better late than never

[adelaidesean]

Happy 125th birthday, Sir Douglas Mawson, explorer, scientist, and educator. He was born on May 5 in Yorkshire, was a pioneer of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, and now graces the Australian $100 bill. He died in 1958.

The 1914 portrait below was one on which I based Mawson, an irascible talking stone bust from the Books of the Change/Cataclysm. Although my Mawson's character bears no relation to the real Mawson, I nonetheless intended it as a kind of tribute, since the great man spent a lot of time in the Flinders Ranges, one of my favourite places in the whole world. I hope he wouldn't mind.

Comments

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

You're a Mawson fan, too. What great taste you have.

Seriously, Mawson was amazing. Anyone who can keep a party of men from killing each other (all confined in a hut the size of my living room) through a hellish Antarctic winter is to be admired. He was a great scientist and explorer and I doubt we shall see his like again. Also, an interesting point. The great age of Antarctic exploration was held during a period when The Last Continent was going through an extreme cold spell which lasted about 12 years. That makes Mawson's, Amundsen's and the others achievements all the more astounding.

Have you read "Home of the Blizzard"?

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

I haven't, but it's now on my to-read list.

Antarctica is #1 on my list of places to visit before I die. I came close to getting a media berth almost ten years ago; maybe I should try again one day. But I certainly wouldn't be doing it rough like Our Dougie. He was an amazing man, that's for sure.

I also love the twinkle in his eye. You can see it in almost every photo, at all stages of his life. He must've had a great sense of humour--and maybe that's how he kept everyone sane and alive for so long.

It certainly wouldn't have been from playing I Spy...

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

There are some funny things in Home of the Blizzard, told in a very droll way. I think he must have had a wicked sense of humour.

I too wish to go to Antarcica. But I'll probably have to pay. At least you can call it research. The list of places I want to see is huge, I'm never going to have the time or money to do them all. But Ankgor Wat is at a posiblility now.

How long is that to-read list of yours? Mine is approaching 6km at this stage......

Congratulations for your wedding next week. Have a marvellous time.

I'm may be able to make one of your sessions at the Sydney Writer's Festival...... not sure which one yet.

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the congrats. It's going to be great fun. Sydney seems like it's months away (I have my 40th between that and the wedding) but I know it'll happen all too soon. Just finished my Observatory speech. Now onto the cross-over session...

Ah, Angkor Wat. Ruined by Tomb Raider 2. :-)

Luckily, my to-read piles is still in boxes, so I don't have to feel too guilty about it. Here's hoping I can delay unpacking a little longer.

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday for whenever the date is, spring chicken. I'm 41 at the end of June.....

And 41 is an improvement on 21. xcept for the arthritis and a few other things.

I never saw TR2. Or TR1, and possibly never will unless tied to a chair and forcable made to watch it.

So are you bringing Amanda to Sydney, is it part of the honeymoon, or is that later?

My to-read pile is beside the bed, under the bed, on the bedside table an a few other places about the house.

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

The birthday is on the 23rd. I totally agree about about life near 40 vs life in my 20s. I spent most of that decade confused and fairly panicky. I'm very glad that phase has passed.

Amanda will come to Sydney for a couple of days (kinda like an early honeymoon) but will have to go back to work by the time my sessions start. That's probably for the best, as she's heard most of my rants many, many times over by now. :-)