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My father, Albert William Gardiner, was one of 11 children. In the early days of his life, their father leased land on Scott’s Flat, a flood-prone plain of lush pasture surrounded by the curving Hunter River. They lived in a house which may (or may not) have been built by Albert’s grandfather. Somehow Grandfather John initially owned his land, then did not own it. As the house was at risk of being swept away by flash-flooding, they had to move out several times when my father

One of the most exciting experiences I encountered while writing ‘The Boy I Was – flawed memories of childhood’ was being able to identify when I became a conscious being. Even though we all feel that we understand what consciousness is, it is not an easy thing to describe. Scientists grapple with various definitions and there is no overriding definition which satisfies everyone. Though it is not perfect, I have opted for the idea that, to be conscious, you must not only be a

Amazon Kindle has now released the memoir of my early childhood in both paperback and eBook format. You can order your copy by logging...

When one tries to recall memories from long ago, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a large gap between what happened and what the...

This is the story of the author's first 12 years, growing up in Newcastle and on a grazing property in the Hunter Valley; a noisy,...

Life was very different in the 1940s. Experience Australia under attack, a circus, the annual Newcastle Show, driving dangerously,...