Michael Burge's Blog, page 2

‘All hands to cease work!’: Unearthing Deepwater’s forgotten railway strike

THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR movement cites the 1891 Queensland Shearers’ Strike as a milestone in its establishment, giving credit to the thousands of shearers who marched for fair wages and conditions at Barcaldine that year. Yet an earlier industrial dispute in the New England region showed that signs of unrest were stirring a decade prior. Apart … Continue reading ‘All hands to cease work!’: Unearthing Deepwater’s forgotten railway strike →

Who Do I Think I Am?

WHEN I WAS fifteen, my grandmother uttered a slightly panicked comment while we were sitting on the balcony of her home in Sydney’s North Shore during the mid-1980s. “I’d better get out of sun, before my black blood comes out,” Nanna said, dashing through the French doors of the apartment she’d lived in since the … Continue reading Who Do I Think I Am? →

‘We love entertaining the local community’: Chris McIntosh makes directing debut at Deepwater

LONGTIME LOCAL CHRIS McIntosh has stepped up to direct the upcoming production of Deepwater Players, a raucous production that gets to the heart of family life in country towns, showing at Deepwater in October. “Uncle Jack is a comedy by Australian  playwright Judith Prior, with relatable characters who a lot of people will recognise or … Continue reading ‘We love entertaining the local community’: Chris McIntosh makes directing debut at Deepwater →

Beyond every dead body

I NEVER SET out to be a crime writer, it was something that crept up on me like the growing awareness of the killer in a whodunnit, and it all started with my early love of Agatha Christie novels. The prospect of my debut novel Tank Water being consigned to the crime section of major … Continue reading Beyond every dead body →

Take Another Look: Bruce Beresford’s ‘grandly messy’ Paradise Road

First stop in a new series of retrospective pop culture reviews examines why Australia’s best female ensemble since Picnic at Hanging Rock disappeared almost without a trace… IN THE OPENING scene of Bruce Beresford’s WWII epic Paradise Road (1997) the dignity of the Imperial Japanese Army is torn to shreds by privileged white plantation growers … Continue reading Take Another Look: Bruce Beresford’s ‘grandly messy’ Paradise Road →

New novel coming to light

ONE OF THE best day jobs I ever had was working as a tour guide at Jenolan Caves, the renowned limestone formation in the World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. Sixteen years since I earned my guiding boots, I’ve landed an international book deal for a novel that emerged from … Continue reading New novel coming to light →

Two decades of answers

TWENTY YEARS AGO today, not long after six o’clock in the evening, my partner Jonathan Rosten needed to take a seat during a rehearsal at a Sydney dance studio, complaining of a racing heart. Very shortly afterwards, he collapsed. First-aid could not revive him, nor could paramedics. By the time I got to his side … Continue reading Two decades of answers →

Mary’s turn to fly: gripping new memoir unpacks family baggage

PROVIDING A SAFE place to talk about problematic family dynamics is a hallmark of author Mary Garden’s current book tour, and her visit to Glen Innes on Saturday June 15 promises to be no different. Garden’s latest book My Father’s Suitcase: A story of family secrets, abuse, betrayal and breaking free begins with a heartfelt … Continue reading Mary’s turn to fly: gripping new memoir unpacks family baggage  →

Joyful tale of French cuisine comes home to New England

STORYTELLING, SEASONS, AND fine food inspire prolific New England-based author Sophie Masson, who will visit Glen Innes on Saturday April 20 for an author morning tea at The Makers Shed with her latest French-themed work The Paris Cooking School. “The Paris Cooking School was inspired by Paris itself!” she said. “I love the city and … Continue reading Joyful tale of French cuisine comes home to New England →

Rediscovering creativity through textures and seasons

THE EVER-CHANGING NATURE of rural landscapes is the inspiration behind an exhibition of works by Deepwater artist Alexandra Simone, opening at The Makers Shed Glen Innes on Saturday April 6. Simone is exhibiting a range of original landscapes, botanicals, and abstract works on paper and canvas, most executed after relocating to the region and experiencing … Continue reading Rediscovering creativity  through textures and seasons →