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A moment of mass defiance and 36 years of celebration
Hat, Gay Mardi Gras, 1984. 1984 By William Yang. Contributed by National Library of Australia nla.pic-vn3097670 This year is the 36th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras. The annual parade on 1 March marks the end of a…
A hidden Valentines Day story
Cook and crewmen: detail of Captain Cook window at Cranbrook, Bellevue Hill. 1982 By Douglass Baglin. Contributed by Private collection (By kind permission of the Baglin estate) I'm not sure you could say we are romantics here at the Dictionary but…
Chinatown
Chinese fruit and vegetable hawker c1895. Contributed by National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an24615958 This morning on 2SER Breakfast, historian Nicole Cama joined Tim for the Dictionary's weekly segment on all things Sydney. Being Chinese New Year, Nicole delved in to the…
Sydney welcomes the Year of the Horse
Sze Yup Temple in Edward Lane, Glebe 1904. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales, BN336, The Sydney Mail, 3 February 1904, p 287 Did you clean your house from top to bottom and pay off all…
Snow in Sydney?!
SNOWY TUESDAY, June 30, 1836. The Colonist, Sydney, NSW, p 4 Courtesy National Library of Australia via TROVE http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31718204 A photograph uncovered in the City of Sydney Archives recently appears to show frost or snow in Sydney in the 1870s. It…
Anniversary day
The Anniversary Polka 1853. By Henry Marsh. Contributed by National Library of Australia nla.mus-an6442810 (Composed & Dedicated to the Committee of Management of the Anniversary Regatta) Anniversary day? What's that?! Well, if you tuned in to 2SER Breakfast with Tim Higgins…
Thomas Gale, aeronaut extraordinaire
Balloon ascent of Mr Thomas Gale from Victoria Park, 14 January 1871. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales, A928616/F8/40. The Illustrated Sydney News, 21 January 1871, p1, Dixson Library Continuing her talks about Sydney summer traditions…
A cracker of a night
Sydney Harbour on New Year's Eve 2013 (Photo: Karl Bayer, First Light Photography Courtesy: City of Sydney) As you oohed and aahed at the magnificent display of fireworks on New Year's Eve, did you pause to wonder where it all began?…
Thank you and happy holiday reading
Christmas tree in 2UW radio studio 24 December 1937, courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW (hood_17028 / Home & Away 17028) Happy summer holidays and festive season to all our readers! The Dictionary team wishes you all a pleasant holiday season…
The little Sydney rock
Oyster farmers David Corstorphine of Tuncurry, 78, and Fred Selmon of Georges River, 70, enjoy oysters at Dolls Point. By Sam Hood. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales, A368001/PXE 789 (v.38),1 Lisa has been doing a…