James Cockington

Cockington has produced an admirable series of books on the less celebrated moments in Australian history, and continues the trend in "History happened here", covering the otherwise nondescript locales around Australia that played host to important events, like the Sydney hotel that played host to the Russian diplomat and defector Vladimir Petrov, the suburban Adelaide hideout of Great Train robber Ronnie Biggs hideaway house in Glenelg North, comedian Tony Hancock's suicide spot, the site in western Sydney where soldiers rioted in World War I, old Darwin Gaol which was bombed by the Japanese in 1942 and an old favorite mystery of mine, the venue for the Bogle-Chandler New Year's Eve party.

Some stories are better than others but "History happened here" is sure worth a read.… (mere)

Cockington follows his book on the 1960s in Australia, "Mondo Weirdo" with the 1970s in Australia guidebook "Mondo Bizarro", and shows, if anything, Australia was an even stranger place in the 1970s compared to the preceding decade.

I was born during the 1970s so only vaguely remember the tail end of it but will accept Cockington's statements that Australia in the 70s was all about nudity (with Abigail prominent), Australian Black Power, Cyclone Tracy, World Series Cricket and panel van murals. I can't decide whether not remembering much of this was bad or not, although Abigail is certainly worth remembering.… (mere)

An enjoyable account of all the strange events that happened in Australia in the 1960s - I'm not referring to Fortean events but those like prima ballet dancer Sir Robert Helpmann's hit single "Surfer Doll", how go-go dancer Big Pretzel became one of the biggest stars in Australia and Vietnam, the rise of Don Dunstan, the original groovy politician, and the fact that Australia's currency was almost called the "spondulick".

Lots of arcane facts and humorous moments in "Mondo Weirdo" - those old enough can reminisce and those (like me) who weren't even born then, can get their mind boggling over what Australia in the 1960s was like.… (mere)