The Tingle Factor Box

Roaming Roy Surveys History - Surveyors Hut, Canberra

Recently, Roy enjoyed a trip to Canberra. He loves Canberra, the history of the National Capital, the restaurants, the culture, the shopping. He also loves the open spaces, the parks and gardens. While he was in Canberra, he decided to seach for the oldest building associated with the National Capital itself. There are plenty of buildings which predate Canberra becoming our National Capital, but Roy wondered what there was from the earliest years of this era in Canberra's history. He was stunned to discover that the oldest building, the Surveyors Hut, was only slightly larger than his dining table!

Roaming Roy Finds A Place Loaded With History - Tarago

This week, Roy was sorting through old photographs he has taken while out and about when he realised he had never told you about Tarago. Now, when Roy first went to Tarago, he thought there wasn't a huge amount there, but as he drove around he discovered the most interesting house he has ever seen. He was in love with the little house and decided he needed to know more about Tarago, where the house was 'discovered'. He learned that, though Tarago is quite a small community today, it has a fascinating history.

Roaming Roy Stops To Smell The Roses - Old Parliament House Gardens

This week in Sydney, there has been a burst of unseasonably warm weather, which made Roy think it was Spring. Although we both knew it was still Winter, the burst of Spring warmth reminded Roy of several peasant spring and summer days spent in Canberra smelling the roses and he decided it would be a shame not to tell his friends about the Rose Gardens at Old Parliament House. Not only are the gardens beautiful, they are full of history and when the roses are in flower the air is heavy with their perfume.

Roaming Roy Finds The Home Of A Highway Man - Cooma Cottage

This week, Roy decided that, with holidays almost upon us, he would like to take you to a heritage house in an area lots of the children are familiar with, stopping by to break a journey, in January or on their way to the Snowfields in Winter. Yass, not far from Canberra, is historically a popular place for people to live with its slightly cooler climate, though now that it has been bypassed it is less more of a service town. Yet, although many of the children had been to, or through Yass, they had not visited Cooma Cottage, or even knew it was there!

Roaming Roy Finds a Loo With A View! - Captains Flat And Lake George Mine

Recently, Roy decided it had been a while since he had visited an historic mining site. We have visited a number of Gold Rush towns, but Roy decided he wanted to have a look at a different type of mine site, and one which not many people visit. When we were in Canberra, I suggested we take the drive to Captains Flat and see the old mine there, which produced some gold, but mostly silver and especially copper. He fell in love with the little town and its dramatic surroundings, and decided this was the perfect place to visit.

Although children learn some of the story of Australian mining in history classes at school, the focus tends to be on gold mining and the gold rushes. Yet gold wasn't the only thing mined in Australia and even today vast ranges of minerals and metals are mined here and sent all over the world. Captains Flat and the Lake George Mine which dominated the town was once one of the biggest producers of copper in the world, and although the boom of the mining community is long gone, the town is a fascinating place to visit, to see the historic remains of the mines, and the effect which mining can have on the environment. Although you can't see a lot of it in the photos, much of the area around the town was turned into almost a moonscape by the mining activity. The sites are now being stablised and revegetated, but there is still lots of environmental damage to repair and which you can see.

Roaming Roy Discovers A Curse - Paterson's Curse

Earlier this week, as Roy and I were driving through the country side around Canberra, Roy was really taken with the beautiful carpet of purple growing on the hills. It was really beautiful, providing a thick, lush covering of purple flowers and absolutely covering the countryside. Of course, with the flower being so pretty and so prolific, especially after the recent rain, Roy wanted to know what it was, and whether we could grow it in our garden, so when I told him it was a weed which had caused massive trouble in Australia, he was rather shocked. He decided that, since he hadn't known about Paterson's Curse, he would like to learn more and share what he discovered with his friends.

Roaming Roy Meets The Immortals - Australian War Memorial Sculpture Garden

This week, with Remembrance Day fast appropaching, Roy decided he wanted to remember our brave men and women who fought in war. He wanted to take you somewhere quiet where he could remember the sacrifice of the thousands of men and women who died serving their countries. The most difficult decision was where to go. Australia has a wealth of War Memorials, from the grand and massive to the small and simple. Yet even the biggest War Memorials have hidden aspects, and Roy decided he wanted to show you such a place. So this week, Roy visits the Australian War Memorial's Sculpture Garden.

Roaming Roy A Finds Great Letter in Canberra Park!

This week, Roy and I decided that we should visit somewhere which would commemorate a very important event whose anniversary fell in the last week. Last Tuesday, the 15th of June was the anniversary of the signing of a letter called the Magna Carta, a letter which is the basis of much of our law and government. To commemorate this occasion, Roy and I decided to visit the Magna Carta Place and the Magna Carta Monument in Canberra, just outside the Old Government House Rose Gardens.

Roaming Roy Visits A Place For Dreaming - Dreamers Gate

This week, with the weather being so lovely, Roy decided it was the perfect time to do something outdoors. I suggested lots of different activities, but he wanted to 'take in some art', which proved a little more difficult. After all, he wanted to visit somewhere which not many people know about, which ruled out most art galleries and sculpture gardens! Eventually, I hit upon the perfect place to take him - Collector (not far from Canberra). Collector may be a small country town, but it has a massive open-air artwork called Dreamers Gate. If you would like to visit it, turn off the Federal Highway into Collector and drive along Church Street. The sculpture is opposite the Bushranger Hotel, and you can't miss it! You may even have driven through Collector to see the Bushranger Hotel (to find out about Roy's visit click here) and wondered what the sculpture was. Now, Roy can tell you!

Roaming Roy Salutes Our Soldiers - The Australian War Memorial's Lone Pine

Today is for many Australians and New Zealanders one of the most important days of the year. It is the day when we remember the sacrifices made by Australian and New Zealand soldiers in the First World War and the wars since. A day to commemorate the fallen and pay our respects to those who gave so much. It is a day steeped in tradition and symbolism, when Two Up is played in Pubs around Australia and when ANZAC Biscuits are eaten by the thousand. It is of course ANZAC Day and there is no more appropriate place to visit in Australia than the Lone Pine at the Australian War Memorial.