A literal swag of spoils
'Carrying a full poo bag is a badge of honour,' asserts Robert Hosking of Paddington. 'It says: 'I did not leave that poo on the pavement. That was some other irresponsible person. I am a responsible dog owner!' And a call-out to Woollahra Council for providing not only plenty of bins, but poo bag dispensers on those bins.'
Meanwhile, we await plaudits from Andrew Taubman of Queens Park for not calling it 'Poop'.
'An ABC TV newsreader blithely reported that the 'Sydney Surf Club' had torpedoed the proposed Rosehill Racecourse sale,' notes Jim Dewar of Davistown. 'Must've been a board decision then ...'
'Cracker night (C8) was Empire Day, and we had half-day off school to build the bonfire and sort out our crackers; tom thumbs, double bungers, sparklers, catherine wheels and skyrockets,' writes Judy Jones of Thornleigh. 'One particular cracker night, one of the lads had the bright idea of putting a smouldering log in the tray of his ute, and we piled in with it. We drove the neighbourhood, lighting and throwing penny bungers over the side. We put the chooks off laying and the cows gave no milk for a few days. The innocence of childhood!'
For letter box annihilation, Michael Johnston of Corlette thinks bigger is better: 'Thunders were much more effective than tuppenny bungers when attempting to destroy a letter box on cracker night …….. so I'm told.'
'My father was a GP, and he typically had a red lamp on the wall outside his surgery,' says Libby Cameron of Newport. 'The night before cracker night, he would remove the costly panel of red glass on which his name was inscribed – he knew too well the temptation for local youngsters to pop a double bunger into the lamp. I'm delighted to say the lovely lamp is still standing as a decoration in our daughter's garden.'
Peter Riley of Penrith sees an election strategy in all this: 'Ever since they tried to conscript me into the Vietnam War, voting Liberal has been verboten, but if Sussie and her new libs promise to reinstate cracker night, then I'm in!'
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
'Tireless advocate' for homeless youth dies aged 70
Tributes are pouring in for Catholic priest and charity worker Father Chris Riley who has died aged 70. Father Riley founded Youth Off the Streets in 1991 with a single food van serving meals to the homeless in Sydney's CBD. The charity has expanded rapidly, now supporting homeless and vulnerable young people right across NSW and Queensland with crisis accommodation, counselling and wrap-around support services. Father Riley died in his home after a long battle with illness, the charity said. Youth Off The Streets chair Anne Fitzgerald said Father Riley was a "tireless advocate" for disadvantaged youth and changed thousands of young people's lives. "Father Riley will be remembered for his compassion, tenacity and unwavering belief that every young person deserves the chance to reach their full potential," she said. READ MORE: Meet the Aussie teen hoping to be the youngest to fly around the world NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a statement that he was a "visionary" who changed the lives of tens of thousands of young people. "Father Riley believed there is no child born bad, only circumstances to overcome, and he spent over three decades proving that with compassion and opportunity, young lives can be transformed," he said. Liberal Leader Mark Speakman echoed those sentiments, writing he was "very saddened" at the news on X. "He was a champion for the homeless, the disposed and the vulnerable," he wrote. Aaron McLeigh wrote on Facebook that he lived at Youth Off the Streets accommodation for four years as a teenager. "I owe so much to that man," he wrote. Father Riley was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to disadvantaged youth in 2006. READ MORE: 'Curious, open-minded, creative': jewellery titan Michael Hill dies aged 86 Tributes are pouring in for Catholic priest and charity worker Father Chris Riley who has died aged 70. Father Riley founded Youth Off the Streets in 1991 with a single food van serving meals to the homeless in Sydney's CBD. The charity has expanded rapidly, now supporting homeless and vulnerable young people right across NSW and Queensland with crisis accommodation, counselling and wrap-around support services. Father Riley died in his home after a long battle with illness, the charity said. Youth Off The Streets chair Anne Fitzgerald said Father Riley was a "tireless advocate" for disadvantaged youth and changed thousands of young people's lives. "Father Riley will be remembered for his compassion, tenacity and unwavering belief that every young person deserves the chance to reach their full potential," she said. READ MORE: Meet the Aussie teen hoping to be the youngest to fly around the world NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a statement that he was a "visionary" who changed the lives of tens of thousands of young people. "Father Riley believed there is no child born bad, only circumstances to overcome, and he spent over three decades proving that with compassion and opportunity, young lives can be transformed," he said. Liberal Leader Mark Speakman echoed those sentiments, writing he was "very saddened" at the news on X. "He was a champion for the homeless, the disposed and the vulnerable," he wrote. Aaron McLeigh wrote on Facebook that he lived at Youth Off the Streets accommodation for four years as a teenager. "I owe so much to that man," he wrote. Father Riley was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to disadvantaged youth in 2006. READ MORE: 'Curious, open-minded, creative': jewellery titan Michael Hill dies aged 86 Tributes are pouring in for Catholic priest and charity worker Father Chris Riley who has died aged 70. Father Riley founded Youth Off the Streets in 1991 with a single food van serving meals to the homeless in Sydney's CBD. The charity has expanded rapidly, now supporting homeless and vulnerable young people right across NSW and Queensland with crisis accommodation, counselling and wrap-around support services. Father Riley died in his home after a long battle with illness, the charity said. Youth Off The Streets chair Anne Fitzgerald said Father Riley was a "tireless advocate" for disadvantaged youth and changed thousands of young people's lives. "Father Riley will be remembered for his compassion, tenacity and unwavering belief that every young person deserves the chance to reach their full potential," she said. READ MORE: Meet the Aussie teen hoping to be the youngest to fly around the world NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a statement that he was a "visionary" who changed the lives of tens of thousands of young people. "Father Riley believed there is no child born bad, only circumstances to overcome, and he spent over three decades proving that with compassion and opportunity, young lives can be transformed," he said. Liberal Leader Mark Speakman echoed those sentiments, writing he was "very saddened" at the news on X. "He was a champion for the homeless, the disposed and the vulnerable," he wrote. Aaron McLeigh wrote on Facebook that he lived at Youth Off the Streets accommodation for four years as a teenager. "I owe so much to that man," he wrote. Father Riley was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to disadvantaged youth in 2006. READ MORE: 'Curious, open-minded, creative': jewellery titan Michael Hill dies aged 86 Tributes are pouring in for Catholic priest and charity worker Father Chris Riley who has died aged 70. Father Riley founded Youth Off the Streets in 1991 with a single food van serving meals to the homeless in Sydney's CBD. The charity has expanded rapidly, now supporting homeless and vulnerable young people right across NSW and Queensland with crisis accommodation, counselling and wrap-around support services. Father Riley died in his home after a long battle with illness, the charity said. Youth Off The Streets chair Anne Fitzgerald said Father Riley was a "tireless advocate" for disadvantaged youth and changed thousands of young people's lives. "Father Riley will be remembered for his compassion, tenacity and unwavering belief that every young person deserves the chance to reach their full potential," she said. READ MORE: Meet the Aussie teen hoping to be the youngest to fly around the world NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a statement that he was a "visionary" who changed the lives of tens of thousands of young people. "Father Riley believed there is no child born bad, only circumstances to overcome, and he spent over three decades proving that with compassion and opportunity, young lives can be transformed," he said. Liberal Leader Mark Speakman echoed those sentiments, writing he was "very saddened" at the news on X. "He was a champion for the homeless, the disposed and the vulnerable," he wrote. Aaron McLeigh wrote on Facebook that he lived at Youth Off the Streets accommodation for four years as a teenager. "I owe so much to that man," he wrote. Father Riley was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to disadvantaged youth in 2006. READ MORE: 'Curious, open-minded, creative': jewellery titan Michael Hill dies aged 86
ABC News
23-07-2025
- ABC News
Inside Operation Babylift, which brought Vietnamese orphans to Australia at the Fall of Saigon
When Des Wraight joined the military in 1962, he did not imagine he would be required to change hundreds of nappies. But in April 1975, he found himself involved in the evacuation of thousands of children during the final weeks of the Vietnam War. Mr Wraight was on the first of four Qantas flights from Bangkok to Sydney which carried children who had been taken out of the country in what was known as Operation Babylift. "We picked up these children ranging from a few months old to about 10 years, and the babies were all in cardboard boxes," he said. The cardboard cribs were strapped in with seatbelts and toddlers lay on seats with a pillow. Mr Wraight, a corporal with the Australian Army Intelligence 3rd Battalion, served on the Thai-Malay border and the Malay Peninsula in Sarawak during the Indonesian Confrontation before his stint in Vietnam. Vietnamese was one of five languages the resident of Brunswick Heads on the New South Wales North Coast mastered. Mr Wraight used his language skills to calm bewildered and frightened children on the flight out of Vietnam. "A couple of the older ones — I think they were around about 10 — came up and asked me in Vietnamese, 'Where are we going?'" he said. Mr Wraight said the babies aboard the flight to Australia "kept the crew very busy". "They were fed formula, but it didn't agree with them," he said. "Most of the babies had diarrhoea — I spent most of the night changing nappies. "I said to my wife, 'I am never going to change a nappy again. I have done my deed!'" Operation Babylift was the largest evacuation of orphaned children ever undertaken, but not all had lost their parents. "As the war dragged on, more and more families were unable to feed their children, the situation was extremely desperate," the Australian War Memorial's Emily Hyles said. As the West began to withdraw from Vietnam, the US funded an operation to airlift 2,000 orphaned children to America, 700 to Europe and 300 to Australia. Those assigned to the shorter flight to Australia were often the weakest or sickest and some died en route. Ms Hyles said many orphans were adopted by loving families, but adapting to life in Australia was easier for those who were babies. "The older children had to learn [language and culture] and it must surely have been a much harder transition," she said. Van Minh Nguyen was nine years old when he arrived in Australia on April 17, 1975. "The memories of those flights and the people who cared for me in the aftermath are etched vividly in my mind," he said. "The sense of uncertainty and loss was overwhelming, but it was also a time of hope and resilience." Mr Nguyen's two foster family placements were short-lived. "I never quite felt like I belonged," he said. "I remember the day I was returned to an orphanage in Sydney like it was yesterday. Mr Nguyen was placed with a foster family in Orange who then moved to Cargo, but was never adopted by them. When he was 13, he was returned to an orphanage at Castle Hill. "It hit me that fostering can feel like leasing out a child for a short period," Mr Nguyen said. He was then placed with a family at Dundas in Sydney's north-west. "I lived with this family from age 14 until a couple of months before my 15th birthday, when I went back to the orphanage briefly," Mr Nguyen said. At that time, he received permission from his state ward to join the Royal Australian Navy as a junior recruit at HMAS Leeuwin in Western Australia. "I was drawn to the discipline and structure it offered," Mr Nguyen said. "It was a familiar environment, given my experience growing up in orphanages in Sydney." Mr Nguyen found a family in the Royal Australian Navy, where he served for eight years before being medically discharged after a serious accident. He then served as a public servant for 21 years, working in the NSW Attorney General's Department for Court Services. Now retired, Mr Nguyen volunteers as a mentor. "I'm proud to give back and support the development of our youths," he said. Like many of the other Vietnamese children who came to Australia, Mr Nguyen has tried to learn more about his heritage and the circumstances that led to him being given to an orphanage in Saigon when he was a toddler. "With a name like Nguyen, being so common, it's been tough to track down any leads," he said.
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- News.com.au
Posthumous Victoria Cross presented to family of Vietnam War hero Richard Norden
The family of the late Private Richard Norden has been formally presented with the Victoria Cross for Australia, the nation's highest military honour, in recognition of his extraordinary bravery during the Vietnam War. At a special investiture ceremony held in Rockhampton on Tuesday, Private Norden's widow, Robynn Freeman, received the award on behalf of her late husband, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions. The recognition comes for his bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral on May 14, 1968. Private Norden's eldest son, Shane Norden Freeman, said his dad's army mates hate fought for him to be given the rare honour. 'It's been a long journey and there's been a lot of fighting going on in the background to get this for Dad,' Mr Freeman told the ABC. 'It didn't seem like this day would come. 'It's been 10 years of his army mates and police mates fighting for this – they've never given up.' Private Norden's platoon came under intense enemy fire during the battle. In the chaos, he showed 'remarkable courage and selflessness', rescuing a wounded soldier and recovering the body of another, despite facing heavy fire and having little cover. His actions helped secure the enemy position and likely saved the lives of many other soldiers. He was only 19 at the time. 'Private Richard Norden's bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral exemplifies the values we hold as Australians – those of tremendous courage and mateship,' Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said. 'Under fire from the enemy, Private Norden did not hesitate as he moved forward to help his fellow wounded soldiers.' Private Norden died in 1972 while serving with the ACT Police. 'Private Richard Norden's bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral exemplifies the values we hold as Australians – those of tremendous courage and mateship,' Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said. 'Under fire from the enemy, Private Norden did not hesitate as he moved forward to help his fellow wounded soldiers. 'I am honoured to have attended today's investiture ceremony to see Private Norden recognised with Australia's highest military honour.' Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Matt Keogh said he was pleased his family was finally receiving the honour. 'I'm so pleased that today, almost six decades after his heroic act, his family are finally receiving this important acknowledgment of his selfless service,' he said. 'Private Norden personified the Anzac spirit – disregarding his own safety to put his mates first.' Private Norden is the 102nd Victoria Cross recipient in Australia's history, and just the fifth Vietnam War veteran to receive the honour.
