On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 5:50:55 AM UTC+10, Bob Harper wrote:
> On 4/17/22 4:43 AM, Andrew Clarke wrote:
> > On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 6:48:09 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> >> On Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 5:23:24 PM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> >>> On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 7:49:38 AM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>> There is no reason to believe people vote rationally. In
> >>>> fact, the opposite seems to be true. Remember Brexit?
> >>>> Remember Hitler? Remember Mussolini? Remember
> >>>> McDonald?
> >>>>
> >>> I think that Brexit was rational in the sense that having
> >>> offloaded a whole lot of unnecessary Westminster
> >>> government regulation under Lady Thatcher, the
> >>> British public decided that they didn't want to be
> >>> stuck with a whole lot of unnecessary Brussels
> >>> government regulation instead.
> >> I don't see all this as sufficiently "rational". To my
> >> mind, rational means one has fully analyzed the
> >> cost/benefit and the risk/reward equations. It
> >> does not seem to me anyone in the UK, let
> >> alone in government, could be bothered to
> >> do this. Do you see any evidence to the
> >> contrary?
> >>
> >> dk
> >
> > Yes I do. The Treasury had undoubtedly done its sums. The Government was pro-Remain. The Opposition was pro-Remain. The BBC was pro-Remain. The national press of whatever political pursuation was generally pro-Remain. Pro-Brexit campaigners like Nigel Farage were lampooned as reactionary petit bourgeois still living in the 1950s. I think it can be said that if the matter had not gone to a referendum, Britain would still be in the EU.
> >
> > How many Americans would like to live under a political union in which their State and Federal governments were bound by treaty to automatically pass into law regulations created by a parliament and bureaucracy established in Toronto, under the authority of a Commission of retired Canadian and Latin American polititians, passed by a fairly toothless parliament, and enacted by a large and expensive bureaucracy over which the average US citizen would little or no control, but which devours a percentage of their Federal taxes in the form of an annual subvention, amounting to millions of dollars?
> >
> > Andrew Clarke
> > Canberra
> I think iyou probably meant to say several *BILLIONS* of dollars, but in
> either case, no, I wouldn't--and I don't blame the Brits.
>
> Bob Harper

"2019 was the last full year in which the UK was a member of the European Union (EU). As a member of the EU the UK made payments, or contributions, to the EU budget. The UK also received funding, or receipts, from the EU. The EU provides funding for various agricultural, social, economic development and competitiveness programmes.The UK received a rebate from the EU which reduced its contribution. The rebate aimed to correct the issue of the UK making relatively large net contributions to the EU.

In 2019 the UK made an estimated gross contribution (after the rebate) of £14.4 billion. The UK received £5.0 billion of public sector receipts from the EU, so the UK’s net public sector contribution to the EU was an estimated £9.4 billion."

<https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7886/?msclkid=4b07d42dbeac11ec88b5e662f2b58ac4>

Ray also mentioned the advantages of being a member of a power bloc. The UK is still a member of a real power bloc called NATO, and apart from the USA it is almost the only member which tries to meet its treaty obligations with regard to defence expenditure.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 6:54:17 AM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 7:31:07 AM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > Finally, many countries in the EU have a tradition
> > of etatisme. Britain, like the USA, does not.
> >
> ?!?

When the price of hogs goes down or the cost of oil goes up or the Federal Government decides to freeze the salaries paid to its employees, Americans, by and large, do not hold noisy or even violent demonstrations, block highways with tractors or dump manure at the entrance to public buildings, on the assumption that the government (l'Etat) is, or should be, responsible for everything. The example given is obviously French, but I believe Germany and Italy - when they can find a government - have a similar political philosophy.

I read somewhere that French Presidential elections have *three* rounds: le 1re Tour, le 2e Tour and Les Manifestations ...

What the USA does have is a long history of populist movements. What was unusual about The Donald was that he actually won.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

On Monday, 18 April 2022 at 00:31:07 UTC+10, andrewc...gmail.com wrote:

> > > > I don't see all this as sufficiently "rational". To my
> > > > mind, rational means one has fully analyzed the
> > > > cost/benefit and the risk/reward equations. It
> > > > does not seem to me anyone in the UK, let
> > > > alone in government, could be bothered to
> > > > do this. Do you see any evidence to the
> > > > contrary?
> > > >
> > > > dk
> > > Yes I do. The Treasury had undoubtedly done its sums. The Government was pro-Remain. The Opposition was pro-Remain. The BBC was pro-Remain. The national press of whatever political pursuation was generally pro-Remain. Pro-Brexit campaigners like Nigel Farage were lampooned as reactionary petit bourgeois still living in the 1950s. I think it can be said that if the matter had not gone to a referendum, Britain would still be in the EU.

Once again, then why is it now not in the EU?

> I very much doubt that Mr Rishi Sunak and Ms Priti Patel are Eton educated toffs. Theresa May , the then Conservative prime minister certainly wasn't. I am not sure that even Boris Johnson is the owner of a landed estate.

They are all part of the disaster which is the present Tory party. How about reading some newspapers and gaining some knowledge.

> > If you join a club you change from within, or abide by rules that might seem to be not the best for some, and not exit the club to be ruled by changes that only benefit the few. Brexit is a disaster. I hope Oz chooses wisely on May21.
> It is news to me that Australia is planning to leave the European Union or is ruled by Eton-educated toffs.

You well know what I meant but you chose to be deliberately obtuse.
> Meanwhile, the feeling among Brexiteers and others was that reform of the EU from within was impossible,

But not from those who wanted to remain, and given that quite a few stupidly chose to cast protest votes only (assuming that the stupidity of leaving would never win), the country was completely split. In such a situation a sensible government would assume the status quo, but then when did common sense come into it wrt to the Tories?

> Finally, many countries in the EU have a tradition of etatisme. Britain, like the USA, does not.

Which may be why both are where they are. Rudderless and prey to any crackpot who wants to run the show. A few might call it freedom, whilst others might choose to call it unorganised chaos, which is more apt.

Ray Hall, Taree

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 9:34:50 AM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 3:24:37 PM UTC-7, Steven Bornfeld wrote:
> >
> > Of course, we in the U.S. won't accept
> > the authority of the World Court.
> Then why should any other nation
> recognize the World Court?
>
Cf the UK's problems with the European Court of Justice. Attempts have been made to deport fire-breathing jihadists - no friends of Frank Berger's daughter in Stamford Hill - only for the decision to be overruled by the ECJ.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 10:50:06 AM UTC+10, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> On Monday, 18 April 2022 at 00:31:07 UTC+10, andrewc...gmail.com wrote:

> > It is news to me that Australia is planning to leave the European Union or is ruled by Eton-educated toffs.
> You well know what I meant but you chose to be deliberately obtuse.

I think you possibly mean that in the forthcoming Federal election Mr Scott Morrison and his Liberal Party / Country Party government should be replaced by Mr Anthony Albanese and an Australian Labor Party government. The connection with the British Conservative Party is, however, far from clear. As for Brexit we did get a new Anglo-Australian trade agreement out of it.

There are a lot of things about the USA which baffle us, e.g. why anybody would want to live in Joisey, the most heavily taxed, and one of the most dangerous states in the Union, or why some states have low income taxes and high property taxes while others have the reverse, for example. But that's the way they've always done things, and they always seem to manage.

I subscribe to The Australian, the Daily Telegraph and Le Monde, I read The Economist occasionally and I am a regular and enthusiastic watcher of The World According To Briggs on You Tube. Furthermore, my dental hygienist is a former cheerleader from Wisconsin: at my request she puts the pom-poms down when she is scraping my teeth.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 6:34:48 PM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 10:50:06 AM UTC+10, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Monday, 18 April 2022 at 00:31:07 UTC+10, andrewc...gmail.com wrote:
> > > It is news to me that Australia is planning to leave the European Union or is ruled by Eton-educated toffs.
> > You well know what I meant but you chose to be deliberately obtuse.
> I think you possibly mean that in the forthcoming Federal election Mr
> Scott Morrison and his Liberal Party / Country Party government should
> be replaced by Mr Anthony Albanese and an Australian Labor Party
> government.

Are you guys now starting a little war in
Australia between NSW and ACT? This
would be a welcome distraction from
following other wars in other places! ;-)

dk

On Sunday, 17 April 2022 at 21:43:40 UTC+10, andrewc...gmail.com wrote:
> On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 6:48:09 PM UTC+10, dan....gmail.com wrote:

> > I don't see all this as sufficiently "rational". To my
> > mind, rational means one has fully analyzed the
> > cost/benefit and the risk/reward equations. It
> > does not seem to me anyone in the UK, let
> > alone in government, could be bothered to
> > do this. Do you see any evidence to the
> > contrary?
> >
> > dk
> Yes I do. The Treasury had undoubtedly done its sums. The Government was pro-Remain. The Opposition was pro-Remain. The BBC was pro-Remain. The national press of whatever political pursuation was generally pro-Remain. Pro-Brexit campaigners like Nigel Farage were lampooned as reactionary petit bourgeois still living in the 1950s. I think it can be said that if the matter had not gone to a referendum, Britain would still be in the EU.

Then why isn't it still in the EU? Third time of asking although I can understand your reticence. In your latest post you gave your news reading as The Australian, and the Telegraph, which comes as no complete surprise, given that they are merely propagators of the right wing lunacy you seem to adhere to. As to whether your dentist is from Wisconsin or Timbuktu, is wholely irrelevant, although for some reason it seems to matter to you.

Ray Hall, Taree

On Friday, April 15, 2022 at 11:04:22 PM UTC-7, Dan Koren wrote:
> On Friday, April 15, 2022 at 10:47:10 PM UTC-7, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Saturday, 16 April 2022 at 15:35:41 UTC+10, dan....gmail.com wrote:
> > > https://www.indiatoday.in/world/russia-ukraine-war/story/france-presidential-candidate-le-pen-warns-against-sending-weapons-ukraine-1937695-2022-04-15
> > >
> > > Melmoth, what are you planning
> > > to do about it?
> >
> > Le Pen never gets elected, and she
> > is making sure she won't.
>
> I hope you are right. Nevertheless, one
> must prepare for the worst! Remember
> Brexit was not supposed to happen, nor
> was McDonald going to be elected. I am
> already stashing away tuna cans and
> Q-tips!

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/jean-luc-m%C3%A9lenchon-s-french-election-defeat-is-starting-to-feel-like-a-victory-1.4851912

Let's hope La Penska loses.

dk

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 12:23:13 PM UTC+10, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> On Sunday, 17 April 2022 at 21:43:40 UTC+10, andrewc...gmail.com wrote:
> > On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 6:48:09 PM UTC+10, dan....gmail.com wrote:
>
> > > I don't see all this as sufficiently "rational". To my
> > > mind, rational means one has fully analyzed the
> > > cost/benefit and the risk/reward equations. It
> > > does not seem to me anyone in the UK, let
> > > alone in government, could be bothered to
> > > do this. Do you see any evidence to the
> > > contrary?
> > >
> > > dk
> > Yes I do. The Treasury had undoubtedly done its sums. The Government was pro-Remain. The Opposition was pro-Remain. The BBC was pro-Remain. The national press of whatever political pursuation was generally pro-Remain. Pro-Brexit campaigners like Nigel Farage were lampooned as reactionary petit bourgeois still living in the 1950s. I think it can be said that if the matter had not gone to a referendum, Britain would still be in the EU.
> Then why isn't it still in the EU? Third time of asking although I can understand your reticence. In your latest post you gave your news reading as The Australian, and the Telegraph, which comes as no complete surprise, given that they are merely propagators of the right wing lunacy you seem to adhere to. As to whether your dentist is from Wisconsin or Timbuktu, is wholely irrelevant, although for some reason it seems to matter to you.
>

I repeat my original answer to your first question: although the results of the referendum were not legally binding on her Majesty's Government, they felt morally obliged to accept the will of the majority, even though the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, was firmly in the Remain camp.

I forgot to mention that I also subscribe to The Spectator, although mostly for the crossword, which is famously ingenious. My dental hygienist's origins in Wisconsin are particularly important as I have lost contact with a former acquaintance from Iowa and I do like to keep in touch with The Other America that we so rarely hear about . My dentist, incidentally is New Zealand Chinese, and he was most amused by the close facial resemblance between Mme Lea Desandre and Ms Jacinda Ardern, as previously reported.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 12:13:29 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:

> Are you guys now starting a little war in
> Australia between NSW and ACT? This
> would be a welcome distraction from
> following other wars in other places! ;-)

As it's a federal election, I'm afraid we're not fighting over state/territory issues. Nobody is threatening to secede from the Union, and the differences between the two main political parties here are much, much less than they were in the 1960s. What it boils down to, is that my political instincts are conservative, and Ray's are not.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 12:45:27 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:

> Let's hope La Penska loses.

It's an interesting test case for the theory that populist voters may swing from the populism of the Left to the populism of the Right. M. Melenchon may be worried that many of the people who voted for him in the first round may vote for Mme le Pen in the second rather than support a centrist like Macron.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 7:59:38 PM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 12:13:29 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > Are you guys now starting a little war in
> > Australia between NSW and ACT? This
> > would be a welcome distraction from
> > following other wars in other places! ;-)
>
> As it's a federal election, I'm afraid we're
> not fighting over state/territory issues.

Maybe the US could send someone over
to stir the pot! ;-)

> Nobody is threatening to secede from
> the Union,

How uninteresting! ;-)

dk

On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 8:15:07 PM UTC-7, Dan Koren wrote:
> On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 7:59:38 PM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 12:13:29 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > > Are you guys now starting a little war in
> > > Australia between NSW and ACT? This
> > > would be a welcome distraction from
> > > following other wars in other places! ;-)
> >
> > As it's a federal election, I'm afraid we're
> > not fighting over state/territory issues.
>
> Maybe the US could send someone over
> to stir the pot! ;-)
>
> > Nobody is threatening to secede from
> > the Union,
>
> How uninteresting! ;-)
>

Can you at least start a weekend
invasion of New Zealand before
winter arrives? ;-)

dk

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 2:46:44 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:

> Can you at least start a weekend
> invasion of New Zealand before
> winter arrives? ;-)

Too late! The Kiwis have already occupied most of Sudney.

Andrew Clarke
Sydney

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 12:08:51 AM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 2:46:44 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > Can you at least start a weekend
> > invasion of New Zealand before
> > winter arrives? ;-)
>
> Too late! The Kiwis have already
> occupied most of Sudney.

Push them back into the sea!

dk

On 4/17/22 8:41 PM, Andrew Clarke wrote:
>
> What the USA does have is a long history of populist movements. What was unusual about The Donald was that he actually won.
>

I think the Donald was surprised himself. Unlike other populists, he
did the right things to put him in a position to win. He didn't run on
a third party ticket, he challenged a large number of conventional
Republicans from inside their own party, and exposed their weaknesses
that everyone but a Republican could see.

I still stand by my long standing assessment that Republicans are weak
and stupid, and Democrats are bat-sh*t crazy.

-Owen

On 4/17/22 8:50 PM, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:

>
>> Finally, many countries in the EU have a tradition of etatisme. Britain, like the USA, does not.
>
> Which may be why both are where they are. Rudderless and prey to any crackpot who wants to run the show. A few might call it freedom, whilst others might choose to call it unorganised chaos, which is more apt.
>

The Democrats and press are trying hard to censor any crackpots, or
rather, anyone who isn't a Democrat.

I'll have the crackpots in a basket, please, and sort them out for myself.

-Owen

On 4/17/22 9:34 PM, Andrew Clarke wrote:

>
> There are a lot of things about the USA which baffle us, e.g. why anybody would want to live in Joisey, the most heavily taxed, and one of the most dangerous states in the Union,

I would say the most likely reasons are 1) they were born there, 2) the
nearness to Manhattan without the even higher taxes of Manhattan, 3) New
Jersey's a big State, and has lots of desirable areas ( along with many
undesirable ones, as you say).

> or why some states have low income taxes and high property taxes while others have the reverse, for example. But that's the way they've always done things, and they always seem to manage.

Some places have low income taxes and low property taxes, and vice
versa. Local taxes mostly are fixed on the ability of the residents to
pay them. Residents often have a big say in how much the municipality
can raise in taxes. My Town has a local Town Financial Meeting where
every resident can attend and vote on whether to accept several
alternate Town Budgets.

-Owen

On 4/18/22 7:05 AM, Owen wrote:

>
> I still stand by my long standing assessment that Republicans are weak
> and stupid, and Democrats are bat-sh*t crazy.
>
> -Owen

Unfortunately for us and for the world, iyou're not far wrong.

Bob Harper

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 12:59:39 AM UTC-7, Dan Koren wrote:
> On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 12:08:51 AM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 2:46:44 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > > Can you at least start a weekend
> > > invasion of New Zealand before
> > > winter arrives? ;-)
> >
> > Too late! The Kiwis have already
> > occupied most of Sudney.
>
> Push them back into the sea!
>

On second thought, a war between
Eastern and Western Australian
alliances would be far more
exciting and interesting!

Imagine Western Australia, Northern
Territories and South Australia ganging
up on Queensland, NWS and Victoria!
Huge tank battles across the desert! ;-)

Ballistic missiles flying from Perth to
Sydney! ACT/Canberra trying to stay
neutral and piling sandbags all around
the city! Kangaroos being drafted! ;-)

dk

On Tuesday, 19 April 2022 at 12:24:15 UTC+10, dan....gmail.com wrote:

> On second thought, a war between
> Eastern and Western Australian
> alliances would be far more
> exciting and interesting!
>
> Imagine Western Australia, Northern
> Territories and South Australia ganging
> up on Queensland, NWS and Victoria!
> Huge tank battles across the desert! ;-)
>
> Ballistic missiles flying from Perth to
> Sydney! ACT/Canberra trying to stay
> neutral and piling sandbags all around
> the city! Kangaroos being drafted! ;-)
>
> dk

You forgot Tasmania, where the real Devils reside ;)

Ray Hall, Taree

On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 10:40:00 PM UTC-7, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, 19 April 2022 at 12:24:15 UTC+10, dan....gmail.com wrote:
>
> > On second thought, a war between
> > Eastern and Western Australian
> > alliances would be far more
> > exciting and interesting!
> >
> > Imagine Western Australia, Northern
> > Territories and South Australia ganging
> > up on Queensland, NWS and Victoria!
> > Huge tank battles across the desert! ;-)
> >
> > Ballistic missiles flying from Perth to
> > Sydney! ACT/Canberra trying to stay
> > neutral and piling sandbags all around
> > the city! Kangaroos being drafted! ;-)
>
> You forgot Tasmania, where the real
> Devils reside ;)
>

That woul require crossing the Channel.

dk

On Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 7:11:19 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 10:40:00 PM UTC-7, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Tuesday, 19 April 2022 at 12:24:15 UTC+10, dan....gmail.com wrote:
> > > Imagine Western Australia, Northern
> > > Territories and South Australia ganging
> > > up on Queensland, NWS and Victoria!

WA pop. 2.685 million. NT pop. 245,865. SA pop. 1,773,243.
Qld pop. 5.2 million. NSW pop. 8.196 million. Victoria pop. 6.7 million.

Bit lopsided. although Ole Dixie hung on for four years.

> > > Huge tank battles across the desert! ;-)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124930081@N08/50352018537
> > >
> > > Ballistic missiles flying from Perth to
> > > Sydney! ACT/Canberra trying to stay
> > > neutral and piling sandbags all around
> > > the city! Kangaroos being drafted! ;-)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Melbourne_Football_Club

> > You forgot Tasmania, where the real
> > Devils reside ;)
> >
> That would require crossing the Channel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Strait
http://www.ahajokes.com/west_virginia_jokes.html

Andrew Clarke
Canberra ACT (pop. 432,266)

On Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 3:53:00 PM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 7:11:19 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 10:40:00 PM UTC-7, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> > > On Tuesday, 19 April 2022 at 12:24:15 UTC+10, dan....gmail.com wrote:
>
> > > > Imagine Western Australia, Northern
> > > > Territories and South Australia ganging
> > > > up on Queensland, NWS and Victoria!
> WA pop. 2.685 million. NT pop. 245,865. SA pop. 1,773,243.
> Qld pop. 5.2 million. NSW pop. 8.196 million. Victoria pop. 6.7 million.
>
> Bit lopsided. although Ole Dixie hung on for four years.
> > > > Huge tank battles across the desert! ;-)
>
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/124930081@N08/50352018537

Russian tanks were already there ?!?

dk

On Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 9:07:09 AM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 3:53:00 PM UTC-7, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 7:11:19 PM UTC+10, dan....@gmail.com wrote:
> > > On Monday, April 18, 2022 at 10:40:00 PM UTC-7, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> > > > On Tuesday, 19 April 2022 at 12:24:15 UTC+10, dan....gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > > > > Imagine Western Australia, Northern
> > > > > Territories and South Australia ganging
> > > > > up on Queensland, NWS and Victoria!
> > WA pop. 2.685 million. NT pop. 245,865. SA pop. 1,773,243.
> > Qld pop. 5.2 million. NSW pop. 8.196 million. Victoria pop. 6.7 million..
> >
> > Bit lopsided. although Ole Dixie hung on for four years.
> > > > > Huge tank battles across the desert! ;-)
> >
> > https://www.flickr.com/photos/124930081@N08/50352018537
> Russian tanks were already there ?!?
>

Oodla Wirra (pop. 3) where the tank is situated, is actually not far from Petersburg (without the Saint), renamed Peterborough ca. 1915 for patriotic reasons. The tank was for steam engines on the Port Pirie-Broken Hill railway, originally narrow gauge, built because South Australian governments held as an article of faith that if you built railways into semi-arid regions, settlers would follow, and 'rain would follow the plough'. Sadly, rain didn't and the settlers mostly left after a few years. The line, rebuilt to standard gauge in the 1960s now sees one passenger train each way per week, and it doesn't even stop at Peterborough, let alone Oodla Wirra. It continues to the original Transaustralian railway line from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie, originally demanded by Western Australia before it would agree to join the Commonwealth in 1901.It's been threatening to secede ever since.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra