1980's Australian bonsai publications

[lindsay farr]

Bonsai Down Under began in the late 70's. I don't have any 70's copies. Then it ran through the 80'.

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Bonsai Australia was the journal of the Bonsai society of Australia. Dot Koreshoff was a driving force.

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This is Leonard Webbers first book from 1985. He was working on another It was completed after his death.

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Deborah Koreshoff's iconic book was published in 1984.

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I began Bonsai/Penjing news in 1987 and continued till the early nineties.

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Koreshoff's Native book published in 1983

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Please post others
Cheers
Lindsay

[Asus101]

I think I have read a bonsai aus from 1978.... I think there was also one from 74?

[lindsay farr]

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The Australian Gardener's Guide to Bonsai by Pax Lindsay and Maggie Rothery was published by Reed in 1981.

[lindsay farr]

The March/April 1987 edition of Greenfingers magazine ran a front page plus 6 page feature by Daniel Fitzhenry.

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[daiviet_nguyen]

Hi,

Buries somewhere in my bookcases is a news letter from you -- way back when you were in Mt. Dandenong.

It was about your trip to Singapore, with a picture of you admiring a rather large tree. I cannot remember if
it was a ficus or a pine.

Best regards.

[Robert J. Baran]

Could I please get details on Bonsai penjing news for this page http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/Magazines.html

Robert J. Baran
researcher historian

[lindsay farr]

RJB,
Welcome to the antipodes.We began publishing Bonsai/Penjing news on March 6 1987. The first release was at Garden week at the Burnley Hortcultural college. Dot Koreshoff had come to Melbourne with a truckload of her finest for the event.
The 8 page tabloid was essentially an information package for a mystified public. We spiced it with news and promo content as well.
I've scoured around trying to find a folder of issues but can't put my hands on it. We published 30,000 copies of each issue and distributed them freely.

The best issue was the 1991 international issue with a lead story by Wu Yee Sun and articles about Papa Kaneshiro, Paul Lesniewicz, Suchi En, David Fukumto, Saburo Kato and others
When we ran out of an issue and didn't have the funds to print 30,000 we would do a smaller format and reduce the numbers to 1,000. I think this is one of the issues Daiviet refers to.

The publication had an impact. This was best seen when prime time national tv show Sale of the Century posed the question.
"What is the Japanese name for Chinese Penjing, the art of miniaturising trees.

The 1991 International issue was the final run and I directed my energy to video.

Thanks for your interest Robert.
Cheers
Lindsay

[Bretts]

Just found this newspaper article as I was looking for pictures of Persian ironwood.
28th of June 1985.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 68,6220797
Maybe the Melbourne guys can shed some light on who Peg Johnston is and what happened to her collection?
I would love to find out more about the Persian ironwood that the article mentions.

[lindsay farr]

Nice work Bretts,
Mrs Johnston's Nursery was in Panteg Rd Sassafras, opposite a wonderful old Nursery called Lord's Nursery. The Bonsai Nursery had been around since the sixties or earlier. The old imported pines were unfortunately living in a far too shaded position and had lost their vitality by the eighties.
Shortly after this article appeared Mrs Johnston sold the property and nursery to a real estate agent who ran it into the ground then sold the property as residential.
Mrs Johnston was a true bonsai hermit and hence much maligned by conservatives of organised bonsai.
At a 1984 Melbourne convention that featured Yuji Yoshimura, Dot Koreshoff and Deborah Koreshoff, local demonstrator Max Leversha used the platform to denigrate Mrs Johnston. I called him on his poor form. I'm glad that I did.
Max never spoke to me again but I'm sure that he thought before he tore somebody down to elevate himself.
Cheers
Lindsay