Gunning & District Historical Society

  They Fail as Husbands and As Wives Ogden Nash, in his poem The Cuckoo , characterised  these birds as leading Bohemian lives – failing as husbands and as wives while cynically disparaging others' marriages.  He was much better as a poet than an ornithologist.  Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoos, this month's featured bird species, are very successful serial monogamist husbands and wives.  And, as we shall see, their skills improve just that bit more year by year.    Gladstone's Notebook Image courtesy Wayne Weather stone. This article is number 8 in a 12 part series.  Each month we look at one of the birds recorded in Gladstone Weatherstone's notebook between 1962 and 1981, see if anything is different today and, if so, try to explain why.  Gladstone was a dedicated and knowledgeable amateur naturalist who lived on Lyndfield Park near Gunning between 1941 and 1996.  Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo  On 24 August 1980, Gladstone wrote "First Hors...

From Gladstone’s Notebook Image:  Wikimedia Commons Why did Grey Butcherbirds like the pair above shun Lyndfield Park for over 30 years?  Are these birds like Puccini’s Baron Scarpia and Mozart’s Queen of the Night – entrancing and exhilarating singers but inherently evil?  Is there an inverse relationship between population densities of Methodists and Grey Butcherbirds?    We explore these questions below.  July Bird of the Month  Image courtesy Wayne Weatherstone  This is number 7 in a twelve part series inspired by Gladstone Weatherstone, a dedicated and knowledgeable amateur naturalist who lived on Lyndfield Park near Gunning from 1941 until his death in 1996.  Each month we look at one of the birds Gladstone recorded in his notebook between 1962 and 1981 to see if it tells us anything about the recent history of our district. On 4 July 1972 Gladstone wrote “First Grey Butcherbird since coming here in 1941 was ...

  Gladstone Weatherstone’s older brother Claude (left) and younger brother Wilbur (atop draught horse) at Allenby, Parkesbourne circa 1920.   You will meet Wilbur and   the horse again in the story of Gladstone’s life and times by following the link shown below.   Photo courtesy Wayne Weatherstone Lyndfield Park:  The Prequel Gladstone Weatherstone’s life of quiet achievement certainly merits recording.  His story, and that of his property Lyndfield Park at Oolong near Gunning, also tells us something of life in the recent past – a time very near to us today yet so far away in many respects.   In particular, it shows how much farming practices and our relationship with the natural environment have changed over time.  Lyndfield Park under the stewardship of Gladstone's son John was a significant Australian pioneer of what has now become known as regenerative farming.  Gladstone lived much of his life in a totally differ...