Latest news with #Bligh
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
How an Australian made sure ‘the real Ashes trophy' finally made it to Lord's
Not to Bligh, though. After Dick Barlow bowled Tom Garrett to complete England's 'Ashes-winning' victory in the third match in Sydney in January, 1883, Bligh had souvenired the fallen bail and shaped it into a letter-opener, complete with ivory blade and an inscription noting the occasion it marked. 'ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA JANUARY 26, 1883 ENGLAND WON BY 69 RUNS THIS BAIL was knocked off by the last ball bowled IN THE MATCH.' This he presented to Lady Clarke, reciprocating the gesture of the ashes urn, but a later custodian of the letter opener, Ian Metherall, suspects it was also to maintain the favour of the Clarkes and a pretext to see Florence Morphy regularly, which he did. Duly, Bligh proposed, Morphy accepted, but Lady Clarke advised prudence, noting the difference in their social stations and the fact that Bligh's parents in England had not been consulted. She wrote from experience; she herself had come from humble origins to marry Sir William and knew the invisible pitfalls. If Bligh's parents approve, she said, the Clarkes would be only too pleased to give the couple their blessing. Loading Bligh returned to England, but the two artefacts of that series, the urn and the opener, remained with the Clarkes at Rupertswood. In the mind's eye, it's impossible not to see them sitting side-by-side on a mantlepiece somewhere in that grand mansion (elsewhere in its wings, some of Ned Kelly's armour lay, but that's another story for another day). Bligh came back to Melbourne the next summer with his parents' sanction and the Clarkes made a lavish production of his marriage to Morphy. Eventually, the couple settled in England, taking with them the urn. At first, they struggled. As the second son of an earl, Bligh was not entitled and had little money until his older brother died, whereupon funds and comforts accrued, and the title of Lord Darnley. Morphy, now Lady Darnley, made the acquaintance of royalty and other notables, including Rudyard Kipling, and for her pastoral work during World War One was made a dame of the empire. When Bligh died in 1927, she donated the Ashes urn to Lord's. Less than two years later, Don Bradman would have clapped his eyes on it for the first time. Meantime, the bail-cum-letter opener passed down through the line of the Clarke's descendants until it rested in a garage belonging to Metherall and his wife Rosemary, a great-granddaughter of the Clarkes, on their farm at Nagambie. Metherall, an importer/exporter, is also a collector of cricket memorabilia and, incidentally, cars. Rosemary's other grandfather was Essington Lewis, a former head of BHP and an arms manufacturer during World War One who sourced prized steel for General Motors to begin to build Holdens in Australia after World War Two. For his efforts, General Motors delivered to him the first Holden ever made in Australia, the hallowed 48-215. Forerunning that car was a prototype built by GM in Detroit. Metherall and Rosemary at one estage had custody of both cars, each of which had travelled many miles before being restored by enthusiasts and finding their way via the Metherall collection to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra in 2004. Metherall says not all in his family were best pleased with this outcome for these heirlooms. Loading Enter – or re-enter - the bail. Driven to elevate its place in the Ashes narrative, but anxious not to cause further family tensions, Metherall says he bought the bail from them outright. He has since become the champion-in-chief of its paramountcy in the Ashes legend. Since Bligh's descendants say the urn is not a cricket trophy, but a 'personal and romantic keepsake', Metherall regards the bail as a symbolic prize in its own right. He has his backers. 'The Bail is an object of equal importance and historical significance to the Darnley Urn as part of the early Ashes story,' wrote long-serving MCC librarian David Studham in 2011. 'Indeed, its status as a genuine artefact from a Test match on the 1882-83 tour makes it even more so. It is unique; no other bails from this first Ashes series are known to exist, and therefore none are held in any Australian public collections. It deserves to be retained in Australia as a significant item relating to such a key part of our sporting heritage, the battles for 'The Ashes'.' Writing in the magazine Australiana in 2006, curator, publisher and broadcaster Tom Thompson was even more blunt. 'It is the real trophy,' he said, 'and as cricket memorabilia trumps the urn by being created from an actual stump gifted by the English captain. The Ashes urn is a faction.' Metherall says his efforts to consecrate the bail's place in history have largely been stonewalled. For a time, he had it on display at the Australian Club and it appeared in the National Museum from 2006-2008. But the Melbourne Cricket Club museum rebuffed him in 2018, saying it had plenty enough Ashes curios; more would mean only clutter. How near a relative the bail is to the urn and how much weight it should be accorded in the game's iconography is a matter of intrigue. Apart from anything else, it was fashioned from a verifiable piece of Ashes furniture, whereas doubts linger about the ashes in the Ashes. One of several theories that now can never be tested is that the urn was presented to Bligh twice, at Rupertswood before the series when it was empty, and again after the series, now containing the burnt remains of the other bail. If true, it would make the pairing irresistible. But we'll never know. Metherall is not easily deterred. Eventually, he found a sympathetic ear in British broadcaster, actor and author Stephen Fry, a past president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Still, there was a process. The bail is on the National Cultural Heritage Control list, so cannot leave the country without approval. Fortunately, at the Australian end, this was obtained in 24 hours. But British bureaucracy tied up that end like a county medium-pacer. Metherall says he risked a long jail term or a massive fine if he tried to fly it into England without the necessary permissions, because the blade is made of ivory, a prohibited import. A plan to deliver it in February had to be scrapped, but after three months of wrangling, the paperwork finally came through, and Metherall and his precious cargo made their way to London last week, first class (seat 1A), of course. The bail was handed over to Lord's last week and is now on display alongside the venerable urn, together again for the first time since their Rupertswood days. In explaining what he sees as the bail's historic significance vis a vis the urn, Metherall likens it to the pair of historic Holdens he once owned: each tells part of the whole tale. Metherall also says the whole Ashes mystique has been forever misrepresented. 'People don't understand that the Ashes story is not about a little urn,' he said. 'It's actually a love story, between the captain and a pauper.' Bligh suffered frequent ill-health and did not play Test cricket again after that 1882-3 series. The four matches he played then comprise his whole Test career. Its substance is an aggregate of 62 runs, with a top score of 19. Concerning a man who has such venerable place in cricket history, this reads modestly. But like the letter opener he shaped from the bail, it is a humble token that embodies a grand idea that is cherished to this day. As for Metherall, while championing the past, he does not live there. Next on his plate is a project to import unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Age
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
How an Australian made sure ‘the real Ashes trophy' finally made it to Lord's
Not to Bligh, though. After Dick Barlow bowled Tom Garrett to complete England's 'Ashes-winning' victory in the third match in Sydney in January, 1883, Bligh had souvenired the fallen bail and shaped it into a letter-opener, complete with ivory blade and an inscription noting the occasion it marked. 'ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA JANUARY 26, 1883 ENGLAND WON BY 69 RUNS THIS BAIL was knocked off by the last ball bowled IN THE MATCH.' This he presented to Lady Clarke, reciprocating the gesture of the ashes urn, but a later custodian of the letter opener, Ian Metherall, suspects it was also to maintain the favour of the Clarkes and a pretext to see Florence Morphy regularly, which he did. Duly, Bligh proposed, Morphy accepted, but Lady Clarke advised prudence, noting the difference in their social stations and the fact that Bligh's parents in England had not been consulted. She wrote from experience; she herself had come from humble origins to marry Sir William and knew the invisible pitfalls. If Bligh's parents approve, she said, the Clarkes would be only too pleased to give the couple their blessing. Loading Bligh returned to England, but the two artefacts of that series, the urn and the opener, remained with the Clarkes at Rupertswood. In the mind's eye, it's impossible not to see them sitting side-by-side on a mantlepiece somewhere in that grand mansion (elsewhere in its wings, some of Ned Kelly's armour lay, but that's another story for another day). Bligh came back to Melbourne the next summer with his parents' sanction and the Clarkes made a lavish production of his marriage to Morphy. Eventually, the couple settled in England, taking with them the urn. At first, they struggled. As the second son of an earl, Bligh was not entitled and had little money until his older brother died, whereupon funds and comforts accrued, and the title of Lord Darnley. Morphy, now Lady Darnley, made the acquaintance of royalty and other notables, including Rudyard Kipling, and for her pastoral work during World War One was made a dame of the empire. When Bligh died in 1927, she donated the Ashes urn to Lord's. Less than two years later, Don Bradman would have clapped his eyes on it for the first time. Meantime, the bail-cum-letter opener passed down through the line of the Clarke's descendants until it rested in a garage belonging to Metherall and his wife Rosemary, a great-granddaughter of the Clarkes, on their farm at Nagambie. Metherall, an importer/exporter, is also a collector of cricket memorabilia and, incidentally, cars. Rosemary's other grandfather was Essington Lewis, a former head of BHP and an arms manufacturer during World War One who sourced prized steel for General Motors to begin to build Holdens in Australia after World War Two. For his efforts, General Motors delivered to him the first Holden ever made in Australia, the hallowed 48-215. Forerunning that car was a prototype built by GM in Detroit. Metherall and Rosemary at one estage had custody of both cars, each of which had travelled many miles before being restored by enthusiasts and finding their way via the Metherall collection to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra in 2004. Metherall says not all in his family were best pleased with this outcome for these heirlooms. Loading Enter – or re-enter - the bail. Driven to elevate its place in the Ashes narrative, but anxious not to cause further family tensions, Metherall says he bought the bail from them outright. He has since become the champion-in-chief of its paramountcy in the Ashes legend. Since Bligh's descendants say the urn is not a cricket trophy, but a 'personal and romantic keepsake', Metherall regards the bail as a symbolic prize in its own right. He has his backers. 'The Bail is an object of equal importance and historical significance to the Darnley Urn as part of the early Ashes story,' wrote long-serving MCC librarian David Studham in 2011. 'Indeed, its status as a genuine artefact from a Test match on the 1882-83 tour makes it even more so. It is unique; no other bails from this first Ashes series are known to exist, and therefore none are held in any Australian public collections. It deserves to be retained in Australia as a significant item relating to such a key part of our sporting heritage, the battles for 'The Ashes'.' Writing in the magazine Australiana in 2006, curator, publisher and broadcaster Tom Thompson was even more blunt. 'It is the real trophy,' he said, 'and as cricket memorabilia trumps the urn by being created from an actual stump gifted by the English captain. The Ashes urn is a faction.' Metherall says his efforts to consecrate the bail's place in history have largely been stonewalled. For a time, he had it on display at the Australian Club and it appeared in the National Museum from 2006-2008. But the Melbourne Cricket Club museum rebuffed him in 2018, saying it had plenty enough Ashes curios; more would mean only clutter. How near a relative the bail is to the urn and how much weight it should be accorded in the game's iconography is a matter of intrigue. Apart from anything else, it was fashioned from a verifiable piece of Ashes furniture, whereas doubts linger about the ashes in the Ashes. One of several theories that now can never be tested is that the urn was presented to Bligh twice, at Rupertswood before the series when it was empty, and again after the series, now containing the burnt remains of the other bail. If true, it would make the pairing irresistible. But we'll never know. Metherall is not easily deterred. Eventually, he found a sympathetic ear in British broadcaster, actor and author Stephen Fry, a past president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Still, there was a process. The bail is on the National Cultural Heritage Control list, so cannot leave the country without approval. Fortunately, at the Australian end, this was obtained in 24 hours. But British bureaucracy tied up that end like a county medium-pacer. Metherall says he risked a long jail term or a massive fine if he tried to fly it into England without the necessary permissions, because the blade is made of ivory, a prohibited import. A plan to deliver it in February had to be scrapped, but after three months of wrangling, the paperwork finally came through, and Metherall and his precious cargo made their way to London last week, first class (seat 1A), of course. The bail was handed over to Lord's last week and is now on display alongside the venerable urn, together again for the first time since their Rupertswood days. In explaining what he sees as the bail's historic significance vis a vis the urn, Metherall likens it to the pair of historic Holdens he once owned: each tells part of the whole tale. Metherall also says the whole Ashes mystique has been forever misrepresented. 'People don't understand that the Ashes story is not about a little urn,' he said. 'It's actually a love story, between the captain and a pauper.' Bligh suffered frequent ill-health and did not play Test cricket again after that 1882-3 series. The four matches he played then comprise his whole Test career. Its substance is an aggregate of 62 runs, with a top score of 19. Concerning a man who has such venerable place in cricket history, this reads modestly. But like the letter opener he shaped from the bail, it is a humble token that embodies a grand idea that is cherished to this day. As for Metherall, while championing the past, he does not live there. Next on his plate is a project to import unmanned aerial vehicles.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Glaring $3,750 figure that proves Australia's cashless society is already here
There's more cash around than there ever has been - but it's not because Australians are choosing physical currency for transactions. · Supplied/Getty Some have accused banks of "spreading misinformation" about the state of cash in Australia. But the reality is, we already live in a cashless society. Cash advocacy group Cash Welcome, which is partially funded by the ATM industry, directly challenged comments recently made by Australian Banking Association (ABA) CEO Anna Bligh. The group accused her of promoting the "myth" that Australians are willingly abandoning cash. "We are, as Australians, using less and less and less cash," Bligh said. RELATED "In 2007, about 70 per cent of everything we paid for was with real cash. "These days, it's about 10 per cent, and the Reserve Bank estimates it will fall to around 4 per cent by 2030." However, Cash Welcome disputes these figures. They highlight that current Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) data shows 16 per cent of in-person transactions still use cash, with no publicly available statistics backing the 10 per cent figure cited by Bligh. To strengthen their argument, Cash Welcome make two points: The total value of cash in circulation continues to rise, not fall. Contrary to popular belief, ATM usage is not in sharp decline. But is the push towards a cashless society genuinely stalling, or are these figures being selectively used? Let's unpack the data. There has never been more cash circulating around Australia, despite its declining use in transactions. · Cash Welcome Firstly, Bligh is correct that the RBA's projection is that cash transactions will fall to just 4 per cent by 2030. Interestingly, both the ABA and Cash Welcome agree that despite fewer transactions, there has never been more cash physically circulating in Australia. Why is there more cash around if Australians aren't using it? The RBA provided insight into the increase in physical currency in a 2021 paper. "The increase in banknotes in circulation against the backdrop of declining transactional cash use can be attributed to the growing role of cash for precautionary and store-of-wealth purposes," the RBA wrote. Essentially, people aren't spending this cash; they're saving or "hoarding" it. In fact, nearly 73 per cent of current banknotes by number and a staggering 94 per cent by value are $50 and $100 denominations, indicating their use as a store of wealth rather than for everyday spending. Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh has warned that bank branches have to adapt to the changing nature of banking. (Source: Getty) Yet, when adjusted for Australia's growing population, the narrative shifts slightly.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cashless warning as bank chief predicts huge change for Australia: 'Massive implications'
The head of the Australian Banking Association (ABA) has warned that bank branches will undoubtedly look different in the future due to the declining use of cash. Digital methods like cards and smart devices make up the overwhelming majority of payments these days, as physical money slowly fades into obscurity. ABA chief Anna Bligh said the way Aussies use banking services was undergoing the "biggest transformation in the history of the country" as the cashless and digitisation revolution continues. She said, naturally, this means things would have to change. "We are, as Australians, using less and less and less cash," she told 2GB's Michael McLaren. RELATED Cash protest to 'drain ATMs' in defiant act against controversial trend: 'Use it or lose it' Aussie couple loses $170,000 house deposit over to two-letter error: 'Changed everyone's lives' Rare Aussie banknotes worth up to $19,500 "That has massive implications for what our branches are doing. "If people aren't coming in anymore to withdraw or deposit cash, then that really changes what a branch is and what it might look like in the future." She cited figures stating that 70 per cent of everything Aussies paid for was in cash back in 2007. That's dropped to about 10 per cent now and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) predicts it could fall as low as 4 per cent by said not only are Aussies using bank branches less because of the reduced use of cash, but another popular service has also dramatically changed. "People will be surprised to know that 75 per cent of all home loans in Australia are now written by a mortgage broker, and those people come to your house," she said. "The old models of doing things are breaking, and we've got to find different and better ways to make sure that Australians, wherever they live, can continue to get the banking services they need." Bligh pointed to Westpac's recent move to resurrect three regional branches across New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania that closed in recent years. The new Service Centres will be based in Moree, Leongatha, and Smithton and won't act like a normal branch. The ABA chief said you won't be able to withdraw money from a teller like you normally would, but you can access the centre's SmartATM. They will also provide face-to-face support for retail and business customers, assistance for digital banking services, as well as services related to identity verification, personal and business lending, and fraud and scam support. "They're not quite like the old branch that you once knew, but it is a face-to-face experience," Bligh said, hinting this is how branches could look in the future. Hundreds of bank branches have shut down in the past few years as customers prefer to do all their banking online. Canstar analysis revealed 230 branches were closed in the 2023-24 financial year, 52 of which were in regional areas. While the rate of closures is lower compared to previous years, it's still tough for those forced to travel sometimes large distances to get to the next closest branch. The Big Four banks have all signed a moratorium against closing any more regional branches until at least 2027. What happens after that deadline is anyone's guess. Bligh admitted that some banks have been closing branches in major regional centres with "booming" populations, but it was largely down to foot traffic. "The people who are living there aren't using bank branches anymore," she said. "They are paying for things electronically, they're using their phone to buy their groceries." She said if customers want a digital experience for their banking, banks had to divert their finances and resources into making sure it worked and it was safe. "Putting your money and your investment in the best place to look after your customers is not an entirely clear thing at the moment," she added. Cash advocates staged a protest across the country this week and called on others to withdraw money from ATMs, banks, and supermarkets. The grassroots movement was designed to send a message to financial institutions that cash is still important to many, even if it's not used as much by the in to access your portfolio
