The 9pm Hometown Visit to Gawler

Looking across the street at two classic Victorian-era civic buildings. On the left is a two-storey stone building, three windows wide, with a portico at the front finished in white plaster. Across the top it reads INSTITUTE and on the facade there’s the text “In Memoriam 1914 - 1918”. On the right is a shorter but similar building, with a terrace on top of its portico, and a row of four flagpoles. The flags are limp because there’s no wind, and they can’t be recognised. On the top of the facade is a set of arms (featuring a hawk, wheat, and lion, but drawn incorrectly), and the words TOWN HALL. In between them is a hint of modern architecture, namely the glass entry to a new building behind these two. The sky is bright blue with a few fluffy clouds.
The Gawler Institute building (1871) and the Gawler Town Hall (1878), photographed on 29 June 2025. On the town hall the arms are drawn incorrectly (PDF). (Photo: Stilgherrian)

Today’s episode is a bit different. It’s more personal. I, Stilgherrian, was born in Gawler, South Australia, and lived there from ages 11 to about 17. Last year I visited the town with my good friend Snarky Platypus, and he asked me some pertinent questions.

Continue reading “The 9pm Hometown Visit to Gawler”

The 9pm Full-time Bingo Card Update 2025 with Snarky Platypus

Illustrative stock imagery of a bingo card and bingo player stamps, with an inset image of a random platypus.
Main image by Rudonni via Pixabay. Foreground bingo card originally by Milton Bradley Company, photo by Abby Hendrickson under a CC-BY 2.0 Generic license. Platypus inset photo by Taronga Conservation Society Australia / Chris Wheeler. Digital composition by Stilgherrian.

Back at the start of the year, my good friend Snarky Platypus and I created a bingo card for 2025. A set of 25 things that might happen. Well, it’s now New Year’s Eve, so let’s see how we went. And let’s create a 2026 Bingo Card.

Continue reading “The 9pm Full-time Bingo Card Update 2025 with Snarky Platypus”

The 9pm Slop Bowl of Discourse with Snarky Platypus

On a drab metal tray sits a white plastic plate piled with stuff including lettuce and dribbles of an unidentifiable brown sauce, a brown paper bag printed with the slogan “[Our] chips are lovingly crafted for [something out of sight]”, and a paper cup labelled “Chipotle Mexican Grill”. In the bottom left corner there’s an inset photo of a platypus.
Chicken burrito bowl with tortilla chips and drink at Chipotle, August 2022, by Sarah Stierch/Wikipedia Commons, used under a CC BY 4.0 license. Platypus inset photo by Taronga Conservation Society Australia / Chris Wheeler. Digital composition by Stilgherrian..

I like food. My good friend Snarky Platypus also likes food. And we also like wine. But we also have opinions. So in this final episode of the spring series we bring you some of those opinions.

Continue reading “The 9pm Slop Bowl of Discourse with Snarky Platypus”

The 9pm Half-time Bingo Card Update 2025 with Snarky Platypus

Illustrative stock imagery of a bingo card and bingo player stamps, with an inset image of a random platypus.
Main image by Rudonni via Pixabay. Foreground bingo card originally by Milton Bradley Company, photo by Abby Hendrickson under under a CC-BY 2.0 Generic license. Platypus inset photo by Taronga Conservation Society Australia / Chris Wheeler. Digital composition by Stilgherrian.

Back at the start of the year, my good friend Snarky Platypus and I created a bingo card for 2025. A set of 25 things that might happen. Well, we’re half-way through the year, so let’s see how we went.

Continue reading “The 9pm Half-time Bingo Card Update 2025 with Snarky Platypus”

The 9pm Triple Mammal Chinese Spy Ship Panic with Snarky Platypus

On a bright blue sea against a bright blue sky is a modern bright blue ship with white superstructure. The bow is high and rugged-looking. The stern has cranes and such.
Chinese marine research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao. (Photo: Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering) Inset: A platypus, but not that one. (Taronga Conservation Society Australia / Chris Wheeler)

The summer series is dragging on, and there’s still so many things on our minds. So joining me for a bonus episode is my good friend Snarky Platypus.

Continue reading “The 9pm Triple Mammal Chinese Spy Ship Panic with Snarky Platypus”

The 9pm Full-time Bingo Card Update 2024 with Snarky Platypus

Main image by Rudonni via Pixabay. Foreground bingo card originally by Milton Bradley Company, photo by Abby Hendrickson under under a CC-BY 2.0 Generic license. Platypus inset photo by Taronga Conservation Society Australia / Chris Wheeler. Digital composition by Stilgherrian.

Back at the start of the year, my good friend Snarky Platypus and I created some bingo cards for 2024. Two sets of 25 things that might happen. Well, we’re now at the end of the year, so let’s see how we went.

Continue reading “The 9pm Full-time Bingo Card Update 2024 with Snarky Platypus”