Canberra Talk

To mark the 60th anniversary of Qantas starting jet operations with the Boeing 707 on July 29 1959, this story from the Australian Aviation archives comes from March 2007, when Jeff Watson wrote about the return to Australia of the airline’s first jet aircraft VH-EBA City of Canberra. Watson was on board the aircraft for the delivery flight. On December 16 2006, Qantas’s very first jet aircraft, Boeing 707-138B City of Canberra, landed at Sydney after a 14,000nm (25,950km) journey from England. It was the culmination of the most complex restoration project ever undertaken by Australians . . . most of them retired Qantas engineers in their 60s. Read more:  https://australianaviation.com.au/2019/08/from-the-archives-boeing-707-city-of-canberra-comes-home/

In December 2016 ACT Rebels vice-president Leigh Slater was riled and threatening revenge. The outlaw motorcycle gang boss had been sold low quality drugs and he had failed to remanufacture the methamphetamine to increase the purity. The 34-year-old had $60,000 on the line, so fired off a number of text messages on an encrypted network to vent his anger: It was a setback, but unbeknown to Slater, he had bigger problems on the horizon. Coded messages key to busting drug-dealing network The drug business had been thriving and lucrative for the hulking bikie. He was directing large drug deals in Sydney, remotely from Canberra, with the help of the Penrith chapter of the Rebels. The network, despite being encrypted, added an extra layer of protection via codenames for drugs and group members. Read more:  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-02/canberra-rebels-bikie-leigh-slater-jailed/11374918

A 3.1 magnitude earthquake has been felt by locals in Canberra in the ACT today. According to Geoscience Australia, the earthquake occurred at approximately 10.05am AEDT near the northern suburb of Forde. The Australian Government agency has said it has already received almost 200 reports from residents who felt it in the region. The earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometres. Residents have reported feeling a bang, shaking and a loud noise in some cases. https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/canberra-earthquake-stuns-locals/news-story/f54a6244b5c25696beac537bb71179a7

It's hot. Really hot. Steaming, stinking, swelteringly stupid hot. You're probably not sleeping properly. Neither are the kids. You're angry. I'm angry! We all need to chill out. Venturing outside of your air-conditioned home, office or workplace seems downright dumb. But it might well prove a smart decision. And a cool one, too.  Here are some tips to survive Canberra's summer heatwave. See a movie I'd pay $20 just to sit inside one of those comfy air-conditioned theatres, so whatever's shown on the big screen is a bonus. Among the new releases, the new DC blockbuster Aquaman and the remake of the 1970s Australian classic Stormboy are appropriate given the circumstances. As the sun sets and the weather cools (sort of), the outdoor cinema in front of the National Library of Australia will be screening Once upon a Deadpool (Tickets $20 at openaircinemas.com.au/canberra/faqs). Pack a rug and a cold beverage (no alcohol or glass). That's chil...

The battle to control a bushfire burning in the Brindabella Ranges, west of Canberra, will continue on the ground and in the air today, after the alert level was downgraded from "watch and act" to "advice". A thunderstorm on Friday afternoon had minimal impact on the blaze, which had grown to 175 hectares by Saturday morning, with rain barely reaching the site. The fire started at Pierces Creek on Thursday night, moved fast towards Canberra on Friday, reaching eight kilometres away from the closest suburb of Kambah for most of the day. By 8:00am on Saturday it was seven kilometres from the suburb. The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) said the fire was still uncontrolled, but there was no immediate danger to the community. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-02/canberra-fire-pierces-creek-blaze-reduced-to-advice-alert-level/10458546

You must be having cleanest of homes with sparkling floors and vacuumed carpets, but still every now or when someone is falling sick. It is hard to identify the source, so we blame it on change of season, dust particles in the air and pollution. But hardly do we realise that the cause of this sickness lies right within our house. Yes, that's true! And it is an alarming stage, my friend, as some bacteria are thriving in some corner of your home, mostly kitchen, and you are oblivious of it. Today, I am sharing some valuable information on things in your house that are causing sickness, so that you get aware of it and eradicate the germs from your home immediately. Let's get started! https://www.bondcleaningincanberra.com.au/6-things-house-causing-sickness/

The NRL's senior referees manager Bernard Sutton says the league's officiating needs to improve following the latest high-profile refereeing blunder during the Canberra Raiders' 28-24 loss to the Cronulla Sharks. Canberra was trailing by 16 points early in the second period and managed to cut the Sharks' lead to just four points before the Raiders comeback was interrupted by a mix-up between the touch judge and the referee. Touch judge Ricky McFarlane raised his flag during a Sharks set, prompting referee Gerard Sutton to put his whistle to his lips without blowing it, distracting the Raiders players and allowing Sione Katoa to score an uninhibited try. The try was referred to the video referee to look at a knock-on in the build-up, but the bunker failed to notice McFarlane raising his flag and the try stood. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-21/nrl-referee-boss-apologises-for-canberra-raiders-howler/10021536