The major feature of the week has been the early morning fog and already we are having the foggiest month for 40 years. Early yesterday morning international jets arrivals for Brisbane were stacked up over the Blackall Range waiting for diversion instructions. It was an unusual sight to see at Maleny.

During the week a northwest cloudband moved through the region with a promise of rain on Wednesday. We had the tail-end of it with just drizzle. Thunderclouds rolled in yesterday afternoon with some heavy rain falling at the rate of 120 mm per hour that put 18 mm in the rain gauge in 15 minutes. The month’s total rainfall to date is 223 mm, representing 115 mm over the 115 year average for June.

Lowest temperature was last Sunday with 6° and highest 22° yesterday.

We have had 27 hours of Bright Sunshine during the week.

Winter Solstice 22 June Light and Heat

In February 1940 light and heat came to Maleny by way of two insulated threads of metal from the national electricity grid; kept alive by payment of the quarterly electricity bill. Jack Callaway wired most people’s homes. He had an electrical shop in town where the Up-Front Club is now.

In pioneering days, sources of light and heat were under the direct control of the user. Right back to the time of the first ‘slush lamps’, lit by melting animal fat. Through the ages there has been the outside ‘galley’, the wood stove, slow combustion stove, kerosene lamps and lanterns, carbide and gas lamps. Fewer people today know of the carbide lamp, which gave a brilliant light burning acetylene gas when the rock-like and evil smelling carbide was moistened. Some of these efficient lights were very simple construction. Others were more complicated. Fitted with reflectors these gave a powerful spotlight. In those days general stores sold carbide by the pound weight. Carbide is a compound of carbon with a metal that yields acetylene when moistened.