Australian History

Saturday, December 23, 1893. :   The South Australian Parliament gives assent to the Act which supports the founding of communal settlements, or village settlements, most of which are built along the Murray River.

When Great Britain colonised New South Wales in 1788, it was already aware of France’s interest in the continent. Thus, it sought to consolidate its claim by establishing further colonies in the south and, later, the north and west. Explorer Matthew Flinders was the first European to investigate the possibilities for settlement on the coast of what is now South Australia, doing so in 1802. The exploration of Captain Charles Sturt to chart the inland rivers led to him discovering that the Murray River was a mighty, navigable waterway which emptied into the ocean off the southern coast. This was a further catalyst to the establishment of a colony on the southern coast. Consequently, the British authorities moved to establish an official colony, which would be known as South Australia. The South Australia Act, enabling the founding of the colony of South Australia, was passed by British Parliament in 1834. The colony of South Australia was officially proclaimed in England two years later, in February 1836, and then in South Australia itself in December of that year, several months after the arrival of the first settlers in July.

The driest colony in the continent, South Australia utilised the Murray River as effectively as it could. Paddle steamers carried goods and passengers along the river between Goolwa and the eastern states, and river ports along its course played a vital role in trade. However, economic depression hit the Australian colonies in the 1890s, and the colonial governments sought ways to combat the effects. One of the means established by the South Australian government, under Premier Charles Cameron Kingston, was the establishment of communal settlements, known as village settlements. The scheme saw unemployed people from Adelaide resettled on the land, where it was hoped the villages would become self-sufficient. Within each settlement was to be a village association which would be governed by socialist-based rules allowing for the division of labour amongst the villagers, the distribution of profits and the regulation of industry and trade. Initially, coupons were used for currency, rather than a monetary system. The government granted each of the settlers an advance to establish agricultural production, with the first instalment of the repayment to be paid within three years. The Crown Lands Amendment Act, which included provision for village settlements, was introduced to parliament on 8 August 1893 and given assent on 23 December 1893.

In all, thirteen village settlements were founded in South Australia. Most of them were along the Murray River and included Lyrup, Waikerie, Holder, Pyap, Kingston, Gillen, New Era, Moorook, Murtho, Ramco and New Residence. Each village settlement floundered for a variety of reasons, usually the inability of the settlers to work communally, and the scheme in all settlements was disbanded by 1903. However, some of these settlements thrived as agricultural centres once the regions were incorporated into the respective Irrigation Areas in the early 20th century and land was leased to individuals.

Australian History

Sunday, December 23, 1906. :   Australian invention, the surf lifesaving reel, is demonstrated for the first time.

Australia is a land of innovations and inventions: many of them developed out of necessity due to Australia’s unusual or harsh conditions and environment. One such invention is the surf lifesaving reel.

The world’s first lifesaving clubs were spawned in Australia, when the Bronte Beach Surf Club was formed in 1903. Early rescue equipment was primitive, being a simple pole in the sand with a coiled rope attached. In 1906, Lyster Ormsby of the Bondi Surf Bathers Lifesaving Club modelled the design he felt could be implemented, using a cotton reel and bobby pins. Ormsby’s design intended for a lifesaver wearing a belt with a rope attached to reach a distressed swimmer, and be pulled back to the beach by his fellow lifesavers.

A full-scale working model taken from the original design was built by Sgt John Bond of Victoria Barracks in Paddington. Later, this was improved upon by Sydney coachbuilder G H Olding. The first surf lifesaving reel is believed to have been demonstrated on 23 December 1906 at Bondi Beach, although some sources say this occurred in March 1907. Local legend states that the first person to be saved by a lifesaver using a reel, rope and belt was an eight-year-old boy by the name of Charlie Kingsford-Smith, who later became one of Australia’s most famous aviators.

The surf lifesaving reel was popularly used until 1993, when ‘Rubber Duckies’, inflatable boats with outboard motors, came into use

World History

Sunday, December 23, 1888. :   Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh deliberately cuts off his own ear.

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853 in Zundert, in the southern Netherlands. Generally considered (posthumously) one of the greatest and most prolific painters in European history, he suffered a mental breakdown after only ten years working as an artist.

The story goes that on the evening of 23 December 1888, Van Gogh cut off the lower half of his left ear and took it to a brothel, where he presented it to a prostitute friend. The reason for this unusual behaviour has been theorised upon by many; the most likely cause was that it was the result of an argument with his painter friend Paul Gauguin, although that does not explain his bizarre behaviour. Regardless of the reason, shortly after this incident, van Gogh admitted himself to a mental institution. Two years later, suffering from severe depression, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest and died two days later, on 29 July 1890.

World History

Wednesday, December 23, 1970. :   Construction of the World Trade Center (Twin Towers) in New York reaches its highest point.

The World Trade Center in New York City was a complex of seven buildings, designed by American architect Minoru Yamasaki, near the south end of Manhattan in the financial district. The World Trade Center was dominated by the Twin Towers. Tower One, the North Tower, featured a huge antenna and stood 417 m high, while Tower Two, the South Tower, was 415 m high and contained the observation deck which gave a view extending over 70km. On 23 December 1970, construction of the Twin Towers reached its highest point. The towers were completed in 1972 and 1973 and at the time were the tallest buildings on Earth. Within a few years, however, Chicago’s Sears Tower at a height of 442m surpassed the record held by the Twin Towers.

On 11 September 2001, the Twin Towers were destroyed when two planes hijacked by terrorists crashed into the towers. Thousands were killed in the resultant fires and collapse of the once-proud buildings.

World History

Saturday, December 23, 1972. :   Between 5,000 and 10,000 are killed as an earthquake hits Nicaragua.

The country of Nicaragua lies in Central America. It is bordered on the north by Honduras, on the south by Costa Rica, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east side by the Caribbean Sea. The capital city, Managua, and the two largest cities, Leon and Granada, lie in the Pacific lowlands where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common.

At 12:45 pm local time on 23 December 1972, Managua was devastated by an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale. Water, electricity and communications were cut immediately as up to 80% of buildings collapsed. While over two dozen countries responded with aid worth millions, much of it never reached those in need: the overwhelming devastation meant the aid was not distributed properly and began being stockpiled. Exact figures for the death toll have never been determined, but in the end, it is estimated to have been between 5,000 and 10,000.

World History

Thursday, December 23, 1993. :   Plans to destroy the remaining smallpox virus stockpile are reversed.

Smallpox is the only known major human disease to have been eradicated. It was a highly contagious viral disease unique to humans, caused by two virus variants called Variola major and Variola minor. V. major was the more deadly form, with a typical mortality of 20-40 percent of those infected. The other type, V. minor, only killed 1% of its victims. Smallpox was responsible for an estimated 300-500 million deaths in the 20th century. Survivors were left blind in one or both eyes from corneal ulcerations, and left with persistent skin scarring, or pockmarks.

In January 1967, the World Health Organisation (WHO), a specialised agency of the United Nations acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, announced the Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme, involving the extensive distribution of the vaccine. In July 1978, WHO announced the successful eradication of the smallpox strain Variola Minor. The last natural case of the more deadly strain, Variola Major, had occurred several years earlier, in 1975.

Although the disease was eradicated from the general populace, there remained a stockpile of the virus in storage in 600 frozen vials in Atlanta and Russia. This was deemed necessary, should further vaccines be required in the future. This stockpile was supposed to be destroyed on 31 December 1993. However, just prior to this date, on 23 December 1993, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia reversed their decision, announcing that the remaining virus stockpile would not be destroyed, to enable scientists to continue studying the disease.