This is the time of the year for bush fires in Ozz

And some pre history of Ozz _____________________________________________________ There have been worst years than this recorded but all the same I am glad I am not in the middle of one. Careless folk can cause these I know so can one being deliberately lit. I recall many years ago whilst in a hospital observing a few youths setting the bush land around the Hospital and a golf course alight, many folk watched this and did nothing; personally I hobbled out to the nurses station and asked the young nurse to report it, she did not want to only ah they are only kids the fire brigade will put it out she said. My mind was made up I took the phone off her desk and dialed the number for fire. I got hauled over the coals for that until I pointed out I personally knew the Matron in charge of the ward; I did know her both my wife and I were friends of hers; it was sorted out. These little jokers were caught by the Police in the end but the work the fire brigade put in that day went on for 4 days all for the sake of a few unruly kids. It’s worse today in that respect I know but one wonders what started all these fires prior to the discovery and colonisation of this sunburnt land of ours. I do know that prior to the arrival of the white man the native Australians had recourse to fire and did fire grassland periodically it actually promoted growth strangely enough, They traded with Arab and Chinese traders as early as the 9th Century they also smoked so maybe old Sir Walt was not the discoverer of Tobacco after all he only took it to the British Isles. The first recorded examples of tobacco smoking were from the Mexican Maya civilisation in about 500 AD. It was first brought to England in the second part of the 16th century. The people living along the northern coastline of Australia have had encounters with various visitors for many thousands of years. People and goods moved freely between Australia and New Guinea up to and even after the eventual flooding of the land bridge by rising sea levels, which was completed about 6000 years ago. Lots of trees and native grasses get burnt and rejuvenate so maybe in those days it was a good thing but sadly that is not the case today. There was a high degree of cultural exchange, evidenced in Aboriginal Rock and paintings the introduction of technologies such as dug-out canoes and items such as tobacco and tobacco pipes, Macassan words in Aboriginal languages Balanda means a white person [in Malay the word was and still is as I recall Orang Puteh], and descendants of Malay peoples in Australian Aboriginal communities and vice versa, as a result of intermarriage and migration. So this land has had a colourful history really prior to Captain Cook’s claiming of our land for the Brits. Things did not bode well for the natives here after the establishment of a penal colony either. Many of them were hunted down and killed and I do mean many. When I first came to Australia years ago the natives were not even included on official census forms. Thankfully things have been restored somewhat we have even had Aboriginal Senators we still may I am not certain. For more info on our native people I suggest you read this website I myself found it fascinating it seems they even believe in our Christian God but in a different manner to our way incredible really. Website Brisbane Courier Mail *******************************************************************************************************************************