Unspoken Realities: A Comment on the Howard Era

Recently Penny Wong was asked, What's your vision of the best Australia can be, in the world? She replied: I have a view that foreign policy is obviously an expression of the assertion and prosecution and protection of one's national interests and values; it is also the expression of identity. Referencing Gough Whitlam she continued … Continue reading Unspoken Realities: A Comment on the Howard Era

Reflections on Borders: Empire, Cold War and Covid19

For a wide review of these themes lookout for my latest collection of short stories, Beyond Borders.For some, the notion of borders is that of a hard border, one clearly defined and assertively maintained. Certainly, in the Covid19 era borders reflect this standard, yet borders are by no means constant, or definite, whatever the political … Continue reading Reflections on Borders: Empire, Cold War and Covid19

#COVID19 and writing about Jakarta Dois

  Being forced to remain at home for long periods through this pandemic is an existential challenge for some, for me it's ushered in a new dawn for my creative writing. There is no longer the excuse or distraction of browsing through Chinatown or Little India. People in my age group have been advised to … Continue reading #COVID19 and writing about Jakarta Dois

About the book ‘Seen and unseen: a century of stories from Asia and the Pacific’

‘Seen and Unseen: a century of stories from Asia and the Pacific’, is 29 short stories in the genre of creative non-fiction. Tracing Australian connections with Asia and the Pacific through three generations, it is published in 2015 by Glass House Books an imprint of Interactive Publications (IP) ISBN: 9781925231182. Also, in Kindle and as … Continue reading About the book ‘Seen and unseen: a century of stories from Asia and the Pacific’

Where the crow flies backwards

S.S. Nile on the bed of the Darling River south of Bourke, NSW, during a drought. The image was taken by the journalist C. E. W. Bean for the Sydney Morning Herald, circa 1909, (Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons, object no. 00017014). This isn't a long post just a footnote about the Darling … Continue reading Where the crow flies backwards

Cubbie: An Uncle’s Tale

This is a story from Ronni Salt, @MsVeruca on Twitter. I've restructured it a little and added some supporting links, articles and active graphics. “Back home at the farm,” she said, “uncle called and regaled us with a yarn about Cubbie Station, the largest private water holder in the southern hemisphere.” The gist of his story … Continue reading Cubbie: An Uncle’s Tale

Where Australia Collides with Asia – by Ian Burnet

Some historical narratives can be difficult to follow when they are punctuated by countless footnotes and bibliographic references, or broken by a frequent need to delve into appendices. Ian Burnet frees his work from these impediments.  By seamlessly embedding his sources he has produced an almost conversational style. The result is an erudite narrative flow, … Continue reading Where Australia Collides with Asia – by Ian Burnet

#BookLaunch of ‘Seen & Unseen: a century of stories from #Asia & the #Pacific’

  This is a Chitter Media Production, produced and edited by Adrian Metlenko, camera operators Adrian Metlenko and Evan Darnley-Pentes.

A sampler of ‘Seen and Unseen: a century of stories from #Asia & the #Pacific’

Here is an overview of my book Seen and Unseen: a century of stories from Asia & the Pacific with a selection of images reflecting aspects of the stories that unfold in its pages. Both paperback and kindle versions of the book are available through Amazon. Further background on my book is also available on it's website.

The author on “Seen and Unseen: a century of stories from #Asia and the #Pacific”

Common views of Asia and the Pacific, from the outside, often confer undue prominence to such things as typhoons, tsunami, earthquakes, malaria or even magic. While these can be confronting realities in the Asia-Pacific region beyond such differences even more remains unseen and misunderstood. Frequently unacknowledged are the influences Asian and Pacific cultures exert far beyond their borders. … Continue reading The author on “Seen and Unseen: a century of stories from #Asia and the #Pacific”