Female bushranger wore pants alongside Captain Thunderbolt
In 1865 police had tracked the notorious bushranger Captain Thunderbolt to his camp in the Maitland area. What they found was a heavily...
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Tales from the Grave
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Samantha Elley
May 10, 20214 min read
Chained to a rock on Goat Island for 2 years
Goat Island in Sydney Harbour became Charles 'Boney' Anderson's prison for two years, chained to a large sandstone rock.
2,614 views1 comment
Samantha Elley
Apr 20, 20213 min read
How a piece of paper caused more drama than a soap opera
The fight over his will took up more space in the newspaper than his obituary.
503 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
Mar 26, 20211 min read
A date with SAG to talk about Tales
I was honoured to be asked to talk about the establishment of Tales
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Samantha Elley
Mar 20, 20215 min read
“Here’s to ‘ee”: Raising a glass to the Toohey Brothers
Two Irish brothers who had been running pubs in Melbourne, travel to Sydney to make their own beer, and create an Australian icon. It is...
677 views1 comment
Samantha Elley
Mar 5, 20214 min read
Gumnut baby creator seen as ‘New Woman’ in early 20th century
Bringing the beauty of the Australian bush alive, not only to children, but also to adults, was the special skill of May Gibbs. Born to...
258 views1 comment
Samantha Elley
Feb 26, 20211 min read
Tales from the Grave enters Genealogy list
It's been 15 months now since I established my newspaper column Tales from the Grave as a website. It's been only 3 months since I...
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Samantha Elley
Feb 20, 20214 min read
Dickens' son a station agent and bushranger catcher
His name alone carried the weight of British literature.
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Samantha Elley
Feb 13, 20214 min read
Sheep industry thrives under a woman’s touch
Elizabeth’s expert ability to manage the sheep ensured their competitive place in the British wool market.
191 views1 comment
Samantha Elley
Feb 7, 20214 min read
Police Commissioner has finger on the police force pulse
He nearly died on the job and introduced finger printing as a way of catching criminals.
283 views1 comment
Samantha Elley
Jan 29, 20213 min read
The mystery of the Fraser Island girls
Two young white girls are rescued from an Aboriginal tribe on Fraser Island, three years after their boat is ship-wrecked and all crew is lo
1,263 views3 comments
Samantha Elley
Dec 7, 20204 min read
Olley surrounded herself in still life art
She worked in a chaotic maze of colour and clutter, creating her beautiful artworks. Her surroundings were not for the minimalists among...
492 views2 comments
Samantha Elley
Dec 4, 20204 min read
Fridge king establishes Taronga Park Zoo
When Edward John Lees Hallstrom had a passion for something, he threw everything at it.
455 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
Nov 30, 20203 min read
Previous tragedy spurs father on to be a hero
An unbearable tragedy may have been the catalyst for a daring, heroic act by John Christian Erichs, where he would eventually pay the...
732 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
Aug 8, 20201 min read
More coverage for Tales from the Grave
Tales from the Grave is gaining a wider audience. Find out here where we are going.
226 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
Jul 5, 20202 min read
He was the founder behind a 144 year old newspaper
People complained about this "new-fangled idea of a newspaper" in their town, but William Kelleway went on to establish a newspaper that...
430 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
Jun 20, 20203 min read
Her high jump record was held for 98 years
Her 'frail' physique belied the amazing ability Esther Stace had when in control over a large horse.
3,016 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
Jun 7, 20203 min read
After three years he came back from the dead
James Benson could have been forgiven for aligning himself with Job of the Bible, when he lost his family and his freedom.
496 views2 comments
Samantha Elley
May 30, 20203 min read
How a collection of old boxes became anthropological gold.
They were a treasure buried in dusty boxes, left by a woman who had died, for a real estate agent who didn't know what to do with them.
4,318 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
May 3, 20203 min read
Mr Eternity shares his faith in one word
When a person is genuine in their intentions, it is bound to affect at least a few people.
335 views0 comments
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