Stuart Ballantyne

Sea life: cruising after Covid

5 February 2023 4:30 am

The former Premier of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, probably never wanted to see the Ruby Princess again. Three years…

A lesson for Lismore

4 November 2022 10:00 am

The Green anti-dredging cult has destroyed Australia’s ports and endangered riverside towns

‘Bubonic plague’ preferable to union rule

12 September 2022 8:00 am

The Christmas and New Year family feasts were still ambling their way through my digestive system when I noted (from…

The leadership qualities of a long-dead parrot

20 August 2022 11:00 am

‘Be careful what you say,’ said my friend, ‘this guy is fanatical about the local colony of parrots and if…

Australia cannot ignore the submarine wars

3 August 2022 10:00 am

On my first trip to sea as a 16-year-old cadet, I was on the main deck observing the ship gracefully…

The Pacific wants cash, not ‘gifts’

8 July 2022 8:00 am

My favourite grandson, Asher, outspokenly declared to me at the age of 8 what he didn’t want for his Christmas…

Nuclear: a powerful future

14 May 2022 12:00 pm

As a Merchant Navy navigator, I knew the range and durability of my ship were intrinsically limited to the fuel…

Aussie life

26 March 2022 9:00 am

Indulge yourself with a fascinating read of Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson’s 1911 recommendation for the protection of Australia’s coast. This…

Selling Queensland down the river

12 March 2022 9:00 am

How environmentalists and politicians helped cause the floods

Politicians are talking a lot of ship!

13 February 2022 7:30 am

Who would believe that Australia, with 60,000 kms of coastline ranking in the top seven in the world for coastline…

Defending Australia from itself

7 December 2021 3:51 pm

World War I saw a significant tactical blunder by the Commonwealth countries in regards to Gallipoli where 480,000 allied forces…

ScoMo doesn’t need to go to Glasgow. I grew up there and can tell him all he needs to know

14 October 2021 5:04 pm

I grew up close to Glasgow on the River Clyde, and from our kitchen window you could predict the weather…

Tasmania invades!

15 October 2018 8:11 pm

For decades they were the butt of jokes and derisory remarks for being the worst State in Australia in having…

Wizards of Oz revisiting UK

15 September 2018 9:00 am

Late in 1969 in Australian ports I was one of the many deck officers in the merchant navy in a…