Tag Archives: ian burnet

When the Australian Lillipilly Collides with Asia

Posted on November 14, 2022 by ianburnet

You’re probably familiar with the sight of a lillipilly bush. This hardy Australian staple – a glossy evergreen bearing powder-puff flowers and clusters of bright berries – features in many a garden hedge. But you may not know this humble … Continue reading →

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Flores – The Portuguese Church in Sikka

Posted on October 16, 2022 by ianburnet

Like the Portuguese Church in Batavia this is actually a Dutch Church built in the grounds of a former Portuguese Church. This becomes evident when you look at all the Portuguese names on the gravestones in the adjacent cemetery, such … Continue reading →

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Joseph Conrad’s Eastern World – National Geographic, March 1924

Posted on September 25, 2022 by ianburnet

The Earth is a stage, and though it may be an advantage, even to the right comprehension of the play, to know its exact configuration, it is always the drama of human endeavour that will be the thing, with a … Continue reading →

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The Struggle for Indonesian Independence – Hatta and Sjahrir in exile in Banda

Posted on August 10, 2022 by ianburnet

Mohammad Hatta ditangkap oleh Pemerintah Colonial pada 25 Februari 1934, dan dipenjarakan di Penjara Glodok. Sebelum ia di berankatkan ke Boven Digul, Hatta diizinkan keluar selama tiga hari untuk mengepak buku-bukanya dalan enam belas peti. Pada salah satu hari itu … Continue reading →

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Singapore – Saint Joseph’s (The Portuguese Church)

Posted on July 19, 2022 by ianburnet

I )used to spend a lot of time doing research in the National Library of Singapore. From the upper levels I would look down on the church across the road without knowing of its significance. However, one day I wandering … Continue reading →

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Joseph Conrad, a voyage to Mauritius

Posted on May 5, 2022 by ianburnet

In 1888 the barque Otago was commissioned to sail to Mauritius with general cargo and return with a cargo of sugar. As captain of the Otago, Joseph Conrad sought the permission of the owners to take the more difficult, but … Continue reading →

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Jan Poortenaar – An Artist in Java

Posted on April 4, 2022 by ianburnet

When first we conceived the plan of spending an undefined period in that “Somewhere East of Suez” , where the tropical East stretches an arm of land three thousand miles long towards Australia, we did it with the light-hearted cheerfulness … Continue reading →

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Book Review from the Joseph Conrad Society of America

Posted on February 28, 2022 by ianburnet

The following is an extract from a book review in Joseph Conrad Today a publication of the Joseph Conrad Society of America. Ian Burnet’s book, published this year, is a very welcome addition to a complex area of Conrad’s life … Continue reading →

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Pulau Kumba is erupting! – Part 2

Posted on February 8, 2022 by ianburnet

In 1849 the British naval ship, HMS Maeander, captained by Henry Keppel sailed from Singapore to Batavia (Jakarta) then to Australia, New Zealand and across to the Pacific coast of the United States. Pulau Kumba is located in the Flores … Continue reading →

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Joseph Conrad’s EASTERN VOYAGES – Book Review by Mark Heyward

Posted on January 23, 2022 by ianburnet

The title caught my eye immediately: Joseph Conrad’s Eastern Voyages, Tales of Singapore and an East Borneo River. The cover, with its image of sailing ships and steamships in Singapore whet my appetite for a bookish journey back to some … Continue reading →

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