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New mum takes cover
ALL Amy Luttrell wanted was for her newborn to sleep, but the entrepreneurial mum got a new business as well when she designed and made her own pram sleep cover.
Amy has been nominated in the 2014 Ausmumpreneur Awards, in both the Product Innovation and the Rising Star Ausmumpreneur categories for her Mama Chic Do Not Disturb (DND) sleep cover.
The cover creates a dark, peaceful sleeping environment in the pram, and Amy says it saved her sanity in the early months with a newborn.
“Mackenzie, who’s three now, was a colicky baby and didn’t sleep well at all,” she says. “She was easily over-stimulated, and once she’d started crying she wouldn’t stop.
“I’d get particularly upset when we were out and about. I would finally get her to drop off, but then the blanket I’d put over the pram would slip down or fly off in the wind.
“I asked my mum what they used to do, and she said they used pegs or hairclips to keep a blanket in place. I’m sorry, but I just bought a designer pram –there’s no way I’m sticking pegs on it!”
After another outing where an old lady lifted up the blanket for a peek and woke the baby up, Amy said she ended up in tears and decided to buy a sleep cover.
“I found there wasn’t one to buy in Australia, only shade covers and rain covers, and the sleep covers I found overseas were not stylish,” she says.
Amy’s mum, Susan Stevens, had been teaching her to sew, and she suggested they just
Kathryn Vukovljak reports
make one.
“We made a simple black cover out of 100 per cent breathable cotton, with a mesh peephole so you can see the baby – but as it’s black it doesn’t let in too much light – and we used buttons to open it as they’re quieter than velcro. Not waking that baby was the priority!” she says.
Amy also added stick-on letters spelling out ‘Do Not Disturb’, as a message to wellmeaning old ladies everywhere.
“I got so many comments on the cover; other mums said they needed one and wanted to know where I got it from,” she says.
A plan started to form and Amy says she knew she wanted to go into business, so she began the mission of making the cover universal to every pram.
“I called every new mum I knew and asked if I could borrow their pram,” says Amy. “At one point we had about 20 prams in our very small living room. We cut out so many different shapes, and finally found one that fit them all – and we were in business.”
Amy says her mum has taught her everything she knows about sewing, and while making the shell is outsourced now (including new features – a wire so the cover doesn’t droop on baby, and a zip for easy access), she still sews on the straps and buttons.
“I like to ensure quality control and it also means the covers are finished with a bit of love,” she says.
“It’s surreal that the covers are out there, after so many
Luttrell... “I got so many comments on the pram cover; other mums said they needed one and wanted to know where I got it from.”
years in the making. There has been a lot of literal blood, sweat and tears but I’m so proud of the final product.”
The DND pram sleep cover, $44.95, by Mama Chic is available at mamachic.com.au, or at Dressing for Two in Kambah.
Smile, for the broken camera!
THIS little Government of ours doesn’t have many revenue options and has to think outside the box about creating new ones.
Ideas range from going to the Prime Minister’s office and begging to put on more parking inspectors to selling our light poles. We race off to Singapore to convince rich Asian businessmen to invest in our fine city and we’re auctioning land left, right and centre to pump up the bank balance.
I cannot believe that at this time, when we’ll consider anything to raise a dollar, that we have so many speed cameras not working.
This is ludicrous!
I’ve had listeners to my radio program call in recent weeks making this suggestion and it was confirmed in the Legislative Assembly last week.
How long do you think it’s been since the camera on the corner of Ginninderra Drive and Coulter Drive at Florey has worked?
More than two years.
More a piece of public art than a functioning speed camera, it last captured a speeding driver nine months before the last ACT election, in January, 2012.
The one at Marconi Crescent and Drakeford Drive hasn’t worked since February last year; Hindmarsh Drive and Yamba Drive has been out of action for a similar period and the camera on the corner of Northbourne Avenue and Barry Drive is also cactus.
On a citywide basis, these cameras have the potential to raise well over $10 million a year. How could they possibly be allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair? And it’s not just the fixed cameras. Three of the five speedcamera vans are off the road.
What a shambles!
Minister Simon Corbell has suggested that sourcing replacement parts for older cameras was increasingly difficult.
What a cop out!
To make it worse, during this period we’ve spent huge amounts of money installing point-to-point cameras on Athllon Drive that will only be able to nab drivers once in a blue moon.
I’m not sure what word to use to describe all this, but it’s hard to go past incompetent.
MR Fluffy – such a gentle name for so searing a tragedy. Suddenly to find your home is not only toxic but worth so much less is a real shocker for too many Canberrans.
At first the contagion appeared confined to a relatively tight area; now it seems to be spread across most of the older suburbs with almost 2000 homes affected.
Clearly, it’s a non-partisan issue and it was good to see Lib Leader Jeremy Hanson proposing a $5 million fund to combat the problem; but according to the Government, that’s chicken feed compared to the real costs.
So, what will the Feds contribute since the asbestos insulation took place under their watch? Good luck with that, Katy.
REACTION to the asbestos scandal should be a lesson to the ACT Government in selling its light rail project. Not much point making the case for the initial link to Gungahlin when all Canberrans will be asked to foot the bill. And to compare our sprawling metropolis to tightly packed Singapore, Mr Barr, just doesn’t pass the pub test.
Reaction to the asbestos scandal should be a lesson to the ACT Government in selling its light rail project.
SO what was the Falstaffian figure of Clive Palmer really up to in his amazing double act with Al Gore in the Great Hall? Simple – Clive has made his fortune by picking up assets from rivals who have messed up. So when PM Tony Abbott spent all his remaining political capital on that egregious budget, Clive swooped. Now Abbott has repealed the carbon tax (which hardly anyone noticed in their cost of living) and proved himself a climate change reactionary (to his eternal shame) while Clive is sitting pretty and setting the agenda for an ETS… sometime.
MEANTIME, the real Falstaff (as it were) was making his final outrageous exit on the stage of the Canberra Playhouse in the liveliest “Henry V” production from Bell Shakespeare to have graced our stage in a long while. Bravo, Mr Bell.
WHAT is it about politicians and flight stewards? Kevin Rudd fell foul of one in the VIP flight and it haunted him for years; now this week a review copy of “Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant” by Owen Beddall reached our desk with this to say on page 23: “Once I was on a flight with Tony Abbott – who has since become Australia’s Prime Minister – before I knew who he was. He was no better: loud, self-assured and smirky. When we served him he was rude and dismissive”. Golly.
MORE seriously, the call for a Federal anti-corruption agency is gathering steam. Revelations on “Four Corners” this week of election funding shenanigans with both major parties playing ducks and drakes with the law were deeply disturbing. This is sad. Since federation we have been blessed with prime
ROBERT MACKLIN
ministers from both sides of the tracks who would never condone a hint of financial impropriety. And when one of them – Gough Whitlam , of all people – went cap in hand to Iraq’s Ba’ath Party for half a million bucks even his closest friends were bemused and outraged.
STILL waiting, Mesdames Giulia Jones and Vicki Dunne for that $35,000 escape plan for those poor Fyshwick filles de joie. Come on ladies – out with it!
robertmacklin.com
goulburnaustralia.com.au
Cover: Bangarra dancer Jasmin Sheppard in the title role of “Patyegarang”. Story Page 27. Photo by Greg Barrett
Responsibility for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, Level 1, 143 London Circuit, Canberra.
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Justice puts the power of shame to work
Restorative
justice has come of age in the ACT, with some pleasing results, reports STEPHEN EASTON
EVER since self-government, the ACT has been a hotbed of progressive politics and criminal justice is no exception.
To keep us on the cutting edge of crime and punishment, the ACT got into restorative justice conferences (RJCs), based on the work of influential ANU criminologist Prof John Braithwaite, in the early ’90s and it’s been a pretty successful research-led policy.
Last October, our early adoption of RJCs was vindicated by an international study that combined data from the initial Canberra trial with several others that followed it overseas and found, on average, “a modest but highly cost-effective reduction in repeat offending, with substantial benefits for victims”.
A local survey reports strong satisfaction among participants in the first 1000 conferences, a milestone reached in January this year.
The first RJCs were simply another tool for police to dissuade juvenile crims from pursuing their more nefarious talents as a career, but in 2004, new legislation made them a standard part of the justice system for any young offender, and adults guilty of “less serious” crimes (excluding domestic violence and sex offences).
Tracey Blundell, one of the ACT’s most experienced RJC convenors,
points out that court hearings for young offenders might only last five or 10 minutes and often don’t require them to speak, whereas in RJCs, “they don’t have anywhere to hide”.
“They have to tell their story about what happened: what they did, why they did it, what was going on for them and what they think about it now. They have to speak for themselves,” she says, explaining it also helps victims in ways the courts can’t.
“Victims obviously have lots of questions and sometimes they can’t move on until those questions are answered,” Blundell says. “Restorative justice is an opportunity to get those answers, so they can ask direct questions like: ‘Why me? Why my house? Was I targeted? Are you coming back?’”
Victims usually give the offender a way to make up for what they’ve done, too, perhaps by apologising, doing some work for the victim or the community, paying financial reparations, getting counselling or addressing substance abuse.
It’s voluntary, there’s no penalty for offenders refusing and the whole process is carefully managed so everyone understands it is a chance to go forward positively, not for revenge.
When restorative justice went mainstream 10 years ago its enabling legislation left the way open for a sec -
ond phase when it would apply to any adult offences, including domestic violence and sex crimes, but Justice and Community Safety Minister Simon Corbell is yet to pull that trigger due to “resource constraints”.
If phase two of restorative justice does happen, it will probably be part of a justice reform package announced in May and costing $734,000 over two years, aimed at giving the ACT “a state of the art approach to dealing with criminal behaviour and reducing recidivism”, according to the Minister.
The Assembly’s Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety is also considering restorative justice within a sentencing review due to deliver findings on November 1.
Central to Prof Braithwaite’s theory is shame, and he proposes that justice is most effective when it ultimately brings the offender back to their normal place in their community, which he calls “reintegrative shaming”.
Often this is illustrated by contrasting societies like ours – which are
pretty good at making sure people are guilty before punishing them, but also cast out lots of people and publicly label them as criminals for long periods of time – with examples from the ancient world and various indigenous cultures including Australian Aborigines.
Restorative justice is a natural part of Aboriginal justice and in 2004, the Magistrates Court started running Aboriginal Circle Sentencing hearings with a panel of elders and other senior members of the indigenous community alongside a magistrate.
CIT developed a short course to prepare panel members and in 2010 this “court within a court” was renamed Galambany.
“Galambany means ‘we, including you’, and it’s about empowerment of the individual and the community,” explains United Ngunnawal Elders Council co-chair Roslyn Brown. “It gives us back some independence, and for elders especially, being able to care for the community and not just have people tried in an alien court has
strengthened community.
“I think that the community’s very happy with it and it’s good for relationships between black and white Australia for the court system to be supporting that.”
In Brown’s explanation of Aboriginal justice, there are echoes of Braithwaite’s theory.
“I think that with culture, a word that isn’t spoken about much is the shame factor, and that works in any culture,” she says. “It’s said that the village gossip, hundreds of years ago in Europe, played a vital role in the village because of the shame factor and the boundaries you don’t want to cross,” she says.
“If you go into the non-indigenous court system as an Aboriginal, the [indigenous] community doesn’t always know what’s going on, but if you’re in the Circle, you’re in the community, and it’s a small community. Shame is a very powerful thing; it can be used wrongly but it can also be used for good.”
Influential ANU criminologist Prof John Braithwaite.
United Ngunnawal Elders Council cochair Roslyn Brown.
Convenor Tracey Blundell… “Restorative justice is an opportunity to ask direct questions like: ‘Why me? Why my house? Was I targeted? Are you coming back?”
Photo by Gary Schafer
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The National Disability Insurance Scheme is available in the ACT from 1 July 2014
Can I access the NDIS?
Can I access the NDIS?
What types of supports might I receive?
Will someone help me put my plan into action?
The NDIS is available in the ACT from 1 July for people up to age 65. It supports people with a permanent and significant disability that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities.
Use My Access Checker on the website to find out if you can access the NDIS and register your interest.
What types of supports might I receive?
The NDIS will work with you to identify the supports you need to live your life. Think about aspects such as health and wellbeing, independence, being involved in your community, education and employment. The planning workbook on the website can help you make a start.
Use
What if our needs change?
What happens when I meet with someone from the NDIS?
What happens when I meet with someone from the NDIS?
You will meet with a planner to discuss your needs and goals and to develop your plan. This may take more than one meeting and you can bring someone with you. Watch the video diaries on the website to find out more.
Will someone help me put my plan into action?
You can decide what works best for you. Read the managing your supports information on the website or ask about this in your planning session.
What if my needs change?
You can review your plan at an agreed time or if there is a significant change to your circumstances.
I know a girl who killed a wild pig
Bounding through the bush, knife drawn, in pursuit of an angry and unpredictable boar; Gary Ablett became a blur amid the trees moving expertly across uneven terrain. Such was his strength and primal instincts” – from “Playing God. The rise and fall of Gary Ablett”.
IT sounded pretty impressive until I heard the story about a girl I know doing something very similar.
She is feminine, petite, slight and gentle, less than 162cm tall and weighing 50kgs – the size of your average feral pig.
Ablett was one described by journalist Andrew Rule as: “Knotted muscles and raw bones… thighs like turkey drumsticks, his neck buttressed with a sloping ridge of muscle that links long, powerful arms. Like a silverback gorilla”.
The difference is our heroine wasn’t among a bunch of hairy males packed into an old ute hunting feral pigs for sport.
Hearing the familiar but frightening noise of a feral pig and hunting dog locked in a standoff, she was forced to engage a dormant primal instinct in order to protect the dog she loved from certain death.
One of her husband’s hunting dogs escaped its compound and had cornered a wild pig behind a large fence at the back of the family’s small acreage, just south of Canberra.
Unable to see exactly what was going on she knew she must act and quickly. She rang her husband at work who told her that she “must kill the pig”. If the frenzied stalemate continued the hunting dog would eventually die from exhaustion as its instinct is not to retreat.
Without question or alarm, she quickly secured her children in the house, mounted a quad bike and, with a dog lead wrapped around her waist (for the return trip with hopefully a living dog attached), armed herself with a knife and juggling her mobile phone on which her husband was giving instructions, she headed towards the unfolding massacre, even though she’d never killed a living thing.
For the record, our rookie pig slayer had witnessed the method by which an experienced hunter permanently disabled a wild pig during a rare hunting trip with her husband.
But before landing the fatal blow there was just one other, small detail to be addressed: disengage the wild pig from the contest without allowing it to turn on her.
The trick to incapacitating a wild pig is to grab it by the hind legs and tip it over on its back, then plunge the knife into its heart.
After one failed attempt at “flipping” the pig, which one would suspect was getting crankier by this point, she retreated to the relative safety of the high fence atop of which was a mobile phone broadcasting precise instructions for her to “kill”.
Oh and did I mention our passive pig-slayer had been to the gym and was still kitted out in her tights and whatever else one wears to the gym?
Just imagine Lorna Jane in full kit suddenly leaping into the fray, instead of the usual John Rambo in fatigues, and competently delivers the fatal blow. Splattered with pig blood and dog spittle, her first pig kill under her belt, she calmly put an exhausted but grateful dog on the back of the quad and headed back to the house.
In the hours following her courageous intervention, this young woman, who’s probably never heard of the footy champion they still call god, got on with the more mundane tasks of running a family.
However, she can legitimately boast similar pig-slaying prowess to the Geelong legend. But my guess is she won’t.
The troubled track ahead for light rail
SORTING the chaff from the grain over light rail is quite a challenge.
Greens’ Minister with responsibility for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, whose party is ideologically married to alternatives to motor transport, has driven the Canberra Metro light rail project using his balance of power to ensure it proceeds.
The alternative view has been put by Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson and other Liberals that until the Territory’s Budget is under control this is simply the wrong priority.
The idea of having a sleek, modern tram initially bringing commuters from Gungahlin to Civic and then expanding to Woden, Tuggeranong and Belconnen seems a visionary project, a significant contribution to much-needed public works and an effective method of dealing with traffic issues and climate change.
The light rail debate will not go away. It is partially driven by ideology but also by the need to solve looming transport issues. It has strong community support. But it is expensive.
However, with the cuts to the ACT through the Federal Budget there is an important question about whether Canberra can afford to implement the project at this time.
The government seeks to capitalise on the project as visionary identifying the growth in Gungahlin, the current traffic snags and the potential for much greater congestion.
The argument is that light rail is quieter than alternatives, is less polluting and has the potential to run entirely on renewable energy sources. The government continues to reassure the public that they have examined the budget for stage one of the light rail project and compares this cost to Majura Parkway, which alone will cost more than $300 million.
The response to questioning is to ask whether the financial concerns are about budget or are really more about reluctance to give public transport a priority.
Rattenbury is like a terrier with a bone, writing recently in “The Canberra Times”:
MICHAEL MOORE
“This light rail project has a strong foundation. We’ve been researching and planning for light rail for over 20 years.
“Over a decade ago a public transport study found light rail to be both ‘economically feasible and beneficial’ for the community.
Two years ago, the 2012 design study on the Gungahlin to Civic transit corridor compared light rail and bus rapid transit options and concluded that light rail would generate ‘the best overall outcome for Canberra’.”
He was clearly feeling the mounting pressure of doubt over the financial viability.
The Liberals have been vigorous in their concern over the project’s costs. Opposition Transport spokesman Alistair Coe used a report from the Centre for International Economics (CIE) to cast further doubts.
He said: “In its review of the 2014-15 ACT Budget, the CIE highlights many actual and potential problems with the case for light rail. This is yet another independent expert publicising serious concerns about the viability of the project.”
Opposition Leader Hanson is more vigorous, calling light rail “a waste of taxpayers’ money” and landing what he considers poor decision making by the government on the
challenges of minority government.
“The Government is pursuing light rail essentially to keep Shane Rattenbury in the Cabinet and keep Shane Rattenbury happy,” he said.
“That’s not a good enough reason to spend $614 million of taxpayers’ money.”
Hanson has already floated the notion of running the October 2016 Liberal election campaign around “no light rail”.
In May, the Liberals moved in the ACT Assembly a motion calling on the Government “to abandon the current light rail project but preserve the corridors for possible future use”.
This should not be seen as an ideological drive against public transport but rather the appropriate role of an opposition in challenging the real costs and timing associated with this project.
The Liberals point to much cheaper rapid
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With our extensive range of quality products, BASC offers competitive and affordable solutions and can assist with design
bus alternatives while waiting for the ACT Budget to return to surplus. However, such an interim measure could also be challenged as a possible waste of money if the light rail is planned for the future anyway.
The light rail debate will not go away. It is partially driven by ideology but also by the need to solve looming transport issues. It has strong community support. But it is expensive.
This project illustrates very clearly the important role of an effective opposition in challenging government, in monitoring every aspect of what they do and in providing alternative policies. The outcome is still some way down the track!
Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.
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But when it comes to dogs...
WANT to know what feels great? Being part of an angry mob baying for blood on the internet!
I should know, I’ve led plenty of them and been a part of quite a few more.
Normally, everything in this world is just so difficult. We all disagree on what is a problem. The few people who can agree that something is a problem don’t agree on what the solution is.
Society can roughly be broken up between a large majority who would prefer not to have to think about anything beyond what to have for lunch, and a troubled, arguing and confused minority who think their opinions matter.
But every now and then, something happens that we can all agree about.
Recently, on citynews.com. au, we had the footage of Justen Storay’s dog, Laps, getting pepper sprayed by a policeman while tied up in Justen’s Griffith backyard. Sure, there’s the troubling aspect of who exactly has CCTV of their backyard while police molest their bull mastiff, and why police are raiding a house in relation to a dangerous driving offence.
As a society we can mostly agree we don’t like seeing chemical weapons used on dogs, and especially dogs that are tied up.
But, in general, we can put that aside because it doesn’t matter.
Apart from some very troubled individuals, as a society we can mostly agree we don’t like seeing chemical weapons used on dogs, and especially dogs that are tied up.
People, well, on people it depends. But dogs? Definitely not and we can all get righteously angry buoyed up by the knowledge that, at long last, we are not alone.
It’s a good feeling – and a dangerous one.
Following hard in the footsteps of the dog video, another emerged of a tubby buffoon in an over-tight Raiders jersey wetting himself on an ACTION bus. Oh yes, bring on the righteous anger! That poor woman with her children! The handbag!
On a roll, a local radio station found itself looking for the next
sensation.
Aha! A dog! (we’ve established we all like dogs, right?) And it’s locked in a car! (We don’t like dogs locked in cars, right? Never mind that in this weather it’s no threat to health). And the car is filthy! (Poor dog?)
Ah, wait, hang on a moment.
To this trained eye, not a million miles away on the curve of screaming desperation from living out of a car, it looked like some poor bastard was not quite so reduced by the cruelty of the world as to be surrendering their dog to the RSPCA or Domestic Animal Services, a death sentence on a short delay.
So should any of us dog owners become separated from family and friends or find ourselves in an abusive relationship, it’s not hard to imagine it’s our dog locked in our cramped car, distressed because some
JOHN GRIFFITHS
sticky beak is trying to take video of it while we’re in the shops buying dog food.
By all means, when it’s warranted, let’s enjoy those rare moments when the community can all agree on something.
But let’s not surrender our faculty for critical thinking, or our compassion for the unfortunate. If, for no other reason, that we all might be next.
John Griffiths is the online editor of citynews.com.au
Caring for kids
DONORS in the ACT have given more than $1.2 million to Save the Children in the year to June 30 making them by far the most generous State or Territory per head of population.
The ACT total is almost triple that of Victoria and NSW, and nearly double second-placed NT.
“This is a tremendous effort by the people of the ACT, who have supported dozens of Save the Children programs across Australia… [and] supporting our work responding to the Syrian refugee crisis, conflicts in Iraq and South Sudan, and our ongoing relief work with those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines,” the charity’s policy and public affairs director, Mat Tinkler, said.
Trivia for cancer
THERE’S a trivia night planned at the Canberra Irish Club at Weston in aid of the Cancer Council ACT at 7pm on Saturday, July 12. Tickets are $20, with eight to a table and includes a platter of hot food per table. Bookings and more information at lrdrabsch@ gmail.com or 6288 7752.
House master
BRIAN Heath, the housing options advisor for older Australians at COTA, is the guest speaker at the Tuggeranong Day View Club’s next lunchtime meeting at the Vikings’ Town Centre Club, Greenway on Tuesday, July 15. All ladies and guests are welcome. The cost is $21 and RSVPs to 6284 8804 before July 11.
Irishwomen remembered
THE voyage to Australia of 194 orphan girls, who fled Ireland’s workhouses after the Great Famine, will be commemorated at the Canberra Irish Club, 8pm, on Wednesday, July 16. On arrival, in 1850, they trekked to and settled in Goulburn, Yass, Boorowa, Gundagai and Tumut. Historian Dr Richard Reid and Prof Perry McIntyre, chairman of the Australian Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee, will offer historical commentary and eight Irish and Irish-Australian women will read extracts from the log of the ship’s surgeon. More Information from 6290 1375.
Borrowing to shape the future
HALFWAY into its four year term, the ACT Government has set an ambitious agenda with unprecedented investment in infrastructure projects that will change the shape of Canberra.
But how will the ACT Government fund these visionary projects in a constrained economy?
Speaking at a Property Council lunch last month, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher acknowledged the importance of major projects to boost confidence and employment.
“Equally important, however, are the long-term dividends of infrastructure and urban renewal, which shape the city’s future and preserve one of our greatest advantages – Canberra’s unparalleled liveability,” she said.
While we are seeing some impacts from the Commonwealth Government’s cutbacks, with population growth subdued and employment growth flattening out, there are other signs that give the ACT Government cause for optimism: a strong investment outlook in residential construction; a modest 4.6 per cent increase in housing values year-on-year and steady residential building approvals.
The number of projects in design or delivery stage is unparalleled. The ACT Government has committed to $2.5 billion in infrastructure
letter
MICHAEL Moore was a president of, and still supports, the Australian Parliamentary Drug Law Reform Group, which promotes unequivocal opposition to policies of prohibition with regards to illicit drugs and psychotropic substances. Hence, I was stunned when he argued (CN, June 26) that the most widespread advances in health have come through prevention, as he did not exclude illegal drug use. The harm minimisation (HM) policy that Mr Moore backs sees this country with 200,000 dependent on cannabis (Prof Jan Copeland, UNSW, 9/12/2012), a one-drug statistic dwarfing the total number of problematic drug users in Sweden – 29,500 (Swedish Institute of Health, 2012). Sweden has only 40 per cent of Australia’s
investment, which will bring new large-scale projects online as construction concludes on major projects which have driven activity in the past few years – primarily the Canberra Airport, Cotter Dam and Majura Parkway projects.
The $42 million upgrade to Constitution Avenue, for instance, will provide major public transport, infrastructure and landscape improvements.
The $21.3 million allocated in the ACT Budget for Capital Metro will complete the design and planning stages and place the government in an “investment-ready position” by year’s end.
And what Gallagher calls “one of the largest and most prestigious urban renewal projects in Australia” – the City to the Lake – is in planning phase, with the construction of a new waterway expected to be in delivery mode by 2016. She said the government was “confident in its choice to invest strategically and shape the future” and was prepared to borrow money to finance “high-quality, productive infrastructure projects which generate jobs and deliver positive outcomes for the city and the people who live here.”
Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia.
population. Put another way, HM leaves a pot to be desired, and forgive me, but if that is Mr Moore’s definition of “prevention”, we should immediately hand over our drug policies to Sweden!
Colliss Parrett, Barton
As I get older I want to have choice and control
You can with a bit of help from My Aged Care
Let’s talk about changes to aged care.
Aged care should be decided by the person who knows you best – you. That’s why aged care changes from 1 July 2014 give you more choice, more control and more of the services you might need to help you stay independent. New financing arrangements also start. So if you’re getting older and need help, or if you’re caring for someone who does, call My Aged Care or visit the website to find out what you need to know to start planning and talking about aged care with your family and loved ones.
For personalised assistance, talk to a real person on 1800 200 422* or visit myagedcare.gov.au
*1800 calls are free from land lines; calls from mobile phones may be charged.
Because the sooner we all start talking about aged care and planning it, the better the outcome for you and your family.
Catherine Carter property
Stunned by Moore’s argument
scene / around canberra
Social event of the week / Allan Williams’ staff farewell, National Press Club
DUBBED “Captain Snooze” by his staff, Allan Williams is taking that sign off his door.
LYN MILLS
Apparently, Allan – who has retired as Qantas’ regional general manager ACT – can snooze anywhere.
After 40 years and two months with the company, he’s ready to pass through the departure gates to the life of a retiree... who is unlikely to stop working.
He reminisced of a unique aviation journey at a first-class farewell cocktail party with current and former Qantas staff and industry professionals at the National Press Club.
His extracurricular activities have seen him on the committee circuit of notable causes and many he will continue, particularly Hands Across Canberra, an innovative philanthropic organisation that shares donations among many, the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal Fundraising Committee and as chair of the Canberra Convention Bureau. We who have enjoyed his company on many occasions wish him well and know he’ll be just as enthusiastic for Canberra and its community in his retirement... and he can stroll home for that kip.
School Holiday Offer
Phil Dalley, Denise Sutton, Bente Phillips and Colin Thomas
Justine Nagel, Cathy Cottor, Belinda Beauman and Peta Glavurdic
Jo Larter and Sue Neylon Doug Wesney and Ross Appleton Susan Dow and Rebecca Munnings
Helen Parker and Margot Sawyer
Henry Barrington, Mair Roach and Paul Nicholas
Geoff Woodham, Robyn Peskovic and Aaron Glaskin Joyce Deedy with Allan and Janene Williams
Margaret Lovell and Paul Stewart
Kim Ashton and Carol Scott
Judith Butler, Shannon McSwiney and Monika Padiyachi
Clare Dahlstrom, Claudia Vannithone and Bella Boorman
Amelia Zaraftis, Gordon Bull, Ellis Hutch
Amy McGregor, Riley Post and Caroline Huf Blaide Lallemand, John McIntyre and Kerry Jons
Jan Falsone and Giulia Giuffre
Odessa Zaraftis and Thea Coddington
Andrew Swanson and Shaun Crowe
Rachi Perera and Amanda Whitley Ian Hamilton and Adam Triggs
Melissa Holcroft, Adelina La Vita and Naomi Fallon
Harriet Lee Robinson, Lance Gurney and Shellaine Godbold Diana O’Neil and Angus Trumble
Photos by Andrew Finch
At the MBA awards night, National Convention Centre
5 July, 6 Sept, 11 Oct and 8 Nov
Samantha Gray, Bruce Macaulay, Sophie Duncan and Victoria Ward
Katie Ryan, Ana Al-Adhami, Julie Seidel and Shannon Kolak
Bec Grintell, Richard Boyce and Haelee Reis
Brendan Siracusa, Joy Chan and Warren Nilon
Glenn and Sylvie Carter
Kate Louis and Hunter Cocks Brodie Williams and Lisa Kavanagh
Julia Russell and Marko Zarak
Erin Coates and Alleyne Forjanic with Ryan and Catherine Walsh
Tom Layton with Joy and John McInerney
Michael and John Sergi with Jason Trinder and Kris Kershaw
Nick and Sonya Georgalis with Deanne and Matt Findlay
Kim Sinclair and Allison Lee Cameron and Michelle Price
A new baby – life’s big learning curve begins
A new baby brings joy and excitement, but it’s also a big learning curve, with a whole range of new products and services needed.
From staying fit and healthy during pregnancy to buying maternity wear and finding clothes, shoes, toys and activities for little ones, there’s always something to keep you busy. So we’ve done some of the hard work for you – here’s the “CityNews” guide to what’s available in Canberra...
Massage for health
DURING pregnancy, a massage can be helpful to assist with the discomfort associated with the many changes that occur during pregnancy, says Emma Hely, massage therapist and owner of Massage for Health in Ainslie.
Pregnant and beautiful
BEAUTY treatments and products designed for use through all stages of pregnancy are a wonderful way to boost your happiness throughout those nine months, says Emma Hely, owner of the Beautiful Life salon.
“The products we use in the salon are all-natural; so they’re safe for use during pregnancy,” she says. “We even have a specialised nail polish with no volatile fumes.”
The salon also stocks the Skin Juice skincare range, specifically developed for the Australian climate by Australians. Emma says this range has a number of products specific for use in pregnancy, such as Mummy’s Tummy, which helps to prevent stretch marks and nurtures the skin through pregnancy.
“All our beauty therapists at the salon are qualified and have worked alongside our experienced pregnancy massage therapists to ensure their pregnant clients are suitably bolstered,” says Emma.
“I’m a qualified therapist myself, and I’ve taught all the therapists at the salon how to work safely with pregnant clients through the full three trimesters.”
The Beautiful Life salon is located at Ainslie shops, and is part of the Massage for Health clinic.
Beautiful Life, Level 1/3 Edgar Street, Ainslie. Call 6248 8931
7 days a week
“Offering relief from lower back pain, shoulder tension, joint aches and even stretch marks, prenatal massage is useful throughout the whole pregnancy,” she says.
Emma says massage therapy enhances the function of muscles and joints, improves circulation and general body tone, and relieves mental and physical fatigue.
During the first few weeks of pregnancy, a woman can lie comfortably on her stomach, and with progressive weeks she will lie on her side with several pillows, or on her back propped up in an almost-seated position, Emma says.
“We also have a belly pillow, which is specially designed for pregnant women and allows them to lie on their stomach.”
Massage for Health, Level 1/3 Edgar Street, Ainslie. Call 6257 0388
“Each trimester can bring different discomforts due to hormonal changes and physical changes occurring in both mother and baby,” she says. “Massage can alleviate fatigue, swelling, depression, anxiety, backache, tight hips and sciatica, improve circulation, remove toxins, aid sleep, and helps to offer a soothing, nurturing touch to both mother and child.”
OPEN 7 DAYS 10am - 6pm
The new look Canberra Outlet Centre is Canberra’ s one stop retail destination.
Canberra Outlet Centre has an extensive range of offers for Mums - whether it be maternity wear, toys and books, baby furniture and products, we have it all!
Retailers include:
My Baby Warehouse
Cotton On Kids
Ollie’s Place
Chilada
One-stop-shop for kids
THE Canberra Outlet Centre at Fyshwick offers a mix of retail outlet stores for kids, says marketing manager Katey Johnstone.
“We have a lot of premium kids’ retailers, including Quiksilver, Pumpkin Patch and Cotton On Kids,” she says.
“There’s also Monkey Mania, the food court and Coffee Club, as well as ongoing promotions every month throughout the centre.”
Other kids’ clothing stores at the centre include Authentic Factory Outlet, Capz, Chilada, Ocean and Earth, Ollie’s Place, Podium Sports and Topkidz.
Canberra Outlet Centre also has top shoe brands for kids, as well as fashion outlets, homewares and specialty stores.
Canberra Outlet Centre, 337 Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick. Call 6112 6222.
Fun with a focus on water safety
buoyancy and encourage children to develop reliance and confidence in their own abilities,” Alena says.
“Our aquatic development program for babies helps them develop their strength, co-ordination and motor skills while also teaching them a skill that may one day save their life,” she says.
Aquatots is a family-owned and operated local business that has been running in the ACT for 12 years. It specialises in teaching infants to swim and caters for all children aged from six weeks through to swim squad level.
“We teach natural
She says learning to swim correctly will help your child conserve energy when trying to swim in an emergency situation.
“Correct technique is not just about competition, but about being able to swim and survive,” Alena says.
“By using the many benefits of an aquatic environment, Aquatots is creating happy, healthy, comfortable swimmers and loving every minute of it.”
The instructors at Aquatots use child-centred teaching methods that respect, encourage and praise all children effectively, she says.
Classes are held in three locations, Black Mountain School in O’Connor, Gold Creek Country Club and its own facility in Forde.
DRESSING for Two in Kambah has thought of everything for expectant mums, says owner Thérèse Scarano.
Thérèse started Dressing for Two as an online shop in 2010 for Canberra mums.
“We opened the shopfront in Kambah on Mother’s Day last year,” she says.
“We’ve tried to think of everything – we have free parking outside and it’s all on the same level, so there are no steps to climb. There’s a pram parking area and free bottled water.
“We even have a lounge area for the dads, a play area for little ones and, of course, mums are welcome to nurse anywhere in the store.
“And you couldn’t have a maternity shop without bathrooms!”
Dressing for Two sells all the clothes and accessories needed for pregnancy, from supportive tights, nursing tops, stylish and comfy maternity jeans, to the Belly Belt, the Belly Bra and chewable jewellery for once the little one arrives. It also has a wide range of clothes for casual, office and evening wear.
“We’re seasonal, too, so we always have a great range in store,” says Thérèse.
“At the moment we have the Mamaway down jacket, which has a special panel for the bump that’s removable and can be used over the baby in a chest harness later. Then it just becomes a gorgeous down jacket for the rest of your life.”
Dressing for Two, 3/10 Kett Street, Kambah. Call 6296 7918.
Proudly supported by
THE swimming program at Aquatots Swim School focuses on the fundamentals of swimming and water safety, says founding director Alena Sarri.
Muffie C akes
NAPPY GIFT DESIGN
Custom made nappy cakes, trikes, bassinets and more!
Email: gemma@wdgroup.net.au
Visit facebook.com/MuffieCakes
AQUATIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR BABIES FROM 6 WEEKS OF AGE
• Speciality programming
• Warm, private facilities
• UV filtrated water for sensitive skin
• Award winning qualified instructors
• Locally owned and operated family business
• Child centred teaching methods
Three great locations FORDE, NICHOLLS & O’CONNOR www.aquatots.com.au
Phone 02 6162 0507
Fit 4 two is a unique fitness studio that specialises in Pre and Post Natal Fitness. We provide pregnant women and mums with the tools they need to exercise safely and effectively throughout pregnancy, the post-natal period and beyond. We are passionate about making pre and post-natal exercise enjoyable, safe and accessible to all.
For session times, and bookings, please contact us:
THERE are a lot of benefits to keeping fit during and after pregnancy, says Rachael Bursell, whose small business Fit 4 Two specialises in prenatal and postnatal fitness.
According to Rachael, one of the major benefits of staying fit and healthy before giving birth is that it helps new mums recover quicker afterwards.
“Some say prenatal exercise means you’ll have an easier labour,” she says. “That’s not necessarily the case for all, but you’ll definitely bounce back quicker after the pregnancy if you’re active throughout.”
She also points out the well-known positive effect that exercise has on mental health, which is another big plus for mums.
“That’s pretty much why I started the business,” she explains. “I suffered from severe postnatal depression myself, after my now eight-year-old daughter was born, and I have no doubt that an exercise program played a huge part in my recovery. I now have a newborn son, too, and I know that a healthy and happy mum means a healthy and happy bub.”
For prenatal fitness, Rachael offers personal training only, instead of a class, which is how she delivers her postnatal regime of resistance training and cardio work.
“Personal training allows me to focus on any muscular imbalances expecting mums may have, and cater for varying fitness levels,” she explains.
For the group classes, she uses the term “postnatal” fairly loosely, welcoming mums who gave birth anywhere from a couple of months to 17 years ago.
“It’s more a focus on women’s fitness. I’m just very passionate about making exercise for pre and postnatal women safe, effective and enjoyable.”
Fit 4 Two, 5/134-136 Gladstone Street, Fyshwick. Call 0404 831554 or go to fit4two.com.au
NAPPY cakes make a great centrepiece for a baby shower, says Gemma Dowie, owner of nappy gift design company MuffieCakes.
“They’re also a good way for people to group together to buy a gift – instead of a basket, the nappy cakes are a more fun way to make a fun gesture,” she says.
Gemma says her favourite style of cake to make are the bikes and trikes – especially when they’re complete with a teddy bear riding them – but she also does snails, butterflies and bassinet/cradle designs.
The cakes can be any size and contain anything her clients want.
“I always start with nappies, of course, and often use a wrap and some bibs, but I do make much larger cakes with all sorts of goodies in them, like bottles, teddy bears, brushes, dummies, or toys – anything, really,” says Gemma.
Prices start from $25 for a basic nappy cake and can go up depending on what’s requested.
“Sometimes I get specific requests, but most of the time people are happy to let me run with it,” Gemma says.
“The best part is always seeing people/s reactions – they love to see how they turn out!”
Call MuffieCakes on 0411 133743 or email gemma@wdgroup.net.au Pat-a-cake, nappy cakes
Canberra Confidential
‘Duck’s’ back for breakfast
MEDIA personality Rob Duckworth this week stepped in to the 2CA breakfast spot as “guest host”, replacing Chris Tennant who’s taking a personal break. The “Duck” originally worked at 2CC before moving to Sydney’s 2UW then 2SM. He has also hosted breakfast and drive shows on Triple M Sydney and Brisbane, MIX 1065 Sydney and, for the last three years, was the drivetime announcer on WSFM.
During his career he has interviewed four prime ministers, Nelson Mandella, Bono, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, David Bowie, Sting, Phil Collins, Billy Joel and lots more. But we’ll leave him to tell you about them.
Job
Welsh back on air
LONG-time 2CC drive announcer Mike Welsh has decided to return to radio, eight months after leaving the Capital Radio station.
Welsh, an award-winning radio veteran with deep news and announcing experience, has landed the afternoon session (noon to 3pm) on 2HC in Coffs Harbour. The one downside? “It doesn’t snow in Coffs Harbour,” he said sardonically.
They’re cousins!
WITH all the inexplicable column centimetres devoted to brewery news in the daily paper (Bent Spoke opens in Braddon; Wig and Pen’s off to the School of Music), beer drinkers will be riveted by this piece of self-centred hokum from the Coopers Brewery spinner worried about the media “confusion about how the managing director of Coopers Brewery, Dr Tim Cooper, and the company chairman, Mr Glenn Cooper, are related”. Really?
Anyway, to spare any more sleepless nights, confusion ends here: “Tim and Glenn are not brothers. The simplest way to describe them is cousins. They both have the same great, great grandfather, Thomas Cooper, who founded the brewery.
“However, Glenn is descended from Thomas Cooper’s first wife, Ann (18271872) while Tim is descended from Thomas Cooper’s second wife, Sarah (1842-1928), who Thomas married in 1874.” Cheers.
Shooting cockatoos
SNAPPER Gary Schafer was heading home the other day and couldn’t resist slamming on the brakes, leaping out and shooting this lovely late-afternoon photo of cockatoos enjoying their winter feeding grounds along Canberra Avenue, something that’s a regular winter event, he says.
It’s off to work they go...
HERE’S some counter-intuitive news for the soon-to-be unemployed public servants of Canberra: the “2014 Hays Salary Guide” reports that 34 per cent of more than 2500
– Advance Personnel focuses on the skills, abilities and character of the individual, so you get the right fit for your needs, with quality long-term support at no cost to you.
– Celebrating 25 years this year in Canberra, Advance Personnel will help find you the right employee and you could also be eligible for government subsidies.
For more information on how Advance Personnel can help please call us on or visit the website 6285 2466
Stellar marketing
WHAT are the Salvos thinking? They’re partnering (again) with Australian anti-human trafficking charity Project Futures in a national search for the nation’s “Stella Fella”, a bloke who is a positive role model while raising awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery in Australia. All very commendable, but did no one think about the lazy “Stella” spelling of stellar that inescapably suggests the Belgian beer Stella Artois? In the UK, Stella Artois has been unfairly nicknamed “Wife Beater” due to a perception that excessive consumption causes violent behaviour. And the local marketing gnomes are deluding themselves if we don’t know that name here.
Refreshing babies
employers surveyed planned to increase their permanent staff levels in the year ahead.
A further 51 per cent expected permanent staff levels to stay the same, while 15 per cent say they will decrease.
GOODBYE baby bottles. American mom Gina Almonte, from Florida, has invented Refresh-aBaby, “a space-saving tool that allows parents to leave the baby bottles at home”. She says it’s “a unique and eco-friendly invention that allows you to conveniently turn ordinary water bottles into baby bottles” by attaching the special feeding nipple. Refresh-aBaby can also be used on ready-made baby formula bottles and juice bottles. Apparently, this makes it a diaper bag “must have”.
The “Duck”, left, with US singer Meatloaf at WSFM.
School holiday fun Choices ensure there’s
It’s the winter school holidays, and so it can be hard to get out and about – but we’re here to help you avoid the cries of “I’m bored!” From acting in a play, learning how to deal with dragons, how to make loom bands and pop-up petting zoos, to horseriding and serious adventures in the mountains, we promise the “CityNews” guide to school holiday fun for the kids will completely wear them out!
Dragons and a Boogie
THERE’S heaps for kids to do at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome this school holidays, with different activities for the first and second week, says a spokesperson from the shopping centre.
In the first week (July 7-11), the “How to Train Your Dragon 2” Viking Training School is on at 11am and 1pm daily.
“Kids will learn the skills and special moves to take on any dragon that crosses their path!” they say.
“During the dragon workshop, kids will be trained by the famous and courageous
Gobber and his Viking friends.”
There’s also a colouring competition – go to Hyperdome.com.au to download the entry for a chance to win one of three “How To Train Your Dragon 2” prize packs.
For the second week (July 14-18) the Boogie Woogies Super Hero Band will perform at 11am and 1pm daily.
“The live stage show is called ‘Come Fly With Me’, and it’s colourful, energetic and packed with the kids’ favourite Boogie Woogies songs,” they say. “Kids can also win prizes and meet the gang.”
Come on down to our Viking Training School Workshop where you will learn the skills and special moves to take on any dragon, that crosses your path.
Performing their sensational show – ‘Come Fly With Me’
Exclusively at Tuggeranong Hyperdome these school holidays!
advertising feature
Horses for courses
Gooromon Park Horse Riding Centre offers a range of school holiday programs for the complete beginner to the regular rider, says chief instructor Danielle Ffrench.
There’s a four-day program, designed for beginners with some riding lessons’ experience, as well as intermediate and advanced riders on our horses or you can bring your own horse. There will be cross country sessions with instructor Erin Harriott, and dressage with Danielle.
“Each day consists of two riding sessions and two theory sessions to suit the participant’s level of knowledge,” Danielle says.
“Beginners will establish their riding, while the intermediates will be challenged with jumping and riding out, and the advanced riders will improve their dressage and show jumping skills or even do some eventing.”
There are also one-day programs available for beginners with no riding experience, aged six to 16.
“We start with meeting the horses, which helps newcomers relax into the environment, and move on to grooming and vaulting, to give them confidence,” says Danielle.
The July school holiday program will run the weeks starting July 7 and July 14, from 9am-4pm. The four-day program costs $420 per child, and the one-day program is $130 per child.
The centre also offers birthday parties, says Danielle.
Gooromon Park Horse Riding Centre, 214 Gooromon Ponds Rd, Hall. Call 6230 2230.
school holiday fun advertising feature
Water balls, loom bands and Optimus Prime
KIDS will be kept busy and entertained at Majura Park Shopping Centre over the holidays, says Jason Costa, commercial and retail marketing manager at the centre.
“We’ve got so much coming up – for starters, kids can meet Optimus Prime at Toys R Us from 10am-12pm on Saturday, July 5,” he says.
From July 7-11, there’s a free, live petting zoo at the Babies R Us end, which is on daily from 10am-2pm.
From July 7-13, there will be water balls in the food court, and Jason says everyone who has a go (it costs $10) will get a discounted pass into Lollipop’s, the indoor play centre.
In the second week, there will be a Make and Take session of loom bands.
“It’s a big craze at the moment, so we’re offering kids the chance to play with the Cra-Z-Loom brand that we stock at Toys R Us,” he says. “They seem to already know what to do, so we’re expecting them to just go for it – then they can take their creations home.”
There’s also toy sales at Big W, Toys R Us and Chilada, says Jason. Majura Park Shopping Centre, 18-26 Spitfire Avenue, Majura Park. Call 6275 2252.
Find out about real witches
A CONSTRUCTIVE way to occupy the kids is by enrolling them in the Child Players ACT’s children’s theatre group production, says production manager Kathy Thomas.
The Child Play program provides 42 children aged between 10-17 the opportunity to learn all aspects of theatre, on stage and backstage.
This July school holidays it’s Roald Dahl’s classic “The Witches”.
“Participants are formed into three casts, with each child having a major role, a minor role and a back-stage job,” says Kathy. “The backstage jobs include stage management, lighting and sound, props, make-up, set moving and puppeteering.”
“The Witches” will be performed at theatre@bcs in Belconnen Community Centre, says Kathy.
“When you come along and see “The Witches”, you will see how one young boy finds out more than he ever wanted to know about REAL witches,” she says.
The show will be performed at 10.30am and 2pm on July 10-12 in the first week of the holidays, and continue in the second week on July 15 at 10.30am only, and then at 10.30am and 2pm from July 16 to 19.
The play will run for about 1 hour 45 minutes with an interval, and is particularly suitable for age seven and up, says Kathy.
theatre@bcs, Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court, Belconnen. Tickets are $17, with reductions for families and groups of 10-plus. Bookings to 6257 1950 (Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm) or visit canberrarep.org.au. Tickets are available at the door one hour before (cash only). Visit www.childplayersact.com.au for more info.
Winter School Holiday Programs
Commencing 7 July & 14 July 2014
July school holidays are just around the corner. We will be running our popular holiday programs for beginners through to intermediate riders.
We offer a range of one and four day school holiday programs for kids aged 6-16yrs.
Introduction – a safe and fun program for those with no prior experience.
Beginner rider – a program for children with limited experience. Intermediate rider – a cross country program with Erin Harriott. Children are welcome to bring their own horse.
Gooromon Park facilities include an indoor arena and heated education
Climb every mountain
GETTING out into nature can be a valuable experience for kids, says Vicki Bennett, executive director of the Mountain Trails Adventure School in Wee Jasper.
The adventure holidays run for a week, Monday to Friday, with full board included.
“Whether it is flying a kite or abseiling into a cave, at Mountain Trails Adventure School we develop and deliver outdoor adventure programs,” she says.
Mountain Trails Adventure School is a not-for-profit inter-denominational Christian organisation, devoted to providing an environment that encourages growth physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.
“We have 25 years of experience in camping on holiday camps, with school and education groups and with youth at risk,” says Vicki.
“With friendly trained staff, a commitment to facilitate learning, safety and sustainable practices, Mountain Trails has the expertise to provide outdoor programs that are fun, challenging and significant in the education of young people.”
Located in southern NSW, with more than 2800 hectares of bush land, more than 60km of trails and near the famous Wee Jasper caves, Mountain Trails is the ideal place to create outdoor adventure.
The wide range of activities includes horse riding, dirt bikes, caving, abseiling, mountain biking, high ropes, hiking, initiatives, camping and more.
Dancing can be for everyone, whether it’s a ballet class for tiny ballerinas, intense, fastpaced cheerleading, latin salsa beats, partner styles such as ceroc or swing dancing, the fun, social styles or serious training for those who want to pursue a career in the artform.
“CityNews” looks at the movers and shakers in the Canberra dance scene.
Strictly ballroom, American style
FOR American Style ballroom dancing, think Fred and Ginger style, says Sharon Pekkarinen, owner of Danzon Dance Studio.
“It’s very different to International Style ballroom, which is more usual in Australia, where partners never let go of each other,” she says.
From July 29 to August 3, Danzon will be hosting The Outback Crown, Australia’s largest American Style ballroom dancing competition.
“This is the largest American Style competition in Australia, and we’re excited that professional dancers and dance teachers Kirill Gorjatsev and Daria Zotova are coming over from the US to judge,” Sharon says.
Kirill and Daria are the Eastern US American Professional Smooth Champions, and as well as judging The Outback Crown, they will also be
teaching at Danzon during their stay, Sharon says.
The Outback Crown is in its fourth year and is designed to give students and professionals of American Style an opportunity to compete in an event that is open to all dancers across Australia.
Kirill and Daria are available for private coaching lessons and workshops from beginners to advanced and open to the public from July 29-31.
They will be teaching foxtrot, waltz, tango and Viennese waltz.
“To have award-winning American Style dancers to learn from here in Australia is a rare and exciting event,” says Sharon.
FREE Dance Week is coming up at Salsabor, which is a great time to experiment with a dance style you may have always wanted to try, says director Raquel Paez.
“We’re offering free classes in burlesque, hip hop, Brazilian samba and belly dancing, although they fill up fast so book in early!” she says.
“It’s the perfect way to keep warm at this time of year and to make sure that you stay fit, even though motivation can be low.”
Salsabor also offers a range of other classes, including salsa, Latin, cha cha, Zouk, bachata and Zumba classes.
Dance careers start here
CANBERRA Dance Development Centre (CDDC) was founded in 1985 by current director Jackie Hallahan, driven by her vision to create a unique dance centre providing a diverse range of dance classes and allied dance subjects.
“Today CDDC is an exciting creative arts environment providing a springboard to a professional career and a place to simply dance,” says Jackie.
CDDC’s vocational dance course for year 7-12 students allows young dancers to participate in a graduated training course from part to full-time daily dance tuition alongside their academic studies.
In her 30-plus years of dance teaching, Jackie’s passion for dance along with her extensive knowledge and experience as a dance teacher, choreographer, director and producer,
has helped her nurture and develop the careers of many successful young dancers.
In 2013 Jackie was awarded the Services to Dance Education award at the Australian Dance Awards for decades of leadership in dance education, and for her holistic and inclusive approach to producing dancers who are versatile, mature artists and independent thinkers.
CDDC will open its doors on September 11 from 5.30pm, when prospective full and part-time dance students are invited to meet Jackie and the team, tour the studios and find out more about the CDDC.
Canberra Dance Development Centre, 55 Crofts Crescent, Spence. Call 6259 1550 or visit www.dancedevelopment.com.au
“All our instructors are passionate about making sure you get the most out of your session – whatever level you’re at,” says Raquel.
Now based at their new studio on City Walk, which comprises two separate studios, Raquel says Free Dance Week, which runs from July 7-11, is a great time to come and try out some new moves.
The next term starts on July 21, when they offer 10-week classes. Salsabor also does hen’s parties and entertainment, big or small.
“It’s a great way to meet new people, everyone is friendly and welcoming,” she says.
Salsabor Dance Company, 175 City Walk, Civic. Call 0404 181862.
DANCE NORTHSIDE
…for people who simply love to dance
Dance Northside is a communityfocused, inclusive and recreational dance school based in Kaleen which provides quality, age -appropriate, educational, non-competitive and fun dance classes in a safe and nurturing environment.
Dance Northside believes that any body type, shape, size, age and gender can dance and aims to assist its students’ journey through life by providing them with a passion for dance!
come dancing / advertising feature
For the love of it
DANCING for the sheer love of it is the philosophy behind Kaleen’s Dance Northside, says assistant artistic director Rebecca Allan.
“We’re recreational and non-competitive, and we want to foster a sense of love for dancing,” she says. “We teach technique, but we’re not pushy or hardcore and it doesn’t matter to us if a dancer isn’t technically perfect. It’s much more important that they’re loving what they’re doing.”
Dance Northside is a communityfocused and inclusive dance school that provides quality, age-appropriate, educational and fun dance classes in a safe and nurturing environment, says Rebecca.
They teach anyone from 18 months old to adults, and classes
include kids’ creative movement contemporary, intermediate adult contemporary, ballet, jazz and funk.
“People say they love that they can come and express who they are, and that they feel valued and accepted here,” Rebecca says.
“We believe that any body type, shape, size, age and gender can dance and we aim to assist our students’ journey through life by providing them with a passion for dance.”
Rebecca says they also aim to make the classes affordable and manageable. “It’s part of who we are,” she says.
GIVING students the tools to explore and nurture their passion for dance in many genres is the focus for Elite Dance Studio Canberra, says owner and artistic director Amy Peacock.
“We train dancers who want to pursue a career in dance,” she says.
“We offer them every possible support and opportunities, and nurture them through the process.
“But we also teach people who want to dance for fun, and we make sure they’re enjoying it and having a good time.”
Elite offers students access to the latest techniques and innovative
styles, with safe dance practice, says Amy.
“The students get to experience learning from trained professionals and are exposed to many performance and non-performance opportunities,” she says.
Offering training in jazz, hip hop, lyrical, ballet and contemporary, Amy says Elite Dance Studio is determined to be one of Canberra’s leading dance schools.
Elite Dance Studio Canberra, Level 1, Units 11-15, Cnr of Brookes and Heffernan Streets, Mitchell. Call 0422 985438.
Dance Bootcamp
Get fit, get confident, and dance!
Ceroc, also known as modern jive, is danced to the latest music, making it an adaptable and fun partner dance style, say Kellie and Andrew, owners of Canberra Dance Company.
“It features very basic footwork, and it’s inclusive, social and fun, with dips and spinning,” Kellie says. “We aim to create a vibrant, social and welcoming dance community, with students and staff meeting at venues around Canberra and Queanbeyan each Friday night for a few drinks and many, many dances.”
With many staff who are keen dance competitors, the studio also allows students to focus on competitive dancing, sending contingents to the major dance competitions around Australia.
But it’s not all for the experts –CDC is also offering an introductory Dance Bootcamp, which Kellie says is way more fun than a traditional bootcamp. For starters, there are no 6am starts on dark, frosty mornings.
“The bootcamp runs for six weeks at the Belconnen Arts Centre,” Kellie says. “It’s designed to take you from
Swing’s the thing
EVERY year in the depths of winter, Jumptown Swing dance school hosts Canberräng, an annual festival of swing dancing. This year’s theme is Cirque de Canberräng, says founder Liam Honer.
“The whole weekend will have a carnival feel, with vintage circus acts and performers popping up across Canberra,” he says.
“The key event is the ball on Saturday, August 2, with Dan Mclean’s Big Band. It’s a fantastic opportunity for everyone to enjoy great music, dancing and performances.”
Liam says Jumptown Swing, a group run by a group of dedicated swing dancers, has been teaching and
a novice with two left feet to a confident dancer in six weeks, while also boosting your fitness.
“You’ll meet new people, learn a new skill, get stacks of exercise and have a ball while doing it.”
The next Bootcamp starts on July 24, and there are a few places left, but Kellie says if they can’t fit you in, there is another one starting on October 16. The cost is $90 or $120 per couple for a six-week course.
Canberra Dance Company, call 0431 911 580 or visit canberradance. com.au. To register, email canberradancecompany@gmail.com
promoting swing dancing in the ACT for more than 12 years. They were a key part of centenary celebrations last year, including the “Swing into WWII” dance.
“Swing dancing, jitterbug or Lindy Hop originated in the 1930s and 1940s in the US, during the era known for its big bands and their leaders like Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller as well as jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday,” he says.
Tickets are available to the ball at www.canberrang.org for $45. Visit canberrang.org or email canberrang@canberrang.org.
Holly Diggle is a Canberra based professional dancer, and the artistic director/ owner of Dance Northside.
Classes held at the Kaleen Community Hall, Georgina Crescent, Kaleen ACT
www.dancenorthside.com.au
Don’t put it off any longer… In 6 weeks you will meet new people, learn a new skill and get active.
Ceroc (also known as Modern Jive) is an inclusive social and fun partner dance tyle, danced to the latest music making it fun and easy to learn.
Dance Northside’s Holly Diggle, Rebecca Allan and Amy Dawson performing at the Belconnen Arts Centre in “Dance on the Edge”.
SHAKE OFF THE WINTER CHILLS AT…
Dance Studio
Meet new people and learn how to dance at Canberra’s friendliest and most passionate dance school!
Salsa ✪ Brazillian Samba ✪ Burlesque ✪ Hip Hop ✪ Bachata ✪ Zouk ✪ Zumba ✪ Belly Dancing ✪ Cha Cha Term 3 starts soon – Register Today salsabor.com.au • Centrally located venue: 175 City Walk, Civic
No need for any previous experience, we teach you everything you need to know to be a great cheerleader. Sirens Cheerleaders is the ACT’s top cheerleading program with a specialist cheer gym in Mitchell. Our coaches are dedicated, experienced and internationally accredited.
• From 18 months up • Males & females • Beginner to elite • Competitive & recreational • Over 60 years combined coaching experience
www.cheerleadersaustralia.com.au
Liz Gregory Irish Dance Academy
LIZ GREGORY A.D.C.R.G. and her staff offer the following classes:
Beginners Classes for Girls and Boys aged 4 -12 years on Tuesday and Thursdays from 4pm
Advanced Classes - choice of 3 classes per week and enrolment by appointment
Classes are held at the Aranda fully equipped Dance Studio Enquiries and Enrolments visit www.lizgregoryida.com or email Liz - lgida52@hotmail.com or visit our Facebook page: Liz Gregory Irish Dancers
The Liz Gregory Academy teaches each child to be an individual and strive to perfect their Irish Dancing skills, from beginners through to championship standard, in a fun, caring, friendly and safe environment. With her dedication, commitment and determination, Liz has nurtured many students to enjoy wonderful and exciting dance experiences through concerts and championships.
come dancing / advertising feature
Cheering with a positive attitude
IT’S not just about cheerleading for the Sirens squad, says head coach Rianna Macdougall – they have a strong focus on being supportive, enthusiastic, committed and positive.
“We want the squad to be a big, happy family who adore the sport, learn about teamwork, and also build on their individual skills,” she says.
Rianna says that while there is a recreational element to cheerleading, for the Sirens it’s also very much a competitive sport.
“Dressing up, doing our hair and make-up and performing in front of a crowd is what we love,” she says. “We’re not sideline cheerleaders –
we’re the stars of the show!
“We love to try things you’d never think were possible, like pyramids, being thrown five metres in the air –we do some crazy stuff!”
The squad has been successful in recent competitions, with several first-place trophies at a June comp, Rianna says.
“We’ve won several times at the Nationals, and are looking forward to our best season yet, with five more competitions scheduled this year.”
The squad offers classes for everyone aged 18 months old and up, and it’s open to males and females.
“I actually met my husband
through cheerleading,” she says. “It’s great for fitness but also for the social aspect. I’m particularly efficient; for me, it’s my fitness, my work, my social life, my hobby and my passion!
“We also have a really supportive parent community, who help to get the performers ready at competitions.
“It’s a great environment and everyone works together really well.”
Term 3 starts on July 13, and Sirens is also offering a school holiday program on July 7 and 9.
Sirens Cheerleaders, Unit 1e, 5 Pelle Street, Mitchell. Email cheerleadersaustralia.com.au
FULL TIME ACCREDITED DANCE COURSE
DANCE IS IN YOUR REACH AT CDDC OPEN NIGHT
Canberra Dance Development Centre’s vocational dance course for year 7 to 12 students allows young dancers to participate in a graduated training course from part to full time daily dance tuition alongside the students’ academic studies.
CDDC will open it’s doors to prospective full and part time students on Thursday 11th September 2014 from 5.30pm. Come and meet Director Jackie Hallahan and her team, tour the studios and find out more about the CDDC experience. Register your interest by phone or email now! CANBERRRA DANCE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
IRISH dancing is a lively form of dance, which is a great way for children to enjoy a high level of fitness and enjoyment with or without the focus on competing, says Liz Gregory, owner of the Liz Gregory Irish Dance Academy.
“Incorporated into this beautiful style of dance is the modern take on Irish dance, influenced by Michael Flatley’s ‘Lord of the Dance’ and ‘Riverdance’ shows,” she says.
The Academy has been established for almost 30 years, continuing on from the Beaton School of Irish Dancing – which was originated by Liz’s mother, Sue Beaton, with Liz as one of her first students.
“Boys and girls from four years of age are taught the Northern Irish style of traditional dancing, for these future young champions who can perform at local, interstate and international competitions,” she says.
The Liz Gregory dancers have won many international titles, and they also enjoy their many invitations to be support acts for theatre concerts, including the Prime Minister’s Christmas Concert at Parliament House.
Classes are held at Aranda, in a fully equipped dance studio. Beginner classes are held Tuesday and Thursdays after school, and more advanced students have the choice of three classes a week.
Classes are taught by Liz Gregory, Sarah Sullivan with the assistance of senior dancers in teacher’s training.
WORLD dance classes are a great way to get fit and have fun while you’re doing it, says Kathleen Sinclair, of Folk Dance Canberra.
“We teach folk dances from around the world, including Bolivian, Croatian, Albanian, Armenian, Turkish, Russian, French, Japanese and English, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere,” she says.
“We do everything from the ancient dances of Greece to the modern dances of Israel, to enable our students to experience a whole world of fascinating music and rhythms.
“There’s quite a variety – there are some dances that are fast, slow, intricate, easy. We definitely get our exercise! We also do a few circle dances, where you don’t require a partner.”
Kathleen says Folk Dance Canberra was established in 1991, and they run weekly classes for beginners to advanced levels on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Tuesday mornings.
“We have recently started a new daytime class on Fridays at 10.30am, when we’re happy to cater for inexperienced dancers,” Kathleen says.
A children’s class is held on Friday afternoon.
There is also a monthly Greek night where dances are taught and danced in a social setting.
Folk dance workshops and social events are also run occasionally.
Folk Dance Australia, Hackett Community Centre, 144 Maitland Street, Hackett. Call 6286 6401 or visit folkdanceaustralia.org.au
arts & entertainment
Dance of a lifetime leaps from an old diary
JASMIN Sheppard counts herself a very lucky dancer. She gets to play the title role of Patyegarang in Bangarra Dance Theatre’s production of the same name.
For a hoofer who once thought she’d be lucky to edge her way out of the commercial dance scene, it’s special.
Patyegarang, unknown to most Australians and even harder to pronounce, was the mysterious young Eora woman who befriended astronomer and linguist Lt William Dawes, after whom Dawes Point in Sydney is named.
It’s an extraordinary tale, unearthed when Bangarra’s director Stephen Page and dramaturg Alana Valentine started wading through Dawes’ diaries and found a most unlikely relationship between the colonist and a young woman who shared his keen interest in language and culture.
With so many horrific “Secret River”-type stories to be told, including Sheppard’s own choreographed work, “Macq”, the story of Patyegarang shines through as a positive one.
It’s been quite a trajectory for Sheppard, born in Brisbane and raised in Melbourne.
“We were always brought up to be proud in our Aboriginality and we knew our nanna came from the Gulf country,” she tells me, but we weren’t sure exactly where.
Helen Musa arts editor
Leaving school, she joined the Dance Factory College in Richmond, got into commercial shows in Melbourne, then quickly realised that wasn’t going to satisfy her.
“In the commercial world, a massive emphasis is placed on looks and that seems quite shallow,” she says.
“I’ve always been the kind of person who looked for something more spiritual.”
Then the principal of Dance Factory took her to see Bangarra.
“I fell in love then, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” she says.
Sheppard moved to Sydney and, after training at NAISDA Dance College, joined Bangarra in 2007. Patyegarang, to her, is the role of a lifetime.
“She is very special as is William Dawes, because of their sharing of language and culture,” she says.
Sheppard has built on her view of the Eora woman.
“She has courage and pride, she is a leader in her community, she connects with somebody who is different, who she could relate to very deeply,” she says.
“What an amazing duo they were against the odds.”
A love relationship is hinted at in the show.
“None of us was there, but we can speculate that they might have had incredibly close moments,” Sheppard notes, “Patyegarang was already an initiated woman, ready to be married.”
Sheppard believes the relationship was “a consummation of the deepest respect”.
Reading the diaries, she says, was very af-
fecting for both her and the non-indigenous dancer Thomas Greenfield, who plays Dawes.
One of the most fulfilling things is that she gets to play a real historical character, but sadly, “the last part of her story is lost, because no one knows what happened after William left Australia”.
“I try to get a sense of that in my perfor-
New film festival from the north
By Helen Musa
FINNISH film director Dome
Karukoski, whose film “Heart of a Lion” will be seen as part of the inaugural Scandinavian Film Festival, knows what it’s like to be an outsider, and he’s made the most of it.
Born to an American father and his mother, part of a detested Swedish-speaking minority in Finland, he has felt the slings and arrows of envy and isolation.
“Being Swedish-Finnish means being an immigrant in my own country,” he tells me by phone from Helsinki.
In 2013 Karukoski was chosen as one of the “Variety” magazine’s top 10 Directors to Watch and his five films have won a swag of prizes and a Finnish Oscar nomination.
In “Heart of a Lion” he introduces Teppo, a neo-Nazi who falls in love with waitress Sari, played by Laura Birn, who’ll be at opening night in Canberra as the festival ambassador.
Sari has a 10-year-old, mixed-race son, Rhamadhani, to whom Teppo tries to become a father figure, with unpromising results, at first.
There’s something personal in this, too. “Rhamadhani is my alter ego,” he explains.
Karukoski admits that he is typecast as a director who deals with societal issues, but as “an optimistic man myself, I feel there is hope… I also feel every man in every woman has some part that can be healed”.
There are 21 films in this new Scandinavian Film Festival.
Opening night features Swedish blockbuster “The 100-Year-Old Man who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared”.
From Denmark comes family rock ‘n’ roll drama “Someone You Love” and from Iceland is “Spooks and Spirits”, “a ghoulish comedy of manners and misunderstandings”.
Norway’s list includes the thriller “Pioneer”, starring Australia’s Jonathan LaPaglia.
Scandinavian Film Festival, July 8-20, Palace Electric Cinemas. Bookings to scandinavianfilmfestival.com
mance that there is hope, but her personal spirit, well, it feels a little bit as if she’s still here,” Sheppard concludes.
Bangarra Dance Theatre’s 25th anniversary tour of “Patyegarang”, Canberra Theatre, July 17-19. Free pre-show forum on opening night with Stephen Page, bookings to 6275 2700.
Bangarra’s Jasmin Sheppard and Thomas Greenfield… “I’ve always been the kind of person who looked for something more spiritual,” says Jasmin.
Photo by Jess Bialek
“Heart of a Lion” from Finnish director Dome Karukoski.
Laura Birn… the Scandinavian Film Festival ambassador.
Henry meets Freddie in concert
THE Worldly Goods Choir and Canberra Mandolin Orchestra, aided and abetted by Shortis and Simpson, will join traditional music from the Old World with Henry Lawson, Freddie Mercury and “Aeroplane Jelly” at StringSing, Belconnen Arts Centre, 5pm, Sunday, July 6. John Shortis has even written a theme song that begins: “When it comes to a beautiful fake lake/ It’s you that takes the cake/ Lake Ginninderra”.
AFTER the death of Nelson Mandela, the Soweto Gospel Choir participated in commemoration services around the world, not least the televised memorial service held in Soweto. Now the choir will be at the Canberra Theatre on Thursday, July 10. A section of the concert will be dedicated to freedom songs and some of Mandela’s favourite hymns. Bookings to 6275 2700 or canberratheatrecentre.com.au
GEOFF Grey, who directs the Hoffmann Winds & the Hoffmann Brass (named after the late music critic William Hoffmann), has come up with a fetching title for the free concert at 1pm on July 6 at the High Court – “Legally High”.
MANNING Clark House is abuzz with plans for an exhibition of new work by Mirka Mora, one of the few remaining figures from the great days of art in Melbourne. I wonder if her old friend Barbara Blackman will drop in on the opening at 11 Tasmania Circle, Forrest,
4pm, on Sunday, July 6. Bookings to info@manningclark.org.au or 6295 1808.
CONGRATULATIONS to Belconnen
Arts Centre’s Philip Piggin, who has won a Churchill Fellowship to take him to England and the US to develop skills in teaching dance to people with Parkinson’s.
THE National Film and Sound Archive’s CEO Michael Loebenstein will pitch the archive’s vision, key principles and a draft strategic plan to
Cavorting with the rich and famous
By Dougal Macdonald
“Yves Saint Laurent” (M)
THIS bio-pic traces the progress of a middle-class 18-year-old who became design chief in the Christian Dior salon and went on to create his own label.
Without doubt, YSL (Pierre Niney) was a winner, initially in the game called couture, providing wealthy women with beautiful clothes they wouldn’t get in any shop and later in prêt-á-porter, which anybody with the money could buy and hope they might not see another wearing in the street.
But Jalil Lespert’s film is about more than a bespoke dressmaker’s public life. It illuminates an interesting view of a complex man, certainly gay, possibly manic-depressive, who cavorted among the rich and famous, the bohemian pleasureseekers, France’s cultural elite and occasionally low-lifes who might provide delights not elsewhere available.
BOY
industry professionals and the general public in a feedback session at the NFSA Theatrette from 9am on July 7. Email rsvp@nfsa.gov.au with your name and contact details.
AS we predicted, the DVD is now out of the Sandra France and Helen Nourse bushfire opera, “From a Black Sky”, which premiered at The Street last year. Great Canberra voices and instruments and also a documentary of the making of the opera. Orders to sandrafrance.com
Mum to the cabaret…
By Robert Macklin
ON a magical Sunday morning, the bright blue sunny skies over Fyshwick looked down on Nazi Germany in the 1930s – the Canberra Philharmonic was at its final outside rehearsal of “Cabaret”.
The entire set has been built in the yard beside the Philo’s costume warehouse.
Soon it would transfer to the Erindale Theatre, where the show opens on July 10 for a 16-day run. But for the moment the dancers of the Kit Kat Club were strutting their stuff on the open-air set under the guiding hand of director Jim McMullen.
One of the stars, Kelly Roberts, who plays Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli’s role in the movie) while waiting for her cue said the production was very different from the film.
“There are two strong storylines,” she said. “Sally’s story is just one of them.”
The other surrounds Clifford Bradshaw, the young American writer who is dazzled by Sally, but has other interests as well.
This was driven home when Kelly opened with a song, “Don’t Tell Mama”, that isn’t in the movie. It has a special piquancy for the American-born Roberts who met her Canberra husband in the US. Her mother is flying from America for opening night.
“It’s the first time she’s seen me on stage in Australia,” she says. “Really looking forward to it.”
The producers warn “Cabaret” contains adult content and may not be suitable for young people. It’s at Erindale Theatre, July 10-26, bookings to 6257 1950 or philo.org.au/ticketing.
How accurately does it tell the story? We may reasonably assume that YSL’s life-time business associate and bed-mate Pierre Bergé (Guillaume Gallienne), who loaned numerous gowns from YSL’s estate for the film, would have had a hand in monitoring how the screenplay dealt with verity.
YSL’s life combined hard work with sensual satisfactions. The film is even handed about both. The garments are interesting but it’s not a film just for women. Its population of beautiful young women is delectable.
At Capitol 6 and Palace Electric
“Eyjafjallajökull” (M)
BEFORE writing and directing “Eyjafjallajökull” (retitled “The Volcano” for Anglophone release), French filmmaker Alexandre Coffre had made two short films and one feature. He’s now working on “Father Christmas” for 2015 release. I’m feeling more cautious than optimistic.
Watching “Eyjafjallajökull” to the bitter end, with both principal characters being marched away in handcuffs, spouse and I exchanged whispered queries. Had it not been touted as a hilarious comedy? Why were we still waiting for the funny ha-ha bit? We were seeing listless contrivance labouring mightily to create crises where resolution led back to commencement.
The dramatic thesis of “Eyjafjallajökull” is a hybrid born to “The Wars of the Roses” (1989), a comedy analysing a toxic divorce, and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987) in which two incompatible men share the task of getting home by Christmas in a major bad-weather event that has all but paralysed the US.
It comes down to understanding the difference between comedy and stupidity. Comedy is clever. Writing it requires special skill, the wit to sidestep lethargic creation of situations insulting to the audience.
In contrast, writing lacking those virtues leads to stupid results that in turn insult its audience. That is unforgivable.
At Palace Electric
“The Last Impresario” (M)
FILMMAKER Gracie Otto’s father Barry and sister Miranda rank high among the aristocrats of Australian acting.
Following a different path, Gracie has made a film featuring actors and their work environments. It runs for 83 minutes which is, to my mind, not long enough to pay its material adequate attention.
The main passages in which it applies brakes to the headlong career of impresario Michael White are those in which Gracie stands back and allows him a loose rein to reminisce about a life in the performance industry, risk-taking with other people’s investments, among notables and dramatic properties now household names because of his participation.
The list of interviewees contains 50 names providing sound grabs short enough to garner praise from any TV news producer. I found him more interesting than loveable, a bowerbird with an enormous archive of priceless memorabilia stored in houses of family and friends.
Theatre junkies, stage and screen, may get big buzzes from what Gracie has unearthed and pasted into her collage film. But I found myself yearning for images that stayed still long enough to read more of what reviewers wrote than merely what she thought we needed to see.
At Palace Electric
Helen Musa arts in the city
The Soweto Gospel Choir… Canberra Theatre, July 10.
Hoffmann Winds… High Court, July 6.
A welcoming taste of Italy
IT feels like being in Italy when at Dolce & Salato, a pasticceria in the heart of Civic, on Bunda Street.
The aroma draws you in and the moment you’re seated, it’s authentic Italian – classical music, a woodfired pizza operation, a tantalising display of salads, frittatas and sweets inside and an impressive gelato bar facing outside near the front.
It’s all so sophisticated, yet warm and welcoming.
It was a quick stop on a busy day in the city. I’d ticked off half my list of chores and wanted to settle in for a lovely lunch. This was my first visit to Dolce & Salato and, although a sunny day, I chose to experience the atmosphere inside. The floors are beautifully tiled, the tables solid marble and the giant silver and copper wire coffee cups hanging from the ceiling all added to the pleasure.
On the menu? Home-made pasta, including a crab and Moreton Bay bug lasagne ($24), a traditional lasagne ($17 and it’s huge), a slow-roasted butternut pumpkin, fresh ricotta and parmesan cannelloni in a light Napoli and béchamel sauce ($15), a traditional Italian-style salami with hot chilli and black olives ($19) and a Margherita ($15). While all very tempting, my taste buds demanded a wood-fired, thin-crust pizza.
I wouldn’t have hesitated to order any of the seven types of pizza on the menu, including the chilli and lime prawns ($23), pancetta and radicchio ($19) and the pork belly ($19). In the end, it was the pear and prosciutto ($23) and, trust me, there were no regrets.
There is something so special about an artisan pizza. This one featured caramelised pears,
The floors are beautifully tiled, the tables solid marble and the giant silver and copper wire coffee cups hanging from the ceiling all added to the pleasure.
strong gorgonzola cheese, a generous amount of top-notch San Daniele prosciutto, tomato, mozzarella, and fresh, peppery rocket leaves ($23). With a glass of crisp Italian white wine, it was the perfect break in a busy day.
I didn’t indulge in dessert but delighted in watching several children from a French family and a German family, do just that. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when served chocolate mousse, tiramisu, eclairs and dishes of colourful and refreshing gelato. And then there was a milkshake, made with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato.
Other treats in the display cabinet include some pretty decadent looking cakes and slices and you can order special occasion cakes from the pastry chef.
There isn’t a wine list, but a decent pino grigio ($10 glass and $40 a bottle) and a Sangiovese (same price range).
Dolce & Salato is a stand-out in my mind. Something refreshingly different in the city. I’ll pop by again… this time for coffee and dessert.
Dolce & Salato,108 Bunda Street, Canberra, call 6278 8660.
CHAIRMAN’S LIGHT LUNCH
$37.5 per person $45 per person with a glass of wine LIGHT FRIED CALAMARI SALAD TOSSED WITH SPICY SALT AND CHILLI FRIED FISHCAKES WITH FIVE SPICED TOMATO MAYONNAISE STEAMED CHICKEN WONTONS WITH CHILLI INFUSED OIL CHAR GRILLED MUSHROOMS WITH ASIAN HERBS AND CASHEW PESTO SPICED EYE-FILLET SKEWERS WITH LEMONGRASS, GALANGAL AND CITRUS DRESSING
WENDY JOHNSON
Breaking news, views, arts & socials every day…
Shogun Restaurant offers superb Japanese cuisine. Combing the Japanese classic favourite of SUKIYAKI, SHABU-SHABU, SUSHI, SASHIMI, TEMPURA ETC, and TEPPANYAKI.
Dolce & Salato… authentic Italian – classical music, a woodfired pizza operation and a tantalising display of salads, frittatas and sweets.
Photo by Gary Schafer
FRUIT TREES
ROSES ORCHIDS
The priority is to get planting
AS the second month of a very mild winter begins, there is so much to do in the garden, but where to start?
I think the priority is to plant deciduous plants, fruit trees, ornamental flowering trees, berries and more. This year it is highly likely that most, if not all, deciduous plants will be coming into bud and/or flowers much earlier.
Therefore, it’s important to plant while they are still in their dormant stage.
Berry bushes take up little space in the garden. Raspberries are a favourite, although the complaint is they tend to sucker.
The simple answer is to cut off the base of a large plastic pot and completely bury upside-down in the ground. Plant the berry bush in the pot, which will act as a root barrier.
I have just tidied up our strawberry bed, getting rid of weeds, unnecessary runners and applying fresh Lucerne mulch, which will discourage the snails and keep the strawberries clean.
So what is the best strawberry? While there are quite a few varieties available, the tried and tested over many years and my favourite is “Red Gauntlet”, reputedly named after Sir Walter Scott’s book of the same name.
Make sure the plants you buy are certified virus free and if you want to know how to grow luscious strawberries, visit cedricbryant.com and click on Cedfacts.
WHILE there may be new shoots on roses due to the mild winter, do not prune until the end of August/early September. Watch this column for rose and fruit tree demonstrations.
Rambling roses, such as the Banksian roses or Rosa “Dorothy Perkins”, are not pruned until after they have finished flowering in late spring.
FOR fruiting, most fruit trees need two varieties to flower at the same time for the bees to take the pollen from one tree to another.
You can also buy two varieties of the same fruit on the one grafted stem. However, there can be a
problem with some fruit, especially apples, in that one variety can grow faster than the other, which can lead to a lopsided tree. Plus if one variety dies you then have to buy another tree to match the survivor.
Most cherry trees require two varieties and, because they grow to large trees, they are almost impossible to cover with nets against birds. The answer is the dwarf “Black Lapin” cherry with dark red-black delicious fruit plus it is self-fertile.
Most plums need two varieties for pollination, although the “Stanley” plum is self-fertile. This is a European freestone with purple skin and yellow-orange flesh. Most peaches, apricots and nectarines are self-fertile.
If you have limited space, check out the dwarf “Trixzie” series of fruit trees. They can also be grown in a large container and include dwarf cherries, apples, nectarine, peach and pears. Most grow to just 2m x 2m or less. Although dwarf trees, the fruit is full size.
Always check with your garden centre to make sure the fruit trees are compatible with each other.
TWO fruit trees back in fashion are Cydonia oblonga grown for a thousand years and Feijoa sellowiana Pineapple Guava.
I AM now accepting bookings for garden talks to garden clubs and other organisations. I provide these talks free and they always include plenty of good gardening advice. Call me on 6241 8752.
Jottings...
• Cut back kangaroo paws.
• Plant Hippeastrum bulbs (naked ladies) now, keeping the neck of the bulbs out of the ground.
• Carrots like good deep, light soil. One of the best ways is to sow seed in a large plastic pot with soil mixed with 25 per cent washed river sand.
• Did you know that Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient reduces the effect of frost on plants?
Quince is a favourite because of the popular ity of quince paste and jelly conserve made from its fruit. Cydonia “Champion” and “Smyrna” are the two most popular varieties.
CEDRIC BRYANT
Quince for delicious paste and jellies.
Pineapple guava fruit is super with ice cream.
Joanne Madeline Moore
your week in the stars – July 7-13, 2014
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Many Aries are famous for being pioneers in their chosen fields (like Leonardo da Vinci, Bette Davis, Marlon Brando and Diana Ross). This week, under the influence of unpredictable Uranus, strive to be intelligent and inventive –rather than disruptive and domineering. The weekend is wonderful for love, romance, friendship, family fun and socialising with colleagues.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
Do you have ambitious aspirations? Are you in the process of upsizing your lifestyle, with a bigger this, and a more expensive that? Venus and the Full Moon are stimulating your desire to acquire more stuff, but make sure you have the cold, hard cash to finance these super-sized dreams. In the current economic climate, small and sustainable is the sensible way to go.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
Is a family member or work colleague attempting to pull the wool over your eyes Gemini? Step back and take an objective look at what’s really going on. Professional projects and close friends are also a messy mix. Follow the advice of birthday great John Rockefeller (born on July 8, 1908): “A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.”
CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
Attached Crabs - Saturday’s Full Moon encourages you to take the time to nurture your partner. Mr or Ms Cancer will be thrilled to be the recipient of some extra attention and tender loving care. Are you sick and tired of being single? Have you been looking for love in all the obvious places? Perhaps it’s time to crawl out of your Crab cave and be a lot more adventurous?
LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
Don’t rush in with guns blazing this week Lions. The Full Moon and Saturn urge you to focus on practical matters and finish details properly before you embark on new projects. So it’s a terrific time to tackle domestic chores and finish DIY projects. Your quote for the week is from birthday great, Henry David Thoreau: “Haste makes waste, no less in life than in housekeeping.”
VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
The more proactive you are and the more you network with a wide range of contacts, then the better your week will be. If you are attached, it’s time to share a hobby, concert or exhibition with your partner. Single Virgos - vivacious Venus is vamping through your career zone (until July 18) so say goodbye to your sensible, serious side at work – and hello to your inner vixen!
LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Uranus unsettles your usual routine early in the week. Then tempers fray and patience wears thin on Saturday, when the Full Moon falls in your home zone. So it’s not a good time to get the long lost relatives together or bring up sensitive issues with fractious family members. Sunday’s Venus/Mars trine is super for love, romance and socialising with your favourite friends.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
Communication of all kinds is highlighted this week, from reading and writing to social networking, studying, discussing and debating. Travel is also likely, especially short trips, but try to slip out of Scorpio control-freak mode and into flexible mode, as plans are likely to be altered at the last minute. On Saturday, avoid dredging up old issues that are best left alone.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Your people-pleasing powers are stuck on high this week, as vivacious Venus boosts your charisma. You’ll be at your persuasive best as you charm the birds out of the trees and inspire others with your passion and enthusiasm. Use it to your advantage – but don’t abuse it. A little Sagittarian charm goes a long way! Sunday is super for group activities and social get-togethers.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Are you experiencing problems with a partner (of the romantic, business or platonic variety)? Drop the “I’m right” attitude and strive to communicate in more consultative ways as you inspire others with your ambitious ideas, networking skills and community spirit. It’s also time to review your goals and re-jig your dreams, so that they better reflect an older and wiser you.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
You’re very good at avoiding things you don’t want to do. But the nutty professor or blonde bimbo routine usually fools no-one, as your innate intelligence is hard to hide. Shirking responsibilities won’t work this week. If you want to stay out of trouble, then roll up your sleeves and do what you’re supposed to do – and keep your controversial Aquarian opinions to yourself!
PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Don’t let shyness or lack of confidence stand in the way of forming lasting connections with others. It’s a fabulous week to nurture friendships and tell loved ones how you feel. Recognising the difference between fact and fantasy will help you keep it real. With Venus visiting your domestic zone (until July 18) do your best to foster happy and harmonious vibes at home.
Daily astrology updates at www.twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2014
General knowledge crossword No. 459
Across
1 Name some edible shrimplike decapod crustaceans
8 Which process starts an internalcombustion engine?
9 Name a calculating contrivance made of beads strung on wires
10 Which device controls the amount of fuel being fed to an engine?
11 To withdraw formally from an alliance, is to do what?
12 What is a character played by an actor?
13 Which person is known as a Romany?
16 What is an alternative word for a chain of mountains?
19 Two people involved in a romantic relationship are said to be a what?
21 Name the Australian aviator and transport company director, Sir Reginald ...?
22 What do we call one who cuts, polishes, and engraves stones?
23 Which gas, when compounded with hydrogen, produces water?
24 Name another term for a supervisor
25 Which person gains morbid enjoyment in inflicting pain?
Sudoku hard No. 129
2 What is the practice of larceny?
3 Which two frameworks are at each end of a cricket pitch?
4 What do we call a registered nurse?
5 What designates a man who has lost his wife by death?
6 How many players comprise a Rugby Union team?
7 Name the substance producing a sweet smell when burnt, used especially in religious ceremonies
13 Name a kind of large sailing vessel formerly used by Spain
14 What do we call one who foretells what is to come?
15 Which language is spoken mainly by some Jews?
17 To have tested ores or minerals by chemical methods is to have done what?
18 Which channels at the side of roads lead off surface water?
20 Who are the elected leaders in local government bodies?
Hispanitas, Guglielmo Rotta, Think! and many more of your favourites at the Escala Winter Sale. Starts this Monday!
