140501 citynews

And so the poor will pay

MICHAEL MOORE

Let’s hear more from the players

TIM GAVEL

Setting a mood in the street of food

WENDY JOHNSON

A deadly beetle marches into town

CEDRIC BRYANT

MUSIC WORLD WAR

The festival takes to the trenches

Models of fashionable diversity

FASHFEST, the biggest fashion show ever held in Canberra, is determined to do things its own way and has broken boundaries again this year with its selection of models.

Organisers called for models of different nationalities as well as different shapes and sizes. And the final selection is more racially inclusive than some of the world’s most well-established fashion events, according to Steve Wright, who teaches fashion design at the Canberra Institute

of Technology and is the producer of Fashfest.

“Shouldn’t the fashion industry mirror society?” asks Steve. “The reality is white models are favoured, and the taller and thinner the better.”

Ten out of Fashfest 2014’s 70 models are of different nationalities, including an indigenous Australian. Other countries of origin represented include China, Japan, Ethiopia and Croatia.

“The industry can be secretive with its stats on the issue,” says Steve, “but we know,

for example, that the organisers of one Brazil Fashion Week had two per cent black models on the runway – 28 out of 1128. “They thought this was fair representation, even though more than half of Brazil’s population is black. And Dolce & Gabbana’s fashion show during Milan Fashion Week last year featured all white models. The list goes on. It’s very one-dimensional.”

Fashfest, Canberra Airport, until May 3.

And so the poor will pay

SO pensioners and the poor will be slammed by Joe Hockey to pay for shiny new jet fighters!

After months of complaining what a poor Budget position Australia has been left by Labor, the government has announced the purchase of an additional 58 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at a price of $12.4 billion. There has never been a clearer indication of the priorities of the ultra-conservative Treasurer of the Abbott government.

In the same week, former Liberal Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, is publicly demonstrating what thinking, genuine liberals see as options for our international relations.

While our ultra-conservatives purchase these (yet to be proven) jets on the never-never from our close allies and friends in the US, Fraser is preparing to lecture at the Crawford School at the ANU on his new book “Dangerous Allies: Australia’s role in the Pacific”.

He will examine Australia’s history of strategic dependence on “great

How long before this Treasurer starts picking on people with disabilities and begins taking candy from babies?

about means testing, co-payments and the cost of the aged pension. No mention of asking the mining industry, which earned $51 billion in pretax earnings in 2009-10, to pull its weight from what should be our shared natural resources.

In 2012, the Australia Institute estimated that taxpayers in Australia subsidised the mining industry to the tune of $4 billion through things such as the fuel rebate, roads, rail and other infrastructure.

This government axed the mining tax.

And the poor need to pay.

“It is appropriate,” the Treasurer told a meeting, “that those who use government services should contribute towards their cost.”

Hey, Joe, what do you think our taxes do? They contribute!

And then he turned on the age pension: “Of the 15 programs, the (Audit) report observes that the age pension is the largest by a fair margin.

The $40 billion we spend each year makes it our single biggest spending program.

“It is 10 per cent of all Commonwealth spending.”

And Joe’s solutions: stronger means testing; push the age of entitlement to 70; force co-payments at GPs and outsource aged care where possible to the private sector.

“Nothing is free. Someone always pays,” is the Treasurer’s mantra. Hospital costs grow at 10 per cent per year – the third fastest of the identified

programs. So the government is considering a GP co-payment despite no evidence of widespread misuse of doctors. The likelihood is to see a movement towards hospital emergency, which is free and where treatment costs are much, much higher than in a primary health care setting.

The other two big programs are the National Disability Insurance scheme at 46.2 per cent growth and Tony Abbott’s baby the Child Care and Paid Parental Leave Scheme at 11.5 per cent growth. How long before this Treasurer starts picking on people with disabilities and begins taking candy from babies?

The government simply showed awful timing with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter funding in the middle of softening up the community for a horror Budget, which looks like cutting at the most vulnerable. Even if it was just before Anzac Day! Which raises another question: Who is such a threat to Australia that we need to buy such toys? Well, nobody. However, the way diplomacy is going with our near neighbours – they might be needed by 2020 – the earliest they will be able to be deployed.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.

MICHAEL MOORE

Slice-and-dice Joe unbuttons PM’s promises

TREASURER Joe Hockey must be exhausting the patience of PM Tony Abbott with all his loose talk about cuts to old-age pensions, health, retirement age and the NDIS.

Tony was quite unequivocal in his promises just before the election: “No change to pensions; no cuts to health, no cuts to ABC or SBS; and no cuts to education.” And Oxford boxing blue Tony is no man to be trifled with. Joe must be in his sights for a corker of a left hook.

TONY knows there’s no shortage of money in the Federal coffers. He made that perfectly clear this week with his announcement of another $12 billion for an extra 58 fighter jets. The F-35 Lightning II is the state of the art and its only identifiable drawback, according to the government’s analysis, is that it’s “not particularly manoeuvrable”.

That’s okay; it’s only expected to zoom across the sky in perfect formation above the War Memorial once a year on Anzac Day… hence the announcement just in time for this year’s celebrations.

WHAT wonderfully popular celebrations they were.

The Canberra turnout was spectacular. It’s only a matter of time before

Anzac Day officially supplants January 26 as Australia Day. And when better to do that than next year on the 100th anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove leading to that famous Turkish victory eight months later? And who better to do it than the English-born PM who appointed a retired Army general as Governor-General?

GLORIOUS timing to have the future King William, the conqueror of Australian hearts, on hand in the colony for the celebrations. He’s not just a pretty face either.

“The harder you work, the luckier you get,” he told us. Of course, the South African golfer Gary Player said the same thing about 30 years ago –which only goes to show how widely read the prince really is.

No wonder young Australians are flocking to the colonial banner. It’s like “The Game of Thrones”, just without the sex and the violence…unless you include brother Harry. In America,

their latest “Bachelor” TV show features a flock of gullible ladies who believe they’re actually bidding for Harry’s hand in marriage. Americans, eh?

FORMER PM Kevin Rudd leapt back into the news week with renewed reports of his quest to succeed Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary-General. As his biographer I was interviewed by the prestigious magazine, “Foreign Affairs”, which is following his campaign. The magazine was taken aback when I revealed that he had only ever seen The Lodge as a stepping stone to the UN’s New York HQ.

How did I know? Well, when I asked him his career role model he instantly nominated H.V. Evatt ! The “Doc” was a disastrous ALP leader but an effective President of the UN in 1948-49. Well, Kev’s halfway there.

THERE’S something about NSW ex-Premier Barry O’Farrell’s resignation that remains

ROBERT MACKLIN

tantalisingly unexplained: Whatever happened to that bottle of wine? Did Barry skol it and have a memory blackout. Did wife Rosemary snaffle it for tipples with the girls? Did it roll under the bed with Barry’s lost slipper? Come on guys, whatever happened to real investigative journalism in this country?

robertmacklin.com

Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd

Chartered Accountant

Tax issues makes a Maltese cross

Brenda is retiring at the end of the year and her new partner Luca is planning to take her to live in his old home in Malta for four years.

Luca came to see me for guidance on their tax position over that period.

“It looks like you will be resuming your domicile in Malta, Luca. So you will be taxed on your worldwide income, probably from the date that you go back there,” I told him. “So some of the income you receive in Australia tax free will be taxed in Malta.

“You are in receipt of a Comsuper pension and, as you are over 60, you receive a rebate on your tax equal to 10 per cent of the amount of the pension.

“This 10 per cent tax reduction will not be available to you in Malta. The tax rates that apply in Malta are slightly less than here. So you would be taxed at 35 per cent on this income as opposed to 37 per cent in Australia. “There is also a Medicare levy in Australia, which increases to two per cent from July 1. I note that you also receive a tax-free allocated pension in Australia. This pension would also be taxed in Malta under the double tax agreement.”

Luca was shocked and wondered if there were any way he could be regarded as an Australian resident while he was in Malta? If not, he didn’t think the couple could afford to go for four years.

“Surely, if a pension is tax free in Australia it should be in Malta as well?” he asked.

“It is only tax free here because of a special concession,” I advised him.

“There are some special concessions for people who retire in Malta, but they do not apply to Australians.”

However, I did have some good news for Brenda.

“You are domiciled in Australia not Malta so you will have to renew your visa every six months,” I told her.

“You will not be taxed on your worldwide income in Malta, you will only pay tax on a remittance basis on the income you send to Malta. So, if you leave your tax-free income in Australia, it remains tax free. You can send your savings to Malta which should not attract tax.”

Luca said that while that was a little better, he paid more tax and asked if there was any way he could be taxed on a remittance basis?

“Sorry, Luca, not that I can see. I suggest you review my advice and redesign your plans accordingly. I am really glad that you came to see me before you made your final decisions.”

Luca thanked me saying: “I don’t like what you have told me, but I realise that following our original plan would have been very costly. I will ring you when we have finalised our plans and confirm that we are doing the best thing financially.”

If you need information on the tax consequences of your plans, contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd.

Music festival goes cheerfully off to war

WHEN the eminent war historian

Charles Bean wrote that there had been almost no music at Gallipoli, he was almost certainly wrong.

Indeed, as the director of the 20th Canberra International Music Festival Christopher Latham (and current “CityNews” Canberra Artist of the Year) confirms, the trenches were alive with the sound of music as officers and enlisted men alike struggled to keep up their spirits.

Photographic records of the time show Diggers with gramophones, makeshift musical instruments and in full song.

“Music restored people’s humanity and when they heard their opponents’ singing, it reduced their indoctrinated hatred of them,” he says.

In an act of risky magnificence, Latham, whose own family bore the scars of war-ravaged musical enterprise, has turned the spotlight on the music of World War I in his last festival.

Adopting the title “The Fire and the Rose” from TS Eliot’s wartime work “Four Quartet”, Latham’s programming speaks to the power, the passion, the fire and the love of the Great War.

He’s playing a dangerous game with conservative classical music followers, but if the April 24 “CityNews” concert “Lest We Forget” of music by soldier/ composers was anything to go by, the poignancy of the music will win hearts.

“I have wished to bring all of these forgotten figures back to life,” he says. Anyway, there are also performances of Mozart, JS Bach, Sibelius, Puccini, Holst, Messiaen and Vaughan Williams.

It’s a labour of love for Latham, who argues, “the war that ended peace also burnt out classical music… We lost performers and composers in droves, but in fact the real damage was done to the living.”

In countering this dismal perception, he has engaged some of Canberra’s, Australia’s and indeed the world’s finest musicians, including three former Canberra Artists of the Year, clarinettist Nicole Canham, soprano Louise Page and cellist David Pereira.

Pereira not only performs solos, but

Why don’t players speak out?

AS soon as a sportsperson shows some personality either they get hammered for being an individual or quickly become over-exposed in the media.

A case in point is Western Force winger Nick Cummins, who provides gold for the media every time he gives an interview. So much so that he has become the target for every media outlet after a Force game.

There is the potential for burnout and “Nick fatigue”.

Should the media be more encouraging of sports people to state their honest views without fear?

It is harder in one-team towns with players often hit with the same questions time-after-time, especially if the side is losing.

And I admit, as a commentator and one-time media trainer, to being as guilty as anyone of this.

he leads the cellos in the modern orchestra and chamber orchestra Latham has assembled for the festival, which also includes other commemorations – music from World War II, Europe Day, the 1963-4 filling of Lake Burley Griffin and the revival of the Fitters’ Workshop.

Among the local talent will be brilliant Canberra pianists Daniel de Borah and Adam Cook, back in town to perform. Countertenor Tobias Cole, mezzo soprano Christina Wilson and harp virtuoso Alice Giles make appearances.

The Wallfisch Band, assembled by Australian baroque violinist Elizabeth Wallfisch from players from around Australia and the world, is one of the ensembles in residence.

From Sweden come pianist Bengt Forsberg and Nils-Erik Sparf and the Uppsala Chamber Soloists, and from the Netherlands is soprano Simone Riksman.

The keynote concert, “The Fire and the Rose”, will be the largest orchestral concert mounted in Canberra, made up of the Wallfisch Band, ANAM String Quartet, the ANU School of Music faculty, staff and students, Sprogis Woods Smith Young Artists and top choirs.

Some unusual concerts? “Music from No Man’s Land” on May 10, featuring works by Australian soldier, composer and Olympic gold medallist Frederick Septimus Kelly; “Music from the Camps” on May 13; “The Glass Soldier”, the story of Nelson Ferguson, trumpeter, painter, stretcher-bearer and glass artist on May 14 and “The Christmas Truce” on May 16.

Latham is fond of quoting the old Russian saying that “when the guns talk, the muses fall silent”. This festival looks set to disprove it beyond doubt.

Canberra International Music Festival, May 9-18, bookings to 6275 2700 or canberraticketing.com.au, program details at cimf.org.au

Llewellyn Hall concert “The Fire and the Rose” on May 17, bookings to 1300 795012 or ticketek.com

The media managers and the minders of sportspeople need also to play a role or risk producing a generation of sportspeople saying the same thing. It is obvious that sportspeople are afraid, at times, to honestly express themselves in the face of social media being a melting pot for everything that is said. The result is bland “wallpaper” comment that does little to promote sport.

There are exceptions. Lauren Jackson can be great and Brumbies’ winger Joe Tomane usually has plenty to say and much of it is interesting. In fact most of the Raiders and the Brumbies have interesting stories to tell.

IS it time to fast track the new indoor stadium in Civic because I am not sure the Brumbies and the Raiders can wait six years, which is the estimated time frame for the new stadium? They need to see an improvement in a shorter term.

I have been overwhelmed with suggestions to encourage people to go to events at Canberra Stadium.

Many have suggested the stadium is the problem – too old, too far away from Civic, and not enough shelter from the cold and the wind. There were suggestions for free Wi-Fi so fans could interact and see game replays on mobile devices. There was also a united call for cheaper and more foood options and some suggested improving public transport. Going to games is a unique experience, one that can’t be replicated on television and the overwhelming impression I have from e-mails and calls from punters is that they would if the venue was more central and covered.

WITH the proposed new stadium set down for the site of the Civic Pool there is discussion about a major competition swimming pool for Canberra, which is missing out on major swimming events that bring thousands of people to carnivals.

A pool has been planned for the Stromlo Forest Park precinct.

Is that a better venue for major championships? It has more room to build a bigger facility, it also has more room for parking and it could integrate with other sports at Stromlo such as triathlons.

scene / around canberra

Event of the week / National Breast Cancer Foundation cocktail reception

But as the many and varied pink hues identify our support, it won’t be the colour of the cause that will end the scourge of breast cancer.

CAROL Renouf is president of the NBCF and, as such, at the helm of an organisation that’s been funding research into the prevention and cure of breast cancer to the tune of $105 million for 20 years.

With an aspirational goal of zero deaths from breast cancer by 2030, there have been 370 Australian-based researchers finding new and improved treatments, better and innovative therapies and cutting-edge technology from this funding.

Renouf was in Canberra as guest of Bob and Anna Prosser – Bob is on the board of the NBCF – and a cocktail party to welcome her was attended by local supporters of the annual glam Pink Dinner for NBCF including many of the committee, headed by Dorothy Service, attending.

But as the many and varied pink hues identify our support, it won’t be the colour of the cause that will end the scourge of breast cancer but the hard slog of research and women approaching a heartbreaking diagnosis with a realistic attitude and the best treatment available.

LYN MILLS

It starts with listening.

Catherine Coles - Solicitor

Family Law is complex and you need an experienced law firm to guide you.

But what you need most is someone to listen to you. To hear your story.

At Watts McCray, we understand that.

school open days

‘Tis

the month to learn more about schools

MAY is the season for school open days and information nights. This educational extravaganza gives parents a chance to peer inside many of Canberra’s fine centres of learning for children, teenagers and young adults, and discover what each has to offer in 2015. Through presentations from teachers, guided tours by senior students and the work of young scholars displayed proudly on the walls of classrooms and corridors, a cornucopia of curricula will be laid bare over coming weeks. It’s a big decision and there’s a lot to take in and weigh up. You might want to take notes.

Whizkids away to Brazil

ST FRANCIS Xavier College is an exciting place, according to principal Angus Tulley.

“We strive to be people who see the glass as half-full, not-half empty,” Mr Tulley says.

“SFX is a place where everyone in the community is encouraged to learn, to grow and to work towards a brighter future.”

Those words have rung especially true for senior college students Alex Cavalli, Nathan Potter and Jordan Haddrick, who are taking their own robotic soccer player to Brazil for the International Robocup in July.

“These students became interested in robots after taking the robotics and gaming course offered at SFX in year 9 and then the computer studies course in year 10,” the principal explains. “Beyond that, these young men have also chosen to study mechatronics as an extracurricular activity, and are working towards a Certificate 4 in Project Management.”

The students qualified for Brazil by winning last year’s National Robocup in Brisbane.

Jordan Haddrick says what he loves most about robotics is “problem solving and also the practicality of what engineering companies do in the real world, for example

F1 cars and robotic vacuum cleaners”.

“These students are gaining practical skills which they will take with them when they graduate from St Francis Xavier College, and apply to their future study and careers,” says their proud principal.

St Francis Xavier College, Barnard Circuit, Florey. Open Day: Friday, May 16, 9am2.30pm. Years 7-12 Open Night: Monday, May 12, 5.30-7pm. Year 11 Information Night: Wednesday, May 14, 5.30pm. Call 62581055 or go to sfx.act.edu.au.

Patron saint sets the pace

STUDENTS at St John Vianney’s Primary School in Waramanga are encouraged to follow the example set by its patron saint, a French priest who demonstrated perseverance and commitment in helping restore his country’s Catholic faith after the French Revolution.

Principal Vicky van der Sanden says the K-6 Catholic systemic school aims to build a “vibrant and welcoming community” and prides itself on being inclusive.

“Children, no matter what their needs, are welcomed and every effort is made to support all students and families in our school”, Ms van der Sanden says.

“The school is situated on spacious grounds featuring varied playing spaces for all students, and staffed by highly trained professionals who are committed to providing excellence in Catholic education for all children.

“We aim to develop the uniqueness and potential of every child in our care.”

St John Vianney’s Primary School, Namatjira Drive, Waramanga. Call 6288 2383 or go to sjv.act.edu.au

the year of his canonisation.”

“Walkingin

John Paul College is an innovative, co-educational college creating a Catholic P-12 pathway in the Gungahlin region. Accommodating Years 7-9 in 2015 in our new cutting edge facilities in Nicholls:

We focus on the pastoral well-being and holistic development of each individual student

• through a unique one-on-one mentoring program which fosters strong partnerships between parents, students and the school.

We provide a dynamic and rigorous academic curriculum

• underpinned by an educational philosophy which includes brain-based learning principles and the development of a Growth Mind-Set in each individual

We have introduced an innovative selfdirected learning approach

• which develops independence, time management and organization skills and enables students to be challenged and individual needs to be met.

We operate in a Technology-rich learning environment

• allowing learning anywhere, anytime.

We have a strong, integrated focus on sustainability and healthy living

• which includes a canteen run by the school producing only fresh, unprocessed and home cooked dishes.

school open days

Expo to explain learning options Captains

ON the evening of May 13, Canberra Grammar School will be holding an Entry & Academic Expo aimed particularly at students who will be entering year 11 in 2015.

In years 11 and 12, CGS offers students the opportunity to study either the International Baccalaureate Diploma program or the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC). This special evening will provide information about both options as well as an in-depth look at all of the subject choices.

CGS is accepting enrolments for 2015 and Whole School Open Days will be held on May 15 and June 19, 9.30am-11.30am to provide an opportunity to explore the campus and learn about the school from its teachers and students.

Applications for scholarships for year 11 students in 2015 open this month.

More information and register interest at canberragrammar. org.au. The school’s registrar (admissions@cgs.act.edu.au) can also organise a visit at a time to suit.

okay

ST Mary MacKillop College is a school for students from different faith, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds, from the most academically gifted to those who need extra assistance to be their best.

School captain Claudia Holland says students like the diversity and the fact that you can be yourself at McKillop.

“Mary MacKillop dedicated her life to educating all kinds of students – those on the margins, indigenous students, and people from many different cultural and religious backgrounds – and her work continues at our school,” Claudia says.

Her fellow school captain Reece Inkpen has enjoyed the wide range of opportunities available to students.

“When I started in Year 7 I discovered that I could play sport, be on the SRC, be in variety nights and musicals, choose from a range of languages, meet so many new people, and enjoy a wide range of teachers and classes,” says Reece.

“I know a lot of schools offer similar things, but it’s the welcoming environment and the school’s genuine desire to be a Catholic school for all that I love about this place.”

Saint Mary MacKillop College; call 6209 0100 or go to mackillop.act.edu.au. Year

7 Open Night: Monday, May 5, 6.30pm, Mackinnon Street, Wanniassa. Year 11 Open Night: Wednesday, May 14, 6pm, Ellerston Avenue, Isabella Plains.

advertising feature

New school aims to lift the bar

GUNGAHLIN’S shiny new high school, John Paul College, aims to set the bar for best practice education in the growing town centre.

“The school offers a unique, innovative educational environment where every student can flourish,” says principal Catherine Rey.

“Diversity is embraced and learning outcomes are optimised for each individual through a pedagogical approach, which maximises active student learning using brain-based learning principles, an inquiry approach and a self-directed learning environment, where mobile devices enhance learning.”

The first students to attend John Paul College are now in year 8. In 2018, when they are in year 12, about 1200 students will attend the beautiful, state-of-the-art campus in Nicholls.

“The physical design of the college facilitates the teaching and learning with open, flexible, adaptable spaces,” Ms Rey says.

“As a Catholic school, John Paul College aims to assist each student to develop all aspects of themselves, helping them grow emotionally, socially, intellectually, spiritually and physically, supported by strong values and the principles of the Catholic faith.

“A mentor teacher works with each student to

provide pastoral care and academic mentoring to support this holistic growth and is also a vital link between school and home.”

John Paul College, 1021 Gungahlin Drive, Nicholls. Open Day: Thursday, May 8, 9.15am-11.15am, tours

4.30pm-5.30pm followed by year 7 information session. Call 6163 4800 or go to jpc.act.edu.au

Christ-centred, nurturing environment

LOCATED in Gordon, Covenant Christian School is a couple of minutes drive from the Tuggeranong town centre, but it is the school of choice for families living as far away as Belconnen, Googong and Queanbeyan.

Principal Martin Keast puts that down to the Protestant school’s commitment to maintaining a “caring, Christ-centred and nurturing environment”.

“We offer both Christian and non-Christian families a nurturing Christ-centred learning environment that values children as image-bearers of God,” Mr Keast says. The K-10 school has about 140 students, allowing it to offer a protective and nurturing environment.

“Our teachers are all committed Christians as well as qualified in their fields,” the principal adds. “As a school that caters to the whole

person – spiritual and moral as well as physical and academic – we offer a well-rounded and balanced education aimed at helping parents raise children who we hope will be a credit to their parents in later years.”

Covenant Christian School, 1 Woodcock Drive, Gordon. Open Day: Tuesday, May 20, 9-am11am; enrolment information 7.30pm. Call 6294 2455 or go to covenant.act.edu.au

St Thomas Aquinas

Preschool to Year 6 – West Belconnen ... because your child is precious

Enrolling now for 2015

Please contact the school on 6258 4077

2014 OPEN DAYS

Monday 5 May • 1.15pm-6.00pm

Thursday 15 May • 11.45am-1.15pm

Tuesday 20 May • 9.15am-11.15am

Information Evening

Monday 5 May • 6.30pm-7.30pm

25 Lhotsky Street

Early Learning Centre Information Evening

Monday 12 May • 6.30pm-7.30pm

school open days

Building a new future

TAKING its name from St Vincent de Paul, the “Great Apostle of Charity”, St Vincent’s Primary School delivers students a 21st century Catholic education.

“We introduce the students to the latest technology like iPads and interactive whiteboards,” says assistant principal Lisa Harris, adding that extensive renovations will soon transform the late-’60s school buildings in Aranda, giving the school a 21st century teaching environment as well.

“The building work should be finished by term three; we’re really looking forward to it,” Ms Harris says. “Then we’ll have collaborative teaching and learning spaces, open-plan classrooms and it’ll be a lot more environmentally friendly too, with lots of natural light and other sustainability features.”

Along with their studies, students at the K-6 co-educational school are shown the deeper meaning of the Christian value of “caritas”.

“We look at each student first as a person, then a learner, a community member, a contributor to Australian society and finally a global partner, so we incorporate the values of St Vincent and the Catholic Church which is to work from within ourselves, before we branch out.

“We have a little student charity group called ‘mini Vinnies’ and we do a drive to collect jumpers and blankets for the less fortunate in the community, and distribute them to people in the Belconnen area. Last year we collected toys and video games, which we donated to the children’s oncology ward at Canberra Hospital.”

St Vincent’s Primary School, 3 Bindel Street, Aranda. Open Day: Friday, May 16, 9-11am and 3-5pm. Call 6251 2442 or go to svdp.act.edu.au

Small classes, happy environment

CANBERRA Christian School at Mawson is part of the Adventist independent education system, which welcomes families from all religious and cultural backgrounds.

Principal Bree Hills says the primary school maintains small classes and challenges each student to discover his or her particular gifts and talents.

“At Canberra Christian School we provide a safe and happy environment for children to learn within a supportive community,” she says. “Our enthusiastic, highly professional teachers focus on nurturing the strengths of our students and work together with parents to bring continuity between school and home; we even have a smartphone app that keeps you up to date.”

Ms Hills explains that Canberra Christian School’s differentiated curriculum is designed to recognise each child’s individuality and offer a learning program to maximise their potential in all areas.

“Our school has implemented the governmentdeveloped Australian Curriculum, however, children are placed on levels of work based on achievement outcomes rather than chronological age,” she says.

“This results in satisfaction and challenge being an integral part of every child’s learning program.”

Canberra Christian School, 64a Ainsworth Street, Mawson. Tour bookings to 6286 3989 or principal@ ccs.act.edu.au. More information at ccs.act.edu.au

‘Slow school’ for a fast world

FROM kindergarten to year 10, Blue Gum Community School in Hackett offers a learning experience with a difference, tailored to the varying needs and interests of its students to turn them into creative, independent thinkers prepared for today’s world.

The small alternative school was set up by a group of teachers and parents who believed the school system was failing to keep pace with the rapidly changing world around it, and formed the not-for-profit Best-Practice Education Group to explore alternatives to what they saw as a mass-produced, one-size-fits-all approach to education.

“Blue Gum is a member of the growing ‘slow school’ movement which, like the ‘slow food’ movement, rejects boring, standardised, massproduced fare on the menu,” says the school’s executive director, Maureen Hartung.

COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Primary/Middle/High School (K-Year 10)

ACTION School Bus services from Belconnen, North & South Canberra. Small classes; high teacher: student ratio.

Extended-day option – 8.30am to 6.00pm.

• Unique interactive, hands-on program emphasising small group work.

• Strong multi-media Arts focus for exploring and communicating ideas

• The scientific method (observe>hypothesise>predict>test>theory) is integral to all learning areas.

• Bush Blackboard program values challenges in outdoor classroom.

• Life skills practised in real-life contexts.

• Distinctive Australian ethos valuing our culture and inheritance.

Pre-school

• For 3 and 4 year olds • Up to 50 weeks per year.

• Full-time or part-time • Child Care Benefit available.

• Extended-day option – 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6

Our challenging early childhood education program can include: Music, Visual Arts, Community Classroom, Yoga, Outdoor Adventures, Italian and a great deal more… PLUS Nature Playgroups cater for younger children (0-2 yrs).

School Campus Tours for 2015 enrolment

Monday 16 June 2014

Limited places - bookings via email by 12 June

email: school@bluegum.act.edu.au

website: www.bluegum.act.edu.au

Pre-school: 49 Stockdale St, Dickson

Primary/Middle/High School: 114 Maitland St, Hackett Enquiries to: 6230 6776

“Slow schools value and promote qualities such as creativity, critical thinking, resilience, intrinsic motivation, persistence, humour, reliability, enthusiasm, civic-mindedness, selfawareness, self-discipline, empathy, leadership and compassion.”

Blue Gum values social competence and emotional intelligence as much as academic achievement, and aims to prepare students to tackle an ever-changing world.

“Their thinking and theorising about the world around them often takes adults by surprise, if they make the time to stop and actively listen,” says Maureen.

Blue Gum Community School, 114 Maitland Street, Hackett. Open day: Monday, June 16; guided tour bookings to school@bluegum.act.edu.au Call 6230 6776 or go to www.bluegum.act.edu.au

An Independent Pre- S chool & Primary/Middle/High School Est. 1998

Celebrating the power of potential and possibility

THE Parish School of St Thomas Aquinas in Charnwood provides a primary school education to children in the West Belconnen area. Its namesake was one of the most influential scholars in European history and accordingly is the patron saint of schools, universities, learning, philosophers and students, as well as the dwindling but nonetheless honourable fraternity of pencil makers.

Principal Cameron Johns says the school “celebrates the human” inside each of its young charges.

“We believe that your child is gifted beyond measure, gifted with potential and the possibility to be the best person he or she can be,” Mr Johns says.

“Our professional staff are committed to the development of the individual child, academically, socially and spiritually.”

Assistance is available in all classes through the Learning Support Team, he explains, and the school’s specialist programs include arts, Spanish, guitar, recorder, percussion, a growing robotics program and numerous sporting opportunities.

“We encourage leadership from our senior children through our peer support program, authentic leadership positions, buddy classes and reading tutors for children in younger classes,” the principal adds.

“Every classroom has an interactive whiteboard and the year 5-6 children have a one-to-one iPad program which, together with an innovative learning environment, is building the capacity of our future leaders.”

There’s after-school care from 3.15pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and a preschool for little tots in the West Belconnen area.

St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, 25 Lhotsky Street Charnwood. Open Days: Monday, May 5, 1.15pm-6.00pm; Thursday, May 15, 11.45am-1.15pm and Tuesday, May 20, 9.15am-11.15am. Information Night: Monday, May 5, 6.30pm-7.30pm. Call 6258 4077 or go to staquinas.act.edu.au

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Academic, athletic and artistic

MELBA Copland Secondary School began operating as a combined high school and college in 2008, and is committed to excellence in academic, athletic and artistic pursuits.

“Each student at MCSS is encouraged and challenged to learn, grow and accomplish personal, academic, social and vocational excellence, in an environment of respect, trust and intercultural understanding,” says principal Michael Battenally.

It’s also the only college north of Lake Burley Griffin that offers the choice between the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) Program and the ACT Year 12 Certificate.

“The IB Program leads to a qualification that is widely recognised throughout the world by leading universities,” Mr Battenally explains. “The academic rigour of our curriculum is demonstrated by the high standards achieved by our

students in recent years.”

MCSS has modern facilities for its performing and creative arts program including the new 400seat Copland Theatre, and its sports development program continues to foster champions.

Motivated, talented and hardworking students are identified in the first two years of high school and supported through the “Fast Pace” program, while College students who want to train for a job after year 12 are supported by a team of experienced staff through the Vocational Education Training (VET) and Australian School Based Apprenticeships Programs (ASBA).

Melba Copland Secondary School; go to mcss.act.edu.au. Year 7 Open Night: Tuesday, May 6, 6pm-8pm, Conley Drive, Melba; call 6205 6711. Year 11 Open Night: Tuesday, May 20, 6pm-8pm, Copland Street, Melba; call 6205 7622.

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Priority Placement Areas

(Suburbs):

MCSS College Campus

Evatt - Flynn - Melba - Spence

Fraser - Charnwood - Dunlop

Florey - Latham - Macgregor

MCSS High School Campus

Evatt - Flynn - Melba

Spence - Fraser - Charnwood

Dunlop - Florey

Latham - Macgregor

Additional PPA information at www.det.act.gov.au/home

Melba Copland Secondary School

You are invited to our OPEN NIGHT for Students commencing Year 7 in 2015

FEATURING

• Hands-on Subject Presentations

• Performances - Dance, Drama, Music

• Practical Demonstrations in Science, Engineering, Mathematics & PE

• Catering by MCSS Hospitality

• International Baccalaureate

• Middle Year Candidate School Gifted and Talented Programs

6205 6711

Location: Conley Drive MELBA Website: www.mcss.act.edu.au melbacs@mcss.act.edu.au

Melba Copland Secondary School You are invited to our OPEN NIGHT for Students commencing Year 11 in 2015

Come and Experience Specialist

ACT Year 12 Certificate Courses in:

• Psychology

• Sport & Recreation

• Photography

• Performing Arts

• CISCO Networking

• Games Programming

• Architecture

• Tourism & Hospitality

• Metal Engineering

• Languages - Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, French & German

• Performing Arts

Featuring

• Hands-on Course Workshops

• Catering by MCSS Café & Hospitality Program

• International Baccalaureate

• Performances - Dance, Drama, Music

• Creative Industries with AIE

• Talented Athlete Program

• Performing Arts Program

• Traineeship Program

Mother’s Day, May 11 Ideas and inspiration for the day

IT’S Mother’s Day on May 11, a great time to show your wonderful mum you appreciate everything she does for you. Whether you plan to treat her to a decadent breakfast, brunch or lunch (with the obligatory glass of sparkling, of course), or treat her to flowers that will take her breath away, snuggly-soft cashmere for winter, or a pampering treat at a special hair salon, the “CityNews” guide to Mother’s Day will show you the way...

Gifts designed to treat

MUM deserves a beautiful gift for Mother’s Day, something she wouldn’t buy for herself – whether it’s a book to curl up with or some gorgeous jewellery, says Richard Baz, owner of the Portrait Gallery Store.

“Not that we want to encourage mum to cook on Mother’s Day, but we have some great cookbooks and also a large range of new fiction,” he says.

Richard says that while they have more than 19,000 titles available online and instore, the Portrait Gallery Store is about more than the books – it also sells jewellery, glass, woodwork and textiles.

“We love to support Australian designer/makers,” he says.

“At the moment we have some bold and bright Bonnie and Neil pillows, from $120-$140, and their gorgeous table

runners and napkins featuring Australian flora and fauna, priced from $35-$185.” Richard says mum might like something from Alison Jackson’s stunning range of earrings and necklaces, or one of the stylish, super-cool Nancybird leather bags and wallets.

The Portrait Gallery Store, King Edward Terrace, Parkes. Call 6102 7170 or go to portraitgallerystore.com.au

High tea and bubbles

HIGH tea combined with a day at the Portrait Gallery is a wonderful treat for mums, says the Portrait Café’s manager, Bryan Wilson.

“We’ll make sure mums feel extra special with a glass of sparkling Taltarni on arrival,” he says.

“The package also includes a selection of sweet and savoury treats including scones, finger sandwiches, cakes and pastries.”

Bryan says that the National Portrait Gallery has recently launched two new exhibitions that would be perfect to treat Mum to – “PROMO: Portraits from Prime Time”, where professional photographers went behind-the-scenes with stars of Australian television, music and comedy; and the National Photographic Portrait Prize for 2014, a striking and bold collection from Australia’s aspiring and professional portrait photographers.

“The High Tea costs $37 per adult, and will be held from 2pm-4pm,” says Bryan.

Give mum an extra Mother’s Day treat with a Trippas White Group gift card to use at any of their other catering venues.

Portrait Café, National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes.

Bookings essential for High Tea. Call 6102 7162. Visit trippaswhitegroup.com.au/gift for info on gift cards.

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that’s all about mum

Exclusive and delicious

BRUNCH in the unique, exclusive surroundings of University House at the ANU is a lovely way to treat your mum on Mother’s Day, says operations manager Tony Karrys.

“We are hosting a special brunch from 11am til 2pm, with a glass of bubbly on arrival, live plating stations and six delicious courses,” he says.

The plating stations will include canapés, a chef’s soup counter, an entree station, a meat lover’s main course, crépe delights and a dessert and fruit counter.

University House features graceful gardens, heritage-listed architecture and décor, charming accommodation and exceptional dining, he says.

The Mother’s Day brunch costs $75 per person, Tony says.

University House at ANU, 1 Balmain Crescent, Acton. Bookings essential. Call 6125 5270.

Bubbles to make mum smile

MAKE mum happy with a delicious lunch and glass of bubbly at the Canberra Labor Club, suggests Matt Michel from the Belconnen Club.

“Each club is celebrating Mother’s Day with an amazing luncheon, with the Belconnen Club doing its own different menu,” he says.

“At Belconnen, we’ll be serving a selection of mains, including chicken breast stuffed with spinach, ricotta and pine nuts, char-grilled rib-eye on the bone, seafood marinara or pan-fried Queenslander snapper.”

Matt says the other clubs; Gin -

ninderra, City and Weston Creek, will have a special lunch menu that includes an entree of deep-fried goat’s cheese, bruschetta or pollo sesame, with lamb shanks, Mediterranean snapper fillet or a trio of kebabs for the mains and a pavlova or fruit salad for dessert.

Mains at Belconnen start from $23.50. For the other clubs, the three-course meal is $35 per person. Bookings are essential, says Matt.

Bookings to: Belconnen 6251 5522, City 6230 0404, Weston Creek 6288 5047 and Ginninderra 6258 8616.

Fawlty Towers at your service!

HERE’S a gift mum can look forward to, the Canberra Rex Hotel is hosting dinner at Fawlty Towers in July, served by Basil, Sybil and Manuel.

The sought-after show and dining experience has been to more than 20 countries, including debuts in Iceland and Malaysia this year – and even the Royal Albert Hall.

It’s also had return seasons at Sydney Opera House and a continuing residency in London’s West End, and in July it’s returning to the Canberra Rex Hotel.

This is fully immersive, highly improvised and site-specific comedy theatre at its best, says Sarah Trevillian, banquet sales executive at the hotel.

“Only one third of the show is scripted, so anything can happen as you take a seat in the Fawlty Towers restaurant… Expect all the best gags, shambolic service and a ’70s-style, three-course meal,” she says.

Just don’t mention the war!

Canberra Rex Hotel, 150 Northbourne Ave, Canberra City. Call 6171 0636. Dates: Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12, 7pm-10pm, tickets are $110, includes arrival drinks and canapés, three-course dinner, selected beverages and two-hour show.

MUMS can stay warm over the colder months with soft, luxurious knitwear, gloves and scarves to wrap up in and keep the cold out, says Gail Lubbock, owner of Escala Shoes in Manuka.

“I love winter from that perspective, when we can bring out all the cosy things,” says Gail.

Escala has even more to keep mums warm over the winter, with a range of Gran Sasso knitwear now in store.

“It’s not something you expect to find in a shoe store, but the knitwear is a really beautiful product, a blend of Australian Merino wool and cashmere that is just wonderfully soft, warm and cuddly,” she says.

“We have lovely jumpers and jackets that are just gorgeous over a cardigan. The colours are beautiful, too; there’s neutrals and some greens for the new season.

“It’s something that women really look for, something stylish and cosy.”

Gail says the knitwear will go perfectly with the beautiful Achille Pinto scarves from Northern Italy that are double-sided in lovely prints and colours, all cashmere and wool and soft as can be.

“We also have a range of Italian Caridei leather gloves in all the colours of the season – there’s orange, red, purple and magenta, colours that will bring a bright tingle to your fingertips,” she says.

Escala, Shop 1, 21 Bougainville Street, Manuka. Call 6232 7666.

Flowers to bring a smile

YOU can’t go past an amazing bouquet of flowers to bring a smile to someone’s face, says Djiwo Grenet, owner of Arum Floral Design.

Based in the Rydges Capital Hill Hotel, Djiwo says that Arum provides gorgeous floral arrangements for Mother’s Day, weddings and any special event, as well as corporate, hotel and restaurant decoration.

“We deliver all across Canberra, and can help you design something amazing for Mother’s Day,” she says.

“We are very convenient for parking, so it’s easy to drop in and choose a design.

“At the moment natives, hydrangeas and arum lilies are popular, and we can make a stunning bouquet from $60 and up.”

Having trained in Paris at L’école des Fleuristes de Paris, Djiwo has more than 10 years international experience in the floral scene as a contemporary designer. Djiwo is offering “CityNews” readers 10 per cent off all pre-order bouquets or vase arrangements for Mother’s Day.

Arum Floral Design, Rydges Capital Hill, Canberra Ave. Call 0450 323 452.

Achieve whole health goals

A GYM with a sense of community, with the aim to strengthen women through working to improve their whole health, is one that will help people achieve their goals, says Anita O’Meara, owner of Curves Belconnen.

“Hundreds of women are changing their lives at Curves,” she says.

Curves member Sue Parr, pictured, says it best herself: “When I began my Curves journey in September I got a lot more than I expected from a gym,” she says.

Pampering hair treats

LOOKING great and feeling pampered are all part of the experience at Define Hair Design in Hughes, says owner Melissa Gibbs.

“Whatever your hair requirements, our experienced staff are here to care, pamper and spoil you,” she says.

“Our friendly hairdressers have excellent experience and knowledge when it comes to hair, and we all share the same passion for making people look great and feel even better.”

Melissa says that as well as cutting hair, the salon also offers hair and scalp treatments, colouring, styling, bridal and formal upstyles, extensions and chemical straightening.

“Define is a great choice if you’re after a new look, getting made up for a special occasion, or just because you deserve some pampering,” says Melissa.

Divine dessert in the city

LOCATED on Northbourne Avenue, Benchmark Wine Bar is offering a special Mother’s Day Sunday lunch on May 11, with Pommery champagne and canapés to kick off from midday, says manager Tasso.

“The lunch is from midday until 3pm, and features Crystal Bay king prawns with iceberg lettuce and pepita cocktail mayonnaise, and zucchini flowers filled with goat’s curd, ricotta, roasted pimento, capers and lemon zest,” he says.

The mains will include roasted eye fillet with confit

kipfler potatoes, palm hearts, broad beans and a Sangiovese balsamic reduction, he says.

“Mum will love the dessert; a chocolate tart with macerated strawberries, Tahitian vanilla gelato and pistachio fairy floss – divine,” he says.

The lunch costs $99 per person, and bookings are essential.

Benchmark Wine Bar, 65 Northbourne Avenue, Civic. Call 6262 6522

“With the encouragement and support of the team I have achieved my weight loss goals, 14kg so far and so much more as well. I now feel healthier, fitter and stronger than I have felt for many years.

“The boost to my self-confidence has been enormous. I never thought that I would say that I enjoy going to the gym but I do and with the continuing support from the team I am able to stay motivated, focused and pushing myself to my limits and feel sure that I will achieve my ultimate goal.”

To locate your local Curves gym, visit www.curves.com.au

“Our hairdressers will carefully listen to what you want and offer suggestions if needed. We’re committed to giving a cut that suits you best, without compromising on style and quality.

“The salon offers stylish, comfortable surroundings and the best hair products, including L’Oreal and Redken, to ensure you feel great and get the look you want for any occasion.”

Define Hair, 4 Wisdom Place, Hughes. Call 6281 2188.

arts & entertainment cinema

Gems about to shine

By Helen Musa

WHAT is it with precious gems and girl singers?

In recent years “The Sapphires” have taken centre stage and screen. Then there was our own late jazz legend, Gary Scott, born Diana Diamond, who often began with her key showstopper, “Diamonds Are Forever.”

Now a new generation of Diamonds are taking to the stage, as two of Scott’s student protégés at the ANU School of Music, Karen Strahan and Jill Walsh, prepare for the world premiere of their musical, “Winging My Way to the Top”, opening soon at The Q, Queanbeyan. It’s about a trio of singing sisters – the Diamond sisters, Pearl, Ruby and Beryl – who have a second go at making the big time in showbiz.

Sharp “CityNews” readers will have noticed that pearls, rubies and beryls commonly adorn precious rings, and if that’s not enough, Ruby’s lifetime partner is called Godfrey Goldsmith. Enter the next-door neighbour Phyllis Jones. With a name like that, you might imagine she’s just an ordinary suburban mum, but you’d be wrong.

Gaye Reid, who like Strahan and Walsh is a member of the vocal quartet, The Marvellous Mizdemeanours, plays the larger-than-life character. “Phyllis is a bigger affirmation of myself,” Reid tells “CityNews”. Formerly a sexy

Solid Gold Dancer in the US, Phyllis hoofed and slept her way to the top before returning to her native Australia to set up the Solid Gold Nugget Company in Wollongong.

She lives next door to Beryl, now married to the unambitious Charlie Cheapside (played by the show’s director Gordon Nicholson) and rapidly becomes a mentor, especially to the talented Pearl, played by Lisa McClelland, another Mizdemeanour.

“Phyllis has done it all, but she still has her pride,” says Reid. In the show, written by singers for singers, everybody has their own theme song. Hers is “Follow Nugget Blues”, a number suited to her low-register jazz voice, which we’ve been hearing in Canberra since 1991. With a career in jazz, pop and rock, and an award as Best Blues Vocalist, Reid also has an entertainment agency and a graphic design business, the latter proving enormously helpful in this new showbiz venture.

Phyllis is the supremely confident character in a musical that Reid says has very few sad moments, great comic timing and a rollicking comedic sense throughout. She’s betting that most of the songs will have you singing and dancing as you come out and – this is even more optimistic – “guys are going to love it”.

“Winging My Way to the Top”, The Q, Queanbeyan, May 8-17, bookings to 6285 6290 or theq.net.au

Behind the trial of a Nazi

“Hannah Arendt” (PG)

IN 1961, publisher William Shawn (Nicholas Woodeson) persuaded Jewish philosopher and political theorist Arendt (Barbara Sukowa) to cover Adolf Eichmann’s trial in Israel for “New Yorker” magazine. The resulting book, “A Report on the Banality of Evil”, forms the template for writer/director Margarethe von Trotta’s intellectually challenging and rewarding film.

It summarises Eichmann’s actions as the Nazi bureaucrat responsible for arranging the resources necessary for conducting the Holocaust without ever enquiring what happened next.

Hannah’s conclusions about the behaviour of the Jewish leadership in Europe as the Nazis shipped the Jews to concentration camps incurred the wrath of the Israeli establishment, which delayed the translation of her book into Hebrew until quite recently. The participation of the leading German post-war intelligentsia, together with leading US liberal thinkers and writers, alleviates the film’s potential to lead to ennui and enhances its humanity. It’s often quite amusing.

And it’s worth wondering, as Hannah must have done, as have I, why so few Jews emulated the heroes of the Warsaw ghetto who resisted the Nazi incursions despite knowing the ultimate futility of their resistance.

At Capitol 6

“Transcendence” (M)

SCIENTIST Will Caster’s wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and his colleague Max (Paul Bettany) cast his ashes into a river.

Five years later, the economy is in tatters and Evelyn is searching cyberspace for Will (Johnny Depp). The film is really about what happens when he makes contact from deep in the internet where he has transferred his intellectual power.

Will wants to do good for humanity. On his terms. Opposing him is a group led by Bree (Kate Mara) who perceives him as an evil influence over a world blighted by misfortune. You don’t need to be a genius to work out which direction “Transcendence” will take once Will and Evelyn set up a computing site bigger than Google’s to run the planet.

The film is enhanced by the dignified participation of Morgan Freeman as a colleague who wants Will to stop faffing about from cyberspace and let the world get back to reality, warts and all. High-speed scrolling through panes packed with unintelligible data suggests the director’s esteem for its plethora of IT mumbo-jumbo more than respect for our willingness to take it seriously.

At Hoyts, Capitol 6, Dendy and Limelight Dougal Macdonald’s review of “Canopy” (M) ** is at citynews.com.au

OPENING NIGHT SPECIAL GUEST

arts & entertainment arts

Setting a mood in the street of food

FOOD is about mood and Mood Food in Braddon knows this to be very true.

Perched on super busy Lonsdale Street, the restaurant’s décor is sleek and the atmosphere warm and inviting, with a decent-sized eating area outside (with full sun during lunch) and plenty of seating on the inside.

On the menu at lunch is a fair range of dishes, starting at $17 for The Reuben sandwich – a trend in dining at the moment – and up to $28 for a nine-ounce fillet steak with truffle sweet potato chips, tempura asparagus and wasabi mayonnaise.

What was I in the mood for?

I thought the burger of pulled lamb shoulder, with feta, baby spinach with mint and basil pesto and a few Belgian frites, but, in full mood swing, I ordered the wild mushroom ravioli with burnt sage butter sauce ($23). Wild mushrooms are so more-ish and soul satisfying.

There was a thin layer of mushrooms in the middle of each square of perfectly cooked ravioli. While I adore burnt sage butter sauce, there was too much of a pool of it in the bottom of my elegant white pasta bowl for my liking. And my bet is that many would think it was a small serve for the price.

My friend ordered the cold crispy pulled duck salad ($22) served on a massive salad of cucumber, coriander, watercress and more. The dish promises sweet blood orange also, although I am not convinced that was so this time around. I snuck a mouthful or two and felt the dish lacked in flavour overall.

Mood Food also offers a selection from the menu’s Calzone Corner (all $19), including brandy and Vegemite-marinated beef, with wild mushroom, Dijon mustard, parsley and buffalo mozzarella (absolutely the best) and another option with pulled pork belly, mustard aioli, sage and Swiss cheese.

An aromatic traditional Thai Laksa features at lunch as does a vegetarian curry with clove-spiced rice. It wasn’t busy when we

visited Mood Food, although admittedly it was a late lunch and just before yet another holiday weekend. Service was swift and with a smile. Mood Food is also open for dinner, with specials on Friday after work, and also for breakfast.

With Mood Food you can book online through Dimmi for free. And your booking is instant and guaranteed. Dimmi is the booking system of choice for more and more restaurants. Pretty convenient stuff.

Lonsdale Street is going through another growth spurt and Mood Food has a great location along the strip. Across the road Autolyse is opening a new juice bar and, just further along, Lonsdale Street Roasters has just opened an extension of its food operation. There’s no stopping these folks.

The only frustrating thing about a visit to this increasingly popular precinct is parking. It’s always at a premium.

Mood Food, Unit 132, 24 Lonsdale Street, Braddon. Call 6257 8990.

WENDY JOHNSON

FREE Rain Theatre, which scored a coup last year by staging “The Phantom of the Opera” at Canberra Theatre, is about to announce another blockbuster production. We’re not sure how they’ve snared the rights to this one, since nobody else knew they were on offer, but if you were to start memorising the word “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, you’d be well prepared.

STAND-UP comedian, Jimeoin, was born in England and raised in Northern Ireland, but became internationally famous in Australia. Known as the acknowledged master of the untranslatable Irish art of craic, he’ll be in town with his latest show, “Yes, Yes, Whatever?!” on May 9 at Erindale Vikings (bookings to 6121 2131) and at the Abbey Function Centre (bookings to theabbey.com.au).

GOOD news that Wesley Music Centre has appointed Liz McKenzie as director of the centre after the retirement of its founder, Garth Mansfield. McKenzie is a powerhouse musical facilitator, known for her long championship of the Oriana Chorale and her tireless work with Pro Musica, which runs the Canberra International Music Festival.

WHILE we’re on Wesley, the Canberra-raised baroque oboist, Jane Downer, supported by Canberra composer

new blockbuster

Sally Greenaway on harpsichord, will conduct a demonstration and master class at the centre, 2pm-6pm, on Sunday, May 4. Members of the public are welcome. For priority seating visit trybooking.com/EKCL

SYDNEY’S Elektra Ensemble will perform “Reflections on Life, Death and Transience”, European wartime commemorations, at St John’s Anglican Church, Reid, 3pm, on Sunday, May 4. Tickets at the door.

MORE than 45 well-known and emerging local artists and performers will be showcasing Canberra art at the second annual Art Market, a weekend program of music, performance art and exhibitions at the Yarralumla Woolshed, 10am-3pm, May 3-4.

IT’S time for the 2014 “ANU Medical Revue”, and this year’s is as outrageous as ever, with the title “Caecal Weapon 2: The Rise of Salmonella”. This annual non-profit musical production is created entirely by medical students and this year’s proceeds will go to the Children’s Medical Research Institute. ANU Arts Centre, bookings to trybooking.com/ESHZ or tickets at the door.

THE High Court’s free Sunday music program is proving hugely popular with 270 people turning up to the last one. The next up at 1pm on Sunday, May 4, is local jazz trio, Famous as the Moon. Bookings not required.

La Scala Italian Restaurant

Celebrating 25 years of excellence and welcomed as an accredited member restaurant to The Academy of Italian Cuisine for accurately displaying Italian culinary traditions and innovations.

Centre Cinema Building, Garema Place, Canberra City 6248 8338 www.lascala.net.au

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gardening / Cedric Bryant Deadly beetle attacks elms

TO add to the traumas for gardeners, there is a new insidious insect on the march in Canberra attacking elm trees.

Most gardeners are familiar with the pear and cherry tree slug, which skeletonises the leaves, leaving just the veins showing. The Elm Leaf Beetle does the same thing on a bigger scale, but attacking only elm trees.

First spotted in Australia in 1989, it has now spread throughout Victoria and is now in our region.

These beetles can completely defoliate even the largest elms in a short time in late summer and autumn. Elms will sprout new leaves in spring, however the growth of the tree can be affected and may ultimately lead to its demise.

Trunk banding (available at most garden centres) creates a sticky band around the trunk similar to that used on fruit trees and can break the beetle’s cycle. This is done before the descent of significant numbers of larvae, usually around Christmas, so band around the end of December.

Report infestations on trees to Canberra Connect on 132281.

THERE are many fragrance shrubs to give us joy in late autumn and through the winter, especially daphne.

SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP 2014

Most people are familiar with Daphne odora and the variegated form Daphne odora aureomarginata, which have been in cultivation by the Chinese for several thousand years, although not introduced into the West by early plant hunters until 1771.

However, there are only a few daphne from China compared with the great many varieties from Europe, especially from the Mediterranean, growing from the toe of Italy right up through the Caucasus and Piedmont. Used to long, hot summers, they are well suited to our extremes of climate, more so than the Chinese varieties. Although, there is no doubt that Daphne odora grows well in this area.

ENGLISH author Robin White’s book “Daphnes – A practical guide for gardeners” (Timber Press) is essential reading for daphne lovers. This book lists more than 200 daphnes, many cultivars bred by White.

His speciality is the European daphnes. Daphne x transatlantica “Eternal Fragrance” became available here about two years ago and the garden centres cannot get enough. Now “Spring Pink”, its newly released first cousin, has hit the shelves.

WHEN buying plants, don’t just look at the common name, but read the full name on the label. Some common-name labelling can be misleading.

For example, Correas have been described as “native fuchsias”, whereas in reality they are not even related. A better description would perhaps be “fuchsia like”.

Another example is Edgeworthia papyrifera labelled as “yellow daphne”, is not a daphne, although botanically it belongs to the same family as daphne, namely Thymelaeaceae. Interestingly this Edgeworthia, more correctly E. chrysanthas is a Chinese shrub that grows to between 1m and 1.5m tall with clusters of fragrant yellow flowers clothed on the outside with white. It is used in Japan for the manufacture of high-class paper for currency. It was introduced to the West in 1845. Despite the misleading common name it is still an attractive shrub.

Jottings...

• With the ground soft after recent rain, it’s a good time to move wrongly placed evergreen shrubs. Trim any broken roots before replanting.

Morning Tea provided 9:00 – 11:30am Wednesday, May 7

Registration at 8:45am

Members: $150.

Non members: $225

Principal Sponsor

To register go to www.propertyoz.com.au/act or phone 6248 6902 by Friday, May 2

CASE

Simon

• Hellebores can also be moved at this time. Apply Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient to encourage new root growth to relocated shrubs.

• Final reminder to move citrus in pots under cover, i.e. under eaves or in carport. In the garden, if not too large, cover with hessian supported by tomato stakes.

• Remove plastic tap watering timers before frost (by the time you read this this may have already happened!).

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