A Troubled Cure for a Troubled Mind. Since his death in 1974, Nick Drake’s profile has grown to a level the reclusive singer-songwriter could never have imagined. From a series of posthumous releases, a car commercial in 2000 and, most recently, an internationally renowned tribute show organised by his record producer and friend Joe Boyd, Drake is…
Big cats in the bush. Rumours of pumas and leopards roaming the Australian bush have been around for more than a century. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence but to date no definitive proof. Join two of the country’s most determined big cat enthusiasts John Turner and Simon Townsend on the trail of the mysterious and…
African migrants at home in the Goulburn Valley Amid all the political jousting over Australia’s asylum seeker policy, large numbers of African refugees have quietly settled in Australia over the past decade. Dylan Bird speaks to a number of recent arrivals in the rural Victorian town of Shepparton, and examines whether the region offers enough…
Melbourne makes switch to digital TV As the analog switch off date loomed late last year, there were still 17,000 Melbournians who had not yet converted to digital TV technology. This article was originally published by The Age on 17 November 2013 http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-makes-switch-to-digital-tv-20131116-2xnuu.html
Bunjil Sculpture Set to Keep Docklands Perch Melbourne’s Bunjil eagle sculpture looks set to move just ten metres south of its current location after fears were raised that a development would force the monument form the Dockalnds precinct. This article was originally published in The Age on 7 November 2013.
Melbourne Celebrates Mexican Independence Day On a sunny September day tens of thousands of people flocked to Melbourne’s Federation Square to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day. Dylan Bird filed this report from the festival heartland.
Fruit Growers ‘Stuck in the Doldrums The Federal Government’s decision to deny SPC Ardmona the $25 million for modernisation promised to them under Labor will hit Northern Victoria hard, reports Dylan Bird.
The Joy of the Shed in East Reservoir Since first appearing in Australia in the 1990s, Men’s Sheds have virtually exploded onto the Australian mainstream. Guided by the philosophy that ‘men don’t talk face to face, they talk shoulder to shoulder’, the movement has seen a plethora of isolated, retired and simply interested men get…
Fruit Growers Refuse to Wilt. A severe cutback in SPC Ardmona’s capacity to purchase fruit from local growers has raised questions about the future of the Goulburn Valley fruit industry. As Dylan Bird reports, however, orchardists are refusing to accept the decline of a sector that has been part of the region’s identity for more…
A Passage to Shepparton As Australia’s leaders have fought for political ground on the asylum seeker issue, large numbers of refugees continue to settle in various parts of the nation. Dylan Bird investigates the growth of the Afghan community the the regional Victorian city of Shepparton, and examines how various government policies have impacted on…
The Siren 