Good morning, we are continuing our Time Walkthrough Australia with Tony Robinson.  Are you tired of the Tony Robinson palette cleanser?   This time, Time is exploring Kalgoorlie in the first episode.  The run time for this episode is 26:08.  In the second episode, Tony explores Brisbane and the run time for this episode is 26:17.  The first episode is not time-stamped but the second episode is.

Tony starts in a super pit.  This super pit is the biggest gold-producing mine in the country.  In the 1980s the government bought out everyone’s leases and just created a giant size the equivalent of five Sydney harbors.  The pit operates 24 hours a day.  Nobody is sure when the gold will run out.  Tony then moves on to a pub that was built over one of the old mines.  Here he learns the differences between Kalgoorlie and Boulder.  There is even a place on the floor where one could see the old mine shafts.  He tosses a coin down the shaft and it ends up in a bucket several feet down into the mine.  Tony takes a tour of the shaft with one of the locals. 

After the trip to the pub, head for the main drag.  He meets up with a statue of Paddy Hannan.  Paddy Hannan bloke likes Tony.  He was an Irishman, constantly looking for gold.  Eventually, they found Kalgoorlie.  He became wealthy from the gold.  The city grew up around the gold.  Kalgoorlie was wealthy and was willing to flex its political muscle.  The city had a choice to join the rest of the provinces to form Australia, while the other choice was to be independent.  The government did not want the city to become a separate state thereby losing access to the gold.  Kalgoorlie would join up with Australia.

Tony continues his walk-through of Kalgoorlie and gold was not the only valuable asset in the city.  Water was valuable and a pipeline would be built between Kalgoorlie and Perth.  When the tap was turned on Kalgoorlie would have fresh water.  However, the celebrations when the pipeline was open were tinged with sadness.  Why were these celebrations tinged with sadness? Why does Tony get into a car when this series is about walking?  Continue to watch this episode to find out more.

Tony explores Brisbane in the second episode.  Beneath the city of steel and glass, there are plenty of stories to be found.  Tony begins the episode at the last remaining tower left over from the days when Brisbane was a penal colony.  It was meant to be a windmill, however, there was no wind in its location.  Instead of being a windmill, it was used to be punishment for the convicts.  The convicts would ground the flour themselves using the treadmill.

After touring the mill, Tony heads on over to the hotel, and the hotel was built to resemble the mill.  This hotel was the site of a protest against apartheid.  After learning about the poorest, he heads down Jacob’s ladder.  He discovers sculptures at the bottom of the stairs.  The sculptures tell the story of Agamemnon and his murder.  However, the sculptures would remind one of Dr. Who and the Daleks.  Tony then learns about World War II and the headquarters of the United States during World War II.  General Douglas MacArthur had his headquarters in Brisbane.  He stayed there after he “strategically retreated” from the Philippines.  The American Forces would transform Brisbane.

However, there were many African Americans who came over to Brisbane as a result of World War II.  The Australian government did not appreciate the invasion because of the “White Australia” policy.  However, they had to deal with it.  Tony then gets distracted by a building that says “John Mills Himself,” and learns the history as to why the building was called that.  Tony heads on over to the City Hall, which is the largest city hall in the world.  Tony then heads to the bathroom and discovers some graffiti left behind by the soldiers.  What else does Tony learn about Brisbane?  Tune into there rest of the episode.

Brisbane was an enjoyable episode and Tony’s discussion on World War II would be a good section to show to a history class.  In the Kalgoorlie episode, you can skip the brothel section which is at the end of the episode, unless you are showing this to college students.

Today we are continuing with Tony Robinson.  Should I call this a tribute to Tony Robinson or just a Tony Robinson palette cleanser?  It seems very appropriate that since it is summer I am covering this series of one-man trips.  Tony explores Woolloomooloo the run time for this episode is 26:12.  Bendigo is on Tony’s radar for the second episode and the run time for this exploration is 26:17.  These episodes come directly from Tony Robinson’s Time Travel channel and are not timed stamped!

Woolloomooloo is a pocket-sized suburb in Sydney.  It contains the hidden history of Australia.  Trust Tony, it will be great.  Woolloomooloo is Sydney’s oldest neighborhood.  Tony never travels to where he cannot spell the name of the city and spells it out for a local who is not paying attention.  The first thing he discovers in Woolloomooloo is Mrs. MacQuaries’ chair.  She was the governor’s wife and she hated New South Wales.  However, she and her husband stayed for eleven years.

Tony then heads on down to the pool and learns about the Australian Crawl.  It was a swim stroke that allowed swimmers to go faster.  It was a stroke that did not require you to kick your legs and could use your arms.  Tony recreates the first time the Australian crawl was done and proves that it is a faster stroke.  It was a stroke that revolutionized swimming.  The Americans picked up the stroke and renamed it the American Crawl.

Tony continues his tour of Woolloomooloo and notices some artwork along the way.  He talks about how art can show its national identity.  Despite never visiting the place, Robert Burns has plenty of statues of him in Australia.  Tony heads on over to a green area called Speakers Corners.  It was a place where people could speak their minds in an open space.  For more than 130 years it was a magnet for people who have plenty to say.  Tony immediately feels at home and gives his speech at this corner.  So what else does learn about Woolloomooloo, continue to watch this episode?

In the second episode, Tony explores Bendigo.  Bendigo was the site of history’s biggest gold finds.  Two mothers founded Bendigo: Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Farrell.  Without these two ladies, Bendigo would not have been one of the richest cities in the world.  Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Farrell were on a walk when they discovered gold.  They filled up their stockings and brought the nuggets home to the delight of their husband.

Tony explores the history of the gold rush in Bendigo.  Bendigo was a city that should not have been, however with loads and loads of gold being there helped the town grow.  There was plenty of an astronomical amount of gold discovered in Bendigo.  The town grew up around the mines.  However, there are more stories about Bendigo.  Tony continues on his walk-through Bendigo.  He visits a house and visits a wine cellar in the house.  He participates in a wine tasting of Bendigo wines.

After the wine tasting, Tony continues his walk and goes to Sacred Heart Cathedral.  It has hard edges and does not have the age older cathedrals have.  He walks along a wall that was the last wall built using the Chinese style.  He then ends his walk in the theater.  In 1895, Mark Twain made his way to Bendigo.  He was touring around the world to pay back his debt.  In Bendigo where he met a man named Mr. Blank.  Tony and a historian play out the night Twain met Mr. Blank.  Mr. Blank had been the president of the Mark Twain Society, and they had sent so much correspondence to him over the years.  Twain had written about meeting members of the Mark Twain Society in his book about his travels.  The historian was unimpressed with playing out the night Mark Twain met up with Mr. Blank.

Tony moves on and goes undercover.  It is 1962 and a man is pacing up and around the street.  On the curb there is a Mini, he gets into the car and talks to the man.  He is recruiting a spy.  So does this spy go on this mission?  Tune into the rest of the episode to find out. 

The spy section in Bendigo was an excellent section and the story about how gold was found in Bendigo was funny too.  The section on the Australian Crawl would be something good to show in the gym class.

Good morning, we are going to explore more of Tony Robinson’s Time Walks.  This series lasted two series.  In the first episode, Tony takes us through Barossa Valley and the run time for this episode is 26:30.  The first episode was time-stamped, so it can be a challenge to divide it up into smaller pieces.  In episode two, Tony explores Wellington.  The run time for this episode is 26:07 and this one is also not timestamped. 

160 years ago German immigrants came to the Barossa Valley fleeing from religious persecution.  The Barossa Valley became associated with fine wine and good food.  Tony begins his walk in Springton and goes on one of his biggest walks yet.  He begins his walk up a tree and it was here that a German immigrant lived in tree.  He purchased a large acreage, however, did not have enough money for a house.  He lived in a tree for three years.  Eventually, he married and raised his family in the tree.  Eventually, they built a hut.  However, it was a tough life for the family.

The Barossa is not a town, but a series of villages and wineries.  So Tony hops into a car to make the trip and he is heading to one of the oldest towns in the district.  It was a place that has never changed in the years since its founding.  Tony picks up a local newspaper and notices the name of the editor is Tony Robinson.  The town was named for George Fife Angus, a wealthy man who built the district up.  The town took its name from him: Angaston.  However, he was a man that you should not cross.  One local learned the hard way.  What were the consequences to this man?  Tune into the rest of this section to find out.

Tony then heads to a farmers market and tours it.  He tries local delicacies along the way in the farmer’s market.  The Barossa region is famous for its food and wine.  So what else does Tony learn about the Barossa Valley?  Tune into the rest of this episode to find out!

It is 1855 and the biggest earthquake in New Zealand’s history hit.  The earthquake changed the coastline.  Wellington is the capital of New Zealand.  It is the capital of New Zealand.  The original parliament building was originally built out of wood.  When parliament was out of town, the Prime Minister tore the wooden building down and put a stone building in its place.  However, he did not finish the building in time.  In the 1960s a controversial building was put up next door: the Beehive.  It was a building that New Zealanders loved or hated.

Tony then turns his attention to Edward Wakefield.  He founded South Australia’s capital.  He had a brother named William and he was the founding father of Wellington.  William’s past was exposed and he challenged the man who exposed it to a duel. William did not kill the man and shot his pistol in the air.  The man had seven daughters and William did not want to take their father away.  He was a rogue, but he was a rouge with honor.

Tony then heads on down to the Wellington Waterfront.  Here, Tony tells the story of a dog called Paddy.  He lived near the docks.  Paddy had a girlfriend, and together they would watch the sailors come in.  The female dog died and he never went home.  He waited and waited, eventually drawing interest from the locals.  He became famous and he was made assistant night watchman of the docks.  The taxi drivers built a memorial to him and the local community continues to renew his license.  Tony continues along his way through Wellington.  He travels along Cable street and stops at the National Museum.  He tells the story of how a hotel was moved across the street to make way for the National Museum.  What else does Tony discover about the history of Wellington, continue to watch the rest to this episode to find out?

I just love Tony’s enthusiasm for his travels.  I loved his story about Paddy the dog.  This series still remains an excellent one for a geography class.