BARRY HUMPHRIES/ AUSTEN TAYSHUSby Professor Ross Fitzgerald AM

Since the death of my long-time friend, the comic genius Barry Barry Humphries, by far the most outrageously talented stand-up performer in Australia is the Sydney-based Jewish comedian, Austen Tayshus.

Indeed Barry told me that Austen Tayshus was the only contemporary comedian who made him gasp, before he laughed. In comparison, most other stand ups were, he said, “about as funny as an orphanage on fire!”

Last week I attended The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

With the exception of a Korean lesbian who’d had four …

Barry Humphries/Austen Tayshusby Ross Fitzgerald AM

Since the death of my long-time friend, the comic genius Barry Barry Humphries, by far the most outrageously talented stand-up performer in Australia is the Sydney-based Austen Tayshus.

Indeed Barry told me that Austen Tayshus was the only contemporary comedian who made him gasp, before he laughed.

Last week I attended The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

With the exception of a Korean lesbian who’d had four abortions, none of the stand ups who performed, for hours, were a patch on Austen Tayshus.

Anyone interested to learn about the …

50 years ago today, my final year Politics student & fellow cricketer at the University of NSW, Jonnie Sheens and I, were in Mozambique when the revolution was in full sway.We seemed to be the only Europeans driving into the troubles.Coming from Swaziland (where we had won a motza at the casino) we were stopped at the border by armed and angry Frelimo fighters.Jonnie’s response, “We are friends of Gough Whitlam!.” was greeted with puzzlement.On the way in to Mozambique , we saw squads of Portuguese families fleeing what is …

The inhumane treatment of inmates at the Alexander Maconochie Centre prison  in Canberra

by PROFESSOR ROSS FITZGERALD AM

So far, the only media outlets courageous enough to publish my revelations about the inhumane treatment of  inmates at the odious Alexander Maconochie Centre prison have been Canberra’s CityNews and John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations website. 

Prof Ross Fitzgerald. 

On 22 October 2024,  I finally received a response on behalf of Richard Glenn, Director-General  ACT Justice and Community Safety Directorate.

This followed my September 25 email in which I directed a number of questions  to the then ACT Minister for Corrections and Justice …

THE LAST POST MAGAZINE REMEMBRANCE DAY ISSUE – John Olsen feature.

Since in its inception in 2011, The Last Post has been Australia’s number one print and online national veterans magazine.

John Olsen: A Gift to the Nation.by Professor Ross Fitzgerald AMMy dear friend, the great Australian painter John Olsen was, at 77, the oldest artist to win the Archibald Prize.

In 2019, over a long lunch at Catalina restaurant in Rose Bay facing the Sydney Harbour, I was with John and Barry Humphries when they yarned about what might happen to John’s …

ROSS FITZGERALD

In last Saturday’s state election, the Liberal National Party of Queensland has decisively ended the ALP’s nine year run in office.

This means that, in Queensland’s one-house parliament, LNP leader, the MLA for Broadwater on the Gold Coast, David Chrisafulli will be able to form government with a workable majority.

As readers of Pearls & Irritations may remember, on 21 October I predicted an anti-Labor swing in Queensland of up to 10%.

But the Queensland-wide swing of 7.3% is misleading.

The reason that there wasn’t an utter ALP wipe out was that, by …

The biggest challenge remains for federal Labor to reconnect with regional Australia. Otherwise they are cactus electorally, and will go the same way as the Miles government, with lingering support in the cities but being electorally toxic elsewhere,” writes PROF ROSS FITZGERALD.

In Saturday’s state election, the Liberal National Party of Queensland decisively ended the ALP’s nine-year run in office. This means that, in Queensland’s one-house parliament, LNP leader, the MLA for Broadwater on the Gold Coast, David Crisafulli, will be able to form government with a workable majority.

As readers of …

“Let’s hope that the next ACT  Minister for Corrections  actually makes root and branch corrections to the odious conditions at the Alexander Maconochie Centre and to the inhumane treatment of David McBride,” says Prof Fitzgerald. Photo: Andrew Finch 

“In between a mass of weasel words was this stark admission: ‘So far in the 2024-2025 financial year, three detainees have already died while in custody at the AMC’.” 

So far, the only media outlets courageous enough to publish my revelations about the inhumane treatment of whistleblower David McBride and other inmates at the odious Alexander …

The treatment of detainees at the Alexander Maconochie Centre federal prison in CanberraROSS FITZGERALDOct 24, 2024

So far, the only media outlets courageous enough to publish my revelations about the inhumane treatment of David McBride and other inmates at the odious Alexander Maconochie Centre federal prison in Canberra have been Pearls and Irritations and Canberra’s City News.

On 22 October 2024, I finally received a response on behalf of Richard Glenn, Director-General ACT Justice and Community Safety Directorate.

This followed my 25 September 2024 email in which I directed a number of questions …

by ROSS FITZGERALD

“In Queensland, Premier Stephen Miles and his ALP government are seen as weak, incompetent and overwhelmed. This is an electorally terminal combination,” writes PROF ROSS FITZGERALD.

In the forthcoming state election, my prediction is that Labor in Queensland will get hammered.

As it happens, Labor in Queensland is the name of a political history that I co-authored with Sigrid Thornton’s brother, Harold Thornton.

In the recent NT election there was a 23 per cent swing against the ALP.All signs indicate that, on Saturday, there will be a swing against Labor of …

ROSS FITZGERALD

No. It’s not because November 5 is the date of the American election, in which Ronald Thump (my fictional creation in the Grafton Everest political satires) may win by a whisker.

No. It’s not because November 5 is the date of the Melbourne Cup, in which Francesco Guardi, trainer by Chris Waller is a good each-way bet at 26 to 1.

It is actually because on November 5 (Guy Fawkes Day) 1974, at the instigation of my long time friend Barry Humphries, I met the luminous model and actor Lyndal Moor …