Andrew Darby on Arts - National Times

Andrew Darby

Andrew Darby is the Hobart correspondent for Fairfax Media. His focus is on Australia's interests south of 40 Degrees South - Tasmania, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. He is the author of the internationally published Harpoon: Into the Heart of Whaling

The Western Australian economy has some clear advantages over the Tasmanian economy.

It's a bit rich for the West to give Tasmania advice

Andrew Darby It's a telling sign of our Commonwealth that, after giving Tasmania free money, the Western Australian premier Colin Barnett went on to clip it under the economic ear.

CSIRO should proceed with caution before drilling begins in Bight

Andrew Darby A careful study of the ecosystem in the Australian Bight is essential before BP begins drilling for oil.

Comments 13

Andrew Darby

Pontville Chronicles - where do the children stay?

Andrew Darby Be careful what you wish for. In the case of Tasmanians who have set out to help asylum seekers, it's perhaps the most challenging group possible: lone boys.

Britain stamps its boot on Antarctica while Australia sits on its hands

Andrew Darby It might be funny if it wasn't serious. Britain has stamped oversize boots on Antarctica, to the fury of others.

The sea among us

Andrew Darby The sea came for Port Arthur in a midwinter high tide, with a south-south-easterly storm pushing waves up the cove and an intense low above.

Shark fin's murky soup

Andrew Darby Yesterday it was the ruling Chinese State Council. Today it's Singapore's Environment Ministry. Others will follow tomorrow.

Comments 20

Coal port decision a case-in-point for federal check on state powers

Andrew Darby A good environment-versus-development stoush seems so much part of Australian politics, it's hard to imagine life without it.

Andrew Darby

The milk of China's financial kindness

Andrew Darby Memory lane. It always has more twists and turns than we might think. Take the latest Australian investment cherry to be tasted by China.

Andrew Darby

Fish wars on the high seas

Andrew Darby When Michael Egan quit his job as New South Wales' longest-serving Treasurer in 2005, he declared a retiring ambition to learn to fish.

Andrew Darby

Tasmania's 'North Korea' more pink than red

Andrew Darby Given the Legislative Council's reputation for hardline unpredictability, one local commentator recently likened it to the North Korea of the state's bicameral parliament.

Andrew Darby

MONA's most fascinating exhibit - its owner

Andrew Darby Of all the surprises that inhabit the Museum of Old and New Art, perhaps the most unexpected and fascinating is turning out to be the owner himself.

Andrew Darby

The coming of the drones, for good

Andrew Darby Whoever said eternal vigilance is the price of liberty clearly didn't foresee drones.

Andrew Darby

Let's pop the helium balloon before we let it go

Andrew Darby Excuse me for being a killjoy, but it's time to have a hard look at letting go of the party balloon.

Comments 7

Andrew Darby

The cost of travel

Andrew Darby Heaven knows how young women build good, strong lives in today's struggle between image and reality.

Comments 6

Andrew Darby

Counting the cost of a piece of flake

Andrew Darby It's always hard to truly measure what happens out there, at sea. No more so than in the case of that fisherman's foe, the seal.

Comments 18

Andrew Darby

Lines on a map don't tell the whole story of marine reserves

Andrew Darby The journey has taken so long, you could be forgiven for not knowing when we started.

Comments 15

Andrew Darby

Pontville experience showcases our better natures

Andrew Darby The federal government is spending too much energy defending itself against the merchants of fear and envy over asylum seekers. It doesn't need to.