Well written, well read
Prizewinning DR NICOLE RODRIGUES is developing a passion for surgery
Shocking case of the innocent man
NICHOLE OVERALL
There’s no substitute for shoe leather
JOHN GRIFFITHS
Birthdays in the material world
SONYA FLADUN
Off one cycle and on to another
CHRIS COLEMAN
The bliss of spring blossom
CEDRIC BRYANT
LUXURIOUS SIMPLICITY
A fun filled day of free activities for all, celebrating together on our river.
Come along to Ray Morton Park, and enjoy the annual “make your own” boat race, as well as kayaks, stand up paddle boats, inflatable water balls, face painting, jumping castle, craft activities and food stalls!
11am – 4pm
25 amazing sculptures on the foreshore and in the river. The Clearwater Sculpture Prize will be announced at 11am at the River Festival. Come and vote for your favorite sculpture in the People’s and Children’s Choice category.
FREE sculpture workshops 11am – 1pm make your own insect hotel 1.30pm – 3.30pm Art journal workshop
Sculptures on a grand scale are only the beginning of your journey as part of this year’s Queanbeyan-Palerang Art Trail.
Featured artists this year are from a range of backgrounds using a variety of mediums. This is an opportunity to visit historic locations, quaint places to eat and a region overflowing with personalities who are keen to share their love of art! 10am to 4pm. Details www.qprc.nsw.gov.au
By Kathryn Vukovljak
CANBERRA Hospital junior medical
officer Nicole Rodrigues has aced the Generic Surgical Sciences Examination and is the first person from the ACT and the ANU to achieve the top place.
Nicole won the Gordon GordonTaylor medal, which is awarded to the candidate who gets the highest marks in each sitting of the examination.
The Generic Surgical Sciences Examination is mandatory for all junior medical officers wanting to get on to the surgical education and training pathway, and is designed to ensure that prospective surgical applicants have a standard of knowledge in the surgical sciences.
Nicole, 29, is in her second year out of medical school and is hoping to get a role as a general surgery unaccredited registrar at the Canberra Hospital next year.
“I was quite happy with my result when it first came out, comparing it to what others had got, but I didn’t expect it to be the highest mark,” she says.
“Preparing for the exam had been quite stressful, with studying at night after 12-hour days at the hospital. It’s an intense exam over two days, covering anatomy on the first day and pa-
thology and physiology on the second.
It’s known to be quite difficult.
“I actually found out officially that I had won the award after a night shift when I woke up and checked my emails, so it was a nice surprise.
Nicole says that throughout her studies, starting with her undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics at Sydney University, working in surgery has been what makes her happiest.
“During my rotations I found I was fascinated by the surgical and medical side of things. That prompted me to apply to medical school at ANU.”
Nicole says she still wasn’t 100 per cent set on surgery, but in her third year, on her first day at her surgical rotation in orthopedics, her supervisor brought her into theatre and, she says, it was a strong experience that convinced her that surgery was what she wanted to do.
“I scrubbed up and spent the day assisting with hip and knee replacement surgery, and I thought it was the best thing ever,” she says.
“I’ve been drawn towards general surgery, and being in the operating theatre is my happy place, so it would be nice if I could do that for the rest of my life.
“I’ve enjoyed being on rotations and taking care of patients, and I like how surgery can make a big difference to
people’s lives quite quickly. You can get straight in and fix the problem, and when they wake up they feel so much better.”
Nicole says that as a junior on the team, she is mostly in charge of the dayto-day patient care on the wards.
“I want to learn how to operate, but the main thing is making sure the patients are safe, comfortable and getting better,” she says.
Nicole says that her interest is in general surgery, and while it may be too early to say where she might like to sub-specialise, she says she has an interest in upper GI, endocrine, thyroid, head and neck and transplant surgery.
Passing the Generic Surgical Sciences Examination is the first step to being able to apply for surgical training. Nicole says that with a four-year undergraduate degree under her belt, followed by four years of medical school, and a year or more of internships, she is hoping to embark on the long path of up to 10 years of surgical training.
“It’s a lot of hard work and long hours,” Nicole says. “My husband knows I’m at the hospital more than I’m at home but he understands and he’s supportive of my work.
“I keep the finish line in mind, and that inspires me to keep going, because it’s a long road ahead.”
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Surely the Libs can do better than another bloke to fill the deputy’s role? Perhaps Elizabeth Lee should be given the chance to grow into the job.
IT’S on! The Turnbull-Abbott feud finally burst on to the public stage this past week as the PM slapped down his predecessor over Tony Abbott’s ridiculous claim that he knew nothing about the deal his government did to water down gun control to secure a vote from Senator David Leyonhjelm
Malcolm Turnbull let fly at Question Time: “I have made inquiries and can say to the House I’m satisfied that the Minister for Justice [Michael Keenan] acted in the full knowledge of the Prime Minister’s office at that time.”
Abbott then claimed to have been misrepresented and couched his complaint against the Labor questioners.
But here’s the crazy part – the vote they’re chasing is for the ABCC, the building industry’s “cop on the beat”, and the right-wing Senator would have voted for it anyway.
The good news is that, at last, Turnbull has shown a bit of spunk.
SPEAKING of factional battles among the Libs, the fight is on in the ACT over the moderates’ objection to Alistair Coe’s leadership ambitions as “a step too far to the right”. Here at Seven Days we hear that regular party members are more concerned that it would be “sending a boy on a man’s errand”.
But what a joy it is that half the successful candidates are women. Once again Canberrans are taking the lead in social progress.
Labor’s new deputy, Yvette Berry, has the firm backing of her leader; surely the Libs can do better than another bloke to fill the deputy’s role? Perhaps one of the bright new women such as Elizabeth Lee should
dose of dorin
be given the chance to grow into the job. After all, it’s four years till the next election.
ACROSS the seas, Daffy Donald squawked his swan song in the final debate
and captured the headlines with his refusal to accept the result “unless I win”. The peaceful transfer of power is the unique genius of our democratic system and the US pundits went into meltdown. But really, on November 9 that cox-combed rooster will be just another feather duster.
THE “New York Times” was on firmer
ground when the editorial board slammed successive Australian governments this week for their treatment of refugees.
“Australia’s inhumane imprisonment of desperate people is a disgrace,” it thundered. “The government should end its offshore processing of refugees and stop treating anyone who approaches its borders without a visa as automatically inadmissible.”
They were joined by Amnesty International’s damning account, “Island of Despair” and a heart-rending “Four Corners” report. Even Tony Abbott has conceded that Labor’s “Malaysian Solution” is the best way forward. Time the PM swallowed his political pride and followed suit?
HARD to feel sorry for gambling kingpin James Packer whose Crown casinos have been hard hit by the arrest of 18 employees and a $630 million collapse on the stock exchange. Clearly he took a bet that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on corruption and money laundering would leave his big-betting Chinese “whales” untouched. Fat chance, Jimmy.
SPEAKING of whales, this last week at Tuross, happy campers and regular visitors have seen an endless parade of the mighty cetaceans gambolling their way south with offspring in tow. S-o-o-o good for the soul… robert@robertmacklin.com
IT’S a case that rivals the most well-known miscarriage of justice in Australian history: the 1982 imprisonment of Lindy Chamberlain for the murder of her baby daughter, Azaria, and her subsequent acquittal three years later.
Nine years earlier, a carpenter and joiner from Queanbeyan was sentenced to life in jail for a crime it would be proved, after almost two decades, he did not commit.
November 2 marks a most inauspicious anniversary – 43 years since Johann “Ziggy” Pohl, 36, was found guilty of the strangulation murder earlier in 1973 of his 34-year-old wife, Kum Yee, otherwise known as Joyce, in an unassuming cottage overlooking the peaceful surrounds of the Quean-
beyan Golf Course.
No physical evidence linked Ziggy to the crime, but details including the estimated time of death – 9.45am, approximately 15 minutes after Ziggy confirmed he had briefly called into his home but not seen his wife – and a letter written a month before the murder suggesting Joyce was considering returning to Hong Kong, were enough to warrant the conviction.
An appeal 12 months later failed to overturn the original finding, the verdict noting that Ziggy’s account of having simply arrived back from work a few hours later to find his wife dead, “highly improbable”.
The former West German immigrant, who arrived in Australia in 1958, had an unblemished record and continued to vehemently proclaim his innocence. These claims went unheeded, but after serving 10 years, Ziggy was released for good behaviour.
He would only ever set foot in Queanbeyan on two other occasions: one, for the funeral of his brother, the other in the most bizarre of circumstances when a formal inquiry into his previously closed case was called.
In a twist almost too difficult to believe, on the evening of September 8, 1990, a lean, moustached man with shoulder-length red hair presented
himself at the Queanbeyan Police Station to confess that he had murdered Joyce Pohl on that fateful day 17 years earlier.
Roger Bawden, then a 41-year-old father of three living in Melbourne, admitted that alcohol, drugs and gambling debts were the reason he broke into the Pohls’ home and, when startled by Joyce who screamed, he attempted to silence her. He also declared, apparently without a trace of irony, “ever since I killed her, I’ve had nothing but bad luck”.
According to Sen-Sgt Paul Batista, keeper of the Queanbeyan Police historic record, this revelation was at first met with disbelief, but quickly descended into confusion: a man had already been charged and served time for the crime – what they were supposed to do with Bawden, the authorities were without a clue.
“Essentially, he remained here in a cell, but we couldn’t charge him at that point and he came and went from the confines of the station as he pleased,” says Sgt Batista, of the highly unusual situation.
During this fraught period, despite Ziggy not wanting to do so, the husband and his wife’s killer also met face-to-face in an engineered, highly sensational TV interview arranged by news program “60 Minutes”. It would take another two years before Ziggy was cleared of any wrongdoing, and he eventually received a paltry $200,000 in compensation. Bawden went on to serve less time than the man wrongfully accused – just eight years.
If NSW still had the death penalty, this may well have been Ziggy’s fate. As it turned out, it essentially was, and earlier this year, he passed away after an unwinnable battle with cancer, a sad footnote to one of the most tragic stories Queanbeyan has ever known.
More than the injustice and historic aspects of this case, my interest in it also stems from recollection as I, too, crossed paths with Bawden.
Still a university student, I was working at the local newsagency when early the Sunday morning a week after his “60 Minutes” appearance, Bawden walked in to buy a paper. I recognised him immediately and, young and alone, I was both terrified and yet mesmerised by his apparent ordinariness. But then, Ziggy, too, was an ordinary man.
Nichole Overall is a Queanbeyanbased journalist and historian. She is currently producing a series of regional mini-documentaries including one on the case of Ziggy Pohl.
Dr Vass began working in the field of audiology in 1978 in much different times. Technology was pretty basic compared to today’s digital world. Counselling and patient care were more important than relying on technology, a lesson Dr Vass has never forgotten. After graduation from West Virginia University, his desire to learn as much about audiology as he could saw him publishing research, enhancing his clinical skills, and going on to receive his Doctorate in Audiology. According to Dr Vass the hearing industry has moved from one that was once service based to one that is now sales based. ‘There is too much emphasis on sales in today’s profession’ says Dr Vass. He feels we are often just putting hearing aids onto people and forgetting about the patient as an individual with their own needs and budget. Such a strong emphasis on selling (and up selling) hearing aids has led to a drop in standards within the industry that may not reflect the ethics, transparency and honesty you would expect from your audiologist. The result has left clients confused and wary as to the clinician’s motives. Instead of a sales approach, what is needed is professional, independent advice about hearing loss and what may be done to help. This is an approach Dr Vass practices; running his own independent clinic he is able to give his clients specialist audiological
advice and choice. ‘I see clients with hearing aids that just don’t work for them and as a result they don’t wear the hearing aids’ it appears that the absences of professional advise leaves clients unsure of their rights and how to go about getting help, Dr Vass explains. If you have noticed a decline in your hearing or you are considering hearing aids here is a list of questions that Dr Vass recommends in finding a suitable provider;
• Know what you are entitled to, for example, DVA clients and pensioners are entitled to free hearing aids.
‘We need to get back to being a service based, professional industry’ Dr Vass
• Is the clinic owned locally? Is it independent?
• Is there a trial period on hearing aids?
• What are the clinician’s credentials and work experience?
• Is the clinician on commission?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to get a clear explanation as to the recommendations you receive. If a hearing aid is recommended, what can you expect from it? There are different levels of technology and not everyone needs the most expensive hearing aid. In fact, most people don’t need the most expensive hearing aid. Don’t settle for less than a full explanation of your hearing loss and a discussion of your particular needs. This begins with a comprehensive hearing assessment (not a free hearing check) and professional, independent advice about the results.
THIS election just past, a generation of Canberra voters went to the polls untroubled in their conscious lifetimes by a viable Liberal party serious about winning government.
Liberal Party workers curse and swear and damn the lefty predilections of the Canberra voter. But at the end of the day a professional political outfit has to be about finding the policies to sway enough voters to win a majority of seats.
Come October, 2020, it will have been 19 years of Labor rule and, more importantly, 22 years since Kate Carnell took a winning team and policy platform to ACT voters, who rewarded her with government.
It feels as if every election the Liberals announce they won’t build something. A prison, a hospital, a tram.
They get a little bit of community response and decide that’s the only thing they’re going to campaign on.
“They came on in the same old way and we defeated them in the same old way,” said the Duke of Wellington after the Battle of Waterloo.
Even someone who doesn’t bear the Liberal Party a great deal of love must hope for contested elections and the cleansing powers of a change of government.
So what’s to be done?
Firstly, the power of good candidates cannot be underestimated. Likeable people who are able and
If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.”
– Gen Melchett, “Blackadder Goes Forth”
willing to talk to ordinary Canberrans are not a nice-to-have, they are a must.
Casting our eye over the election results, there are some clear lessons for the party and sitting members who can’t poll more than 0.5 of a quota are simply dead weight costing the party victory.
Here’s a list of Liberal losers the voting public clearly has no appetite for: Vicki Dunne, Steve Doszpot, Nicole Lawder and Giulia Jones.
A major party can put any average loser’s face on a poster and get pretty much the same vote as those four.
Boot ‘em out next week and give whichever aspiring Liberals are next cabs off the rank four years to build a profile and, most importantly, start knocking on the doors and standing in the rain at the shopping centres. There’s no substitute for shoe leather.
It’s a shame three of them are women, but the Liberals need to run women who can convince Canberra women to vote for their party, not run screaming from
narrow Catholic agendas about birth control and sex work.
In fairness, Labor needs to boot its own dead wood sooner than later, but winners can afford complacency.
Labor’s gallery of duds includes: Mick Gentleman, Joy Burch and Chris Bourke.
The fact so many frontbenchers on both sides of the aisle are clearly on the electoral nose should be a wake-up call to Chief Minister Andrew Barr.
The public has returned him because he is considered preferable to the Liberals, not out of any great enthusiasm.
As for the Liberals. If they want to go with Alistair Coe as leader, with his coterie of not-as-young-as-they used to be Young Liberals, I wish them all the best of luck. They’re going to need it.
Winners of the family passes to see Webers Circus’ Ginninderra season until November 13 are Georgia Bray, of Kaleen; Nerida Williams, Melba and Peter Ziesing, Wanniassa.
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THE light rail has been approved by the community. Now, let’s get it right and not make the mistakes of the Gungahlin Drive Extension (GDE).
Remember the political decision on Gungahlin Drive? Deliver the cheaper version was the conclusion. Gungahlin Drive started as a single lane in each direction and, even by the time it was built, it was obvious that it was hopelessly inadequate. Gungahlin Drive simply did not meet the design needs or the aspirations of the community. It should be a salutary lesson for the fifth consecutive Labor government in the ACT. The Gungahlin Drive mistake was made by the first of the Labor governments. As mentioned years ago in this column: “The failure to duplicate the GDE was an attempt to find a compromise with the very vocal and politically savvy Save the Ridge group, which was largely based around O’Connor”.
There will be details around the light rail that are bound to cause some ire amongst some in the community. We should remember the damage of the Save the Ridge group.
As also pointed out in the past: “They were simply trying to stop any road for fear of adverse impact on their homes and the land around the ridge”. And the single-lane Gungahlin Drive met short-term budget needs of the government. In the end, the GDE
Canberra is a city of great beauty. It must not be blighted by overhead wires. They are not necessary and inconsistent with Canberra’s planning.
and the Glenloch Interchange had to be done… but short-term savings and political expediency resulted in a far, far greater expenditure in the long run.
This time the vocal groups over light rail will be those who want to spend the least possible money on light rail instead of getting it right.
Hopefully, there has been some important lessons learnt in the meantime. Our expenditure on capital infrastructure must be seen differently from the day-to-day living expenses in the recurrent part of the Budget. It is sensible for homeowners to take out a mortgage on their homes so that they can enjoy living in their home while they pay it off. Similarly, it is sensible for governments to borrow on infrastructure so that it can be useful now and for generations to come.
Getting the light rail right means not being caught up in nostalgia. We should not be looking at the slow, rattler trams of the past with their ugly overhead wires.
Canberra should expect a comfort-
Friday 28 October 7:00pm
Saturday 29 October 3:00pm & 7:00pm
Sunday 30 October 11:00am & 3:00pm
Friday 4 November 7:00pm
Sat 5 November 11:00am, 3:00pm & 7:00pm
Sundat 6 November 11:00am & 3:00pm
Thursday 10 November 7:00pm
Friday 11 November 7:00pm
Saturday 12 November 3:00pm & 7:00pm
Sunday 13 November 11:00am ONLY
able, swift and modern light-rail system with modern inclusions. The modern light rail should be able to handle wheelchair access, to have Wi-Fi available, to be air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter.
Canberra is a city of great beauty. It must not be blighted by overhead wires. They are not necessary and inconsistent with Canberra’s planning. Even the older suburbs have wires hidden at the back of our blocks and more recent suburbs avoid the blight by burying them. Overhead light-rail wires, no matter how they are arranged, are ugly. They are inappropriate for Canberra.
The route of the light rail will be a measure of its success. The Gungahlin to Civic route is known. The next phases to Woden and the one to Russell offices and the airport should be on the drawing board as should Belconnen and Tuggeranong. Crossing the lake should not mean losing traffic lanes.
One option is to reinforce Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and run along the centre. On the one hand, the route must be useful to as many as possible. On the other hand, the balance has to be made to ensure that it can operate as swiftly as possible. Trees are another factor. The easiest way to build is to remove all the trees in a site and then plant new ones. This has been suggested for Northbourne Avenue. Even home builders in Canberra are not permitted to randomly remove long-term trees. Without having overhead wires it should be possible to preserve the tree line that marks a major entrance to the city. Replanting mature roadscape trees means losing the best part of half a century of growth and beauty. We are going to have light rail. Let’s make it the best possible.
Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.
THE Indonesian Food and Cultural Festival will be held at the embassy, 8 Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla, 10.30am6pm, on Saturday, October 29. It features food, performances, arts and crafts, fashion show, kids’ corner and a music performance. Entry is free and there will be three raffle-ticket prizes to Indonesia.
THIS year’s fundraiser lunch for the Children’s Medical Research Institute will be held in the grounds of The Lodge, from 11am on Wednesday, November 16. Admittance is by pre-purchased ticket. Tickets at $125 are available until November 4. Bookings via cmricanb@ hotmail.com or call 0437 510676.
THE American Car Club of Australia is hosting the 13th annual “Marques in the Park”, a static motor display featuring cars, bikes, trucks, caravans and all things motorised, 8am-3pm, Sunday, October 30, at the John Knight Memorial Park, Belconnen. Entry is free.
GUEST speaker Christine Rampling will be talking about “Empowering Women with Power Tools” at the Weston Creek VIEW Club’s next lunch meeting, at the Southern Cross Club, Woden, on Tuesday, November 8. Lunch costs $28 and the club welcomes visitors and interested ladies. RSVP to 6288 7625 by November 3.
ACT 2611 “Providing
By Freyla Ferguson
MORE than 70 budding performers will come together in song on November 5 to celebrate Belconnen’s 50th birthday.
With its youngest chorister only nine years old and its eldest 90 – the community choir led by renowned composer and conductor Stephen Leek will perform an original work by Leek as part of the BelcoNOW Night Festival’s finale at the Belconnen Arts Centre.
The performance will be part of a “fire-burning spectacular”, when a giant collaborative bird sculpture will be set alight on the lake to the sounds of the community choir.
Leek, who is the artistic director/manager of the Young Music Society, says they were truly overwhelmed by the community’s response to the choir.
“Whole families have come down, people who haven’t sung before, or people who haven’t sung since school. It’s been really overwhelming,” he says.
Leek worked across the globe as a freelance composer for 35 years before returning earlier this year to hometown Canberra to lead the Young Music Society.
“I’ve been around the world working with
people in countries like China and Taiwan on community choirs, so for me the Canberra community choir isn’t so much a new experience but a chance to bring my experience back to Canberra after 35 years away,” he says.
“People are all the same, the same the world over about sharing something beyond themselves and becoming a part of a bigger community.
“It’s a really bonding experience.”
Although the choir was created for the BelcoNOW festival, Leek says people have already expressed an interest in continuing on after the festival is over.
“I said ‘let’s do it’,” he says.
“The call has come from within the choir –people are really enjoying singing with their kids and their partners. Families are singing together in the car.”
BelcoNOW is a free community event to celebrate Belconnen’s 50th birthday and will include live entertainment, free arts and craft activities, children’s face painting, film screenings plus food and drinks.
BelcoNOW, part of the Belco50 celebrations, at the Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen, 5pm to 8pm, Saturday, November 5. Visit belconnenartscentre.com.au/whatson/belconow or call 6173 3300.
‘Opportunities to gamble are becoming more obvious in everyday life. And the reality is that gambling can cause harm.’
WITH about 43,000 Canberrans who have a family member being harmed by gambling, ACT Gambling Harm Awareness Week sets a timely reminder that “gambling harm hurts families, too”.
From October 27 to November 3, the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, in association with the ACT Gambling Counselling and Support Service (AGCSS), ClubsACT, Casino Canberra and TABCorp will be raising awareness of the harm that excessive gambling can cause families.
“Australians are often said to ‘like a punt’ and, with the Melbourne Cup on this week, many Canberrans will be having a small flutter,” says David Snowden, chief executive of the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.
“The reality is most people don’t gamble regularly, and those who do are more likely to buy a lottery ticket than blow the budget.
“However, opportunities to gamble are becoming more obvious in everyday life. And the reality is that gambling can cause harm.”
Gambling harm is described as the negative consequences that come from, or are made worse, by gambling.
It is estimated that 43,000 Canberrans (16 per cent of ACT adults) have a family member who is being harmed by gambling. These harms often impact other family members, too. Relationship and emotional impacts, such as anxiety and depression, are common and financial impacts are experienced by almost half of affected families.
“It is very common for people harmed by their gambling to feel embarrassed and ashamed,” says a spokesperson for
the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.
“Understandably they often want to keep the extent of their gambling, and associated harm, secret.
“This can make it hard to seek help or talk with their family and friends. “They are not alone, almost 15,000 Canberrans report some harm from their gambling and almost half of all gambling losses come from these Canberrans.
“The harms they most commonly report are emotional issues, including stress, anxiety and depression, and relationship and family issues. This group of people is also more likely to have poor health.
“Psychological, emotional, physical and financial connections between people experiencing gambling harm and their families can act as a pathway for the transmission of gambling harm.
“Families include any person with a personal relation -
ship with a gambler experiencing gambling harm.”
Fiona Loaney, ACGS manager, says poker machines are still the most common form of gambling in the ACT –according to the ANU Centre for Gambling Research.
“Gambling isn’t like other addictions such as alcohol, there are no obvious physical signs that someone is experiencing gambling harm,” she says.
“It’s not about saying gambling is right or wrong; it’s acknowledging that gambling is far more prevalent than we think and it does cause harm.
“It’s really hidden in our society and, as a society, we find it hard to talk about problem gambling.
“The community sector is far more comfortable talking about alcohol and drug addiction but for some reason don’t feel the same about gambling.
“It’s important that people don’t feel alone and ashamed about it.”
Fiona says for those seeking help it’s important to talk with someone who is a good listener and is trustworthy.
“There’s a variety of support, information and resources that people can access; that’s available online, over the phone as well as in person,” she says.
“All services are available for people experiencing gambling harm as well as their family and friends.
“Gambling support services don’t judge people or tell them what to do, they work with people to consider their options and support them to implement any changes they want to make.
“The services are free, confidential and nonjudgemental, and are available 24 hours a day.”
Activities that will be run throughout the week include a forum run by ACT Gambling Counselling Service with the Youth Coalition called “…why should we screen for gambling in our service?” targetted at program managers
of organisations providing services for the ACT Child, Youth and Family Support Program. ClubsACT will also host a forum during November featuring ClubsNSW ambassador Nathan Hindmarsh. Hindmarsh will also speak to the CIT Trades Centre and the indigenous community.
Information and help is available to anyone experiencing gambling harm, or who want to know more about the harmful impacts that gambling can have.
Strategies to reduce gambling harm, and online forums, information and support are available at www.gamblinghelponline.org.au
If people would prefer to talk to someone they can call 1800 858858 anytime. All these services are free and confidential.
ACT Gambling Harm Awareness Week, October 27-November 3. Visit gamblingandracing.act.gov.au
• 43,000 Canberrans (16 per cent of ACT adults) have had a family member with problems with gambling.
• Relationship and family impacts (93 per cent) and emotional impacts (86 per cent) including stress, anxiety and depression are experienced by the vast majority of people impacted by a close family member’s gambling.
• Financial impacts are also common and experienced by 48 per cent of affected family members.
• Parents (27 per cent) and spouses (19 per cent) are the most common family members with gambling problems.
SO, what do we do with ourselves now we’ve come to the end of the electoral cycle?
Sure, we could start a countdown to Saturday, October 17, 2020. That’s one of the advantages of the fixed, four-year cycle for elections in the ACT; we can all know the date of the next polling day well in advance. But is it also one of the disadvantages?
As an example (and I promise this is the last time I’ll bring up light rail in my missives for quite some time), a great deal of discussion in the year before this election revolved around the tram and opponents stepped up their volume when the government decided to start construction before the election.
Supporters of the project, naturally enough, said the government was right to get things rolling, even with the possibility of the contract being terminated should there have been a change of government.
It’s something we need to be aware of as our local democracy reaches a – hopefully – more mature stage of existence. Canberra deserves better than what we’ve seen happening more and more often in the world’s best-known, fixed-four-year political cycle, the American Presidential process.
Across the Pacific in recent years politics has reached a point where an incoming president is now lucky to get two years before they have to start working on their re-election. They do have their cycle punctuated by mid-term elections, which can alter that equation a little, but effectively if a president wants to get something done over there, they have to go for it early in their term. Once the electioneering starts, it’s
Canberra deserves better than what we’ve seen happening more and more often in the world’s best-known, fixed-four-year political cycle, the American Presidential process.
almost impossible to stop.
If you follow American politics at all, you’ll be aware that Barack Obama has been stymied in his attempts to nominate a replacement for a Supreme Court justice, who died in February. His opponents effectively decided that any nomination made by President Obama in the nine months between the death of Justice Antonin Scalia and the US election would not be acceptable to them. This is not the first time an outgoing president has found himself unable to get measures through, but the period of time is unprecedented.
I accept that their system of government is different to ours. Thankfully we haven’t often seen parliaments held ransom in their last year here, possibly because elections are usually called before their due date.
Federally, I wonder how things would have played out had Julia Gillard’s leadership gone to her preferred election day. The one she announced some eight months out. Although having to fight opponents across the chamber and on her own backbench make this difficult
to ponder.
More locally, there are lessons to be learned. ACT governments are elected, for better or worse, to serve their four years.
It will do us all a great injustice if we start to see bureaucratic paralysis taking hold earlier and earlier in those final terms. Governments need to govern.
Mind you, the habit our politicians have developed of leaving things to the last minute (election costings, anyone?) means they may not be doing themselves too many favours.
At least we’re not at the point where a candidate is refusing to accept the result. Yet.
Chris Coleman is the drive presenter on 2CC.
MANY Canberrans use median strips and footpaths for illegal parking and do so with total impunity. The ACT government, City Services in particular, does absolutely nothing about this illegal practice which creates an eyesore. Even worse is the siting of huge containers in some front yards for indefinite periods, with no consideration for nearby residents.
Overseas residents from western countries must be amazed that this practice is tolerated to the extent it is. On the other hand, overstay your meter by a few minutes and you are hit with a ridiculous fine.
It is high time that City Services inspectors carried out the job they are paid to do as far as the abuse of public spaces for parking of vehicles.
Colin Lyons, Weetangera
HAVING spent a good part of my life working for various Australian governments overseas and, at times, providing medium-level advice on international matters, I strongly suspect that even before our Prime Minister went to the US the Australian and US governments had come to an “Obama” agreement that Australia’s contribution would be to receive asylum seekers from Central America processed by the UNHCR in Costa Rica. Of course, the Muslim population of Central American countries is about 55,000 from a total population of around 46 million – the large majority being Christians.
Few would believe that the probability that nearly all refugees will be Christian is coincidence. Some will cry foul, but given Australia’s recent experience with certain elements of Islam, here and overseas, It can be argued reasonably that it has been a pragmatic decision and not based on discrimination.
Hence, I hope all Australians on the asylum issue will have a nice cup of tea and a lie down.
Colliss Parrett, Barton
By Sonya Fladun
THERE was a time when I thought that as my kids got older, birthdays would prove to be less of a challenge.
Presents, parties, which friends to invite – these were all things to stress about. Don’t worry, I’d say to myself, it will all be easier as they get older. Did I get that wrong!
In my childhood, kids’ parties were pretty modest affairs. There would be a few carefully chosen presents – nothing too grand: books, music cassette tapes, clothes – a special dress or a new pair of shoes. There’d be home-made birthday cake, lollies and sausage rolls. It would be an afternoon of hide and seek, pass the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs. We weren’t wealthy, but everyone had a great time. Parents survived with minimal hearing loss and only a small budget deficit.
Decades later, it’s a very different story. Many parents wanting to give their son or daughter that very special day can spend a fortune. I can recall one notable kids’ party that involved the construction of an outdoor fun park and a fully catered picnic with waiters and waitresses expertly avoiding a swarm of rambunctious tiny tots.
A few years ago I’d go looking for the latest Nerf Gun. Now birthdays mean I have to be cashed up, tech savvy and prepared to sign my life away on contracts.
I long tried to avoid the over-the-top party scenario, and usually managed to do so, though I have regularly succumbed to competitive pressures when it has come to birthday presents.
In an effort to get just the right thing, I’d usually end up flustered and buying way too much in some overpriced toy shop. There’d be a lot of unwrapping, but ultimately much wastage.
Times are changing. My kids are older and their birthday expectations more mature. Gone are the buckets of Lego, battery-operated toys of all types, innumerable cute soft toys or a new paint set (though my tween daughter still has an insatiable desire for art supplies). Now the demands seem to be all about IT – a new phone, tablet, laptop or gaming console. “That’s all I really want,” is the frequent refrain from my teenage son as he diplomatically draws my attention to another new piece of hardware. A few years ago I’d go looking for the latest Nerf Gun. Now birthdays mean I have to be cashed up, tech savvy and prepared to sign my life away on contracts.
I don’t dare buy clothes for my teen boy without him knowing because he is so picky and just won’t wear it if I get it wrong.
So birthday presents now involve careful research and consultation, few surprises and much capital expenditure on IT and related services. Happiness was once a pair of Levis or an Abba record. Life, as always, has moved on. My kids aren’t that materialistic. Family, friends and sport are their big preoccupations. But it’s still stressful trying to get the material side of birthdays just right.
WHO’s who in Zoo? Well, it’s not long-time and popular managing director Clint Hutchinson who is “scaling back” his involvement in the Canberra advertising agency to make room for his successor Lorinda Wyatt Hutchinson is the latest in a line of talent tip-toeing away from Zoo as founder and CEO Pawl Cubbin recalibrates the creative heart of the agency in a climate of local competition from the unflagging Coordinate, run by Jamie Wilson and Warren Apps Cubbin also has bigger fish to fry, having determinedly expanded the Zoo brand to Sydney, Melbourne and, more recently, Singapore.
“Over the past six months, Clint and I have been searching for a new managing director to join the team, as he scales back to focus on taking Fashfest and Haus Models to the next level,” says Cubbin.
Clint says Fashfest, co-founded with Swiss wife Andrea four years ago, is a project the couple plans to devote more energy to, as well as building a creative incubator that will support fashion labels, musicians and other creatives.
They also want to formally launch and fully develop Nomi (pronounced “know-me”), the new children’s label they surprised guests with on closing night at Fashfest 2016.
As well as remaining a shareholder in Zoo Canberra, Clint will also become a partner
in expanding Braddon Tailors and work on projects with his old firm until year’s end. Wyatt, who Cubbin describes as “very experienced and driven”, joins Zoo on November 14. She moved to Canberra five years ago and has South African experience with TBWA, Saatchi and Saatchi and Y&R.
LITTLE did Menslink’s CEO Martin Fisk know that one day he would get the chance to wear the clothes that got him through the ‘70s and help raise money to help young guys like the one pictured.
Clothes like the ones Fisk is seen modelling here (circa late ‘70s-early ‘80s) that his wicked staff have naughtily pasted to an email call-out seeking support to sell the final 60 tickets for Menslink’s first ‘70s Big Night Out dinner at the Southern Cross Club on Friday, November 4.
“Our target is to get 300 people along on the night. More people means more fun, more fundraising and more chance to see what this guy now looks like in 2016 –dressed as though it was the ‘70s.”
Be warned, Marty, we’ll have a snapper there.
Bookings to menslink Big Night Out via trybooking.com
BETWEEN 30 per cent and 40 per cent of seniors are experiencing or at risk of malnutrition, according to new research, with three quarters of them regularly skipping meals.
Being “too busy” was one of the top reasons senior Australians skipped a meal, with a further one in seven saying it was a hassle to prepare healthy, nutritious meals and nearly one in 10 claiming it was pointless to cook for one person.
HOWEVER, morning tea awaits any of the hungry participants in the NSW Office of Sport & Recreation/Golf NSW’s upcoming Golf for Seniors program at the Murrum -
bidgee Golf Club.
Apparently the six-week, Monday program is ideal for would-be swingers 55 and above and for $99 players get morning tea, six one-hour golf lessons, equipment, green fees and special membership offers from the host club.
It starts on November 14 and registrations are invited to: golfnsw.org/golfbox#/competition/921534/info
“I LIVE in Jerra and pick up the ‘CityNews’ quite often and I know a heap of other Jerra (and Queanbeyan) people do as well,” was how Bryce Wilson, pictured, benignly started his affable email to us.
With two elections under our ACT belts leaving some readers rocking in the foetal position sucking thumbs, the ex-teacher cheerily announced he was the Country Labor’s new candidate for neighbouring state seat Monaro for the March, 2019, NSW election and he was looking forward to the next 29 months and if we were interested in…. aarrgghh!
Come back next year, Bryce!
us for an exclusive evening
where you will hear from our very own Solo Connections representative as well as guest speakers from Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and Wendy Wu Tours who will share their latest single tours and departures with you.
Meet and mingle with like-minded travellers, learn of the exclusive deals on offer and enjoy champagne and canapes throughout the evening.
5.30PM • 17 November 2016
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Trackside, lunch-side, fun-side… Melbourne Cup day is always a great time to dress up and enjoy the moment. Whether you’re dressing for a glamorous afternoon at Thoroughbred Park or a swanky Cup lunch around the town, here’s where you need to be on Tuesday, November 1, for this year’s Melbourne Cup race day.
Take the afternoon off at the track
TAKE the afternoon off this Melbourne Cup race day and spend it at Thoroughbred Park.
“You can go to a club or pub on any race day, but if you can’t make it to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup, live racing is the next best place to be,” says Briony Young, sales and marketing manager at Thoroughbred Park.
“It’s a social day out with plenty of bars and food available, it’s great for business networking and the fashion is always on point.
“Some of our Fashions on the Field competitors travel from interstate to take part… and the horses are an added bonus, too. There’s plenty of areas to place a bet – especially for those who are new to betting.”
About 8000 punters attend Thoroughbred Park each Melbourne Cup Race Day – 1000 of those enjoy their own hospitality in marquees and functions.
The first local race kicks off at 11.36am with the Melbourne Cup
race to be aired throughout the race course and on the big screen at 3pm. The last race will be at 4.56pm.
As part of this year’s trackside entertainment two DJs will be pumping tunes throughout the day as well as local two-piece group Hold Harbour performing on stage.
Registration for Fashions on the Field will be from 12.30pm to 2pm with the men’s heat kicking off at 2.20pm and the women’s 2.45pm.
Briony says there’s plenty of safe parking and Action buses will be dropping off and picking up right outside the park.
There’ll also be a free charter service to Casino Canberra from 4pm to 7pm. Thoroughbred Park’s after-race party will be held at Siren Bar in Gungahlin.
“Get your tickets now to avoid the queues or you can get them at the gate on the day,” Briony says.
Melbourne Cup Race Day at Thoroughbred Park, Tuesday, November 1. Visit thoroughbredpark.com.au
THE Statesman Hotel, one of Canberra’s most iconic hotels, will be hosting a Melbourne Cup Luncheon on November 1, featuring swing singer Tony Haley as part of its afternoon of race-day entertainment.
“The Statesman Hotel is a suburban icon of a bygone era when politicians met for drinks and the ladies lounge was well populated, when chefs with big hats served seafood buffets and the couples danced to the Los Hermanos Quartet,” says Michelle Hood, manager of The Statesman Hotel.
“Nowadays The Statesman Hotel Terrace Lounge is a venue where you can enjoy an a la carte meal from the H2O Bistro, a bottle of wine from Henry Parkes Terrace
Bar and be entertained by the music of Tony Haley on a Thursday evening.
“Entertainer Tony Haley, known affectionately as ‘Australia’s Ole Blue Eyes’, performs the songs of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Johnny Cash, Bobby Darin and many others from that genre, with consummate style, charm and vocal ability.”
Melbourne Cup Luncheon tickets include all-you-caneat buffet, two drink vouchers and a gift bag. On the buffet menu is a range of hot and cold dishes including roasted pork belly with chilli orange salsa and fresh oysters, king prawns and baked Atlantic salmon with creamy dill mustard sauce.
Punters are also invited to dress to impress and enter the “Best Dressed” race wear competition.
“Of course, the adjoining public bar is available for all your TAB needs – a point to note coming up to the Melbourne Cup Day,” Michelle says.
She says during November and December the popular duo The Filters will also entertain in the Terrace Lounge from 5.30 on Friday evenings.
“Our bottle shop has a vast array of fine wines, Local Liquor specials and expert advice to assist you in your choices for Cup day celebrations,” she says.
“The Statesman Hotel also features 64 motel rooms tucked away amongst the leafy treetops, perfect for your visiting relatives over the hectic Christmas period.”
The Statesman Hotel, corner of Strangeways and Theodore Streets, call 6281 1777, statesmanhotel.com.au
screens featuring all the action on the day Live music from 5.30pm
Opening from 9am for a Champagne Breakfast and continuing throughout the day with pizza, tapas and specials Bookings reccommended
ENJOY good food, drink and company this Melbourne Cup race day at Social and Co on London Circuit.
Offering full race-day coverage and a four-course luncheon plus a three-hour beer and wine package with bubbles on arrival (for $120 per person), Social and Co is hoping to create a community feel for those who aren’t able to get down to the track.
“We’re hoping to put on a social event,” says Ashleigh Wood, manager.
“If you can’t get down to the races, we’re hoping to create an equally good and fulfilling day as it would be at the races.”
Happy hour prices will be available throughout the day plus a live DJ who will play tunes into the night.
Lucky door prizes and a bestdressed prize will also be up for grabs.
There will also be fashion exhibitors showing off their latest race day offerings.
The luncheon menu will include: Berto Soco fried chicken, salsa verde; fire-roasted king prawns, artichoke purée, pickled mushrooms, fried capers and micro basil; Black Angus beef fillet, served with a potato gratin, sage and smoked olive jus; and a salted caramel and smooth dark chocolate ganache tart with caramelised fig gelati.
Social and Co has also launched its latest menu featuring smaller, tapas-style dishes in its signature
Mediterranean flavours.
Social and Co’s wood-fired pizza menu toppings include Casalingo salami, fresh pineapple and jalapenos; proscuitto, gorgonzola and pear; and a garlic king prawn and chorizo.
The Melbourne Cup Luncheon is open for individual and group bookings.
Social and Co, Bailey’s Corner, corner of London Circuit and East Row, Civic. Visit socialandco.com.au or call 6247 8301.
WATCH the race that stops a nation and enjoy a delicious Melbourne Cup lunch at the Canberra Labor Club Belconnen.
With one of the largest TAB sub-agencies in operation on the day, the Belconnen club will be showing the race on all the big screens. Sweeps will also be available and a free glass of bubbly with each three-course meal purchased.
The Belconnen club will also be offering a Cup-day buffet for $49.50 per person. This will include a range of salads, mains of pesto marinated chicken breast and provencal sauce; slow-roasted mustard crusted veal, wild mushroom cream sauce; penne pasta, baby spinach and creamy seafood sauce; and sides of rosemary and garlic roasted baby chat potatoes and steamed garden
vegetables, sea salt and olive oil.
Desserts include a chef’s selection of cakes. Bookings are essential.
In addition Cup platters will be on offer; a mixed platter of grilled chicken breast, garlic prawns, German potato salad, half a lobster and hollandaise sauce for $45 per plate and a fisherman’s platter for one for $35 per plate.
The club will also put on free live entertainment and lucky door prizes.
There will also be blackboard lunch specials at the Labor Clubs in Civic, Ginninderra and Weston Creek plus all the action on the big screens at the clubs.
Canberra Labor Club Belconnen, Chandler Street, Belconnen. Visit laborclub.com.au or call 6251 5522.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Siren doesn’t stop!
FEEL like you’re part of the race day action in a relaxed atmosphere at Siren Bar in Gungahlin.
Melbourne Cup race day has become one of Siren Bar’s biggest events of the year. Opening from 9am for breakfast, Siren Bar will be running a Fashions on the Deck for ladies and men, sweeps, games with prizes and all the racing action on their big screens throughout the day.
Ladbrokes will also be on hand for online betting.
For lunch, Siren is offering a luncheon package of fresh seafood, cold meats and antipasto platter with a glass of Redbank sparkling on arrival for $75 per head. Bookings are essential.
“It’s a nice relaxed atmosphere opposed to the hustle and bustle of other places where you can struggle to get a bet on or a drink at the bar,” says Edwina Webster, business manager at Siren Bar.
“Ladbrokes will be there to help with all the online betting - if it’s your first-time experience.”
In the evening, Siren hosts the official Thoroughbred Park after-party – which will feature live entertainment from 5.30pm and meals from their full menu.
“Last year it was spectacular – it’s dancing, good
times and just a party,” says Edwina. “It’s a nice wind-down after a big day at the races and where you can find something nice to eat.”
Siren Bar, which celebrated five years in July, caters to many different function sizes right up to 120 people. With its newly renovated deckspace, Edwina says now is the time to book for Christmas party functions.
Siren Bar, corner of Anthony Rolfe Avenue and Gozzard Street, Gungahlin. Visit sirenbar.com.au or call 6162 0377.
Bread roll & butter
SALADS
Smoked chicken and mango salad, Creamy coleslaw, Greek salad, Seafood & fennel salad
MAIN
Pesto marinated chicken breast, Provencal sauce
Slow roasted mustard crusted Veal, wild mushroom cream sauce
Penne pasta, baby spinach & creamy seafood sauce
Rosemary & garlic roasted baby chat potatoes
Steamed garden vegetables, sea salt & olive oil
DESSERT
Chef selection of assorted cakes, Fresh fruit salad, Tea & coffee
$49.50 PER PERSON.
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL! SERVED FROM 12PM – 2.30PM
MIXED PLATTER $45 PER PLATE
Grilled chicken breast, garlic prawns, half lobster, German potato salad and hollandaise sauce.
FISHERMAN’S PLATTER $35 PER PLATE
Seafood fisherman’s platter for one including a seafood basket with tempura prawns and fresh oysters.
SERVED 12PM – 2PM
(No dessert or tea & coffee. Only main plate)
ADDITIONAL TAB FACILITIES IN OPERATION ON THE DAY
‘The standard has improved so much over the past five years, it’s really Melbourne standard here in Canberra now.’
FLORAL crowns will be seen atop stylish racegoers this year, predicts the sales and marketing manager of Thoroughbred Park, Briony Young, with stunning headpieces made from beautiful, real flowers sure to catch the eye and steal the hearts of Fashions on the Field’s judges.
“There’s a real celebration of spring that comes with a fresh floral crown, and they can look magnificent, as well as being unique and different – anyone who chooses to go that way will certainly be seen!” she says.
“At the same time, hats are most definitely back, and big, statement hats will look incredible with all the new trends we are seeing this year.”
The Melbourne Cup Race Day will take place on Tuesday, November 1, with Thoroughbred Park hosting festivities trackside and, as always, looking to honour the best-dressed show ponies on the day at Fashions on the Field.
Briony says that all ladies and gentlemen are invited to enter provided they adhere to the criteria required for Fashions on the Field, and that this year the categories are Classic Ladies’ Racewear and Classic Men’s Racewear.
“As always, we are expecting a fantastic turnout of fashions for the Melbourne
Cup,” she says.
“The standard has improved so much over the past five years, it’s really Melbourne standard here in Canberra now.
“We have milliners who compete here and in Melbourne for the great prizes on offer.
“It’s certainly a tough gig now, and we are encouraging all entrants to really focus on the details, as we are looking for the complete package – the nails, make-up, ensuring that the hairstyle matches the headpiece. And for the boys, the tie, pocket square. It’s all so important, so be prepared and do your research!”
Briony says the total prize pool is up to $11,000 across all categories, with prizes including a $1000 gift voucher from Jamison Travel, cash, Review gift cards, a Victoria’s Models course voucher and stylish Antler luggage.
Registrations for Fashions on the Field will be from 12.30pm to 2pm on race day, with the heats for Classic Men’s Racewear starting from 2.20pm, and Classic Ladies’ Racewear from 2.45pm.
Trends this spring include pastels, stripes and florals, says Briony, which will look amazing topped off with a real floral crown or a statement hat.
“Blue is in too, in all shades and for both men and women,” she says.
“Spring is the time to embrace bright tones and prints, although traditional black and white is always fashion no matter the season.
“And of course, confidence, poise, sophistication, class and elegance are everything.
“The magic formula is really choosing a look that suits you, that is unique to you and that is set off by the perfect accessories, be it a clutch or handbag that coordinates with your shoes and headpiece and brings the whole outfit together.”
Briony says the boys are getting really competitive this year, too, and that patterned shirts and bright ties have been recent big hits.
“A classic suit and tie is essential, and we love to see attention to detail with the boys, and in all aspects of accessories such as hat and handkerchief, which can achieve a dramatic look,” she says.
“A lapel flower looks great, but try to get the same colour as your lady’s outfit to complete the look. Matching cufflinks, ties and handkerchiefs can ensure a really special, unique look that catches the eye.”
Visit thoroughbredpark.com.au
2016
By Helen Musa
ONE of Canberra’s creative stars will be at the heart of a coming celebration of Canberra as a leadingedge design city.
With “Luminary: Remembering Robert Foster,” to be set in the ActewAGL foyer’s “Ossolites”, curator Grace Cochrane has put together 50 handmade works by the late Foster as well as his legendary F!NK water jugs, to be sourced from the public.
“DESIGN Canberra”, now in its third year, is built on the idea that this is one of the world’s most liveable cities in a celebration running over four weekends with most of its content free.
Rachael Coghlan, CEO of Craft ACT’s Craft and Design Centre, notes that last year’s nine-day event saw 26,000 people across the doors.
Intended to develop audiences, make marketplace connections and solidify the reputation of Canberra as a global city of design, it will feature more than 100 separate exhibitions and initiatives.
Julian Hobba, better known for his theatre work, has been engaged by Craft ACT as creative producer. Highlights, he says, will include visits from Filipino “Trashion” designer and installation artist Francis Sollano, director of the International Triennial of Design for Social Innovation of Liege, Giovanna Massoni, interior designer David Trubridge and urban renewal guru Marcus Westbury.
An inspired hook-up with the new Vibe Hotel at the airport will see “monumental” glass sculptures by Elizabeth Kelly and other festival events.
In a new initiative, DESIGN Canberra has invited people to open up private homes to the public and invited young creators to artists to create “little pop-ups” in their spaces.
Graphic artist Byrd will lead a tour of legal graffiti sites around Belconnen before an interactive evening of live art and paste ups at La De Da
on Lake Ginninderra.
There will be a focus on landscape architecture in the first week and a collaboration with “Contour 556”.
The Australian Institute of Architects will run bus tours of notable ACT houses and gardens and the National Portrait Gallery will host “Undercurrent” design markets, November 18-20
At the heart of DESIGN Canberra is the opportunity to visit our own leading makers in their
studios on each Saturday, when select studios will be open 11am-4pm. As well, Canberra snapper Adam McGrath has photographed local designers and makers for a signature exhibition at Canberra Region and Visitor Centre.
DESIGN Canberra, October 27-November 25, full program information at designcanberrafestival.com.au
By Helen Musa
THE cast from Canberra
Rep’s upcoming production, “Noises Off”, helped launch the 85-year-old company’s 2017-18 season at Theatre 3.
That play, by English writer Michael Frayn, may be the most celebrated farce ever written about amateur theatre, but the season launch had a touch of snazzy professionalism that augured well for the coming year of drama, comedy, thriller and musical agitprop theatre.
“Adventures of love, intense passion, intrigue, friendship, laughter and remembrance” is how Rep prefers to style the program, which begins in March with another smash hit about actors and acting in “Trelawny of the ‘Wells’” by Arthur Wing Pinero, which tells the story of a popular star of melodrama who attempts to give up the stage for love. Tony Turner will direct.
adaptation of John Buchan’s book and Alfred Hitchcock’s film “The 39 Steps”, a smash hit in several national productions of recent times, to be directed by Jarrad West, last seen directing at Rep with “Casanova.”
Next up, in May, is Arthur Miller’s searing play, “A View from the Bridge”, a drama of betrayal and immigration told in the style of Greek theatre that has been a smash hit in recent revivals. Directing for the first time with Rep is Melbourne’s Chris Baldock.
As Canberra moves into winter there will be intrigue and frenetic action in Patrick Barlow’s hilarious
Lally Katz’s “Neighbourhood Watch”, to be staged by Kate Blackhurst, is an original Australian play in which an older, widowed Hungarian émigré and a younger Australian woman are neighbours, then much more. This play is a kind of paean to suburban Australia. In “Australia Day”, Wharf Revue creator Jonathan Biggins, whose theatrical writing will also be featured in the Canberra Theatre’s 2017 season, turns his satirical eye on a fictional Australia Day organising committee. Rep regular, Cate Clelland, makes a welcome return to stage the show in November.
Readers will know that one of the peculiarities of Rep’s annual season is that it includes the first play from the next year, namely 2018. With the centenary of the end of World War I in mind, Tim Sekuless will quite literally “send in the clowns” as he stages Joan Littlewood’s celebrated Vietnam-era political musical “Oh, What a Lovely War!”
Subscription package bookings to canberrarep.org.au or 6257 1950.
THE Capital Arts Patrons Organisation’s top award, the 2017 CAPO Fellowship, has gone to multimedia artist Erica Seccombe.
Seccombe is unique among Canberra artists in working with researchers in the ANU Department of Applied Mathematics and using 3D Microcomputed X-ray technology to create her installations and use her fellowship to develop new work inspired by her recent residency at the Natural History Museum, London.
It was also announced that the Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award has gone to Ham Darroch to help fund a residency at Artsource in Fremantle.
The new $3000 Robert Foster Memorial Award, funded entirely through public donations, went to
glass artist Lisa Cahill to assist in preparing for a solo exhibition in Santa Fe, US. The full list of winners is as follows: Megan Jackson, Hannah Gason, Canberra Youth Theatre, Raquel Ormella, Tom Buckland, Maura Pierlot, Jessica Haas, Phoebe Porter, Rosalind Lemoh, Sanne Koelemij, Rebecca Selleck, Lydia Monzo & Rosanna Steven, and Julia Thwaites.
The CAPO Fellowship, with a value of up to $15,000, and the Rosalie Gascoigne Memorial Award valued at up to $5000, are funded through the sale of donated art and business items at the annual fundraiser and auction, while other awards are sponsored by businesses trading in the region.
CANBERRA School of Bollywood Dancing is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a dance and drama spectacular, “The Tale of 10 Clues”. With more than 100 dancers from three years old to 60+ taking part, it will feature popular Bollywood hits. At Erindale Theatre, Saturday, October 29. Bookings to trybooking.com
THE annual $7500 Clearwater Sculpture Prize on the banks of the Queanbeyan River is coming up (October 28 -30), along with the annual Queanbeyan River Festival on October 29 and the popular Queanbeyan Palerang Art Trail, October 30.
THE 16TH annual Russian Resurrection Film Festival will be at Capitol Cinemas Manuka, October 27-November 16, with everything from contemporary comedies to psychological thrillers. Bookings to eventcinemas.com.au
THE Pipes & Drums of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, stars of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, will perform at the Canberra Theatre with 25 musicians, dancers and singers performing in full ceremonial uniform on Tuesday, November 1. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.
THE dynamic Nicholas Milton intends to finish this year off with a bang as he conducts the Canberra Symphony
Orchestra and virtuoso pianist Kristian Chong for the Llewellyn Series “Tchaikovsky” concerts on November 3-4, featuring works by Nigel Westlake, Rachmaninov and, of course, Tchaikovsky.
IN “Death and Glory” SCUNA, the ANU Choral Society led by Leonard Weiss, will be performing Richard Maunder’s completion of Mozart’s “Requiem”. This relatively recent completion utilises all-Mozart material in terms of orchestration and recently-discovered sketches of an “Amen” fugue. At Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, 7.30pm, November 5. Bookings to trybooking.com or at the door.
CANBERRA theatre-maker Zsuzsi Soboslay has created “Anthems and Angels: The Compassion Plays”, which in part relate to the refugee condition. She’s been working with members of the local
Sudanese refugee community to develop a “joyful and thought-provoking” production. At Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre, November 2-4. Bookings to agac.com.au or at the door.
CANBERRA Wind Symphony will perform “Legally High” at the High Court, 1.30pm on Sunday, October 30. Registration to hcourt.gov.au
CORO chamber music ensemble is working with Dutch tenor Koen van Stadeon on a concert marking 400 years since Dirk Hartog’s 1616 landing in WA. “Dirk Hartog’s Playlist”, at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Manuka, 3pm, on Sunday, October 30. Bookings to corocanberra.com
THE Wesley Music Scholars’ spring concert will be performed at Wesley Uniting Church, 4pm, on Sunday, October 30. The scholars performing are Mia Huang and Emily Leong on piano, vocalists Jade McFaul, Georgia Elith and Louise Keast, and Jonathan Lee on organ. Seats at the door.
BARRISTER Tom Hughes is the greatest advocate of his generation.
In the new biography “Tom Hughes QC – A Cab on the Rank” (Federation Press, $59.95) retired reader in history at ANU, Ian Hancock, has produced a tour de force of a remarkable life that covers Tom’s wartime experiences in the RAF flying Sunderland aircraft on submarine-hunting exercises (for which he was decorated by the French government), his colourful career at the NSW Bar and in Federal politics as attorney-general.
I had wondered how a non-lawyer could handle the legal career of this highly talented and complex leader of the Bar, but Hancock has brought his skills as a biographer of notable political figures to good purpose, mastering the intricacies and atmosphere of the more notable courtroom dramas in which his subject was involved. One such case took place in the ACT Supreme Court.
This work is clearly written and captures Hughes as vividly as his portrait by Jiawei Shen on the jacket of the book. Hughes was equally at home in the High Court, or before a jury in a criminal trial but his true métier, in my opinion, was in libel cases whether before a
Canberra lawyer PETER HOHNEN reviews a new biography of the remarkable Tom Hughes
jury or judge alone, as was the case in the ACT Supreme Court, which for many years was the jurisdiction of choice for the many public figures for whom I briefed Hughes.
I instructed him in dozens of defamation cases in the ACT Supreme Court throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s and it was a unique experience to see this
Queen’s Counsel at the height of his powers.
Writing in the ‘60s, Lord Birkett (“Six Great Advocates”) expressed the view that the all-important task of a great advocate is to persuade: “Whatever the case and whatever the court, the first and vital thing is that the advocate shall know the case he desires to make with complete thoroughness. He must have a complete mastery of the facts and he must have the power to present them in the most attractive way. He must have a quick mind and an understanding heart. He must acquire in some way an insight into human nature and a natural unforced sympathy will all sorts and conditions of men. Above all, he must have what I can only call an intuitive recognition of what the circumstances of the case require as it slowly unfolds itself before the court. The other most important part of the advocate’s equipment is command of language.
Tom Hughes AO QC Legion of Honour had all of these qualities in full measure. He lives in retirement on his property near Goulburn in robust health in his 93rd year.
SMOQUE going up in smoke just goes to show that what happens front-of-house in a restaurant ain’t necessarily the real story. A restaurant can look busy but be performing badly. It can look slow but smashing it.
When Smoque in Woden disappeared, it left a big, empty space. This has now been occupied by No. 10 Restaurant + Bar. The Abode Hotel must be glad to have a new eatery up and running, for hotel guests as much as anything.
I was having a hectic day, running about doing boring chores, and felt a bit peckish so popped on over to see what the new No. 10 is all about.
The décor has been entirely refreshed. The massive outdoor area has been retained – smart move. It’s a relaxed atmosphere. Inviting but not pretentious.
I was warmly greeted by an attentive member of staff who kept their eye on me the entire time. Not too intrusive, but there when needed. I couldn’t get my head wrapped around the chicken and waffles dish even though it’s a classic in some parts of the world. This is buttermilk and bourbon fried chicken with waffles and maple aioli ($21). You gotta be ready for it.
I was tempted by the “in and out” lunch for only $15. This is chargrilled skirt steak with butter and fries. Great value and a good idea. However, the beet salad won me over.
I ordered a large version of the salad ($24), only realising there was a small option ($17) when my friendly wait staff pointed that out. Thanks!
The dish features pickled beetroots with goats curd and
The Abode Hotel must be glad to have a new eatery up and running, for hotel guests as much as anything. pickled walnuts. “Pickled” is all the rage these days in many eateries. The dish also featured micro-thin slices of radish, crunchy celery hearts and a honey vinaigrette (vegetarian and gluten free).
It looked lovely in the bowl and I enjoyed the dish overall. I don’t mind pickled fare, but it was a bit too much for my liking. I wondered to myself whether just roasted beetroot would have suited better, or perhaps a combo of roasted and pickled.
WOODY Allen has made a film every year since 1977 (“Annie Hall”). His latest unfolds among Hollywood’s people not long after movies learned to talk and hit the screen in glorious colour, using a movies-centric collection of issues and cultural practices in a community where fame once achieved depended on the next movie and wealth came to people who never appeared on a screen.
Bobby Dorfman (Jesse Eisenberg) leaves home in New York for Hollywood, where he taps his talent agent uncle Phil (Steve Carell) for a job. Success awaits him, on a modest scale. By the end of the film, Bobby is joint owner of a New York nightclub where the rich but not necessarily famous come to spend their surplus money.
Allen takes his characters for journeys among Hollywood behaviours, post-Prohibition racketeering and the so-called café society that provides an environment that feeds more on an obsession with pleasure than on social merit. His observations are perceptive and often abrasive.
It’s agreeable stuff, well-enough written and acted, with high visual values backed by a wonderful collection of songs of its time. While it’s perhaps Woody at less than his freshest, heck, he’s been generous enough to his fans to justify getting forgiveness from them.
At Palace Electric, Capitol 6 and Dendy
“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” (M)
To counteract some of the pucker power, I ordered one slice of bread with butter. A basket arrived with four pieces. It’s not that I objected to the $4 charge; it’s just that three slices had to go in the bin, which is a waste. I was dining alone, after all.
Other large plates for lunch include roast pork jowl with pickled apple (told you) and cider jus ($30), a veal schnitzel ($26) and wagyu beef ($36).
Other small plates include calamari ($18), a smoked ham hock croquette ($17) and paper-thin jamon with garnishes ($19).
No. 10 Restaurant + Bar is on Bowes Street (No. 10, as you might have guessed). It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
By Dougal Macdonald
back because they outnumber you and exhibit neither goodwill nor distinguishing marks. Call in favours from former colleagues. Exploit the corners of the military system where important information awaits discovery. Triumph over them in time for the closing credits.
As Reacher, Tom Cruise (height 67 inches, weight 150 pounds) in his low fifties still does good physical stuff. But for my money, the last role needing him to act was in “Born On The Fourth of July” (1989). The role of Maj. Turner asks Cobie Smulders to deliver physical prowess rather than complexities of character. The cinematic future of the Jack Reacher brand looks doubtful at best.
At all cinemas
“The Neon Demon” (R) ?
WHILE Nicolas Winding Refn’s third film seen in Canberra has high intrinsic values, it is not easy to categorise or rate. As well, I suspect it will appeal to a relatively limited audience. Hence a question mark rating instead of stars. The thematic focus of “The Neon Demon” is the notion of female beauty. The men in it are minor characters whose influence in the modelling game may be significant, but in the story are sideline observers.
PROLIFIC English novelist Lee Child created a minor gold mine in the character of Jack Reacher, retired US Military Police major who, on return from duty in Europe, adopts a vagrant lifestyle that finds him confronting all manner of malfeasances needing correction by a good man.
If you’re a bad guy, be afraid. Be very afraid. ‘Cos Jack’s gonna take you down before moving on to another town in another state and another bunch of bad guys. It’s what he does. It’s a dangerous existence even for a man whose creator describes him as 77 inches tall and around 250 pounds (Child has no reason to go metric).
In director Edward Zwick’s contemporary actioner, Reacher confronts bad guys in the military before joining ranks with comely Maj. Turner who accompanies him along a path where civilian bad guys are waiting to ambush him and her and also the teenage girl suspected of being his daughter. The issues are simple. Stop the bad guys before they stop you. Shoot better than they do. Punch harder than they do. Watch your
Sixteen-year-old Jesse (Elle Fanning) arrives in Los Angeles determined to become a fashion model. Her agency feels Jesse has something special, something that established models Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee Kershaw) wish they had – innocent, fresh beauty transcending the manufactured look that depends on plastic surgery and cosmetics.
Make-up artist Ruby (Jena Malone) takes Jesse under her wing in a world where exploitation threatens. Ruby’s reasons for that kindness, while not wicked, cannot achieve full bloom without Jesse’s willing participation. Ruby turns out to be no less tragic a character than Gigi and Sarah. I know of no example in literature of a lesbian resorting to necrophilia when all else has failed. The sequence is poignant, specific, yet not prurient.
“The Neon Demon” defies convention in ways which embellish its relative lack of an ongoing plot. I came away from it feeling mildly uncomfortable about what it says about beauty and the industry that feeds on women’s aspirations to possess it. Beautiful may be great while you have it but, in women no less than in men, I reckon that handsome remains after beauty has faded.
Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Restless Rams – you’d gladly trade refuge for freedom. Fortunately this week, unpredictable Uranus catapults you out of a rut and into more exciting territory. You’ll achieve more independence (in the context of close relationships) through direct and open communication. So, to keep loved ones in the loop, make sure you express your heartfelt needs and desires out loud. Singles – when it comes to love, look for someone who shakes up your life and rocks your world!
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
It’s a wonderful week to dream a big dream or start pursuing an ambitious new goal. Plus spend quality time with a loved one or favourite four-legged friend. Joint ventures and group projects are particularly favoured, as you combine individual talents for the greater good. Attached Bulls – doing something super romantic with your partner is the icing on the relationship cake. Singles – bulging biceps aren’t enough! Look for someone who you can really communicate with.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
Mainstream issues are your bread and butter as Mercury keeps you abreast of current affairs, pop culture and the latest high-tech devices. Plus Pluto steadies your quicksilver mind and helps you focus on the essentials. Your opinions will certainly chop and change as the week progresses but an authoritative air gives you extra credibility and respectability. So make the most of it. When it comes to a close relationship – get ready for a rollicking rollercoaster ride!
CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
Are you working or studying on auto-pilot? Have you got stuck in a career rut? Or are you looking for the same kind of job in the same kind of places? This week Uranus steps in and radically changes all the rules. So you need to listen to unconventional advice, and look for challenging opportunities outside your Crab comfort zone. As fashion guru (and birthday great) Anna Wintour says: “I try to remain very open to what others have to say. And it’s very important to take risks.”
LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
Luscious Lions – it’s a lovely week to make long-term plans. All types of travel are also favoured, as you extend your usual horizons and venture into exciting new territory. A combination of creativity, compassion and communication will help solve a frustrating family problem. So get into performance mode, express your true feelings (which may include some tears) and put on a good show! If you’re emotionally honest then you’ll receive plenty of sympathy from a receptive relative.
VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
When it comes to a close relationship, it’s time to blast out of a boring rut and jump into an exciting new phase. So use your imagination and think outside the box. With your power planet Mercury moving through your communication zone (until November 12) stop avoiding issues and start discussing what you really want and need. You can’t expect others to magically read your mind! For some innovative Virgos, a joint venture or creative online project has the potential to fly.
LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
With Jupiter jumping through your sign, many Librans will have attracted a lucky opportunity or generous gesture from someone special. So this week is a wonderful time to repay acts of kindness in order to balance the karmic scales. If you are attached, Uranus urges you to shake up the relationship by having some spontaneous fun with your partner. Singles – search for your soul mate outside the box. You’ll find true love is waiting where you least expect it!
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
Your Scorpio world pulsates with pent-up energy. This week Pluto suggests you release it through physical activity, while Mercury prefers a talk-fest. Either way, a much-needed respite comes mid-week, when you express your suppressed energy in positive and productive ways. Many Scorps are on a journey of self-discovery, and friends and foes are noticing. So prepare to be surprised as someone in your work or social circle makes the switch from detractor to die-hard fan.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
This week you’ll find soul-searching comes more easily than usual, as you reflect on mistakes of the past and ponder what can be done differently in the future. Sentimental solar forces work in your favour, and give you a newfound sense of self. You could also receive bonus karmic points for compassion shown towards a family member; or demonstrate uncharacteristic composure when faced with a problem. When it comes to a friend or lover, expect the unexpected!
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
All-inclusive stars demand equal treatment for everyone. So stop judging people on status and instead, adjudicate on character. You have an inbuilt sense of right and wrong, but aloofness often masks your noble intentions. This week, compassion is your secret ally as you strive to listen, learn and love selflessly. Someone you had previously overlooked could inspire you in surprising ways! As Capricorn writer A.A. Milne wrote: “Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them”.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
This week you’ll enjoy riding a welcome wave of change. Venus (planet of love, friendship and joint ventures) helps you form alliances with supportive people. While Uranus (your power planet) dares you to choose a romantic, platonic or business partner who opens your eyes to progressive new possibilities. When it comes to face-to-face communication, social media or community connections, a comment you make could cause a controversial reaction!
PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
This week’s Sun/Neptune trine is terrific for creative projects and spiritual pursuits like yoga, meditation and contemplation. You’re also in the mood to help others, as a random act of kindness shines a spotlight on your compassionate Piscean personality. Helping others will also leave you with a warm glowing feeling on the inside. A win-win for everyone involved! On the weekend you may be surprised by the actions of a work colleague or the outcome of a financial matter.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2016 Daily astrology updates at twitter.com/JoMadelineMoore
Separating from your husband, wife or partner can be an extremely emotional and daunting time. Former clients have expressed how isolating, chaotic and challenging the weeks and months after a separation can be.
Across
1 What is a large wickerwork basket? (6)
7 Name the official stamp which indicates a standard of purity in gold & silver articles. (8)
8 Which Australian sailor made a solo around-the-world yacht voyage in 1987-88, Kay ...? (6)
9 Which dish consists of eggs beaten and fried, often served folded round other ingredients? (8)
10 What are the words of a song called? (6)
11 What are tracts of land known as? (8)
14 Auguste Rodin was renowned as a what? (8)
18 Which term describes keen insight? (6)
19 What is an unexpected piece of good fortune? (8)
21 What is a child during the earliest period of its life? (6)
22 Umpires are also called what? (8)
23 Which hard substance can be deposited on the teeth by saliva? (6)
1 What do we call those who harass public speakers? (8)
2 Which term describes any peasant or provincial form of speech? (6)
3 What is a variable electrical resistor? (8)
4 That which serves as a guide in the solution of a problem is called a what? (4)
5 What is a microscopic, one-celled animal? (6)
6 Name the largest satellite of the planet Neptune. (6)
12 What might we call one who lives in the country? (8)
13 What is an unmarried woman called? (8)
15 Name an Australian rock group, formed in 1974, Cold ... (6)
16 What is an account book of final entry, containing all the accounts? (6)
17 Which person steals stock, especially by altering the brand? (6)
20 Name a club, first formed in 1931, that is dedicated to community service. (4)
Whilst, at this time it may not be a priority of yours to seek legal advice, it is imperative you do so, particularly if you have children or joint assets. Advice at an early stage from a qualified family lawyer, can provide clarity on family law matters, identify issues that you haven’t but should consider urgently, and will assist you in developing a plan to approach discussions or negotiations with your spouse.
In our free initial consultation, we offer practical guidance to our clients and offer referrals to resources available in the Canberra region.
We have agreed to divide our assets, and also have an ‘in principal’ agreement about parenting arrangements, do we really need to formalise the agreement?
We always recommend to our clients to formalise the agreement reached between you and your spouse, not only for your security, but also for cost saving purposes. For example, if you have a property registered in joint names, and as part of the in principal agreement, one spouse is to transfer their interest to the other, currently in most states and territories the individual retaining the property will be exempt from paying stamp duty on the acquisition of their spouse’s share if the parties enter into Consent Orders or a Binding Financial Agreement pursuant to the Family Law Act 1975.
For parenting matters, formalising the arrangements by way of a Parenting Plan or Consent Orders, ensures a clear understanding between parents and provides routine and stability for your children.
How can I avoid high legal costs?
At Yeend & Associates we understand that parties undergoing a family law separation will be impacted financially. If you already have an agreement we have a fixed fee option for Consent Orders some other Applications, Wills and Powers of Attorneys.
Yeend & Associates is a specialist Family Law firm located in the ACT. If you are considering separating from your spouse, or currently experiencing a separation, we invite you to schedule a free appointment to discuss your concerns and options with an experienced Family Lawyer. Please contact 02 6154 5090 or find our details at www.yeendassociates.com.au
THE magical woodland area in the front garden was the first thing that attracted garden owner and horticulturist Sarah Doyle to her rose-filled space in Latham and convinced her to buy the property three years ago, she says.
“I was lucky enough to have inherited the garden, although I have made some changes to the two side gardens and added a small amount of lawn to the front,” she says.
“I was definitely attracted to the front garden with its winding paths and English feel.”
Sarah’s colourful and scented Latham garden will be open to the public for the first time through Open Gardens Canberra on the weekend of November 5-6.
Many varieties of roses, including David Austin, Rugosa and Iceberg, fill the neat, well-structured garden with scent and colour, and Sarah says they are all about to start blooming now.
She says her love of pink, purple and blue flowers has influenced what she’s planted, as well as “architectural” euphorbias, perennials, turquoise ixia, Chinese star jasmine, honeysuckle and lilies.
The back garden is private and pretty at night, Sarah says, with black irises and impressive Mexican lilies
Words: Kathryn Vukovljak
Photos: Andrew Finch
creating interest and texture.
“My favourite spot is the side garden to the right of the house, where I tidied up the beds and defined them more clearly, and added more little spaces and secret paths to wander and explore,” she says.
With dramatic mass planting, trees, and ground cover in the front, Sarah says the garden reminds her of her childhood in England.
“I named the garden Lindsell after the village where I grew up as a little girl in Essex,” she says.
“One of the things I love most about the garden is the paths and the little areas to be explored – it’s a childhood thing, and I do explore it, every day!
“I’m always happiest in the garden.”
1 Neville Place, Latham, open 10am-4pm, on Saturday, November 5, and Sunday, November 6. Admission $8; free to under-18s and Open Gardens Canberra members. It costs $25 to join Open Gardens Canberra and gain free entry to all open gardens until August 31, 2017. Extra donations to the Soi Dog Foundation and the Voiceless Dogs of Nassau welcome.
More information at opengardenscanberra.org.au/join
SPRING blossom is a reason why living in the older areas of Canberra is so desirable with streets lined with flowering trees as opposed to the concrete jungle of some parts of modern Canberra.
We enjoy six months of flowering trees, from June to December, starting with the flowering apricot, Prunus mume
Then we progress to the flowering plums, almonds and cherries. About this time, the first of the crabapples come into blossom through September before reaching a crescendo of blossoms in October and November.
It’s impossible to pick which is the best blossom tree and I know the Japanese claim the flowering cherries are the ultimate. Certainly, anyone who has visited Japan in spring may have to agree.
As we go into November, the subtle fragrance of Syringa or lilacs fill the air.
I have been admiring a catalogue listing 14 fabulous lilacs, ranging from Syringa “Missimo”, with its rich Royal Robe purple flowers, possibly the darkest and most regal of all the lilac, to S. “Madame Lemoine”, one of the best of the whites with its double flowers.
Now’s an excellent time to select them at garden centres, as they come into flower. Lilacs like a little patience, taking two to three years to become fully established. Maybe the only way to describe them is for their entrancing fragrance.
ANYONE with a reasonable-size
garden should consider planting a Michelia figo or port wine magnolia.
I took this photo of the just emerging, velvet-brown buds last week as the days warm and, yes, the fragrance is just like a good-quality port wine.
Two other varieties to consider include Michelia yunnanensis “Paradise Perfection” and M.y. “Paradise Starlight”, which are bred by Bob Cherry, of Paradise Plants north of Gosford, from one of his planthunting expeditions in the Yunnan province of China. Both have pure white flowers with a delightful fragrance over a long period.
I recommend they are pruned after flowering or in mid-winter to keep them to about two metres tall, although they will grow to more than three metres at the expense of an abundance of flowers.
THIS is not the time to forget the wonderful range of Cornus or Dogwoods. The most popular are those native to North America and are ideally suited to our climate.
In fact, most dogwoods, similar to many fruit trees, need cold winters to flower well and like our distinct
seasons. Cornus florida “Rubra” and C.f. “Sunset” are two popular deciduous varieties with stunning pink bracts, the flowers are quite insignificant.
The Himalayan dogwood, Cornus capitata, also known as the Himalayan Strawberry Tree, is an evergreen and one of the delights in our garden. In summer the flowers start off lime green, then gradually change to a dark pink then to bright red strawberry-like fruit in autumn.
• After recent storms, it’s good to check all trees and shrubs for broken or damaged branches.
• Check out Eremophila or Emu Bush, a hardy native plant used both medicinally and culturally by the Aborigines. These delightful plants are in flower now at garden centres.
• Don’t get caught out with drying, warm winds affecting the just-planted annuals and veggies, particularly potted plants that can dry out in a couple of days.
