Canberra CityNews 110922

Peter has youth on his side

By Kathryn Vukovljak

ALWAYS available and never judgemental, that’s youth outreach worker

Peter Schwarz.

He tirelessly helps vulnerable and at-risk young people by offering guidance, practical support or a shoulder to cry on – by being someone responsible they can relate to.

“They could be dealing with any number of issues, from homelessness to domestic violence, so what I do isn’t specific,” he says. “Every day is different. It could be encouraging someone to stay in education, helping a young mum, finding someone a bed for the night or helping to fill in a form.

“I’ll help anyone who needs support.”

Peter supports homeless and at-risk young people in Canberra, and with a 24/7 open-door policy for 12-25-yearolds, he says it’s all about building rapport and gaining their trust.

“If anyone needs to call me, they can,” he says. “I’m always available, and sometimes it’s enough for people just to know that. They do respect my time and I don’t often get calls on the weekend.

“It’s not that big a commitment, in all honesty.”

INDEX

September 22-28, 2011

Since 1993: Volume 17, Number 36

The YouthCARECanberra program, managed by Communities@ Work, provides social services where groups of young people congregate, on the premise that they’re reluctant to seek help from traditional service providers.

“I go to them – it’s about me being in their environment, where they feel comfortable,” he says. “I ask them what they need and take a proactive approach to helping them.

“Young people in Canberra aren’t generally on the streets, they tend to group together to support each other, but sometimes being on the street is

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safer – you never get a roof over your head for free and exploitation does happen.

“Homeless young people are so vulnerable, with so much ground to make up. If the only safe place they can find is where someone offers them drugs, they’re going to take them.

“I’m never judgemental about anyone’s situation. If they’re drug-affected, they still need help.

“I always work on what they see as important, not what I see as important.

“It’s about accepting them as they are and working with that.”

Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au

Journalists: Freyla Ferguson, freyla@citynews.com.au Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au

Libby Rolfe, libby@citynews.com.au

Lisa Ridgley, lisa@citynews.com.au

Arts editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764 helen@citynews.com.au

Design and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086

Graphic designer: Louise Brooks

Accounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler accounts@citynews.com.au

Distribution and circulation: Richard Watson, circulation@citynews.com.au

Contributing photographer: Andrew Finch

Having been a youth worker for 15 years, and a real estate agent before that, Peter says that in his experience young people are pretty resilient.

“I see myself as a responsible adult in their lives, playing a minor part. I can offer guidance, but they make their own decisions, as young people do!

“Sometimes I can help them and other times I have to pick up the pieces.

“They’ve got to learn from their mistakes. But they get through it.”

Peter says he’s driven by a desire to help people, particularly the ones who are the hardest to help.

“The bigger the challenge, the more I want to meet it,” he says. “In winter, all I can do sometimes is give someone a swag for the night and say I’ll see them in the morning – but it’s heartbreaking.

“I do enjoy the work; it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done and probably the hardest.

“I want to enable them to self-empowerment; to a stage where they don’t need services.

“Normality is the aim. I don’t meet many people who want to stay down, they usually want to better themselves.

“I’m working towards not being needed, but the goalposts are always moving.”

Contact Peter Schwarz on 0417 554 641 or email peter.schwarz@galilee. org.au

Chefs win medals

LOCANDA Italian Steakhouse has returned triumphant from the Sydney Culinary Challenge after competing against more than 300 chefs. Locanda, at Rydges Lakeside, says its team was one of the most outstanding in the competition with commis chef Fiorella Aguila winning the gold medal in desserts and a silver medal in entrees; Juan Sanchez Bayona and Ivan Flores were awarded a silver medal each in the three-courses restaurant competition and special mention goes to Sarah Ward who received two merit awards and Kian Junjie Ye who received one.

Thai festival

THE annual Royal Thai Embassy’s 2011 Food & Cultural Festival will be held on the embassy grounds, 111 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla, on Sunday, September 25, 11am-5pm. Entry is free.

Fashion parade

WIN News presenter Danielle Post will MC a spring fashion parade in aid of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance at Southern Cross Club, Woden, 1pm-5pm, Saturday, September 24. Tickets from 6258 3200 or email cleruez@cerebralpalsy. org.au

Rising from the fire

THE rebuilt Stromlo Forest Scout Group Hall at Tantangara Street, Duffy, has been opened nearly nine years after being destroyed in the 2003 Canberra bushfires. The new hall is a purposebuilt facility accommodating a group that is growing in membership since the bushfires.

Harry senses a change

By Libby Hill

CANBERRA men are looking sharp, according to local fashion designer Harry Morrissey.

“I think there’s definitely a change in the air,” Harry says. Adding that it’s the perfect place for his new label Mo.Clothes to grow.

Handmade under fair trade conditions in Hoi An, Vietnam, Mo offers “twists on classic shapes, with thinkoutside-the-box colours and fabrics”.

The debut collection includes pants, jackets, cardigans, shirts, ties and shoes with a vintage twist and was inspired by Harry’s most recent stay in London.

The former Radford College student began designing items that he wanted to wear, and when people kept asking him where they could get them, he decided to branch out.

“I noticed that there was a real gap in the market in Canberra, especially for men’s clothes that are a bit different from the norm, but at a price that young people can afford, this is how Mo started,” he says.

His personal style is inspired greatly by vintage as well as young boutiques and designers.

“I enjoy mixing vintage finds with contemporary styles. My style has been heavily influenced by my time in New York and London, predominantly

Williamsburg and East London. At the end of the day I just love to throw on great pieces and look different yet contemporary.”

Harry says there will still be a 1950s vibe for menswear in the upcoming spring/summer season.

“Mo’s upcoming collection ‘Playground’ takes inspiration from John Waters and 1950s Baltimore. It includes tailored Bermuda shorts called ‘Dads’, rolled sleeve shirts called ‘Woodies’, leather Kung Fu shoes called ‘Mr Nor-

ris’ and of course our famous Mo jeans in some rad new colours and fits.”

Harry and business partner, Mo creative director Robin Hall, want to continue creating original clothing handmade in Vietnam under fairtrade conditions and build the online business.

“We’re also releasing our women’s line in early 2012 which is super-exciting,” he says.

More information at www.moclothes. com

Beep, beep and beep-beep, yeah!

When electric cars come, MARK PARTON has an idea that may save a cyclist or two I’M riding home from Civic, it’s mid-afternoon and raining. I do a lot of thinking on the bike, but on this afternoon I’m thinking mostly about getting home to a hot shower.

I’m on the bike path on Ellenborough Street that doubles as a footpath, which takes you across Daintree Crescent at one point. I glance over the right shoulder about 50 metres from the intersection. There are no cars and from that point I rely on my ears. As my legs pump, I listen for the sound of cars behind me and that’s when I had this gem of an idea.

It’s 2011 and we’re marching forward, in theory, to a clean energy future; a future that will include thousands of electric cars on our roads. But electric cars are very quiet and bike riders and the visually impaired can’t hear them.

As much as traffic noise can be an unpleasant intrusion into our lives, it does save lives. It’s why only foolish bike riders pedal along with an iPod plugged in.

So I’m thinking that when we get a proliferation of electric cars on the road, they may well legislate that

these vehicles must emit a certain amount of noise as a warning to pedestrians and cyclists... and this is my big idea.

Who’s to say that the noise should sound like a car engine?

If you have to have noise coming from your electric car, why not make it a noise you like? We’ve all got personalised ring tones, what about personalised car tones?

This could be a billion dollar industry! There would be a mechanism that would play whatever song you wanted to announce your arrival. Oh, laugh if you want, but I’m sure that suggestions of phone ring tones as a big money spinner would have also been laughed down 15 years ago.

Imagine AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” heralding your arrival, or the Wiggles’ “Big Red Car”. Or “Rev it Up”, Jerry Harrison; “Life in the Fast Lane”, the Eagles or “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne... the list seems endless. Sure, we’d have to have a limit on volume, but I think it’s worth thinking about.

Mark Parton is the breakfast announcer on 2CC.

Patrick bowls over Rotary

TEENAGE cricketer Patrick Jackson, a member of the under-15 team representing the ACT touring India late this month, had an idea he needed help with.

Patrick, 14, approached the Rotary Club of Canberra South with a proposal for $1800 to assist Indian boys to realise their cricket dreams.

But the year 9 student from Marist College made such a great presentation, the club decided it would support the plan to pay for academy fees and equipment for the Indians – and also sponsor Patrick’s tour. The tour includes playing a friendly match against the Australian High Commission to India, which will be followed by a reception at the High Commission.

Guests will include former Indian Test cricketer Madan Lal and Australian businessman Bruce Adams, both of whom operate cricket academies in India.

Patrick sees the tour as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to further his cricket career as well as being a wonderful life experience. He has played cricket for Marist since Year 5.

Early in his playing career he was identified as a talented fast bowler and this year represented the ACT at the Under 15 Secondary School Sports National Championships in the Barossa Valley, SA.

Helping doctors make a

LIBBY HILL discovers the important work of a little-known Canberra medical charity trust

A GROUP of Canberra doctors are making a difference to the health of indigenous people in remote communities in the NT thanks to the work of the John James Memorial Foundation.

Since 2007, the John James Memorial Foundation, a medical charity that uses the income from the John James Hospital to fund charitable activities locally and interstate, has been sending teams of volunteer doctors to Katherine.

Foundation chairman and orthopedic surgeon, Associate Prof Paul Smith, says the NT Specialist Volunteer Program significantly reduces waiting lists and provides medical services that wouldn’t otherwise get to Katherine.

“For people in these remote communities, the waiting time [for an orthopedic appointment] was, in practical terms, infinite,” he says. But in just one visit, the team was able to cut the waiting list by one third, reducing a huge backlog.

“The waiting list is now down to about one year, which is a huge difference,” he says.

Foundation CEO Phil Greenwood says specialists in orthopedics, ear, nose and throat, dental and obstetrics travel to Katherine and complete hundreds of patient

Dr Christiane Lawin-Bruessel with the kids of the “Saltwater” people of the NT.

consultations and theatre procedures.

“We work with the Katherine hospital to find out what is the need and then we build a team around that,” Mr Greenwood says. “It’s an integrated approach and Katherine hospital is really grateful for what we do.”

Chairman Smith says it’s not difficult to find doctors willing to volunteer to help people in remote communities.

“We are all trained in a system where there is a tradition of putting more back in than we get out,” he says.

Behind the foundation

BORN in its current form, from the sale of the John James Hospital business in 2006, the foundation owns the hospital, land and buildings, now known as the John James Healthcare Campus, in Deakin. The hospital buildings are leased, on a long-term basis, to Calvary Private Healthcare. According to the foundation’s 2009 annual report, the annual income is about $4.5 million.

Summit inspired by a ‘president’

THE recent Cities Summit 2011, held at Australian Technology Park in Sydney, was an inspiring event.

Speakers were asked what they would do if they were president for 100 days, and Transfield Services chairman Tony Shepherd gave some great answers.

He said all cities need to be productive to survive and that all infrastructure should be judged in the same way by aiding productivity, saving more than it costs, being a part of a cohesive national plan, being sustainable and improving the quality of life for its users while creat-

ing new opportunities in terms of new industries and products.

When it comes to infrastructure, he said that many of the ingredients were in place, but we need will and funding and a sense of urgency. He believed Infrastructure Australia was a great initiative, but funding cuts had reduced its effectiveness. So if he were in charge, he said he would first invest in economic infrastructure which raises productivity and quality of life, and put micro economic reform back

on top of the agenda to drive productivity improvement.

He would use more carrot-and-stick motivation to get COAG on board (currently, he said, it is dragging its feet). And given that the costs of water and power are rising, we need a new plan for our industrial base and one to grow our smart industries and make all of them more export competitive. In order to achieve all this, he said, we needed a flexible labour market and urgent skills training. Until that works, the only way to fill the void, he said, was via temporary immigration.

Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia.

difference Man behind the name

THE John James Memorial Hospital in Deakin (now the Calvary John James Hospital) and the foundation were named in honour of Dr John Alexander James, the distinguished surgeon who was appointed medical superintendent of Canberra Hospital in 1926.

Over the following three years, Dr James supervised the redevelopment of the Canberra Hospital from what was derisively called “a first-aid post” of 20 beds to a modern general hospital of more than 60 beds with a wellequipped operating theatre and an X-ray unit.

Dr James was appointed to the Canberra Hospital as a visiting and honorary medical officer, and from 1936 he was appointed as a member of the newly established Federal Capital Territory’s Medical Board.

In the mid 1950s as he was nearing 70, Dr James was still in active practice.

CS Daley, the secretary of The Federal Capital Commission, is quoted as saying that securing James’ services for The Canberra Hospital was “the best day’s work the commission ever did... we had to have a first-class surgeon in the national capital... all those politicians”.

John James ceased practice in 1963, died on February 20, 1965, and is buried in Canberra cemetery.

Fun runs

THE two-race, Brooks Spring into Shape Canberra Series will be held on Sunday, September 25 and Sunday, October 30 around a course that follows the Molonglo River, looping around the Canberra Nature Park. Supporting the Heart Foundation, the runs cater for all ages and levels of fitness with a 4km and 8km run or walk. Enter at www.starttofinish.com. au, or on the morning of each event from 7am.

Bags and bling

THE Women’s Legal Centre is hosting a “Bags ‘n’ Bling” event in which stylish gals donate handbags and jewellery, then women from all over town come along on the night to grab a bargain from somebody else’s clean out. It’s at 8 Piguenit Close, North Lyneham, from 5pm, Tuesday, September 27. All proceeds go the WLC. If you would like to assist with the event phone 6257 4377 or email coordinator@ womenslegalact.org

Sleepout success

THE St Vincent de Paul Society’s CEO Sleepouts in the Canberra and Goulburn region this year raised $425,000. “The funds from the 2011 Vinnies CEO Sleepout help us to continue to focus on providing services that are important for people affected by a wide range of problems including mortgage stress, affordable accommodation, mental illness, and domestic violence,” says Vinnies CEO Bob Wilson.

Tina’s striking the right pose

FREYLA FERGUSON meets a young woman with a passion for the art of the pin up

WATCHING MGM films with her grandmother, particularly Elizabeth Taylor in “Cleopatra”, sparked Tina Sibraa’s love for all things pin up.

Tina (aka Miss Kitty Savage), from Rivett, has made the State finals of the Miss Pin Up Australia competition, however she had to enter in Victoria because of a lack of ACT entries.

This is the first time Tina has entered a competition of this kind, which is in search of “Australia’s most glamorous pin ups”.

There are six categories – Miss Perfect (open to every vintage glamour girl), Miss Illustrated (girls with “permanent pieces of artwork”), Miss Classic (aged over 30), Miss VaVaVoom (for the classically voluptuous) and Miss Popularity (winner of the online vote).

Tina, who will compete in the Miss Perfect category, says her pin-up idols include Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Betty Page, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and burlesque

Tina’s keeping her outfits under wraps at the moment but says she hopes her 1950s prom dress, although a little “over the top”,

letters

Digital? It doesn’t work

H AS anyone else noticed that this fancy, la de da, modern, digital technology doesn’t work?

I’ve been at a few friends’ places recently where digital stuff has crept in: computers that drop out just when you think you’re close to something, tinny CD players that go wur-wur on your favourite Buddy Holly song, DVDs that pixelate... the list goes on.

The worst is digital television. If there’s a storm, you’ll be lucky to get pixelated discontinuity, but the norm is “no signal”.

Often stations drop out for no perceivable reason (maybe there’s a storm in Sydney or Melbourne or Berlin. Or maybe it’s the CIA).

On the bright side, if reliable, old analogue television is phased out next year, as expected, then I’ll have far more time for writing annoying letters to “CityNews”! tony Farrell, Reid [Editor’s note: Unsurprisingly, Tony wrote to us on his typewriter, if anyone can remember what they were.]

Why do they advertise?

WHAT a great letter (“What’s with the water woes”, CN September 15) by M. McGregor, of Curtin. There is only one water supplier in Canberra, so why waste taxpayer’s money advertising for a product that everyone has to buy to survive?

Then they have the gall to complain when we are using less and the profits are down.

I know how to improve the bottom line; sack the

At war with terror laws

AUSTRALIA’S response to the war on terror is simply disproportionate.

The outpouring of emotion at the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks is understandable. However, it might be time to stand back and analyse the impact of our responses.

According to George Williams, a law professor at the University of NSW, there have been more than 50 specific pieces of anti-terrorism legislation enacted by the Federal Parliament in the decade of terrorist response with 48 of them within the Howard Government.

There has also been a raft of pieces of legislation in every State and Territory. He suggested that in the last 10 years our civil liberties have been significantly diminished. He points to detention for a time without charge, house arrest, sedition laws, the detention of non-suspects who might have information for up to a week and the opening up of surveillance powers.

Williams says: “What’s troubling is that, even though these laws were quickly passed, it’s been rare to see them fixed, and it was only in 2010 that we saw a raft of changes bringing about some much-needed repairs”.

A decade ago we did not even have a legal definition of a terrorist. The danger is now that the term seems to be spreading to more and more people, further diminishing our civil liberties.

Remember the Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef and the outrageous misuse of the terrorist legislation in his case? Following his arrest and detention in Queensland, on the flimsiest of grounds, an investigation was carried out by John Clarke QC who found that the coercive re -

politics

Michael Moore

strictions were based on evidence that proved to be groundless. Australian taxpayers have had to provide compensation.

And it is just a drop in the bucket to what taxpayers have forked out in the growth of the anti-terrorism industry. For a physical demonstration of the impact of the changes, just look at the huge new secret security building on Parkes Way near the Department of Defence complex. Combine this with the bombardment in print and electronic media of advertisements for ASIO and other government intelligence organisations.

The laws were originally intended to be temporary – just there long enough for us to feel safe from terrorism but some of them are more draconian even than in the US and Canada, which have been protected from some of the extremes by their Bills of Rights.

According to Prof Williams, we copied much of our legislation from the UK, which he says is “in the process of winding them back”.

Australian heads of government through COAG agreed to begin a review by 2010 – but it has yet to start.

The secret services can, of course, claim triumph at there being no successful terrorist attacks on Australian shores and they may have thwarted many – either by action or detterence.

But the real question is how much does such draconian legislation actually work and how much does it actually generate radicalism? It is time for a proper review to assess just how disproportionate is the Australian response to terrorism.

Canberra Confidential With Lisa Ridgley

Queen for Canberra?

THE Queen is heading to Australia to attend the CHOGM meeting in Perth October 28-30, but “Confidential” has heard whispers the nation’s capital could well be on her itinerary.

According to a brief statement issued by Buckingham Palace: ‘’The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Australia... this visit will include the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth.’’

It sounds as though there’s more to her trip than CHOGM. Could preparations already be underway in Yarralumla?

The Queen was last in Oz for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006.

Ivan and his ‘chick magnet’

THE first car TransACT’s CEO Ivan Slavich ever owned was a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle. That’s what “Confidential” has been told, after the high-flyer was overheard reminiscing about his youth at a function recently.

“It was a blue 1500cc,” says Ivan. “I’d head down Woodville Road to see my mates in Cabramatta with the stereo up as loud as it would go.”

“I think the stereo was worth more than the car, but it was a real chick magnet.”

Now the chairman of the Canberra International Electric Vehicle Festival, the motoring enthusiast had reason to reminisce. “Electric is the way of the

future and in Canberra we are so far ahead in comparison to the rest of the world,” says Ivan.

The Canberra festival is the largest in the world. And now in its third year, the event boasts more than 40 vehicles on show including the $300,000 Tesla Roadster. Be part of the action, Sunday, September 25 on the lawns of old Parliament House. Entry is free.

Emergency exit

YOU’VE got to be careful who you buy a drink for these days. Well, at least that’s what one high-profile businessman discovered while socialising at one of Canberra’s night spots recently. According to insiders, the eligible bachelor was buying drinks for some flirtatious women when things got a little out of hand. Keen for a quick and creative escape, he was allegedly aided by bouncers who lead him out an emergency exit.

Treasure under Floriade

IT seems Commonwealth Park might just be the place to discover some buried treasure. And it’s none other than Tim the Yowie Man who wants to dig it up.

When pressed, Tim told “CityNews” that six large aluminium tetrahedrons were buried by a bulldozer in a trench 4m wide and 20m long in Commonwealth Park in March, 1975.

The tetrahedrons belonged to Australian sculptor Bert Flugelman, who came to prominence in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The artist produced huge geometric public sculptures for many public spaces across the country, including the infamous cones in the National Gallery of Australia’s Sculpture Garden.

“I think it’s been long enough,” says Tim. “I don’t know anyone who has seen the artwork, because it’s buried!”

Tim claims there’s a plaque near Nerang Pool in Commonwealth Park, indicating approximately (but not exactly) where the tetrahedrons are concealed.

Could the National Capital Authority consider partially exposing them as a special treat for the remainder of Floriade?

“The thought crossed my mind that I could disguise myself as a gardener and go into Floriade with a shovel one day and start digging near the sign,” Tim says. “Anyone with me?”

You’re on your own, Tim!

Blogger burns bridges

A WELL-known Canberra blogger seems to have burnt some bridges after insulting a major local sporting venue recently.

“Confidential” has learnt the popular site allegedly posted potentially damaging, incorrect comments regarding some legislation and then boldly asked the venue to advertise.

Insiders say people have a right to express their opinion, but it should at least be an educated one. Perhaps the local boy could devote more time to researching before posting.

Brumbies v Raiders?

“CONFIDENTIAL” has heard rumblings of a possible battle of the footy codes in the not-too-distant future. Canberra’s only indoor adult “playground”, better known as the Synergy Self Defence gauntlet obstacle course, will soon play host to a couple of ACT Brumbies players who will be put through their paces and pushed to the max.

Modelled on military-style endurance circuits, the two storeys of fitness-station mayhem will test even the fittest, strongest and toughest individual.

Will the Canberra Raiders respond to the challenge and try to beat the Brumbies’ gauntlet times?

Synergy Self Defence, at Unit 4/76 Sheppard Street, Hume, officially opens to the public at 10am, Saturday, September 24.

Speed sponsorship

IT SEEMS things are hotting up between our favourite basketballers and their gaggle of sponsors. “Confidential” has heard the TransACT Canberra Capitals will be getting up close and personal with the team’s sponsors at the season launch at HaHa Bar in Belconnen, September 28.

Head coach Carrie Graf, captain Jess Bibby, towering centre Marianna Tolo and power forward Carly Wilson will, apparently, “speed date” the team’s sponsors exchanging fun facts about themselves in an effort to get to know each other better! Perhaps another ACT team of a different sporting code might find themselves doing something similar in the not-too-distant future. “Confidential” has heard whispers that a certain sponsorship might be about to come to an end.

Pain-free ways to looking rejuvenated

At Facial Artistry, in Manuka, the focus is not just on the face, but on keeping the entire body looking fresh and rejuvenated

AS the principal of Facial Artistry, Dr Bernard Leung has years of experience with cosmetic and skin-cancer treatments.

From facelifts to liposuction, injectables and laser, Dr Leung performs a range of minimally invasive treatments to keep people looking their best.

“What I’m really good at is combining various treatments,” he says.

“It is really the combining of various treatments that gives you that fantastic end result.

“There are all these clever ways of doing injectables and that is my main area of expertise.”

Dr Leung says pain is a big barrier for people who might be considering cosmetic treatments.

“We don’t do discomfort,” he says.

“We aim to make every procedure pain free. We also make sure the recovery time is kept to a minimum.”

“To a lot of people, having something done is scary. People don’t realise, it isn’t a big deal.”

Another of Dr Leung’s specialties is liposuction and he’s just returned from London, where he trained in some of the most up-to-date techniques, including advanced Vaser techniques and Hi definition liposuction, from Europe’s leading practitioners.

“People don’t really know what it is capable of. People have the impression it’s all about weight reduction, which is not true. It is really about sculpting someone.”

SKIN & COSMETIC CLINIC

13 Murray Crescent Manuka ACT

email: info@facialartistry.com.au

At Facial Artistry, liposuction and liposculpture is performed using the tumescent technique. This technique involves the infusion of a large quantity of tumescent fluid into the area that is to be treated. With tumescent technique, liposuction is now a procedure accomplished totally by local anaesthesia.

And it’s not only for the ladies. For men who work out, but still struggle with the dreaded love handles, Facial Artistry has something to offer.

“Not only can I get rid of the love handles, but I can actually sculpt a six pack,” Dr Leung says.

Dr Leung has a strong interest in dermatology, skin cancer medicine and treatment for sun-damaged skin. His technical skills have been honed by tutelage from some of the world’s leading cosmetic practitioners. He is a full member of the Cosmetic Physician Society of Australia, a fellow of the

Australasian College of Aesthetic Medicine, a member of the Skin Cancer College of Australasia and a member of the International Academy of Body Contouring and Laser Lipolysis. There is a large array of cosmetic procedures available and Dr Leung says he works with the client to determine the best options to achieve optimum results. He has a special interest in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures.

Facial Artistry can help with a range of problems including crows feet, frown lines, double chin and jowls, acne, uneven pigmentation and spider veins.

Skincare products at Facial Artistry include Restylane Skincare, which are only available at aesthetics clinics and have been developed to complement dermal filler treatments. While dermal filler products create volume, definition and hydration from within, the

Dr. Bernard Leung Cosmetic Physician

• Anti wrinkle injections

• Dermal fillers for facial rejuvenation

• IPL and Laser for roseacea, capillaries and redness

• Lip enhancement and shaping

• Minimally invasive face lift and brow lift

• Liposuction / Liposculpture

• Body contouring

• Pearl Fractional/Pearl Fusion for wrinkles and skin rejuvenation

• Acne and scarring treatments

• Sclerotherapy and laser for varicose veins

• Laser permanent hair reduction

• Facial Peels

• ASAP and Restylane Skincare products

• Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

• All aspects of skin cancer monitoring and management

Restylane Skincare collection protects, hydrates and nourishes skin from the outside.

Restylane Skincare products also rejuvenate the skin after aesthetic treatments such as peels and laser treatments.

ASAP offers solutions for women and men with varying skin types.

The success of ASAP is based on the use of active ingredients such as alpha hydroxy acids and antioxidants to create simple skin care that has fast-acting visible results.

Facial Artistry also stocks the Jane Iredale make-up range.

Facial Artistry, 13 Murray Crescent, Manuka. More information at www.facialartistry. com.au or call 6255 8988 or email info@facialartistry.com.au

All of our treatments are individually tailored to suit individual needs

At ‘Arabian Nights’ exhibition, CSIRO Discovery Centre

At the Open Garden Scheme launch

At the Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition, ANU School of Art

all about the arts

Chinese art goes blockbuster

By arts editor Helen Musa

YOU might wonder why the National Museum of Australia is staging a blockbuster exhibition of modern Chinese art. Wouldn’t that be happening in an art gallery rather than a museum?

Not at all, says director Andrew Sayers.

“I think the museum’s got a role in giving context to art,” he told “CityNews”, adding that a Papunya exhibition and the enormously suc-

cessful Canning Stock Route show both did that for Aboriginal art.

The show, from the National Art Museum of China, will be the second part of a reciprocal arrangement that began last year when “Papunya Painting: Out of the Australian Desert” toured to China after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade suggested it would be a good match for “Imagine Australia, the Year of Australian Culture in China.”

Now it’s the Year of Chinese Culture in Australia. The deal was set up years ago by his predecessor Craddock Morton, but Sayers was consulted extensively on what kind of contemporary art he thought would be relevant to Australia.

Easy. The Asia-Pacific Art Triennial in Brisbane covers the very latest Chinese works, but Sayers spotted a gap in the art of the ‘50s to the ‘80s when a strong social realist painting tradition reigned supreme.

Happily, in 2009, the Chinese museum staged a show covering 60 years of art in China from 1949 on, so he opted for a selection from that.

In this Canberra-only show there will be sculptures and video installations, Sayers says, but it’ll mostly be oil and ink paintings accompanied by a 182-page catalogue taking us through the entire modern era of Chinese art.

He believes we’ll get a fascinating show of “the way in which traditional forms have been used to express

contemporary themes”. There are remarkable vertical ink paintings showing workers, nurses and even Chairman Mao on the march.

Unsurprisingly, many of the works deal with patriotic themes. One of the largest will be a huge 11m-long work called “Red Star Over China” done in 1987 by Jiawei Shen before he came to live in Australia.

Sayers later commissioned Shen to paint the portrait of Princess Mary of Denmark when he was at the National Portrait Gallery. A measure of Shen’s political journey is that he also did the portrait of John Howard for the Australian Parliament.

“A New Horizon: Contemporary Chinese Art”, National Museum of Australia, September 30-January 29.

Oh, for clever Canberrans

arts in the city

Helen Musa

DID you see director Kate Denborough and her brother the writer, David, on ABC 1 last week in connection with Artscape’s documentary on “Sundowner”? That was the show starring Helen Morse that dealt with younger onset dementia. We are bound to see much more from this brilliant pair of former Canberrans.

ON the same lines, we were pleased to hear during the week that Canberra-born violinist Kristian Winther and Canberraschooled violist Stephen King will both join the influential Australian String Quartet from the beginning of its 2012 season.

CHRIS Winter (not to be confused with Kristian Winther) is manager of New Services at ABC Innovation, and will be at the National Film and Sound Archive on September 27 to deliver the Thomas Rome Lecture, named after the man who made the oldest-known surviving sound recording in Australia. 12.15pm arrival for 12.30pm start.

TALKING of stars, the brilliant glass artist Klaus Moje will stage his only solo exhibition for the year at Canberra Glassworks, which describes him as a “national living treasure”. “Klaus Moje – A Continuum”, September 28-October 20.

SEBASTIAN Flynn from the National Folk Festival has emailed to say that limited numbers of tickets to the 2012 Easter event are on sale now at “early-bird” prices, but that these are only available until October 30. Bookings to www.folkfestival.org.au or 1300 235849.

BELCONNEN Arts Centre is celebrating the end of winter with a free dance program from 2pm on September 25 with dance schools Canberra School of Bollywood Dancing, Salsabor Dance Company, Kokoloco Dance Studio, Phoenix Arts Pacific Island Dance, GOLD (Growing Old Disgracefully) and Blueberries on show.

Don’t miss this #1

THEATRE

“The Pig Iron People”

By John Doyle, directed by Aarne Neeme, REP at Theatre 3 until October 1.

Reviewed by Joe Woodward

“THE Pig Iron People” confirmed the experience of what theatre can be. With an excellent script, deft direction and a very professional acting ensemble, the audience was clearly invited to be part of the event.

John Doyle (aka Rampaging Roy Slaven, part of comedic duo Roy and HG) imbues his script with humour laced with life’s tragic edge, all set against the backdrop of historical circumstances. He lets the characters speak for themselves. This allowed for Aarne Neeme’s masterly directional skills to facilitate the actors to bring alive the spirits of different generations.

Don’t be fooled by Rep’s amateur status. There was noting amateur about any of the performances. Graham Robertson’s Jack (John Howard) was a truly iconic figure played with devastating timing and an acute underlying rage that was at times hilarious and then poignant.

Judi Crane showed no signs of sentiment while portraying the ageing Janette with dignity and a sense of resignation that was beautifully paced throughout the production.

Trish Kelly’s Rosie was a masterpiece of understated hurt overcome by a powerful sense of love and Wayne Shepherd as Claude was comic played with a deep sense of commitment to a simple man who found something to be passionate about. Ian Hart was magnetic in his Hitleresque Kurt, while Helen McFarlane and Sam Hannan-Morrow were very clear and suitably focusing in the way they approached Liberal Street. If you haven’t been to Rep for a while, then don’t miss this.

Don’t miss this, #2

MUSICAL THEATRE

“Avenue Q”

ANU Arts Centre, until October 1.

Reviewed by Ian McLean

WHAT a great show! I have nothing but superlatives for every aspect of this raunchy, funny, emotive and clever musical where a cast of mainly puppets are brought to almost unnerving real life to tell of the transition from carefree

college days to the reality of work, somewhere to live and how love hurts along the way.

The 12-member ensemble cast was fantastic. It’s perhaps unfair to extract particular actors, but Pete Ricardo as Nicky, Max Gambale as the Trekkie Monster and Amy Dunham, who played Christmas Eve, were standouts amongst a most talented team. Infectious enthusiasm, excellent singing, brilliant acting, slick dancing (tightly choreographed by Jordan Kelly) and uncanny mastery of puppetry brought this sort of “Sesame Street” for grown-ups to life with a mix of cheerful abandon and unrelenting energy.

A clever and functional set and precise lighting and sound helped create a suitable atmosphere whilst the great six piece band (ably led by Rose Shorney) easily captured the demanding variety of required musical styles.

Director Garrick Smith deserves great credit. He controlled any temptation to allow any character to be taken over the top and, despite the physical presence of the actors, it was the excellently manipulated puppets that attracted and retained audience focus throughout.

This production is easy to sum up – don’t miss it! Be a bit broad minded and leave the littlies at home, you won’t regret it.

Surprises in ‘Grease’

MUSICAL THEATRE “Grease”

Presented by Free Rain Theatre Company, Tuggeranong Arts Centre until September 25.

Reviewed by Bill Stephens

IF your only familiarity with “Grease” is the popular film, then this stripped-back production from Free Rain Theatre may provide some surprises, including how well it utilises the tiny Tuggeranong Arts Centre stage.

Director Fiona Atkin has chosen not to interpolate the hit songs from the film, but to stay with those written for the stage version, and with the assistance of some clever choreography by Miriam Rivzi, an imaginative set design by Steve Galinec, and a flurry of colourful costumes by Fiona Leach, has embraced the obvious restrictions of the stage to devise this confident, well-staged presentation.

Among the attractive hard-working ensemble portraying a group of teenagers grappling with the complexities of teenage pregnancy, gang violence and

sexual exploration in the late ‘50s, Laura Dawson is delightful as Sandy, the good girl prepared to try a new strategy to win the affections of Danny Zuko (Bill Bouchier). Maigan Fowler is a laid-back Rizzo and Nick Valois displays strong presence as Kenickie. Other stand-outs include Lachlan Ruffy (Doody), Emily Ridge (Frenchy), Sam Needham (Sonny) and Lachlan Whan as the nerdy Eugene. Adrian Flor and Jarrad West make effective cameo appearances as Johnny Casino and Teen Angel.

Enthusiastic musical support, particularly for the dance numbers, is provided by John Yoon and his on-stage band, who will no doubt achieve a more satisfactory balance between singer and orchestra as the season progresses.

A friend, indeed

MUSIC

Selby & Friends

James O Fairfax Theatre, NGA, September 12.

Reviewed by Clinton White

ANOTHER capacity audience enjoyed the latest in the 2011 season of recitals by Selby and Friends – well, this time there was only one friend, cellist Emma-Jane Murphy.

The bold programming featured music by Beethoven and Schubert from one end of the 19th century with Rachmaninov and Brahms from the other, all juxtaposing Peter Sculthorpe’s evocative piece, “Djilile” from 1986.

“Djilile” is based on an Aboriginal song from Arnhem Land. Sculthorpe says the locals “don’t seem to recognise it in any kind of instrumental form”. The cello and piano sang beautifully.

Perhaps the difficult Schubert work, the “Arpeggione Sonata”, from 1824 is Murphy’s favourite piece. Her playing was warm and expressive and was at ease with the rapid fingering required along the entire length of the fingerboard.

Sadly, we had to wait until the last piece, Brahms’ “Sonata for Cello and Piano No 2 in F Major”, before hearing Kathryn Selby’s virtuosic talent. Up till then she had been very much the accompanist. But this quite difficult and rather enigmatic piece brought to the fore the dynamics and moods of both instruments. The duo acquitted the demands of the piece with passion and emotion.

We hear rather too little of Selby’s keyboard prowess. It would be good to enjoy a piano sonata from her in a future recital.

Art shows everywhere

By Helen Musa

SPRING brings more than tulips, with local and community art exhibitions sprouting all over the place.

THE Rotary Queanbeyan West Club and Queanbeyan Art Society’s Outdoor Art Show heads over the border to City Walk, where it will exhibit and sell more than 400 works under marquees daily from 8.30am to 5.30pm until October 2. Four artists have donated a painting each to be raffled at the show.

CANBERRA Potters’ Society at Watson Arts Centre, Aspinall Street, has its open day, 10am-3pm, September 25. Apart from the hands-on experiences, there’s a chance to see “Clay Cohesion”, the 2011 members’ exhibition, on display until October 10.

“LANDMARKS” is an exhibition of sculptures by John Topfer,

whom we mentioned recently when he won the Toorak Sculpture Prize, and paintings by his sister Jenny from Tasmania. It’s at ANCA Gallery, Rosevear Street, Dickson, until September 25.

“4 ARTISTS” is an exhibition of abstracts, semi-abstracts, expressionist portraits, colourful landscapes and sculptures by Glenys Eggleton, Aloma Jackson, Fran Lammas and Morag Rasmussen at Strathnairn Homestead Gallery, 10am-4.30pm, Friday to Sunday, until October 2.

“THE Beauty and Transience of Nature”, showcasing the work of local artists Sharon Field and Halina Steele, is at the Australian National Botanic Gardens until October 2.

ANNIKA Romeyn’s exhibition “Drift”, part of the Emerging Artists Support Scheme, shows drawing and printmaking at Belconnen Gallery until September 30 and “Fur Feathers and Fun”, pastels by French-trained Nina Balas is at the Q Art space, Queanbeyan, until October 1.

Swing’s still the thing

By Helen Musa

“IT don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing”, Duke Ellington sang back in the ‘30s, and there are a lot of music lovers around the world that would still agree with that proposition.

Now the American revue, “In The Mood”, is coming to the Canberra Theatre with more than 50 hits by Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra and The Andrews Sisters.

It’ll be time to remember what a hepcat was and to sing along to numbers such as “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, the first gold record ever.

I talked by phone to Bud Forrest, former accompanist for the US Air Force Chorus, director of the show and the brains behind the enterprise.

Forrest says he and his now 13-piece String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra started small

String of Pearls Orchestra brass section... “I think there’s a real appetite for swing,” says band founder Bud Forrest.

in 1988, but by 1993 were performing on the steps of the US National Archives for the commemoration of World War II and they haven’t looked back since, often playing to public occasions such as Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration.

“I created the show many years ago and hired myself

as musical director,” Forrest explains. He soon added singers and swing dancers to create “a more complete and more satisfying theatrical experience.

“It’s really a kind-of a three-ring circus – song, music and dance. As well as the sound there is the look – women in platform shoes and red frocks.”

His wife, who used to be a designer, created all the costumes.

“I think there’s a real appetite for swing,” Forrest says, recalling the exceptional skills of earlier players. He’s particularly thrilled that he was able to contact Vic Schoen, the conductor for The Andrews Sisters, some of whose arrangements are used in the show.

This will be quite literally a flying visit, as the company is more used to bus tours.

“There are a few surprises in store for Australians,” he promises, “and we do pay tribute to all veterans.”

In Forrest’s view, this is a show for families from eight to 88. “I feel like we’re carrying on the tradition,” he says, “we trigger a lot of memories.”

“In The Mood”, Canberra Theatre, September 29. Bookings to 6275 2700 or www. canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Don’t hold those presses

“PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES” (M)

ANDREW Rossi’s documentary examines arguably the most influential daily newspaper in the US, possibly the English-speaking world or even the whole world, as it fights to hold that status.

For Australians, perhaps most familiar with the “NYT” through other medias’ use of stories originating on its pages, “Page One” can be moderately engaging because, let’s face it, whether we like it or not, the US is economically, culturally, politically and intellectually Australia’s big brother and much of what goes on there resonates in our social fabric.

Covering global events affecting us all, failure of the “NYT” would be a global media disaster. Management gave Rossi access particularly to its media desk where the survival battle has its focus.

Writer David Carr, passionate about print media “NYT”-style, on a good day looking like an invalid pensioner having a bad day, tracks the story through America’s media forest.

cinema

Dougal Macdonald

But Rossi’s film is burdened by a mountain of material, much of it unsorted, unexplained or unresolved.

Its observations of the newspaper profession are revealing, often entertaining. But newspapers and films both live by editing raw material. Which, in the view of American critics familiar with the subject matter, Rossi failed to do stringently enough.

For Australians, “Page One” may shine light into corners that we may not have known existed. On that ground, it has some value, even though often mired in unfamiliar territory. At Dendy

disdain for its social classes both above and below stairs. An underlying current of greed for the bequests they hope for from Elizabeth’s estate suffuses the story.

Schepisi, his cast and his behind-thecamera team have created an impressive work. I try to judge films objectively but occasionally one comes along that presses the subjective button. Much of this one I enjoyed. But I am glad not to occupy its social milieu.

At Greater Union

A SUPERB cast of Australian actors led by a notable British, older leading lady populates Fred Schepisi’s film using Judy Davis’ wellcrafted adaptation of Patrick White’s novel.

It’s 1970. In her eastern suburbs mansion, wealthy former beauty, Elizabeth (the magnificent Charlotte Rampling) lives opulently while she waits to die. Her knighted actor son Basil (Geoffrey Rush) and daughter Dorothy (Judy Davis), ex-wife of a petty Italian princeling, arrive at her bedside.

This trio of selfish game-playing manipulators and exploiters are losers at the game of living, with few redeeming features and mutual antagonisms.

Refugee cook Lotte (Helen Morse) entertaining Elizabeth with German cabaret songs and dances of the between-wars era, merits sympathy. The other household staff do not.

The film radiates Patrick White’s equal

“DR No” planted a field ripe for spoofing when it began the plethora of high-cost, high-adrenalin, all-the-same moves featuring 007 played by a succession of actors.

In this one, secret agent English (Rowan Atkinson), dismissed after a fiasco in Mozambique, returning after five years’ training in Chinese martial self-discipline because head of MI7 Pamela (Gillian Anderson) needs his skills to foil a plot to assassinate the Chinese PM during a State visit, spoofs 007 as agreeably as any.

And we’ve learned all this even before the opening credits!

Don’t rush out as soon as the closing credits start to roll. For as long as it takes to perform Grieg’s “In The Hall Of The Mountain King”, Atkinson does a virtuoso wordless comic turn in the kitchen preparing a stir-fry at the request of delectable colleague Kate (Rosamund Pike).

Between opening and closing credits, director Oliver Parker has inserted an action drama lampooning the best and worst of the Bond film clichés. Writers William Davies and Hamish McColl have provided Atkinson with a cornucopia of comic opportunities. Some them actually made me laugh. At all cinemas

In, out and happily G’ilty

dining

Wendy Johnson

IT was the apostrophe in the name that got me. The apostrophe.

I’d been looking for “Gilt” online (White Pages). No luck. I phoned directory assistance. No luck.

While relatively new, this dining establishment in Kingston, which describes itself as a “restaurant, café and bar” – I suppose there’s no harm in trying to have it all! – isn’t necessarily easy to find. Google finally saved the day. It’s not Gilt (or guilt) but G’ilt. Glad that is over.

G’ilt is on the ground floor of the Aspire Apartments on Giles Street. I zipped in between meetings to see if they could serve lunch under a really tight timeframe (couldn’t stomach a same old, same old sandwich).

The staff member, dressed smartly with a tie on, didn’t skip a beat. He found me a quiet table, brought the menu and water and said he’d be back quick sharp to take my order, which he was.

G’ilt offers “boutique post-modern cuisine”. I’m supposed to know what this is, but struggle to explain in plain English. Anyway, I’m straying and couldn’t see many “cutting edge” or “way out there” items on the menu for the life of me.

Lunch is divided into salads (including a pork belly, apple, parmesan, rocket with

firecracker dressing) – all $13.90. Wraps, including chicken schnitzel, are $14.90. Pastas include a bolognaise for traditional diners and a Mediterranean salmon for the more adventurous (all $19.90).

My risotto was super generous with tender duck and all glammed up with rich, soul-satisfying porcini mushrooms and truffle oil ($19.90). I helped myself to a bit of cracked pepper (grinder on the table) and heaved a sigh of relief. I was so glad I wasn’t eating a sandwich.

My only comment is presentation. The tableware is stunning, but my risotto

Win a DVD of ‘First of the Summer Wine’

“CityNews” has five copies of the newly released BBC DVD of “First of the Summer Wine”, valued at $34.95 each, to give away. All the details and entry form at citynews.com.au/win

looked like it had been slopped on with no real effort to make it look as beautiful as the restaurant.

G’ilt also serves wood-fired pizza, including gluten-free options, and has a take-away menu that includes fish and chips and a stir fry.

G’ilt isn’t huge, but was easily handling the table of 20 celebrating some lovely occasion. The “notice me, notice me” retro-style wallpaper is great, with its bold red, white, charcoal, light grey and taupe stripes, and on the opposite side of the restaurant is white wallpaper with a textured floral pattern. The black cowhide, etched lamp near the cash register and the pretty flowers are all special touches. While the chill out music suits the place, I’m not sure the TV mounted on one wall does. But who cares? I was in. I was out. I was happy.

G’ilt. 75/71 Giles Street. Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Fully licensed with nice big wine goblets. Call 6166 4458.

Recasting perceptions of Aboriginal Australia

THIS might well be the most important and influential Australian book of the 21st century.

In 323 pages Bill Gammage, adjunct professor at the ANU’s Humanities Research Centre, recasts our entire perception of Aboriginal Australia.

His thesis is that by 1788

Aboriginal society had created an Arcadian continent, an estate that supported an entire nation in leisured abundance comparable to the wealthy estate owners of Europe.

Over the millennia since their arrival, the Aboriginal people had developed from “users” to “carers” of the land and its animal and vegetable inhabitants. “They sanctioned key principles,” he writes, “Think long term; leave the world as it is; think globally; act locally; ally with fire; control population.”

In the result, “The land lived. Its face spoke. ‘Here are managers,’ it said, ‘caring, provident, hardworking’.”

To support his argument, he draws on a vast body of research and scholarship that make his conclusions all but unanswerable. Descriptions from explorers and early settlers supplemented by paintings and surveys from the colonial era are his starting point. But

BOOK REVIEW

“The

By Bill Gammage, Allen and Unwin ($49.99). Reviewed by Robert Macklin

then he takes the reader in a scholarly time capsule through all the elements – from fire, soil, vegetation, social mores and religious beliefs – to the continent as it was in 1788.

It is a fascinating journey. The result is a quantum leap in our understanding and appreciation of the world our Australian forebears had created… and lost with the coming of the Europeans.

“Knowledge of how to sustain Australia, of how to be Australian, vanished with barely a whisper of regret,” he writes.

Now, we must “learn” the continent once more. “If we are to survive, let alone feel at home, we must begin to understand our country. If we succeed, one day we might become Australian.”

Gammage’s 1974 World War I classic “The Broken Years” changed our perceptions of that conflict and of the frontline Digger. His latest work will light fires of controversy; but in the end it will change what it means to be an Australian.

Beware the ‘kilo creep’

SPRING is the ideal time to reassess diet and lifestyle habits, according to low-fat cookbook author, Annette Sym.

The author of the “Symply Too Good To Be True” cookbook series said spring was the time to take action if you’ve become the unsuspecting

1. Take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror – the best way to motivate yourself is to put on your swimsuit or summer shorts and stand in front of the mirror.

2. Start exercising again – now that the weather is warming up, you’ve got no excuse for avoiding exercise. Put on your joggers and go for a walk each day.

3. Replace stodgy foods with seasonal fruits and vegetables – gradually start introducing more salads into your diet. Stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables.

4. Spring clean your eating habits – identify the bad habits you’ve created over winter and stop them now. Learn healthier cooking habits, such as using cooking spray instead of frying in oil and trimming the visible fat off meat.

5. Drink more water – aim to drink at least eight glasses (about two litres) every day. Being hydrated will also help reduce those hunger pangs.

victim of “kilo creep” over winter.

“Excess weight has a habit of creeping on during the colder months and it can be a real shock when you try to squeeze back into your swimsuit,” she said.

“It’s very easy to stack on three kilos over winter without even knowing it because our bodies are hidden under jumpers and jackets. It’s a case of out of sight, out of mind.”

Spring’s promise of blossoms

gardening

cedric Bryant

IT is of interest that Commonwealth Park, home of Floriade, has no blossom trees.

When this park was laid out in 1964 blossom trees were being planted by the hundreds as street trees in the older suburbs and the newly developing areas with two examples being Flinders Way, Griffith and Antill Street, Dickson.

The then-director of parks and gardens, Lindsay Pryor, was particularly keen on these, combined with eucalypts, to form a wonderful contrast. And yet, for some unknown reason, they were not planted in our principal city park. Maybe the National Capital Authority, when carrying out the updating of this park, would consider including some bold groups of blossom trees?

To see blossom trees en masse at this time of the year, I suggest a visit to TulipTop Gardens, located 15 minutes along the Federal Highway from Canberra. The gardens are in a valley hidden from the highway and all is revealed as you enter the gardens, a vista of 25 hectares of magnificent colours combining thousands of daffodils, tulips and spring flowers plus more than 1000 blossom trees.

One great spot for photographers is a brisk walk, not for the feint hearted, to the viewing platform on the hill 70m high overlooking the gardens.

I will be giving talks and providing advice on blossom trees on Saturday, September 24, at TulipTop Gardens from 11am and would be delighted to make the acquaintance of my readers. The Sunday

is Tulip Day, when free Dutch pancakes are dispensed with ice cream.

The gardens are open the same dates as Floriade with the blossom trees progressively coming out in full blossom over the next four weeks. For full details, including all the musical entertainment, check out their web site at www.tuliptopgardens.

com.au

HERE are several plants that I highly recommend, coming into full flower now in the garden centres. Firstly, I know that I have raved on about the new Daphne “Eternal Fragrance”, initially released in England in 2005. This is a cross between Daphne collina and Daphne napolitana. As the name of the latter suggests, its home is Southern Italy and is ideally suited to our climate. D. napolitana has been in our garden for at least five years, growing in full sun, not worried by frost or heat. D. collina was first introduced into gardens in 1752. This justifies all my raving on about Daphne “Eternal Fragrance” – and a group of no less than three will look stunning in your garden.

Next is a dwarf flowering cherry, Prunus “Kojo No Mei”, growing to just one to two metres high. The profusion of buds are about to burst into a spectacular display of pink blossom on the unique, contorted branches. I will bring you a photo in

the next couple of weeks when it is in full flower. However, in the meantime, because of the popularity of this perfect container plant you will need to check out your local garden centre today to see if any are left in stock. I can almost guarantee that if you see this small shrub in flower you will buy it!

No excuses, get gardening...

NO excuses, the weather is perfect for gardening. Here are some suggestions to keep you fit and well:

It is not too late to “hard” prune Buddleia, reduce the height to one metre from the ground.

Tidy the strawberry bed, removing competing weeds and old leaves, which are a haven for snails.

Move soil and mulch off the top of iris rhizomes, to flower well these must be baked by the sun.

Get on with mulching, making sure the ground is wet before applying. Prune frost damaged plants to encourage new growth.

Cut back agapanthus leaves to encourage sun to promote flowers. Daffodil leaves can be cut back to ground level six weeks after flowering.

all about home improvement

It’s where your heart is

There’s a number of platitudes surrounding our homes: from home being sweet, to where the heart is, to our homes being our castles.

These exist for a reason: homes are where we spend most of our time, so naturally we hope they’re as comfortable as possible. And with trends towards nesting – entertaining

Getting light just right

JUST-RITE has a wide range of items to help improve light and amenity: everything from shade sails to skylights, so whether customers want to let sun in or block it out, there are several options.

The company offers a professional service to design and install suitable shade sails, which have many features: they block 95 per cent of harmful UV rays, and are available in a large range of fabric colours.

Just-rite shade sails come with a 10-year fabric warranty and utilise commercial grade shade fabric for better durability. Using powder-coated, galvanised steel posts makes them virtually maintenance-free, the company says.

“I think shade sails are becoming more popular: you can choose different shapes and by combining a couple you can get a really nice appearance for the house,” says Just-rite owner Kapila Wijewardene.

He says they’re also great in winter, as they can be removed to let more light into relevant rooms, unlike traditional pergola coverings.

Just-rite also offer a range of swinging umbrellas, available in five metres or four across the diagonal which can also provide a versatile shade option for gardens, pool areas or any outdoor setting. The umbrellas are tough enough to be left open in moderate to strong winds.

The company also prides itself on its skylights, and Kapila says he believes Justrite boasts the best installer in Canberra: “We’ve never had a leak or a problem in years of installations.”

Just-rite’s Velux skylights and roof windows can provide bright, sunny interiors

at home, putting in pools, expanding on existing homes and a renewed focus on the love of gardening, it’s no wonder that so many Canberrans are looking to do a bit of home improvement.

“CityNews” spoke to some leading homeimprovement suppliers to find out what’s new at home…

Velux skylights and roof

when there’s a flat ceiling under a

even when there’s a flat ceiling under a sloping roof: it’s all about constructing a shaft to capture light and bring fresh air into a home.

The range on offer includes the Model FS Fixed Skylight, which captures abundant daylight for rooms which require maximum lighting, and visually expands hallways, stairwells, and any other dark, closed-in

space; and there’s also the Model VS Manual Openable Skylight.

These use a chain-driven mechanism that quietly and smoothly opens to allow ventilation and comes fitted with an insect screen.

More information at www.justrite.com. au or 6280 5300

home improvement

New home, same location

MANY Canberrans have established homes, families and social connections in their preferred area, especially the inner south and north, says David Geelan from ACT Homes – it’s just their houses that need a little work.

Rather than uprooting families, many Canberrans are choosing to knock down older-style homes in these areas and build dream homes instead – or add on new rooms and renovate old ones.

“We do a lot of major renovations and extensions – it’s basically a case of people who love their area and who want to stay in that area wanting to renovate,” David says. “They may have a bigger family, or perhaps want to turn an old bedroom into an ensuite.

“We do a lot of extra bedrooms, new kitchens and a lot of people are wanting a more open-plan style of living. This means making the family room, dining room and kitchen one family area.

“It’s about entertaining: people are dining in and having friends around rather than going out to expensive restaurants.

“It’s basically about building your dream.”

Now pools go

C ANBERRANS – and Australians in general – are embracing the trend of environmentally-friendly pools, says Sharyn Duggan, from Capital Country Pools.

“Paul [Duggan] and I have been in the industry for more than 30 years, and there’s been an awful lot of changes!” she says.

“Pools are becoming more energy-efficient, and people are becoming more wise about the environment. Also, the cost of electricity is a big one – it’s huge now, so if you can get something that runs a little more cheaply, people are happier.”

The old days of hard work keeping a

pool clean have also ended, she says: “Now you can get a pool that pretty much looks after itself. Thirty years ago, you got a pool in the ground and that was pretty much it. Now everything from the quality of the pool shell to the fact that the pool is self-cleaning has changed.”

Capital Country Pools has won several awards of late, including the 2011 Swimming Pool and Spa Association of NSW Pool Builder of the Year (NSW/ACT) and a 2011 award for Best Environmentally Sustainable Pool, plus innovation awards.

More information at www.capitalcountrypools.com.au

energy-efficient

home improvement

Small, but beautiful spaces

PEOPLE with courtyards and balconies instead of backyards have a real opportunity to create a pleasant, relaxing outdoor space, says Iain Eaton, from Bliss Garden and Giftware in Pialligo.

“One of the biggest trends at the moment is the use of lightweight pots – we stock a range of fibreclay plots that are not fragile at all and are lightweight,” he says.

“With fibreglass you have a fibre and mould glass around that; fibreclay is the same in that they mould clay onto a fibre. So it’s not a thick ceramic pot.

“It’s a very modern look, and we have various shapes. One thing people are doing is wanting to screen their neighbours, but can’t put up a fence because they have a balcony or small courtyard, so they can use these pots in a trough shape, a long rectangle, to grow hedge plants in.

“We also have normal glazed pots – a wide range of amazing pots at really good prices.

“Another option is a water feature which comes as a complete unit: these come with

a pump and tray so instead of having to find all the bits, it’s an easy DIY thing, as long as you have a bit of strength! These come in beautiful glazes and look great.

“They’re great with the trend to small gardens and balconies, and are perfect for small courtyards.”

Bliss also specialises in aquatic plants, and makes a point of

Oasis in the capital

SHORELINE Pools has been building a steady following in Canberra, the capital region and the south coast, says the company’s Phil Dalley, “with a reputation for first-class craftsmanship and attention to detail, with the installation of fibreglass swimming pools, landscaping, pergolas and decking.”

The company is built on the expertise of licensed builder Peter Grant, and licensed landscaper Steve Fryers, who between them have more than 60 years’ building experience.

“The one-stop shop they operate means that you deal

totally with the team at all stages of the job, from the design and the drawing up of plans, to approvals required, to the installation and final landscaping of the job.”

The company also prides itself on its dedication to customer service, which Phil describes as “a key factor in this business, with referrals and repeat clients being a high percentage of the business.

“One of the key points regarding Shoreline Pools is that they start and finish a job in one go. The client holds a residual of the total price of the job until its completion.

“Most other pool companies require full payment midway through the work, which is a disincentive for the work to be completed.”

It’s a great time for

Canberrans to transform their outdoor area into an oasis, he says. More information at sales@ shorelinepools.com.au or 0439 533732.

your week in the stars

With Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Sept 26 - Oct 2

The New Moon revs up your relationship zone, but Uranus also stirs up your selfish side. The challenge is to get the balance right between give and take. (Just make sure you’re not doing all the taking, and others all the giving!) Impulsive behaviour will land you in hot water so think twice before you do anything controversial – especially if it affects loved ones.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

You love your creature comforts but you’re about to be shaken out of your comfort zone, as Uranus and the New Moon provide a shot of adrenalin to tired old Taurus routines. Plus Friday’s Venus/Saturn hook up highlights health issues. Hedonistic Bulls – it’s time to leap off the couch and lift weights (rather than cream buns) as you get your body moving.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Boredom is a big no-no for restless Twins this week! Mercury (your ruling planet) moves into your entertainment zone, then aspects Uranus, Pluto, the Sun and Mars. So you need to keep your mercurial mind busy, stimulated and amused. The focus is also on friendships but they won’t all run smoothly. Expect surprises, hiccups and hijinks along the way.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Too much work and too little play makes you difficult to live with. The New Moon activates your home zone, so you need to re-adjust your home/work balance, so that it is in fact balanced. Some Crabs will make a fresh start via a spring clean, renovation, change of residence or new house-mate. Others will encounter problems with a fractious family member.

LEO (July 2 – Aug 22)

The Sun links up with Uranus and Pluto, which boosts your restless side – and your bossy, controlling streak! Two-way communication is a top priority. Don’t always jump in and hog the conversation – it’s time to do less talking and a lot more listening. As Truman Capote (born on September 30) wrote: “A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue.”

VIRGO (Aug 2 – Sept 22)

Mercury moves into your money zone so you need to review financial matters, and get up-to-date with paperwork. Venus and Saturn send a reality check your way, as you realise it’s time to replace spending with saving. The Virgo/Libra emphasis could see you overdose on trying to be absolutely perfect. Remember – perfection is a goal (not a destination).

LIBRA (Sept 2 – Oct 2)

Strive to bring more peace, harmony and balance into your life. Be inspired by birthday great Mahatma Gandhi: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” It won’t happen without effort on your part though. Don’t be a lazy Libran! Roll up your sleeves and get to work, as you put abstract ideas into concrete action.

SCORPIO (Oct 2 – Nov 21)

The New Moon stimulates your soul sector, so turn your attention inward via some quiet contemplation. You’re in the mood to reminisce but don’t get bogged down with old grievances. A fresh start is possible, if you let your intuition point you in the right direction. Expect flashes of ESP, an insightful dream or a fateful meeting with someone special.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Dream big dreams Sagittarius, as the New Moon energises your hopes and wishes zone. But make sure your creative plans aren’t just surface gloss and glamour. Elbow grease (and the cooperation of others) is required if you want to turn your dreams into reality. A close relationship may be tested, as a friend reveals a surprising side of their personality.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 1)

It’s time to reassess your career aspirations. Are you pursuing your professional dreams and heading in the right direction? If not, then some radical adjustments may be necessary, as Uranus jolts you into action. Learn to delegate, otherwise you’ll end up being a grumpy Goat. And, if you are too consumed with work, friends and family will feel neglected.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 1)

Unpredictable Uranus charges you up with electric energy this week, as you juggle adventures and aspirations. You know what you want but have you told loved ones? You crave excitement and are impatient for change, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Think (carefully) before you act – and aim to be a realistic rebel with a worthwhile cause.

PISCES (Feb 1 – Mar 20)

This week’s New Moon promises exciting developments to do with lust or loot. Some flirtatious Fish can look forward to a hot new romance (or a revitalised old one) but there will be strings attached. Or you may feel drawn to intense and powerful people - but make sure they influence you in positive, productive ways. Try to keep sex and money separate.

general knowledge crossword

Across

1 Name the NSW governor who won the VC in WWII, Sir Roden

7 That which is meant for a select few, is said to be what?

8 What is another term for rabbit furs?

9 Which word describes a clandestine love affair?

10 What are fictitious narratives?

11 Name another expression for an amulet.

14 Which elevations serve as bulwarks or defences?

18 Name a more colloquial term for the heart.

19 What do we call an unexpected piece of good fortune?

21 What are musical compositions intended mainly for practice?

22 Which teeth are adapted for cutting?

23 Name the guitar-like instruments of India.

Down

1 Name a strainer for draining off liquids, in cookery.

2 To linger about a place is to do what?

3 What withstands the flow of electricity?

4 What is another term for an attic?

5 Which person has the highest level of mental ability?

6 Name the outer and thinner of the two bones of the lower leg, extending from the knee to the ankle.

12 To feel no inclination towards anything is to be what?

13 What is the death of a piece of tissue?

15 What describes extraterrestrial beings?

16 Which type of English was formerly used in Melanesia, etc?

17 To pronounce not guilty is to do what?

20 What is the largest division of geological time?

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