User:MulgaBill

"'Twas Mulga Bill from Eaglehawk that caught the cycling craze ..." (See  for the whole poem)

Well, not quite from Banjo's Eaglehawk, but up the road from Melbourne (the Australian one, not Florida, which my computer assumes when I try to check the weather!). And the bike's slowly rusting under the house, waiting for the day when the hills have eroded somewhat - they're a bit of a challenge for my poor old legs these days!

I'd been reading Wikipedia for about a year or so, and started contributing in March 2005. The idea of a totally democratic encyclopedia is fantastic - I think it has the potential to become the most important single source of information in the universe if enough people commit to it. Of course, there's a lot of crap still, but that's mainly because not enough keen people have worked to improve the articles. And there will always be a few vandals, with more time on their hands than is good for them, but I'm sure the majority can put up with their antics.

Aussie, and wouldn't want to live anywhere else - proud republican, ashamed of our government's treatment of our indigenous citizens and those who have sought our help from other countries. Interests - history, genealogy, cricket, education, the environment. Semi-retired training consultant, in transition from full-time paid employment to full-time unpaid employment! At last there's time to dabble in matters unimportant but interesting!

I'm interested in sharing my knowledge to create articles, others can do all that important editing stuff.

As of 12 June 2006, articles I have created or made significant contributions to:

Cricket:

Australian Test cricket umpires: Simon Taufel, Daryl Harper, Steve Davis, Peter Parker, Bill Sheahan, Tony McQuillan, Darrell Hair, Col Timmins, Ric Evans, Len King, Terry Prue, Bruce Martin, Ray Isherwood, Steve Randell, Peter McConnell, Rex Whitehead, Peter Cronin, Mel Johnson, Bill Copeland, Mick Harvey, Don Weser, Tony Crafter, Dick French, Reg Ledwidge, Robin Bailhache, Peter Enright, Jack Collins, Norman Townsend, Max O’Connell, Tom Brooks, Alan Mackley, Lou Rowan, Bill Smyth, Ted Wykes, Col Egar, Les Townsend, Col Hoy, Mel McInnes, Arthur Cocks, George Cooper, Ron Wright, Herbert Elphinstone, John Scott, Henry Armstrong (umpire), Joseph Richards, Andy Barlow, Arthur Wyeth, James Orr, Walter French, George Borwick, Arthur Jenkins, George Hele, Clement Garing, A. P. Williams, W. A. Young, Dave Elder, George Watson, William Curran, James Laing, William Hannah, Alfred Jones, Philip Argall, Bob Crockett, Richard Callaway, George Searcy, Bill Whitridge, George Downs, Jack Tooher, Tom Flynn, Henry Rawlinson, Charles Bannerman, Jim Phillips, George Hodges, Patrick McShane, John Payne, Isaac Fisher, T. N. Cole, Ted Elliott, John Swift, James Lillywhite, George Coulthard, P. Coady, Sam Cosstick, Richard Terry, Curtis Reid.

List of Test umpires, List of Australian Test cricketers, Frank Laver, Tom Garrett, Bransby Cooper, Jack Blackham, Charles Bannerman, Johnnie Moyes.

Australian History:

First Fleet, William Balmain, Margaret Dawson, Richard Johnson, William Sharp, Robert Ross, William Bradley, James Ruse, William Bryant, William Dawes, HMS Sirius, HMS Supply, Alexander, Charlotte, Friendship, Lady Penrhyn, Prince of Wales, Scarborough, Borrowdale, Fishburn, Golden Grove. Second Fleet, D'Arcy Wentworth, Neptune, Surprize, Lady Juliana, HMS Guardian, Justinian, HMS Gorgon.

Norfolk Island, Philip Gidley King, Joseph Foveaux, John Piper, John Townson, Thomas Rowley, Thomas Crane, William Hutchinson, Alexander Maconochie, John Price, James Moriseet, Richard Turton, Vance Donaldson, Thomas Wright, Robert Hunt, Joseph Wakefield, Joseph Anderson, Joseph Childs, Thomas Bunbury, Thomas Ryan, Rupert Deering, H. Day, T.S. Stewart, Foster Fyans(Commandant), Norfolk.

History of Victoria, Mount Alexander, Thomas Hiscock, John Basson Humffray.

Other:

Boyd Family.

Articles I have made smaller contributions to:

List of cricket terms, List of works by cricket historians and writers, Umpire (cricket), The Ashes, Tom Wills, Albert Trott, Fred Spofforth.

Castlemaine, Lola Montez, Harcourt, Victorian Gold Rush, Digger, Diggings, Eureka rebellion, Eureka Stockade, Burke and Wills expedition, Robert O'Hara Burke, Van Diemen's Land. Convict system, Convict settlement.

John Macarthur, Matthew Flinders.

Oral history, List of historians, Education in Australia.

William à Beckett, Lionel Lindsay, Sidney Nolan, John Perceval, David Boyd, Guy Boyd, Arthur Boyd, Penleigh Boyd, Arthur Merric Boyd, Merric Boyd.

Indigenous Australians, Prominent indigenous Australians, Bobbi Sykes.

Wishlist for further contributions:


 * Nineteenth century Victorian history;


 * First Fleet and early settlement;


 * Australian cricketers;


 * Castlemaine;


 * Boyd artistic family;