Tiny Oz

Exciting news – my book The Only Living Lady Parachutist has been on Australian TV!

Last year I shared my research on the Van Tassel sisters with Northern Pictures in Australia who were making a programme called Tiny Oz – where comedian Jimmy Rees and tiny craft artist JoAnne Bouzianis-Sellick unite with the extraordinary crafts people to recreate remarkable moments in Australia’s history, in glorious miniature.  You can watch the trailer below:

Episode 1 features Sydney in 1914 as hundreds of exotic animals were escorted on foot through the city streets and across the harbour to their brand-new home at Taronga Zoo.

Episode 2 takes us back to the bustling lawless town of Broome in the early 1900s, during the heyday of the pearling era.

Episode 3 recreates Thomas Gale’s hot air balloon ascent at Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens in 1871 – the 19^th century equivalent to man landing on the moon. The Van Tassel sisters who fascinated and scandalised the people of Adelaide also feature, and The Only Living Lady Parachutist is there at the 28-30 minute mark.

The three episodes have recently screened on ABC – Australian viewers can watch on demand on ABC iview. Because of rights restrictions in New Zealand I was given a special link to view Episode 3 and I absolutely loved it – so inventive and awesome to see the balloon ascent ‘brought to life’ in miniature.

The finely detailed model created by the South Australian Model Railways Association is on display in the State Library of South Australia foyer from 13 April to 29 May.

In a serendipitous coincidence I’ve just been to the Tawhiti Museum in Hawera. What an amazing place! If there was ever a Tiny NZ version of the show, I have some ideas…