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Sorry Fred, but I find Melbourne v Sydney about as enthralling as you find the average jamodi.

If you were talking about Hobart v Launceston, however . . .

Tails, you could always start the thread yourself, although don't expect to be over-run with responses. Most of the ILX crowd are either UK or USA and their knowledge of the intricacies of Tassie might not be all it could be.

Having spent a weekend in Tasmania in my life, I'm not making a judgement, but the following well-known Tasmanians might swing my vote between H and L one way or the other:

David Boon +
Ricky Ponting +
Max Walker +
Tim Lane +
Merle Oberon +
Royce Hart +
Peter Hudson +
Darryl Baldock +

Neville Oliver -
Errol Flynn -
Michael Hodgemann -
Eric Abetz -

Merle Oberon never even visited Tassie, that story is just a typical PR myth.

Have I got the right name? Or was it Norma Shearer? David Niven's book (which admittedly has let me down before on facts) mentions some screen goddess from that time who had some close connection to Tasmania (besides the obvious one, mentioned upthread).

No, Merle Oberon is probably the right name. It's a well known story, from the standard Hollywood biog - just that it's a complete crock.

She was actually born in Sri Lanka (I think - maybe India) and a half-caste, hence the exotic looks. the Tasmania story was just supposed to make her more "acceptable" for some reason.

Olegas Truchanas ++
Peter Dombrovskis ++

Bob Brown -
Brian Harradine -

Bruce Goodluck (can't vote, too busy laughing)

Graeme Murphy ++
Stuart Challender (dammit) ++
Edith Lyons +

ccc moved to Launceston ----------------

I've never been very fond of Launceston anyway ...

Although I might have to reconsider that opinion if the job offers from that quarter get much better

Margaret Scott +++

Canberra, Launceston . . . you're a popular chappie.

No-one with half a working brain cell is fond of Launceston. Though at least the climate in Lonnie is marginally better than Canberra.

Merle Oberon did visit Tasmania in the 70's, shortly before she died, to attend some sort of state reception.
She tried to play the part of the returning ex-pat but was very evasive when questioned about her past & later broke down under media questioning & left the country, never to return.
A local taxi driver who had been hired to drive her about, later reported that she had told him it was her first visit to the state.
The story that she was born in India are most likely true. Being a half caste in USA in the 30's & 40's was deemed to be too contaversial for the Hollywood studios, so they invented the 'Tasmania' story, thinking that Tasmania was far enough away that no-one would discover the truth.
Its possible that the Hollywood spindoctors of the day actually though Tasmania was in darkest Africa & did not realize Tassie was a state of Australia.

Probably got it confused with Tanzania . . .