Gorey Things is the personal website of Michael Gorey, a writer based in Ballarat in regional Victoria, Australia. Michael writes about Australian history, politics and opinion, travel, books, food, technology and life in regional Australia. Articles cover topics including colonial history, genealogy, sport, culture and current affairs. Whether you are interested in the gold rush era, Victorian-era figures, walks and hiking trails, or simply curious opinions on life, cuisine and the world, there is something here for you.
I miss many things about life in the 70s and the 80s, but the cartridge pen isn't one of them. Why they were still being given to children in 1975 is a mystery. When I was first taught to write with a pen at primary school it was using a cartridge pen. I don’t remember much about them, except they seemed to scratch ...
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I brought out the winter bedding today and happily discovered that my new cotton sheet has phone pockets on both sides! I've never seen such a marvel before. I'm not an adv...
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My comprehensive car insurance premium recently rose by 17 per cent, pushing it to $1025 for a vehicle valued at $13,000. This increase came even after I used a broker and ...
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According to a maternal DNA test (mtDNA), I'm descended from a Viking woman. My haplogroup is J1c3f, who lived 4600 years ago. A haplogroup is a genetic cohort of people ...
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Alfred Deakin was Australia's second Prime Minister after Federation and he could have been our greatest if his life hadn't been cut short. In writing this, my thanks go ...
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There is a distinct satisfaction in moving away from one-size-fits-all platforms to build your own space on the internet. For years, WordPress has been the default engine fo...
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I have recently found myself immersed in the world of Cicely, Alaska, through the SBS airing of Northern Exposure . The series, which initially follows New York City physic...
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Tom Wills (standing at back wearing a cap) with his aboriginal cricket team in 1866 outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Greg de Moore’s book on Tom Wills: His Spectac...
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My grandfather, Michael Gorey, attended the Angustown School in the 1890s. After moving frequently about the Corop and Echuca districts early in their marriage, his parents...
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