Category: AUSTRALIAN

Prime Minister Tony Abbott will confirm the news today when he visits the Bali bombing memorial site in Kuta, making good his pre-election pledge that he would address the issue within 100 days of taking office.

The victims of overseas terrorism compensation scheme was introduced by the Gillard government in 2012, but was not made retroactive, meaning those affected by the attacks in New York in 2001 and Bali in 2002 and 2005 were unable to benefit.

But Mr Abbott, who was in Bali at the time of the 2002 bombings, will announce that compensation payments will now be made available to victims and their families for terrorist attacks dating back to September 10, 2001.

This will cover the attacks on New York and Bali as well as those in London and Egypt in 2005, Mumbai in 2008 and Jakarta in 2009.

Mr Abbott was in Bali when a massive bomb in a parked van was detonated outside the Sari Club in the bustling tourist area of Kuta just after 11pm on October 12, 2002.

The explosion came just 20 seconds after a suicide bomber detonated a backpack loaded with explosives inside Paddy’s Bar.

In the aftermath of the attacks, the prime minister spent many hours at Bali’s Sanglah General Hospital trying to help victims.

Mr Abbott has always said his intention to address the compensation issue was personal, and not political.

The move to address the compensation issue will finally fix the “extreme injustice” for victims and their families of recent overseas terrorism, Mr Abbott will say.

The scheme, which will cost about $30 million, will benefit around 300 individuals and families.

Payments of up to $75,000 will be made available to each eligible person, or their families. Claims can be lodged from October 21.

The median wealth of adult Australians stands at $US219,505 ($A233,504) – the highest level in the world, according to the Credit Suisse 2013 Global Wealth Report, released on Wednesday. Median wealth is the midpoint between richest and poorest.

By the measure of average wealth, Australians fall back to second with $US402,578 per person, ranking behind the Swiss who were the world’s richest on $US513,000.

Credit Suisse chief investment strategist, Australia, David McDonald said the nation’s household wealth per adult grew by 2.6 per cent in the past year. That was slower than the global average of 4.6 per cent, but Australia still had the best distribution of wealth among developed nations.

“Although we are up there at a high level of wealth per adult we’ve also got a better spread than a lot of the other developed countries including, obviously, the Swiss, but also places like the US,” Mr McDonald said.

The number of Australian millionaires increased by 38,000 to 1.123 million people.

The millionaire calculation includes the value of real estate owned outright.

Australians were shown to have a much higher level of wealth held in property and non-financial assets – 58.5 per cent compared to the world average of 45 per cent and just 38 per cent in the US. The US remains the millionaire capital of the world, with 13.2 million people topping the seven-figure mark and nearly 46,000 people in the ultra-high net worth $US50 million-plus category. Australia has 2,059 ultra-high net worth individuals, 2.1 per cent of the global total.

While the Land Down Under has maintained its place at the top in median terms for three years running now, Credit Suisse reported that North America has regained its title as the wealthiest region in the world.

Rising house prices and stock markets fuelled a 12 per cent rise in North American wealth to $US78.9 trillion from mid-2012 to mid-2013, putting the region ahead of the Asia Pacific and Europe for the first time since before the global financial crisis. Credit Suisse global head of research for private banking, Giles Keating, said Japan’s economic slump had dragged down the Asia-Pacific region.

“The fourth annual Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report shows an $US11 trillion rise in (global) wealth to $US241 trillion, with the US as the clear winner, overtaking Europe, while Asia Pacific fell back due to sharp depreciation of the yen,” Mr Keating said.

Donald G Sutherland’s previously unknown letter containing a dramatic account of the capture of Australia’s most notorious bushranger 133 years ago has been donated to the State Library of Victoria.

The Scotsman wrote the letter to his family on July 8, 1880, and in it he gives great detail about the bushranger soon after the siege in north east Victoria.

HOSTAGES TAKEN IN GLENROWAN SIEGE

Sutherland’s descendants have handed the letter to the State Library where it has been described as a significant addition to the Kelly story.

Sutherland says the handsome bushranger didn’t look like a killer.

“Ned does not at all look like a murderer and Bushranger. He is a very powerful man aged about 27 black hair and beard with a soft mild looking face and eyes. His mouth being the only wicked portion of the face,” he wrote.

KELLY’S BONES ARE FINALLY LAID TO REST

Sutherland sailed to Australia in 1876 when he was 24 and worked at the Bank of Victoria in Oxley, 13km from Glenrowan.

“On hearing of the affray I at once proceeded to Glenrowan to have a look at the desperados who caused me so many dreams and sleepless nights. I saw the lot of them. Ned the leader of the gang being the only one taken alive.

KELLY’S LAST STAND

“He was lying on a stretcher quite calm and collected notwithstanding the great pain he must have been suffering from his wounds. He was wounded in 5 or 6 places. Only on the arms and legs. His body and head being encased in armour made from the moule boards of a lot of ploughs.

GALLERY: KELLY THE AUSSIE HERO

Ned’s infamous armour protected the bushranger until the police began firing on his legs.

“The police thought he was a fiend seeing their rifle bullets were sliding off him like hail. They were firing into him at about 10 yards in the grim light of the morning without the slightest effect. The force of the rifle bullets made him stagger when hit but it was only when they got him on the legs and arms that he reluctantly fell exclaiming as he did so I am done. I am done.”

After his capture, the sight of his sisters wailing and cradling his head stayed with the 24-year-old bank employee.

KELLY HANGING JUDGE WAS MUCH MORE

“Poor Ned I was really sorry for him. To see him lying pierced by bullets and still showing no signs of pain. His 3 sisters were there also, Mrs Skillion Kate Kelly and a younger one. Kate was sitting at his head with her arms round his neck while the others were crying in a mournful strain at the state of one who but the night before was the terror of the whole Colony.”

KELLY’S MYSTERIOUS REMAINS

Sutherland also said he saw the charred remains on Steve and Dan Hart.

“They presented a horrible appearance being roasted to a skeleton. Black and grim reminding me of old Knick himself. Thousands of people thronged to Glenrowan on receipt of the news and not one of the crowd there had the courage to lift the white sheet off the charred remains until I came up and struck a match – it being dark – pulling down the sheet and exposed all that remained of the two daring & murderous Bushrangers.”

A lock of hair from Ned Kelly’s horse was enclosed with the letter.

Sutherland noted the horse was Kelly’s “favourite mare who followed him all around the trees during the firing. He said he wouldn’t care for himself if he thought his mare safe”.

State Library of Victoria chief executive Sue Roberts says it’s a remarkable document.

“This letter is a very personal account of events that have become part of Australia’s folklore,” she said.

KELLY’S DYING WISH

“It will join Ned’s armour, Jerilderie letter and other important items in our Kelly collection – one of the largest and most significant in the world.”

The letter will be on display in the State Library’s Changing Face of Victoria exhibition from Monday.

TIMELINE: A BUSHRANGER’S LIFE

A TIMELINE of events in the life of famous Australian bushranger Ned Kelly.

June 1855 – Australian bushranger Ned Kelly was born at Beveridge, Victoria, to Irish parents John “Red” and Ellen Kelly (nee Quinn).

December 1866 – Kelly left school after his father died to assist grandfather James Quinn with the family cattle runs in northern Victoria. The Kellys and Quinns were often in trouble with police over cattle and horse theft, but were never found guilty.

1869 – Kelly,14, was arrested and served seven weeks in jail for the alleged assault of a Chinese pig farmer. It was also alleged Kelly was an assistant to thief-turned-bushranger Harry Power, although police found no evidence to prove a connection to Power’s crimes.

1870 – Kelly was jailed for three years after assaulting a hawker and being in possession of a stolen horse. He claimed to have borrowed the horse from Isaiah “Wild” Wright and did not know it was stolen.

1878 – Angered by laws he believed victimised the poor, Kelly allegedly shot Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick in the wrist after becoming too friendly with his sister Kate. Kelly’s mother Ellen was sent to prison for three years after Fitzpatrick gave an inaccurate report.

Fearing the police wouldn’t believe their account of the events, Kelly went into hiding at Stringybark Creek with his brother Dan. A shoot-out began between the brothers and police and as a result three policemen were killed.

After the shootings the Victorian Government declared the outlaw of the gang and offered 500 pounds for each of the gang members, alive or dead.

A month after the shootings the Kelly gang committed major robberies of National Bank branches at Euroa and Jerilderie. They held police and civilians hostage while stealing all money from the bank’s vault. At the Jerilderie robbery Kelly wrote the famous letter telling his side of the story including the ill treatment of his family and the Irish Catholics by police.

1879 – The Kelly gang created their famous armour made from metal plates.

June 26, 1880 – The gang’s outlaw status expired and Aaron Sherritt, a friend-turned-police informer, was shot dead by the group.

The gang, who had since held 70 people hostage at the Glenrowan Inn, became aware a train transporting police to their location was on its way. Kelly ordered the tracks to be ripped up to cause a derailment. The attempt failed after a hostage escaped and alerted the authorities.

June 28, 1880 – A shoot-out erupted between police and the gang that continued for almost half a day. It left Kelly seriously wounded, and killed all other members of his gang..

November 11, 1980 – Ned Kelly was hanged at Old Melbourne Gaol. Newspapers reported his last words to be, “Such is life.”

True Kelly Gang afficiando, history buffs and students can also learn more about the life and times of the nation’s most famous bushranger through a new free app developed by the library.

Discover Ned Kelly at SLV contains over 60 pages of documents and photographs which cover the gang’s early influences, their outlaw careers, the siege, Kelly’s trial and his place in Australian folklore.

The app also includes rare material on the Kelly Gang and 220 zoomable images for users to explore.

The State Government announced today it had increased beds at the facility from 274 to 298 to meet the revised demand forecast for 2021.

Premier Colin Barnett also announced that the new Nedlands hospital on the QEII site would be named Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) – the original name of the children’s hospital when it opened in 1909.

The $1.2billion hospital will replace Princess Margaret Hospital in Subiaco and will serve as the hub of WA’s paediatric network for the most complex and critical cases.

“The key clinical and research areas at PCH will be 52 per cent bigger than that at PMH, including an Emergency Department (ED) which will be 88 per cent bigger,” Mr Barnett said.
The Family Resource Centre will be more than three times the size of that in PMH, and three out of four rooms will be single rooms.

“PCH is the centrepiece of the WA child health care system.  As a world-class tertiary hospital, it will provide the specialty medical treatment required for the most serious medical cases,” Mr Barnett said.

Health Minister Kim Hames said the expanded capacity at PCH was part of the Government’s program to boost the total number of paediatric beds across the metropolitan area to about 400.

“PCH will be supported by six other public hospitals – Fiona Stanley Hospital, Midland Public Hospital, Joondalup Health Campus, Peel Health Campus, Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital and Rockingham General Hospital – all with dedicated paediatric beds,” Dr Hames said.

DALLY MESSENGER 1911

This was acclaimed as Dally M’s greatest season. Messenger led Easts to their first premiership title and scored 148 points in the competition and 273 in all matches. In July that year, sporting newspaper the Referee stated that: “There is only one Messenger. The famous three-quarter back’s form in representative football this year has probably been better than ever. It has been characterised by all his customary brilliant and delightful unexpectedness, and allied to this is a matured football judgement, which has been particularly noticeable in defensive situations. Besides, his goal kicking has been truly phenomenal compared with that of the average first-class player.”

What is the most dominant season you’ve ever seen from a player or team? Leave your comment below.

 

FRANK BURGE 1918

Admittedly, the quality of the competition suffered through the loss of players to the fighting forces in France, but the performances of Glebe forward Frank Burge stood out like a beacon in 1918. After his attempt to enlist in the AIF was rejected because of a speech impediment, Burge devoted his energies to football and proceeded to cut a swathe through the opposition. He crossed for 24 tries (from 14 games) in 1918, a record for a forward that has never been beaten.

 

SOUTH SYDNEY 1925

The year has been described as the greatest in South Sydney’s history. During the season, the Rabbitohs won the first grade premiership, the City Cup (knockout), reserve grade premiership and third grade premiership. They went through the first grade competition undefeated, winning all 12 games and leaving a 10-point gap between first and second. As a result, the NSWRL introduced a finals series the next season, in order to maintain interest in the competition.

 

DAVE BROWN 1935

Brown was tagged the “Bradman of League” in the 1930s and in 1935 he was at the height of his powers. Some of his extraordinary achievements for Eastern Suburbs remain in place today. He scored 38 tries for the season (a figure that has never been approached) and finished the year with 244 points. He twice scored six tries in a game and in one period of unparalleled brilliance he crossed for 22 tries in a mere five games. In one match that season, Brown scored 45 points (five tries and 15 goals), another record that has stood the test of time.

 

ST GEORGE 1959

The St George legend was still in the making in 1959 but it was that season that is hailed as the greatest in the Dragons’ unprecedented era of success. Saints swept all before them that year, taking out their fourth successive title with an undefeated record. The careers of Reg Gasnier and Johnny Raper were in their infancy but their combination with Norm Provan, Ken Kearney, Brian Clay, Billy Wilson and Eddie Lumsden carried the club to greatness.

 

EASTERN SUBURBS 1975

Guided by coach Jack Gibson and led superbly by Arthur Beetson, the Roosters produced a premiership record 19-game winning sequence in 1975, on their way to a second successive premiership title. Easts’ all-star line-up included John Brass, Russell Fairfax, Mark Harris, Ron Coote, Johnny Mayes, Bill Mullins and Elwyn Walters.

 

ALLAN LANGER 1998

The prodigious halfback achieved a season of remarkable accomplishment in 1998, leading Brisbane to the premiership, Queensland to State of Origin success and Australia to victory in the series against New Zealand.

 

PARRAMATTA 2001

Despite falling at the final hurdle, Parramatta produced a season of rare dominance in 2001, smashing all-time records for tries and points scored in a season and beating the rest of the field home by five competition points. Their for and against differential was among the best ever recorded (433 points) and they cruised into the grand final with comfortable wins in the prelims.

 

JARRYD HAYNE 2009

Few players have excelled as Jarryd Hayne did late in the 2009 season, his run of form catapulting the Eels from a near hopeless position halfway through the year all the way to the grand final. During a period of unprecedented individual dominance, Hayne won six consecutive man of the match awards. He took out the Dally M Medal, the Brad Fittler Medal (as NSW’s best in the Origin series) and the RLIF International Player of the Year.

 

BEN BARBA 2012

Barba was a marvel for the Bulldogs in 2012, igniting his team’s charge to the grand final with his speed and evasive skills. His ability to turn defence into attack proved a remarkable asset for the Dogs and ensured that he was at the top of the leaderboard when the final Dally M votes were read out at the end of the season.