160804 citynews

DR PURNIMA BHAT /

Why are old people so rude?

JOHN GRIFFITHS

Safe in the certainty of political fear

MICHAEL MOORE Farewell to old Tardis

SONYA FLADUN

Prof Pokémon

Meet

Aunty’s awfully big week riding the news cycle

The UN role was always Rudd’s ultimate ambition… so when Turnbull delivered the fatal blow Rudd would have been utterly devastated. But don’t write him off just yet.

OUR own ABC dominated the news cycle this past week, beginning with the shocking “Four Corners” revelations of cruelty to Aboriginal children in Darwin’s Don Dale detention facility. Some of the images were reminiscent of the Abu Ghraib horrors in Iraq and they quickly swept around the world, to Australia’s shame.

PM Malcolm Turnbull’s immediate decision to hold a Royal Commission was well meant. But Aboriginal relations with Australia’s power structure will never be resolved until we hold a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that tells the real, unvarnished story since the British arrival in 1788. Until then, all talk of constitutional recognition, and even a treaty, is mere window dressing.

THE week ended with accusations on “7.30” of child sexual abuse by the Pope’s banker, Cardinal George Pell , which he hotly denied. They were being actively pursued by the Victorian police, but whether they constituted

criminal offences was still undecided.

IN between, the Federal Cabinet wrestled with the decision whether to support former Labor PM Kevin Rudd in his bid to become UN secretary general.

As I discovered in the hours spent with him researching his biography, the UN role was always his ultimate ambition and the prime ministership merely a stepping stone on the way. So when Turnbull delivered the fatal blow Rudd would have been utterly devastated.

But don’t write him off just yet.

CLOSER to home, the ACT Libs bounced back from the departure of Brendan Smyth for a cosy billet as CM Andrew Barr’s commissioner for international engagement with the selection of former CityNews columnist (and radio jock) Mark Parton . He’ll be battling for a Tuggeranong seat in the forthcoming election, and in a contest where name recognition is half the battle, he looks good for a win.

WE were in Tuggeranong during the week signing books, and it looks very down-at-heel. It really needs a Parton (or some other livewire) to give it a shot in the arm.

ROBERT MACKLIN

OVERSEAS, the US presidential election went from bizarre to surreal. Daffy Donald actually called on Vladimir Putin to hack the emails of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State. Little wonder former New York mayor, the independent Michael Bloomberg, called him “a dangerous demagogue” and told Americans to “elect a sane, competent person” in his stead.

THIS is the same Vladimir Putin whose Olympic team is drugged to the eyeballs as the sportsfest gears up for this week’s opening in Rio. Australia’s athletes finally moved into their village accommodation after the Brazilian tradies

unblocked the toilets and insulated the electric wiring.

The good news is that Roy Slaven and HG Nelson have reunited to add a little humour to the occasion. NOT much humour in evidence at the grand finale of “Masterchef” as Matt and Elena struggled to recreate a sugary pretend egg fashioned by the oddball Heston Blumenthal whose relationship to nutritious food is not unlike Putin’s to fairness in sport. But it was heartwarming the way Elena gave her opponent a helping hand as they raced to finish their comestibles. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a little of that in Rio. robert@robertmacklin.com

All go for the Pokémon professor

By arts editor Helen Musa

THE recently-appointed professor of music composition and composition convenor at the ANU School of Music, Kenneth Lampl, has an unusual background – he had no classical music lessons until age 18.

For the boy born in the Bronx and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, who won a top classical prize at the exacting American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France, and later became a faculty member at the Juilliard School in New York, is a noted film and TV composer, with more than 70 scores under his belt, not least for two Pokémon films – “Pokémon: The First Movie” and “Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns”.

There had been a score for the Japanese version, but Warner Bros wanted a more contemporary western style of music.

“There were five of us in the team – they’d say: ‘Compose something of 5 to 7 minutes, here’s a tape so you can see what you’re composing to.

“We went away, we produced music by the next day and they’d say ‘you’re good’ and we got a cheque… I learnt how to work quickly!”

It consoles him to know that Bach, his hero, had to write a new cantata every week.

“CityNews” caught up with Lampl in between classes and discovered a man brimming with energy.

A serious thinker about musical pedagogy, Lampl was hardly a novice when he entered the jazz stream at Rutgers University at age 18, he played the sax well.

“I had been brought up listening to jazz records,” he says.

“In jazz, old guys mentored you and if you were terrible, they were still supportive and collegial, it was the best musical introduction you could have.”

It later struck him how “mean and ruthless” the classical teachers were in comparison.

“It was a shock to me when I began classical training, it was so strict,” he says.

But then, after hearing Richard Strauss’s “Death and Transfiguration,” he reports, “my mind was blown away” and he started studying composition for the first time.

A fish out of water, when he realised from his sax background that the key was practice he studied counterpoint and piano seven days a week.

Then he got a place in the famous English-language conservatory at Fontainebleau, where he won the Prix Ravel for composition and also made a chance discovery of a lost Ravel manuscript.

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Professor Kenneth Lampl… “We went away, we produced music by the next day and they’d say ‘you’re good’ and we got a cheque… I learnt how to work quickly!”

“The French were pretty unfriendly, but by the time I finished, I really liked it,” he says.

“It was so extreme and brutal but now I swear by this French system… it’s the same in Juilliard.

“There was never any talking about music, only working at it”.

On the basis of the Fontainebleau success, he got a full scholarship to Juilliard, taking out a DMA then later joining the faculty.

A visit to the famous Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts brought him face to face with composer John Williams, a man he judges to be “the greatest musical thinker”.

Lampl owned the “Star Wars” collection on vinyl but says meeting him “was like receiving the Ten Commandments from Moses.”

Williams, when asked the difference between his film scoring and his classical composition, said of the latter: “it’s like being on vacation … in film I’m racing to meet the deadlines”.

Lampl soon found there was no shortage of work and has now composed for more than 70 films and TV productions, everything from “Saints and Sinners” to “Born Again Virgin”.

Working professionally is important, he believes, a principle he puts into practice with this ANU students.

“I want them to be as active as possible, work

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is the real world of composing,” he says.

“I say compose a piece, do it again, do it another way.”

Right now he has 36 people in his music technology course and is impressed with Canberra’s talent in this area, saying that for his part: “You’ve got to create an environment where students can discover.

“The talent here in Canberra in multi-media is extraordinary, there are all kinds of video games businesses.”

Next year he’ll be teaching composition and multi-media composition, which means film and TV scoring.

As well, Lampl is the architect of developing new programs at the ANU and believes what they’re offering is a new kind of education with the 21st-century that didn’t exist before.

Using his connections, Lampl has inveigled his mate, the American cellist, Dave Eggar, who has performed with Coldplay and the Rolling Stones, to perform in Llewellyn Hall this October and take masterclasses.

Next year he’ll have “Spiderman” composer Christopher Young here, too.

“I’ve got lots of contacts to Hollywood, lots of friends and colleagues interested in coming to the ANU,” he enthuses.

WHEN IT MATTERS

The electorate wants genuine people to represent them not puppets. Parton has a golden opportunity to become that ‘real’ representative.

By Mike Welsh

MY former radio colleague Mark Parton is about to become an ACT politician. It’s something he’s coveted for a long time and he’s well qualified and ready to hit the ground running, but I’m begging him not to.

Formally endorsed by the Liberal Party and three months out from the ACT election, the former 2CC breakfast personality is already speaking and acting like a politician.

An article in “The Canberra Times” probed his first political backflip on poker machines in the casino (he was for them, the Libs are opposed to them).

“I think one of the healthiest things about the Liberal Party is that it is such a broad church. I know that there will be some things that we may disagree on. But I’m also a team man,” he is quoted as saying. In resorting to the well-worn and mealy-mouthed “broad church” slogan, he’s hinted he may be just another of the many unimaginative and compliant members who consistently inhabit the ACT Assembly, which is the last thing Canberra needs. His comments suggest he’s ready, willing and able to employ the disingenuous dexterity required to be able to stand for nothing while sitting on the fence and toeing the party line.

The ACT Assembly needs somebody who refuses to become just another party politician. Somebody who is a genuine representative and advocate for their community.

Parton will win a seat in the Assembly and he deserves to. He’s young, energetic and passionate and could bring something refreshing to politics in the ACT. But does he have the kahounas to do it?

The nation just had something very succinct to say about professional politicians and party politics. They don’t like them. The electorate, real people, wants genuine people to represent them not puppets.

Parton has a golden opportunity to become that “real” representative. He knows how to use the media, is well connected to the community and has interviewed enough mealy-mouthed politicians to know how a mealy-mouthed politician sounds. Please Mark, don’t become just another politician.

Mike Welsh blogs at mikewelshpolitics.com

Arts & Entertainment 19-21

Canberra Confidential 9

Cinema 20

Dining 21

Garden 22

Horoscopes 23

Letters 5

News 2-8

Politics 5

Puzzles 23

Socials 10-11

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Why are old people so damn rude?

FROM time to time it’s important to step back and ask the big questions; such as, why are old people so rude?

They bang on endlessly about the failings of the youth of today (a complaint in itself the height of ill manners and profoundly ignorant that their grievance is as old as time) and yet by any standards of manners many of them are simply awful in their behaviour.

The cutting in of lines is bad enough, can you imagine the harrumphing from their parents?

Worse is their predilection for “just popping in”. Perhaps 40 years ago people sat around staring at the ceiling (or worse, Channel 9) hoping for someone, anyone, to knock on the door and initiate human contact.

But we live in an age of wonders. No-one is ever bored any more unless by choice… the shows to watch, the games to play, the podcasts to listen to, the memes to retweet, the meetups in the pubs, the bands playing shows, the poetry slams, the trivia nights, the tabletop games sessions, the dogs to walk and the bicycles to ride.

If we want to meet in person then by all means suggest it and, if it’s something we want to do we’ll schedule it.

But if you’re gatecrashing the house it had better be because something is on fire or someone has died. Otherwise we can guarantee you have indeed come at a bad time.

The same can be said for a phone call without prior arrangement. Just where the hell do you get off demanding my undivided

They bang on endlessly about the failings of the youth of today (a complaint in itself the height of ill manners and profoundly ignorant that their grievance is as old as time) and yet by any standards of manners many of them are simply awful in their behaviour.

attention at a time of your choice?

(The only other group to try to home in on my time so unremittingly is publicists, truly the scum of the earth, and at least they’re getting paid to be objectionable.)

For true rudeness one needs to behold the ghastly spectacle of the elderly on online fora.

There the lies they were told 40 years ago must be respected by all as gospel and no resort to facts can be tolerated.

Citing sources, reasoned debate, an acknowledgment of the limitations of one’s own perspective are all too often lacking.

As a 43-year-old, I can promise I will not react well to the next person who calls me “boy”.

Let us then turn our attention to the accusation that “the youth” (apparently anyone under 65) are lazy.

It may be true that when their elders “pop in” the younger generation appear lethargic.

On the other hand, most people from any

era would look a bit tuckered out having combined a 30-hour work week on top of a full-time study load.

And where has the free education and affordable housing gone? Could it be that money’s being spent on the longest retirements in human history?

Talk about bad manners!

So having rorted the real estate and retirement income systems to the utter detriment of the wider nation, please excuse us if we don’t want to hear more about your moral superiority.

John Griffiths is the online editor of citynews.com.au

JOHN GRIFFITHS

Actsmart offers a range of free programs for ACT businesses including:

support to implement efficient recycling and waste management practices • obligation free onsite energy and water assessments • rebates of up to $5,000 (on a cost share basis) to upgrade inefficient equipment More than 1000 ACT businesses have already signed up to Actsmart programs.

Safe in the certainty of political fear

FEAR shapes political action and reaction. It fuels uncertainty, hate and divisions within society. Fear is used to concentrate power, undermine human rights and leads inexorably to the loss of personal freedom.

Terrorist attacks grab our attention. Hardly a week goes by without another devastating attack confronting us in the newspapers, on television and in our social media. Of course people are fearful.

The constant barrage of horrific acts encourages belief that there is no escape from terror. An impression has been created that there can be no escape as the Islamic State has sent its terrorists out all over the world to wreak havoc on non-believers.

And yet the western world has never been safer. The vast majority of deaths from terrorism have been of Muslims. Terrorist attacks have increased across the world over the last 45 years with dramatic increases in places such as Iraq and Nigeria. However, according to figures released by the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), since 2012 while there has been a dramatic rise in such deaths across the world since the early 1990s, the figure has decreased in places such as Western Europe.

David Miller, professor of sociology at the University of Bath, is reported in “The Guardian” saying: “The figures would tend to suggest that there is much less of a threat from terrorism overall. I think we pay more attention to it because it’s happening here [western Europe] and not there. People point to the fact that there are many more

The constant barrage of horrific acts encourages belief that there is no escape

from terror. And yet the western world has never been safer. The vast majority of deaths from terrorism have been of Muslims.

people dying outside the west and we just don’t think about them as they’re not ‘worthy victims’.”

Fear and politics are a heady mix. The recent election campaigns in Australia and the US reflect the growing fear of Islam. The anti-Islamic rhetoric of people such as Donald Trump and Pauline Hanson falls on fertile ground in the mistaken belief that attacks in Western countries by Muslims are common. Terrorist attacks are horrific. Their random nature intensifies fear. The murder of the French priest Fr Jacques Hamel by Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean in a small town in Normandy is an example. Even worse was the ploughing down of crowds by a truck in Nice on Bastille Day.

Queensland Coalition MP George Christensen’s response to the Merrylands police station attack is illustrative of how politicians can use fear of terrorism.

Christensen, who has been vocal against Syrian refugees, blamed the attack on

“radical Islam”. Even when it became clear that the incident was domestic and had nothing to do with terrorism, his back down was, at best, equivocal. His attack no doubt was designed to appeal to parts of his conservative constituency around the area of Mackay and Townsville.

Christensen has a background as a journalist and a newspaper editor. He should know better. The role of the media is vital. However, there are media ethical codes in which the most significant test is one of public interest, for example, around suicide.

Unpackaging the public interest in the case of terrorism is much more complex than consideration of a single suicide. On the one hand there is a public right to know. On the other hand, exaggeration of the risk, over-inflation of the reporting and the publication of horrific images and gruesome details amplifies the problem and increases fear.

Over-inflating the instances of terrorism

is what the terrorists want. The media are playing into their hands. The excuse that such stories will be distributed on social media is not enough. They circulate much more widely when picked up by the mainstream. Publicity is a key tool for terrorists who use it to fuel hate, religious intolerance and xenophobia, to encourage extremist politics and to build more divisiveness into society. There can be little doubt that increased powers and better co-ordination of intelligence services have played a key role in minimising the number of attacks. However, such reassurance comes at a cost to personal freedoms. A rational discussion would include the role of the media and politicians and consider an ethical approach examining the extent of public interest in the light of the hyperbole and perpetuation of improbable fear.

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

An avenue of dreams

I HAD a dream the other night, a beautiful dream… all of Northbourne Avenue was a wonderful park, just the trees and the birds, not a sign of any sort of vehicle anywhere, someone had thought out a different route for them!

Sometimes dreams come true…

Suzanne Mitchell, Lyneham

Don’t make Europe’s mistake

THE far-too-rapid movement of many people with cultures quite different to those in Europe has caused substantial conflict on that continent.

In my view, Australia must be careful not to make a mistake of similar proportion. Multiculturalism has, and is, contributing significantly, but by definition it connotes differences as well as unity. Too many differences, too soon, create friction.

Even the world’s tectonic plates protest violently if pressured too much. So, against the background of a less-than-perfect humanity, do let us exercise mercy and compassion by allowing in those of different cultures in numbers according to their ability to integrate.

This is not politically incorrect, it is common sense.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Finally, it’s farewell to tired, old Tardis

I’M shopping for a new handbag.

For me, this is a big deal. It’s been quite a few years since I went handbag shopping.

mum in the city kids Marks, set, they’re going for gold…

What was once a regular pleasure, indeed an obsession, became a once-in-ablue-moon occurrence for a decade while our kids were really young.

For a decade, life and fashion have been dominated by the logistics of parenthood. Style was overwhelmed by practicality and especially carrying capacity. With two young kids, my handbags got progressively bigger and bigger as they became the repository for all sorts of child and family essentials.

In the end I’ve favoured a very large, over-the-shoulder bag distinguished by size and practicality. Not so many years ago it was a wonder to behold. Tucked away in its numerous sections and pockets there were nappies, wipes, clothes and shoes, containers of food and drink, containers of old food and drinks that had been forgotten about, spoons, medical supplies, plastic bags for dealing with the consequences of accidents and incidents, all sorts of toys, kids’ electronic devices and books, pens, pencils, spare paper and other art materials. There was just about everything, except the kitchen sink.

At times the weight of the whole bag and its contents seemed enough to dislocate my shoulder. Once the kids got into “Dr Who”, they picked up on my description of my handbag as the Tardis – bigger on the inside than the outside.

My kids are older and largely carry their own stuff these days. Still, the habit of carrying around an enormous, heavy handbag has stayed with me.

There isn’t so much kids’ stuff in there anymore and my own stuff has also started to build up again including a laptop for work, all sorts of business papers and other clutter. So I’ve kept struggling along, schlepping a heavy load, ready for any contingency.

It had really become a habit that I didn’t think about until a very good friend recently took pity on me, and took the initiative in unpacking all the unnecessary

and heavy items from the Tardis. In a couple of minutes she lightened my load by many kilograms. Suddenly, I was liberated and free with the realisation that I really didn’t need to carry around so much anymore.

The danger is that I’ll revert to old habits and refill the Tardis with all sorts of stuff –just to be on the safe side in case we need something while travelling or are just out and about. Well, the cure for that is a smaller

handbag – something fashionable, nowhere near as practical but which won’t allow me to be overburdened. So I’m off to the shops. But looking at my battered and soon to be retired Tardis, I’m a little sad: kids grow up too quickly.

SONYA FLADUN

By Freyla Ferguson

PINT-sized Olympians will sport the green and gold next week as they take to the field in their very own Mini-Olympics.

About 55 children – aged from one through to five years old – at Uniting Salem Children’s Centre, an early learning service in Kambah, will take part in a range of fun exercises and games over Tuesday and Thursday. The children will pick which team they want to represent – green for Brazil or gold for Australia.

“This event is run as part of helping the children develop awareness of the wider world,” says centre director Emma Jayne Peard.

“A lot of the children will be watching the Olympics with their families.

“This gives the children not only the opportunity to learn more about the world and other cultures but physical activity.”

The event is just one of many the centre has held to celebrate its 30th year. Its official celebration, a fete, was held in May and follows the centre’s refurbishment, which was completed last year.

Emma says thousands of children would have passed through the centre’s doors since it opened in 1986.

“Some of the families we have had come through are now second generation,” she says.

“Our children’s mums and dads or aunties and uncles originally attended – so we get a lot of grandparents come through who originally had their children here.”

briefly healthy eating

Ways to pause progression of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a confusing health issue that all comes down to insulin, a lovely hormone made in our pancreas.

FOR a long time, type 2 diabetes has been treated as a progressive disease; once you’ve got it, that’s it. Lifestyle might delay the progression, but ultimately you are fighting a losing battle.

But that does not appear to be the whole truth.

There is considerable evidence that our sensitivity to insulin can be improved with the right changes to our diet, exercise and body composition.

These improvements can even result in a remission of type 2 diabetes. Remission occurs when there is a temporary end to medical signs and symptoms of a disease. In the case of type 2 diabetes, this means that blood sugar levels return to a normal range and the disease doesn’t progress. That’s some pretty exciting news for people who have or are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a confusing health issue that all comes down to insulin, a lovely hormone made in our pancreas.

Its job is to stop our blood sugar levels (BSL) from getting too high by telling our liver, muscle and fat tissue to store the sugar temporarily. Insulin resistance occurs when our liver, muscle and fat tissue stop listening to insulin. The pancreas then has to send out more and more insulin to get them to listen. The pancreas eventually gets to a point where it can’t make enough insulin to keep the BSL in check. This is prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Sending diabetes into remission is all about improving our insulin sensitivity and reducing resistance (i.e. getting our liver, muscles and fat to listen to the insulin). Luckily, insulin sensitivity is a lot like a dimmer switch; it gets stronger or weaker based on what we are doing, what we are eating and our body composition.

What can be done to improve insulin sensitivity?

High-rise forum

PLANNING Minister Mick Gentleman, Deputy Opposition Leader Alistair Coe, the Greens’ Shane Rattenbury and three senior government officials are among the speakers at the ACT Owners Corporation Network’s public forum on urban planning and policy, particularly approaches to medium/high rise developments and their quality, at the Federal Golf Club Conference Room, Gowrie Drive, Red Hill, from 6pm on Monday, August 15.

• Consume whole foods: Eating lots of whole, nutrient-rich foods such as fruit and vegetables helps to naturally moderate our appetite and calorie intake as well as improve the Glycaemic Index of our meals. All of which can help to improve sensitivity to insulin over an extended period.

• Moderate the volume of carbohydrate: There is growing research to suggest that lower carbohydrate diets can help to improve our insulin sensitivity. Before running scared of potato, let’s get something straight –a low-carbohydrate diet does not mean a no-carbohydrate diet.

• Exercise: Both cardio and resistance exercise can improve muscles’ ability to listen to insulin for several hours and even days after exercise.

• Lose weight: There is consistent, good-quality evidence that even a moderate reduction in weight (5kg), can improve insulin sensitivity and fasting BSLs. Remission is not a cure, it’s a temporary end to signs and symptoms. Just like cancer, we don’t have a cure for type 2 diabetes. If the strategies above are not maintained, the medical signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes can and will return.

Clare Wolski is a practising dietitian at The Healthy Eating Hub (6174 4663), which is offering a four-week “Reversing Diabetes” group program. More information at healthyeatinghub.com.au/diabetes

Huge book fair

THE third Woden Seniors’ BIG Book Fair is promising a huge range of books, including collectables, children’s books, fiction and non-fiction, as well as magazines, games, vinyl records and DVDs.

To be held August 12-14 at the club’s premises at 12 Corinna Street, Woden. It will be open on Friday, 11am-6pm; Saturday, 10am-4pm and on Sunday it opens at 10am and ends with a two-hour clearance sale until 4pm.

Entry by gold coin donation and parking at the club. More wodenseniors.org.au or facebook.com/wodenseniors

Career help

NORTHCOTT Queanbeyan, an experienced, local NDIS provider, is inviting school leavers with disabilities to its open-day showcase of innovative life skills and transition-to-work programs.

At 139 Uriarra Road, Queanbeyan, 3pm-6pm, Wednesday, August 10.

More information at 1800 818286.

Glimpse of past

GUEST speaker Geoffrey Dabb will give “A Glimpse of Canberra in 1910” at the next meeting of the Canberra North Branch of National Seniors Australia at the Southern Cross Club Jamison, from 10am, on Thursday, August 11. A welcome is extended to visitors.

Admission is $3 to cover the cost of morning tea.

Rotary races

THE Woden Rotary Club is hosting a charity race night at the Canberra Irish Club, Weston from 6.30pm on Saturday, August 20. All proceeds go to Rotary and local charities. Footage of actual races of horses, dogs or pigs are shown and attendees bet with play money. There are prizes for the biggest winner (on each race and the evening) and “fashions in the field”. Tickets at $25 from wodenrotary.org.au or 0431 028214.

one man’s canberra

A winner rises from under the hammer

THERE are some people who should never go to auctions. I’m one of them.

I’m far too impulsive. I’ll see something that I’ve never previously wanted (and don’t need) about to go under the hammer and suddenly I’ll envisage it in my life.

I also know that when the hammer falls and the auctioneer points at me, I’m a winner!

I don’t think the kids were the biggest fans of the pine bunk beds, even though they were a bargain. Maybe if they’d been varnished or painted it would have been different.

The box of “assorted compact discs” bought “as is” after a record store had a torrent of water through the roof? They turned out to be largely a box of CD cases containing papiermache remains of the CD booklets and very little else. Although the Dutch cover of a Kinks album proved more interesting than I expected.

And the “autographed print poster” of the Australian cricket team – which is what I thought I’d heard – that turned out to be a “poster with printed autographs” was a snip at $200. At least it looked good on the man cave wall. And I was a winner!

It was repeated purchases like these that led me to avoid auctions for a few years. Then, about 20 years ago, a friend showed me some of the stuff he’d picked up cheap on the internet. Yes! Online auctions! Where could this possibly go wrong?

Fortunately for my bank balance, and my decor, I was taken out of many auctions by “snipers”.

That’s what they call them, snipers; people who dive in at literally the last second to make a higher bid on the item you’re winning. I’m told this is a major breach of online auction etiquette. Needless to say, once this behaviour was explained to me, I was all over it like a cheap suit.

Gee, I bought some rubbish over the next few years. But I got it before anyone else did. I was a winner!

Eventually, maybe a couple of dozen largely

All I fear now is the silent auction. Ever noticed that they usually occur at classy events where there’s just enough alcohol served to loosen your resolve not to bid?

unnecessary purchases later, I became tired with the hyper-competitive nature of online auctions. I mean, just how many model coffee cups with your favourite band painted on them do you really need? Fortunately, my favourite band is also the favourite of both my sisters and one of my brothers. That made for some easy birthdays.

Having largely tamed my impulsive ways, all I fear now is the silent auction. Ever noticed that they usually occur at classy events where there’s just enough alcohol served to loosen your resolve not to bid?

And just enough alcohol served to make me reassess my concept of a bargain.

“It’s worth two grand, yeah, I’ll really get it for a hundred…”

“What? Someone’s bid $150? I’ll show them. $500. Bam!”

“Another glass of bubbles? Don’t mind if I do. He’s bid $700? Does this clown think I’m soft? $851. That extra dollar will put him off, for sure…”

Yes, I get competitive. Against someone I’ve never met.

In the end, I’m sure spending $1900 for a $2000 voucher still counts as a bargain. I don’t count that I had to spend another thousand to actually buy something with it. You see, I still walked out a winner. Poorer, yes, but still a winner...

Chris Coleman is the drive presenter on 2CC

CHRIS COLEMAN

Canberra Confidential

Lopping fails to give problem the chop

IN May, Chisholm pensioner and part-time Santa John Wright wrote to “CityNews” bemoaning no municipal action after six years of complaining about the danger of a large and dangerous “monster” tree next door that was looming over his home.

As if by magic, John writes to say, a government contractor has come along and lopped it, but not removed the menace of it nor the prospect of the continuing nuisance and considerable cost it causes by blocking gutters.

“The danger of it toppling into the house to cause very considerable damage is what they want,” he laments.

“However, we can chop it down if we are willing to pay for it. It would cost about $6000, money the government cannot afford, of course, but pensioners apparently can.

“No ACT politician has ever visited to see the tree, nor has any public servant making these decisions. There’s no way I can vote for any sitting member.”

The politics of smiley faces

The dudes were done

THE other night, while walking through a fairly dark and quiet part of Glebe Park, our inner-city snout Evan Buckley saw four dodgy-looking dudes loitering in their activewear.

Diverting his path around them, they suddenly started walking towards him calling out: “Excuse me! Oi, excuse me!”

“You’re excused”, Evan boldly replied and kept walking from them.

“Oi, mate! We’re trying to roll ya, but you keep walking away!” one of the lazy bandits complained.

“Aww, sorry, dude,” Evan offered in apology.

“Well, come back then,” the would-be antagonist pleaded.

Evan walked from the park.

He says the moral of the story is: “Save the joint for after you’re done mugging.”

New call for Order

Speaker Greg Cornwell, who has written three, novella-length crime ebooks. The latest, previewed above, is “Order and the Abandoned Body” and available at Apple iBook, Amazon Kindle and other e-book platforms.

River ramblings

EVEN before Robert Macklin’s biography of Hamilton Hume is published, there were rumblings about renaming the Murray River the Hume, so called by its first white discoverer during his epic trek from Sydney to Port Phillip in honour of his father, Andrew Hamilton Hume

It was later named the Murray by Hume’s friend Charles Sturt , who came upon it further downstream and called it after the utterly undistinguished colonial secretary George Murray, by then retired to his Scottish estate to shoot grouse and tend his gout.

Hmmms…

“HE’S truly out of touch with regular Canberrans and city businesses by dismissing the impact of parking fees.” That’s former Liberal MLA and incoming $300k-a-year commissioner for international engagement Brendan Smyth bagging out his new employer Chief Minister Andrew Barr a year ago.

NO one can accuse Labor candidate for Ginninderra Kim Fischer, pictured, of not being unrelenting in her quest to claim a seat in the expanded Legislative Assembly in October. Since February, she has personally door knocked about 7000 houses in her Belconnen electorate, terrorised the govern -

ment with hundreds of residents’ issues and had more than 100 mobile offices.

But the door knocking is not without its science. After asking for their first preference, the irrepressible candidate Kim returns to the footpath and assigns a smiley-face rating to the householder’s response. She hasn’t counted them yet, but says she’s accumulating a big share of smiles, to which she’d like to add her own on polling day.

“JOHN Order, member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and part-time sleuth was drawn into the young girl’s death by an unusual source but soon found himself, with an election looming, facing an aggressive policeman and a self-seeking political party member.”

Remind you of anyone? Given the shenanigans around the sudden departure of veteran MLA Brendan Smyth, anything is possible in Canberra politics.

But no, John Order is a fictional creation of former Legislative Assembly

And, says Macklin, if not the Hume then surely the Aboriginal “Millewa”.

“The mighty stream certainly deserves better than to carry the tag of an eminently forgettable Colonel Blimp,” he says.

“Hamilton Hume: Our Greatest Explorer” (Hachette, $32.99, ebook $19.99)

ANYONE spot that the TV host Sonia Kruger, pictured, recently the centre of controversy for her broadcast views about Muslim immigration, also played the vapid Tina Sparkle, pictured, in the movie “Strictly Ballroom”? As one of our Queanbeyan snouts sniffed: “Why are we taking any notice of Tina Sparkle?”

PAUL Capsis, in town for his Quentin Crisp show (at The Street until Sunday, August 7), isn’t sure that the queen of Canberra publicists, Coralie Wood’s, reminiscence is right when she recalls helping Crisp adjust his purple wig during a Press Club appearance in June, 1978. Capsis says it wasn’t a wig but Crisp’s real hair!

• Quality custom designed chairs, sofas and bedheads • Re-upholstery of dining chairs, sofas, chairs and ottomans • Window seat cushions, outdoor cushions and scatter cushions • Upholstered wall panels for warmth, peace & quiet • Free consultation with an experienced designer in store • A local business that has been in Canberra for 30 years

Teaching tradies to keep an eye on health

AUGUST is Tradies National Health Month and the aim is to educate Australian tradies to keep a check on their safety, health and wellbeing.

Tradies have among the highest serious injury and disease compensation claims in Australia, according to Safe Work Australia data.

Labourers, technicians and machinery operators and drivers are among the top four occupations when it comes to the number of serious injury claims.

Marcus Dripps, the national president of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, which is leading the campaign, says it’s important to remind tradies that their health and safety is a priority.

“This Tradies National Health Month, we want tradies to look after all aspects of their health and wellbeing,” Mr Dripps said.

“Everyone, from tradies to their employers, unions and the communities and governments that rely on them, has a role to play in getting our tradies to be proactive about managing and preventing health conditions.”

More information at tradieshealth.com.au

Culture shift helps building-site safety

A SHIFT in culture is helping make Canberra’s construction sites a lot safer, says Kirk Coningham, executive director of Master Builders ACT.

“Over the past decade safety in Canberra’s industry has gone from bad to worse,” he says.

“But a shift in the culture has delivered a remarkable turnaround. Where fist shaking and accusation has failed, handshakes and conversations are succeeding.

“Driven by Work Safe ACT the new approach has safety experts getting out on sites to educate as much as police. It’s built on the understanding that everyone on a construction site needs to be empowered and accountable for their own safety and the safety of those around them.”

Kirk says better safety education and awareness, including genuine understanding that safety is the first priority of everyone in the industry, is delivering results.

“Early data suggests a 50 per cent improvement in injury statistics that could take the territory from amongst the worst to amongst the best in Australia in terms of construction safety.

“Engagement is teaching everyone on site, from the first-year apprentice to the most senior foreman, to stand up on safety immediately they see an issue.

“The cultural push extends across the industry where tradies are increasingly rejecting old-school militancy that uses safety as a tool to leverage industrial power.

“The ‘us and them’ approach that delivered such bad safety outcomes is steadily being replaced with real trust that puts collaboration ahead of confrontation.

“Not only does it make construction a more engaging and rewarding profession, it means Canberra’s construction sites are safer today than they have been in a very long time.”

Visit mba.org.au

Don’t ignore the signs of injury

CAPITAL Pain and Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary clinic that combines the medical, physiological and psychological sides of treatment for people who suffer from a range of injuries and conditions.

Jude King, clinical program co-ordinator and pain counsellor, says according to a Safe Work Australia report, 35 employees a day in the construction industry are seriously injured enough to have one or more weeks off work.

“Musculoskeletal issues are the most common conditions we see,” Jude says.

The clinic is led by Dr Geoff Speldewinde, who is president of the Australian Pain Society and director of Rehabilitation at Calvary John James Hospital.

The clinic also has exercise physiologists, psychologists, a soft-tissue massage therapist, acupuncture and Chinese medicine practitioners, physiotherapists, three medical specialists and a dietitian on hand.

“I’d encourage workers in the construction and trade industries to not ignore the signs of injury and pain or

problems with movement,” Jude says.

“Don’t suck it up and keep going. Many say it goes with the territory but they need to stop it getting worse and help strengthen the areas of pain or injury.

“Don’t sit back and wait – do something sooner rather than later – whether it is physical health or mental health.”

Jude, who is available to discuss any questions on the clinic’s pain-management program, also offers a twohour information session on “Functioning with Pain”, a program to help patients decide whether they want to undertake any of the multidisciplinary treatments or get a GP referral to see one of their doctors.

Medical procedures, including spine injections, are also available onsite. As is a large, boutique gym, which is used as part of therapy and supervised by a physical therapist who can help patients develop a customised gym program.

Visit capitalrehab.com.au or call 6282 6240.

tradies national health month advertising feature

Safety gear from the boots up

FOR high-vis workwear, safety equipment and boots, Seears Workwear has the lot, says owner/manager Shane Seears.

Seears Workwear is family owned and operated, run by Pat Seears and his son Shane. In 2010, they won the Master Builders Supplier of the Year award.

The 1400 square-metre store sells clothing and safety gear for pretty much every kind of industry and worker, Shane says – from building labourers, chefs, blue and white-collar workers to hospitals, major companies, and government departments such as Defence.

“We also have a corporate section, where we provide a free measure-and-quote and free delivery service,” he says. “We offer a full embroidery and screen-printing service, too.”

Seears keeps a huge range of stock on the premises and sells online at seearsworkwear.com.au

Seears Workwear, 60 Barrier Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 4111 or visit seearsworkwear.com.au

Dr Geoffrey Speldewinde and Dr Keith T Chan, specialist pain and rehabilitation physicians, along with our multidisciplinary team provide the highest level of service for:

• Chronic persistent pain

• Rehabilitation – reconditioning after injury, surgery and neurological conditions

• Medical Pain and Rehabilitation

Procedures such as blocks, neurotomy, discography, stimulators, Botulinum toxin injections all to the highest International Standards

• Diagnostic and therapeutic injections seen rapidly with GP referral

Safety starts with education, says commissioner

EDUCATION and the prevention of accidents and injuries is one of the main focuses for WorkSafe ACT as well as legislation, says ACT Work Safety Commissioner Greg Jones.

The role of WorkSafe ACT is to enforce health and safety and workers’ compensation laws in the ACT through a mixture of education and compliance activities.

“Our compliance program is a risk-based approach,” says Greg.

“With accidents and injury prevention – we do that through an education and information approach but enforce where we need to.”

Greg says Worksafe ACT offers the “Healthier Work” service to support employers develop health and wellbeing initiatives within their workplace.

As part of the service, Worksafe ACT can assess a workplace and then assist the workplace to develop and implement programs, policies and practices to create a healthier workplace and employees.

Greg says a healthier workplace can lead to many advantages for a business from increased productivity to improved psychological wellbeing for staff.

As part of the service, there’s a range of free resources and support including free phone, email and onsite support, free tools such as an online employee health survey and an organisational audit tool, and a range of case studies and service providers.

Greg says once a workplace reaches a certain standard they receive gold, silver or bronze accreditation.

Currently, WorkSafe ACT will spend the next few weeks auditing operating cranes across the ACT, looking at set-up and operating procedures.

Greg says for anyone wanting to learn more about WorkSafe ACT or any of its information or resources they should visit their website or send an email outlining what information they require.

Worksafe.act.gov.au or healthierwork.act.gov.au

Complete freedom from cigarettes

HYPNOTHERAPY deals with the part of you that doesn’t want to give up smoking, says Gaye Morgan, of Capital Mindset.

Gaye, a clinical hypnotherapist, Master NLP practitioner and a certified coach, says one of the most common issues that tradies come to her with is smoking.

“Everyone is different, however a lot of tradies do outdoor work and drive between jobs, which gives them the chance to smoke. It just comes with the territory,” she says.

“I don’t treat it as a quick fix, it’s a holistic approach.”

She says she uses an approach that helps a smoker become a true non-smoker, not just someone who is resisting smoking.

“My approach to smoking cessation hypnotherapy changes the unconscious mind of a smoker to an effortless non-smoker,” she says.

“The techniques I use address every single psychological trick that smoking addiction plays on you and frees you from its grip. Smoking cessation hypnosis with me will gently move your mind from its current addicted state to complete freedom from cigarettes.”

Capital Mindset also specialises in the management for chronic and acute pain, relieving anxiety, lifting depression, healing relaxation, trauma, mindfulness, stress, insomnia, habits, addictions, weight management, smoking cessation, confidence and self-esteem, personal and relationship coaching.

She uses a combination of specialised therapies and techniques, with certified training in psychology, counselling, coaching, clinical hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), ACU-Meridian Therapy (also known as Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping), conflict resolution and relationship coaching.

Visit CapitalMindset.com or call Gaye on 0409 814664.

AT some point, most people have had reflux, whether it’s heartburn after a particularly challenging vindaloo or gastric regrets following a big night on the town.

It’s so common, that most people don’t even tell their doctors about it, but when is a little reflux a real medical problem that warrants investigation?

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, or GORD, is estimated to occur in 60 per cent of adults at some time in their lives, with the incidence rising as we lead progressively less healthy lives.

A message from Greg Jones, Work Safety Commissioner

The national harmonisation of work health and safety laws further validate a renewed focus within workplaces on the health, not just the safety, of workers. Under the ACT Work Health and Safety Act 2011, the person conducting a business or undertaking has responsibility for the physical and psychological health and safety of their workers. A workplace health and wellbeing program complements your workplace safety systems.

Healthier Work, an ACT Government service within Access Canberra – and part of the Healthy Weight Initiative has

been working with, Delnas Metal Roofing, Barmco Mana Partnership, HIA, Lendlease, MBA, Kennards Hire Fyshwick, Ruiz Constructions and over 50 other Canberra businesses to become Healthier Work Recognised.

Learn how your business can join the growing number of workplaces who are benefiting from becoming Healthier Work Recognised at www.healthierwork.act.gov.au

I’m proud that MBA is Healthier Work Recognised Silver Status. From improved staff morale to the mentoring offered by Healthier Work – engaging with Healthier Work is good for business.

Kirk Coningham, Executive Director, Master Builders Association of the ACT

HIA has recently received its Healthier Work Silver status. By creating a healthier work environment, we have seen the direct benefits it has had on our staff and business overall. It can do the same for you too.

Greg Weller, Regional Executive Director ACT/Southern NSW, Housing Industry Association

www.healthierwork.act.gov.au Follow Healthier Work on facebook /HealthierWorkACT

Most people with GORD have symptoms: usually heartburn or chest pain, pain in the upper abdomen, nausea or regurgitation. More uncommonly, sufferers may have an early morning cough, a change in taste or difficulty swallowing.

Food may make the symptoms better (milk, yoghurt) or worse (spices, chillies). Worryingly, GORD is increasingly being diagnosed on routine testing in asymptomatic patients.

The stomach secretes up to three litres of hydrochloric acid per day and the lining of the stomach is protected from acid damage by mucous and specialised cells. The lining of the oesophagus, on the other hand, is structured to deal with rough food particles we swallow and lacks acid protection.

GORD occurs when acid from the stomach bypasses the gastro-oesophageal sphincter and rises up to cause damage to the oesophageal lining. This can result in ulcers, scarring and strictures, or a chronic change to the cells of the oesophagus – Barrett’s oesophagus – which can be a pre-cancerous condition. Generally, the longer the disease is left untreated or undertreated, the more likely it is that lasting damage can occur.

Lifestyle risk factors for GORD include obesity, smoking, and excess alcohol intake. There has been no evidence that coffee or tea drinking increases the risk of GORD, although it may worsen symptoms. Individual anatomy of the gastro-oesophageal sphincter,

The stomach secretes up to three litres of hydrochloric acid per day and the lining of the stomach is protected from acid damage by mucous and specialised cells.

and altered motility of the oesophagus can also play a role.

Keeping Tradies Healthy gastric health When gastric regrets start getting serious

Can stress cause GORD? The amount of acid production in the stomach can increase in response to stress hormones, increasing the risk of GORD. There is evidence that oesophageal motility is responsive to stress and psychological factors also.

There are many simple antacids effective for treating mild or occasional reflux. Stronger acid suppressors such as ranitidine may be more effective but take longer to work. Prescription medication with a class of drugs known as proton-pump inhibitors are very effective in the treatment of GORD.

Thus, GORD can be managed without surgery in most people. In a handful of people, surgical therapies, usually performed laparoscopically, may be required to control reflux, especially if there is an underlying anatomical cause.

When should you see a doctor about your GORD? Difficulty swallowing, or unexplained weight loss, requires urgent medical attention. If you’re having frequent and severe symptoms, your doctor may prescribe a short course of medication. Referral to a gastroenterologist for further investigation including endoscopy may be warranted if symptoms recur.

Dr Purnima Bhat is a gastroenterologist and a Senior Research Fellow at the ANU Medical School.

DR PURNIMA BHAT

sunday

ROAST

Stay in touch with the names making news on Sundays from 10am as 2CC and “CityNews” present Canberra’s only local weekend news and current affairs program.

It’s a revolving panel show that brings to the microphone great “CityNews” commentators and 2CC personalities.

Be part of the conversation every Sunday – call 6255 1206 between 10am and noon

Mike promises lots of choice in diverse and

THE diversity of businesses that call Hume home is massive, says Mike Steele, co-ordinator of the Hume Traders Association.

According to Mike, about 250 businesses can be found in the Hume area with more popping up every day.

“The future is looking really bright for Hume,” he says.

“I am amazed at what businesses are here that people don’t know about.”

He says as well as the big warehouses, there are plenty of smaller boutique businesses in the area.

“I’d like to encourage people, particularly living on the southside, to not discount Hume for services – whether it’s looking for a mechanic or clothing manufacturer – it’s so diverse,” he says.

“Think outside the usual two areas of Fyshwick and Mitchell.” Hume Traders Association is a networking group for businesses in Hume.

Visit humetraders.com.au

Flexible team with award-winning service

FOR more than 10 years Laser Electrical Hume has offered outstanding electrical services – commercial and domestic –across the ACT and surrounding NSW.

Laser Electrical Hume specialises in Solar PV (CEC accredited), data/internet connections and energy efficient lighting.

Last year it won the Outstanding Growth Award at the Laser Plumbing and Electrical international conference in Fiji. In previous years it has picked up awards for Excellence in Systems.

Co-director Andrew Nowland says Laser Electrical Hume is extremely flexible and adaptable to their customers’ requirements.

“We have eight guys on the tools and two in the office at the moment,” he says.

“They are a very enthusiastic team, always willing to go the extra yard for us. Overtime is never a problem and they are all very quick in picking up the new systems we implement.

“We are always improving our admin systems and software, which helps us keep our customers up to date in real time.

“Hume is growing rapidly with a lot of construction work happening at the moment, which is also keeping us busy here locally.”

Laser Electrical Hume is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with on-call service technicians.

Andrew says Laser Electrical Hume is also a big community supporter and contributes to many charity projects and is a supporter of beyond blue.

Laser Electrical Hume at Unit 3, 23 Raws Crescent, Hume, hume.laserelectrical.com.au or call 6260 1906.

Flipping out for the fun of it

FLIP Out Trampoline Arena in Hume is the perfect spot for kids of all ages to get active and have fun.

Featuring a series of trampolines joined together, Flip Out gives adults, teens, kids and toddlers the chance to jump, spring, flip, twirl and tumble to their hearts’ content, with dedicated areas for children under three and 10 years.

Organised for storage solutions

One of its most popular attractions is the foam pits – swimming pools filled with chunks of foam. The smaller kids don’t have to miss out with their dedicated arena also featuring a foam pit.

Flip Out Hume, 30 Sawmill Circuit, flipout.net.au or call 6260 1991.

FOR custom-made, quality storage solutions, all manufactured in Canberra, take a look at Organised Interiors in Hume.

Now specialising in multi-purpose and space-saving furniture pieces, Organised Interiors can offer a range of solutions for storage problems, from custom book shelving and cupboards through to dressing rooms and home offices.

As part of its multi-purpose range it offers wall beds that can create two rooms in one, both an office and a spare bedroom, and pull-out tables and coffee tables.

“We have an extensive design process,” says Elyse Cavanagh, senior designer and office manager.

“Often customers are at a loss at what to do. We can come up with designs that are unique to each individual project.

“We have many repeat and return clients. They keep coming back because we get the design right in the first place.”

Organised Interiors offers a 10-year guarantee with

its jobs.

“Our installation is meticulous and we take the greatest care in people’s homes,” Elyse says.

Organised Interiors Canberra at 76 Sheppard Street, Hume, organisedinteriors.com.au or call 1300 553205.

‘amazing’ Hume

Unique centre drums up business

UNIQUE to not only Canberra but Australia, Groove Warehouse is a purpose-built drum and percussion centre in Hume that encompasses a world-class drum school, pro-drum shop and event company.

Owned and run by Gary France, a former head of the ANU School of Music, the Groove Warehouse has about 150 students – ranging from ages six months to 83 years – come through its Groove School each week. It delivers world-class drum and percussion curriculum at an affordable rate in a classroom environment.

“It’s a very unique business model,” Gary says.

“We’ve got world-class instructors and instruments. You won’t find a centre like this anywhere else in the world.”

Gary says one of his instructors includes percussionist Wyana O’Keeffe – principal percussionist for

Canberra Symphony Orchestra and musical director of Canberra City Band.

Its pro-drum shop, which is also online, sells a wide range of drums and accessories, and attracts drum and percussion enthusiasts from all over the country and the world. Its repair shop not only provides professional service for the repair and maintenance of drums and percussion equipment but can also manufacture specialist items all on site.

The Groove Warehouse also produces a range of exclusive events. In August it will feature two major artists from the US – world-renowned drummer Gregg Bisonette and jazz great John Riley – in both clinics and concerts.

The Groove Warehouse at 5/1 Sawmill Circuit, Hume, groovewarehouse.com.au or call 6260 2847.

Joiners building pride and satisfaction

PAC Carpentry and Joinery takes pride in designing and building kitchens, bathrooms and wardrobes.

With customer satisfaction as a top priority, the family-owned business aims to provide a friendly, professional service that ensures every project is completed to a high standard and as stress-free as possible.

Managing director Peter Theodosiou says: “PAC Carpentry and Joinery has been going since 2002, specialising in full kitchen and bathroom renovations and providing complete wardrobe design and installa -

tion for homes and offices.”

As a licensed builder, Peter and his team of qualified carpenters and joiners, provide a free measure and quote, 3D drawings and co-ordinate all trades required.

“We provide services to Canberra, Queanbeyan, Yass and the surrounding districts,” says Peter.

“By co-ordinating all the trades, we make your renovation easier.”

PAC Carpentry & Joinery, Unit 9/86 Sheppard Street, Hume. Call 6260 1403 or 0408 695935, visit packitchens.com.au

arts & entertainment

Untangling the thousands of letters to Lindy

By Helen Musa

LINDY. It seems like a common enough name, but in Australia it can only refer to one person – Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, the central figure in one of our most-protracted and publicised murder trials.

Even now, everyone knows the story of the woman convicted of killing her nineweek-old daughter Azaria while camping at Uluru in 1980, who steadily maintained that a dingo had taken her baby.

Eventually after spending three years in prison for murder, she was released and, along with her then-husband Michael, exonerated. But not before many trials, much spurious evidence and a national orgy of finger-pointing at the woman who just didn’t seem soft and motherly enough.

It was the story of the ‘80s, when dingo jokes abounded along with the notion that Azaria meant “sacrifice in the desert” and theories about Seventh Day Adventists like the Chamberlains. There are those who still say “she did it”, notwithstanding a coroner’s report in 2012 that identified a dingo as the cause of death.

Australian playwright Alana Valentine

arts in the city

has written a play on the subject, largely based on the 20,000 or so letters held in the National Library of Australia and on her own interviews with Lindy.

Commissioned by Merrigong Theatre Company and directed by Darren Yap, we’ll see “Letters to Lindy” at The Playhouse straight after its premiere season in

Wollongong.

I caught up with Margy Burn, assistant director general of Australian Collections at the library, who knows the history of the Lindy collection and who worked closely with Valentine while she was there as an NLA Fellow.

“When the Lindy archives came to us in 1992, our first estimate was 10,000 letters, but the number has grown and, as Alana has indicated, they keep on coming,” she tells “CityNews”.

“It was 30 years between the camping trip in 1980 and the final inquest in 2012, and she was always in the news.”

So who wrote the letters?

Burn catalogues the writers. Ordinary Australians, women, fellow-Adventists, people concerned with the justice system, Aboriginal Australians who knew about dingo behaviour and a lot of touching letters from children. Many writers said they’d never written about anything public before.

Much worse, Burn adds, Lindy also received vile, profane, pornographic letters accusing her of the most horrible things. But Valentine found that Lindy had categorised the letters according to a star-rating system, where the vilest got seven stars.”

That could play into the hands of those who see Lindy as a pathologically unfeeling woman, but she proved far from it.

Dreamer Simon brings on the laughs

“SIMON’S Final Sound” is a knockabout, adult comedy by prolific Aussie playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer about unemployed dreamer Simon, who proves the perfect example of “people who try and fail, try again, and fail better”. At The Q, August 11-13, bookings to theq.net.au or 6285 6290.

AMBITIOUS students from ANU Interhall Productions and the ANU School of Music are staging Sondheim’s dark, meat pie-filled musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” in a production directed by Gowrie Varma, with musical direction by Katrina Tang. At ANU Arts Centre, August 5-13. Bookings to sweeneytodd.getqpay.com

THE Griffyn Ensemble has been working alongside scientists from the UC’s Institute for Applied Ecology to create “Sex and Dragons”, a multi-media journey into the sexual reproduction of bearded dragons with music, wildlife footage and interviews. At the CSIRO Discovery Centre, 7pm, August 11-12, bookings to griffyn. iwannaticket.com.au

FISHER-based, mother-and-daughter business Alt Yarn, run by Lee Scott and Stephanie Hamilton, resulted from the difficulty in finding wool and yarn produced in an ethical and local way. They’ll have work on show at the 2016 Craft and Quilt Fair, Exhibition Park, Mitchell, August 11-14.

CINE Latino is a new national festival of Latin American cinema featuring films from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela. Among the many arty inclusions are the opening-night film “Neruda” and closing-night music and dance film “Argentina” by Carlos Saura. Palace Electric Cinemas, August 10-21.

THE Pastel Explorers group is about to present its inaugural public exhibition of 50 works. The 11 artists are quick to note that among the many artists who used pastels were Leonardo and Degas.

“Pastels: Passion for Colour”, Old School House Gallery, Sweet Copper Cafe, Ginninderra Village, until August 28. All welcome to the opening, 2.30pm, on Sunday, August 7.

CANBERRA Philharmonic is warming up winter with Cole Porter’s smash-hit musical “Anything Goes”, featuring songs such as “It’s De-Lovely” and “I Get a Kick Out of You”. Erindale Theatre, August 11-27. Bookings to philo.org.au or 6257 1950.

ORIANA Chorale and Luminescence Chamber Singers will present “Lily of the Valley”, a concert of works by Purcell, Grieg, Durufle and Bruckner at Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, 5pm, Saturday, August 13. Bookings to trybooking.com

CHRIS Latham, just back from France, will lead a musical celebration of Australian war hero, Olympic gold medallist and musical genius, Frederick Septimus Kelly. Carrillo Gantner will read excerpts from Kelly’s diaries relating to the Bermagui area. “Race against Time”, Windsong Pavilion, Four Winds, Bermagui, 2pm-5.30pm, Sunday, August 7. Bookings to fourwinds. iwannaticket.com.au

When two NLA staffers were first sent to the Chamberlain home in Cooranbong, NSW, in June, 1992, to look at the papers, they could see the importance of the collection in reflecting ideas and society in the ‘80s, but returned to Canberra to report that collection was “a little bit disorganised”. By November that was no longer so, for Lindy, though preparing to leave before going to the US, had enlisted her family, including 10-year-old daughter Kahlia, to get the collection into shape.

When they returned in November, the NLA staff found the letters in folders, with summaries and descriptions, filed in Sanitarium-brand sultana boxes.

“She made a huge commitment to imposing order and documentation… nothing had been left out,” Burn says.

“What I find interesting as an archivist is that no remains were ever found of the baby, so there is nothing left except the memories, including the wrist tag from hospital… this collection is a memorial to the lost child.”

“Letters to Lindy”, The Playhouse, August 9-13. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700. Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton will be in conversation with playwright Alana Valentine at the National Library, 2pm, on Sunday, August 7. Bookings to nla.gov.au/ bookings or 6262 1271.

Bourne again with a drawn-out chase

“Jason Bourne” (M)

BETWEEN them, Robert Ludlum (four titles) and Eric Van Lustbader (the rest) have published 13 novels featuring Jason Bourne as their hero.

The king has first, intermediate and final say about everything that touches on economic matters. Not even the king’s closest minders know where he will be or when he’ll be there.

QL2 runs great contemporary dance theatre projects for young people.

We are looking for a range of skills, and a creative attitude, so don’t worry if you haven’t done much dance. The audition is a fun workshop. Get into our unique program, and build your creative and physical skills.

In “EAT!”, you will work with great choreographers to help create a

full-length dance work over three months, with lots of other dancers. Maybe this will be a stepping stone to our renowned Quantum Leap ensemble? Plenty of older dancers are involved as well, to inspire the new ones.

Creation will be at QL2 Dance’s studios at Gorman Arts Centre in Braddon, and the performances at Theatre 3 in Acton.

Co-written (with Christopher Rouse) and directed by Paul Greengrass, this is Matt Damon’s fifth time playing him. The actor is okay, the character is something of an over-statement. The film is a futurist actioner set in the present – if that sounds whacky, five minutes looking at the film will clarify it.

Since last seen, Bourne has been earning his living as a bare-knuckle boxer in Greece, where austerity has become a memory. The film segues into a drawn-out, open-air night chase when back in Foggy Bottom, CIA director Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones being laconic) sends field agents to stop Bourne and his former colleague Nicky from doing something Wikileakish involving Bourne’s mysterious father.

That chase occupies the rest of the film, across eastern Europe, London and Las Vegas. Greengrass’ screenplay is short on dialogue, big on movement and action. Barry Ackroyd’s cinematography melded with Christopher Rouse’s editing may be a technical tour de force, delivering nearly two hours of flicky images that may induce headache or sleepiness in some filmgoers. But hopefully it won’t become fashionable.

Arty crafty can have unexpected consequences. The film could have expressed its intentions quite well if the camera had been less determined to become a player when presenting them. I watched it all the way to the end titles. But I admit to a mote of surprise when the lady who cleans the cinema tapped me on the shoulder and said: “Film’s over, sir.” There’s a first time for everything.

At all cinemas

“A Hologram for the King” (M)

HAVING recently joined an IT company, Alan Clay has been handed a poisoned chalice. He’s been assigned to debut a new hologram-based mass-communication system on the market in a new metropolis being built for the King of Saudi Arabia in the middle of the desert.

Alan has never been outside continental America. He has no notion of what awaits him. In Dave Eggers’ novel he is the typical American innocent abroad. Tom Hanks plays him with a simplicity evoking Forrest Gump without the intellectual limitations.

Alan has to do more than sell the company’s product. He must pass Survival 101 in a social and cultural environment that’s half a world away, perhaps even further, from his life’s experience. Saudi is a royal fief.

You might expect a film dealing with an American dealing with matters of this kind to be all Stars and Stripes Forever, God Bless America and similar patriotic themes. But Tom Tykwer, who adapted the novel and directed the film, is German. His film has annoyed many Americans. Some might consider that A Good Thing, without promoting Saudi as a delicious tourist destination with a full array of home comforts.

At Palace Electric

“Embrace of the Serpent” (M) PROVIDING a profound experience away from the cinematic mainstream, this beautiful black and white film has won 22 awards and was Colombia’s entry in last year’s Foreign Language category at the Oscars.

Writer/director Ciro Guerra drew on the work of two men whose ethnographic and botanical studies in the Amazon basin form the foundation for what we now know about the area and its indigenous people. Do you reckon that’s the formula for a dry-as-dust movie? You’d be wrong.

German ethnographer Theodor Koch-Grunberg explored the great river from 1911 to 1913. The film renames him as Theodor von Martius (Jan Bijvoet) and provides partly-educated young native Manduca (Yauenku Migue) as his assistant. Several decades later, American academic Richard Evans Schultes (Brionne Davis) was the father of ethnobotany.

Guerra fictionalises both scientists and introduces a tribesman, Karamakate (Nilbio Torres in the von Martius sequences and Antonio Bolivar in the Evans sequences). At both the ages in which those actors portray him, he is a beautiful human being, untrammelled by clothing apart from a loin belt and pouch. He is a shaman whose wisdom and knowledge not only uphold the survival of the European explorers but also form a narrative support for the search for the yakruna plant described in myth as the cure for many ailments.

The screenplay segues between both explorers as they travel across the effects, mostly detrimental, of European intrusion on their lands, spiritual beliefs and cultures. The wildlife sequences are few but impressive, particularly the birth of a clutch of anacondas and some superb close-ups of a jaguar.

At Palace Electric

dining The Chairman and blip?

WHEN I heard that Chairman & Yip was closing its doors in Civic, I panicked. This multiple award-winning restaurant, which opened in 1992, has always held a special place in my heart. I didn’t go often, but was always so rewarded when I did.

I needn’t have panicked. Once the large wooden doors on the city restaurant closed, new ones welcomed customers at Chairman & Yip’s home in Barton (former Malamay location).

The new restaurant has a massive, enclosed glass balcony garden, a spacious and somewhat brighter design inside (many Malamay elements remain), a whisky lounge area, and a creative menu pulled together by the ever-so-talented head chef William Suen.

It was a chilly evening and it didn’t take us long to settle into the comfy red dining chairs. The a la carte menu is divided into small dishes, large and sides (food is great for sharing). If you can’t decide, the restaurant will feed you with a selection of Chairman’s favourites.

Our experience began with two wonderful small dishes. The dumplings with prawns and pork filling (four pieces, $20.50) were per-

filmI left feeling a bit lost. This wasn’t my most memorable Chairman & Yip experience.

fect. The filling was a lovely combo of flavours and the dumplings created by a master hand. The roast duck and mushroom pancakes were equally flavoursome and well executed ($18.50 for two pieces).

After a bit of fussing, because every item was so enticing, we settled on pan-fried lobster tail with shallots, dill and shrimp oil ($46) and the beef and scallop hot pot ($37.50).

The lobster wasn’t a highlight. I felt the meat was slightly tough and the dish lacked inspiration on the flavour front. It’s meant to be subtle, but for us it was too subtle.

The hot pot was packed with flavour, but some of the meat was too chewy for my liking. I was surprised since Chairman & Yip has never, over many, many years, caused me to frown a little.

I concentrated, instead, on the attractive-looking and wonderfultasting steamed greens with ginger and shallot dressing ($18.50).

The wine list is fabulous, with some of the all-time faves boutique

drops that featured in the city location and some new all-stars. We loved the 2015 Simon Gilbert Pinot Grigio from Orange ($60 a bottle) and were impressed that baby bottles are on the menu.

The service was attentive but not intrusive. We weren’t asked how we were enjoying our meals throughout dinner – only at bill time.

Tasting menus are available ($90 per person; an additional $45 with wine matching) and banquet menus $68 per person for four or more.

I left feeling a bit lost. This wasn’t my most memorable Chairman & Yip experience. We agreed we’d give it one more go in case our experience was “a blip at best”. I hope not.

1 Burbury Close, Barton. BYO wine, corkage is $18 a bottle.

Rush to help ‘Shine’ shine on

By Helen Musa

THE 20th anniversary of “Shine”, the movie about pianist David Helfgott that won an Oscar for lead actor Geoffrey Rush, has a special resonance for Canberra and the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia making sure we don’t forget it.

“Shine” was promoted and distributed by Canberra’s Ronin Films, a follow-up to its earlier success with “Strictly Ballroom”, and Ronin director Andrew Pike and the NFSA’s manager of education and outreach Cris Kennedy were at the coalface.

In the movie, David Helfgott, played by Alex Rafalowicz (with the fingers of Simon Tedeschi), Noah Taylor and Geoffrey Rush, is a former child prodigy whose brilliant career as a concert pianist crashes after a breakdown, but there’s a happy ending.

The centrepiece of celebrations on August 13 will be a digitallyrestored 2K print of “Shine”, followed by a Q&A with Rush and the filmmakers.

In an early session, the Canberra team will discuss the film’s innovative release to the Australian market and share behind-the-scenes documentaries. Then, after “Shine” is screened, Rush, director Scott Hicks, producer Jane Scott and writer Jan Sardi will talk about the impact the film has had on their lives.

A mini-exhibition featuring original costumes and documents, including posters and early drafts of the script, will be on display for the night.

• “The Making of ‘Shine’,” Arc cinema, NFSA, 4pm, August 13, then at 6.30pm, “Shine” (105 mins) screening + Q&A with Geoffrey Rush and filmmakers.

• Helfgott himself will perform an arrangement of the “Rach 3” for two pianos, joined by pianist Rhodri Clarke. Arc Cinema, NFSA, 4.30pm, August 14.

• All bookings to nfsa.gov.au

gardening

Perennial promise of colour

NOW’S the time to get serious about planting perennials, which reward gardeners with colour in the garden for years to come.

Plus there’s the multiplying factor of getting extra plants by dividing and collecting seed.

This week I have suggestions for spring-flowering perennials, many of which will flower into summer. Then, in a few weeks’ time, suggestions for summer-to-autumn flowering perennials, thus providing a continuous display from now until March.

The plants listed are available from local garden centres:

• Ajuga “Black Scallop” is a superb ground cover of 10cm high x 80cm wide with purple, marbled leaves and blue flower spikes in spring. Dividing a clump yielded more than 20 extra plants.

• There are numerous armeria, starting with “Pink Petite”, “Bees Pink” and “Bees Ruby”, all of which grow to 15cm high x 30cm wide. It’s an ideal border plant along paths spaced 15cm apart.

• Then there are the old-fashioned pinks or dianthus, mentioned in Shakespeare’s

“A Winter’s Tale”. My favourite is Dianthus “Sugar Plum”, which grows to 30cm wide x 40cm high.

• A ground cover equally at home spilling over a stone wall or a hanging garden is Convolvulus “Blue Moon” with rich-blue flowers or “Silver Moon”, with pure-white flowers, just two of many varieties.

• Erigeron “Spindrift” has pink and white daisylike flowers over a long period, just 20cm high x 50cm wide.

• There are many gaura and I particularly recommend “Crimson Butterflies”, with deep, rose-coloured flowers, 45cm high x 60cm wide.

• French lavenders are the earliest to flower starting with the new Lavendula “Winter Lace”, followed by “Blueberry Ruffles” and “Strawberry Ruffles”, all 60cm high x 80cm wide. Keep in mind the spread of all these plants so they don’t smother each other. The most effective planting is always in groups of three, five or seven.

A FASCINATING plant for either the veggie or ornamental garden is the globe artichoke. Originating from the Mediterranean, the Romans found it could be preserved in honey and vinegar, which added to the taste. It’s said Catherine de Medici took them to France when she married Henry II in the 16th century. Globe artichokes are the unopened buds of the thistle family. When left to mature, the bud opens to a rich-purple, thistle-like flower. They are often grown in ornamental gardens, keeping

in mind they take up considerable space and grow up to a metre. They can be grown from suckers from an existing plant or from seed, a popular variety being Yates’ “Green Globe”.

Classed as perennials, they can be cut back to ground level in late autumn. It’s suggested that buds are picked while firm and before they open. Cook by boiling or steaming for 45-60 minutes.

Jottings…

• A light prune of daphne after flowering is recommended. Yellowing leaves (as opposed to old leaves shedding at the base of each stem) suggests a magnesium deficiency, so apply a heaped teaspoon of Epsom salts to a watering can.

• It’s still too early to plant potatoes, but prepare the ground by mixing cow manure with blood and bone into the soil.

• All bush roses can be pruned now. Rambling and weepers are pruned after flowering. Remove some of the older wood to encourage new, strong shoots from the base. Reduce the whole bush by at least a third.

• Plant ericas for late-winter flowering, hardy in sun or light shade and great for bees.

• Cut back foliage on ornamental grasses such as miscanthus.

• Chris Braddick will speak on “The History, Structure and Elements of the Japanese Garden” at the next Horticultural Society meeting at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, from 7.30pm on Monday, August 15. All welcome with supper after the talk.

Joanne Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Creative projects are favoured this week, as you express yourself in a variety of exciting and colourful ways. You prefer a spontaneous approach but you’ll find some sort of daily routine will help you power through projects in a more productive and pleasant way. There’s room for both! On the weekend your need for speed is severely curtailed, and everything seems to move at a snail’s pace. Your limited patience will also wear thin with pedantic people and frustrating family members.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

This week the focus is on finances and love. When it comes to money matters, avoid putting your head in the sand. Strive to be practical and proactive. A long-term relationship could be put under some sort of stress. Don’t throw in the towel Taurus! If you address problems in a mature and responsible way, then the partnership will move to a deeper and more satisfying level. Single Bulls – a new liaison will go down a rocky road before you can ride off into the romantic sunset.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

With Mercury, Venus and Jupiter all in your domestic zone, the focus is on Casa Gemini. Mid-week is the best time to patch up problems with a family member or tidy up and beautify your living or office space (especially if you work from home). Family and romantic relationships become complicated as the week progresses, when serious responsibilities overtake fun and frivolity. So stop complaining and instead, fulfil commitments in a capable and conscientious way.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Strive to get practical results, as you communicate with others in a sensible and no-nonsense way. If you work hard on joint projects (and are patient) then you’ll eventually reap the rewards. But, if you’re relying on others to encourage and support you on the weekend, then you’ll be disappointed. They have their own problems to deal with, so you’ll just have to be a self-sufficient Crab. There is also the potential for a social media spat, so be extra careful what you post online.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

The Sun is currently spending its annual month travelling through your sign. So it’s time to tap into the very essence of what makes you the fiery, creative, demanding Diva that you are. Don’t let relationship rumbles, work worries or financial fiascos diminish your delightfully flamboyant demeanour. Be inspired by Leo model and actress Cara Delevingne (born August 12, 1992): “Be brave. Believe in yourself. Make yourself proud.” Spoken like a true Lion!

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Have you got a problem that’s been bothering you? Early week confusion transforms into the ability to view a current situation with crystal-clear insight and discrimination. The deeper you dig, the more understanding you’ll gain. The weekend is the time for domestic improvements as you get your house in order. If you don’t, then expect some critical feedback from housemates or family members. When it comes to criticism, you’re good at giving it – but not so good at receiving.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

A family relationship is undergoing profound change. It’s like a snake shedding its skin. Things feel shaky at the moment but hang in there. With the help of powerful Pluto, you’re creating a firm new base for the future. Don’t be too hard on yourself (or others) on the weekend. Striving for perfection will be fraught with frustrations, so learn to appreciate imperfections (and personal peccadilloes) along the way. Car problems need to be attended to asap, so stop procrastinating and get organised!

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Mid-week is wonderful for work and business, as Mercury and Pluto boost your concentration and motivation. Your communication skills and Scorpio powers of persuasion are strong, so use them wisely. All types of networking are favoured, as you form long-lasting connections with like-minded souls. So make sure you capitalise on lucky opportunities that come your way. But stop wasting time worrying about money matters and instead, be much more proactive.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

The stars send a professional opportunity or business break your way mid-week, but it’s not a free ride. You must be focused enough to recognise it – and disciplined enough to take productive action. On Saturday, Saturn (in your sign) squares Venus, so romance or socialising will temporarily be put on hold as work interferes with your plans for a fun weekend. Don’t fight it… just roll up your sleeves and get the job done. Preferably with a smile on your Sagittarian dial!

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Calling all Capricorn control-freaks! When it comes to a sensitive problem, resist the urge to barge in and take over. Instead, sit on the side-lines so you can gain a broader perspective and a much deeper understanding. Then you’ll know exactly what to do next. On the weekend Saturn squares Venus, which can make Goats feel quite grumpy. So avoid tricky topics, emotional triggers and pushy people who press your buttons. And do your best to keep your customary cool.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Aquarians are independent individuals. But don’t feel you have to tackle a current project or problem completely on your own. There are plenty of people around you who are happy to help. All you have to do is sum up the courage to ask. On the weekend you’re keen to catch up with family or friends but a meeting could be delayed or cancelled at the last minute. And expect a major goal or dream to be put on hold temporarily. Don’t let that deter you… persistence is the key.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

If you are interacting with the public in some way, then make sure you put your most professional face forward. Confidence is the rocket fuel that will take you places! When it comes to solving a problem, don’t underestimate the amazing power of your Piscean imagination. Be inspired by fellow Fish, Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” On the weekend, you’re likely to feel frustrated, especially with a work colleague or close friend.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2016 Daily astrology updates at twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore

General knowledge crossword No. 559

Property Settlement

Is a 50/50 split the starting point?

Across

1 What is a particular type of subordinate deity?

7 Name the capital of Alberta, Canada, and a Queensland town, south of Cairns.

8 Many cricket bats are said to be made from the timber of which tree?

9 Name an alternative term for false teeth.

10 Who is the patron saint of England?

11 Which term implies a generous bestowal of gifts?

14 Which variety of corundum is valued as a gem?

18 What is another term for an indigene?

19 What was the profession of Sir Joseph Banks?

21 Name a large marine fish, with an enormous gape.

22 What is a gem, cut in a long, rectangular shape?

23 Who wrote the novel, “The Shiralee”, D’Arcy ...?

Down

1 Which term describes the widows of kings, dukes or their like?

2 Which teeth are adapted for grinding?

3 Name the capital of the Republic of India (3,5).

4 Which expression is often used after a prayer?

5 To guarantee against risk of loss or harm, is to do what?

6 What are gatherings of witches?

12 Who, in 1895, discovered X-rays, Wilhelm ...?

13 Which king of the English was known as “the Unready”?

15 Which musical term describes the absence of key?

16 What is an epidemic disease of high mortality?

17 Name another term for a leisurely walk.

20 What is a very small quantity – and the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet?

It is a popular myth that assets should be divided 50/50 at separation. However rarely are two cases the same and there is no presumption of any kind in relation to a financial settlement when it comes to percentage entitlements. The Family Law Courts have a discretion when assessing the situation of each individual couple which is why your settlement might be different from others you may have heard about.

What factors can be taken into account?

The factors which must be taken into account when the Family Law Courts consider how property is to be divided are set out in the Family Law Act. There is no universal equation applied and the outcome is based on all of the information provided and the discretion of the Court in deciding the matter. The Family Court will normally take into account factors including: The current value of the assets and liabilities including superannuation entitlements, financial and non-financial contributions made by each person and the future needs of the parties. The Court will impose an outcome that is ‘just and equitable’ with reference to your circumstances and no factor is given priority over another.

How

do I find out what I am entitled to?

It is normal to be anxious about your entitlements in a property settlement at separation. It is important for anyone considering separating from their spouse, or who has already separated, to obtain independent legal advice from experienced Family Law Solicitors about their likely property settlement entitlements. Yeend & Associates Family Lawyers specialises in Family Law and our Lawyers can give you advice about the options for property settlement and outcomes to be expected.

Contact our office for an initial no obligation appointment on 02 6154 5090 or visit our website at www.yeendassociates.com.au

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