As we waited for Catherine Freeman to adorn our screens last Sunday evening in an ABC documentary celebrating her triumph at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, I took a screenshot of a tweet from local contributor @sallyjgill who posted at 1.45pm.
Simply put Ms Gill shared a photo of road signs 15 kilometres from yingina / Great Lake festooned with red spray paint covering the dual name with a racist tag penned by a bogan showcasing all the traits that should make us cringe.
Read MoreWe then had the Prime Minister and Minister Peter Dutton, both former Immigration Ministers, calling for compassion and humanity after a daughter was denied entry to Queensland to attend her father's funeral due to, ironically, tough border controls as a result of COVID-19.
Their plea for common sense was warranted, but not without a level of hypocrisy.
There has been no better example of a debate that requires compassion than that of asylum seekers and refugees across the world.
Read MoreTwenty-twenty is akin to wartime where we ask leaders to bring us together, to help them fight the good fight. From bushfires at the start of the year to a health pandemic and subsequent global recession, it is difficult to recall a time where references to British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill and Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, have been more prevalent. But it makes sense.
In a crisis we need a familiar face to reassure us that everything will be ok. To look us in the eye and, with compassion, tell us what we don’t want to hear.
Read MoreIt must be more than 30 years since I was a customer on Launceston's Cataract Gorge Scenic Chairlift. In fact, we simply referred to the attraction as the Basin chairlift in the late 1980s.
On that occasion my brother and I witnessed a young reveller, who would perhaps now feature on the Facebook page Chit Chat Launceston, attempting to impress his girlfriend by leaping form the chair into the tree rhododendrons close to the arrival point on the Trevallyn side.
The consequence of this stunt was violently swinging chairs for those who followed with a quick exit required to regain composure once the platform was clear.
Read MoreHow much do you know about Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War?
If I asked you a similar question about the World Wars including the Gallipoli Campaign, the Western Front, the Kokoda Track, and Hellfire Pass, would you be able to answer in more detail? Could you tell me about posthumous Victoria Cross Winner, forever 18-year-old Tasmanian Ordinary Seaman Edward "Teddy" Sheehan VC who, wounded and on the brink of death, strapped himself to an Oerlikon cannon on the sinking HMAS Armidaleto protect his mates.
My hypothesis is - you could.
Read MoreAs I cast an eye across our back deck a couple of Wednesdays ago, it appeared the Easter Bunny had returned to Tasmania with pitter-patter paw prints transforming the boards into a winter wonderland.
On closer inspection the prints were far larger than expected, resembling the heavy footed and rarely sighted Easter hare in gumboots who appeared to have trampled through settled snow.
Read MoreThe dancers, who attend several different primary and high schools around Launceston, come together as the tightest of friends to practise, rehearse, and perform at the highest level possible.
They form a formidable dancing clan: committed, dedicated, tightknit, and full to the brim with kindness and support for one another. And as much as Pearl MacDonald works hard at her own performance, it is her clan that she cares for most.
"Our dance community is encouraging and caring. We support each other to do our best and we make sure no one is left out," she said.
A clan is steeped in Scottish tradition.
Read MoreTaylor Swift’s folklore is also available with eight different CD and vinyl sleeves, an exclusive bonus track, and even on cassette tape for the most dedicated Walkman carrying fans.
Anecdotal evidence harvested from social media suggests that Swift’s unlikely pairing with indie folk outfit Bon Iver in the reflective lament, exile is most likely to have you scrolling for the repeat function on streaming services.
But I have fallen for betty. With its strong acoustic guitar flow and harmonica accompaniment, the track has you yearning for Taylor Swift’s 2006 self-titled debut album which included breakthrough country hits like Tim McGrath and Our Song.
Read MoreHis name was not Jacob, but he felt at home on a ladder.
A Jacob's Ladder can be found in several forms across the world. From a pedestrian staircase in Brisbane and a bridge in New Zealand to a scenic path in Scotland and a section of Route 20 in the US.
It is also the name of a 1990 horror film, a three-part pocketknife, and a spiritual song of African American slaves.
The origin of Jacob's Ladder comes from a passage in the King James Version of the Holy Bible from The Book of Genesis: Chapter 28 Verse 12 which states: "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it."
Read MoreShe craves the unpretentiousness of the people and the way they care for each other in good times and bad.
"There's a certain sense of humility. No one cares where you went to school, the car you drive, or how much you earn (probably because they already know...)," she said.
"Nevertheless, it really doesn't matter."
But even though the district remains her calling, Ms Joyce has her reasons to keep distant.
Read MoreThe last time I felt this anxious about the opening of a letter was in late 1993 when desperate to receive results that determined whether university entrance would be possible.
On Friday, 29 May 2020, the High Court of Australia reached a decision that a series of correspondence known as the “palace letters” could be made public.
Read MoreMr Ariti is privileged - he can work from his new home. An executive and sought-after corporate emcee and raconteur, his golden tonsils and turn of phrase remain in high demand.
Nonetheless an enforced break with a less hectic lifestyle will "do him good".
Just 18-months ago they took the plunge and invested in the state's booming real estate market finding their diamond far away from the hustle and bustle of the "inner ring of suburbs and big city life".
Read MoreIda eventually realised that there was a limit to feelings of simplistic comfort, particularly as the body aged and joints become less forgiving. Ida's 20-year tour of duty on the naturally hardened floor of a tent was a significant achievement, but it couldn't last.
Read MoreWith thanks to Master 11 Photography - https://master11photography.blogspot.com/
Hugh Finlay* had always loved winter. But as he aged the love lessened. Aching joints and low light and a substantial disagreement with physical activity added to the strains of life.
Endless cups of tea, reverse-cycle air conditioners set to 21 degrees, and whisky, in that order, warmed the portion of his soul that lived on the surface.
In Hugh's mind there was no need for regular exercise.
Read MoreAustralia has an uncomfortable past. It is simple to acknowledge but difficult to repair.
I did not hear nor recognise blatant racism until 16 years of age. I was left feeling shocked and my father demanded to know who made the offensive comment. He understood the impact of intolerance, not racism.
In viewing the harrowing footage that led to the rise of the Black Lives Matter protests, and the unacceptable looting and rioting, it is unsurprising that the issues have also found a home in our country.
Read MoreA volunteer found William Callaghan and chatted to him about Diesel. William Callaghan delightfully requested McDonald's.
Five hundred people joined the search. We expect no less. That is who we are, and it was heroic.
For all the heartache and worry, this was a joyous outcome.
Try to help those who are lost. It doesn't always work out. It doesn't always result in a positive outcome. But we will regret not trying.
Whoever you are - don't be a fair-weather friend. Don't be a fair-weather friend no matter the climate of life. Not that I need remind most Australians.
Feeling just momentarily lost is frightening enough.
Read MoreChief Justice Mason, an elderly gentleman who rarely speaks on the record, wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald about the events leading up to the November 1975 dismissal soon after I met him. In 2012 he stated:
"I played no part at all in the preparation of Sir John's statement of decision, nor was I asked to do so, though I prepared, at his request a draft letter terminating Mr Whitlam's commission [which Sir John did not adopt]."
We can catalogue photos and delete hard drives, but we can't rewrite history.
What we can do is acknowledge wrongdoings and learn from the past to ensure our future is fairer and more just.
We can also hold those responsible to account, try to forgive, and recognise that history is written by those "in the arena".
Read MoreThe US instructed either "put distance between yourself and other people", or six feet (182.88cm), the World Health Organization and Singapore chose one-metre and, underpinned by 1930's research, New Zealand went for two metres along with the UK who after finally falling for the metric system soon realised that it was easily explained with, "Och, just stay six feet apart - the height of your bairn, or wee'un, or littlin, or lad or lass..." affectionately used well after such descriptors should have lost relevance.
Read MoreMy earliest music memories are of mum singing a lullaby to soothe my fear of the dark and my father humming tunes from a life past.
Goodbye Dolly Gray, a song that Orange Order marching bands play when they parade in Northern Ireland on 12 July to signify the Battle of the Boyne (1690) where William III of Orange defeated his uncle and father-in-law King James II, is a tune that I remember from my childhood.
Read MoreAt our entrance trees have been planted covering Launceston's original mountain bike pump track. When I witnessed the new growth, my disappointment was all heart on sleeve. The Dolly Parton's America podcast overwhelming my ears was immediately paused but our West Highland Terrier was far more interested in chasing scent than stopping to feel sentimental.
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