A family secret for a Prime Minister
Every family has its secrets, but the Hughes family, Australian royalty in the early 1900s, had one with permanent consequences.
Tales from the Grave
Uncovering family history from down under
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Samantha Elley
- Jul 27, 2021
- 3 min
Bridget Partridge: The Flighty Nun
It was a time where patriarchy ruled and sectarianism between the Catholic and Protestant churches was rife
235 views1 comment
Samantha Elley
- Jul 20, 2021
- 3 min
Sole survivor of great peacetime tragedy
James Johnson miraculously survived Australia's worst peace time marine tragedy
319 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
- Jul 13, 2021
- 3 min
Reformed drunk builds a church
The story of John Lees is one of redemption and hope.
419 views2 comments
Samantha Elley
- Jul 6, 2021
- 3 min
An artist who practiced the occult and worshipped Pan
She was known as the 'Witch of Kings Cross' and Rosaleen Norton confessed to a deep interest in and practice of the occult
472 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
- Jun 29, 2021
- 2 min
Chasing Arthur's final resting place
The sun, and a few storm clouds, kept us company this afternoon on our quest for the story of Arthur Beaumont Goard.
321 views3 comments
Samantha Elley
- Jun 22, 2021
- 3 min
His death created a community place in his home town
Recently at Broken Head, near Byron Bay on the north-east coast of NSW, the little wooden church of St Oswalds held its final service
554 views5 comments
Samantha Elley
- Jun 15, 2021
- 3 min
Dad and Dave creator brought early farming life into Australian literature
Celebrating the life of the writer behind Dad and Dave and the movie On Our Selection.
249 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
- Jun 8, 2021
- 3 min
He established Bushman's Bible and portraiture prize
What do Australia's most famous portrait prize, the now defunct Bulletin magazine and Hyde Park fountain in the heart of Sydney all have...
282 views2 comments
Samantha Elley
- Jun 1, 2021
- 3 min
She saved her captors from drowning
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the name of an Indigenous Australian who has died.
858 views2 comments
Samantha Elley
- May 24, 2021
- 3 min
Female 'vagabond' is teacher, undercover journo and marries at 72
Her articles on the health system in Victoria highlighted its shortcomings.
553 views3 comments
Samantha Elley
- May 19, 2021
- 1 min
Somerton man exhumed to solve 70 year old mystery
Early last year Tales wrote about the mystery of Somerton man. A case where the body of a man was discovered on Somerton beach on December 1
502 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
- May 17, 2021
- 4 min
Female bushranger wore pants alongside Captain Thunderbolt
In 1865 police had tracked the notorious bushranger Captain Thunderbolt to his camp in the Maitland area. What they found was a heavily...
1,383 views4 comments
Samantha Elley
- May 10, 2021
- 4 min
Chained to a rock on Goat Island for 2 years
Goat Island in Sydney Harbour became Charles 'Boney' Anderson's prison for two years, chained to a large sandstone rock.
1,677 views1 comment
Samantha Elley
- May 4, 2021
- 4 min
Nine-year-old completes 2500km trek alone
A 9 year old boy travels from the country to the city alone and stirs up a nation.
834 views2 comments
Samantha Elley
- Apr 27, 2021
- 3 min
Pioneer with Tolstoy connections saves stranded ship's crew
Frank Skinner Thompson and his wife Alice Maude knew how to show hospitality.
327 views3 comments
Samantha Elley
- Apr 20, 2021
- 3 min
How a piece of paper caused more drama than a soap opera
The fight over his will took up more space in the newspaper than his obituary.
488 views0 comments
Samantha Elley
- Apr 12, 2021
- 3 min
Rocket scientist had his eyes on the stars
This young dairy lad from New Zealand maps the heavens.
114 views6 comments
Samantha Elley
- Apr 5, 2021
- 4 min
He had a finger in whaling, philanthropy and politics
He had a heart for people and a head for business in the early Hobart days.
432 views6 comments
Samantha Elley
- Mar 26, 2021
- 1 min
A date with SAG to talk about Tales
I was honoured to be asked to talk about the establishment of Tales
105 views0 comments