What’s a heritage listing worth? The bureaucrats dodge and weave and refuse to let ‘CityNews’ near the rusting Starlight Drive-in sign at the Fyshwick depot, where it has lain, unrestored and damaged, for more than a year. LAURA EDWARDS reports on the shameful neglect of this listed piece of nostalgia
ACT Heritage Council and the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate are “not concerned” about the ‘50s heritage-listed Starlight Drivein sign’s condition, despite it being left uncovered and unprotected in a Fyshwick depot for more than a year.
In October last year, the 57-year-old neon sign was blown from its rusted plinth into an adjoining field in Watson, and Chief Minister Katy Gallagher acted with a swift pre-election promise to save the damaged sign, ordering it to be taken to the Territory and Municipal Services depot.
A year on and it is no closer to being repaired.
In October 2012, Ms Gallagher said: “The sign is part of our history. It will be restored as history requires it to remain in that spot, so we will have to work out a way to better secure it and
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keep it safe.”
However, according to a spokesperson for the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate, the sign is still sitting “face down” and uncovered in the depot, with no plans in place to repair it.
Both Territory and Municipal Services and the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate declined “CityNews’” request to photograph the sign in its current state.
“The ACT Government does not believe that the sign is at greater risk of deterioration in its current position than if it was standing upright,” the spokesperson says.
“Until it can be reinstated, it is believed that the sign is safer lying down than standing. The sign is, and has always been, in a location where it is exposed to the weather. It is believed that the current location does not
The heritage-listed sign as it used to be, right… and as it was last year at the TAMS depot in Fyshwick.
put the sign at a greater risk of deterioration than if it was in its original location.”
The spokesperson said the owners of the sign, the Starlight Apartments, had been invited to apply for an emergency heritage grant to assist with the repair last year, but they are yet to receive a formal response.
“The directorate is in direct liaison with Starlight Apartments on this matter… the heritage unit
will look at how the sign can be reinstated,” the spokesperson said.
The Starlight Drive-in Theatre was opened in Canberra in 1957 by George Kimlin, as the ACT’s first drive-in theatre. It was also one of the first drive-ins in Australia.
The sign was built in Sydney in 1956 and was the first neon sign in Canberra, used to mark the entry to the drive-in from the Federal Highway.
Cover: Deborra-Lee Furness.
6.
Actress, activist and advocate for adoption, Deborra-Lee Furness is coming to campaign in Canberra.
LAURA EDWARDS has the story
IT’S difficult to mention Deborra-Lee Furness without the words “Hugh Jackman” uttered in the same breath.
But there is much more to the actress than her megastar husband – the 57-yearold is also a loving mother of two children, activist and passionate advocate for adoption, as the executive director of the Worldwide Orphans Foundation in Australia.
On November 13 she will visit Canberra to encourage adoption reform and empower Australians to engage with issues affecting adoption, as part of a forum run by women’s network, Business Chicks, during National Adoption Awareness Week.
Furness, who adopted two children with Jackman after they could not biologically conceive, says she has been driving reform since speaking with Australians who were waiting up to 10 years to adopt.
“So many people came to me in Australia, knowing I had adopted children, and told me they wanted to provide a loving home for a child, but the bureaucracy restrictions and time limits were so hard that they couldn’t endure the process,” Furness says.
Australia’s inter-country adoption laws are some of the world’s most rigorous, which also means it is one of the slowest countries from which to adopt. According to research group Women’s Forum, Australia now has the second-lowest adoption rate in the developed world and, with an average five-year period for adoption approval, the waiting times are now the longest they have been in the country’s history.
Furness says it is “unclear” why the road to adoption is so difficult in Australia, but believes past issues could have triggered some complexity.
“Some theories are in relation to the stolen generation, that we handled that so badly and therefore politicians are scared of even touching anything to do with adoption,” she tells “CityNews”.
“Also during the 1950s to 1970s there were a lot of unwed mothers that were pretty much coerced into giving up their newborn babies by state and church, as it was not deemed palatable by society to support these women in keeping their children… there was a lot of secrecy and shame attached to adoption.”
By “shedding light” on the situation, Furness hopes others will start championing the cause.
“Vulnerable children are relying on the adults to make the best decision for their wellbeing… if the politicians are not step -
ping up and creating policy that will effect a better system, I can only hope that with enough energy and passion and intelligence from people who recognise what needs to be done then we can effect change,” she says.
“Through the media and social networking I am confident that we can begin to shed light on this issue and bring humanity and good sense into the equation and then precipitate action.”
Currently based in New York, Furness says her family comes first despite a hectic schedule, including managing her roles as patron of the Lighthouse Foundation for displaced children in Melbourne, patron of the Bone Marrow Donor Institute for children with leukemia, and as a World Vision Ambassador.
“Luckily, due to the time difference between New York and Australia, I get to work after my kids are in bed and I am usually going strong till the wee hours of the morning,” she says.
Sydney-born Furness met Jackman while filming short-lived TV series “Correlli” in 1995, and says her husband of 17 years is a “constant inspiration” to her.
“[He] has passion and talent, and makes the world a better place for everyone,” she says.
Deborra-Lee Furness is guest speaker at the Business Chicks breakfast, Hotel Realm, Wednesday, November 13. Bookings to businesschicks.com.au/events
Adoption advocate Deborra-Lee Furness… “Vulnerable children are relying on the adults to make the best decision for their wellbeing.”
FOR the past several years, one interesting and steadily growing little club has been getting together regularly on weekends to reach into the skies. Their unique hobby is affordable, infectious and very easy for beginners, even though in this case, for once, it actually is rocket science.
“I got interested in rocketry when I went to the US in 2002,” says Canberra Rocketry Group (CRG) president Nev Blyth.
“It was a work trip and I had a bit of time on my hands, so I went to a local hobby shop and I came across these hobby rockets.”
Model rocketry combines the craft of model-making with the brief excitement of the launch, and the enjoyment of watching a carefully planned sequence of events fall into place.
“The theory is you set these things up to launch and they will travel more or less vertically to an apogee – the top of the curve – where they should pop in half, deploy a parachute and descend underneath it to be recovered, repacked and reused,” says Nev.
“The small ones are great for beginners, and the thing is, it appeals to a broad spectrum, kids particularly. They like the excitement and the apprehension, and the euphoria when it all goes
right, and it’s very much something that you can enjoy in that simple way, or you can apply a lot of science to it.”
He explains the rockets are made from very light materials, often cardboard, and the motors are all safely made by licensed manufacturers and fired electronically from a safe distance, so when things go wrong, it’s more entertaining than it is dangerous.
“Like an aeroplane, these things have their own aerodynamics so they can be beautifully stable and fly like an arrow, like a dart, or if you build them wrong and get the balance of the weight wrong, they’ll be unstable and they’ll fly randomly all over the sky.”
Back home from his work trip to the US, the self-described “aviation and aerospace geek” got his hands on his first kit, built the rocket and launched it from an oval.
This satisfyingly spectacular experience led him to seek a local group of model rocketeers he could enjoy his newfound hobby with, but there wasn’t one so, starting with a website, Nev went about setting up a club and other local rocketeers slowly came out of the woodwork.
The CRG is now an incorporated association which holds regular launch days at two rural properties, one near
Yass and another for more advanced, higher-powered launches near the town of Ardlethan, a couple of hours further out the same way.
Much of the addictive fun of rocketry is captured well in photos and videos that can be seen on the CRG website and Facebook page, but getting the group to the stage it’s at now took a lot of work.
The breakthrough came when the Australian Rocketry Association (ARA) called Nev “out of the blue”. CRG is now a part of the ARA, which covers members with public liability insurance of up to $20 million, deals with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and provides standard advice and safety guidelines.
Nev encourages anyone – of any age –who wants to try rocketry to get in contact and come out to a day of launches, adding that the kits start from about $20.
Serious hobbyists can take rocketry incredibly far, to the point of spending thousands of dollars and reaching several kilometres in height, attaching payloads such as digital cameras and tracking equipment.
CRG’s treasurer and armourer, Mark Bottomley, says he recently sent one of his bigger rockets to well over a kilometre, and the group is definitely hatching plans to go higher.
More information from members.ozemail.com.au/~blythnr/canberra_rocketry/ or see Canberra Rocketry Group on Facebook.
IT’S been held annually since 1999, but this year there will be a renewed sense of “optimism and celebration” at Canberra’s queer cultural festival, Springout, says co-organiser David Sequeira.
David, an artistic director at the National Film and Sound Archive, says the passing of the Marriage Equality Same-Sex Bill in the ACT Legislative Assembly last month is “perfect timing” ahead of the two-week-long festival, held in November.
“Over the years Springout has become increasingly mature as a festival and maintained its relevance, and this year it’s going to be bigger than it’s ever been before – I think there will be a real undercurrent of celebration,” David says.
With more than 20 events around Canberra, David says the festival’s program is tailored to “reveal to the general community as many facets of queer culture as possible”.
Highlights include dance parties, charity bake-offs, a talk by Sydney barrister and author Mark Tedeschi regarding transgender issues, and a performance by ARIA-winning singer and former Canberra girl Sally Whitwell – who David describes as a “force to be reckoned with”.
“It’s funny because for 360 days of the year you will not see some of these people out, but they will come out for these events. It really does bring people out of the suburbs, because they prefer to go to these social events rather than somewhere like Cube,” David says.
“We’re really trying to let people know that it’s not just for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, it’s for everyone to enjoy.
The festival isn’t out to be a protest, it’s an intention to celebrate queer culture in all its facets, in a very public way.”
Launched in 1999, Springout Festival began with “literally two volunteers,” and now has an enthusiastic team of six, who spend about four months of each year planning.
The longest serving committee member is Keiran Rossteuscher, who joined from its inauguration, and says “so much” has changed since then.
“Canberra has had new adoption laws surrounding same-sex couples, a new marriage bill – we’re just such a progressive city, and we hear so many stories about people coming out younger and with more positive experiences, because this festival does connect to Canberra,” he says.
“The thing that’s unique about Springout is the community aspect. In larger cities, you don’t get that sense of ownership at a festival, you’ll always be a guest, whereas in Canberra you get a sense of ownership of this project, beyond our little committee.”
One of the most popular and longestrunning events coinciding with the festival is the Bush Barn Dance, held at
the Yarralumla Woolshed.
“Busloads of people from Sydney come down for it, it’s crazy. I call it the country bumpkin’s mardis gras,” Keiran jokes.
“It’s all the dancing you did as a teenager in high school without the nervous, clammy hands – well, maybe a few. Boys dance with boys, girls dance with girls, and there’s a bush band. It’s
a big deal and around 800 people pack into the shed each year.”
Another favourite is Fair Day, a “relaxed” picnic day with music, stallholders and parades; and where Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr met his now-husband.
This year will also include the introduction of “Story Time” at the Dickson Library, which will see Labor MLA Yvette Berry reading children’s books which aim to educate kids about samesex couples.
“It’s about educating from the grassroots, showing that families can come from all shapes and sizes,” David says.
“This does two things: it caters to children of same-sex parents, but also caters to the general community as well. It’s about normalising differences at a grassroots level and accessing the whole community.”
David says the Canberra community has always been “very accepting and really embraced” the festival.
“I think the people that would have a problem with it aren’t really looking for us, they’re looking for the cliche, tops-off, bums-out event that just doesn’t happen here – this is a festival for everyone,” he says.
Springout Festival, November 9-24. Program at springout.com.au/ or facebook.com/springOUT
Robert Macklin the gadfly
CANBERRA’S Labor supporters could not help but be dismayed by the performance of their Member for Fraser, Andrew Leigh, in a recent interview with ABC radio’s Adam Shirley.
It was an exercise in sophistry worthy of its own episode of “Yes Minister”… except, of course, that Mr Leigh is not a minister and will not become one if he persists in substituting spin for plain speaking… and cowardice for political courage.
Regular readers might recall that some months ago he took me to task for advocating Australia’s withdrawal from the war in Afghanistan, which I had condemned as an exercise in futility.
In response, he penned a letter defending our participation with the usual blather about reducing the threat of terrorism and “helping to improve the humanitarian position of the Afghan people”.
Since then, more Australian soldiers have died needlessly.
Now they are heading home to suffer the agony of their post-traumatic-stress disorder. I have recently completed writing the biographies of two of them to be published next year. And one of my unwelcome discoveries was that the PTSD doesn’t confine itself to the soldiers; their wives and children suffer a seemingly endless emotional torture. And for what, Andrew Leigh? Let’s see what happens in Afghanistan when the last of the Americans leave.
Leigh’s more recent contribution on the ABC was on a subject no less important for Australians and, indeed, the world: Labor’s climate change policy.
Apparently he has joined the weak sisters who surround “Slippery Bill” Shorten urging the party to wave through Tony Abbott’s legislation to repeal the price on carbon.
He says it’s the policy Labor took to the election since Kevin Rudd announced that they would move from the fixed price (the so-called carbon tax) to an Emissions Trading Scheme a year earlier than originally scheduled.
He conflates this policy with the Abbott
plan to kill carbon pricing with no ETS to take its place.
Adam Shirley did a nice job in exposing the logical fallacy embedded in Andrew Leigh’s argument. But really, that wasn’t the point; politics is not about sophistry, nor even expedience. It’s about taking a clear and unambiguous position on the big issues of the day. And there is nothing bigger than climate change.
Everyone knows the Abbott plan is a sham, a smokescreen to disguise his firmly held view that the world’s scientists are alarmists and we should not be interfering with Nature (for which read God’s ineffable plan) as embodied in the beliefs of his spiritual adviser, Cardinal George Pell.
By abandoning the fight – even symbolically – Labor would have surrendered the field to the mythmakers; and for the most transient political relief from the “carbon tax” bogey created from thin air (as it were) by Abbott.
The conservatives, and much of the mainstream media, it seems, fell and remain under the spell of the most irresponsible Opposition Leader in Australia’s history. Sadly, as Prime Minister, he is now opposed by one of the most ineffectual.
Andrew Leigh should feel right at home.
robertmacklin.com
NEONATAL specialist Associate Professor Zsuzsoka Kecskes, is the ACT Australian of the Year for 2014. The Territory’s Senior Australian of the Year is Lieut-Col Graham Francis Walker, a veterans’ campaigner; the ACT Young Australian of the Year is Huy Nguyen, a disability advocate and the Local Hero award went to disability champion Patricia Mowbray. The ACT winners will represent the ACT at the national awards presented on Australia Day eve.
Mike’s mic’s
AWARD-winning drivetime announcer Mike Welsh, a passionate voice at 2CC for more than 11 years, has left the station, having reluctantly resigned over what he calls an intractable issue with “middle management”. Welsh won’t say what’s forced his hand, but it’s understood he has taken a stand in support of a grievance from junior staff.
THE Cerebral Palsy Alliance ACT has been confirmed as the charity beneficiary of February’s annual Maxim Invitational Tennis Charity Event. Cerebral Palsy Alliance CEO Rob White said the support of Maxim Chartered Accountants, which runs the event, will change the lives of local children with cerebral palsy with all money raised going to fitting out the Alliance’s state-of-the-art therapy centre at Scullin. Maxim partner Mark Peatey says: “Having the funds raised by the local business community at the Invitational Charity event being utilised by local Canberra families is an outstanding outcome for everyone”. More information or to register a team at maximca.com.au/invitational/
WHETHER you are looking for a pram, a jumperoo, a fresh summer wardrobe for the little ones or a pile of Christmas toys, the promise is you’ll find them at the Muddle Puddle Baby and Kids’ Market at the Weston Creek Community Hall, Cooleman Court, 8am-2pm, on November 16. The market offers an eclectic mix of good-quality, pre-loved clothes, toys and equipment, along with a scattering of new and locally made items. More information, or to host a stall, at muddlepuddlemarket@gmail.com or call 0402 033703.
KINGSFORD Smith School is holding a fete at 100 Starke Street, Holt, 10am-2pm, Saturday, November 9. Attractions include a cake stall, plant stall, books, art, craft, rides and food.
I WOULD like to ask John Didlick (letters, CN October 31) how many needlestick injuries he has suffered as the executive officer of the ACT Hepatitis Resource Centre?
As a corrections officer in NSW I suffered two. The first was by way of a syringe blue-tacked to the underside of a sliding-door bolt. Not aimed at me personally, of course, any “screw” sliding that bolt would do.
The ACT plan will flood their institution with syringes because the Government’s touted “new-for-used” system is a lie. No inmate claiming his syringe has been lost will be refused a fresh one. That would defeat the purpose.
What happens to all these used syringes that disappear into the system? My experience (ie, what one has done as opposed to what one has read about), tells me that most of them will not end up in clinic sharps bins, but jail-made tattoo guns. Others will be placed around for the purpose of sticking staff in order to cause grief and discomfort for their families.
There are two kinds of people in government. Those who make policy, and those who have to carry it out. Every once in a while, it may be of benefit for governments to actually listen to those that have to carry the policy out instead of whichever teenager happens to be advising the minister that month. There is no legal drinking age in Israel; alcohol abuse isn’t a social problem. Japanese schools don’t have to have suspension policies; Japanese children are self disciplined. What works in Scandinavia will not necessarily work here. Cutting and pasting is not ‘evidence based’. When the first Alexander Maconochie Centre inmate is in an ice-induced rage courtesy of a Government-issued syringe, I look forward to Messrs Didlick and [prisons minister Shane] Rattenbury, rolling up their sleeves and showing us all how to put him safely back into his cell (without impinging on his dignity or human rights, of course).
Mike Crowther,
Watson
GOVERNMENTAL drug treatments of prisoners – including methadone or needles – must be transparent and justifiable before the community. By means of an FOI request, a member of the SA Upper House, Dennis Hood, obtained a response from the SA Prison Health Service on how successful methadone treatment had been in getting people drug-free.
In an interview on Adelaide station 5AA in September last year, Mr Hood said: “Opioid substitution treatment is maintenance therapy rather than a course of treatment. The objective is to maintain harm minimisation rather than achieve a specific end point.”
SA and the ACT operate under virtually the same illicit drug policy. If needles were introduced into our prison, inmates would then have two treatments to maintain them or help to maintain them on drugs. Prisoners’ human rights demand rehabilitation – not to be sentenced to indefinite drug maintenance.
Colliss Parrett, Barton
Letters are invited from “CityNews” readers. Let loose to editor@citynews.com.au or write to the editor at GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601. Letters of 200 words or less stand a better chance of publication.
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$2,000 to be won weekly and drawn every Friday at 11am from 15th November until 20th December 2013 8 week competition starts 1st November 2013. Bonus $1,000 if the winner is present at the draw. This will JACKPOT by $1,000 until claimed or promotion ends.
On 4 June 2013 Andrew Montgomery, President of the Canberra Division of Engineers Australia, made a number of comments to The Canberra Times regarding the safety of a building site and adjacent roadway at Belconnen.
Engineers Australia has been informed by Creative Building Services that those comments were incorrect and that a geotechnical engineer was engaged to inspect and assess the safety of the site on an ongoing basis. Engineers Australia apologises unreservedly to Creative Building Services and ACT Geotechnical Engineering for any suggestion that the safety of the building site and adjacent roadway had not been assured by professional engineers.
STEPHEN EASTON joins a macabre, intriguing, devastating, horrific and painful walk through Queanbeyan’s past, ghosts and all!
IT’S Halloween, and as a chilly wind chases away the last of the day’s heat, Queanbeyan author Nichole Overall is standing under the city’s bridge, dressed all in black.
She’s accompanied by her two sons, Nick and Alex, also dressed in sombre black, and they’re introducing themselves to the people who will make up the first group for a spooky new walking tour, “Mysterious Queanbeyan by Moonlight”.
It’s a spinoff from the huge amount of historical research Overall undertook for the book “Queanbeyan: City of Champions”, which she recently published to coincide with the city’s 175th birthday.
Throughout the tour she regales us with genuinely fascinating, macabre, intriguing, devastating, horrific and painful stories of Queanbeyan’s past that she has collected, and impressively draws from memory with little hesitation.
From bizarre happenings inside an ageing white building known as Ye Olde Kent House and skeletons in the closets of the city’s pioneer families, to the creature in the river and Sally, the ghostly girlfriend who hooks up with lonely
men, Overall has a huge list of top-notch supernatural stories, sprinkled with interesting historical points.
Before the small group gathers for Overall’s opening monologue, two of its members reveal themselves to be amateur ghost hunters.
For them there is no question that ghosts exist and if the spirits of the dead
are around, they are certain of feeling their presence, citing previous experiences at Sydney’s famous haunted house, the Q Station at Manly, and a mysterious sixth sense possessed since childhood.
Later, after emerging from a room inside a creepy old mill house (where the tour stops for quality coffee and cakes at the downstairs cafe) the pair excitedly give vivid descriptions of several ghosts
which, despite being in the room with them, this reporter is unfortunately unable to verify.
“CityNews” can verify, on the other hand, that the two-hour walking tour is a fascinating way to see Queanbeyan, not too strenuous as it’s mostly on flat ground, and so engrossing that nobody appeared to struggle with the distance.
As we pass Queanbeyan’s masonic hall, Nichole points out the relatively old building and the fact that few locals have ever seen inside.
“You can if you want,” pipes up a man in the group, who turns out to be a freemason, and just like that, a new element is added to the tour. Future groups, it seems, will be allowed to see inside the building as the masons try to shed their secretive image.
We finish the tour with a stroll through the graveyard, which dates back to the mid-1800s, where some of the most shudder-inducing stories are saved for last.
As we return to our starting point by the river, all agree it was two hours well spent and Nichole, Alex and Nick are all thanked with a hearty round of applause.
The next Mysterious Queanbeyan by Moonlight tour is on November 15. Cost is $55 including light refreshments. More information at the Mysterious Queanbeyan by Moonlight Tours Facebook page.
I HAVE been hammered by all and sundry over my suggestion that Canberra shouldn’t give up on trying to field an A League team.
Understandably, there is disappointment after Canberra was overlooked previously, despite submitting the only bid.
Football Federation Australia was so determined to put a team in from Western Sydney that it bankrolled the Wanderers itself.
As it turned out, the team is the success story of the A League. In only the second year, it has 16,000 members and made the grand final in its debut season.
I worry that, as the A League becomes more successful, it will become harder for Canberra to get a look in. So there should be some semblance of an ‘A League for Canberra organisation’ to keep highlighting the need for a home team from the national capital.
We should be ready for when the FFA decides again to expand, if for nothing else but to make the federation aware that Canberra is interested.
You don’t need to look too far into Canberra’s history to see the benefits of keeping the dream alive.
In the late 1980s-early 1990s Ron Cahill led the push for an AFL team for Canberra. It almost came off with Fitzroy becoming our team
Tim Gavel comments
before heading north.
The fact that GWS now plays three premiership games a season in Canberra had its genesis with the momentum created by Cahill and the like.
Once we are over “bid fatigue”, perhaps we can have another look at the A League.
I DIDN’T know Owen Brown well. We spoke on the phone several times when Easts Rugby Club was going through a tough period.
Owen was a player with the club, then twice its president. It was during his second stint that he was at his most influential – the club was on the brink financially and he was instrumental in ensuring it didn’t go under.
Not only was he a powerful force in saving Easts, he was also pivotal in ensuring the club was viable into the future.
Owen died last month, aged in his early 60s, following a long battle with cancer. Owen wouldn’t have been able to do what he did for Easts without the support of his wife Karen, sons Adrian and Matt, and his extended family.
Every sporting club needs an Owen Brown; Easts was lucky enough to have the original.
As an Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, a country keenly willing to develop relations with the Commonwealth of Australia, and as the current Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Group, I am pleased to witness how steadily and promising this relationship is growing at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
Multicultural diplomacy is of a paramount importance in our global era. Both Australia and the Arab countries play a pivotal role in the United Nations and many other international organizations and fora. The important presence or Embassies and a General Consulate representing 14 Arab countries in Canberra is a good setting stage for further exchange of views and for strengthening cooperation for their common interests.
With its tremendous economic, political and cultural potentials, the Arab world stands out as a model of what a region can offer to its strategic partners, even though there are still greater opportunities to be exploited to develop our economic relations and trade exchanges which would meet common aspirations for a prosperous strategic partnership.
Education is one of the best vehicles for enhancing friendship and understanding between peoples all over the world. More than twelve thousands of Arab students, encouraged by their respective Governments, have chosen Australia, a friendly country as an academic destination benefitting from the high quality of its education system, as well from its multicultural society that respects diversity and coexistence.
An active Arab Australian community is based in Australia and participates in a constructive way in the development and harmony of the Australian society.
Other additional horizons of communication and contacts between our peoples are still to be explored and expanded. These can be through promoting tourism, joint cultural events and targeted programs by civil society organizations acting in the field of sustainable development, women empowerment, youth activities and among others.
We strongly believe that our deep heritage and rich and diverse cultures can play a central role in attracting the interest and attention of our peoples and countries.
In this regard, Morocco was honored to have been awarded the merit recognition and the best stall prize during the high profile multicultural festival of Canberra (2013) which coincided this year with the centenary of this beautiful diplomatic city.
Honored were Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, when the Gates of their Embassies were open during the centenary program, ”windows to the world”, to host more than hundred Canberrans curious to know about Arab rich and diverse culture which is starting to be a part and parcel of the cultural scenery of Australia.
Capital Metro could be the next big thing for Canberra, says CATHERINE CARTER
THE ACT Government has committed $12 million to the next phase of delivery for light rail in Canberra, however, questions remain about strategies for developing the transport corridor, how to ensure that Canberrans are on board and what steps are needed to ensure it doesn’t become a costly failure.
FOR the first time since self-government in 1989:
• The ACT Assembly has a Speaker who is not part of the government.
• The single cross-bench member is a Minister.
• And the committees are balanced with even numbers of Labor and Liberal members. All of which makes for some interesting challenges.
The predecessors of the Speaker did not have to confront the sort of issues faced by Vicki Dunne. While all Speakers, since the advent of the self-government Assembly, have attempted to be even handed, it has not always been possible.
At times, it has been apparent that the Chief Ministers have had considerable power over the Speaker, including the effective capacity to remove them should they become too troublesome.
In this Assembly, the Speaker comes from the Opposition and draws her power and position not just from those of her own party, but also from the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services (as well as Corrections, Housing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Ageing), lone Greens member Shane Rattenbury.
The key power broker, Mr Rattenbury as the former Speaker, at least understands the challenges that are placed in front of Mrs Dunne. When he was Speaker, the Government relied on the Greens for their power. A quid pro quo was the stability of his position as Speaker. There is no equivalent situation for Speaker Dunne. The best she can hope for is an understanding from Mr Rattenbury that judgement calls are made on the spur of the moment, in the heat of debate and often with the conflicting sides convinced of the righteousness of their position.
In her own words it requires “punctiliousness” to manage such an arrangement.
The unusual balance of the current Assembly impacts on much more than the role of the Speaker. The committee system has been a great strength of the ACT Assemblies.
From the time of the first Assembly, with a mix of Labor, Liberal, No-Self Government,
Abolish Self Government, Independent and Residents Rally, the committee system has been used to examine issues, test evidence, understand community views and, most importantly, find compromise.
New members of the Assembly have been assigned to committees on the basis of an even balance between Labor and Liberal. With the one cross-bench member a Minister and the Labor and Liberal parties providing the other eight members each there is not much choice. However, the dynamics have shifted considerably. Although the Assembly has resisted the Federal extremes of the last few years, there is still an understandable antagonistic and combative element that permeates the struggle for power, including in committees.
Whereas compromise could be facilitated in the past with a three-way exchange, the temptation in committees will be to toe the party line. In the past, the committees have taken on many controversial issues, exposing the community to different ideas and perspectives. So far, this has not been the practice of the current committees. The inquiries are largely more pragmatic, being based on accountability and legislation.
The one exception is a carry-over from the Seventh Assembly. The issue of sentencing in the ACT is being considered by the Justice and Community Safety Committee chaired by Steve Doszpot.
The predecessor committee in the previous Assembly did not complete its inquiry and therefore the current committee has determined to examine “the practice and effectiveness of current arrangements in the ACT for: parole; periodic detention; bail; restorative justice; and circle sentencing, and will consider alternative approaches to sentencing practice in the ACT”.
Personalities and leadership have always been key factors across the range of roles in the Assembly. As long as the MLAs respect their daily commitment when the House is sitting to “pray or reflect on our responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory”, there is a chance that the system can work. It is just more challenging than it has been in the past.
Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health
In the proposed light rail corridor from Gungahlin to Civic, population growth was five times the ACT average. It is estimated that, by 2021, the precinct will support around 62,000 people.
A panel of experts discussed the potential for Capital Metro at a recent Property Council lunch.
Glenn Bain, acting directorgeneral with the Capital Metro Agency confirmed that work on network infrastructure for the first stage is set to start in 2016, and that the experience overseas pointed to a corresponding increase in employment and land values. In Manchester, he said, light rail stimulated $100 million in investment and more than 3000 new permanent jobs.
Dan Stewart, deputy director-general for land development, strategy and finance said that a good deal of work had been done on planning for the corridor, with a land release and redevelopment strategy to go to Government soon. While land values along the corridor were likely to rise, increases in value took sometimes seven to nine years to emerge after development, said Saxon Rose, partner with Deloitte Tax Services.
Transit oriented development – TOD – can produce innovative urban responses along light rail corridors. Cameron Charlton, partner with Minter Ellison lawyers, gave valuable insight into TOD potential saying the developments could create a return to “village-style” living with a focus on quality public spaces. With creative incentives and a Government commitment to the quality of the public realm, development on the Capital Metro corridor could open some exciting doors to new investment in the city.
IT’S hard not to be the star of the theatre at Calvary John James Private Hospital in Deakin West these days.
The hospital has just installed Australia’s first surgical iSuite, bursting with high-definition, voice-command digital imaging and technology that, CEO Shaune Gillespie says, “enables us to keep pace with the rest of the world by providing our surgeons with the best possible images.”
Surgical teams have instant access to patient information and diagnostic results.
Offering a second opinion, surgeon Dr Charles Mosse says: “The advanced ergonomics, high-quality definition and systems integration affords us an efficient and more precise environment in which to operate. Our patient care will benefit from this innovation.”
CONGRATULATIONS
to 2012’s Face of Canberra Racing, Brittney McGlone, and her partner NRL football player James Tamou, who welcomed their first child, Brooklyn Knox, to the world in August. James, who is originally from NZ, has played for the North Queensland Cowboys since 2009.
INSPIRED by its lively website, a local resident went to the Weston Club the other night for the Weston Creek Community Council’s monthly meeting. He didn’t have to fight for a seat.
Despite there being 22,746 good souls in Weston Creek, six managed to attend the meeting, which hit double numbers only with the inclusion of four committee members.
The acting president was in the chair and, according to our diligent citizen, she banged on non-stop for the best part of an hour. “I have no doubt about her dedication,” he writes, wondering aloud if the emerging resident action groups around the town might be more effective in drawing out community support.
PHOTOGRAPHER Hilary Wardhaugh’s latest Photowalk, an innocent little community outing where amateur snappers go for a ramble, take nice pictures and share a coffee together afterwards, had to be cancelled after the greedy gnomes who run the publicly owned National Arboretum tried to shake her down for a $200 an hour professional photography fee (CC October 24).
Happily, the sensible Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has now directed an end to this rapacious charge and Hilary is calling all lensfolk to meet her in the main carpark in the National Arboretum near the playground, at 5pm on Sunday, November 10.
Adrian’s a knockout
BOXING Lyneham
before going down to the Russian champion.
“Thanks to the generous help of ‘CityNews’ readers who attended the sponsorship party held at Smoque, Adrian was able to fulfill his dream of attending the titles,” says proud dad Bobby Farquhar
Next stop will be Ireland and then America to the Ringside World Titles.
“Thanks to all the generous ‘CityNews’ readers for your support and help,” says Bobby.
More information on supporting Adrian at adrianfarquhar.com
High student and Australian under-16 light flyweight title holder Adrian Farquhar, pictured, has returned from the AIBA Junior World Championships, in Kiev, Ukraine, ranked number nine in the world, despite being one of the youngest competitors at 15. It’s the highest ranking ever reached by a Canberran junior and affirms Adrian’s determination when he told “CityNews” in April that: “I think I have a good chance of going well over there. I’m just going to rely on my technique and stay relaxed.” Adrian beat the European Belarus champion
GOOGLE “Mary Porter ” and up pops a brief profile of our veteran MLA, but the accompanying photo, pictured, is not the bespectacled face we know and love.
A reader tipped us off, but we wonder why this Molongolo man hasn’t got better things to do than Google the septuagenarian member for Ginninderra.
OUR dashing Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson in his October “eNewsletter” says in welcoming readers that: “The Canberra Liberals have been busy in the Legislative Assembly with two sitting weeks, but we’ve also been out and about at numerous community events.” That may be, Dasher, but there’s not a line about how busy the party was over the issue that transfixed the national media’s gaze on to the ACT Legislative Assembly that month – same-sex marriage.
IF Elvis Presley was The King, what does that make Jacqueline Feilich? The Australian singer is the only Elvis impersonator to have played at the Cheeseburger’s old home, Graceland, is a regular performer in Memphis and is coming to perform her “She is the King” show at The Artists Shed, 14 Foster Street, Queanbeyan, 7.30pm, Saturday, November 16. Tickets are $20 and bookings to 0458 712994.
If you can wait, she’s also down for the Elvis Festival in Parkes in January.
WHEN Michele Lee was 15, she penned a letter to her 30-year-old self.
“I can’t remember what it said, but it was something about being a virgin and getting a good job,” she says.
“I liked the idea of writing to the future, it gave me a chance to aspire, dream and ask questions that didn’t have to be answered on the spot.”
Now 33, the former Canberran and playwright has written her first book, “Banana Girl”, a “confronting” memoir which, she says, could possibly act as a letter to her 80-year-old self.
“When you hit 30, it’s a milestone and an age where you tend to freak out, when people tend to measure you on what you’ve achieved,” she says.
“I guess I’m tapping into that age of reflecting on what you’ve done. It does feel like a precipice between adolescence and being a grown up.”
Deeply revealing and erotic, “Banana Girl” explores Michele‘s “awkward” beginnings as the “fence-sitting” middle child in a large Hmong-Australian family in Canberra, where she lived until she was 23, through to her life now; as an up-and-coming playwright and
Michele Lee’s first book is described as “stumbling upon the secret diary of a complex woman”. The former Canberran shares some of it with reporter LAURA EDWARDS
public servant living in Melbourne’s trendy Brunswick. (The term “Banana Girl” curiously refers to the “yellow, golden” skin Michele has inherited from her Laos-born parents, who moved to Australia in the 1970s.)
Described as “stumbling upon the secret diary of a complex woman”, “Banana Girl” captures Michele’s frank observations on her culture, Gen-Y yearnings and sexual adventures.
“It’s essentially laying bare myself and my relationships,” Michele says.
“When I was writing it I had to ask permission from all these people as I’m talking about friends and ex-lovers who are still very much in my life, and there are some very personal, intimate scenes.”
Is she concerned about how those people will react when they read the book?
“Not really, I suppose because I’m a little naive in the sense that I won’t
“The Comedy of Errors”... audiences should just relax and enjoy the fun.
AN early work by Shakespeare, “The Comedy of Errors” was based on plays by the ancient Roman playwright Plautus.
Bell Shakespeare’s production is contemporary in setting and style with a very physical and comic approach that received responses of laughter and applause from the opening-night audience.
The device of mistaken identity is common in Shakespeare’s works and the addition of two sets of identical twins might confuse while entertaining. However, this is a performers’ play and audiences should just relax and enjoy the fun induced by a very polished ensemble of actors.
The cast of Nathan O’Keefe, Septimus Caton, Renato Musolino, Hazem Shammas, Elena Carapetis, Jude Henshall, Eugene Gilfedder, Anthony Taufa, Demitrios Sirilas and Suzannah McDonald offers a masterful and lively exhibition of responsive acting; simply making
“The Comedy of Errors” By William Shakespeare, directed by Imara Savage Bell Shakespeare At The Playhouse, until November 9 Reviewed by Joe Woodward
the most of every situation and moment.
The set is contemporary and allows for recognisable scenes of night life in a big city. The use of many doors gives a farcical element to the comedy with many slapstick falls and bumps.
Bell Shakespeare has always handled Shakespeare’s comedies with flair. While sometimes struggling with tragedy, comedy proves to be the company’s niche. “The Comedy of Errors” is a great example of bringing complex text to life and maximising its engagement with audiences.
be there when they’re reading so I won’t see their reaction,” she says.
“The people I’m maybe a little concerned about are my partner’s parents – but they’re not really the target audience I’m after!”
Michele started writing “Banana Girl” as part of a non-fiction assessment for her diploma of professional writing in Melbourne’s RMIT University five years ago, where she found herself “gravitating towards a memoir”.
“I’m not exactly sure why I chose to do it, but I suppose it’s a story that’s my own, and it was an interesting and cathartic exercise to weave together all parts of my life so far,” she says.
“For me, it was quite confronting compared to my usual work as a playwright, because that work is
never just about me.”
Michele says her time in Canberra is a “richly nostalgic” part of the memoir.
“I was there when I was at that age where I was at school and really growing up – I always like comingof-age stories,” she says.
“I look back at that time with a fondness, even though it was an awkward age. I think you can take the girl out of Canberra, but you can’t take Canberra out of the girl.”
She adds she’s “more than aware” that writing a memoir at the tender age of 33 may come across as selfindulgent to some.
“I do sometimes feel apologetic for being young and of a generation that can sometimes come across as selfabsorbed,” she says.
“But I think it’s something that doesn’t have to be written when you’re 80 years old. It’s focusing on a time in my life, from 15 to 30 years old, where there are a lot of questions. I suppose if I rewrite a memoir when I’m 80, it would be a completely different story, there would be a lot more answers.”
Banana Girl: A Memoir, Transit Lounge Publishing, $29.95
Author Michele Lee… “When you hit 30, it’s a milestone and an age where you tend to freak out, when people tend to measure you on what you’ve achieved.”
‘Thor’ blimey, it’s just not history
“Thor:
The Dark World” (M)
WE’VE seen it before and often. A bad guy with ambitions to steal a throne – in this case, it’s Loki (Tom Hiddleston), son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), king of Aesgard). And a good guy, loyal to the cause of righteousness – that’s Thor (Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth) whose trademark is the hammer that he can summon into his hand when a really bad opponent needs demolition.
He’s part of the pantheon of Norse gods that Marvel Comics has kidnapped to satiate the hunger of a filmmaking machine that shows scant respect for legend’s verity.
The screenplay, by the two Christophers Yost and Markus, for the sequel to Ken Branagh’s initial fantasy foray into the Thor screen legend is cut from dramatic cloth, from which director Alan Taylor has created special effects not overburdened by novelty.
The plot jumps from ancient
Norse myth to modern Britain where Jane (Natalie Portman), created for the Branagh film, awaits Thor’s summons to return to fantasyland, there to run terrifying risks until the other bad guy Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) comes to a juicy end.
In my youth, I enjoyed Ethel Wilmot-Buxton’s “Told By The Northmen”, for which the scholarship may have been less than complete but the author’s respect for the material was manifest. A film or two respecting the authenticity of the Norse myths would not be a bad thing. 21st century technology and cultural conditioning need not work against the box-office economics of such a venture. And it might redress the insult perpetrated here.
At Hoyts, Capitol 6, Dendy and Limelight
“The Butler” (M)
IF you must winnow the grains of truth from the chaff of this film’s inventions about the black American who served as a butler in the White House during the tenures of eight US Presidents, I wish you luck.
The real name of the character played by Forest Whitaker was Eugene Allen, who did indeed buttle at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for 34 years. The film’s inspiration was Wil Hayward’s “Washington Post” article in 2008 chronicling Allen’s life.
Danny Strong’s screenplay for Lee Daniels’ film calls him Cecil Gaines and gives him a family designed to facilitate
the story’s re-visiting of high points in the civil rights struggle. Vignettes about Cecil’s origins, youth and White House career provide a matrix that puts a black employee in a position from which to observe political figures from a more intimate viewpoint than the regular media enjoyed, of the development not of the civil rights movement but how a series of Presidents handled its issues. Fact or invention aside, “The Butler” is pleasant enough, wearing its heart on its sleeve and trying hard to persuade us of the verity of its verifiable moments.
At all cinemas
“Sister” (M)
THE bleakness of Ursula Meier’s second feature is no reason to shun a story that implores compassion.
Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein) at 11 sells stolen stuff that people have left unattended at a Swiss ski resort. His older sister Louise (Lea Seydoux) runs fearsome risks looking for a man who might give them a better life.
We get no reliable information about their parents.
The film sometimes wonders, while not stating with any clarity, whether Louise’s selfishness and
laziness form her defence against exploitation. It doesn’t clearly define whether she uses sex as a weapon or merely as a lure. Not old enough to take on the responsibility for a younger sibling, she is as dependent on him for material support as he is on her for emotional comfort.
Bottom line? Good-looking, credible, uncompromising, balancing concern for the vulnerable with admiration for the manner of its storytelling.
At Palace Electric
“DI Tesserae” is an exotic show of mosaics from two quite different artists, Kate Butler and Dira Horne, who share a passion for this ancient medium. X Gallery, 32 Gibraltar Street, Bungendore, Friday to Monday, until November 21.
EMMA Jardine (violin), Martin Smith (cello) and Benjamin Kopp (piano) are the three young Berlin-based Australian musicians who make up The Streeton Trio. They’ll be at the Wesley Music Centre, 7.30pm, on November 12. Bookings to 6232 7248 or trybooking.com/DQFN
THE IMB Sunset Cinema will screen from November 15 to December 21 in the Australian National Botanic Gardens. The opening night on November 15 features Canberra band Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens. Bookings to sunsetcinema.com.au/canberra
RADFORD College is preparing for “RASE’13”, a public exhibition by its visual arts students, whose art teacher, Rob Riley, aims to have them “use visual language to eloquently express informed ideas and opinions about issues in the world”. Belconnen Arts Centre foyer, November 12–17. Opening, 5.30pm, on Thursday, November 14, all welcome.
DAME Kiri Te Kanawa returns to Llewellyn Hall on May 16 as part of her 70th birthday gala tour. Bookings to ticketek.com.au or 132 849.
SCULPTOR Stephen Harrison’s brilliant idea for the season, “Sculpture in the Street”, is running from November 15-17, with more than 30 local and international artists and many awards, including a $500 People’s Choice.
HELEN MUSA meets an emerging young Canberra writer who is turning heads in New York
AS Parliament House celebrates its 25th anniversary, the story has been told, many times over, of how a cohort of architectural families relocated from Philadelphia to Canberra to work on the new building and ended up staying. Indeed, the Centenary’s creative director, Robyn Archer, has characterised it as the continuation of an architectural tradition that began with the Burley Griffins.
By chance, I recently encountered a descendant of this latter-day emigration, not here but in New York City. I met up with writer James Guida in Bryant Park, just outside New York Public Library, which he uses as “just a working space.”
He’s a flourishing non-fiction writer who won a coveted fellowship in Nonfiction Literature from the New York Foundation for the Arts in 2011.
A regular with “The New Yorker” online, Guida has also written for “The Los Angeles Review of Books” and “The Yale Review”. I even saw a story in Australia’s “Meanjin” on his passion – skateboarding.
Recommended to me as a brilliant young Canberran going places in NYC, Guida turned out to be the son of one of those Philadelphia architects.
His dad came here to work for Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp Architects and stayed on, joining former colleagues to form Guida Moseley Brown
Helen Musa arts in the city
Opening is at 6pm, Friday, November 15, all welcome.
THERE’S good news from virtuoso Canberra sax player Niels Rosendahl, now a graduate teaching fellow at the University of North Texas. He’s now playing in the six-time Grammynominated UNT One O’Clock Lab Band, alma mater to many top musicians in LA and New York.
RAW Canberra returns to Civic’s Academy nightclub with “Encompass”, a multi-faceted arts event involving 30 emerging artists at 7.30pm, November 13. Bookings to rawartists. org/canberra/encompass or tickets at the door.
Architects, the team that designed the new Canberra Airport.
Guida considers himself “an ingrained Canberran”, one who enjoys catching up with expatriate Canberrans in Manhattan. Just talking, he says, “makes it seem seductive to go back to Canberra”.
“It’s the magpies, that’s what’s great about Canberra – the wildlife everywhere,” he says.
“Canberra people like to talk. When I was growing up there wasn’t much clubbing so people at dinner parties or somebody’s barbecue sat around talking for eight hours or more.”
Growing up in the ‘80s in Canberra, his education followed a familiar trajectory – Forrest Primary School and lots of skateboarding, then to Canberra Grammar School and later to the ANU for a year. Eventually, he switched to the University of Melbourne then to University College Dublin, where he did an MA in Anglo-Irish literature.
What was next? Guida possessed one enviable asset – dual Australian-US citizenship, so headed for the Big Apple and a job briefly working for the celebrated independent literary publishing firm FSG that, famously, had T. S. Eliot on its books.
In September 2009, his big break came, with the publication of an idiosyncratic 21st-century style book on aphorisms, “Marbles”, described in “Time Out” as “incisive, strange, and often philosophically compelling”.
He must have been especially chuffed to read “The Brooklyn Rail’s” enthusiastic compliment: “The native Australian brings a literary, even poetic accent to his axioms.”
When I meet Guida, he’s reviewing a new book about Philadelphia hip hop/soul band, The Roots. He’s previously done a story for “N+1 Magazine” on books written by rappers such as Jay-Z, whose art, he says, comes from “a complex word world”. It excites him to think of the “very incisive and brilliantly phrased” hip-hop lyrics that get young people excited – “young people can tell vibrancy immediacy”.
As we talk under a domineering statue of Gertrude Stein, I twist Guida’s arm for his favourite aphorism. Here it is, from George Santayana: “Our occasional madness is less wonderful than our occasional sanity.”
Guida’s essays can be read at jamesguida.com/ essays-reviews
musical
“Annie Get Your Gun” Queanbeyan Players At The Q, Queanbeyan until November 16
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
QUEANBEYAN Players’ new production of “Annie Get Your Gun” offers theatregoers the opportunity to see the revised version of this show, which received a cool reception when it was presented on Broadway in 1999. Originally, the story of Annie Oakley concerned a naive backwoods girl with a prodigious talent for sharp-shooting, who deliberately loses a shooting contest to get her man. In this revised, politically-correct version, that man, Frank Butler, realising Annie is going to lose the contest, decides to shoot so badly that the contest ends in a draw (go figure). Only a few Indians are represented and they’re referred to as “the original settlers”.
For those who don’t give a jot for such details, most of Irving Berlin’s superb songs remain, although “My Defences are Down” oddly becomes an all-male “bumpand-grind” routine, “I Got the Sun in the Morning” disintegrates into a hoe-down, and a new song, “I’ll Share It All With You” is staged as a big production number disregarding the fact that the scenery is indicating that it’s happening in the corridor of a Pullman car.
Neither Anita Davenport, initially more Bindy Irwin than Annie Oakley, or Richard Block, a fine looking Frank Butler, have the vocal strength to do the songs justice, but both give winning performances. Jake Keen is adorable as Little Jake, Fiona Hale is deliciously hateful as Dolly Tate, and Pat Gallagher (Buffalo Bill) and Gerard Fitzsimmons (Chief Sitting Bull) provide excellent support.
The scenery is a bit sparse, but there are big production numbers, lots of colourful costumes, and a large orchestra, all of which contribute to an agreeable evening watching a classic Broadway musical that really didn’t need revising.
(drinks included)
For bookings call 6273 3766 or email conference@brassey.net.au
MOVE over Melbourne, Canberra’s percolating with fab coffee.
One of the longest established coffee-roaster operations in our city is Cosmorex in Fyshwick – with more than 40 years in the biz and three generations of family experience.
86/2 Keltie Street Woden Plaza, Phillip Ph: 6260 5441
GUNGAHLIN: 25 Gribble Street, Gungahlin Phone: 6241 4558
Cosmorex is full of beans these days, creating new coffee blends, rebranding its packaging, splashing fresh paint on the walls and decorating with funky looking coffee-branded posters.
Adding to the flavour are the recent bronze medals bestowed on Cosmorex at the ninth annual Golden Bean Awards, a competition held in Port Macquarie and run by trade magazine “Café Culture”.
According to “Café Culture”, it is the largest roaster competition in the world. Cosmorex competed against 1300 plus entries, winning in the categories of Australian Grown, Syphon and Single Origin. One of Cosmorex’s winning blends is Castro Sorriso from their new Black Rhino range (available only in 250gm packages for $14.95).
Bar Cosimo is the food side of Cosmorex’s operation. It is small and designed around offering quick, easy, inexpensive bites for breakfast and lunch.
We popped by and surveyed the scene, noting the warning that everything on the menu is “subject to availability”, meaning once they are out for the day, they are out. And out of several options they were (by 1pm). That was okay because what tickled our fancy was available – a chicken Caesar wrap and a simple BLT. Both were yummy and only $7.50 each.
The menu changes weekly to hold the interest of regulars. On our visit, a turkey club sambo, bacon and egg muffin ($5), and ham, cheese and tomato toastie ($5) were available. Most sandwiches are pre-wrapped, and the salads, like the chicken pesto, are pre-made so you can pop in and out quickly. It is nothing fancy, but it hits the spot.
If you are keen on something sweet, the dark,
dark, chocolatey chocolate ganache tart is rather decadent, to say the least.
Bar Cosimo has a small but growing deli section for shoppers. Stock is limited at the moment, but includes award-winning Byron Bay muesli, made with organic and biodynamic ingredients – this is muesli with “no added nasties”. I’ve had it many times and it’s fantastic.
Other new coffee blends are the Sumatran Eye of the Tiger, Byron Blue Estate and Strawberry Fields. Certified fair trade coffees and certified organic, single-origin coffees are sourced from around the world, including from Africa, Central America, South America and Indonesia. And Cosmorex is proud of its new eco-friendly Brambati coffee roaster, an artisan machine that works to extract as much flavour as possible from the beans.
Cosmorex has indoor and outdoor seating.
Cosmorex, 47 Kembla Street, Fyshwick. Open Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm, and Saturday, 9am-noon. Call 6280 7511.
By Helen Musa
WE’VE heard a lot – of music – from guitarist Matt Withers in the last couple of years.
Music lovers will know him as a member of Guitar Trek and, with Bradley Kunda, Brew Guitar Duo, but these days he’s also head of guitar at the University of Canberra.
Withers is about to cap a busy year with a rare solo concert, where he’ll perform classical guitar favourites by Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega and Paraguayan Agustin Barrios, along with contemporary works by Russia’s Nikita Koshkin, Parisian guitar teacher Francis Kleynjans and a piece commissioned by Withers from Canberra-trained composer, Samuel Smith.
Withers is that rare individual, a music communicator, and therefore planning to explain the stories behind the works.
He hardly needs to explain Tárrega’s “Recuerdos de la Alhambra”, which was adapted for the soundtrack of the film “The Killing Fields”, or “La Catedral” by Barrios,
but when it comes to the modern works, he’ll definitely have some talking to do.
Of Koshkin’s 1980 suite, “The Prince’s Toys” and Kleynjans’ “Dawn for the Final Day”, he says: “Both pieces tell interesting stories – that adds character to the performance.”
The Koskin is straightforward,
telling of the toy soldier and the doll with the blinking eyes, but Kleynjans’ challenging work is about a man on death row. Withers will explain how the guitar is used to sound like turning keys in a lock, or like a man on his final walk to the gallows.
“You have to come to the concert to hear if he survives or
not,” Withers tells me.
The special treat of the evening will be Samuel Smith’s “Phrases, Fragments, Fading Lines”, premièred toward the end of last year at the NGA.
When I caught up with Withers, he’d just performed with Guitar Trek in Wollongong. This year he’s also performed in Bendigo’s Capital Theatre, Adelaide’s Elder Hall concert series, in a classy boutique music festival at Tyalgum in northern NSW and in Mackay. Meantime, the UC’s music courses are really taking off under director Rasa Daukus and Withers expects guitar to become a minor elective soon.
Best of all, he reports: “This will be my last solo concert as a single man.” Withers is marrying in March and a couple of his arrangements will be played during the ceremony – by somebody else.
Matt Withers in concert, Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 7.30pm, Friday November 15, tickets at the door, under 12 free.
WITH new facilities, beautiful lawns and gardens bursting with life, spring is a great time to visit the heritage-listed Rose Cottage, parts of which date back to the mid-1800s.
A lot has changed in the last few years at the historic site, on the corner of the Monaro Highway and Isabella Drive, Gilmore, which boasts a bar and bistro, three large function rooms and most recently, the Woolshed Cafe and the Rounded Rose plant nursery, which both opened in March.
Despite quite a few recent improvements such as a shady wooden deck for outdoor dining, live entertainment or wedding ceremonies, and a big sandpit for kids, the iconic site hasn’t lost the unique charm that Canberrans have come to know over the years.
It still has the feel of a classic Aussie pub, with a massive beer garden, great food, ice-cold beers on tap and a courtesy bus to get you home safely, and now it’s also an excellent place for a relaxing breakfast or lunch, or to pick up some locally grown plants for the garden.
“Some days, sitting out here, you’d think you were out in the bush,” says Ray Fitzpatrick, owner of the Rounded Rose, and he’s not wrong.
“It’s easy to forget that you’re still in the Tuggeranong area. It’s a nice country setting with the bushland around; it’s really relaxing.”
Ray previously ran a wholesale nursery, which he started in 1999, and is big on sourcing his plants from the local area. He also does landscaping and garden maintenance and has taken time out from knocking up some retaining walls to meet “CityNews”, before heading off again to plant a tree.
“My main aim is to have as many locally grown Canberra plants as possible in the nursery,” he says, explaining that two suppliers in Queanbeyan grow most of his stock using their own cuttings and seeds from local native plants.
“I buy as much from them as possible, to suit the Canberra climate, so they can sit out in the frost and not be harmed. You can see I’ve got hardly any cover over the main range of plants. Well they’ve been there over most of winter and there’s nothing wrong with them; they’re good, healthy-looking plants.”
Dine in the cafe or our beautiful gardens
Great Hennessy coffee (3 blends to choose from), breakfast menu available Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday open for gourmet rolls, sandwiches, foccacias and delicious locally made sweet treats.
Start your mornings at the Woolshed Cafe and Eatery. Operating
Bookings/enquiries: 0449 833 481
Email: woolshedcafe@outlook.com
1 Isabella Drive, Gilmore ACT
In between the nursery and the landscaping, Ray can also be found pulling beers in the Rose Cottage Bar and Bistro area, driving the courtesy bus or doing a bit of work on the extensive outdoor spaces.
It’s that kind of place, where everyone pitches in together like neighbours or a family, he says.
The Woolshed Cafe’s proprietor, Andrew Colwell, is passionate about providing a top-notch cafe experience, and says he can’t think of a better spot to have opened his business than in the serene atmosphere of Rose Cottage’s stunning gardens.
“I had some experience in cafes and corporate catering before that, and I’d developed a bit of a passion for quality coffee, so I wanted to start up my own thing,” says Andrew, shortly before going off and returning with evidence of his impressive barista skills.
“I’m the barista for the shop as well and I’m the only one,” he says. “I think it’s very important to have the one main barista, so then there’s always that consistency that people expect.”
Along with the specialty coffee, Andrew is focused on dishing up delicious all-day
Ray Fitzpatrick, owner of the Rounded Rose, left, and Andrew Colwell, proprietor of The Woolshed Cafe… despite recent improvements,
hasn’t lost the unique charm that Canberrans have come to know.
breakfasts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with gourmet sandwiches and subs and sweets such as cakes and slices during the weekdays.
“I try and make sure, as much as possible, that everyone has a great experience and enjoys their time down here,” he says. “So that means things like making sure that the meals are all presented right, and every single coffee comes out to a very high standard.”
Rose Cottage, on the corner of the Monaro Highway and Isabella Drive, Gilmore. Phone 6260 1314 or go to rosecottagecanberra.com
Services available from The Rounded Rose:
• Retail Nursery specialising in locally grown plants for the Canberra region. (Drought hardy & frost tolerant)
• Bags of mulches, potting mixes, manures available at the Nursery
• Landscaping • Garden Maintenance
• Garden Design • Garden Consultations
• Free delivery to the local area from the Nursery* Phone 0412 710 302
Located on the grounds of Rose Cottage Canberra
1 Isabella Drive, Gilmore *Delivery
Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Money matters should start to settle down as Mercury moves forwards in your finance zone. Relationships (at home and work) won’t be smooth-sailing on Thursday as the Moon, Uranus and Pluto stir up fiery emotions. Venus encourages you to cool down and compromise, before you blow a fuse! Sunday is a super day to tackle projects that require courage and confidence.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
With Mercury now ricocheting forwards there’s no substitute for clear communication – then you can straighten out misunderstandings before they develop. The less flexible you are on Friday, the more disruptive the day will be. The Moon’s in your sign on the weekend, so it’s a great time to do things like cooking, crafting, gardening, bushwalking, building or DIY projects.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
Creativity and compassion are high, as you connect with your inner muse or help someone in need. Plus any problems you’ve had with computers or cars should start to improve, as Mercury moves forwards. Geminis have a superficial knowledge of a wide range of topics, but Saturday’s Venus/Pluto hook-up helps you hone in on a specific subject in a deep and vast way.
CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
Wednesday’s wonderful Sun/Jupiter trine will boost your confidence Cancer. But relations with loved ones will become more intense as the week develops, so resist the urge to be a cantankerous Crab. With peace-loving Venus visiting your partnership zone, your motto for the moment is from birthday great Robert Louis Stevenson: “Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer.”
LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
Wednesday’s Sun/Jupiter trine is fabulous for family matters, as you concentrate on improving communication with your nearest and dearest. But don’t jump to hasty conclusions or take things too literally Lions. You’ll need to be a bit of a detective, as you look for the subtleties in situations … and the hidden meanings behind people’s words, actions and motivations.
VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
Have you been experiencing communication chaos, car problems, computer hitches or transport glitches? Mercury (your ruling planet) is now moving forwards again, so life should start to settle down. Put aside time on the weekend to broaden your mental horizons as you read, write or research… plus connect with family and friends locally, interstate and internationally.
LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Jupiter sends professional opportunities your way, especially if you work in areas involving education, sport, travel or publishing. Your diplomatic skills are required at home, when a family member gets fired up about an issue. Love and lust are on the menu later in the week, as Pluto fires up your Libran libido. If you’re hoping to find your soul mate, cast your net wide.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
Don’t waste precious time complaining about all the problems in your life Scorpio. Strive to turn perceived negatives into productive positives. Be inspired by writer Robert Louis Stevenson (born on November 13): “Life’s not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” Saturday promises to be an intense day for relationships, as Venus links up with Pluto.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Wednesday’s Sun/Jupiter trine puts you in a positive frame of mind, as you explore new possibilities and head into exciting, unchartered territory. Lady Luck is also on your side so make sure your Sagittarian dreams are big, bold and beautiful. But expect some friction with a testy child, teenager or friend on Thursday, when they take something you say out of context.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
You’re feeling optimistic and are keen to move ahead but don’t antagonise others by thinking you have all the answers. The more you consult with family, friends and colleagues, the more progress you’ll make. With Venus visiting your sign, it’s time for smart Capricorns to be cool, calm and collected! But don’t ruin the weekend by worrying and being too work-focused.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Attached Aquarians … you’ve got fabulous plans for the future. But are you moving at a frantic pace that’s left your partner feeling confused? Slow down and give them time to catch up. Singles – are you trying to fix your broken heart by hooking up with a new love way too soon? Take the time to think things through – you may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire!
PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
This week’s Mercury/Neptune trine is terrific for delicious daydreams, creative schemes, spiritual pursuits and romantic reveries. So don’t waste the opportunity to express yourself Pisces. But if you are too rash with cash on Thursday, then you could end up buying something way too expensive on a passing whim. The weekend is a wonderful time to circulate in style.
1 Which weapons are used in fencing?
8 Name the landing place for helicopters
9 To which animal group does the jackal belong?
10 Name the Islands which form an archipelago as part of Alaska
11 What do we call an official who examines books, films etc, for objectionable parts?
13 Name the profession of Charles Lamb
16 Name another term for violent storms
19 What was the former name of Iran?
22 What is a woman’s very flimsy dressing-gown?
24 Which other word describes a dead body?
25 Name another expression for a shopkeeper
26 What is a 25th wedding anniversary called? Down
2 To which marine mammal group does the dolphin belong?
3 Which straps are used by riders to guide horses?
4 Name those who cut wool from sheep as a means of livelihood
5 What is a smoke passage in a chimney?
6 Which term is descriptive of lack of feeling?
7 What are groups of three called?
12 Which term describes a mean or average?
14 What do we call those believed to be responsible for crime, etc?
15 Name a US folk singer (1909-95), Burl ...?
17 Which figure is the square root of 121?
18 What is a document embodying a contract of insurance?
20 Which expression relates to country life?
21 Name a less familiar term for one’s progeny
23 What is a score in many ball games?
Krystal came to see me about a rental property she owns jointly with Robbie, her partner.
She said it was positively geared, but a look at her tax return suggested to me that the property was negativly geared but cash flow positive.
Understandably, Krystal was confused.
“This doesn’t look right to me,” I told her. “It appears you built the property in 2000 and have been renting it out since 2009, but there is no ‘building depreciation’ shown in this return.
“How much did the house cost to build excluding the cost of the land?”
Krystal told me the couple had built it themselves for $200,000 on land that had cost another $200,000 and that she still had all the building documents.
“Well that is good,” I said. “Because if the house cost you $200,000 to build, then you should have been claiming building depreciation of about $5000 a year.
“The tax law allows you to claim depreciation on the cost of buildings built after September 1987 at the rate of 2.5 per cent for 40 years from the date of construction.
“Based on what you have just said, it appears that you have not made any claims since you started renting it.”
Krystal said that was great news because no-one had ever mentioned it to her before. More importantly, she wanted to know if there was anything she could do about back-claiming the depreciation.
“Indeed you can” I said. “I can help you amend your 2011 and 2012 tax returns straight away. For the two years before that, you have to go through a more complex process known as ‘objecting’.
“It is the usual requirement that you object within 60 days. However, there are special provisions which allow you to ask for additional time to lodge the objection. We have successfully objected in similar cases to yours and obtained substantial refunds for clients.
“The first step is to get a depreciation report prepared by a quantity surveyor calculated from the date when you first rented out the property. When you have that report we can prepare the amendments and objections as well as your 2013 tax return.
I asked Krystal if she had a valuation from when they first rented it and she said no, but that her real estate agent values it every year. “You need to have a valuation prepared by a registered valuer that establishes the cost for capital gains tax,” I advised her.
“As you have a new house, which is your principal place of residence, the capital gains tax clock started running from the date that you purchased your new home.”
Clearly happy, Krystal said: “Gail, that is such exciting news. We will get some large refunds based on what you have just said and we should not be paying tax in the immediate future.
Thanks so much.”
If you need guidance on claiming building depreciation or any other tax-related matter, contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd
INTERIOR designer Jayne Miller and her architect husband Kevin have created a quirky, cool home full of beautiful old furniture and repurposed treasures with a neutral backdrop of timber and clean lines that represents the two of them – even if their friends sometimes don’t understand their style.
“Some people don’t get it, and have asked if we’re going to leave the brick wall exposed or if we really intended the floor to be blue,” laughs Jayne.
The inner-north, 1954 duplex was renovated six years ago by the couple, while their two sons Henderson and Campbell were still small. They lived in the house for seven years before settling on a design they loved – adding a striking black wooden-clad doublestorey extension to the front, designed by Kevin.
“If we had extended into the back we would have lost most of the yard, so it made sense to go out the front,” says Kevin.
“This also works well as the extension is oriented to the north, whereas the house isn’t.
“The black was inspired by Japanese architecture, and the way they burn and blacken their timber to make it impervious to water and insects.”
The couple say they have quite different styles, but that the home happily combines the two.
“I like clean lines and concealed, commercial style, which is why we chose warm timber ceilings and custom-built timber joinery as room dividers,” Jayne says. “The results are incredible, especially the huge pantry that divides the kitchen and the dining room.
“Kevin is an environmentalist and is keen to reduce and re-use wherever possible. He’s always bringing home odd bits and pieces like the planters out the front which are old washing machine drums.”
Kevin says: “We’ve used recycled timber on the kitchen bench, floors and windows.
“All the windows are double glazed, we’ve installed water tanks and we have ceiling fans instead of air-conditioning.”
With designer touches, such as an Eames lounge chair and ottoman, sitting alongside furniture from the ‘40s and ‘50s that was passed down by relatives, the home is eclectic, warm and inviting.
“We like the colours in the house to come from nature, the warmth from timber, the natural green of glass and a neutral palette of black, grey and white,” says Jayne.
“The natural finishes do need maintenance, but it’s not arduous and we quite enjoy it.”
It’s a sociable house, too, says Jayne, with a stunning kitchen in glass and timber forming the heart of the home.
“Whenever we have people over we always seem to congregate around the kitchen bench, which is an old workbench that came from a relative’s place in Mount Gambier,” she says.
“The removalists couldn’t believe we wanted it in the kitchen and kept checking it wasn’t meant to go in the shed!”
and Jayne keep a record of their consumption of packaged
HANGING gardens are ideally suited for balconies and townhouses.
Note, I say “hanging gardens”, not hanging baskets. I see plenty of hanging baskets in gardens, often with plants long since dead!
If you are already using plastic hanging baskets, remove the attached saucer because the excess moisture it retains can result in root rot and the death of the plant.
One cheap and effective liner for hanging gardens is foam rubber carpet underlay, the multi-coloured type with plastic on one side. Put the foam outside and the plastic on the inside and punch a few holes for drainage. I have had hanging gardens lined with this material for more than seven years without needing to replace them. Unlike coconut liners (of which the water holding capacity is nil), birds will not pull it apart for nesting material.
The foam liner is easy to make holes around the outside to gently feed the roots of seedlings.
When hanging the garden, make sure the brackets are well fixed to the wall and that the hanger is strong enough to carry the weight. I have baskets I can’t lift off the ground without help when the soil is wet. And always use a swivel hook so that the basket can be rotated for even amounts of sun.
For container gardens as well as hanging gardens, plant a variety of plants in the one basket for flowering over an extended period.
• For summer colour in full sun , plant bedding
begonias, ivy geraniums, pansy, dianthus, nasturtiums, marigolds and lobelia.
• For spring and summer baskets in partial shade consider fuchsias as the centrepiece, gardenia radicans, dwarf ferns, viola, bedding begonias and campanula (Canterbury Bells).
• For year-round colour, including winter, try ericas and heathers, spring flowering ajuga and, for summer use, vinca minor.
HANGING gardens, preferably in full sun, are perfect for growing herbs for culinary benefits as well as for fragrance. Try pennyroyal for peppermint fragrance leaves, marjoram, oregano, sage and thyme. It’s a good place to keep mint under control, too. Or if you want to be really adventurous, try lettuce or other salad ingredients in a hanging garden.
I WISH “Botany for Gardeners” by Geoff Hodge (Allen and Unwin, hardcover, 224pages, rrp $35) had been available when I was studying botany at school.
Expertly presented with colour and line
FROM herringbone and basketweave to more contemporary geometric designs, block parquetry adds a distinctive touch to home flooring, says Clinton Skeoch, from Boral Timber.
“While block parquetry provides a practical and durable flooring solution, homeowners are also realising its design appeal,” he says.
“A popular choice is to use a mix of timber species, combining lighter and darker woods to add interest and dimension
throughout the house.”
Clinton says parquetry flooring has been popular for centuries and has been used in some of the world’s grandest buildings.
“Block parquetry is a popular flooring choice due to its hardwearing properties,” he says.
“Unlike with many alternative floor coverings, spot damage can be easily fixed by replacing just the affected timber blocks. Furthermore, after years of wear and tear, the entire floor can be restored by sanding and resealing.”
drawings, it is a practical guide on how plants grow, their performance and how to grow perfect plants.
Don’t be put off by its subtitle “The Art and Science of Gardening Explained and Explored”. Whether you have just taken up gardening or gardened for years, I highly recommend this super book.
MERYLYN Condon, the garden presenter on 2CC, is leading a couple of upcoming overseas tours to the Chiang Mai Flower Festival in China in February and to the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May. More information at goseetouring.com
• There is no point in having a bird bath unless you regularly fill it!
• Pine needles make a great free mulch, especially when they have started to rot under the loose needles.
• Continue to tie up sweet peas and for best results continue to pick the flowers.
• Remove winter flowering annuals and replace with summer plants such as petunias, bizzie-lizzies and bedding begonias.
• Transfer tuberous begonias to larger pots or hanging baskets.
–from the “The Canberra Gardener”
