The Mighty Bosch: digital cultural heritage in the context of Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights

“Bosch did not celebrate human folly, he painted it as an affront, innate perhaps, to God’s order. Mankind, for him, found it so much easier to disobey God’s strictures than to obey them, and humanity was one long parade. The people in his pictures – the misers, the licentious, the drunken, as well as, far less often, the devout – are always on their way to one of only two destinations: heaven or hell.”
Prodger (2016)

The Garden of Earthly Delights, by Dutch master Hieronymus Bosch, could be my favourite painting. On some days, like today for example, it most certainly is.

The Garden of Earthly Delights, By Hieronymus Bosch, Museo Del Prado

Rembrandts’ The Night Watch (not a Game of Thrones reference) and The Astronomer by Vermeer in the Louvre, are the other two paintings that come to mind immediately when I think of my favourite paintings. The argument can be made that neither of these paintings are as controversial, technically proficient, or contextually versatile as Bosch’s masterpiece.

“The originality of Bosch’s conception as well as the skill and effort he expanded on making The Garden of Earthly Delights an extraordinary visual experience testify to his ambition and allies him with other adventuresome artists and writers working in this challenging and troubled age.”
Sullivan (2014)

The Garden of Earthly Delights is a captivating piece of imagery, the 15^th century version of a streaming I Pad when other artists were still using Nokia brick phones.

It remains scarily fascinating to view even as attitudes to religion have changed today the world is much more interconnected. I can imagine The Garden’s effect individuals gazing at it during a less secular, more superstitious time and place.

The Garden of Earthly Delights is a triptych incorporating three internal panels; they represent Bosch’s heaven, purgatory and hell. On the outside of the triptych’s doors is another image that represents the third day of God’s Making of the World.

The outside cover of the Triptych. From the Museo Del Prado collection

“In the Garden of Earthly Delights, Bosch pushed the possibilities of the triptych format to the limit. He expanded its thematic scope to include depictions of human sexuality that previously were excluded. He established within the triptych different zones of equal levels of importance, and then exploited the possibilities for unity and division inherent in the triptych’s structure to attain new levels of thematic sophistication.” – Jacobs (2000)

I strongly encourage you to visit, view, and download The Garden of Earthly Delights at the Museo Del Prado or look through the Hieronymus Bosch Research Project web page, where you can literally get inside the paintings and drawings from Bosch’s amazing career.

For more lighthearted information on Bosch; the man, the brand and his art click on the video below…

You can also view Bosch’s work – and a variety of many different types of analysis – through a variety of multimedia options; youtube videos, information specific or museum specific apps, and through social media formats.

The sheer amount of quality information available supports the view that if done correctly the introduction of digital media can add to the art consumer’s experience.

“The digital habitat has provided museums with new media specimens that have made it possible to exponentially increase their knowledge spreading power… As with other long-standing institutions, and in fact with society itself, museums have continued to adapt to the changes of modern life, but their desire to tell stories remains the same.”
Mateos and Gifreu (2018)

The Garden of Earthly Delights at the Prado Francisco Anzola CC BY 2.0

There’s so much to take in however you engage The Garden of Earthly Delights. I visited the Museo Del Prado in 2005 as part of a two-week trip through the best of Spain.

I can relive my visit quite well in my mind eye, and managed to pull out my European notebook to reinforce these museum memories (and remind myself that if the FBI come to call, I’ll have some explaining to do about my note taking method)

“Before the digital revolution, museums had a limited potential of reaching audiences, but now they have an immediate and massive channel for spreading contents. Now in the 21st century, museums have no constraints, or only the ones they create, for telling their stories.”
Mateos and Gifreu (2018)

I remember the works of Goya, El Greco, and Velaszquez. The crisp, white walls, air-conditioned coolness and high ceilings of the building accentuating the beautiful simplicity of the Prado’s layout.

But more than anything else, including the poor bugger ahead of my in the entry line that couldn’t get through the metal detectors due to his fantastic array of genitalia piercings, I remember ‘El Bosco’ and the Garden of Earthly Delights.

“Although recent studies have emphasized numerous ways in which the artist “fit into” his times, the Garden of Earthly Delights continues to intrigue both casual viewers and scholars because it does not closely resemble any other paintings of its era.”
Mann (2005)

Duality was a huge thematic concern for Bosch in his painting.

“His paintings often juxtapose within a single work saints and sinners, heaven and hell, beauty and ugliness, all rendered in a style that sets up tensions between depth and flatness, and between sketchy and detailed renderings of forms.”
Jacobs (2000)

Duality is important today for the consumption and engagement with art as much as the pieces themselves.

There is the traditional viewpoint; standing in rooms, looking at the old, new, familiar and weird art in hushed awe, revulsion or indifference, being there to grasp its’ appeal to enjoyment, culture, and identity.

Or, be another continent away and do the same thing online by having access to more information, better knowledge and comprehensive analysis, with potentially a digitally re-mastered’ version of the artwork.

I stood feet away from the The Garden of Earthly Delights behind a velvet rope, alongside shuffling museum patrons fiddling with headsets and heavy battery packs, listening to unimaginative commentary while clasping guidebooks containing less than a paragraph of useful information.

Thanks to an extensive collaboration between the Bosch Research Project and the Museo Del Prado (for the 500^th Anniversary Exhibition of Bosch’s death in 2016) there are massively high-resolution digital images of his paintings and drawings available, along with a load of complimentary data, technical specs, and the rockstar line up of contributors to the project.

I clicked on the Garden of Earthly Delights, zooming in so far that I could see the microscopic paint chips on a horses’ bum in the central panel. I felt like a policeman searching CCTV footage for the glimpse of a killer’s face.

The message for me?

You can see the Garden of Earthly Delights (or other major artworks, museum collections, and installations) right now, in its latest form, without having to get out of your seat, book a flight to Madrid, and get your genital piercings inspected by security.

Being able to investigate art in this fashion is as equally amazing as clapping your eyes on the original and getting gouged at the gift shop.

References

http://boschproject.org/#/

Lynn F. Jacobs (2000) ‘The Triptychs of Hieronymus Bosch’, The Sixteenth Century Journal, vol. 31, no. 4, p. 1009, viewed 20 May 2019

Michael Prodger (2016) “Devil in his detail: living in an age of progress, Hieronymus Bosch sent his monstrous creations hurtling back to the Dark Ages” New Statesman, Vol. 145, Issue 5306-5307, via the Literature Resource Center Database

Mateos, RSM & Gifreu, (2018), ‘Transmedia Storytelling and Its Natural Application in Museums. The Case of the Bosch Project at the Museo Nacional del Prado’, Curator, vol. 61, no. 2, pp. 301–313, viewed 21 May 2019

Margaret A. Sullivan (2014) “The timely art of Hieronymus Bosch: the left panel of “The Garden of Earthly Delights”’, Oud Holland, vol. 127, no. 4, p. 165, viewed 20 May 2019

R. G Mann (2005) “Melanie Klier. Hieronymus Bosch: Garden of Earthly Delights,” Utopian Studies, (1), p. 151, viewed 20 May 2019

Sports and business role models the key to genuine equality

If we want the next generation of leaders to do better, then we must ensure female role models share the stage with their male counterparts, writes Jono Elderton.

“It’s 2019, aren’t we all equal?” remarks Australian rugby union player, Millie Boyle, as she prepares to don the boots for the upcoming Women’s National Rugby League Championships at the end of May, and the Wallaroos historic rugby union Test Series against Japan in July.

Boyle, 21, spent 2018 sidelined after rotator cuff surgery, but returned in time for the Women’s Super 12, which culminated in her return to the Wallaroos squad and a place in the rugby.com.au team of the season.

Boyle is keen to talk about role models. It’s clear she has considered the possibility of what it takes to be a good one, and her responsibilities as a professional athlete and woman in sport.

“Sure, there’s AFL Women’s and NRL Women’s and women on the end of every sentence, but we need to move towards normalising it – to the point where it’s just sport and nobody bats an eye if the game’s being played by males or females.”

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Game day 🏉 5PM kick off against @brumbiesrugby at Ballymore Stadium! Come down and give us a cheer💥📸 @brendanhertelphotography

A post shared by Millie Boyle (@millie_boyle) on Mar 15, 2019 at 3:08pm PDT

Boyle is happy to spare a rare free moment between sports management classes at Queensland’s Bond University, discussing the aspects that contribute to women being treated differently in sport and business, and the role models that she trains, plays with or thinks of whenever she straps on her football boots.

“Girls play sport all the time. Women have been paving the way in the early stages when it was a lot more difficult and without the opportunities that we have now. I mean it’s all a big cycle, it’s crazy that it became so big.”

“It needs to become the norm, to just go and watch sport,” she says emphatically.

Boyle’s points are echoed by Hit 105.5 radio presenter Annabelle Brett, who co-hosts the popular ‘Breakfast with AB and Ben’ show in the Coffs Coast region of NSW.

“Women should be being discussed as an exceptional athlete, or the amazingly intelligent person that they are,” says Brett. “I don’t know a single woman that hasn’t experienced it (negativity) in a professional situation where they’ve been shattered by someone talking about how they look, or with their relationship status.

“I worked with girls that played sport at an elite level, and they would travel for two hours just to go to training in their beaten-up cars, then go to university, and work after that,” says Brett.

“The other thing is behaviour,” she continues, rattling off recent negative news stories plaguing men’s rugby league and union, such as the sacking of Israel Folau for a second breach of his employment contract due to homophobic social media posts, and the recent unsuccessful legal challenge by St George Illawarra player Jack De Belin regarding the NRL’s controversial no fault stand down rule.

“Men in football are constantly having these issues with domestic violence, DUI’s or whatever,” says Brett. “They sometimes feel that they’re untouchable. They’re overly entitled and that’s why there are so many issues in the game.”

“Women just want people to watch them play, nobody has the time to get a DUI. The (male athletes) need to get some perspective from the women, who are just dying to receive the same opportunities and are constantly copping it on social media.”

“The girls aren’t paid much, if at all,” Brett adds. They’ve got a real… upward battle that athletes in male sports used to have before they were professionalised, but without being male.”

Vanessa Harris, Asia Pacific Talent Management Director for global law firm Baker & McKenzie, explains the advantages of being male are not confined to the sports arena. The business community still struggles with balancing the equality books despite the continued mobilisation of resources and legislation designed to incorporate women into more leadership roles.

“I work in a space of diversity and inclusion,” says Harris. “Most global brands are realising that they need to address this, particularly gender diversity but in other areas such as cultural diversity and disability.

“When you think about it, the entire way businesses are created, workplaces – and the structures of work – historically they’ve been designed to fit around that norm of a white male with two arms and two legs with no impairments. There’s so many inbuilt structures around work that make it difficult for people that don’t fit that norm.”

“Considering all that Erin Philips has done in her sporting career, and what she’s done with her children it’s nothing short of remarkable,” says Boyle.

When it comes to breaking and reshaping the leadership mould, AFL Women’s Most Valuable Player and Olympic Silver Medallist, Erin Phillips, stands out.

Highlights of Two time AFLW MVP Erin Phillips

“It’s amazing. It gives other female athletes the strength to keep going. They see that they can have children and play sports; there are definitely a lot of young female athletes coming through and she’s someone to look up to.”

“They’re paying attention to this (trolling on social) media stuff,” Brett adds, “but that’s not what it’s about at all. It’s about a little girl who watches Phillips win the grand final for the Crows, goes and put her boots on and says that they want to play footy too.”

A clear area of improvement in the push for equality is; that women should be celebrated for their ability to have children, hold careers, and participate in sports at an elite level despite the challenges they face for doing so. Most often pregnancy, child rearing, and a return to work or sport can be the most difficult path to take.

“It’s obviously one of those massive things for women,” says Boyle. “You dedicate your life to sport – sports been my everything for so long – but eventually I want to have kids and place sport a couple of steps back in life.”

“It’s huge,” agrees Harris. “Pregnancy decisions highlight the fundamental problem most diversity initiatives are trying to address. The decision about trying to treat those problems are being made by men, who don’t have the same experiences.”

“If more women were involved at the CEO and board level, they’d be more inclined to think that we want to keep a diverse workforce.

“I’m a woman, and I’m pretty cool, so let’s keep more of them around,” Harris continued. “They’re going to understand that women might want to have families. How do we budget for that downtime, how do we structure a return to work schedule, how do we make our business operate so that it’s okay for women to do that? It’s a huge issue for women in every business.

“Pregnancies are not being budgeted, they don’t plan for it, and it’s seen as a negative. It bites you on the way in because you might not get roles, and even if you do get a job most businesses don’t have the focus on re-integrating when you come back in.

“You come back at the same level, or a lower level, everyone else has moved up, and you miss out on the promotion. Once again, it’s a part of that gender pay gap, but it’s also women being penalised for not just a time out (of work), it continues for years after that, because they aren’t getting the work assignments at that level.

“I’m lucky to have been around so many positive and inspirational women who have done that (had kids and come back) and are still doing it,” says Boyle. “Bloody good on you, but if men went through it and had to jump back on there (the field) you’d all know about it.”

“There should be more recognition, it deserves to be there for women who have done that. It deserves to be praised. You want it to be a focus, not the DUIs or the bad things you read about with men’s footy.”

Another topic on the agenda fated to be there for women in industry and sports is remuneration. This issue is one felt wordwide for elite women despite progression in Australian law and business practice there is still a marked divide in pay between genders.

“We all thought the glass ceiling was broken, and then fixed, that we all had equal opportunity,” says Harris. “Laws were being passed to create a better culture around it There’s been some pretty robust conversation.

“You go to a woman at that career stage and tell them this is an issue – and ask them if they need help with anything. Generally, the response is ‘I think it’s fine – I’ll just work, get on with it and get where I need to get on merit.’

“Gradually, the men have been promoted or have left for better jobs elsewhere. Women stick around because they’re good at what they do, they keep on doing it through a sense of loyalty.

“They work hard thinking to get their reward, but don’t value themselves enough in the market place. Men when they aren’t happy, will move to get new jobs, pay rises, and opportunity to move more swiftly up the ladder.”

“Women’s sport is at the forefront of this ideal,” says Brett. “They are working so hard to pioneer the change. Every time that people tune in to the AFLW final, or another 10000 people get behind the Matildas and they sell out a stadium.The TV companies and the companies that would pay, have to sit up and take notice of what they’re doing.”

Boyle believes before women in rugby union can attain centralised contracts like male counterparts, money should go into developing the sport for young girls with the ambition to play from a young age.

“Centralised contracts are the end goal,” she says, “but I’m more of a realist. Women’s sports are not where they need to be. They’re on the right track, but to be able to get people attracted and get them to play contact sport more girls need to be playing from early ages.

“If we can get them playing against other girls from early ages they will become the next generation and will get (full professionalism) moving. We want to be able to grow our own athletes from within our sports.”

“Centralised contracts are unheard of (right now), but we will get there,” Boyle says firmly. “Money must go into development at the foundation of women’s sport first. You can’t just be chucking money at women and expect amazing outcomes.”

The final point to be considered is the role of allies in progressing equality. They can assist achieving the paradigm shift by supporting women towards goals.

“Amplifying experience is important,” affirms Harris. “There are men who are genuinely interested in furthering progression because it’s the right thing to do at a fundamental level. They’ve got daughters and wives and understand that women are worthwhile and valuable, that inequality is outrageous and should be fixed.”

“They are happy to use influence and privilege to advocate for women,” she continues. “There’s talking, and there’s the doing of things on a daily basis. It’s being that guy in the meeting that when a woman says something and is ignored, that says hold on and goes back to the woman and she expands her idea. It’s taking daily actions to include women as a matter of course.”

“It’s refreshing that men are willing to talk about equality and have the opinion women are role models too,” says Boyle. “Unfortunately, it’s not the majority view – at least in terms of talking about it.”

“We need to have conversations as families, we need to normalise equality in households,” says Brett. “Help sons think normally about women in everything. My partner is a primary school teacher, he has boys come to school saying girls’ sports are bad because their parents have said so. We need to stop creating divides – move away focusing on what other people do.

“It’s a fight, but we have some strong fighters. It’s an exciting time.”

PODCAST EP: 1 – WE LOST JOEL

Join me as I describe aspects of digital surveillance and social media usage through the prism of my friend Joel’s disappearance.

Blog Reflection on Podcast Project

I was initially drawn to the topic of surveillance purely through entertainment. I enjoy police procedurals, PI stories and espionage novels when reading, and Hong Kong Action flicks – which have increased on surveillance topics due to the huge appetite for social media, gadgetry and the like – and through day to day news stories.

Of the topics to choose from it was the first to pique my curiosity.

I wanted to use a story personal to me because:

It was easier to deliver with a degree of confidence
I needed to talk about it
There are a lot of social media behaviour aspects that are interesting
It’s a good yarn

I can tell the tale quickly enough that it doesn’t drag, while also maintaining a solid level of information.

The more scholarly parts could be used easily to back up some of the points I was trying to make. By being an interesting tale to begin with, rather than a dry example, it’s easier to hold a listener’s attention. That way, I can get that genuine “is Joel okay” anxious reaction while driving my point home; causing the listener to reflect on some of their own surveillance behaviour on social media.

By getting caught up in Joel’s story you’re able to go through a mental checklist of what you would do in the same situation, and what role social media plays in it.

I thought the use of references – in such a short pod – would best aid in defining the topic, then add some solid reasoning while drilling down to the specific area of surveillance I was looking to cover.

Original versions of the podcast ran towards ten minutes, so rather than bluster with overly referenced rote reading I thought to hone-in on storytelling aspect.

As far as using music and sounds, I wanted to get in and out fast, as I was so severely time poor in the making of the podcast and delivery of the project.

I made a Freesound account after a brief google search and went from there, using their Creative Commons section to simple effect and having the sounds loaded quickly.

The biggest challenge for me was finding the time to do the podcast. I would have liked to have spent more time working on my delivery, particularly enunciation and timing. More editing I think would have given the finished product more polish, as I would be able to be a bit more conversational.

Despite the work/life balance issues, I found the task brilliant. I’m interested in producing podcasts going forward; being able to work on the very first one of my own from inception to delivery gave me a great sense of achievement and a bit of knowledge that it doesn’t take to much to start the process.

References

Greenberg, J & Hier, SP 2009, Surveillance : Power, Problems, and Politics, UBC Press, Vancouver, viewed 17 April 2019, <http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy-f.deakin.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=e000xww&AN=383162&site=ehost-live&scope=site>.

Trottier, Daniel. Social Media As Surveillance : Rethinking Visibility in a Converging World, Routledge, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/deakin/detail.action?docID=4468828. 
Created from deakin on 2019-04-17 04:57:17.

Fantasy Sports and the Digital Me

Hello It’s Jono!

I’m the guy in the booth across from you surreptitiously checking his phone for score updates under the table. That crazy guy cursing out loud in the supermarket car park when a Twitter notification tells of a key injured player, and the season turns to dust.

I love playing fantasy sports.

To the victor, or is it Vladimir, go the spoils. Photo by Jono Elderton

When in the presence of a fellow fantasy player – usually at a huge event acknowledging real world achievements – I’m the guy that speaks a garbled language of sporting terminology, outlandish nicknames, and weird statistical data sets that make regular sports fans scratch their heads in confusion.

And I’m also the guy that openly covets a horrendously ugly Vladimir Putin championship watch – the ultimate symbol of success and achievement in a very strange, 10-person corner of the sporting world.

In simplest terms fantasy sports play can be described as:

“A group of people who choose a set of individual athletes for a fantasy team from a given sport, aggregate the statistical performances of these athletes, and then compete with one another to see whose team generates the highest point totals.”
Baerg (2009).

It’s like the box scores recapping games that you used to read with the comic strip in the Sunday newspaper have come to life as a team, and you’re in control of choosing, managing, and controlling your squad in the manner to your liking. Unlike when watching and playing sport, fantasy sports allow players to live another persona as a manager, coach and decision maker. (S. Lee et al, 2012)

Fantasy sports are not everybody’s thing. I accept that. But they are most definitely my thing.

Well researched, always prepared, wheeler and dealer #notjustonesport #allthesports #cheesehead pic.twitter.com/wNpjHLUurG
— Rod Barber (@Rod74B) April 1, 2019

I’ve enjoyed watching sports, following player statistics, and playing games since the time I could walk. I reckon that if the Eden Shire Library still has a copy of the 1986/87 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanac, the name of 8year old Jonathan Elderton would exclusively feature on the index card.

But the world is different now.

Dennis Malloy of NJ 101.5 and his compelling argument for why guys play Fantasy Football
Visit http://nj1015.com/
C.C. by 4.0

Being able to communicate sports opinions, in real time, with millions of other people from across the world I find is a great way to spend time online.

The evidence from this research highlights a phenomenon whereby fantasy sport participants use modern technology to perform a number of different activities and serve multiple identities simultaneously.
Larkin and Fink (2016)

Fantasy sports are at the core of how I’ve been able to grow more comfortable using different methods of getting information, communicating, and even playing the games themselves.

Me when I have a huge Supercoach win over one of the boys… pic.twitter.com/iWpjduGR2l
— inkedvisible (@jonoelderton) April 7, 2019

By adding social media, and the fantasy sports elements of skill, competition, and banter to watching a prime-time game tops the experience off for me. It’s akin to having a dozen mates round for a BBQ and watching the game or settling in at the pub to squint up at a small television for an early morning international.

“People who play fantasy sports are often different from traditional sports fans. Fantasy sport players are often more engaged in following their favorite sports teams, analysts and related information,”
Loop (2013).

I started and grew my first Twitter account (a semi-anonymous one which I still use), aimed towards learning every scrap of information I can about the sports I follow. At various stages I’ve been able to interact with both traditional sports journalists, athletes, fantasy sports analysts, and everyday users from anywhere, at pretty much anytime.

18 year old me would be dazzled at how cool it is to be able to converse with my favourite athlete while lying in bed scrolling through my Twitter feed – or snapping a twenty second selfie with a superstar I met randomly on the street – rather than sending them an embarrassingly handwritten note of admiration that they’ve scribbled an autograph onto and sent back in the post.

“Fantasy sport activity is dependent on the participant’s knowledge and information of player skills, performance and team strategy.”
Karg and McDonald 2011

I now listen to podcasts. I listen only to sports podcasts such as this one, and almost all the information I get from them I can apply to the fantasy sports I play, whether it be an injury, controversy, team sheet, or change in role.

I generally refuse to be involved in group chats.

The only exception is for fantasy sports leagues. I’m not interested in 3^rd cousin Mae’s recipe for pumpkin scones – as delicious as they may taste – when instead I can be:

Watching the game
Viewing a Gif of Lebron James dunking, from my laptop
Comparing my brother to terrible NBA fringe players while he’s slumped in a beanbag
Following news of how another league owner is unravelling during his boyfriend’s important family dinner due solely to his team performance, via smartphone
Enjoying a cold beer

I can do these things at the same time. It makes for much more fun.

Did someone say holiday? Yes please... — You couldn’t do all this at once in 1987. Holidays by Jason Graham CC by 2.0

References

Baerg, Andrew (2009). “Just a fantasy? Exploring fantasy sports.” Electronic Journal of Communication, 19 (3&4), retrieved via http://www.cios.org/EJCPUBLIC/019/2/019343.html

Karg, Adam and McDonald, Heath (2011) Fantasy sport participation as a complement to traditional sport consumption, Sport Management Review, Volume 14, Issue 4, , Pages 327-346, retrieved March 20 via Deakin Research Online Database

Loop, Mead (2013) “Twitter Usage in Fantasy Sports Media.” The International Journal of Sport and Society Volume 3, retrieved 20 March via SPORTDiscus with Full Text Database

Larkin, Ben and Fink, Janet (2016). “Fantasy Sport, FoMO, and Traditional Fandom: How Second-Screen Use of Social Media Allows Fans to Accommodate Multiple Identities” Journal of Sport Management, 2016, 30, 643 -655, retrieved 20 March via SPORTDiscus with Full Text Database

Seunghwan Lee, Won Jae Seo and B. Christine Green (2012) “Understanding why people play fantasy sport: development of the Fantasy Sport Motivation Inventory (FanSMI)” European Sport Management Quarterly, 2013 Vol. 13, No. 2, 166-199 retrieved 20 March via SPORTDiscus with Full Text Database

Use your fingers wisely: uniquely Australian finger lime gaining popularity at home

“We are finger lime champions. We tend to carry a few around in our pockets; show them to people and get them to have a taste. Everyone, almost universally, thinks they’re as wonderful as we do.”

Stephen Benson chuckles quietly and scratches his ancient dog Portia – a grey-muzzled, slow moving and dignified boxer – behind the ears, prompting the pup to snuffle blissfully and settle at his feet.

Stephen Benson on his property Bon Accord, at Buckrabendinni, on the Mid North Coast of NSW

“The first time I was introduced to finger limes I had never seen them,” Benson says almost reverently. “I didn’t know what they were. I was encouraged to bite into one – it was just the best mouth freshener I’ve ever had. The physical appearance of the fruit and the flavour convinced me, more-or-less on the spot, that this was a product that had a future.”

“For me personally, it’s that in-the-mouth (sensation),” he continues, breaking a finger lime in half and allowing the bright red flesh to flow out, giving a perfect visual cue to how finger limes are often referred to as citrus caviar.

The bright red flesh of the finger lime just spills out when the rind is split, akin to the caviar it’s so often described as

“You get these tiny little balls and they pop, and you get the citrus kick from that. And that even persists into dried or cooked product, they don’t pop of course, but the flavour seems to hang around.

“We keep experimenting with what we use it in, it’s a wonderful garnish to what almost anything you’re cooking or preparing, hot or cold.”

Andy Wilson, a writer, hunter, and spearfisherman is also hugely enthusiastic regarding the gastronomical possibilities that native Citrus – and finger limes in particular – can provide gourmet food enthusiasts, fledgling businesses and shoppers in general.

“I love the fact that they are a native citrus. I didn’t know there was native citrus when I was younger,” says Wilson. “I love the versatility that I can have them in dished I love cooking – particularly seafood.”

“We’ve used them straight out on oysters, mixing them as a sauce using the citrus, or straight on fish wrapped in foil with the caviar in there.

Benson lives in the village of Buckrabendinni just outside of Bowraville NSW, a spot on the north coast where finger limes are endemic, along with other native fruits that are becoming increasingly popular to consumers. It’s an area where most of the industry’s expertise is located, along with potential new entrants to the market.

Sheryl Rennie, recognised industry leader and owner of Finger Lime Caviar, operates from Possum Creek, near Bangalow just south of the Queensland border, and buys fruit from growers from Port Macquarie to the Tweed for distribution across Australia and globally.

“In 2006 we started exporting fresh fruit, but with the global financial crisis in 2008 we had to find another way (to do things), she says. “Since then we’ve been able to develop a successful infrastructure.

“The process is the same for all our growers. Growers have a snap freezer on farm. When the fruit is ripe, it is snap frozen, packed and kept in 5kg boxes then stored on pallets to be distributed anywhere they need to be.”

By adhering to Freshcare (the Australian owned industry assurance standard) or Global Gap, quality assurance is vital. It’s separates what we do from the smaller, untried operators you get coming through,” says Rennie.

Finger limes delivered to the farm, just waiting to be planted

“You can trust the fruit, the trees have been trialed, and we have the infrastructure. Because our relationships have been established, we’re able to match growers with customers.”

Finger Lime Quick Facts

The botanical name for the Australian finger lime is Citrus australasica
Finger limes are native to northern NSW, primarily from Kempsey in the south to the Tweed, and to small pockets of the border ranges of SE QLD
Finger limes are known as citrus caviar, for the ball like flesh that has much in common with the texture of fish roe
Finger lime operations have increased with the rise in consumer recognition, with commercial growers stretching as far north as Cairns, and as far west as Pemberton in Western Australia.
Mature fruit ranges in size from 6 to 12 cm in length, but smaller and larger varieties can be grown
Popular export varieties of Finger Limes include: Alstonville, Byron Sunrise, Pink Ice, and Emerald.
Finger limes, and other Native Citrus, have been found to be high in antioxidants, which help to remove toxins from the body and are vital in achieving good health

For the most part, finger limes have been considered an export crop as the market has developed in the last 10-15 years. But, with ongoing issues with red tape, different expectations from foreign markets, and climate issues causing a production drop, experienced growers like Sheryl are looking to capitalise on previous work done into growing relationships.

“Currently, we have more growers but less production across the board, due mainly to climate factors over the last couple of years,” says Rennie. “This year (2019) we’ve decided to limit our export to places like Taiwan (whose requirement for finger lime import deals with less governmental strictures than places like the EU or Japan).

“We’re concentrating on supporting our domestic market, which we have really worked hard to develop.” Australian Finger Lime Caviar customers include two distilleries, whose orders have gone from 40 kilos to 3-4 tons annually, as well as Native Food suppliers, restaurants and even ice cream makers.

Newer growers, such as Stephen Benson, also thinks there are opportunities domestically.

“I’ve been focused on getting our orchard established and getting to the stage of having a saleable quantity of product,” he says. “It takes 4 or 5 years for a new tree to get into full production.

“The feedback that we get, certainly from the bigger metropolitan areas is they can’t buy them in their greengrocer shops, the fruit and veg shops – they would probably like to. It’s a question of getting established distribution channels and getting some knowledge into the marketing mechanisms. “

Dehydrated finger limes; their colour changes, and taste, can be quite subtle

“I would hate to think that we’ll only end up with two or three varieties. Because there are a lot out there, and that complicates the whole marketing issue.”

Benson’s voice is echoed by that of Sydney-sider Wilson. “I don’t see them (finger limes) much in the shops at all. Education is important. A lot of people don’t even know we have native citrus – we have several types – finger limes are just the most popular. No one knows about them.”

That shouldn’t the case for much longer.

Part B: Research file/reflection on finger lime feature article

1. Synopsis

I chose the topic of finger limes because they are a native Australian fruit and they are interesting – from both a physical and domestic market growth perspective. The topic also has a great trend component for “foodie culture,” having popped up in everything from TV cooking shows, to popular websites and celebrity chef’s menus.

Their cultivation, the growing market, and the public’s knowledge of the fruit, their use in recipes, and even characteristics for health and well-being are all topics worth developing

2. Justification

I wanted to keep it simple journalistically. I wanted to be able to have interviews with a captain of industry, a new entrant, and an interested observer to provide me with different information, that I can supplement with facts, background, pictures etc.. that I found in independent research that would make the blog post both interesting and physically appealing

3. Target Publication and Audience

After considering the topic, three possible targets were identified:

Cooking and Lifestyle magazines
A Sunday newspaper food guide and lift out
An industry/government website or publication primer

I settled on aiming to do a piece that was both an in-depth feature on finger limes that would also be useful for everyday readers that haven’t heard about the fruit.

I could combine the article main theme with a recipe example, informative pictures and diagrams, and market analysis to create a quality piece of journalism that could be both a learning experience for the uninitiated, and entertainment for those with knowledge of the fruit.

4. Primary Sources

Sheryl Rennie

Owner

Finger Lime Caviar

E: sheryl@fingerlimecaviar.com.au

Sheryl is an acknowledged industry leader and authority, who one could argue, started the business of finger limes. She rang me on April 7, after I emailed her a request to speak to me the day before.

Stephen Benson

Owner: SL & AG Partnership

M: 0417810950

E: Steve@tinks.com.au

Steve is a new grower of finger limes. He got into the industry because he loves finger limes more so than the business and is just starting out, so may have very different perspectives to Sheryl. I interviewed Steve on the morning of April 6, after approaching him earlier in the week.

Andy Wilson

Writer, Hunter, Food Critic

M: 0422774430

E: andy.wilsbo@optusnet.com.au

I wanted to interview a person with an enjoyment and passion for finger limes and Native foods, and a sound ability to articulate what he’d like to see from the industry as both consumer and participant. I interviewed Andy, who lives in Sydney, on the morning of April 7 by phone call.

*** Please note ***

Due to the nature of my geographical isolation – I live on a farm in Tewinga NSW, between Bowraville and Nambucca Heads and don’t drive a car) and thanks to my admittedly poor planning regarding the Assignment deadline, I had, with the exception of Steve, no possibility of doing any in person interviews.

Secondary Sources

Michael Netzel, Gabriele Netzel, Qingguo Tian, Steven Schwartz, and Izabela Konczaka (2007) “Native Australian fruits — a novel source of antioxidants for food,” Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies Volume 8, Issue 3, September 2007, Pages 339-346, retrieved 6 April, 2019 Elsevier Database

“Dream to bring finger limes to north Queensland starts to bear fruit,” ABC Regional News, Jul 13, 2018, retrieved 15 March, 2019 Newspaper Source Plus Database

“Finger lime harvesting a thorny peril for pained native fruit pickers,” ABC Regional News, Jun 12, 2018, retrieved 15 March, 2019 Newspaper Source Plus Database

“Australia’s finger lime industry could be lost overseas if export rules don’t change: producer” ABC Premium News, Jul 09, 2016, retrieved 15 March, 2019 Newspaper Source Plus Database

Finger lime has a wide variety of uses, Will Waterford, Green Thumbs Range News (Maleny). 02/20/2014, retrieved 15 March, 2019 Newspaper Source Plus database

Hello, it’s Jono

Welcome Everyone,

I’m looking forward to curating my blog, and hope you enjoy reading it as it develops.

This blog will contain parts of my every day life, as husband to cameo Katie (swoon), dad to Archie and Rory (fantastic source material), friend to a farm full of pets (ditto), and unabashed enthusiast of fantasy sports (maybe not so much).

Initially, i’ll be reflecting a lot on my studies in The Graduate Diploma of Professional Writing I’m working on at Deakin University, the nuts and bolts of building the blog (and my digital presence in general), and more in depth discussion of my various course assignments.

With a bit of time – and some skill acquisition – i’ll settle into communicating broader opinions, my likes and dislikes, strange things I find interesting, as well as professional outcomes and opportunities.

All I can be is me.

Jono.