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By Freyla Ferguson
AS the dust settles from the sale of TransACT to Perth-based telecommunications company iiNet for $60 million, TransACT CEO Ivan Slavich has already become accustomed to his new nickname “iiVan”.
It’s proved a far-cry from what he thought the sale would mean to the position he has held for the past two years.
“I always assumed that part of the deal was that the first to get the bullet was the CEO,” he said.
“But Michael [Malone, CEO of iiNet] said quite to the contrary: ‘No, Ivan we want you to stay on and we want your executive to stay and your team’.
“One of the things they were buying was our management expertise. And I think that is terrific.”
And he says he never feared his own future in the sale. “I’m quite confident in my abilities and capabilities, in fact I received a few job offers when it was announced and I had to reject them,” he says “It was never ever a fear for me, maybe for my family, but not for me.”
A tip-off two weeks ago, leaked the sale to the press, however all lips were sealed until it was announced last week, which was “extremely frustrating” for Ivan because “I do like to comment”.
The sale of TransACT has been on the cards
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since November 2009, however the real work towards its sale began only in June.
“The reality is that this has been a pretty long process,” he said.
“I was working with ActewAGL and TransACT, and I moved over to TransACT full time as CEO in November 2009, so this has all been a big process.
“I virtually rolled back all the services ActewAGL provided so that TransACT could be a stand-alone entity ready for a sale.
“The decision was really made to sell the business at the middle of the year.
“Since then we have worked really hard to make that happen.”
It was the impending exit of the company’s biggest shareholder, Hong Kong based, private equity firm TVG, as it reached the end of its investment cycle, that sparked the sale.
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Although Ivan has the reassurances from iiNet CEO Michael Malone that there will be no redundancies, other concerns include sponsorship stability.
“There has been some concern about whether we are going to continue sponsoring the women’s basketball team the Capitals,” he said.
“The reality is that the term of that sponsorship is coming to an end and we are going to review it.
“The ownership of TransACT will bear no difference.”
And although the services TransACT provides to customers, current agreements, and the quality of customer care from staff will continue, there is no doubt there will be a restructure of the organisation
“The thing with ‘business as usual’ doesn’t mean no changes, actually I’ve wanted to make
some changes in the company and I have mentioned that to my staff on Monday,” he said.
“I want to do a bit of a restructure to improve our customer service and to get good alignment with iiNet.
“I actually wanted to do it before, but our position has changed.
“All businesses need to evolve and restructure and shape themselves but that’s a normal evolution of any company.
“There will be changes but changes for the better to improve what we do for our customers to improve our shareholders, make sure we deliver for the community and our customers.”
iiNet’s acquisition of TransACT also means the company’s capabilities will improve with a major power upgrade already in motion for TransACT’s data centre, which will offer cloud computing and managed services for corporate and government clients.
“I think it will really turbo charge the company. I think it will really improve our capabilities in terms of products to customers and customer service,” he said.
“That means you have a lot of clout. Providing smart and innovative products to customers gives you a capability, a strong capability.”
Despite TransACT entering a new chapter, Ivan says he’s committed to his position as CEO.
“It’s a great job, it’s a great team here. I am really looking forward to working with iiNet,” he says.
“I can’t see any losers... sorry, I can – our competitors.
“Honestly, there will be competitors really concerned from the point of view that we are just going to get stronger.”

AT this festive time of year it is clear that those of us who celebrate Christmas divide into two distinct kinds of people.
Those who can’t wait to deck the halls with boughs of holly and, well, people like me, who at the first early flash of tinsel in shopping centres get that familiar sinking feeling.
I’m really not a Christmas person. I think for many of us Christmas is one of the most draining times of the year when there’s too much to do in too little time and way too much pressure. Yet it just can’t be avoided – especially if you are a parent.
However, despite the best intentions, things
sonya Fladun

don’t quite work out the way they’re meant to.
My recent Christmas disasters include:
The night before Christmas when the fridge went on the fritz in the heat and we had to chuck out most of our Christmas food.
The turkey I forgot to defrost and we ended up eating chicken risotto.
The huge turkey that took forever to cook and we didn’t get to eat until about 9pm after we dismembered it and stuck it in the microwave.
The turkey meatloaf that may not have
been turkey at all and gave us mild food poisoning.
The large, natural Christmas tree that developed a hunchback, insect infestation and dropped pine needles all over the lounge room floor and had to be urgently replaced late on Christmas eve with a tiny artificial tree from the supermarket.
The carefully wrapped presents that our new puppy completely destroyed.
The Christmas lights cable he chewed causing a short circuit and we only narrowly avoided a house fire.
The smelly present our now fully grown cocker spaniel deposited under the tree that on Christmas morning the kids excit-
FREYLA FERGUSON
reports on a very different form of festive cheer that will sweep across Civic in the days to Christmas
“CHRISTMAS Remix” will see hip-hop, breakdance, contemporary, jazz and swing routines by dance school Kulture Break and Christmas tunes remixed by DJ and rapper Kg performed every weekday lunchtime across the city.
It is an initiative of Canberra CBD Ltd and CEO Stephen Gregory said the idea was to create an inviting Christmas ambiance in the city for all people to enjoy.
“We were looking at possible options for a program in line with Canberra CBD Ltd,” he said.
“We thought, what could we bring to the city that can be seen across a wide distance, but wasn’t lost amongst the hustle and bustle of every day.
“A DJ and dance is something that is definitely different.
“It’s entertainment with a youth focus, but aimed at all age groups. People can stop and say: ‘Oh, wow’.”

“Christmas Remix” DJ Kg and members of the Kulture Break dance school... remixing traditional and contemporary Christmas songs from fixed locations including Hobart Place, Lonsdale Street, City Walk
edly thought was reindeer poo.
One might think these disasters might have psychologically scarred our children, but the truth is they hardly noticed as they were carried away by the excitement of the day (although last year when we had Christmas dinner at a much more organised, foodie friend’s house they did say it was their best Christmas ever).
To save yourself the last-minute panic, get your act together early (like about now). It does help. But if this is beyond you and, like me, you fly by the seat of your pants, don’t panic either.
As parents, we often seek a perfectly orchestrated day when a simple happy Christmas full of sharing, fun and love is all that is really required.
HE’S baaack! If you thought the Phantom died in the blaze at the Paris Opera House that finished “The Phantom of the Opera”, you were wrong. As Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to the story, “Love Never Dies”, reveals, 10 years on, the Phantom is holding court in Coney Island, New York.
Christine, a now famous diva, has a 10-year-old strangely musical son, Gustav, but who is his father?
This is an entirely Australian production for which Lloyd Webber has written new songs and revised the London version.
Directed by Simon Phillips and choreographed by Graham Murphy, it opens in January at the Coney Island-like Capitol Theatre, Sydney, with young stars Ben Lewis as the Phantom and Anna O’Byrne as Christine.
“CityNews” has six sets of four family A-reserve tickets (24 in all) to give away to the preview matinee performance of Sunday, January 8 at 3pm. The tickets are valued at $130 each and parents should note that the show is suitable for children over the age of 13. Entry details at citynews.com.au/win
“In other public performances, dance has always captured people’s attention,” she said.
“People love seeing young people, vibrant and expressing themselves.”
Music will be provided by former
According to event organiser Jennifer Salkeld, dance had been popular in past “Groovin’ in the City” programs.
Canberran and now Sydney-based DJ Kg, who said he wants people to enjoy the Christmas vibe through their live performance.
DJ Kg will remix traditional and contemporary Christmas songs from fixed locations including Hobart Place, Lonsdale Street, City Walk West, Ainslie Avenue and
City Walk East.
Dancers will perform where music is amplified, with some “flash” performances taking place in random locations.
But Mr Gregory wants to remind traditionalists, there will also be appearances from a choir singing Christmas carols across the CBD.



By Libby Hill
IN an effort to make the “high-risk profession” of horse racing a little safer, Thoroughbred Park now has plastic running rails and posts.
Thoroughbred Park CEO Peter Stubbs says safety is paramount, which is why the $165,000 improvements have been made to the turf course proper and Acton synthetic tracks.
The new plastic replaces the older aluminium rail and steel posts.
“Over a number of years we have seen racing improve, moving from old wood rails, then to aluminium and now plastic,” Peter says.
“The new plastic posts are designed to collapse if there is a collision. Obviously, if a horse comes into contact with the plastic, the severity of the injury will be less than if the aluminium
rails were there.”
But Peter says he can’t remember such an accident at the Canberra track.
“We take a lot of measures to ensure the safety of horses and jockeys,” he said.
“Racing is a profession of high risk so we do whatever we can to improve safety.”
For Thoroughbred Park, there have been no immediate impacts on insurance premiums, but Peter says one unexpected flow-on effect of the new rails has been a reduction in the staff wage bill.
“We move the rail after most race meetings and what used to take us three days, we can now do in a day,” he said.
The rail is the Fornells brand, invented in Australia by Cranbourne horse trainer Ray Borg and is guaranteed for 20 years.


By Libby Hill
A GROUP of vision-impaired people are finding fitness and fun as part of an exercise group called FIT-Ability.
The FIT-Ability tandem cycling program offers tandem cycling opportunities to vision-impaired Canberrans, as well as to those with other disabilities who would otherwise be unable to cycle independently.
They get to ride on the back of a bike with a volunteer “pilot” on the front.
Paralympian Lindy Hou suffers from a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. She has been legally blind since 1996 and has been involved with FIT-Ability for a couple of years.
“The aim is to give people who are blind or vision impaired the oppor-
tunity to exercise on a bike without having to be stationary in a gym,”
Lindy says.
“One of our riders has been vision impaired all his life so he went to a special school and was a bit segregated in that sense. He says that since he’s been riding he gets to socialise and communicate with others.”
Lindy laughs at the suggestion it would be easier to ride a stationary bicycle in the gym.
“The thrill of riding downhill at 102km/h is one you will never get in a gym,” she says. “That is the fastest I have been, it’s my record.”
Lindy describes herself as a committee member of FIT-Ability, helping to co-ordinate the program. She competed in the Athens and Beijing Paralympics, bringing home a swag of medals.
“I just love cycling,” she says.
FIT-Ability started in the ACT in 2003 and continues with the help of Pedal Power, Females in Training and volunteers.
“We rely on volunteers – people driving around picking up people and bikes because tandem bikes are a bit harder to move around,” she says.
“The more volunteers we have, the better.”
FIT-Ability has a number of tandem bikes, road and recreational style.
“FIT-Ability is a program for a whole spectrum of riders and most of the people involved have never exercised in their life. We really try to cater for everybody,” Lindy says.
More information at www.fitability.org.au

By Freyla Ferguson
CHRISTMAS time can be a difficult and lonely time for women with loved ones in prison.
“When you go to the visiting centre at the jail it’s a terribly hard time,” says Meg Fitzgerald, of the international, Christian-based Kairos Outside for Women, an organisation dedicated to helping women who suffer from the impacts of having family or friends who are incarcerated.
“We can’t force people to come to Kairos Outside and we’re not saying it’s the only way, the only answer, but it is an opportunity to break the cycle of isolation and loneliness,” says Meg.
“It’s another view point, another life alternative. It’s an opportunity to break the cycle of hopelessness.”
Through the chaplaincy program at Alexander McConochie Centre, Kairos invites “guests” who are regular visitors of the jail, to their special free weekend, that gives women the opportunity to meet other women in similar circumstances.
The weekend has a strict confidentiality rule – “what you say there, stays there”.
According to a former inmate and now Kairos volunteer, Sue, the weekends give women the opportunity to realise they are not alone.
“A lot of ladies say when they’ve gone to the jails on the weekend, after they have gone on the Kairos weekend, instead of hiding their heads in shame, they have seen someone who was at that Kairos weekend,” she says.
The weekend also creates a friendship base, for regular coffee dates or just for a chat.
Suzanne is a grandmother, whose grand-

daughter served a sentence in Bimberi. She had been invited to weekends before, but this year was the first time she said “yes”.
“It’s been the best. It was like all my birthdays and Christmases had come at once.”
Meg says often women try to hide the shame and pain they carry, when a loved one is incarcerated.
“Just the shock and grief that they go through wondering what on earth is going to happen to
their child or their partner in prison,” says Meg.
“If it’s their husband who goes to prison, and sure they’ve done the wrong thing and we’re not saying that’s a bad thing, but the finances stop.
“It can happen to someone who is having a very nice life and, all of a sudden, they are back having to re-train, re-educate, get a job.
“The whole of the family fabric breaks down and the psychological impact is just huge because of that factor.
“Kairos Outside” began in San Quentin State Correctional Facility, California, in 1989, when the chaplain saw a need to help prisoners’ families on the basis that those on the outside were often having as many problems as the loved one on the inside.
Kairos, a Greek word for a “special time” for a particular event, is active in more than 400 prisons and has more than 20,000 volunteers around the world.
In Australia, Kairos Outside started in Sydney in 1999 and operates in 11 regions.
“When they come to Kairos Outside they see that we are at work with people that don’t judge, that are very respectful. We see people as equal.”
And for Christmas they will be holding a special “dress as your favourite diva” Christmas Party.
“For the wives, the mothers, the sisters, the grandmothers, [Kairos Outside for Women] makes them understand they’re not alone, not going to have to do the sentence on the outside alone,” Sue says.
“Because if you have someone on the inside doing a two-year sentence, you are doing the twoyear sentence on the outside.
“We need to make them understand we care, and there are other women who are going through the same thing.”
More information and donations to www.kairos.org.au


Helen Musa

SCULPTOR Michael Le Grand is the 0 “CityNews” Artist of the Year.
At the ACT Arts Awards ceremony on November 29, held at M16 Studios in Griffith, actor and artist Max Cullen presented Le Grand with a $1000 cheque and handed out some wise words for artists.
Queanbeyan glass artist Harriet Schwarzrock joined with “CityNews” in presenting Le Grand with a glasswork.
The artist, who works from his home studio in Murrumbateman, told “CityNews” he was touched and honoured by the recognition that this award comes from the arts community in Canberra, where he was raised.
One of Australia’s most important sculptors, his public artwork is highly visible in Civic, with his landmark red Japanese-style “gates” on London Circuit and a new blue work recently installed in Darwin Place.
He has shown work regularly in Sydney’s Sculpture by the Sea, where he has exhibited 11 times.
The child of Canberra art pioneers Henri and Riek Le Grand, he has devoted his life to sculpture, rising to the position of head of the sculpture workshop at the ANU School of Art, which he describes as “the best institution around”.
One of the movers behind Floriade’s sculpture events, the ANU’s Sculpture Walk, the Australian National Capital Artists’ studio facilities and the National Sculpture Forum, Le Grand is an experimenter and a daringly outspoken advocate for the arts in Canberra.
The awards evening, hosted by the Canberra Critics’ Circle, also featured the circle’s own arts awards and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance’s Green Room awards. The 2011 Canberra Critics’ Circle awards went to: writers K. J. Taylor, Kathy Kituai, Irma Gold and Melanie Tait; film makers Robert Nugent and Marisa Martin; visual artists Jenni

Kemarre Martiniello, Robert Foster, Nikki Main, Ann McMahon and to Craft ACT; musicians David Mackay, Dominic Harvey, Annette Sloane, Alpha Gregory, and to the National Folk Festival’s “For The Fallen” concert; dance artists Liz Lea and Elizabeth Cameron Dalman; theatre productions by Supa Productions, Free Rain Theatre, Canberra Repertory Society and (collaborating with The National Library of Australia) Canberra Youth Theatre; theatre practitioners Christine Forbes, David McCallum, Chris Neale, Jim Adamik and Imogen Keen.
The MEAA ACT Green Room Award for 2011 went to Andrea Close for excellence and professionalism in all her theatre practice and the MEAA ACT Peer Recognition Award to Imogen Keen for her outstanding contribution, collaboration and innovation in theatre design.


MARK PARTON doesn’t like cricket, he loves it!
SUMMER has started and so has the international cricketing summer. Bring it on!
Each summer, I block out my diary for at least the first session of the first Test match. I’ll plonk myself in front of a big TV somewhere and lap up the action. Does that make me a cricket tragic? Yeah, I guess it does.
That first session is so important. It can set the pattern for the entire summer. I’m thinking of all of those summers when Glenn McGrath took the new pill on that first day in Brisbane and came steaming in from the Vulture Street end. My heart’s racing now just thinking about it.
We’ve got the Kiwis first up in a short, two-Test series this summer, followed by India.
And Canberra fans are in for an absolute feast of first-class cricket at Manuka Oval.
We’ve scored the interstate one day fixture between NSW and Tasmania on Sunday, December 4, to be followed by the Sheffield Shield clash between the same two sides starting on Tuesday, December 6.
But there’s more. The Indians come to town mid-December. Canberra is the place where they will prepare for their assault on our national team. Canberra has been blessed with not just one, but two tour matches between India and a Chairman’s XI. These will be the only tour games for India ahead of the Boxing Day Test. Canberra’s cricket tragics are so excited that they won’t sleep between now and then!
And don’t forget the Prime Minister’s XI. The PM’s XI game is on February 3. Sri Lanka is the visiting side and, as always, it’ll be a belter of a game.
See you at the cricket.
Mark Parton is the breakfast announcer at 2CC


MICHAEL MOORE thinks the presence of Peter Slipper as Speaker gives Labor its best chance of re-election
THE appointment of the Queensland now-former Liberal Peter Slipper as Speaker of the Federal Parliament is a short-term political coup for the Prime Minister.
For Tony Abbott’s conservative party it is a slap in the face. So much so that this will be the catalyst for Julia Gillard and Labor’s change of fortune. They will now have a genuine chance of government at the next election.
Julia Caesar may well have marched into Canberra securing her own future, but like her namesake 2000 years ago marching across the Rubicon, the price may well be yet another chink in the armour of our fragile democratic systems.
Slipper may be even-handed, fair and firm; however, the more politics plays with the role of the Speaker the greater the risk to our democratic systems.
Actually, the Liberals have long been advocates for an independent Speaker in this term of the Parliament. The Liberals’ website has an “Agreement for a Better Parliament” in which they seek to “amend Parliamentary Standing Orders to establish a more independent Speaker, limit the power of the executive, increase the ability of Parliament to scrutinise legislation, enhance the role of private member’s business and the committee system and make Question Time more useful and relevant”.
It was a shame Christopher Pyne didn’t remember this when he was carrying on his oppositional antics during the debate on Peter
Slipper. But that was different. The agreement was written at a time when the advantage of having one of the existing independents as Speaker would have provided an opportunity for the Coalition to form government.
Unlike the parliament in the ACT, the Speaker in the Federal Parliament does not vote unless to break a deadlock. The Coalition has been happy to play politics with the Speaker since last election. Now it has been turned back on them and provided Labor with the edge.
There is nothing sacrosanct about Westminster parliamentary democracy. Democratic systems all over the world that use the UK system as a base have modified, updated and changed many of its features – often with significant improvements in accountability, transparency and functioning.
However, there are some elements that ensure its viability in maintaining a fair and democratic functioning of the parliament. One of the key roles is that of the Speaker.
The Australian Parliament’s website outlines an important aspect of this role: “He or she is not responsible to the Executive Government and seeks to preserve the House’s independence from it.”
In Westminster, this is made very clear as, by protocol, other candidates do not seek election in the seat of the Speaker. Once appointed, the Speaker can be really independent as his or her seat is not under threat. Since Slipper would

now be highly unlikely to successfully contest the next election in the seat of Fisher, it must be assumed that the role of Speaker is his parliamentary swan song. At least it provides him with even more independence in the role.
Abbott has been merciless in his oppositional tactics, recently having his party dubbed by Anthony Albanese, the Manager of Government Business, as the “No-alition”. It has come back to bite him.
In taking up the role Speaker Slipper stated: “I will be relinquishing my party membership. I must say that I have been encouraged in this opportunity to serve the parliament in a new way by the actions of some people in the Liberal National Party in recent times.”






Year 10
CANBERRA Grammar School is leading the charge towards the digital world of education.
Next year, teachers and students in Year 9 will take part in a mobile device trial that will see about 200 iPads, used every day in the classroom.
“We are issuing them to staff this year to ensure they feel comfortable with the way they operate and to develop an approach to using them more successfully in the classroom,” head of drama Patti Kennedy-Hine said.
“But at the same time we are encouraging other students, in other years, to bring in mobile devices that work best for them.”
Currently, students who own tablets are encouraged to bring them into the classroom, to take notes, work on group assignments or use applications that help them with everyday class work and projects.
Year 11 student Nick Perillo uses his iPad everyday to take notes in class.
“I can do handwriting on this,” he says. “It’s good, you can use the internet now the school is set up on the wireless network.
“You can conveniently get information to back up your notes.”
Head of design, arts and technology
By Freyla Ferguson

Lucy Atkinson said some text books are now digital.
“They have hot links to them, so if you need to know more about it, you click on to that and it opens you up into Google,” she said.
“Students can also highlight information.”
Ms Kennedy-Hine said she had developed ebooks for the classroom, where she incorporated multimedia and notes that students could access and add to.
Year 9 student, Joshua Fridgant said his French teacher shared applications with students to help revise for tests and for French translation.
“It’s reciprocal in that teacher and students can both contribute to the learning,” Josh said.
The school said it was not just about access to information, but about students being enabled to start learning as soon as they entered the classroom.
Year 10 student Bright Lai said using a tablet opposed to a note book had made a world of difference to his efficiency.
“We had visual arts diaries, and had to write our scripts, time management and
shot list,” he said.
“But then we moved on to this tablet and we typed everything out in five to 10 minutes.”
The trial will be completed at the end of next year with both students and teachers taking part in surveys throughout the year.
The compiled surveys will make up an exit survey that will help the school decide how they want to take the use of mobile devices into the future.
Ms Kennedy-Hine said she hopes by the end of the trial students will take some ownership of their learning.
“We hope our school wireless network becomes really robust and we know what it can handle, so that we can open it up to whatever technology is working for the student,” she said.
The school also hopes that the skills developed in the classroom by using mobile devices can be transferred on to life after school.
“We hope kids that leave us are more adaptable when they hit the marketplace,” Ms Kennedy-Hine said.
“That they’ve got a real sense of ownership over how they function with a device like this.
“And they should be able to work with a much more intuitive response to integrated technology.”

By Libby Hill
JUDITH Wenning remembers a time when Ainslie and Griffith were Canberra’s outer suburbs and Queanbeyan “was the place to go for a night out”.
Mrs Wenning was born at the Royal Canberra Hospital, at Acton, in March, 1942, and grew up in Manuka, where she lived for 54 years.
The mother of four has been nominated for a Canberra Gold Chief Minister’s Award, for people who have made a long-term commitment to the ACT and have lived here for 50 years or more.
“It was just good fun back then. It was a lovely place to grow up because everything was quite new,” she says.
“I remember when the Queen came out here in 1954 and we all went to Manuka Oval to see her. We stood around for hours and some of the children fainted because of the heat.”
She says she spent her younger days playing at Rocky Knob, now known as Narrabundah Heights, and as she got older, went to many dances at Albert Hall.
While she remembers sun-baking at Manuka pool often when she was younger, these days Judith spends lots of time at the Erindale pool, where she swims most mornings with about 20 of her friends.
Growing up in a house on Flinders Way, Mrs
Wenning attended Telopea Park school and went to work in the Department of Works’ typing pool before getting a job at Public Benefit Shoes in Civic.
“I loved working there. I met friends there and we are still friends today.”
Mrs Wenning says there is no city more beautiful than Canberra and she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
“It’s not hard to get around, everything is accessible.
“Canberra has a reputation of being snobby, but it’s definitely not snobby. I always find that anyone who was born here is a nice person,” she says.
And while she’s seen many changes to Canberra’s landscape, there is only one building she’s not fond of – the National Museum of Australia.
“I thought it was a shame to knock down the Canberra Hospital. I don’t like the look of the new building there.”
To nominate someone for a Canberra Gold Award, a nomination form can be completed online and needs to be submitted by the end of January each year. A brief background may be included with the nomination. For further information contact 6205 3031 or go to www.cmd.act. gov.au/communication/gold


NICK JENSEN, the ACT director of the Australian Christian Lobby, reflects on what White Ribbon Day means to him
AUSTRALIA has just recognised White Ribbon Day, a day dedicated to stopping violence against women in Australia.
We might think that in Canberra this issue has been well and truly dealt with, but unfortunately this is not the case as those in the welfare and health industries will tell you.
The most pertinent story in history regarding a shift against violence against women, as well as the inherent value and equality of every member of the human race, must go back to the gospel of John.
There is one scene where a woman caught in adultery is dragged into the marketplace to be publicly beaten and killed (a practice that still occurs in some parts of the world today).
Jesus of Nazareth stands between her accusers and the woman, making clear that he was willing to put himself in danger in order to protect her, and he eventually convinces the crowd to disperse.
This, of course, is only a small snapshot of the message, but it is these stories around Jesus which ultimately transformed Western culture into one that didn’t treat women as secondclass.
What he did is certainly what I think is required of all of us, to stand in the way of anyone attempting to harm those most vulnerable in our
society, and this is what I think White Ribbon Day is about.
The other point on this topic worth mentioning is the current legal industry in Canberra with the highest level of abuse against women. According to field research done in the US, 60-75 per cent of women in prostitution were at some point raped, 70-95 per cent were physically assaulted, and 68 per cent met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder, which is in the same range as combat veterans.
Our Legislative Assembly is expected to report back soon with recommendations surrounding the prostitution industry in Canberra, and there is a good chance it will expand brothels into the suburbs.
The sex industry lobby argues that this will make prostitution safer, but in reality we will simply see a significant increase in what is an inherently abusive industry.
White Ribbon Day is extremely important and needs to be recognised.
I fear, however, that it will simply be a meaningless token and that we are actually moving the opposite way in our society unless the ACT Government takes seriously the need to support those women who are victims of domestic abuse, as well as those being exploited by the sex industry.
Let us stand in that gap, and not continue to feed a culture where we simply turn our heads and allow this to happen.




You Are Here, a 10-day arts festival with events held in vacant shopfronts, open spaces and independent stores, cafes and bars, returns to the CBD in March, in the lead up to the Centenary of Canberra in 2013
IT’S easy to pop your earphones in, keep your head down and walk through the city with no perception of what’s happening around you.
But Canberra’s ever-evolving arts scene wants to remind city dwellers exactly where they are.
You Are Here is a 10-day arts festival held over the Canberra Day long weekend, that offers free arts events from all disciplines – visual arts, performance, theatre, dance and music – featuring some of Canberra’s most talented artists.
The events are held in vacant shopfronts, open spaces and independent cafes and bars throughout the CBD.
Produced by David Finnigan, Yolande Norris and Adam Hadley, 2012’s edition is set to be all about “visibility and accessibility”.

“You are Here focuses on all different types of art forms,” Yolande says.
“Visual art to theatre to performance art to music, writing, poetry... anything that is creative in some way, even if it is not usually an art form.”
With the producers currently adding the nal touches on the 2012 events, the program is largely based on the success of last year’s pilot festival.
The original idea to “deliver a series of arts activities in the CBD” was presented to playwright Finnigan by Centenary of Canberra creative director Robyn Archer.
David, who founded and co-directed the 2009 and 2010 Crack Theatre Festival in Newcastle as a part of This Is Not Art and whose scripts have been produced by professional and co-operative theatre companies throughout Australia and the Philippines, quickly brought on the creative talents of visual artist and writer Yolande to create the 2011 festival.
“Canberra is full of surprises,” Yolande says.
“You can live here for decades and not know everything about this city.”
Last year’s program included events such as “The Last Prom” – an apocalyptic showcase of music and theatre in the former vacant Dick Smith shopfront; the Carpark Festival, set up in the back alleyways of the Melbourne Building and choreographer and performer Liz Lea’s “Blue Bird” in The Bally tent in City Walk.
Visual arts events included, a work by artist George Edwards, who spent 10 days transforming a boring staircase on Akuna Street into “a delicious swirl of architectural eye-candy” and the Re-loved Creations Pop-up Shop, where local designers created and sold garments in a co-operative shop held in the mall.
“Venues work in three ways,” Yolande says.
“First thing, is utilising outdoor spaces,

City Walk, Garema Place.
“Secondly, we partner with independent business, cafes, shopfronts. For example, last year we had some great theatre in PJ O’Reilly’s Pub.
“And we had another poetry/word event in Lonsdale Street Roasters.
“They were all really successful – and that’s what we’ll also be doing in 2012.
“Thirdly, we try to utilise vacant of ce and shop space in the city.”
The festival, also included some of Canberra’s ex-pats, who grew up in Canberra but moved to Sydney and Melbourne to further their studies at NIDA or VCA.
This year, You Are Here has also brought in the creative talents of Canberra poet, writer, performer Adam Hadley.
Hadley’s experience spans 10 years and he has produced and curated performance


events for Canberra Youth Theatre, Belconnen Community Festival, The Phoenix Bar, The Front Gallery & Café, The National Folk Festival and Crack Theatre Festival.
“I think that, considering Canberra in about ‘99 and 2000 had a dip in arts festivals with public liability issues and it really quietened down, it’s really great to see it steadily build up again,” he said.
I feel it’s really building with the Centenary and You are Here is helping and facilitating that growth.
“We want to make sure that by 2014 we are still continuing to grow and not stop to start all over again.”
The producers want to ensure people that the festival is a “safe experience” for all ages.
“We are not going to have people jump out guerrilla-style with ash mobbing crowds,” Hadley said.
“You are Here got the ‘hipster’ tag last year, but for 2012 we are really aiming for authenticity that not only includes the amazing avant garde and different style work, but also more traditional theatre and visual art.”
With the success of 2011 You Are Here, the producers have called on anyone involved this year to take part in next year’s festival. And the interest so far is overwhelming.
“They’ve had a really positive arts experi-

ence,” Yolande said.
“Especially all the independent businesses. They want events like this all the time, so there’s de nitely a want for this.”
And with the program soon to be announced, now’s the time for Canberra people to get behind the local art scene and take part in You Are Here
“People are really seeing the capabilities of Canberra and not letting some of Canberra’s short comings be an issue anymore,” Hadley says.
“They are nding ways around them and pushing through them.”

at one of the lunchtime “Close Listening Concerts”.
You Are Here will run from March 8-18 in various locations across the CBD. Entry to events is free. More information at youareherecanberra.com.au
You Are Here is an initiative of the ACT Government and is also supported by Canberra CBD Ltd.




THE news that Portia was selling Portia’s Place after 25 years came as a shock with rumours rife the famous Chinese restaurant in Kingston would close within months of the June announcement.
But almost six months later the restaurant’s doors remain open and there’s a good reason why – the new owner is the chef!
Kun Chen has been head chef at Portia’s Place for more than a decade creating the dishes that have made the award-winning restaurant so famous. He took ownership on July 1 with his business partner Jessica Huynh.
“He’s like a brother to me,” says Jessica about her rela -
let everyone know they’re here to stay.
“We tell everyone we are here to look after them,” Jessica tells “CC”. “Just the other day Kevin Rudd was in here and we tell him we keep everything the same... we look after him.”
Portia’s Place is as famous for its political clientele as it is for its crispy duck pancakes and Shangtung Lamb. Regulars include Liberal MP Joe Hockey, Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and former Labor leader Kim Beazley.
THERE’S been a lot of talk about the new bar that’s set to open in Manuka soon. Construction continues at the old Verve site on the corner of Franklin Street and Flinders Way.
grand opening celebrations will be left disappointed. Word is there won’t be any.
“We’ll just be open one day,” Condi says.
THE ABC’s Genevieve Jacobs has talked openly about experiencing the loss of a child.
The afternoon’s presenter was officially launching the SIDS and Kids ACT “Nurture” cookbook when she revealed her reason for accepting the invitation to take part.

we’re all invited!
Tickets are $45 and include dinner and dessert, a signed copy of the 2012 ACT Firefighters Calendar, entertainment by Special K and a chance to meet some of the calendar models.
“CC” will be there on the night. So get a group of girlfriends together and book now. It’s all for a good cause with all proceeds going to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Canberra Hospital. Bookings are essential on 6162 5656.
honour of being his
is keen to

“CC” can confirm Frank Condi is just one of the Canberra-based businessmen in a consortium involved with the new venture. And after bumping into him during the week, he’s told “CC” they’re very close to opening.
“We’re almost there,” says Condi. “We’re opening a new-age gastro bar which is a bar, restaurant and pub all put together.”
And while Condi wouldn’t make public the bar’s name, when pressed, he did reveal a little inside information.
“I can’t comment on the name, but I can tell you we’ve made a discovery,” he says. “We found some of the original building underneath the construction so we’ve incorporated the old with the new and that’s all I can say.”
But those keen to be part of the
“I’m known for enjoying food,” Jacobs says. “But I had a much more personal reason for saying yes to the invitation... and that’s Susannah, my daughter, who should be turning 14 next year.”
Jacobs, who is the new ACT patron of SIDS and Kids, spoke about the emotional pain she experienced losing her daughter at 18 weeks gestation.
“That New Year’s Eve, when the rest of the world was out celebrating, I was instead in labour at Calvary Hospital in Wagga,” she says.
“Some of those closest to me didn’t quite understand why I hadn’t ‘got over it’ three or four months later.”
Jacobs told “CC” she’s been impressed to hear about the extent and depth of support that SIDS and Kids offers everyone who is affected by the loss of a baby or small child. And she believes the “Nurture” cookbook is a perfect way to raise funds for the cause.
“What better way to mark that journey than with food which gathers us all together... over the dinner table... we hear other people’s stories and our own burdens are lightened?” Jacobs says.
The SIDS and kids cookbook contains recipes from leading chefs and restaurants in the Canberra region and makes the perfect Christmas gift. Call the office for details 6287 4255.
The author is a board member of SIDS and Kids ACT.
CALLING on all Canberra ladies... how does an evening with a few hunky firefighters sound?
That’s exactly what’s on the menu for the launch of the 2012 ACT Firefighters calendar at the Dickson Tradies, Monday, December 5. And
A NEW fashion label has been launched in Canberra. “It Is Isn’t It” is the brainchild of Gerard Wilton and his cousin Dana Samson. And the pair celebrated, with invited guests and designers, on a rooftop in Kingston recently.
“The night was amazing,” Wilton tells “CC”. “The clothes looked fantastic and the models were fabulous.”
Apparently Zoo Advertising’s managing director Clinton Hutchinson gave the emerging designers access to the rooftop of the 59 Wentworth Avenue building. And the word is that he was very impressed with the launch and the clothes.
“The label is very Melbourne... it’s streetwear,” Wilton says. “Loads of people are saying they won’t have to trek down south now because they can get everything they love right here in Canberra.”
More information at www.itisisntit. com


THE shop at Beaver Galleries has a collection of Christmas gifts like no other store in Canberra.
“That’s because we have exclusive arrangements with all our artists so you know you are getting something special here,” says co-owner Susie Beaver.
For two decades, Martin and Susie Beaver have been showing the work of Australian artists in their renowned Beaver Galleries in Deakin and it’s no secret the gallery shop is a popular place for Christmas gifts.
“We know that people are busy in the days before Christmas so we are open until 5pm on Christmas Eve,” Susie says.
Rather than leave it until the last minute this year, many people are choosing to visit and pick up a unique gift since the launch of the “Christmas Collection” in November.
This collection features gift ideas that haven’t been shown in the gallery shop before and includes ceramics, prints, glass, jewellery and some surprising pieces woven in polypropylene.
“You can shop for a present, you can admire some beautiful art and then you can have some lunch or a coffee in the cafe, so it’s a multi-purpose venue,” Susie says.


The gallery shop features beautiful jewellery from artists who work across a range of mediums including glass, acrylic, silver, pearls and plastic. The jewellery ranges in price from $40 up to thousands of dollars “and a lot in between”, Susie says.
As well as glass, perfume bottles, bowls and platters, there are ceramics, wood items and limited-edition prints from “still-life prints through to ying pigs”.
“From print makers, painters, sculptors, we’re showing a great diversity of work,” she says.
Beaver Galleries shows mid-career and emerging Australian artists.
“During the year we mount exhibitions every three weeks so there is always something different. It could be challenging or refreshing, it could be stimulating or it could just be beautiful,” Susie says.
“The diversity and quality of the artwork, all by Australian artists, is what sets us apart,” says Martin.
“We’ve always felt we have an educational role to play as well so it’s not just about selling art for us. Ultimately, the best clients are the best-informed clients, so we give people plenty of

Martin and Susie Beaver… “The diversity and quality of the artwork, all by Australian artists, is what sets us apart,” says Martin.
information about the artists and their artwork as they wander around and see what they like.”
And for an emerging artist, Beaver Galleries is an aspirational place to have your work shown.
“In the past week we’ve had more than a dozen artists approach us. There are many more artists than there are galleries,” Susie says.
The Palette Cafe at Beaver Galleries is well-loved among Canberrans and visitors alike for “fantastic coffee and lovely food,” says Martin, “it’s innovative restaurant food, but in a casual cafe environment.”
Susie says: “One of the reasons we have the cafe here is to make the gallery environment more inviting. People can feel very intimidated by galleries, but this is not like that at all.”



Beaver Galleries, 81 Denison Street, Deakin.
Open Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm, Call 6282 5294. Palette Cafe, 6282 8416. More information at www. beavergalleries.com.au






















































































With Joanne Madeline Moore December
5-11
ARIES (Mar – Apr 0)
Think before you speak early in the week, as hasty words can cut like a knife. You’ll be more accident prone than usual, so pace yourself. Attached Aries – lusty Venus/Mars aspects boost passion in partnership. Singles – look for a lover who is wise and emotionally mature. Thursday is the perfect day to power through projects with extra energy and enthusiasm.
(Apr – May 0)
Love, romance, travel and adventure are all mixed together early in the week. But it’s not a good time to go on a spontaneous spending spree, buy or sell property, lend cash or make major financial moves. You’re liable to make decisions based purely on your emotions, which are fluctuating wildly under Sunday’s Lunar Eclipse (which stirs up your money zones).
GEMINI (May – June )
Your humorous, playful side is highlighted, but don’t overdo the practical jokes or you’ll upset others (especially early in the week). With the Lunar Eclipse lighting up your sign on Sunday, you’re in chatterbox mode and firing on all cylinders. Doing things quickly doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing a good job though. Resist the urge to spread gossip around.
(June – July )
Communicating with others will be a minefield early in the week. Expect issues from the past to come up (or the resurfacing of an unresolved problem) as Sunday’s Lunar Eclipse magnifies your mystery zone. You could also link up with a long-lost friend or make contact with a never-forgotten ex. You’re a sentimental soul, so prepare for an emotional and memorable week.
LEO (July – Aug )
Most people are more unpredictable around Full Moon time. Sunday’s Lunar Eclipse energises your eccentricity zone, so you’re bound to surprise (or even shock) others with your bold and bossy behaviour. It’s also the best day to be creative, as you tap into the Leo artist within. Friends and finances are a fractious mix at the moment, so aim to keep the two separate.
VIRGO (Aug – Sept )
If you were hoping for some peace and quiet, forget it, as Mercury/Mars aspects stir up anger early in the week. And the Lunar Eclipse stimulates your work and domestic zones, so life will be hectic as you hurtle from one drama to the next. Creative problem-solving will help you through. If you’re looking for employment, a bold and proactive approach is the best way to go.
LIBRA (Sept – Oct )
Attached Librans – are you having relationship problems? Let your intuition point you in the right direction. Singles – don’t sit around waiting for your soul mate to magically appear. Be creative and think outside the square. Sunday’s Lunar Eclipse activates your travel zone, so it’s time to expand your horizons and be more adventurous (both mentally and physically).
SCORPIO (Oct – Nov )
What do you share with others? Whether it’s cash, property or intimacy; joint endeavours are put under the spotlight for examination and reassessment. With Jupiter in your relationship zone, aim to be less possessive and more generous. Mercury reverses through your money sector (until December 14) so make sure you’ve done your financial homework.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov – Dec )
Spontaneous Sagittarians like to be blunt. But, with Mercury reversing through your sign (and squaring Mars) too much straight-talking will lead to a severe case of ‘foot-in-mouth’ syndrome early in the week. Relationship issues may come to a head on the weekend, as the Lunar Eclipse stirs up unresolved problems. Best to clear the air; then you can move on.
CAPRICORN (Dec – Jan )
You’ll be very critical of yourself this week, as you tackle challenges and worry about the future. Avoid self-sabotage – the only person who’s stopping your success is you! Conscientious Capricorns love life to run according to plan. But there’s unpredictable Lunar Eclipse energy about this weekend, so drop the strict routine and just take things as they come.
AQUARIUS (Jan 0 – Feb )
Projects that have been put on hold will start moving forwards from Saturday onwards, as Uranus goes direct. Sunday’s Lunar Eclipse falls in your friendship zone, so it’s a fabulous time to freshen up your peer group, and discover who your real mates are. As birthday great Jim Morrison wrote: “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.”
PISCES (Feb – Mar 0)
Are you procrastinating, and blaming others for partnership problems? The more proactive you are, the better your relationships will be. The Lunar Eclipse charges up your domestic zone, so lavish loved ones with plenty of TLC this weekend (plus pay attention to home maintenance). But make sure you keep your ideas (and expectations) grounded in reality.
Across
1 Who was responsible for the song "Tie me kangaroo down sport ", Rolf ...
8 Name the British prime minister 1979-1990, Margaret ...
9 What was the occupation of Figaro?
10 Name the small alcoholic drink, often taken as an appetiser.
11 What is the pendulous fold of skin under the throat of cattle?
13 Which term is applicable to an ancestral line?
16 Name another word for false teeth.
19 Who was the first explorer to cross Australia south to north, John McDouall ...
22 What is another word for a bog?
24 To confirm by expressing consent, or formal sanction, is to do what?
25 What does it mean, to be broken down or weakened by old age?
26 Name the chief justice of NSW 1974-88, Sir Laurence ... Down
2 Which other term is descriptive of a proverb?
3 What do we call one who resists authority or control?
4 Name a person employed to attend and groom racehorses in the stables.
5 What is another name for gemfish?
6 In which profession did, say, Clark Gable excel?
7 Which term is descriptive of one's death?
12 Name the premier of NSW 1976-86, Neville ...
14 What are the final courses of meals?
15 Name the capital of Latvia.
17 Which musical compositions are intended for the practice of techniques?
18 What are large, carnivorous, striped felines?
20 To put counterfeit money, or forged cheques into circulation, is to do what?
21 What is a different word for a shoulder firearm?
23 Which term describes little devils, or evil spirits?


Come on, it’s time to get that gift shopping done! With only a few weeks left, time’s running short to start or start finalising your Christmas shopping! “CityNews” has done some of the legwork and found some great Christmas gift options...
THE walls of Lellow, a kids’ boutique store in Braddon, have been painted with favourite storybook characters and the shop features an astro turf area for kids to play while parents browse.
Lellow was opened by owner Loretta Turco-Hately to provide a better option to buying kids’ toys and clothes, away from “the usual tacky, plastic stuff”.
Lellow promises only the highest-quality toys from brands such as Djeco, Le toy Le van and Tiger Tribe. And



“WE love Christmas,” says Diane Rowley, marketing manager, of The Marketplace Gunghalin.
“It is an exciting time of year and we are always thrilled to be able to bring joy to customers and children, while supporting our local community.”
The Marketplace is offering customers a free tote bag during December for anyone who spends $80 in one transaction.
“Free gift wrapping will also be available
from December 13, with thanks to St Vincent De Paul who will provide the service for as little as a gold-coin donation,” Diane says.
“Santa will be in the centre daily from December 13 and we invite parents to bring their own camera for a great picture – and best of all it’s free.”
The Marketplace Gunghalin, 33 Hibberson Street, Gungahlin call 6123 4900. www. themarketplacegungahlin.com.au

TAKE the hard work out of Christmas dinner and have it all done for you at Rydges Lakeside.
Sales and marketing manager Carley Simpson says “South Pole” and “North Pole” will be open for lunch, offering an extensive traditional Christmas menu.
“South Pole, on the first floor, will be a giant kids party celebrating all-things Christmas! Santa will also be making a guest appearance with gifts for the little ones,” Carley says.
“North Pole, located on the 15th floor, offers amazing views across Canberra city, Lake Burley Griffin and the Brindabella Mountains. On offer is a deluxe seafood and roast menu served on sharing platters to your table with our premier beverage package and a delicious dessert buffet to top it all off.”
North Pole: $195 adults only
South Pole, $155 adults, please enquire for children’s pricing
Rydges Lakeside Canberra, London Circuit, Civic, call 6247 6244.




FOR five years, Iain and Kylie Eaton have been selling boutique gifts at their Pialligo business Bliss Garden and Giftware.
With brands including Ecology, b.sirius and Seedling and products including homewares, ceramics, toys, and accessories, Bliss has gifts for the whole family.
“You can get really nice dress jewellery for reasonable prices,” says Iain.
In addition to gifts, Bliss has a huge range of pots, fountains and bistro settings that are well-priced.
When it comes to kids’ toys, Iain says wooden toys are popular this Christmas.
“People are sick of plastic toys and I find grandparents especially are looking for something a little more classic for the little ones.”
Bliss Garden and Giftware, 8 Beltana Road, Pialligo, call 6257 8358. www.blissgardengiftware.com.au







FOR a Christmas gift that will last all year, why not give a theatre subscription?
The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre subscription season “In The Mood” offers a variety of professional quality theatre, according to program manager Stephen Pike.
“With drama, comedy, musical theatre, murder mystery, music, indigenous stories and more, you can create a mood package for 2012 that will provide a unique range of experiences for someone special,” Stephen says.
The season will include Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”, Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid”, with comedian Jim Adamik in the title role.
Don Reid’s sequel to “Codgers” called “Biddies”.
On the same theme is Sue Fabisch’s “Motherhood, the Musical”, about the lives of four mums.
Another musical is “What A Man’s Gotta Do” about manhood and rites of passage in Australia,
written and performed by WA singer/songwriter
Andrew Horabin.
“Chasing the Lollyman” is a satirical, one-man show from Queensland indigenous performer, Mark Sheppard and there’s more satire in David Williamson’s comedy, “Let the Sunshine”.
More seriously, “April’s Fool” is David Burton’s play based on the true story of a young man’s death from drug use.
Old Everly Brothers favourites, such as “Bye-Bye Love” and “Wake up, Little Susie”, are brought to life in “Everly” and the year ends with a revival of ‘60s love-rock musical “Hair”.
A gift voucher for four or more shows can be created from 13 different productions featuring local artists as well as national and international touring companies.
Call 6285 6290 or in person at the box office located in The Q building, rear of 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan.
ON Saturday, December 10 and 17, between 10am and 1pm, Cooleman Court shopping centre, at Weston, is holding a free children’s Christmas bag-painting workshop with reusable shopping bags. Participants will also receive a Cooleman Court Christmas gift (while stocks last, of course).
The Ecumenical Cantata Choir will be performing at Cooleman Court at 11am on Saturday, December 10.
Meanwhile, Mr Chops, the Cooleman Court butcher, is taking Christmas orders. The shop supplies festive meats such as ham on the bone, boneless ham, fresh free-range turkeys, turkey breast and buffe, rolled loin of pork. Chickens Galore is offering a variety of free-range Lilydale chicken to serve over the Christmas period and Michel’s Patisserie is also taking orders.
Cooleman Court, Brierly Street, Weston, call 6288 8800. www.coolemancourt.com.au








THE Christmas Gift Fair at Watson Arts Centre is the place to go for original hand-crafted gifts, according to Sara Hogwood, of the Canberra Potters Society.
“At this time of year there are lots of Christmas fairs, sales and exhibitions around town, but for the best selection of ceramic artworks, jewellery, functional and sculptural items you have to head for the Christmas Gift Fair at Watson Arts Centre,” Sara says.
The gift fair features the work of some of Canberra Potters’ Society’s professional and semi-professional members.
“Not only will you find original gifts but you have the satisfaction of knowing that your purchases support local artists. With prices to suit every budget you’re bound to find something to suit even the fussiest of tastes.”
There’s free parking and if you drop by between 4pm and 7pm on Friday, December 16, you can enjoy drinks and nibbles.
The Christmas Gift Fair starts on December 8 and closes at 2pm, Saturday, December 24. More information at www.canberrapotters.com.au




WITH a variety of our beautiful Li’tya facial products to suit different tastes and styles, there is a Christmas gift pack for everyone at Jindii Eco Spa says owner Bianca Prichard.
“We have put together five wonderful Christmas gift packs, which will make the most fastidious present-receiver give a big smile,” Bianca says.
Jindii is running a Christmas promotion – buy three, get one free – for anyone who buys three gift vouchers or gift packs, they can get a gift for themselves.
“It’s the gift that gives back to you,” Bianca says.
Jindii EcoSpa, in Duffy, has previously been awarded a top honour at the Australasian Spa Association Awards, named “Best Spa in an Urban Location”. Jindii was designed and built to mini -
mise its carbon footprint, and enforces strict sustainable practices in its daily operations. In addition to treatments using the Li’tya range of organic spa products, Jindii offers lifestyle classes such as yoga and mindfulness workshops.
Jindii EcoSpa, 20 Jindabyne Street, Duffy, call 6257 8777. www.jindii. com.au

“GIVING is the true meaning of Christmas,” says Hayley Burton, “and donating a gift or non-perishable food item to the Salvation Army giving tree will help those less fortunate in your community.”
Hayley, marketing manager of The G Gungahlin, says the shopping centre has extended trading hours for its 31 specialty stores, and Coles is open until midnight daily and until 10pm on Christmas eve.
“Bring the kids on December 16 from 10am to noon and again from December 19 to 24 between 10am-2pm to see Santa and the Christmas Fairy perform magic right before your eyes,” she says.
“And if you’re feeling crafty, come in to make your very own Christmas wish bauble to hang on your tree.
“The G Gungahlin has your Christmas wrapped up.”
The G Gungahlin, 46-50 Hibberson Street, Gunghalin, call 6242 2005. www.theg.com.au
AS the sun goes down on Canberra at this time of year, the Christmas lights begin to sparkle. From a sprinkling of fairy lights to entire gardens decked out with Santa, reindeer, giant candy canes and Christmas trees, Canberra is sure to turn it on again this year.
“Instead of driving around aimlessly, hoping to stumble across the brightest garden in town, why not sit back, relax and be driven around Canberra on a pre-planned trip,”

DESIGNER fragrances from Vera Wang, Burberry, Calvin Klein and Bvlgary are all available at Kippax Pharmacy.
Perfume makes a great Christmas gift, according to manager Carol Knudsen.
“This is our second year stocking the fragrances for Christmas gifts and last year they absolutely flew out the door!” Carol says.
“We also have a huge range of kids toys including puzzles, starting from $6.95.”
Carol says she attends gift fairs in Sydney and Melbourne to source the best gifts for the pharmacy.
She has been managing the store for 15 years and has come to love the regular customers.
“I love the people! Everyone knows everyone by name and it’s a great place to work.”
Kippax Pharmacy, shop 8, Kippax Fair Shopping Centre, Hardwick Crescent, Holt, call 6254 8550.
says Anglicare’s Jeremy Halcrow.
Anglicare’s annual Christmas lights tour runs from December 15 to 17.
Tickets are $18 and include Christmas refreshments during the trip.
The bus leaves from St Barnabas Church, Charnwood at 8.15pm and returns around 10.30pm on each night.
The tour will cover northside and include a stop off or two.
Bookings to 6245 7134.





A night at the opera winners



By arts editor Helen Musa
THERE was no missing the showbiz flavour when The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, announced its subscription season for 0
With drama, comedy, musical theatre, murder mystery, music and indigenous stories, we are invited to get ourselves “In the Mood”.
Program director at the theatre, Stephen Pike, was responsible for the pizzazz that saw Broadway director Stephen Lloyd Helper in Queanbeyan to announce his production of “Syncopation”, a fusion of comedy, drama, romance and ballroom.
Pike has cunningly filched some of the best talent from over the border, with Canberra director Jordan Best staging Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”, a hit this year for Belconnen’s Tempo Theatre. Best will also restage Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid”, with comedian Jim Adamik in the title role. Veteran actor-turned-playwright Don
Reid was there, too. The Q has already staged his play “Codgers”, which dealt with the senior Aussie male. Now Christine Dunstan Productions is bringing us the sequel, “Biddies”.
On the same theme, brought by Hit Productions, is Sue Fabisch’s “Motherhood, the Musical”, about the lives of four mums.
But fear not, theatre-going blokes: “What A Man’s Gotta Do” is a musical about manhood and rites of passage in Australia, written and performed by WA singer/songwriter Andrew Horabin and seen at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
“Chasing the Lollyman” is a satirical, one-man show from Queensland indigenous performer, Mark Sheppard, who plays many characters, mixing stand-up, storytelling and clowning.
More satire will be seen in David Williamson’s comedy, “Let the Sunshine”, staged by Hit Productions’ regular director Denis Moore and billed as “part ‘Romeo and Juliet’, part ‘Meet the Parents’”.
A more serious note will be struck in “April’s Fool”, David Burton’s play based on the true story of a young man’s

“Biddies”... Playwright Don Reid’s sequel to “Codgers”.
death from drug use, but really about family and the choices we make.
And there’s pure entertainment in “Everly”, where old Everly Brothers favourites such as “Bye-Bye Love” and “Wake up, Little Susie” are brought to life.
Pike’s directorial turn comes at the
By Helen Musa
AH, nostalgia! Actor John Waters will be at the Canberra Theatre again in December with his famous John Lennon production, “Looking Through a Glass Onion”, which includes Lennon songs.
I saw it there in its first season and have never forgotten his quiet rendition of “Beautiful Boy”, written for Lennon’s son Sean. Waters loves it, too.
Waters denies he is an expert on The Beatles, but he knows all about Lennon, abandoned by both his parents and dumped with his Aunt Mimi.
“But he worked his way through it, in

his songs you see both the tenderness and the sorrow,” says Waters. There are also angry songs in “Looking through a Glass Onion”, Waters says, “though the feeling of tenderness is always trying to get out… it’s hard to give love when you’ve not received it as a child.”
Lennon conducted his therapy on a public stage. “It was a kind of primal scream that can be quite shocking, but then there’s also the sense of humour.”
“Sexy Sadie”, about his disillusionment with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is a case in point.
And The Beatles? “George and John were very close… it was the relationship with Paul that was the problem, because they loved each other.”
Waters himself grew up in the middle of British rock, performing in the band,
The Riots, from the mid-to-late 1960s before moving to Australia in 1968.
So what about young people today? Why do we place The Beatles on a pedestal? He is suspicious that “our children” don’t fully understand what was going on at the time.
And while we’re talking about children, Waters is very proud of his. There are adult kids Rebecca and Ivan from an earlier marriage, but now with his third wife Zoe, there are Archie, Gloria and Rusty, all under 9.
“A lot of things change over time,” Waters philosophises. “I’ve stopped smoking pot and given up all the excesses in my life…I feel rejuvenated and energised so I like doing this tour.”
“Looking Through a Glass Onion”, Canberra Theatre, 8pm, December 9, bookings to 6275 2700.

end of the year in an inspired choice – “Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical”. Amazing it’s survived so long after the Vietnam War and the hippie era – it’s the songs!
“In the Mood” is now open for bookings. Information at 6285 6290 or www.theq.net.au

John Waters... “I’ve given up all the excesses in my life… I feel rejuvenated and energised.”
By Helen Musa PRINT maker
Heather Burness has won the CAPO Fellowship, the organisation’s top award, which was presented at a gala night in the National Archives.
Enthusiastic well-wishers and visual art-lovers packed the Archives’ entrance hall and exhibition space to celebrate, to enjoy performances by Canberra artists and to take part in the CAPO art auction, where items donated by Canberra artists and businesses were sold to raise funds for the business-arts organisation’s work in supporting artists.
The Reading Room CAPO London Exhibition Award, which gives an Australian artist exposure to the London art marketplace, was won by Canberra visual artist Linzie Ellis. CAPO president Neil Doody said that in 2011 the Reading Room had become CAPO’s first sponsor of a national award, “an exciting development”.
The Singapore Airlines Travel Award went to sculptor/painter Wendy Teakel, while the Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award, sponsored by Community CPS Credit Union, went to metal smith Sean Booth. The Sage Legal Services Award went to visual artist Blaide Lallemand and the Eckersley’s Materials Award to visual artist Kate Barker.
Photographers Karen Dace and Eleanor Cotterell jointly won the Capital Insurance Brokers Award, and the new DMV Consulting Award went to Textile artist Amy Kerr.
Another new award, the National Press Club of Australia Emerging Artist Award, went to video artist and photographer Margaret McHugh.
The only performing arts winner for 2011 was Jigsaw Theatre Company, which received the Workplace Research Associates Award.
More information at www.capo. org.au



“ARTHuR CHRISTMAS” (G)
THIS kidzfilm for every age comes from Aardman Films, that exemplary British claymation house that gave us Wallace and Gromit.
In the 21st century, Santa Inc. has embraced modern technology. The reindeer have been retired to pasture. A gigantic call centre/warehouse packs and despatches kids’ wish-lists for delivery by jet-propelled sleigh.
The current Santa is due to make his last run before retirement. His technocrat elder son Steve expects to succeed him as CEO. His younger son Arthur works as a kind of office boy, facing a future such as awaits second sons in a family business.
From Cornwall, a little girl’s letter asking Santa for a bicycle has been delivered late. The system is not geared to cope with such aberrations. But Arthur, imbued with the spirit and ethos of Santa Inc., is insisting that the firm honour its obligation.
Santa decides to take a nap on Christmas eve. So GrandSanta brings out his beloved old sleigh, harnesses the reindeer and, accompanied by Arthur and Peter, the elf in charge of wrapping, sets forth to make the special delivery.
I doubt that any other animation house could have made a Christmas movie with such charm and imagination. The team of voicers is impressive, including James McAvoy as Arthur, Jim Broadbent as Santa, Bill Nighy as GrandSanta and Hugh Laurie as Steve.
At all cinemas
“THE IDES OF MARCH” (MA)
YOU might be forgiven for concluding that this American political thriller is a George Clooney vanity – he wrote and directed it and has second billing as Mike Morris, running for Democrat Party selection as Presidential candidate.
Top billing goes to Ryan Gosling as Stephen, second man in the campaign management team.
Other major players include Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Stephen’s immediate boss, George Giamatti as the other candidate’s manager and Marisa Tomei as a ruthless freelance reporter.
And Evan Rachel Wood as Molly, a political intern. In a cast of Hollywood majors, she stands out. Not only for her breathtaking beauty. I blundered unsuccessfully through
Dougal Macdonald

the Thesaurus in search of a word with more impact than “skill” to reflect the power of her acting.
In a film where we might see the candidate as hero, the screenplay (from the stage play “Farragut North” by Beau Willimon) perceives the young, keen, capable but sometimes fallible Stephen as dramatically a better bet. The plot is wonderfully devious, the tensions develop with inexorable inevitability (I love a good tautology) embedded in a strong surprise level.
Any film with George Clooney offers prospect of merit. If he keeps making vanities as powerful and well-crafted as this one, we will be well served.
At Dendy, Greater Union
“THE InBETWEEnERS MOVIE” (MA)
THIS movie inflates a British TV comedy series into a feature movie. Many people like it. I understand why. But popularity is no unassailable measurement of quality.
Four gormless British teenagers go to a Greek island to celebrate finishing secondary school. In Australia this rite of passage has its own vernacular name and culture.
Both TV series and film are the brainchild of Iain Morris and Damon Beesley (co-wrote, co-produced) and Ben Palmer (co-produced, directed). The film may look like the dumbest you’ve ever had the misfortune to see. In fact, creating something so intentionally bad needs clever minds.
The dialogue and plot situations rely on a flow, nay, a flood, of weak jokes – language, anatomical, excretory – that show no concern for credibility or discernment. The four lads have no redeeming features, which explains why their expectations of a fortnight of sexual excess have no chance of fulfillment. Had it been otherwise, the film would have been rated XXX.
The girls, on the other hand, are joyouslyflawed paradigms of humanity, understanding and accepting the complexity of casual relationships and their right to satisfy sexuality on their terms. I liked them and regret girls had been less so when I was fresh out of school.
At Dendy, Hoyts, Limelight
“Short + Sweet Dance” Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre, season closed.
Reviewed by Samara Purnell
IN this sold-out season of “Short + Sweet Dance”, in its second year in Canberra, it was pretty clear that of the nine short pieces, the “people’s choice” was going to be “Cuppa” by the Unkempt Dance troupe from Perth.
Deservedly so – the trio’s ‘50s inspired piece was clever, well danced and cute, the girls balancing timing and chemistry along with their teacups.
Two of the strongest pieces were Alison Plevey’s offering, mixing good physicality and strong choreography with humour in “Jane Citizen” and Tanya Voges’ depiction of a couple’s relationship, against the backdrop of a brewing storm. Her unique approach and thoughtful idea was engaging and one of the most complex pieces, despite relatively undemanding choreography.
A worthy piece from Tegan Jones made good use of space, but as a competent dancer, she would have benefited from more daring choreography.
Established performer Liz Lea choreographed a fairytale performed by Katie Senior, whose work was described as being in a “cross-culture and special needs” context. Her expressive face and movement, as she made her way around a pretty fairy-lit set, created a rich and convincing story. Despite solid dancing and a nice variety of ideas and diversity, overall the standard was not quite as high as last year. Some of the costuming was disappointing. Eliza Sanders rightfully won best female dancer and best choreographer for her “Two People, Together and at Once”. The talented Year 12 student created a demanding, energetic piece that displayed maturity in her choreography and concept. She danced to a great soundtrack in her performance with Natalie Kolobaric.

OFF to the nurseries at Pialligo we trundled, initially to get some plants.
It ended up that lunch was on the menu at the rustic Tulips Café, a place that aims to make you feel comfortable with its easy-going character and home-style, down-to-earth cooking.
Nurseries are always lovely places to have lunch and pretty Pialligo has a couple of cafés, including one at Rodney’s Nursery.
I believe the oldest one is Tulips, which has been serving customers for more than two decades.
A family business, Tulips has plenty of outdoor dining to allow diners to enjoy the surrounds. Tulips has three large eating areas – two outdoors (one on an upper deck and one patio area) and a substantial dining area inside. All have their own character and none are particularly fancy, but that’s by design. We ate on the patio, surrounded by lush greenery.
The lunch menu is straightforward and compact. Steak sandwich ($17.50), chicken open grill ($14), a range of burgers served with chips (mostly $13.50), some sandwiches and a couple of salads including a healthy-sounding roasted pumpkin served
Wendy Johnson

with baby spinach, pesto, fetta and pine nuts ($13.50 or $16.50 with chicken).
My friend’s fish and chips were fine – not overly greasy and just the right portion for a midday meal. The dish came with a lovely salad, big on crunch.
The burger range features beef, Texas (fancied up with salsa, sour cream and avocado), veggie and tandoori. I settled on the tandoori, wanting to spice up my day a bit.
The chicken was nicely marinated and smothered in a creamy cucumber and yoghurt sauce. It was served in a big, big bun with crispy lettuce and a sweet mango chutney. It was big on taste, but my chicken wasn’t cooked all the way through, which was disappointing. I had to deconstruct it to see which bit was safe to eat and which bit had to be put aside.
The children’s menu looks fun ($5 to $7.50) and the tradie’s specials, for breakfast and lunch, are great deals (if you’re a tradie, that is).
Tulips Café has an open kitchen as you walk in – tiny as and quite busy since most

things are made on site.
Perhaps “hectic” is a better description than “quite busy”, even though the place wasn’t packed when we were there. We felt anxious being served (at the counter) and it took ages for our food to come out… so long, in fact, that I didn’t have the time or patience to return my burger for one cooked right through.
Tulips Café, 6249 6118, 8am to 4pm, seven days a week.
VIVIENNE Winther, former Artist of the Year and a formidable driver in the ACT’s arts community, is leaving Music for Everyone after 10 years at the helm, but she will still be directing Stopera. It’s very sudden, but acting CEO for MFE is Keven Francis, at manager@mfe.org.au
THE Canberra City Framing Gallery in Hobart Place is introducing a monthly art offer of an affordable work by collectable artists such as Sam Leach, Michael Zavros and Ben Quilty. December’s offer is an original work by Anthony Lister. Inquiries to 0400 493572.
KABARET Noir act Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen have turned 10 – not bad for a bunch of bohemian Canberra musos and theatricals. Their latest show, “Ten Long Years In The Saddle”, looks at adventures, real and imagined, in Europe. It’s at The Street Theatre, December 8-11, bookings to 6247 1223 or www.thestreet. org.au
Musa

ANCA is lashing out with “Rituals, Relics and Icons”, an exhibition of artworks “exploring the festivities, gift-giving and rituals associated with the holiday season”. Purchases can be gift wrapped for a goldcoin donation towards The Fred Hollows Foundation. At ANCA Gallery, 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson, until Sunday, December 4.
CANBERRA’S 60-strong Strange Weather Gospel Choir will be performing popular songs and spirituals, such as “Shenandoah” and “Go Down Moses”, together with African seasonal songs at its “Summer Days/Summer Nights” concert in the Lyneham High School Performing Arts Centre, 7pm, Saturday, December 10. Bookings to www.strangeweather.org
THE Persian Australian Community


Association has a night of Persian poetry and music performed by local poets as well as Salar Ayoubi (vocals and Iranian instruments), Shahriar Etemadi on piano, Sheidollah Misagh on tonbak drum, Vanessa Driver and Sarah Davis on violin and Gemma Clare on cello. Free children’s activities will be provided. At Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 7.30pm, December 10.
“REFLECTIONS” showcases the experiences of more than 100 young people from across Canberra expressed through creative arts. With participants drawn from 15 ACT schools, it’s the culmination of a year’s participation and features visual arts, theatre, music and comedy. At Tuggeranong Arts Centre until December 6. Inquiries to 6293 1443.
CANBERRA Concerto Orchestra, directed by Charlotte Winslade, will perform Vivaldi, JS Bach and Dvorak, at Tim Murray Theatre, Canberra Grammar School, 7.30pm, December 8. Inquiries to 0418 628881.





KITCHEN surface finishes in the latest neutrals bring a fashionable, glossy look to achieve a luxe finish for less.
Formica Design Centre manager Lorraine Brigdale says the updated Formica gloss panels and Formica vinyl doors ranges are inspired by colours, textures and prints seen in all realms of fashion and design to add a new dimension to interior surfaces.
“The latest decor additions capture the most desirable colours and patterns making waves in international design capitals, to make it easier for homeowners and renovators to create contemporary looks that will remain fresh and on trend,” Lorraine says.
Helping homeowners and designers embrace this trend for a subdued palette, the Formica gloss panels and Formica vinyl doors ranges boast a number of earthy hues that will continue to be desirable for seasons to come.
As wood and other natural materials claim the title as the “new black” in jewellery and garment design, the ranges make it easy to encapsulate natural beauty in kitchen spaces with the new woodgrains.
More information at formica.com.au


“Most people believe that if you want sunlight into a room, then a skylight is the answer,” says Mark Peall, general manager of Solatube Australia. “That assumption is incorrect.
“A Solatube Daylighting System delivers natural light without heat or glare, is leakproof and does not require a large hole in the ceiling.
“The system uses no electricity and operates by capturing both direct and ambient light, so that in the early morning, late afternoon or on cloudy days, you will receive lots of natural light,” he says.
“It works by capturing the sunlight via a rooftop dome and transfers it via a patented polymer surfaced tubing to the designer lens fitted to the ceiling of the room, which diffuses an abundance of natural light throughout any interior space.”
More information at www.solatube.com.au or call 6280 9901
Solatube in the bathroom... “In the early morning, late afternoon or on cloudy days, you will receive lots of natural light,” says Mark Peall.

WHO in gardening is not familiar with the Ross family, Sandra and Graham Ross and daughter Linda? With their long-running TV program, it was only natural that they would publish a book, namely “ From the Ground Up”, a complete garden guide for NSW gardeners (h/back, 280pp, $59.95). I question why just NSW? The answer is they have Victorian and SA editions if you are sending to friends in those States. It is packed with garden information in a clear and concise manner from propagating to planting and pruning.
THE rush is on to write books on organic gardening. At present three out of five books I received for review are on this subject. I am all for it and ABC Books are right in there with “ The New Organic Gardener ” by Tim Marshall (360pp, h’back, $55). The subtitle is “The Ultimate Guide to Organic Gardening in Australia”. I am always wary of the word “ultimate”, however this gets very close. Former ABC gardening expert Peter Cundal states: “Without question, this is the great informative book gardeners everywhere have been waiting for.” I guess you cannot have a better recommendation.

With but a few short weeks until Christmas, gardening writer CEDRIC BRYANT looks at a selection of the latest books with gift potential for greenfingered friends and family...
or is it a book just about birds? The subtitle describes it more accurately as “A guide to native plants and the garden birds they attract”. The first half is devoted to growing wildflowers and native grasses that will attract a wide range of birds to your garden. The second half lists 55 of the major bird families, with superb photography of birds and exquisite line drawings. If you want to attract native birds to your garden, then this is undoubtedly the book – and what a magnificent present.

ALLEN Gilbert’s books are great value and always straight to the point. His latest “Berry Bounty” (p/back 215pp, $29.95) looks at how to grow traditional and unusual berries from strawberries and blueberries to feijoas and more. When in the bookshop check out his books on tomatoes, very relevant at present, apples, citrus and nuts.

A COMPANION ABC Books’ publication is “Organic Fruit Growing – Your complete guide to producing beautiful fruit all year round” by Annette McFarlane (p/back, 221pp, $35). Detailed how-to-grow instructions starting with getting the soil right, drainage, purchasing and planting of 60 shrubs, vines and trees. Organic methods of pest and disease control are included, keeping those nasty chemicals right away from your garden. McFarlane is a regular writer for “ABC Organic Gardener” magazine and author of the best seller “Organic Vegetable Gardening”.
“Birdscapi NG australian Gardens” by George Adams (D&G Publishing h/back, 364pp, $59.95) is possibly one of the best bird books that I have seen

Journal for australia and New Zealand” (h/ back, 145pp, $49.98) is divided into the four seasons with what to do when and followed at the end of each season with a section you can enter your successes and failures. Room is provided for storing plant labels, seed packets in tabbed pockets. This is ideal for friends who are new to gardening.

IF you like recording progress in your garden, then “My Garden




AS it is present-giving time, Cedric has three of these books – with a total value of $165 – to give away. The books are: “The New Organic Gardener”, “From the Ground Up” and “My Garden Journal”. To enter, tell us the fun title of the gardening book you’d like to write. Jot it on the back of an envelope with your name, suburb and contact phone number to Cedric’s Christmas Present, “CityNews”, GPO Box 2448, Canberra City, 2601. Competition closes at midday on Monday, December 12 and the winner will be announced in the edition of Thursday, December 15.







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