Viv Mackenzie’s request for people who had seen the Aurora lights in Sydney in the 1950s has generated a lot of responses. Odille Esmonde-Morgan of Bridgewater recalls a bright Aurora seen in Sydney on the night of 19 March 1950, described as a red glow along the southern horizon. Alison Stewart of Waitara remembers her mother’s excitement after witnessing a ‘lights show’ in the southern skies in the early 1950s. Brian Collins of Cronulla shares a humorous anecdote involving a fellow student trying to impress a girl by claiming to come from West Blakehurst Heights.
John Kouvelis clarifies his recent mention of ‘North Neutral Bay Heights’ as a jab at separationists from Kurraba Point who once sought to secede from Neutral Bay. The Kurraba kerfuffle is remembered with gentle mockery by Col 8. Janice Howton of Sawtell recounts a fuel gauge nightmare from over 50 years ago, involving running out of petrol with her husband and six young children in the middle lane of the Hume Highway near Liverpool. On a lighter note, Michael McFadyen of Kareela shares a story of his first car, a Mini 850, whose fuel gauge never worked. He kept minimal fuel in the tank and carried a small container of petrol, which came in handy when his car was stolen and later recovered after the thief ran out of fuel.
Geoff Maynard of Paddington reports on the invasion of scrub turkeys in Sydney, with sightings on the north shore and inner west. He recounts encountering one near his home, marking the breach of the final frontier. These stories and observations are shared in response to reader submissions to Column 8. Readers are encouraged to send in their own anecdotes and experiences to be featured in future columns. To contribute, email Column8@smh.com.au with your name, suburb, and daytime phone number, excluding attachments.
