History

Forty years ago a small labourers’ trade union executive made a decision that was to change the face of environmental activism around the world and save Sydney from much of the massive over-development of the 1970s.

In prosaic fashion the executive minutes for 4 June 1971 of the NSW Builders Labourers’ Federation record an unremarkable resolution: Moved Bro. Owens, seconded Bro. T Hogan that R Pringle investigate a report next Tuesday on Kelly (sic) Bush.

Thus the first green ban was born. Brother Pringle came back from his inspection and recommended that the union place a ban on building activity at the Bush. Kelly’s Bush, the last remnant of natural bushland on the Sydney Harbour foreshore was being threatened by a large housing development. The now famous Battlers for Kelly’s Bush, the middle class women of Hunters Hill had asked the Builders Labourers to place a ban on building the development — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Uniformed Letter Carrier with Child in Mailbag, originally uploaded by Smithsonian Institute.

This city letter carrier posed for a humorous photograph with a young boy in his mailbag. After parcel post service was introduced in 1913, at least two children were sent by the service. With stamps attached to their clothing, the children rode with railway and city carriers to their destination. The Postmaster General quickly issued a regulation forbidding the sending of children in the mail after hearing of those examples — via Neatorama

A metal detectorist uncovered a Viking hoard of silver coins and artefacts in the Cumbrian countryside — via luckydog.newsvine.com

A skull recovered in the back garden of broadcaster Sir David Attenborough in south-west London belonged to a woman murdered in 1879, a coroner has ruled.

Julia Martha Thomas was killed by her maid, Kate Webster, but her head remained missing. The case became known as the Barnes mystery — via redwolf.newsvine.com

An ancient Angkor temple has re-opened in Cambodia following decades of reconstruction work — a task described as the world’s largest puzzle — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Armed with a militant dedication to see communism progress, Nicolae Ceau?escu outlawed abortion and decreed heavy taxation to anyone who failed to produce children by the age of twenty five.

It was the first of many disastrous policies put into place by the Ceau?escu regime in the hopes of raising up an army of people to live out communist theory under his rule.

Contraception was also banned in 1966 and by the end of the decade the population had risen significantly; Unfortunately, the socioeconomic status for the typical Romanian family, had not. Poverty rose at an alarming rate and women were encouraged to turn their children over to state-run institutions — via redwolf.newsvine.com