It’s Cup time and Thoroughbred Park celebrates a big birthday
MICHAEL MOORE Bruised Greens ponder the future
ROBERT MACKLIN
Kevin, it’s time to forgive and forget
TIM GAVEL When being tough on a mate matters
SONYA FLADUN Pretty boys keeping up appearances SOCIALS familiar faces 192
The ACT elections have resulted in a bittersweet time for the Greens, says MICHAEL MOORE
THE poor result for the Greens was more about external factors than their campaign.
It does not reflect any kind of poor contribution made in the previous Assembly by the elected MLAs.
While they lick their wounds over the loss of three quarters of their Assembly representation, the only member to be re-elected, Shane Rattenbury, still decides which of the two major parties should take government.
No doubt the Greens will be analysing in minute detail what should have been, what could have been and what should happen next time.
There will be recriminations, self-doubt and finger pointing.
As convenor, Meredith Hunter was a good media performer and retained a co-ordinated and directed team. Similarly, health spokesperson Amanda Bresnan was a good communicator, committed to the portfolio responsibilities and a hard worker. The increase in support for Caroline Le Couteur at this election reflected the four years of hard work in which she built a strong personal following.
However, the environment is not the issue it was at last election. A decade of drought had thrust climate change in the face of the community and the incumbents around Australia were not responding well to the challenge. Voters saw a need for a shake-up and the Greens presented one way of effectively doing so.
It is not that climate change is any less important – the ramifications for our children and their children’s children are manifest. However, the issue has now been taken seriously enough for governments to have started to respond. The other major support base for the Greens has been with the socially left. The move from Jon Stanhope to Katy Gallagher was a move in the Labor Government from a non-aligned centralist to a left-aligned leadership. Gallagher’s sense of social justice and her efforts for more equitable outcomes have effectively undermined another possible party platform for the
Greens. In this area Greens and Labor policies have simply merged.
The Canberra Liberals’ campaign on rates cannot be underestimated. While a high proportion of supporters understand and support the Greens’ drive for equity, there is also a strong support base that is focused primarily on plastic bags, climate change, appropriate use of water and other sustainability issues. The latter group may well have been feeling vulnerable on the constant reiteration by the Liberals that a vote for the Greens and Labor was a vote to triple rates.
The question of Rattenbury considering a ministry recalls a successful model established when then-Chief Minister Kate Carnell appointed me as Australia’s first independent minister. I was not bound by cabinet solidarity on certain matters I had identified where there were fundamental differences of policy. Labor Premier Mike Rann in SA used a similar system, appointing to his cabinet independent Rory McEwen and National Party minister Karlene Maywald. The Greens in Tasmania have a similar arrangement with Premier Lara Giddings.
Since leaving politics in 2001, I have been asked many times if I exercised more influence holding the balance of power when I was on the cross benches or after I no longer had the balance of power and moved to the front bench as a minister. My influence and impact as minister (with the ability to differ from the government) far outweighed the former.
Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.
Arts&Entertainment 24 -25
Canberra Confidential 16
Cinema 24
Dining 25
Gardening 29-31
Horoscope 28
News 4-14
Puzzles 28
Social Scene 17-23
Politics 4
Sport 10
HARRISON teacher James Riley has been recognised with one of two vocational service awards by the Gungahlin Rotary Club. Gus Nichols, the owner of an automotive mechanical business in Mitchell, was the other awardee.
THE Indian High Commission and the India-Australia Association of Canberra have “a representation of African-Indian-ness” coming up in the form of a dance show by the East African Sidi tribal group now living in Gujarat. At the Erindale Theatre, 6.30pm, November 6, tickets at the door.
A LABYRINTH in memory of celebrated Federal veteran press gallery journalist Wally Brown has opened at Clare Holland House in Barton. The experience of walking the labyrinth, particularly in a palliative-care setting, can bring emotional and spiritual comfort. David Lawrance, president of Palliative Care ACT said “Palliative Care ACT, with Calvary Health Care, has been delighted to be involved in the development and construction of the Wallace Labyrinth.”
A FUNDRAISING dinner is to be held at the Bicicletta restaurant, Diamant Hotel, New Acton, on Sunday, November 25 in support of KOTO (Know One Teach One), a Vietnam-based charity started 12 years ago by Vietnamese Australian, Jimmy Pham, who was recently nominated a “World Youth Leader” by the World Economic Forum. All-inclusive tickets are $105 and available from 0418 474989 or email pbarnaart@koto.com.au
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From tweed skirts to neon dresses, racewear has certainly come a long way in 50 years, says LAURA EDWARDS
THIS Melbourne Cup day, Thoroughbred Park will celebrate the 50th anniversary since it opened in Lyneham.
Originally located near Lake Burley Griffin, the racecourse reopened at its current location on Randwick Road on November 6, 1962.
Thoroughbred Park sales and marketing manager Briony Young says back then racewear wasn’t quite what it is now, but the glamour of race day has never faded.
“There were shirts worn with pencil skirts, and not many hats or fascinators at races in the ‘60s, so it was a bit more casual here than it is now – but the women were immaculate, and the men very suave looking,” Briony says.
“That part of racing hasn’t really changed, though I go to the races now and many women are perfectly groomed and elegant with their make-up and hair, and it’s important to make the effort. It should be a fun thing, to get dressed up for race day.”
Some fashions from the past have managed to transcend into modern day racewear – thanks to the hugely popular TV series “Mad Men”, 1950’s-style dresses are still a popular choice.
“You still will see a lot of dresses with cinched waists and full, A-line skirts, so that style hasn’t really gone away,” she says.
One trend that hasn’t made it to this season is “colour blocking,” says Briony.
“It’s all about neon this season instead – colour that really pops,” she says.
“You’ve got to wear it with caution though, you don’t want to wear head-to-toe neon or you might look like a tradie. You’ve got to have confidence and not go too overboard. Just a splash of neon can really make an outfit right on trend.”
And this year, bigger is better.
“Large hats and oversized fasci-
nators are really in at the moment, so you can go with either,” Briony says.
“There’s also bold make-up, like bright lipstick and false eyelashes.”
The popularity of dressing up for the races has increased, says Briony, since fashions-on-the-field competitions were established around 40 years ago as a way to get more women to the racecourse.
And since the Myer Face of Canberra Racing competition began in 2009, women have “really upped the ante” with their racewear.
“We’ve really seen an improvement in the racewear of the Canberra girls,” she says.
“We established the competition purely to be an ambassador to show people what is appropriate and it has worked so well for us – when I came six years ago there wasn’t really many rules about fashions on the field.”
While there won’t be a big party for Thoroughbred Park’s 50th anniversary, Briony says there will be plenty of fun on the day.
“We’re expecting more people for Melbourne Cup than last year, our lunches have already sold out,” she says.
“It’s just going to be another big day of great racing and great fashion.”
By arts editor Helen Musa
IT’S not easy to catch up with the boys from Brew Guitar Duo these days –they’re just too busy.
One half of the virtuoso duo, Bradley Kunda, has been in the final throes of his PhD at ANU and is about to submit his thesis, while the talkative one, Matt Withers, is heading up guitar studies at the University of Canberra’s College of Music, managing and promoting their 10th anniversary tour and, just recently, getting engaged.
I caught up with Withers as he and Kunda were leaving for their hometown Adelaide as part of the tour.
While there, they’re trying out “a thing of the future” – an intimate home recital hosted by an Adelaide music lover with a home capacious enough to seat 70 or 80 people.
Such evenings are by invitation, but you pay. With ticket prices ranging between $30 and $50, there’s no hall hire, normally a major expense and with just the two of them and their guitars, it’s cheap to travel.
“The music is up close and personal,” Withers enthuses, reminding me that this “unique product” was a central feature of the classical music tradition. He hopes there’s a market out there for people wanting to spend evening or afternoons with friends listening to fine music in their own “salons”.
Brew’s national tour will wind up at the National Gallery of Australia on Sunday, November 4, with a guitar
recital that includes a couple of new compositions, the world premiere of Kunda’s “Sonata for Guitar” and a new piece Withers has commissioned from Canberra composer Sam Smith.
He is not revealing the link right now, but the duo will be announcing a new website at their final concert. We’ll let you know.
Brew Guitar Duo, NGA, 3pm, Sunday, November 4, bookings to the gallery at 6240 6411 or tickets at the door.
Dear Kevin,
I am writing this open letter because I know from experience that you would ignore any private appeal, however well intentioned, that did not pander your perception as the rightful Prime Minister of Australia.
My earnest and heartfelt plea is this: For the sake of the nation, the government and yourself, abandon the delusion that has claimed and tortured you since you were deposed in June, 2010. Expunge it from your mind. Apply that gift you told me so proudly that you had inherited from your mother: “the forgettery”.
Remember that? We were sitting across from each other on those well-worn couches in the sunroom of your Norman Park home during the first, long interview for my book, “Kevin Rudd: The Biography”. I asked whether you’d been embittered by the aftermath of your father’s death when you spent a homeless night or two in the car.
You waved it away. You said you shared your mother’s capacity “not to take things too personally”. Kevin, it wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now. But the fact is, your personal feelings don’t matter beside the great national
As revelations from Maxine McKew’s new book “Tales from the Political Trenches” start the leadership rumbles again within the Labor Party, former PM Kevin Rudd’s biographer ROBERT MACKLIN says it’s time to stop the destabilising.
issues you are jeopardising with your relentless agitation for a return to the top job.
You think because you are popular now that you could retain the people’s good graces back in The Lodge. It isn’t true. You are popular because you’re no longer being tested on the front line. You talk a great game, Kevin, but that’s not what governing is about. That’s what Julia does – with great aplomb – in the most difficult parliamentary environment since the last minority government 70 years ago. Back in The Lodge your popularity would evaporate overnight, just like it did when you squibbed “the greatest moral challenge of our time”.
Your current destabilising tactics might have been justified when Labor was in the doldrums with the PM unable to make that vital emotional connection with the electorate. But those days are passed. The people have shared her grief and are now listening
to her. Moreover, they are beginning to like what they hear and see – genuine compassionate Labor leadership with a record of legislative achievement.
Tony Abbott (who had you on the run) is now wounded. He is eminently beatable. The only major impediment to an election win and the continuation of the government’s excellent and wellregarded policies (many of which you initiated) is your sense of entitlement.
Kevin, the time has come to stop the agitation from your handful of malcontents and acknowledge that Julia Gillard has your complete and undivided support. If you were to declare publicly that in Julia Australia has found a true and effective leader – and if you were to take that message to every electorate you campaign in – you would have the power to throw the Opposition into total confusion and virtually guarantee Labor’s return.
So the question is this: are you
Kevin Rudd... Christian enough to forgive?
really enough of your mother’s son to forget? And are you really Christian enough to forgive?
You might recall that when you have suffered the several blows of fortune these last few years, my private message to you each time has been: “The best is yet to come”.
Kevin, this is the way – the only way – can you make it so?
Sincerely,
Robert robert@robertmacklin.com
NINE local charities – ACT Rescue & Foster, Lone Guides, Cancer Council, Sharing Places, Heart Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis, Epilepsy, Canberra Legacy and Anglicare – will be selling Christmas cards and calendars at Wanniassa Shopping Centre and the Good Guys Tuggeranong Hyperdome from Monday, October 29 until December 21 (Mondays to Saturdays 10am-3.30pm). Call 0408 53396.
ACT Sports Hall of Fame inductee Michael Bevan will take on former Test cricketer Dean Jones at a community cricket match at Crace on Saturday, November 10 to mark the opening of the 4.5 hectare Crace Recreation Park, at Abena Avenue, by Federal Sports Minister Senator Kate Lundy at 10.30am. The multi-purpose sport and recreation facility’s main features include exercise stations as part of an outdoor gym, a multi-use court, playground, picnic and barbecue facilities, formal lawns, gardens, native woodlands and a wetland.
TAX commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo has been awarded the Federal Government Leader of the Year Award in the Chartered Accountants Leadership in Government Awards. The Outstanding Contribution to Public Administration Award was won by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs’ chief legal officer, Anthony Field.
WORKS from some of the region’s best jewellery designers and artists will be showcased at the Old Bus Depot Markets’ annual “Jewel of Canberra” theme day, 10am-4pm, on Sunday, November 11.
CYCLIST Stephen Hodge has been a friend for more than 20 years; he was the last person I would have suspected to be involved in doping.
When he was riding in the Tour de France for team ONCE, I would ring him every couple of stages to gauge how he was travelling.
Post his cycling career, he has been a tireless advocate for cycling facilities; a mentor for young cyclists; and a progressive voice for the rights of cyclists and their place on Canberra’s roads.
In the lead-up to his admission of drug use, I had been trying to contact him to get his take on the Lance Armstrong scandal and the impact it was having within the cycling community. He was unusually hard to get a hold of.
I started to think that something was up. Then, at about 11.15 a.m. on Friday, October 19, he called to say that Cycling Australia would be releasing a statement in half an hour and that I would be wanting to speak to him.
He said he would do just one electronic interview and it would be with me; he would also speak to two other print journalists that day but would be involved with no other media organisation.
As a journalist, how would I deal with it? How hard would I go, given he is a friend? If I didn’t go hard it wouldn’t do either of us any favours.
So when it came to the interview
How hard should a journalist go when a friend is in trouble? As hard as possible, because you have to, says TIM GAVEL, who came face-to-face with a mate in real strife...
itself, conducted in a park down the road from his home, I felt I needed to ask every question possible without being aggressive; getting to the heart of the story with an even-handed approach, without going over the top and making provocative statements.
I’ve also always felt that it’s important to be ethical and let the facts speak for themselves.
So after a couple of minutes of small talk as the camera was set up, I started asking questions; why did he do it, why hadn’t he revealed it before, was it hard living with this for so many years? Did he opt to come clean only when faced with the prospect of having to make a judgment on Matt White, another cyclist who admitted to using banned drugs a number of years ago while part of Armstrong’s team?
The only time I felt he faltered was when I questioned him about the impact on his family. He said his wife didn’t know that for six years, two decades ago, he used performance-enhancing drugs; it was the same with his children. He made it pretty clear that this was a no-go area.
I have received plenty of comments since: many thought I should have
asked whether he believed he had been living a lie for the past two decades and others wondered about his opinion on Lance Armstrong. There were some who called to praise him for coming clean and for showing integrity; others felt as though he was being eulogised even though he used performanceenhancing drugs.
Others wanted to balance the whole cheating aspect by saying that it was a practice of most cyclists in that era, while there was another school of thought that his community work should be taken into account.
I think he deserves credit for the way he has handled himself. The decision to remove himself from the ACT Sport Hall of Fame is the right one given it was for recognition of his cycling performances.
But his work in the community shouldn’t be totally overshadowed by his admission. There have been plenty of people in the past who have transgressed in their youth only to make a contribution later in life.
I don’t believe in public executions and if ever somebody deserved a chance to continue playing a role in our community, it is Stephen Hodge.
JOHNNY Hajdu is the 2012 ACT Under-12 chess champion after winning the tournament at Campbell High. In a field of 61 players he scored a perfect seven wins from seven games to finish one win ahead of Dillon Hathiramani, with tournament top seed Jamie-Lee Guo finishing in a tie for third place with Caleb Campbell.
THE 19th annual Windellama Small Farms Field Day, will be held from 9am to 4pm, on Saturday, November 3. Windellama is 40 kilometres south east of Goulburn and the field day will feature exhibitors and market stalls, entertainment and family fun. The event will also include a special focus on sustainable technologies and practices. More information at windellama. com.au or call 4844 5157.
THE Eco Elves Night Market will be held at the Canberra Environment Centre, Acton, 5pm to 9.30pm, on Friday, December 7 offering a range of local, sustainable and fair trade gifts, food and wine, as well as music and a free recycled gift-wrapping workshop. More information at ecoaction.com.au or call 6248 0885.
By arts editor Helen Musa
PAUL Ghiselin claims to be “the oldest living ballerina in the world”.
At 51, maybe, maybe not, but he can certainly claim to be the longest-serving member of The Trocks –Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo.
Not just that, he is a principal dancer, famous for his portrayal of the Dying Swan. The 15-strong, all-male Trocks troupe will be at the Canberra Theatre soon with their amazing combination of masculine power and balletic grace.
Despite the name, they have nothing to do with Monte Carlo. New York is their home.
In the role of the ageing ballerina Ida Nevasayneva
(say it out loud), Ghiselin has become “rather wellknown” for his Dying (but really moulting) Swan.
“I wear a tutu stuffed to the gills with feathers,” he says. “Nobody expects a moulting tutu.”
“We don’t try to pretend that we are women, we’re still very much male dancers, we just wear tutus and tiaras and long eyelashes... we don’t like to make ourselves look like drag queens” he says.
“But women learn to dance ‘en pointe’ from the start, so it was a bit tricky at first.”
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, at the Canberra Theatre, November 6 – 8, Bookings to 6275 2700 or www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au
THE other day, my two children and I were admiring some Eastern Rosellas, which had landed on our front lawn, resplendent in their beautiful red, yellow and blue feathers.
“Aren’t the girls so beautiful,” cooed my six-year-old daughter.
“Actually, the really beautiful ones are the boys,” pipes up my son, puffing out his chest with pride.
“No way,” replies my indomitable little feminist.
“Well, I’m afraid he’s right,” I say, explaining that in nature it’s often the males that are more colourful or extravagant in appearance.
My girl pulled a face and, looking her brother up and down like a judge on “Next Top Model”, declared: “Well, so what went wrong with boys then?”
My girl had a point. It’s long seemed to me that the females of our species have traditionally put a lot more effort into their plumage than the males.
I remember, in years long gone, spending hours on hair and makeup, and agonising over what to wear before going out. In contrast, blokes just had to have a shower, maybe a shave, and shove on any shirt and jeans.
But recently driving through Civic on Saturday night, I couldn’t help but notice that times have changed. Some of the young blokes who were out for the evening had clearly spent a lot of time, and expense, on their appearance.
Even my son, just turned 10, has recently developed a passion for fine hats and an extensive col-
mum in the city
lection of eclectic T-shirts. Sadly, however, along with increased appearance concerns, it seems body image issues are never far behind. A recent gymnastics competition caused him much consternation when the regulation tank top revealed his lily-white arms. He was a quivering mess of anxiety. He has a very fine set of shoulders and increasingly muscular arms, but he was quite awkward in the presence of older lads whose longer commitment to gymnastics is obvious from their bulging biceps.
This all got me wondering if maybe the male of the species is now experiencing more of the appearance performance pressures that traditionally have plagued their female counterparts.
A little research revealed a recent study that found half of Australia’s “tweenagers” (10 and 11 year olds) are on crash diets and that more boys than girls were stunting their growth by not eating sufficient nutritious food trying to keep their weight down. WA’s chief medical officer has been reported as saying young boys have been turning up at hospital “incredibly underweight” due to eating disorders.
Though thankfully not yet top of the list when it comes to boys’ fears and anxieties, it seems body image issues have well and truly crossed the gender divide. For good, and ill, it looks like both sexes are likely to be equally proud and just as insecure about their appearance in our modern world.
KINGSTON Foreshore is exactly what Canberra needs.
What was recently a mass of construction (with some impressive excavations) has become a nearly complete and exciting, new precinct.
With its decked promenade, boat harbour, restaurants and shops, and its proximity to Kingston, Manuka and Civic (via a short bike ride) the Foreshore is going to become one of “the” places to live and visit.
The public spaces already work well, the street furniture is welcoming and “arty”, and there is a fabulous public park with wetlands and an ecopond.
Many of the waterfront developments will be finished this year and most of the terrace housing and apartment buildings are already occupied. It is now possible to get a feel for our first foreshore development, which will undoubtedly be an example of the fantastic outcomes that are possible when mixeduse developments are done properly.
It combines high and medium-density living to provide a variety of housing options, while creating a cosmopolitan new neighbourhood beside Lake Burley Griffin.
It’s also great to see that the Land Development Agency has made a considerable investment in the precinct’s infrastructure, but it is the thoughtful relationship to the cultural precinct that will make the Foreshore really special.
Two buildings important in Canberra’s history – the old Power House-turned-Glassworks and the Fitters’ Workshop retain the linkages to our past while welcoming new generations. The young artistic community is already embracing the area, with the Milkbar Collective, a co-operative working space, recently opening.
I can imagine the near future when exploring the area will end with a glass of wine and sunset over the lake. Until then, I will watch with anticipation and excitement as this new precinct blossoms.
Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia
MOTHERHOOD isn’t always blissful. And although up to 20 per cent of mothers suffer from ante or post-natal depression, there is still a reluctance to talk about it.
“There are about 5000 births a year in the ACT, which potentially means a lot of families may suffer. There is still a stigma attached to PND and some mothers feel ashamed of their thoughts and feelings,” says PANDSI executive officer Polly McIntyre.
PANDSI (Post and Ante Natal Depression Support and Information) is a local organisation, which provides support, health promotion, advocacy and perinatal mental health education services.
As part of this education, PANDSI is hosting a twilight seminar this month, which will focus on postpartum psychosis, a rare condition that affects women after childbirth.
Sufferers can become irritable, have extreme mood swings and hallucinations, and possibly need psychiatric hospitalisation.
“It can be misdiagnosed as PND, and severe cases need urgent treatment and hospitalisation,” Polly says.
“Many women who experience it have had no previous mental health issues at all. Because it is a relatively rare condition not all cases are immediately diagnosed.
“PANDSI is pleased to be featuring postpartum psychosis at this year’s twilight seminar so that it can remind as many front-line medical staff as possible about the signs and symptoms of the disorder. Early diagnosis has a significant impact on the speed of a patient’s recovery.”
The seminar will feature a keynote address
from Dr Megan Galbally who is an expert in mental illness related to childbearing and beyondblue CEO Kate Carnell.
Polly says there will be lots of information about antenatal depression, postpartum psychosis as well as information about PANDSI’s services.
“Many women with perinatal depression experience high levels of anxiety and depression, which can be debilitating,” Polly says.
“However, with support, most mothers will make a full recovery, they just need help getting through it,” she says.
“More than PND: Understanding Postpartum Psychosis” is on from 5.30pm, Wednesday, November 21, at the Bradman Room, Manuka Oval. Book at trybooking.com/BUZA or call 6287 3961.
ARTIST and cartoonist for “The Australian” Bill Leak kept his audience roaring with laughter at the launch, by veteran political journalist Alan Ramsey, of his latest book collection of cartoons at Arawang Primary School in Waramanga.
Among his many great stories was that of the toadlike Graham Richardson who had commissioned Bill to paint his portrait. When completed Richo began muttering under his breath.
“Well,” Bill said, “how do you like it?” More muttering till finally the Labor powerbroker burst out: ‘I’m fat...and I’m ugly... but I’m not that f***ing fat and ugly!” Opinion is divided... but not much.
AND why Arawang? Bill’s sister Lynne Kowalik is the much-admired music teacher at the school. In fact, the principal took the opportunity to dedicate the new music wing, “The Lynne Kowalik Music Centre”.
ACTEW-AGL has announced a deal for the lost tribe of grumbling customers who don’t want to bundle services with its former subsidiary TransACT.
While still contractually tethered to bundling the telco’s internet, cable television and telephone services (now owned by the
WA-centric iiNet), the monolithic power company is developing its own customer tummy-rubbing program with what it calls “assist kits”. Four months in the making and available only via the net, for $98 and a three-year, honest-injun’ loyalty pledge, customers get a splendid five per cent off the power bill and a home-delivered bag of practical, power-saving toys, including a footswitch powerboard, an appliance energy monitor and a remote-control powerpoint controller kit. Take that, carbon tax!
OUR very environmentally friendly gardening writer, Cedric Bryant , wants to know, now that the election is well and truly over, what’s going to happen to the hundreds of non-recyclable Corflute signs “that provided so much visual pollution to our city. Greens in particular take note?” and how much longer will it take for this visual pollution to be removed from the streets?
AN amusing bold, blue pointer on page one of “The Canberra Times” on Saturday boasted of “Canberra’s best analysis and commentary” of the ACT election. Could this be the same “Canberra Times” that published a poll plus analysis and commentary just before the election that showed a landslide for Labor and the Greens?
Fact is, only “CityNews” Gladfly columnist Robert Macklin predicted a “serious fall” in
the Greens vote, for which he was howled down… and that was two months ago!
“LOOKING for a great night out with entertainment, food and cocktails and lots of advice on sex and dating?” Who isn’t, comrade, but it’s not an offer you’d expect from the CSIRO Discovery Centre.
Comedian Chris Krishna-Pillay ’s titillating, grown-up, eclectic mix of music and stand-up comedy, “Pre Coital: The Science of Dating”, is playing on Friday, November 9, at 6.30pm.
Discovery Centre director, Cris Kennedy says: “This is a fun-packed night of rollicking fun and dancing, intertwined with serious scientific topics like the biology of physical attraction; the mysteries of pheromones and condom physics. And who knows – science may just show you how to attract that special person?”
Tickets at www.trybooking.com/bxak
ANOTHER tall tale but true story via YouTube. Young Croatian cellists Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, unsurprisingly otherwise known as 2Cellos, are the support act for Elton John at the AIS on November 14.
Elt discovered the duo on YouTube, where their version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” was going bananas and, as soon as you can say “rocket man”, they were performing in his band as well as opening his shows.
“We have different personalities, but they merge together so well,” says Sulic. “And the fact that there are only two of us and we have to fill the sound of a whole band in a whole arena with just two instruments encourages us to explore the unknown possibilities of cello.”
“WHAT a great idea for a Christmas gift,” urges Canberra author-witha-cause Carol Mitchell, pictured, poised to launch her eight-yearsin-the-making new book, “The Force of Divorce”, in Deakin on November 9. If it doesn’t seem like the sort of stocking filler you’d want to wake up to on December 25, fear not. “You don’t have to be interested in a divorce to get something out of this book. It is a story about survival and relates to any difficult life situation,” Carol purrs reassuringly. Order a copy from carol@ckimage.com.au
THE heavily sweaty Jason, arms poised in masculine triumph, has a lot to be happy about having just cracked the debut title of Smoque’s Wednesday “Wing King”. Jason, whose surname is not recorded for posterity, consumed a grotesque 50 chicken wings in 30 minutes. Others, “CC” is told, have tried but failed to reach the hall-of-fame target and their Polaroid picture on the Civic restaurant’s wall. Smoque is sensibly reviewed by Wendy Johnson on Page 25.
At the Austrian national day celebration, Forrest
“The Intouchables” (M)
WRITERS/directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, and actor Omar Sy come together to tell this tale based on actual events (a clip showing its two real-life protagonists backs the closing credits).
Sy, a babe-magnet if ever there was one, plays Idriss, an unemployed Senegalese who attends a job interview to get enough signatures to validate his application for welfare, but gets the gig caring for wealthy quadriplegic Phillipe –feeding, bathroom duties, chauffeuring, dressing.
Boring, did somebody say? No way. Driss doesn’t fit the conventional carer mould. Nor is Phillipe (Francois Cluzet) a conventional patient (it helps that he can afford the freewheeling, extremesports lifestyle that put him in a wheelchair).
Phillipe lives in a Paris apartment where chatelaine Yvonne (Anne le Ny) and amanuensis Magalie (Audrey Fleurot) manage his needs. Phillipe admires women and this pair decorate the film admirably. Without physical sensation or mobility south of his cervical vertebra, Phillipe has learned to manage the constant anguish of inner life and its memories. The film’s main engine is Driss’ creative caring style. In return, Phillipe shows Driss a social, intellectual and cultural lifestyle that a black man from the ghetto might never have heard about, much less visited.
The film explores a friendship that grew to be warm, funny and compassionate. Within three months of release, it was a hit despite some bad reviews in Britain. Feelgood cinema rather than magnificent, it pressed my buttons – I’ve seen it twice.
At Dendy and Capitol 6
verity may not withstand careful scrutiny on history’s page. The main story is undeniable. As also is that good old Hollywood hubris, which rather plays down the Canadian contribution.
IN 1979, retaliating against the US refusal to deliver the fugitive Shah to Ayatollah Khomeni’s regime, an Iranian mob sacked the US embassy in Tehran and imprisoned all but six staff members, who took asylum in the Canadian embassy.
“Argo’s” director Ben Affleck plays Mendez, a CIA operative assigned to extract the six. The film may or may not take artistic liberties in telling how Mendez recruits a Hollywood make-up artist (John Goodman) and a director (Alan Arkin) to create the legend of a Canadian film party visiting Tehran to scout locations for a film to be called “Argo”. The six would form the party on the trip to the airport.
Employing conventional bang-bang, shoot ‘em up insouciance, other films have portrayed sending American intelligence or special forces people to extract US citizens from Muslim countries. “Argo” uses different methods. Goodman and Arkin not only give the operation its film-industry components without leaving California; they also provide the film with a leavening of humour. And lord knows it needs that. Because though we know how it ends, its tensions never flag as Affleck and writer Chris Terrio deliver its story with style and cred. We have no reason to protest any liberties they may have taken with “Argo’s” excellently staged and performed details, though their
At Dendy and Capitol 6
“Dredd”(MA)
THIS execrable futurist fantasy lacks plot, acting merit, message or filmic quality.
Later this century, from Boston to Washington DC, a continuous conurbation once home to 800 million people is now wreckage. Society has little to feel comfortable about. Users of the drug Slo-Mo experience a reduction in the speed of reality.
Police have on-the-spot investigative, judicial and punishment authority. Today officer Dredd is taking newbie Anderson to evaluate her suitability for permanent employment. Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) is independent to a fault, refusing to wear the helmet that makes all cops look the same (that later becomes a plot issue). Her prime asset is her psychic ability. If she can see you, she knows what you are thinking.
Their beat is the 200-storey building where ex-prostitute Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) runs a team of hoodlums trying to seize a monopoly in the Slo-Mo market.
There’s much same-old-same-old before Dredd and Anderson finish their shift.. The film’s best ongoing part is Ma-Ma’s malevolence. Its best moment comes when Dredd throws her down the airshaft from the 200th floor to go splat on the concrete. Enjoy?
At Dendy, Hoyts and Limelight
By Helen Musa
DIRECTOR Nadja Kostich and video
artist Michael Carmody are about to unleash the “dogs of war” on to the backdrop of a play coming to The Street Theatre, with disturbing images of wild dogs to conjure up conflict.
“Bare Witness” is playwright Mari Lourey’s take on what happens when an inexperienced, young journalist, Dannie, finds herself catapulted into a Balkan war zone.
Kostich hails from Canberra – Lyneham Primary,
Lyneham High, Dickson College, the ANU, then moving to the Victorian College of the Arts.
An unconventional director, she co-founded the hybrid arts company, Paradigm Productions, staged the Green Room award-winner “Test Pattern” and embarked on a form of communitybased theatre that integrates music, video, songs and movements.
“Sometimes there’s a script,” she says, “sometimes not.”
However, “Bare Witness” came with a wellresearched script over 70 pages long, written by Lourey after years of conversations with experienced journalists.
THERE’S no doubt that the new, authentic southern American barbecue place in the city is “smoquen”. And I mean “smoquen”!
Smoque dares you to change the way you think about fast food. It promises slow food, served fast, and that’s exactly what we got on a very busy Thursday afternoon. This place, although only open a couple of weeks, is running hot. It’s packed. It’s noisy. It’s on to a good thing.
So what is this southern American barbecue experience? It’s a style of food with a long history. Meats are rubbed in a spice mix and smoked over hickory chips at 85 degrees for 16 hours. It’s not to be confused with grilling. What happens is that Smoque does all the hard work before you get there, which means they can crank it out pretty fast without affecting the quality of the food.
My friend said she could feel her arteries closing in as she read the menu, but there was no stopping us from digging in. The Carolina pulled pork was sensational. Once cooked, the meat is so tender it can easily be “pulled” into pieces. Hence the name. The juices at the bottom of the cardboard container the meat arrived in were quickly soaked up with home-made corn bread ($14.90).
My Kansas City chicken, a famous dish in the US (served in more than 200 restaurants in the city itself) packed a punch on taste. You order by ¼ ($9.90) or ½ chicken ($14.90). Parts were a bit dry, but it all still went down the hatch.
We shared a yumbo red cabbage coleslaw, whipped up with sultanas, and hand-cut fries with sexy house seasoning. This is food that is very difficult to stop eating, even once you’re stuffed.
Smoque has a barbecue etiquette in place, which essentially means you can eat with your hands. It’s a finger-licking-good experience, but you can use cutlery if you want it.
At Smoque you grab a table (be quick), check out the menu, order at the counter and in a flash your food is brought to your table.
The combo platters include the Smoque Ultimate ($99), with pulled pork, pork ribs, brisket, beef rib, chicken, 12 wings and three sides. The menu says this is for one to six people. I dare one person to wolf it all down. I want to go back for the famous sloppy Joe sandwich – meat smothered with chilli and cheese ($14.90). Mum used to make sloppy Joes for us when we were kids as a treat.
Homemade sweets include a super-dense, fudge brownie, and a fair sized one at that.
A bit burnt and dry around the edges, but beautifully moist in the middle.
Salad lovers are well taken care of, with eight meal-size options available. Kids’ meals are $8.90 and Smoque offers the little ones cookies and milk for $1.90.
Smoque is an experience. And a great one at that.
Smoque, 131 London Circuit, Civic. Lunch from noon. Dinner from 5pm. Call 6162 3350.
“I was originally involved as an actor,” Kostich told “CityNews”. “Then Mari saw some of my work and said: ‘I think you’re the right person to direct this play’.”
Together with Carmody she got the piece down to a 30-page script with theatrical elements “not generally suggested in the script”.
The play follows the lives of several photographic journalists, particularly Dannie, played by Daniela Farinacci, who becomes addicted to the thrill and potency of war, but in a highly stylised approach, the director attempts to throw the audience into the world war zone, too.
ANU School of Music graduate, cellist
IN a new exhibition Portrait Artists Australia celebrates people who engage in research – inventors, explorers, creative thinkers, “harbingers of change, social reform, cultural shifts”. Local artist Julie Ballis has gone straight to the top with her portrait of our own Nobel laureate, astrophysicist Brian Schmidt. “Celebrating Innovators”, first floor, Parliament House, until December 13.
MEANTIME, at M16 Artspace in Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, 15 keen portrait artists, who meet weekly as part of the Canberra Art Workshop activities, are showcasing their portraits under the title “What a Lovely Crowd,” noon to 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday until November 11.
CANBERRA writer and editor Irma Gold should feel flattered. Her short fiction collection, “Two Steps Forward”, which I’ve read and enjoyed, has just been shortlisted for SPUNC’s (Small Press Network’s) inaugural “Most Underrated Book Award”. The winner will be announced on November 8. To go in the draw to win a copy, you just need to “Like” her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ IrmaGoldAuthor before November 5.
SCULPTOR Al Phemister and painter-curator Kim Nelson are calling themselves “the Odd Couple”. Together they’re organising the now-famous Yass Arts Trail, of which space permits only a tiny insight. On Sunday, November 4, at 2pm in the Patrick Hartigan Centre at Mount Carmel Convent, Yass, there’ll be an afternoon of storytelling told in song and contemporary verse. Later, at 6.30pm in Yass’s Oddfellows’ Hall, you can catch former “CityNews” Artist of the Year, David Pereira, playing his cello while artists Judi Power Thomson and Kerry McInnis paint. For dozens of other events, visit www.classicyass.com/yassarts.html and open the PDFs in the left hand margin.
CANBERRA soprano Lorina Gore was recently announced as the Australian Opera Auditions Committee’s $20,000 Dame Joan Sutherland scholarship winner by conductor Richard Bonynge.
KINETIC Energy is a notable Australian dance group which has moved to broader theatre style. The company will be at The Drama Lab, ANU Arts Centre, with a show described as “75 minutes of wit, pathos, live music and visual imagery exposing a Machiavellian world in free fall.” As well, there will be readings by Canberra writers. “Empire,” 7.30pm, November 8-10, music in the foyer from 7pm, tickets at the door or bookings to kineticenergy@iprimus.com.au or 0415 391 533.
Kristin Rule, binds the work together by creating “intricate and immediate sounds” live on stage that add to a “mystical” element.
The other journo-characters include Irishman Jack, brought up in a war zone, radio reporter Violette, partly modelled on the late Marie Colvin, and a hard-edged Slavic photographer.
Yes, there’s a climax, of which Kostich says: “It’s provocative, in a good way… we ask people to think twice from now on when they see an image in print.”
“Bare Witness”, The Street Theatre, November 6-10, bookings to 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au
ELTON JOHN WINNERS
Winners of the two “CityNews” passes to see Elton John are Cristina Arganese, of Bruce, and Troy Simpson, of Fraser. Thanks to everyone who entered.
With decorations already up in the shops, it’s time to start thinking about what’s just around the corner... the office Christmas party!
Here’s the “CityNews” guide to the venues offering great packages and menus for Christmas functions...
THE newly developed Canberra Rex Hotel’s function centre is a top venue to hold a corporate Christmas event or festive family affair.
There is an array of event spaces incorporating modern features with historical charm, says sales executive Sarah Trevillian.
“A range of festive Christmas celebration packages has been created with clients in mind,” she says. “Dedicated event managers will take care of everything from alluring menus, festive decorations, entertainment, theming to the tiniest detail to ensure your event runs seamlessly and is one to remember.”
Rex Hotel, Northbourne Avenue. Phone 6248 5311.
“THE gorgeous sunny deck overlooking parkland is a lovely spot for canapes and drinks in the lead-up to Christmas,” says Dorothy Barclay, of Forrest Hotel and Apartments.
The Forrest Hotel and Apartments is ideal for larger work Christmas parties or more intimate gatherings, according to Dorothy, with two-course lunch or dinner
available, in addition to cocktail packages.
There are plenty of options with all the traditional Christmas trimmings – turkey and plum pudding or a more modern Christmas barbecue or woodfired pizzas.
Forrest Hotel and Apartments, National Circuit, Barton. Contact 6203 4300 or forresthotel.com
THERE’S a new option in the city for Christmas parties – the ANU Commons, which is able to cater for up to 500 people for a cocktail function.
The Commons, which opened in March, has a private outdoor courtyard as well as spacious indoor areas.
Functions and sales manager Hollie West says all the items on the menu are delicious.
“There are cocktail packages as well as two and three-course lunch and dinner
menus, we are quite flexible in what we can offer,” she says.
Canapes for Christmas functions are Christmas themed with prawns, turkey and baked ham used, as well as choc-dipped strawberries, mini Christmas puddings and mince tarts.
The new building is situated in the Lena Karmel Lodge on Barry Drive.
ANU Commons Function Centre, corner of Barry Drive and Marcus Clarke Street, Acton, 6125 0228.
SITUATED in busy Challis Street is
Trevor McGrath’s modern Australian restaurant, Trevs @ Dickson.
“We’ve got a vibrant, buzzing venue with outdoor space for people to enjoy. It’s very convenient in Dickson – a top spot for get-togethers,” Trevor says.
For Christmas gatherings, Trevs is offering a lunch banquet “with a delicious feast of Trevs’ cuisine”.
“It’s affordably priced and
included is a complimentary glass of sparkling wine,” he says.
Bookings will suit groups of between 10 and 20 people.
Popular items included in the banquet are pizzas, prosciutto gems and lamb kibbeh.
Trevs @ Dickson is licensed and boasts a range of wines including local drops.
Trevs @ Dickson, Challis Street. Call 6257 2355.
your week in the stars / November 4 - 11
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Risqué Rams – the Sun’s heating up your sex/money zone, so lust and loot are a volatile mix at the moment. And serious Saturn reminds you to accept responsibility for the part you’ve played in any relationship or financial fiascos. Plus, with Venus visiting your partnership zone (until November 22), perhaps it’s time to stop arguing and hold out the olive branch of peace?
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
Relationships and joint finances are complicated and must be handled with care. Charging in like a wounded Bull will only make matters worse. You need to be decisive and diplomatic (an interesting juggle!) Friday should be fabulous, as Venus and Jupiter boost your self-esteem and bless workplace relations. So make the most of lucky opportunities that come your way.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
A romance may go through a rickety stage, as Mercury (your ruling planet) reverses through your relationship zone (from November 7-27). So tread carefully, steer clear of ridiculous rumours, and resist making “humorous” remarks that unintentionally hurt others. Looking for a partner? It’s up to you to make the first move – but expect a few detours along the road to true love.
CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
It’s time for busy, cranky Crabs to enjoy the simple pleasures of home sweet home! Venus is visiting your domestic zone (until November 22), which highlights activities like craft, cooking, decorating, gardening, spending time with the family, relaxing in front of the TV and entertaining at home. Singles – look for love with a charming Capricorn or a super sexy Scorpio.
LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
Lions are so susceptible to flattery but this week, don’t let someone sweet talk you into doing something that you really don’t want to do. And, when it comes to a child, teenager or friend, avoid jumping to half-baked conclusions. Check the facts thoroughly first. A little humility (and a lot of luck) sees you zoom forwards on Friday, as Venus and Jupiter boost your Cat confidence.
VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
Make sure your versatile Virgo mind gets a vigorous workout, as the Sun and Saturn stir up your study zone. It’s also the perfect time to tidy, organise, pay bills and plough through paperwork. Get out your fine-tooth comb – the devil is definitely in the detail. But retro Mercury may mix up communication with family members, so be extra patient with confused loved ones.
LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Venus is visiting your sign (until November 22), which highlights your hedonistic, luxury-loving, lazy side as you enjoy the good times and do all you can to avoid hard work. With Mercury moving backwards through your communication zone, watch that a casual conversation doesn’t lead to a dramatic dispute. Friday favours romance, adventure and lashings of love.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
Are you reaching your full potential? With the Sun and Saturn moving through your sign, you need to challenge yourself personally and professionally – but don’t worry if you make mistakes along the way. And avoid getting drawn into power struggles on Sunday. If you are an adaptable Scorpio (sounds like an oxymoron!) then you’ll get through the day with less angst.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
With mighty Mars in your sign, it’s time to tackle challenges with extra energy and enthusiasm. (But, with retro Mercury also in the mix, choose your words wisely.) Friday is the day for some frivolous fun, as Venus and Jupiter make beautiful music together. Your motto for the week is from birthday great Joni Mitchell: “I want to have fun, I want to shine like the sun.”
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Don’t be a carping critic Capricorn! Avoid becoming bogged down in negative thoughts and self-doubt. This week favours positive thinking as you appreciate the glass being half full, rather than half empty. Professional relationships look fabulous on Friday, as Venus and Jupiter aspect your work zones. For some lucky singles, love and work are linked in wonderful ways.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Expect a disappointment, when you realise you’ve been viewing a person (or situation) through rose-coloured glasses. By the end of the week you’ll have changed your mind about friends, finances, colleagues or an important issue. For some unattached Aquarians, love is likely with someone from another country or culture. You could also meet your perfect partner online.
PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
With Uranus and Venus visiting your finance zones, expect the unexpected when it comes to cash, credit, joint accounts or business partnerships. You’re in the mood for a spontaneous spending spree, but avoid buying things you really don’t need. Mercury muddies the waters at work (from November 7-27), so keep on your toes and double-check all appointments.
stops the passage in the tap of a cask
14 What is a picket of a fence?
16 What do we call a small unpretentious restaurant? 18 What is an established and universally accepted principle?
19 Name a less familiar term for one’s progeny
21 Which mountain system lies in southern
WORDS: Kathryn Vukovljak
PHOTOS: Silas Brown
WITH a 120-year-old, ivy-clad smoke shed, an old shearers’ quarters for guests, a wisteria walkway made from timber from the old Sydney Finger wharves and a slab hut dating from 1840, “Blackburn” in Yass has beautiful, historical buildings around every corner, surrounded by colourful, flower-filled gardens.
A working sheep farm, the gardens were created from scratch, by hand and with passion and enthusiasm by owners Jen and Dave Hewlett.
“I always said I wouldn’t have a big garden, but it seems to keep growing,” says Jen. “We’ve even got some ideas to extend it further, but I’m not sure if we should!”
The family have a passion for salvaging and recycling – they built the many stone walls themselves with collected stone, and cleaned 32,000 old bricks to build their home.
This large, lovely garden will be open on the weekend of November 10-11 as part of Open Gardens Australia.
The garden started off 30 years ago with just two tall trees, which later fell down, and the couple had to plant more to create much-needed shade. Gradually, the garden grew taller and now surrounds and protects the house, which features a pergola made from adzed timber salvaged from an old woolshed, says Jen.
The garden is a floral feast of crabapples, banksia roses, bulbs, lupins, poppies and forget-me-nots, and
features comfy sitting areas dotted about under the trees.
“I love going out down the walkway from the back of the house,” says Jen. “Even if the banksia isn’t out, it’s just really pretty.”
“Blackburn”, 1357 Cooks Hill Road, Yass, will be open 10am-4.30pm, Saturday, November 10, and Sunday, November 11. Adults $7, children under 18 are free. Funds raised will go to Open Gardens Australia, Red Cross and SIDS & Kids. More information at opengarden.org.au
THE tranquil young garden at 4 Hatton Drive, Yass, features beautifully neat repeat plantings of silver birches, crabapples, Manchurian pears and seduction roses.
A restful space, with a colour scheme of soft blues, silvers and whites, the garden also has hedges as a strong feature, with six different types providing structure and definition. At the front, a hedge of Tom Thumb provides a backdrop to the garden beds, while mini agapanthus border the path, with hellebores and roses in between. A herb garden sits below a stone wall at the rear of the house, with a vegetable garden beyond the swimming pool.
Adults $7, children under 18 are free, open 10am-4.30pm, Saturday, November 10, and Sunday, November 11. Teas and light lunches will be available. Proceeds will go to Cystic Fibrosis Australia and Open Gardens Australia.
SIX very different Burra country gardens are on display over the weekend of November 3-4.
There’s “Aberfeldy”, a working alpaca farm with panoramic views over Black Mountain, Molonglo Ridge, and the Clear Range.
“Roselawn” is a tranquil, old-fashioned garden featuring a Monet-inspired footbridge. “Glenbog” houses a commercial nursery and lovely arbours of climbing roses, wisteria and ornamental grape lead into enclosed garden rooms.
The “Tijara” iris garden was started 23 years ago with the planting of a westerly windbreak of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees, and now has gravelled lawn areas meandering through delightful rockeries – and many established potted tall bearded irises.
“Nankeen” has garden rooms which include a native walk, native bird haven, Japanese garden, cottage garden, rose gardens, conifer garden and lawns. And finally, “Felix”
is a creative, artistic spot accessed through a gateway of colourful totems crafted by the resident artist. Overlooking the spectacular Tinderry Mountains, this garden is a testament to the intensive work and biodynamic practices of these garden partners.
Light refreshments, jams, plants and other goodies will be available for sale.
The gardens will be open from 10am-5pm on the weekend of November 3-4. “Aberfeldy”, 20 Wells Place, Googong; “Roselawn”, 1291 Old Cooma Road, Googong; “Glenbog”, 314 Plummers Road, Burra; “Tijara”, 100 Williamsdale Road, Burra; “Nankeen”, 28 Finlay Pl, Burra; and “Felix”, 1386 Urila Road, Burra. Single garden visit is $10; $20 to visit all gardens. Funds raised go to the Lions Club of Queanbeyan. Visit www.burra.org.au for more detailed information regarding planning your visiting sequence and what’s on sale at each garden.
THREE gardens in Griffith will open for the annual Weekend in the Gardens: Connecting Communities on November 3-4.
Plants, jams, refreshments and homemade goods will be on sale at 17 Stokes Street. The other gardens on show, at 8 Torres Street and 28 Stuart Street, will have a wide range of plants for sale.
Now in its fourth year, the event came about through the friendship of Sister Anna Warlow from The Good Samaritan Rural Outreach, WA, and Canberra local Jane Scroope.
Plants, jams, refreshments and homemade goods will be on sale in Griffith.
ALTHOUGH it was first settled in the mid19th century, much of the garden at 149 Wanna Wanna Road, Carwoola, dates back to the early 1920s – a time when life was slower and gardens were both gracious and productive.
Laid out in the traditional Southern Tablelands style of the period, there is a central carriage turning circle at the end of the driveway, a wisteria walk, huge lilacs, crabapples, laurels and a lovely shrubbery.
There are around 200 different varieties of roses, old and new, shrub and rambling, providing flowers from early October.
The orchard and kitchen garden are important parts of the homestead garden, providing vegetables, herbs, fruit, and fodder for preserves, jams and jellies.
“The event enables us to raise valuable funds, but we also build community in Canberra,” says Jane. “Our friends and family pool their creative resources to produce amazing homemade items as well as sharing some great days out in inspiring gardens.”
There will also be live music, cooking demonstrations and other festivities.
The gardens at 17 Stokes Street, 8 Torres Street and 28 Stuart Street, Griffith, will open 10am to 4pm on the weekend of November 3-4. It costs $10 for entry to all three. Funds raised will go to the isolated communities of indigenous, mining and rural families in WA.
HOW many readers have lost tomatoes by planting too early?
Melbourne Cup Day is upon us and it is worth the risk of planting tomatoes.
We still need to be ever vigilant, with recent overnight temperatures close to zero.
Looking at the veggie calendar, it’s time to get serious for fresh summer salads. It is important to have prepared the ground some time ago so that fresh manures are not in too-high concentrations. If you are still using chemical fertilisers, ensure they are not in contact with the roots of the seedlings or they may cause severe burning and those delicate plants will die. You cannot blame the snails all the time!
With the ground rapidly warming, most veggies will take off. French Beans can now be sown in a warm site, only in full sun. As with most seeds, do not plant the whole packet at the one time. Sow a few each week over several weeks for a continuous supply.
You will need to consider different soils for the various veggies. For example, beetroot dislikes an acid soil and can be grown either from seed or seedlings. Similarly leeks, lettuce and onions like the same soil as beetroot, ie a well-limed soil. Onions need to go in without delay as seedlings, but feed with a low-nitrogen fertiliser.
ALL fertilisers show an NPK rating, with N=Nitrogen, P=Phosphorus and K=Potassium. Very simply, nitrogen provides plenty of top green growth, essential for lettuce, English spinach or all plants that produce their crop above ground. Phosphorus encourages root growth, ie carrots, beetroot, onions and radish. Potassium promotes flowers, essential for melons, marrows, cucumbers and sweet corn or where the fruit develops from flower pollination. Getting the balance right can be tricky, but do not lose too much sleep over it. For those with back problems or to make it harder for the snails, raised Colorbond veggie beds are the answer (available through tankworks.com.au).
PEAS do best in new soil. Radish are for successive sowing of seed as they grow very quickly, great for children to grow in their own dedicated veggie plot. Starting children into gardening early is summed up by this anonymous quotation: “The love of gardening is a seed that, once sown, never dies”. How true.
All root crops need a rich, deeply dug soil. Often the problem with misshapen carrots is that they hit the deep-down hard soil deep that has not been adequately prepared.
SO your tomatoes are starting to grow, even though you forgot to cover them occasionally. I suggest you buy a copy of Allen Gilbert’s “Tomatoes for everyone” (about $25). Its 142 pages are fully illustrated in colour, with every problem you are likely to come up against – and still have the best crop in the street! And for further information on growing veggies, do buy the latest edition of “The Canberra Gardener” available from most bookshops. This is written by members of the Horticultural Society of Canberra especially for our local climate.
JUST published is an inspiring book on vegetable growing, olive production, how to really grow tomatoes, grapes for wine and fruit trees. Titled “Growing Honest Food” by Gabriella GomersallHubbard (Hyland House, hardback, full colour, 224 pages, rrp $39.95), it is the story of Tina and Tony Siciliano, originally from Varapodi in Italy.
After migrating here in the ‘50s and working hard all their lives they decided to retire to 1.2 hectares, 17 kilometres from Melbourne and create an “Oasis of Italian Tradition in the Suburbs”. Once they built their new home in 1981, they started the most amazing garden, as you will see once you look at this book, with its mouth-watering recipes. Lovers of Italian food, and that pretty well means everyone, will delight in their story, living proof that a venture such as this provides a healthy lifestyle and can also be profitable.
