in natural assets, particularly minerals, and rugged coastline, which attracts workers and tourists alike. In some ways, West Australians are like Tasmanians; isolated from the east coast and prou...

Tasmania can, at times, be considered an isolated place. It doesn’t take much thought to understand why Van Diemen’s land was chosen as a penal colony – a small island at the bottom of the world surrounded by rugged coastline with harsh winters on barren lands; just perfect to discourage escape. More than 73,000 prisoners made their way to our shores from 1803-1853 with many of their ancestors still calling Tasmania home. And whilst once a secretive harbour of shame like many distant pasts, it’s now trendy or hipster to have convict heritage. Acknowledging that Port Arthur was still operating in Tasmania just 166 years ago is important when considering our modern-day activism, behaviour and leadership. By contrast the palawa had, until that point, happily roamed the lands for 50,000 years, and the Europeans had been colonising the world for 500. “We punch above our weight” is an overused yet popular phrase, which is currently employed to describe Tasmania’s performance from the e...

Last year, I wrote an article that appeared in Talking Point about some clear warning signs in Hobart’s housing market. Following Hobart City Council’s homelessness summit, I thought it an ideal time to reflect on what was happening then, where we are at now, and how as a community we can work together to respond to the housing crisis. During 2018, Hobart had the hottest housing market in the country. Growth rates for housing prices were in double digits. Everyone lucky enough to have bought a house by late last century, when it wasn’t uncommon to buy a tidy three-bedroom residence in a good suburb and get change from $250,000, was sitting pretty on a rapidly appreciating nest egg. Last year, I highlighted that the boom in prices was beginning to squeeze out many Hobartians who had previously never struggled to find a good house at a reasonable price to either rent or buy, in an area where they wanted to live. The homelessness crisis is something that we, as citizens of one o...