Thread: Jack Absalom DVDs at ABC shops

The ABC shops are selling a 4 DVD box set of Jack Absalom stuff – Birdsville Track, Strezlecki Track, Sturt, (basically Packsaddle to Innamincka) & the Kimberleys.

Haven’t played them all yet, but its really interesting seeing how things have changed since 1985. And of course a bit reminiscent.

Some points noted so far:

- Where’s his Landrover? This Sigma wagon is out of place.

- The highlight for me is the footage of the trains running in Maree. Those off-red NSU locos that were never recovered.

- Birdsville pub was a bit sparse. No footy tipping boards etc on the walls.

- There’s only a few secs of footage, but the Innamincka AIM hospital was still in ruins at that stage.

- There’s no reference to a shop at Camerons Corner. I would have thought the original store would have been erected by then?

- The artesian bores are a huge, free, wonderful resource that’s the saviour of the land. Well before the cap & pipe management of today.

- Generally there’s a lot of good background history that I didn’t know about say Cordillo Downs, gold mining, the introduction of clay topped roads etc.

- I didn’t recognise either Depot Glen or Cooper Creek. I guess Sturt could have camped up & down for say a mile, not just where today’s sign is. And Coopers Creek was either very low then and/or he was fishing in the upper reaches near the choke somewhere.

- I get a bit sick of “how to tell the direction from the sun” stuff. Although to be fair, I didn’t you could get east & west from the moon.

All in all its good fun. Highly recommended if you like this sort of DVD.

Regards
Max P

Just watched Jack Absolom dvds which forgot we had and just found them today, one even unopened. Wow, how time flies.

Originally Posted by Tusker

The ABC shops are selling a 4 DVD box set of Jack Absalom stuff – Birdsville Track, Strezlecki Track, Sturt, (basically Packsaddle to Innamincka) & the Kimberleys.

Haven’t played them all yet, but its really interesting seeing how things have changed since 1985. And of course a bit reminiscent.

Some points noted so far:

- Where’s his Landrover? This Sigma wagon is out of place.

- The highlight for me is the footage of the trains running in Maree. Those off-red NSU locos that were never recovered.

- Birdsville pub was a bit sparse. No footy tipping boards etc on the walls.

- There’s only a few secs of footage, but the Innamincka AIM hospital was still in ruins at that stage.

- There’s no reference to a shop at Camerons Corner. I would have thought the original store would have been erected by then?

- The artesian bores are a huge, free, wonderful resource that’s the saviour of the land. Well before the cap & pipe management of today.

- Generally there’s a lot of good background history that I didn’t know about say Cordillo Downs, gold mining, the introduction of clay topped roads etc.

- I didn’t recognise either Depot Glen or Cooper Creek. I guess Sturt could have camped up & down for say a mile, not just where today’s sign is. And Coopers Creek was either very low then and/or he was fishing in the upper reaches near the choke somewhere.

- I get a bit sick of “how to tell the direction from the sun” stuff. Although to be fair, I didn’t you could get east & west from the moon.

All in all its good fun. Highly recommended if you like this sort of DVD.

Regards
Max P