According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia’s fertility rate fell to 1.5 babies per woman in 2023. The ABS have an informative graph going back to 1935. Then it was 2.115, just enough to see the population edging up. It gradually rose to 3.548 in 1961 before falling to 2.148 in 1975. Since…

Here is H.G. Wells explaining in his book Anticipations (1901) why the steam engine rather than windmills became preferred for pumping water from low-lying coal mines in England: “Wind was extremely inconvenient for the purpose of pumping, because in these latitudes it is inconstant: it was costly, too, because at any time the labourers might…

At my Anglican church each week there are prayers for world peace. I assume this occurs in all Christian churches. Praying for peace is admirable but a complete waste of time. Christians familiar with the Book of Revelation should know that. The world will end warring. World peace will never arrive. A practical prayer, steeped…

Saw Andrew Bolt interviewing former US general Jack Keane in the week. Keane is now chairman of the Institute for the Study of War. Bolt often has him on and they madly agree with each other. Both are firmly on the side of Israel and its need to be given arms and free air to…

Suffering from a crisis in confidence. Be not alarmed. This is not a personal crisis.  It is just that I see very little in the current Labor government to convince me that its redemption is likely; i.e., a radical change of course. Let’s go back in time. Take the second and third Gough Whitlam ministries.…

Saw on Sky News that Pope Francis has urged US voters to consider the “lesser of two evils.” Namely, between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Said that he couldn’t tell Catholics how to vote but that they should look to their consciences. That’s good advice for everything. He might have stopped there. He didn’t. He…

I have just watched a presentation by Mark Mills on the absence of any profound energy transition from hydrocarbon fuels, despite the trillions of dollars spent, and on the impossibility of it ever happening. It is worth a view, if you have the time. One hour and sixteen minutes. Of course Mills makes the point…

Tanya Plibersek’s effective last-minute banning of the McPhillamys gold mine in regional NSW occupies much of the news. Apparently, secret Aboriginal business says no. To be clear, Ms Plibersek, in her practised supercilious manner, tells us that she has not banned the mine at all, just the tailings dam. This is echoed by Albanese and…

From The Jerusalem Post (Aug 20): The Hostages and Missing Families Forum stressed that the only way to return the 109 hostages is through a negotiated deal. It is clear that Israel has been impeded from yet securing complete victory over Hamas by the West’s, particularly the United States’, desultory support. Apropos delaying the supply…

I did a very small survey. Asked my next-door neighbour what she thought of the government giving 2,900 entry visas to Gazan Palestinians. She hadn’t caught that news. Hmm? Next I asked a chap in my club gym. He was suitably appalled. Asked another chap. He said that he agreed with the policy. He thought…