tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53650459195458697532012-02-16T13:15:40.814-08:00A researcher's blog telling the story of her quest to understand why<br> a 19th century plant explorer Allan Cunningham dedicated his life to science.Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.comBlogger151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-44564897243724593982011-06-12T00:05:00.000-07:002011-06-12T00:10:42.149-07:00

Welcome to The Allan Cunningham Project Blog. These blogs have been transferred to Artuccino, an Australian eZine mixing Art, History, Wisdom and Good Reading.Following the links to read the latest blogs:The Allan Cunningham Project Blog is at:http://www.artuccino.com/Allan_Cunningham/Blog/index.htmlDiane Challenors general musings can be found within her Serendipity44 Blog:http://artuccino.com/

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-20376877396494924012009-07-02T23:43:00.001-07:002009-07-02T23:45:25.845-07:00

The Subiaco Columns at the Uni of NSW SydneyOriginally uploaded by diane.challenor"Standing in a garden at the University of NSW are several sandstone columns known as the Subiaco Columns, precious fragments of our colonial past holding up the sky. They have no signage and no obvious purpose."The Doric columns once decorated the impressive verandah of Hannibal Macarthur's early 19th century

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-22536497079217630052009-07-02T19:46:00.001-07:002009-07-02T19:46:42.863-07:00

AudioBoo / The AllanCunninghamProject Listen!Shared via AddThis

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-27315189253014823272009-01-01T22:22:00.000-08:002011-05-29T20:03:33.732-07:00

In 1911 tradesmen arrived in Kent Street near Sydney's Town Hall. They had instructions from the church leaders to dismantle St Andrew's Scots Presbyterian Church which included the removal of several memorial plaques, stained glass windows, a stone font, the timber rafters and cedar pews. One of the memorial plaques commemorated the life of Allan Cunningham a botanist and explorer. The plaque

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-25591982813829412832008-09-27T22:15:00.000-07:002011-05-29T21:09:03.276-07:00

“It’s not what has been lost that amazes me but how much has survived." D. Hall, Historian On 16th November 1827 The Australian Newspaper reported:“The house of Allan Cunningham’s neighbour Mr Gooch, in Marsden Street, burned down. Mr Cunningham’s house on the westside, adjoining the ruined house, was in danger but was saved by his neighbours, Messrs Walker, Moore, White and Smith.” The

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-52951404685729570802008-09-08T14:30:00.000-07:002008-10-06T22:19:50.986-07:00

Araucaria cunninghamii (Hoop Pine)A photo taken . . . holding a moment in time, suspended . . . contemplating a tree. The two of us just sat in the mid-morning sunshine, on a bench in the Sydney Botanic Gardens, a coffee comfortably nestled in our hands, contemplating a tree. Simple things can be so good. It wasn't just any tree. We knew its botanical name. Did someone once say that until

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-84283811440053941782008-09-08T12:54:00.000-07:002011-04-29T21:24:23.281-07:00

Years ago Phillip Parker King stood on a hill near his property Dunheved. I imagine he felt very pleased with himself, his success and the building project that was about to take place. A small church was about to be built on the hill, a church that would fulfil the wish of his mother, Anna Josepha King. The land had been set aside some time ago and now, at long last, building had commenced. The

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-74372095251745753442008-09-08T12:50:00.000-07:002008-09-08T14:47:20.330-07:00

Most days of the week I enjoy several reading sessions. Today's selection is "A Place on Earth: An anthology of nature writing from Australia and North America". It is a very good example of creative non-fiction, each story is like an extended "word picture". The anthology was put together by Dr Mark Tredinnick whose workshop I attended, last year, on the subject of writing creative non fiction.

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-59114366361234461122008-09-08T12:44:00.000-07:002008-09-08T12:50:08.623-07:00

Allan Cunningham's story would make a really good book using a creative non-fiction writing technique. It's a method I would love to use and a story I would love to write, however since starting out on my journey to tell his story I have discovered that writing is a learned craft, a skilled craft. No, naively, I didn't know, but isn't that what life is about . . . learning. To some, writing

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-85463076347746129982008-09-08T12:34:00.000-07:002008-09-08T12:43:00.377-07:00

As part of the Allan Cunningham Project we are following in the footsteps of our tenacious Botanist. Our first adventure outside of the Sydney metropolitan area took place some time ago. We visited the Glenroy Camping Ground, just a little way from Hartley, west of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.Glenroy was the site of a military station set up to guard the original western road later known as

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-2588279381059030502008-09-08T12:16:00.000-07:002008-10-01T16:21:41.674-07:00

"A quest is never easy. There are always challenges and obstacles along the way. These challenges are necessary, because as the questors successfully overcome them, they build up: knowledge, self-confidence and determination. Without these attributes, they would be unable to reach their goal.Thus in a quest, the search is just as important as the finding!"Everyone should take on quests during

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-2615563501415314002008-09-08T12:11:00.000-07:002011-05-30T17:33:46.052-07:00

It has been said that the Age we live in, here in 2007, is the Age of Anxiety. It's tempting to agree. I'm not sure who decides the names of the "Ages". Similarly, I'm unsure who decides it's Save The Whale Week or Save the Wilderness Year or Be Kind To Your Neighbour Day. However, categorising periods of time and giving them a name can be helpful. It gives me boundaries within which I can

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-66599815206317817242008-09-08T12:09:00.000-07:002008-09-14T00:16:02.311-07:00

The Book A Short History of Nearly Everything, introduced me to Bill Bryson. I love the way he communicates with his reader. It's direct, like a friend sharing their experience, it has all the wonderful ebb and flow of a really good conversation, mainly of the listening kind.So, while having a luxurious slow browse through my local bookshop recently I came across "A Walk in the Woods:

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-61964036016200484412008-09-08T11:56:00.000-07:002008-09-14T00:01:04.842-07:00

This was when he lived! He would have dressed like that! This was me, finding a link to Allan Cunningham in everything I see, read and think. Yes I agree a little obsessive, possibly very obsessive, but I love it. A bit boring for others unfortunately so I try to keep my excitement short and sweet. They humour me and sometimes find it interesting. My close friends and family have been listening

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365045919545869753.post-54920730895956686792008-09-07T15:58:00.000-07:002008-09-08T14:17:08.908-07:00

"It is by honouring the memory of great men that one inspires greatness in others." Hyacinthe de Bougainville 8th September 1825This blog is a recording of my journey as I get to know a botanist, Allan Cunningham, who dedicated his life to science in the early 1800s.After coming across his grave site in the middle of the Sydney Botanic Gardens, I was inspired to get to know him. The moss covered

Diane Challenorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07950266008543001121noreply@blogger.com0