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“The Newsprint” Published

Photograph of book sitting on a table. The book is titled "The Newsprint - A Social and Forestry History of Maydena. An Experimental Logging Town in the Tyenna Valley, Tasmania. 1920-2020." The cover has a photograph of mid-century logging machinery, a silhouette of a forestry worker climbing a tree, and a newspaper article titled "A Forest Crashes into Newsprint".This book is the story of the forestry industry that fed the Australian Newsprint Mill at Boyer in southern Tasmania, the politics behind the enterprise and the people who worked there and lived in Maydena and the wider Tyenna Valley. Over a hundred people were interviewed for this wide-ranging book, from the General Manager of ANM to the whistle boys, and just about every job in between. These included the fallers and the first aiders, nurses and doctors who patched them up, the log measurers, loaders, road makers and the truck drivers who left their names for posterity on the tricky corners where they came unstuck. Plus so many more.

Read more about this book on the Maydena page, or buy it from the Shop.

‘The Newsprint’ – A Social and Forestry History of Maydena

The Newsprint‘ – A Social and Forestry History of Maydena. An Experimental Logging Town in the Tyenna Valley, Tasmania. 1920 – 2020

by Peter H MacFie

Abstract

Australia faced WWII totally dependent on imported paper. This is the tale of Government determination to become self sufficient, using the massive eucalypt forests from the high rainfall areas of southern Tasmania. Australian Newsprint Mills (ANM) developed a mill at Boyer, near New Norfolk on the Derwent River, and built a town at Maydena and an industry to feed the mill from the forests of the Tyenna Valley, the Styx Valley and then the Florentine Valley. Peter MacFie interviewed more than a hundred of the many people who worked or lived at Maydena and surrounding areas to tell the story of ANM and their forest Concession. It began as a dense wilderness that produced urgently needed paper at any cost through World War II and on through many changes until today the mill is fed on carefully maintained rapidly growing plantation timber from those same wet valleys. Three generations of many families worked for ANM, and here they tell their story in their own words.

Details

397 A4 pages, 157 photographs, 9 maps & charts, plus footnotes, bibliography and detailed index.

Front and Back Cover Design for ‘The Newsprint’—A Social and Forest History of Maydena by Christopher Cowles © 2020.

Purchase

This book is now available direct from Lulu.com through ‘Print on Demand’.

If you want help in buying direct from Lulu, click here.

Bookstores carrying this book

Fullers Bookshop

131 Collins St, Hobart Tas 7000, ph 03 6234 3800

Cracked & Spineless

138 Collins St, Shop 9, Imperial Arcade Hobart, TAS 7000, ph 03 6223 1663

The Hobart Book Shop

22 Salamanca Square, Hobart TAS 7000, ph 03 6223 1803

The Book Cellar

132 High St, Campbell Town TAS 7210 ph (03) 6381 1545

New Norfolk Newspower

48 High St, New Norfolk TAS 7140, ph 6261 2720

Petrach’s Bookshop

89 Brisbane St, Launceston TAS 7250, ph (03) 6331 8088

 

Any other retailers who are interested in this book are invited to use the ‘Contact’ point on this website and we will be in touch.

Contents Page

Go to the Contents Page

Index

Go to the Index Page

Sample Chapter: 3 – Top of the Valley

Go to the sample chapter

Libraries Tasmania

Libraries Tasmania Catalogue – ‘The Newsprint’

The Successful Fight to Save the Miller’s Cottage, Richmond in 1983

by Peter MacFie, 26 March 2018

The Miller’s Cottage at Richmond was attached to the now-lost Tower Windmill, both of which are visible in early paintings, drawings and photographs.

The story of the Miller’s Cottage and the Tower Windmill

I had just been appointed as a member on the Richmond Town Planning Committee in 1982. Its role was to comment on proposals before going to the former Richmon Municipal Council for final decisions. Other members were Libby Jones – National Trust member and local historian, and architect Jim Moon.

At my first meeting the committee was asked to approve the demolition of the Miller’s Cottage – which had been lived in up to four years earlier. I was appalled. The above photo resulted from contact with the Mercury newspaper, and was my first foray into heritage protection and politics. The photo below had the desired result – with the Richmond town clerk ringing me at Dulcot in a panic.

A well-attended meeting followed in the Richmond Town Hall in 1983, plus several letters of support including one from Peter Mercer, then historian with the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, and a steering committee was established.

Cutting from The Mercury, 3 March 1982. The above photo resulted from contact with The Mercury newspaper, and was my first foray into heritage protection and politics.

 

 

 

 

 

Above photo is of the restored Miller’s Cottage 2011 – Peter MacFie with visitor when it was in use as a Teddy Bear shop. (Peter MacFie)

1983 Millers Cottage Steering Committee:

Jan & Bevis Ross

Justin Nichols

Andrew Jones

Wayne & Roslyn Johnson

Mike & Julie Arnold

David & Jenny Rouse

Tony & Liz Coleman

Tim Jacobs

Stephen walker

Mike & Annie Swinson

Kay & Chris Broughton

Peter & Lorraine MacFie

John Blaine & Diane Smith

Chris Cowles

Eileen Youldon

Dixie Brodribb

Other Richmond townsfolk who joined soon after were:

David & Ginny Ralph

Jon & Maryan Guerson

Allan & Robyn Brown

Eventually a small management committee was established & a $40,000 CEP grant was successfully applied for. A carpenter and 2 trainees were employed in the restoration work which was overseen by the committee.

Copyright Peter Macfie © 2018

Yours, Jerry Lee Lewis

Citation

Yours, Jerry Lee Lewis: Rockin’ at the Hobart City Hall 1959-1960, Peter Macfie, 2018. https://petermacfiehistorian.net.au

Outline

Peter MacFie’s memories of attending three Big Shows at the City Hall, Hobart, Tasmania in 1959 and 1960 as a young teenager.

Download as pdf

Yours Jerry Lee Lewis.pdf

Excerpt

The lights go down again, the audience quietens.
Waiting near me in the wings is a shy, Mexican-looking young bloke with a bad case of acne verging on boils on his neck. Chan Romero clutches his new electric guitar. The lights go down, the audience hushes. The curtains open again. Chan walks past me quickly onto centre stage. He’s only got one hit- but what a beauty- Hippy Hippy Shake– drives along, the girls are screaming a bit, the Joyboys -the backing band – rocking along.
For goodness sake, I got the…’
His song became No 1 in Tasmania, the only place in the world. (I’ve still got the 45.)
Chan Romero was followed by Freddie Cannon,
One day I took a walk in the park, down at a place called Palisade Park, (whatever that is?) to have some fun (now we understand that!)
Then a handsome, dark, older bloke with a deep voice. Jack Scott was a Canadian born country singer really, with weepy, interesting ballads.
My True Love and What in the World’s Come Over You – bah- wa-ooh.
I loved the backing singers on the American recordings. (Scott also sang Burning Bridges, serious love songs, adult love songs, about things we only became aware of later in life.)
Then Johnny Preston, best known for his hit, Running Bear, later the bane of every pub band, but in 1960, a brand new hit.
On the banks of the river, sat Running Bear, young Injun brave. On the other side of the river, sat his lovely Indian maid, Little White Dove… (Oogah, Oogah)
The audience sings along to the chorus
Running Bear, loved Little White Dove, such a lovely sight to see….
Ah, if only race relations were as easy as the way we absorbed those simple lyrics.
After Johnny Preston comes off, there’s a pause. The curtain’s drawn again for the star act. Jerry Lee Lewis’ pushing the piano into the middle of the stage, his backing band consisting only of a drummer and electric guitarist. He brushes his crinkly, blonde hair off his face, takes off his coat, throws it to the manager, adjusts the collar and shirt sleeves of his striped shirt, a final tune of the guitar, Jerry Lee ripples a few trial runs on the keyboard. He sits at a bentwood chair, stands over the piano.
Kevin Jacobsen is looking over my shoulder.
‘Watch the way he hits the chair when he gets going.’
Jerry Lee positions the chair behind his legs.

End of Excerpt

To read more, download the pdf as above.

Index

Andre Segovia, 9

Armstrong, Louis, 9

Avalon, Frankie, 1, 2, 3

Berry, Chuck, 1

Big Bev, 9

Bill Haley, 1

Bing Crosby, 1

Bobby Day, 4, 5

Bogey, Johnny, 6

Bridge, Dave, 6, 9

Cannon, Freddie, 7

Cash, Johnny, 5

Chan Romero, 6, 7, 9

Chuck Berry, 1

City Hall, Hobart, 1, 4, 5, 6, 9

Clooney, Rosemary, 1

Cochran, Eddie, 1

Col Joy, 4, 6, 9

Col Joy and the Joy Boys, 4

Cole, Nat King, 1

Como, Perry, 1

Crosby, Bing, 1

Dave Bridge, 6, 9

Dawson, Smoky, 1

Day, Bobby, 4, 5

Day, Doris, 1

DeeJays, 2

Doris Day, 1

Downie, Angus, 6

Eddie Cochran, 1

Eddie Edwards and the Sharks, 2

Edwards, Eddie, 2

Elvis Presley, 1, 5

Frankie Avalon, 1, 2, 3

Freddie Cannon, 7

Gale Storm, 6

Gene Vincent, 5

Gordon, Lee, 2

Haley, Bill, 1

Hank Williams, 6

Hirst, Nola, 6

Irwin, Laurie, 6

Jack Scott, 7, 9

Jacobsen, Kevin, 6, 8

Jerry Lee Lewis, 1, 6, 8, 9

Jerry Lee Lewis Big Show, 9

Johnny Bogey, 6

Johnny Cash, 4, 5

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, 5

Johnny O’Keefe, 1, 2, 4

Johnny Preston, 7, 8, 9

Joy Boys, 4, 6, 7, 9

Joy, Col, 4, 6

Laurie Irwin, 6

Lee Gordon Big Show, 1, 6

Lee, Lonnie, 6, 7

LeGarde Twins, 1

Lewis, Jerry Lee, 6, 8, 9

Little Richard, 1

Lola Sheppard, 3, 4

Lola Taylor, 3

Lonnie Lee, 6, 7

Louis Armstrong and the All Stars, 9

Luke, Robin, 4

Luther, Perkins, 5

Max & Stella Reddy, 1

Morris, Gladys, 9

My True Love, 7

Nat King Cole, 1

Nola Hirst, 6

O’Keefe, Johnny, 1

O’Keefe, Johnny, 2, 4

Orbison, Roy, 9

Paul Shirley, 4, 5

Perry Como, 1

Playmates, 4

Presley, Elvis, 1, 5

Preston, Johnny, 7, 8, 9

Reddy, Max, 1

Reddy, Stella, 1

Reece, Eric, 1

Robertson, Geoffrey, 1

Robin Luke, 4

Romero, Chan, 6, 7, 9

Rosemary Clooney, 1

Roy Orbison, 9

Sands, Tommy, 2, 4

Scott, Jack, 7, 9

Segovia, Andre, 9

Sheppard, Lola, 3, 4

Shirley, Paul, 4, 5

Sinatra, Nancy, 2

Smoky Dawson, 1

songs

Ballad of a Teenage Queen, 5

          Beep Beep, 4

          Bigger than Texas, 2

          Blue Suede Shoes, 2, 5

          Burning Bridges, 7

          Dark Moon, 6

          Five Foot High and Rising, 5

          Freight Train, 5

          Great balls of Fire, 8

          Hey Venus, 2

          Hippy Hippy Shake, 7

          Luther Played the Boogie, 5

          Palisade Park, 7

          Rocking Robin, 4

          Running Bear, 7

          Suzie Darlin’, 4

          What in the World’s Come Over You, 7

          When the saints, Go Marching In, 3

          Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, 6, 8

          You leave me… Breathless, 8

          You make me Wanna SHOUT, 2

          You Win Again, 8

Storm, Gale, 6

Taylor, Lola, 3

Tennessee Two, 5

Tex Morton, 6

The Beach Boys, 9

The Platters, 1, 2, 3, 4

The Sharks, 2

Tommy Sands, 2, 4

Tony Williams, 3

Vincent, Gene, 5

Williams, Hank, 6

Williams, Tony, 3

Wilson, Dave, 1, 2, 4

 

Popular Music Culture

Citation

MacFie, Peter H., 2008: The Collection of Popular Music Culture In Southern Tasmania 1950-85. A Special Collection Project 2007. The State Library of Tasmania. Australian Institute of Music Librarians, Conference, Hobart, 2008

Project

“Popular Music Culture in Southern Tasmania 1950-85”. The State Library of Tasmania Special Collection Project 2007, Peter Macfie, 2008 as part of a SLT fellowship.  It was initiated by Tony Marshall and application endorsed by Dr Stefan Petrov and Malcolm Brooks. The images are of some of the memorabilia donated or loaned as part of this popular culture collection of rock and folk music. It is now housed in the State Archives.

Abstract

The formal collection of popular music cultural material in Tasmania has barely begun. While Mainland collections and musicologists –including John Meredith – have recorded local music, little has been done until recently to add memorabilia to the Tasmanian State’s archives. At present there is no institution in southern Tasmania that systematically collects Rock or Folk music memorabilia, nor has the facilities to allow enthusiasts or researchers to access music in sound booths. Images of the material collected during the 3 month project in late 2007 gives an indication of Tasmania’s popular music culture from the 1950s to the 1980s, the need for more active field workers in this area, and raises the question about public access to this and similar material.

Details

Paper as pdf document. Formatted for A4 printing, 21 pages.

Download as pdf

Popular Music Culture in Southern Tasmania  (2018-06-27).pdf

Download IAML Conference programme

IAML Program  Hobart 2008.pdf

Excerpt

The formal collection of popular music cultural material in Tasmania – by Tasmanian institutions – has barely begun. While Mainland collections and musicologists including John Meredith – have recorded local Tasmania music, little has been done until recently to add to the archives.

With the recent deaths of local musicians Ian Young, Ray Woodruff and Mark Pickering- and this week (November 2010) that of his brother, Roger Pickering – the need to collect memorabilia has become urgent. At present there is no institution that systematically collects music or memorabilia, nor has the facilities to allow enthusiasts or researchers to access music in sound booths etc.

This vacuum was the motive in putting forward the idea of such a project to the State Library of Tasmania’s then Tasmaniana Library thru Tony Marshall. This was unusual, as most library grants are for the study of existing holdings. The 3 months part time project showed the need for field-work collectors, as in that time I barely touched the surface, but raised the interest and hopes of many current and former musicians – and fans. In concentrated on Rock and Folk music, but, due to time constraints, I didn’t venture into country or original Tasmanian folk music, but believe that field should also be looked at, although local enthusiasts are doing so privately.

The collection came in varied formats- as you will see, which require differing conservation and storage approaches, and also raises questions of accessibility, copyright and other issues you are all familiar with. Documenting and itemising – and returning the items- has been a painstaking process – which is worth a paper in itself!

Tasmania – even Van Diemen’s Land – had a strong musical culture- both visible and less tangible, in the form of convict and other working class musicians. In the 20thC and especially post World War II, there’s has been a vibrant musical culture. While formal music based on the European classical tradition has always been visible and documented, much less so is the popular music of the day. Popular music post-1950 grew despite bemusement, and in some cases, straight out parental denial. In Tasmania, and probably throughout the western world, this was driven by the younger generation, attracted by the less formal approach to popular music typified by black American jazz, and even the European cabaret and music hall traditions. In Tasmania, regional differences existed via radio, with some artists being popular in Launceston and not in Hobart and vice-versa. However, the first visible change here was the arrival of rock ’n’ roll on radio stations –

Jerry Lee.  The energy in the music was an antidote to a stifling post war education system and parental pressure, and in stark contrast to the popular music beginning to be heard on local radio. Initially only 15 minutes a day on 7HT- then back to Doris Day and Vic Damone. Even more energising were touring acts from the USA which made such a big impact, including Jerry Lee Lewis, whose autograph I collected backstage at the Hobart City Hall in 1959 – starting a love of live, energised music.

End of Excerpt

To read more, download the pdf above.

Indexed items

Allan’s Record bar
autographs
bass guitar
Battle of the Bands
Beecroft, Ian
Cadd, Brain
Cash, Johnny
clubs
Adlib
Basement
Bennett’s Lane
Blue Moon
Elpifco’s
Humpty’s
Humptys
Ronnie Scott’s
Spook Club
Stork Club
The Sittin-In Club
Dallas ??,
Damone, Vic
Day, Doris
Domain Tennis Centre
drums
Dylan, Bob
electric guitars
Elpifco, Jesus
Feebes, Andrew
Fender bass
Ferris, Greg
flute
Gordon, Lee
Gretsch, Graeme
groups
1812
Beat Preachers
Beatles
Bootleg Family
Brotherhood of Myrtle
Clockwork Oringe
CS&N
Dingo Rose
Good Darts
Hey Mook
Jethro Tull
Kindling
King Crimson
Lady Feelgood
Masquerade
Medium Cool
Pink Floyd
Rolling Stones
Shadows
Silhouettes
The Black Adders
The Tasmen
Toot’s and the Legmen
guitar
Hickman, Frank
Hickman, Richard
Hoadleys ‘Battle of the Bands’
Hobart City Hall
home-made instruments
Huxtable, Mick
Huxtable, Pam
Huxtable, Paul
Jansen bass
Jones, Brian
keyboard
Lane, Terry
Lee Gordon Big Shows
Lefevre, Tony
Lennon, John
Lewis, Jerry Lee
Lincoln, Christine
Lincoln, Louise
local radio
MacFie, Rob
Marshall, Tony
memorabilia
Meredith, John
Mitchell, Joni
Moonah
Moonah style
Moore, Robyn
music
cabaret
classical
country
folk
jazz
music hall
pop
rock
O’Keefe, Johnny
Pearce, Kim
Pickering, Mark
Pickering, Roger
Pickering, Tom
Port Arthur
posters
Ranelagh
Red Lion Tavern
Reid, Paul
Sandy Bay
schools
Friends School
Kings Meadows High
Shirley, Paul
Silhouettes
singers
Smith, Pete
smoking
songs
Alvin rides Again
Spaniard in the Works
songwriting
Spook Club
Sullivan,
Tasmania
Tubby, David
Wastell, Monica
Weaver, Trevor
Wilkinson, Robyn
Woodruff, Ray
Wrest Point
Young, Ian
Copyright Peter Macfie©2018