Rum rise and rapid fall of a Darlinghurst empire
Richard ‘China’ Jones went from one of colonial Sydney’s wealthiest men to bankrupt but still made his mark on one of Sydney’s most colourful ‘hoods.
Today In History
‘Animal heroes’ who served alongside Aussie soldiers in wartime
On Remembrance Day we honour the people who served by wearing a red poppy, but many also commemorate the animals who were wounded or died in action by wearing a purple poppy.
Paddington’s first picture show no picnic for patrons
In 1910 watching a movie under the stars was a considerably less comfortable prospect than it can be today. But that didn’t stop it from being a popular pastime. OUR HISTORY: FIND OUT MORE
Frugal life and lonely death of Australia’s first millionaire
Australia’s first millionaire was born at Cowpastures, now Narellan and Camden, in 1819, the son of a farmer and a convict. James Tyson saw the benefit in working over playing and living a frugal lifestyle despite his growing wealth. MORE: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
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Colonial piano scaled Blue Mountains to new home
A piano brought to Sydney in 1843 is a star attraction of a new exhibition opening in Sydney this week
Real-life Croc Dundee died in police gunfight
When a drug-addled bushman shot dead a police officer in 1999 it brought to an end the colourful life of the man who inspired Crocodile Dundee
‘Solitary child’ became the Prince of Broadway
When no Broadway producer wanted to touch a musical about gang wars in New York, Harold Prince stepped up to make West Side Story a classic
Cannibalism horror inspired whale epic
A real-life fatal encounter between a whale and a ship inspired one of literature’s greatest adventures
Little Prince author’s death one of WWII’s great aviation mysteries
When a Lockheed Lightning P-38 failed to return from a mission 75 years ago today the world lost a much-loved writer
How Hollywood forgot a true pioneer
When Leon Gaumont, head of a photography company, took his secretary to a Lumiere Brothers film screening in 1895, she was inspired to become the world’s first female film director
How Qantas dodged crash-prone Comet jets
Qantas’ pivotal decision not to buy the world’s first commercial jet airliner, the de Havilland Comet which was soon to suffer three tragic crashes, paved the way for its successful first flight from Sydney to San Francisco, 60 years ago on Monday.
Canyoning disaster ‘like being in a washing machine’
The Australian was one of the few survivors of a disaster that killed 21 young people out for a fun adrenaline fix 20 years ago today
Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/today-in-history/page/11