Darwin in 1995-1997
If you haven’t read The Darwin Letters yet, what are you doing here? The Darwin Letters start here.
Once Trenna arrived in Darwin it became apparent quite quickly that she wanted to write to family and friends to tell them of how different it was to Perth, and to tell of the adventures we had undertaken.
These days you would use Socials to get the word out, but of course in 1994 that wasn’t … Read the rest ... “Funny and/or Clever Newsletter Titles”
By Greg
I think Trenna’s Darwin letters to my parents convey a lot of the colour and light of our two year stay at the top of Australia. If you haven’t caught up with them I suggest you start them HERE.
There were a few stories from that period that weren’t covered by Trenna’s letters, so I thought I’d cobble together a bunch of them in this post.
We moved to Darwin so that I could … Read the rest ... “The Green Salad Sandwich Maker, and Other Darwin Stories”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Tuesday 5 November 1996
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
G’day Mum and Dad
Nov 96 Greg has accepted a job offer at Murdoch University, and has agreed to commence working there on Monday 2nd December 1996 – less than four weeks from today – YIPPEE!!
So we’re packing our bags, and aim to fly out on Saturday 30th November 1996 – 2 years, 2 weeks, and 2 days after the … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters – The Final Letter, No. 14”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Friday, 9 August 1996
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
G’day Mum and Dad,
W
ell, how are you getting along down there? We hope you’re both fighting fit. We’re fine.
Thankyou for your letter of 21/7 Mum. It sounds like you’re getting some interesting items through your shop. Mum, keep your beady eyes off our breadmaker, we intend enjoying it’s yummy results for many years to come.
Of course Dad if you … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No.13”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Saturday, 4 May 1996
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
G’day folks,
How’s life down there in sunny Perth? We hope you are both well. We’re just spiffy. It’s “The Dry”!
There have been a number of unequivocal signs to verify this. Firstly, on Thursday evening 21 March our balcony was engulfed in a hovering swarm of dragon-flies which according to Margie is – a sure-fired sign that “The Dry” is on … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 12”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
[GM: Warning: This post does mention suicide.]
Tuesday 13 February 1996
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
“ Birthday Greetings, Mum! ” G’day folks,
How are you both? Staying out of the hot sun no doubt! Sorry we missed you on Sunday, Mum. We’re well, although leading relatively mundane lives at the moment.
Notwithstanding Greg of course being extremely busy at NTU with enrolments – he’s at work by 8.00am and doesn’t get home … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 11”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this post may contain an image of a dead person (I don’t know if it does or not).
Tuesday 5 December 1995
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
Dad , “ H a p p y B i r t h d a y t o y o u . . . ” Howdie Dad and Mum,
We hope you, and the … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 10”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Tuesday 26 September 1995
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
G’day once again Mum and Dad,
How are you both after your trip to Kal? We hope you enjoyed it.
Did you see some interesting sites? How did the local bus route and service compare with Darwin’s? Isn’t it around this time of the year that Kal has the racing round?
We are well, although we both feel that the cancellation of our Tassie holiday has … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 9”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
A note before Tren starts: There is about a 4 and a half month break between the following letter and the previous one. I suspect that there wasn’t one written in that time. That period includes a lot of “The Dry” when we were way more active, but during this period my parents visited and Trenna’s sister Barb visited. Our friends Lorraine and Neil also arrived to live in Darwin, Lorraine … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No.8”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Tuesday 21 March 1995
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
G’day (hopefully) Mum and Dad,
We hope you are both well. We’re pretty good, and we’re looking forward to your visit.
Well this letter has taken considerably more effort to write than any previous one to date, that’s for sure. Mind you, it’s not for want of trying on my part.
Our computer is trying my patience just a tad. I think … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 7”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Monday 13 February 1995
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
” HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM! “
G’day again Mum and Dad.
We enjoyed our chat with you both on Saturday. Hope you’re still going good.
But rest assured, I won’t let the mundane get in the way of me telling a story or two
We’re both slowly recovering from this wretched flu virus. We thought we might be able to get out and … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 6”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Tuesday 17 January 1995
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff NT 0810
G’day Mum and Dad,
Sorry we missed you on Sunday, Mum. How did you and Deb do at the Markets? Is this the first time you have sold stuff there? I can’t remember if we ever did get around to going to the Cannington Markets, I know we had intended to. How do they compare with other markets?
Greg’s going very … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 5”
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Monday 19 December 1994
20/288 Casuarina Drive
Nightcliff 0810
Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!
Top End Greetings to you Mum and Dad, and also to anyone else who reads this letter.
Not another letter, we hear you cry! Don’t worry though, we’re sure the novelty will wear off very soon, and you’ll be blessed with a simple phone call.
But in the mean time, here we go again…
How are you … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 4”
or at least the first of them
If you’ve missed it, this series starts here.
Welcome to the third instalment in this series.
I’ve changed my mind several times, wrestling with how best to present this series of stories from when Trenna and I lived in tropical Darwin.
I’ve now decided I will do it by publishing, in the order they were written and sent, the letters Trenna wrote to my Mum and Dad.
We later … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 3”
It’s been a long time coming, and then it is only a short piece! The whole Chapter is only three paragraphs long.
Future installments will be in a different format, as you will see.
If you missed Chapter One, you can find it here.
Finally, after months of consideration and anticipation, and weeks of preparation, departure day Thursday 10th November 1994 has thankfully arrived. The past couple of … Read the rest ... “The Darwin Letters No. 2”
Trenna and I lived in Darwin the capital of the Northern Territory from 1995 to 1997. Darwin, for our international readers is well and truely in the tropics.
During that time, thankfully, Trenna took the lead in writing home to friends and relatives. Yes it was the era of letters and expensive long … Read the rest ... “Commencing the Darwin Letters”