170831 citynews

Rising from history’s dustbin

ROBERT MACKLIN

Giving pollies a serve of their own stupidity

MICHAEL MOORE

No sex as Reason comes to the party

MIKE WELSH

Amazing plant, lots of ‘wow’

CEDRIC BRYANT

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Help for little Ruby inspires help for others

AT 12 months of age, Ruby Kerin’s heart went into failure and her family spent years going between Sydney and their home in Giralang due to the ACT’s lack of a paediatric cardiologist.

Nardia and Paul Kerin spent much of Ruby’s early years trying to keep her and her big brother Bailey amused in “sterile” waiting rooms in Sydney.

Around the age of 4, Ruby’s paediatric cardiologist began seeing patients in Canberra through the Paediatrics at the Centenary Hospital (PatCH) outpatients’ program.

When visiting PatCH, the family became familiar with the home-like items that had been donated by Sweet ChariTea, an annual fundraiser where all profits go to PatCH.

Sweet ChariTea was created after local mum Kartika Medcraft and her friends in business decided to find a way to give back to the community following Kartika’s son’s ongoing health crisis.

Sweet ChariTea event partner Belle Hogg, of Belle Photography, says the items sponsored by Sweet ChariTea, while not providing a cure or research, are there to make a miserable time a lit-

tle more bearable.

“Having comforting things around helps Ruby feel happy when she has to attend her appointments, rather than fearing them,” she says.

Inspired by the work of Sweet ChariTea, Nardia and Paul now sponsor a table at its annual high-tea fundraisers, including the upcoming one with its theme: “When you wish upon a star”.

“We also want to lend a hand to other families who are going through such a difficult time,” Nardia says.

For the Kerin family, Ruby’s illness is raw and real and ongoing. Ruby is now 6.

“It is something that she will need to live with for the rest of her life. And how that pans out is a waiting game,” Nardia says.

“The fact that her ongoing health is unknown and further surgery is likely, it becomes a big burden to carry around.

“It makes you appreciate just what you have and having a sick child puts a lot of emotional pressure on a family.

“The caring nature in which Sweet ChariTea has dealt with not only Ruby but the rest of our family all along this journey has been heartfelt and compassionate and something that we could never repay.

“Through our support of Sweet ChariTea and our sponsorship of the hospital table we want to recognise and show our appreciation, and give back, even just a little, to those wonderful people who

provide that support to families on a daily basis.”

Over the past four years Sweet Char iTea has raised about $74,000, which has gone to things such as play therapy equipment, a tympanometer for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), breastfeeding chairs, access to the Delta Therapy Dogs program for two years and multiple armchair sofa beds for parents in the NICU/PaTCH unit.

Belle says these items provide a sense of calm and safety to children in the vari ous areas of the hospital.

“[This year] funds will go towards a brand new sensory garden for the Child at Risk Health Unit,” Belle says.

“Sensory therapeutic gardens and multi-sensory experiences help children open up, engage their minds and bodies in the moment, and enable the CARHU therapists to provide intensive playbased, child-focused therapy to neglected or abused children.

“A therapeutic sensory garden will help us to establish a safe environment to allow the children and young people to build a therapeutic alliance, to heal and grow from their experiences.”

Sweet ChariTea’s “When You Wish Upon a Star” high tea, The Abbey Function Centre, Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls, from 12.45pm-6pm, September 17. Bookings via facebook.com/ sweetcharitea/

Since 1993: Volume 23, Number 32

Arts & Entertainment 19-21

Cinema 20

Dining 21

Crossword 23

Gardening 22

Horoscopes 23

News 3-9

Politics 9

Socials 10

Monroe. Story Page 7.

for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell.

CEO: Greg Jones, 0419 418196, greg@citynews.com.au

Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au

Journalists: Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au; Danielle Nohra, danielle@citynews.com.au; Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au

Arts editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764, helen@citynews.com.au

Photographer: Maddie McGuigan

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Accounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler accounts@citynews.com.au

WHEN IT MATTERS

No sex for Fiona as Reason comes to the party

SEX, apparently, no longer sells – at least not in politics. The Australian Sex Party, founded in Canberra in 2009 by local sex industry lobbyist Fiona Patten and her partner Robbie Swan, is to be scuttled and relaunched as the Reason Party.

Ms Patten, who won a seat in the Victorian Legislative Council three years ago, says the Reason Party “would have a broader set of policies to appeal to ‘reasonable’ voters at a time when politics is lurching too far to the right and the left”.

SOCIAL media is being fully utilised to get the “yes” vote message out in the lead up to the SSM postal survey. But one Canberra girl has gone the extra kilometre and may have paid a price.

“Lizzie” hit the dating app Tinder urging all her matches from the past year (about 200) to get involved and vote “yes”. But her campaign was deemed offensive to some and she woke to find she’d been blocked by the site and was under investigation. “Lizzie” says she “may have gone a bit hard” but did make some nice potential contacts in the process.

OLD school campaigning though is not dead. Gordon Ramsay, the Labor MLA not the chef, was busy selling the “yes” sizzle in

the SSM campaign from a card table outside a famous Hawker purveyor of sausages. And a creative group at a sporting trivia night “themed” their table around the “yes” campaign, also handing out information.

THE arrival of the magpie-swooping season thankfully comes with plenty of advice on how to remain safe. The ACT government website offers the usual advice from simply avoiding the area all the way through to wearing all manner of weird headwear. The top 10 tips on wikihow.com on how to keep safe from swooping Australian magpies

Does your business want to save money and be environmentally responsible?

include, depending on your dexterity, attaching a nut to a piece of string and swinging it around your head like a helicopter. But the site loses cred by debunking the trusted tip of feeding the protected birds as a method of remaining unmolested.

FEARFUL of the capital becoming the favoured choice for a run by outlaw motorcycle gangs, the Canberra Liberals are ramping up the rhetoric over a threat to public safety posed by warring local gangs. Interstate Comancheros paid a visit recently and shadow attorney-general Jeremy Hanson says the gathering could be a sign of more trouble.

Hanson says: “We now have 100 bikies showing up on a single day. This comes amid a ‘turf war’ between gangs, shootings in the suburbs and firebombing of family homes”.

CANBERRA’S a big, tough and getting tougher town, especially if you are looking for political scoops. The retiring Canberra press gallery icon Laurie Oakes told guests at two farewell functions “being a political reporter has become more difficult. It was easier when it was a smaller city and you ran into people all the time. Now bureaucrats are afraid to talk to media – that is an increasing trend”.

AS there is no acceptable collective noun for a group of writers, I’ve been forced to plagiarise from republicanism.com after a scribble/bloc/paragraph of writers hit town for the second annual Canberra Writers

Festival. Emerging authors merged with the best-sellers including Kathy Lette, Nikki Gemmell, John Safran and Tracey Spicer at dinners, workshops and discussion panels at dozens of venues across the region. For the

A LARGE contingent of Canberra’s commercial radio fraternity is heading to Melbourne on October 14 for the annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards and potentially could return with a healthy number of statues. Local personalities are up for 18 awards headed by FM 104.7’s breakfast duo Ryan and Tanya (four) and 2CC producer/presenter Eddie Williams, who is in the running for two gongs. Former Canberra sports reporter Erin Molan has also been nominated (best newcomer on air) for her weekend spot on 2GB’s continuous call team.

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

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Rising from history’s dustbin

THE Americans are getting their knickers in a terrible twist over the removal of those grandiloquent statues to the generals who sent thousands to their death in support of slavery.

And for some strange reason their President seems to be lending moral support to the fascist fringe that is protesting. From across the Pacific it all looks a bit silly. But perhaps we could take a lesson from it.

We aren’t big on statuary. There’s a few in Canberra, my favourite being that of John Curtin and Ben Chifley caught “walking” from the Kurrajong Hotel to Old Parliament House. Sydney has some pretty awful ones, mostly of Queen Victoria, but only a couple that modern Australians might find offensive.

However, our map is a horrible mishmash of place names that “honour” characters who are either already forgotten or who did things that deserve their being consigned to the dustbin of history. In fact, if you take our state capitals – mostly named for second-rate English politicians – the only one worthy of remembrance at all is Darwin!

Lord Sydney (Tommy Townsend) according to Manning Clark “scarcely rose above mediocrity”. Lord Melbourne spent half his time in parliament involved in sex scandals. Lord Hobart was just another minor aristocrat who died at 55 after falling off a horse. Adelaide was a Queen… enough said. Even Perth got its handle from a silly old buffer, Sir George Murray, briefly the Colonial Secretary, who was born in the Scottish

If you take our state capitals – mostly named for secondrate English politicians – the only one worthy of remembrance at all is Darwin!

town of that name. And he’s commemorated (outrageously!) in the name of our greatest river, which was initially named the Hume for his father by our greatest Australian explorer, Hamilton Hume.

In fact, it was Hume who persuaded the surveyor-general of the day, Thomas Mitchell, to order his assistants that wherever possible they should discover the Aboriginal name for natural features and plant that name upon them. But Mitchell spent much of his tenure back in England and underlings curried favour with their bosses by naming places after them.

One of the worst examples is Brisbane, whose namesake was one of the worst of a bad bunch of governors. He only came to work on Tuesdays. He spent the rest of the week at his Parramatta observatory naming 7385 stars in the southern sky. However, it was probably just as well, since when he did come to work he ordered hellish things done to the convicts and the Aboriginal people.

He was not alone in his attacks on the First Australians. His predecessor, Lachlan Macquarie, actually declared

war on them and the massacres that followed set the scene for a frontier war of extermination that has been deliberately hidden from our school history books ever since.

So perhaps the time has come to take another look at the map of Australia through 21st century eyes. Perhaps we could take Hamilton Hume’s suggestion to Mitchell and work with the Aboriginal people to rename at least some of the rivers, mountain ranges, towns and cities that commemorate some of the more ridiculous (and offensive) people of our past. It would, of course, be a bit controversial, but on the way we’d learn a lot about our hidden history.

And we could do it without getting our knickers in an American twist. After all, when Ayers Rock became Uluru, no Australian ran his car into a bunch of demonstrators.

robert@ robertmacklin.com

Lexi’s making sense of vulnerable Marilyn

By Kathryn Vukovljak

THE allure of Marilyn Monroe has never faded, says actor Lexi Sekuless, who’s presenting a new version of her cabaret show “Some Like It Marilyn” at Old Parliament House.

Running from September 10-12, “Some Like It Marilyn” is an updated version of the show Lexi created and performed at Teatro Vivaldi in 2010, and also as a one-woman show while working and studying in London until 2014.

“I kind of merged both shows this time, bringing in a few more quiet, reflective moments where it’s just me, to contrast with the sequins and the glamour. I love that it taps into such a golden era of cinema,” Lexi says.

“I’m fascinated by the way we hear of Marilyn from other people, and how we can never really know the truth. We all grab the bits we want from her but what is it that we keep on wanting? We’ll never know but I’m happy to pose the question.”

The cabaret show features a cast of four: Helen MacFarlane, Zack Raffan and Lexi’s brother Tim Sekuless, performing monologues as Jane Russell, Billy Wilder, Joe DiMaggio and Tony Curtis.

Lexi, 29, graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and says her interest in Marilyn comes from her days starting out as an actor and trying to get into drama school.

“I kept getting told I wasn’t vulnerable enough, and was seen as this Aussie battler,” she says.

“I’d done a stage production of ‘The Seven Year Itch’ and had seen that Marilyn was constantly vulnerable, a bit rudderless, and I started to look more closely at her work.

“As an actor I knew I needed that quality, the way she was so open and available.

“She couldn’t switch it off and didn’t have a professional version of herself, and while it

ended up being destructive it was mesmerising when captured on film.”

Exercising that muscle as an actor has been hugely helpful, says Lexi, who cites a career highlight performing in “Richard III” at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in 2013, and recently played Marianne in “Constellations” at the Street Theatre.

“Writers spend years crafting a script, but as an actor you have to be faster, to be open to the textures and sensitive to the character and the other actors,” she says.

“As Marianne in ‘Constellations’ I had to be really available to her grief and loss at having a brain tumour, and convey that without speech at times.

“It’s not necessarily a good idea to be that vulnerable in real life, on a date, or when you’re at the shops – the way Marilyn was always ‘on’. We need to have some kind of guard up and hold a part of ourselves back!”

“Some Like It Marilyn” is all Lexi’s work, but she says she feels more like she compiled it.

There are scenes from Marilyn’s films, “Bus Stop” and “Some Like It Hot”, and musical numbers, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” and “Two Little Girls from Little Rock”.

“All the monologues are mine, invoking anecdotes from people who knew her through her work or loved her, despite her career being all consuming – and how she often got in her own way,” she says.

“I like how the show has evolved since I first performed it, and how the audience experiences Marilyn through other people, the way it often was. She never speaks in the first person. And since she passed away 55 years ago, it’s the only way we can experience her.

“The show is filmographic rather than biographic because I enjoy her work, not the tabloid scandals and her private life.”

“Some Like It Marilyn”, with dinner at Old Parliament House on September 10-12. Bookings

10AM - 5PM

THURSDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2017

SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB, WODEN

Canberra’s biggest sustainability expo will feature keynote speakers, inspirational seminars, interactive and innovative workshops, exhibitors and networking opportunities.

SEMINARS FROM

TEDxCanberra

INGRID TOMANOVITS

Event Manager TEDxCanberra

Ingrid leads a small team to bring TED-like events to Canberra each year. She’ll delve into why the team made sustainability a core value and what this means at a practical level.

Telstra Small Business Women Entrepreneur of the Year

KAREN PORTER

Director Solace Creations

Karen, a multi-award winning entrepreneur shares her successes, challenges and leadership in driving energy efficiency in the Canberra climate.

IKEA Canberra

CHARMAINE HICK

Store Manager, IKEA Canberra

Sustainability is not a new concept at IKEA. Hear about IKEA’s ambitious sustainability goals and vision to create a better everyday life

BRIEFLY NEWS

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The fight’s on to get a bout in Holland

Words and photos by Rod Henshaw

ALMOST two years ago “CityNews” ran the inspiring story of local barrister Jack Pappas and his efforts to set up a boxing gymnasium predominantly to encourage troubled and disadvantaged youngsters to get back on track.

smaller exercise a couple of years ago when Jack took a team to NZ, where they won four out of the five fights on the card. Holland will be a lot tougher.

For a start, it takes money – and a substantial amount of it. To Jack Pappas, that’s just another challenge he’s prepared for.

“I’m speaking to a potential major sponsor at the moment and it looks like he’ll come on board. He owns a large construction company in the ACT,” says Jack.

Hall markets celebrate 30th

THE Hall Markets turn 30 with the promise of a big party atmosphere at the Hall Showgrounds, 10am-3pm, on Sunday, September 3.

From its beginnings with just 36 stalls and a 20-cent entry fee, the market has grown to become one of Australia’s largest home-made and home-grown goods markets.

Founder Jennie Cameron came up with the idea of the markets as a way to raise money for Hartley Lifecare (then the ACT Society for the Physically Handicapped) to help people with disabilities in the ACT.

There will be an official ceremony and the unveiling of a commemorative sign at 11am followed by entertainment, children’s activities and rides.

Medal for Su-en

For many of them, the alternative was not pretty and in a few cases a one-way ticket to life’s seedier side was staring them in the face.

Despite its still fledgling status, the Fit to Fight gym in Tuggeranong is kicking goals – or packing punches – consistent with the course that Jack Pappas carefully mapped out when he and a few like-minded mates dug deep into their pockets to financially establish the venture.

Today, his Fit to Fight gym is on yet another mission; to take a squad of up to 12 fighters to Holland in February to compete in an amateur boxing tournament. With 25 potential starters, the competition at the Tuggeranong gym right now is palpable.

It’s almost unheard of for a privately operated boxing gym to mount such a campaign but Pappas has once again called in a couple of mates to help make it happen. They include former ACT heavyweight amateur boxing champion and general practitioner Dr Marco Krukerink, who’s now back in Holland.

“He’s heavily involved in boxing over there so we have a man on the ground,” Jack explains.

“He’s keen to organise the event and he’s involved in a high-level gymnasium there, so we’ll get very good competition.”

The Netherlands’ campaign sprang from a

“He understands first hand what boxing does for people and he’s interested in putting some money into a gym on this side of town, where it’s sorely needed.”

However, it’s not a free boarding pass for the young hopefuls.

“They’re all putting in some money each month. That money goes into a trust account for every one of them.

“If they get picked for the tour, that money goes towards the fare. If they don’t get picked, then they’ve got some enforced savings for the year and they get their money back.

“So it’s a good life lesson for those who may not make it for various reasons.”

However, there’s no shortage when it comes to training and coaching expertise.

Jack has engaged Dennis Arthur as head coach, a Canberra boy who’s competed internationally as an amateur boxer.

It will be Dennis’ job to make the final squad selection and he makes no bones about what it’s going to take to board that plane to the Netherlands.

“It comes down to who wants to work the hardest. You can be the most skilled fighter in the world but if you’re not willing to train, we’re not willing to take you,” he says.

He knows the Netherlands won’t be a cakewalk and he’s making sure his trainees realise that, with a schedule that sees them training up to six days a week to reach elite fitness and skills levels.

“It will be a tough squad. One that’s dedicated and committed and 100 per cent ready.

“I’ve done a few trips like this and the only way to prepare is to leave no stone unturned.”

When Dennis Arthur hung up his gloves and took on coaching, he had his sights set high.

“I still have goals and I want to train Australian champions. I want to train fighters to go to the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games,” he says.

To Dennis, Holland is an important stepping stone to achieving those goals.

CANBERRA’S Dr Su-en Williams has been awarded the Leoni Warne Medal for the promotion of women in information and communications technology and for her work as an advocate for increasing female partici pation in STEM subjects at school. The medal recognises the contribution of individuals acting above and beyond their official employment to promote women in the ICT industry.

Hot Cats

THE Geelong Cats are going to be playing in at least two AFL finals in September and the Cats’ official supporter group in Canberra will be watching them play on a large screen in the downstairs Community Room at the Woden Southern Cross Club. All Geelong fans are welcome to share the matches. The dates and times of each final will be announced a week ahead and afl.com. au will have the dates and times. Any questions to canberracats@gmail.com

Kiss-and-tell Kevin

IN a free public event, former PM Kevin Rudd will discuss his new autobiography with journalist Stan Grant at Llewellyn Hall, 6pm-7pm, on Friday, October 27.

“Not for the Fainthearted: A Personal Reflection on Life, Politics and Purpose 1957-2007” is the first of a two-volume autobiography in which Rudd gets to his election as the 26th prime minister. His account of the nine years in Canberra leading to 2007 lays bare the inner workings of national politics. Register via eventbrite.com.au

Just winners

SONIA and Robert Holgate have been awarded Franchisee of the Year at the Just Cuts Franchise Awards during the company’s international conference in Thailand. The couple owns three salons in the ACT – Tuggeranong, Civic and Gungahlin.

Giving pollies a serve of their own silly ideas

SOMETIMES our politicians come up with silly ideas. It makes sense, therefore, to apply the same silly ideas to them. To have them walk in someone else’s shoes.

Consider just one example. It is timely to drug test our Federal members of parliament. After all, they are funded by the taxpayer and it is appropriate to protect taxpayers’ money to ensure the wisest possible spending.

This is not a mirthful matter! On the whole, it’s true that politicians work very hard. However, in some cases their work is impaired and people who are drug affected don’t work to the best of their ability.

Apparently though, drug testing can solve the problem for those who are in need of help! Drug testing, of course, includes alcohol – the most pervasive of all drugs. And certainly the most pervasive on Capital Hill, just ask Tony Abbott. It is not enough to work hard. Our politicians should also be performing at their optimum. Should we expect anything less from our taxes? Peak performance cannot be achieved with alcohol or other drug-affected brains.

Combine hard work and top performance with occupational health and safety. How could any politician argue against being tested for alcohol and other drugs when there are occupational health and safety issues at stake? The community understands the risk that drink and drugs pose to drivers, to pilots, to ship captains. Extrapolating then, as many politicians do in debate, it is clear that driving, flying or sailing the ship of government should never happen under the influence of mood or mind-altering substances.

Outrageously, some readers may ask for evidence to back these claims. Evidence! Evidence may be important in political decision making – but surely only when the appropriate evidence can be found to back up an already determined decision. Scouring the world for evidence of political decision-making regarding drug or alcohol-affected brains might be useful for an opposition member or lobbyist who wants to challenge this sort of policy. But for the decision-maker there is simply no need. Surely it is enough that drug testing our pollies makes common sense and, most importantly by far, is politically popular. What objections could there possibly be?

How could any politician argue against being tested for alcohol and other drugs when there are occupational health and safety issues at stake?

Personal freedom? Dignity of the individual? Interference with the right of a pollie to get on with their own life? To make their own decisions? To seek treatment themselves?

Objectors need to look at the full picture. Drug and alcohol testing politicians is not intended to be a punishment. Sometimes people simply can’t manage on their own. They need help. Those politicians who have a positive test will be referred to treatment, even if there is a long, long waiting list.

Treatment may not be enough. The policy will also need to garnish the vast majority of their wage so that they do not have access to taxpayer-funded cash that could be used for inappropriate purchasing of alcohol or other drugs. The system has a precedent – “welfare cards”. Government members are overwhelmingly in support of the concept as applied to others. No doubt they will have the same approach when applied to themselves! Social Services Minister Christian Porter has no evidence, no experts to support him, has not considered that there are already inadequate treatment places. This has not worried him in the parallel policy. He has already nominated trial sites. Trial sites. Where to start? Perhaps the Cabinet should be first for alcohol and other drug testing. Garnishee wages, apply a “welfare card” and provide referrals to treatment waiting lists. The Liberal backbench could be the second trial site. And then to the Nationals. Some will think drug and alcohol testing of politicians is a silly policy. But it will certainly be popular with the electorate.

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

Star producer joins ANU music school

MARK Opitz, the Aria-winning record producer and engineer who’s helped bands such as Cold Chisel, AC/DC, INXS, Divinyls and Australian Crawl, has joined the ANU School of Music as a visiting fellow.

“I know it sounds like a cliché, but my career has been so varied and full of rewarding experiences, so it’s great to be able to give some of that knowledge back,” Mr Opitz says.

“The School of Music has the capacity to produce worldclass performances. We need to learn from every side of music, because it’s a universal language.”

Associate Prof Samantha Bennett, the School’s Music Technology convener, says the school felt extremely lucky to be working with one of Australia’s top record producers.

“Mark not only has an unparalleled record in professional record production, but he is also an excellent educator. We’re all very excited to be working with him in the school’s new recording studio,” she says.

At the Belconnen Arts Centre September openings

At ‘One Night Only’ La Grange reunion,

sundayROAST

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 and call 6255 1206 between 10am and noon.

Tireless Tim Overall’s

TIM Overall may have been the last Mayor of the Queanbeyan City Council, but his passion and commitment to the newly expanded municipal region of Queanbeyan-Palerang is infectious.

Securing almost 55 per cent of the vote to be popularly re-elected as Mayor in 2012, tireless Tim’s leading an independent ticket for the upcoming QueanbeyanPalerang Regional Council elections on September 9.

“We’re philosophically opposed to political parties in Local Government. For our team it is solely about the community. Your vision, our commitment,” he says.

With an Economics Degree from the ANU and an extensive corporate background, including CEO of the NSW Ambulance Service and the ACT Red Cross, Tim is more than aware of the challenges ahead.

“With a now combined area of almost 5,500 square kilometres, a total budget of $243 million, an asset-base of $1.7 billion, and more than 500 staff, this is a critical time for our region,” he says.

“Experience and a demonstrable commitment to the area as a whole is what’s needed.

“We have to continue to build on the considerable work already undertaken on bringing us together and strengthening our ties while still embracing the diversity of our communities.”

Tim grew up in Canberra where his father, Sir John Overall, was the first Commissioner of the National Capital Development Commission, largely responsible for Canberra as we know it today. “I guess you could say town planning is in my blood,” Tim laughs.

“Certainly it was a significant part of my early life and my dad was very much a positive role model.”

Moving to Queanbeyan on meeting his journalist wife, Nichole, Tim says when he was originally approached to run for Council he did so because the city seemed stuck.

“There was no vision or plan and our city looked tired and run down. We have such a strong sense of community and yet nothing was happening to promote and build on this.”

Now he says he’s very proud of what’s been achieved in Queanbeyan in less than 10 years – and also the early positive outcomes for Palerang.

“I’ve been honoured to have been entrusted with leading our community forward,” he says.

“And having delivered or progressed virtually all our team’s previous commitments for greater Queanbeyan, the next term of Council is about expanding the view and the results.

“For me, some of the proudest achievements are our award-winning Queen Elizabeth II Park and the riverfront upgrade, the Crawford Street Lifestyle Precinct and our vastly improved local sporting facilities, from Seiffert Oval and the Riverside Stadium to the Cricket Pavilion and our soon-to-be further upgraded Indoor Sports Centre.”

“I’m also out in the wider area including Braidwood, Bungendore and Captains Flat, on a weekly basis. Residents consistently tell me how happy they are to actually see things happening – poor roads attended to, plans for town centre upgrades, attention being given to community facilities such as swimming pools.”

Always with an eye to the future, Tim already has a plan of delivery laid out.

“We’ll continue to work to fulfil the community’s vision and aspirations. Their priorities are town centre and major road network projects such as Ellerton Drive Extension, Nerriga Road sealing, and Old Cooma Road duplication.

“New and improved sports and recreation facilities including a regional sports complex are also high on the list and looking after our growing numbers of older residents with seniors’ living accommodation.

“And, as my own two sons remind me, what remains one of the community’s top priorities, the need for a multiplex cinema.”

Tim says it’s love of the community that keeps him keen.

“It is a big job and takes far more time and effort than many realise, but I believe we are making a difference and my family is 100 per cent supportive of what I’m doing, and that makes it all worth it,” he says.

“I’m also pleased that I’m being supported by a terrific team of locals, from Queanbeyan to Braidwood, who similarly want to contribute to the positive future of our greater community.

“Former Councillors Trudy Taylor and Peter Bray AM, Deputy Mayor from 2011 to 2015, are very aware of the commitment required.

“Our newer team members – Michele Biscotti, David Loft, Anthony Zakoski, John Talbot, Ashley Meyer-Dilley, Danny King, Vlado Cvetkoski and Rena Spears – will ensure we’re across all aspects from sport to business, the arts, and our youth.”

Tim Overall… “For our team it is solely about the community. Your vision, our commitment.”

WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK

Women urged: find time to put yourself first

A LARGE number of Australian women are faced with depression or anxiety, with women aged 18-35 classified as the most anxious, according to a recent study.

In the lead up to Women’s Health Week, the national not-for-profit organisation Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, released its 2017 survey, which shows about 40 per cent of women have been professionally diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

Nearly half of women reported that, on several days they worry excessively about different things, become easily annoyed or distracted, or have trouble sleeping.

The survey also illustrates a majority of women, 60 per cent, aren’t taking part in at least 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity a week.

Being too tired and a lack of time are the main barriers affecting women’s regular physical activity.

But Canberra women and women from the NT are more likely to break these barriers with more women participating in the 2.5 hours of physical activity than other states.

This year Women’s Health Week aims to break these barriers further with its motto: “It’s time we put ourselves first”.

During the five days of the 2017 Women’s Health Week (September 4-8), it will focus on heart health, mindfulness, bone health, physical activity as well as sleep and fatigue.

Women’s Health Week, in its first year, attracted thousands of women across Australia who signed up to take part in online activities, videos, resources and information.

Now in its fifth year, the event continues to gain groundswell nationally and Jean Hailes for Women’s Health provides health information and free resources to support thousands of subscribers and hundreds of local events organised by communities Australia-wide.

Women’s Health Week first began when Jean Hailes for Women’s Health realised there was no event dedicated to female health.

Named in honour of Dr Dorothy Jean Hailes, Jean Hailes for Women’s Health reflects the passion and care she brought to her career as a GP.

In 1971 she established the first women’s health clinic in Australia – one of the inaugural menopause clinics in the world – dedicated to midlife and menopause.

The week’s events in the ACT can be booked via womenshealthweek.com.au

ACT events during Women’s Health Week

Saturday, September 2

• “Healthy Morning Tea”, Curves Gungahlin, Harrison, 10am-12pm.

Sunday, September 3

• “Ride Sally Ride – Women on Bikes”, at various locations, 9am-5pm.

Monday, September 4

• “Ride Sally Ride – Women on Bikes”, at various locations, 9am-12pm.

• “Metafit Workout”, Fernwood Fitness Gungahlin, 30 Hibberson Street, 6pm-6.30pm.

• “Train Smart – Information Session and Workout”, Fernwood Fitness Gungahlin, 30 Hibberson Street, 10.30am-11.30am.

• “Health Presentations and Classes”, Curves, Cooleman Court, Weston, 7am-6pm.

• “Webinar: Mothering Without Guilt”, Esoteric Women’s Health, online webinar, 7pm-8m.

Tuesday, September 5

• “Les Mills Taster Workout”, Fernwood Fitness Gungahlin, 30 Hibberson Street, 10.30am-12pm.

• “Health Presentations and Classes,” Curves Weston,

Cooleman Court, Weston, 7.30am-6pm.

• “Women’s Health Information Booth,” Women’s Health Service, Phillip Community Health Centre, Corinna Street, Phillip, 9am-12pm.

• “Information Sessions”, Women’s Centre for Health Matters, 12pm-2pm.

• “Ride Sally Ride – Women on Bikes”, at various locations, 5.30pm-8pm.

Wednesday, September 6

• “Ninja Warrior Workout”, Fernwood Fitness Gungahlin, 30 Hibberson Street, 6.30pm-7.30pm.

• “Fuel Your Body – Information Session & Demo”, Fernwood Fitness Gungahlin, 30 Hibberson Street, 10.30am-11.30am.

• “Women’s Health Week Information Forum”, Women’s Centre for Health Matters, Tuggeranong Child and Family Centre, 159 Anketell Street, Greenway, 2pm-3.30pm.

• “Health Presentations and Classes,” Curves Weston, Cooleman Court, Weston, 7.30am-6pm.

• “Webinar – Gentle Breath Meditation Group”, Esoteric Women’s Health, online webinar, 10am-11am.

• “Information Sessions”, Women’s Centre for Health Matters, 12pm-2pm.

Fernwood puts women first

AS a major partner in Women’s Health Week, Fernwood clubs around the country will be throwing open their doors and inviting women to come in and work out for free.

Lisa O’Brien, from Fernwood Fitness, says women often prioritise their loved ones at the expense of their own well-being – but the upcoming Women’s Health Week is determined to change that.

“As women, we’re so used to putting everyone else before ourselves,” she says.

“Even just taking 30 minutes out of our day to go for a walk or read a book can seem impossible when there’s so much going on.”

Lisa says women have to be able to look after themselves before they can effectively look after others.

“It’s the classic analogy about oxygen masks on an aeroplane,” she says.

“You have to put your own mask on before you help others.

“On solid ground, that means making sure your own health needs are being met so you have the time and energy to help others.”

Fernwood’s aim during Women’s Health Week is to encourage women to put themselves first, just for a week, in the hope it will act as a catalyst for lifelong positive changes.

Fernwood Fitness, visit fernwoodfitness.com.au

• “Ride Sally Ride – Women on Bikes”, at various locations, 7am-9am.

Thursday, September 7

• “Broadway Dance Party”, Fernwood Fitness Gungahlin, 30 Hibberson Street, 7.30-8.30pm.

• “Latin Dance Party”, Fernwood Fitness Gungahlin, 30 Hibberson Street, 10.30am-11.30am.

• “Health Presentations and Classes”, Curves, Cooleman Court, Weston, 7.30am-6pm.

• “Performance Edge Physiotherapy Information Session”, Curves Belconnen, Jamison.

• “Information Sessions”, Women’s Centre for Health Matters, 12pm-2pm.

• “Ride Sally Ride – Women on Bikes”, at various locations, 6pm-8.30pm.

Friday, September 8

• “Health Presentations and Classes”, Curves, Cooleman Court, Weston, 7.30am-6pm.

• “Ride Sally Ride – Women on Bikes”, at various locations, 12pm-1.30pm.

Saturday, September 9

• “Ride Sally Ride – Women on Bikes”, at various locations, 9am-1pm.

WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK advertising feature

“Running has amazing health benefits from feeling good to feeling strong,” says long-time runner and director of The Runners Shop, Nick Walshe.

“People who run generally feel better mentally and socially, because running is also a great social activity.

“And running in a well-cushioned pair of trainers makes going for a run a lot easier.”

Runners can also look good, Nick says, with many shoe choices available so people can pick a pair they love.

“Aesthetics has become more and more important and we have a great range to choose from in terms of styles and colours,” he says.

But if the range is too confusing, The Runners Shop staff are all runners or triathletes there to provide first-hand knowledge.

The Runners Shop, 76 Dundas Street, Phillip, call 6285 3508 and upstairs 46-50 Hibberson Street, Gungahlin, call 6241 7054 or visit therunnersshop.com.au

Group fitness that supports women

THE support created by group workouts at Orangetheory Fitness is what women find motivating, says Orangetheory studio manager Pauline Blackman.

“Women love group fitness, training in a less intimidating environment and achieving results,” she says.

And, with 70 per cent of Gungahlin’s members being women, Pauline says it’s a great place to motivate each other.

“Most women lead extremely busy lives and sometimes health and fitness are last on their priority list,” she says.

“The pressure to excel at home, work and socially can be stressful. Staying fit and healthy is the best way to create balance in your life.

“[At Orangetheory] you can work to your own fitness level – there

could be elite athletes next to complete beginners in the class, because everyone’s goal is to complete the class in the way that’s best for them.”

Using a combination of cardio and weights, using treadmills, rowing machines, suspension unit systems and free weights in a 60-minute class, Orangetheory Fitness is high-intensity, low-impact interval training.

“You get the benefits of an experienced personal trainer with the energy of a group workout to motivate you along,” Pauline says.

“The music is fun, and the lights are dim and orange, which calms you.”

Orangetheory Fitness. 10/10 Gribble Street, Gungahlin. Call 6210 5010 or visit gungahlin.orangetheoryfitness.com

Exercise that fits any schedule

MANY of the women who come to Capital Nordic Walking struggle to find time to exercise on top of family and work responsibilities, says fitness instructor Kristen Pratt.

Luckily, Kristen says, Nordic Walking is one of the most convenient, affordable and fun ways to get and stay fit.

“You can walk out of your front door and do it anywhere,” she says.

“Nordic Walking is suitable for women at all fitness levels and ages – from the super-fit to those with health challenges including carrying extra weight.

“For pregnant mums it provides a great centre of balance, takes the load of knees, hips and lower back and strengthens the core and upper body and they can do it right up to delivery.

“For new mums – baby goes on the front and then on the back – no need for babysitters.”

Kristen says Nordic Walking uses

Sven’s ‘happy’ Pilates hours

Capital Nordic Walking, email hello@capitalnordicwalking.com.au, call 0499 993215 or visit capitalnordicwalking.com.au

patient outcomes

CANBERRA Soft Tissue Therapy offers a combination of therapeutic treatments and rehabilitation exercises in the clinic, to help keep clients in the best shape possible, says director Colin Frost.

“This is a multimodal clinic and together with a homecare exercise program offers the best client outcomes,” he says.

“We will first pinpoint the cause of a problem and then usually most people need to retrain an area of their body.

“We aim to identify and treat the cause in order to prevent the symptoms from returning whenever possible.”

Canberra Soft Tissue Therapy treats a wide range of acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries and conditions through services such as soft-tissue therapy, exercise physiology, cancer recovery and bowen therapy.

“But a huge part of what we do is help people understand that they need to be invested in their wellbeing and they need to do the work,” Colin says.

Canberra Soft Tissue Therapy, 6/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell. Call 5100 7307 or visit canberrasofttissuetherapy.com

AT Core Essentials Pilates in Griffith, each Pilates class is a “happy hour”, a time people can have to themselves, says owner Sven Smith. And women, too, can enjoy their own happy hour, says Sven, as the classes benefit postnatal women and women with osteoporosis.

“Senior instructor Kathy focuses particularly on women and women’s health,” he says.

“Women tend to have a lot more health issues than guys. Pregnancy, in particular, takes a huge toll on the body.

“The classes can help with bone density, strength, flexibility, blood flow, maintaining a good posture and quality of life.”

The classes at Core Essentials Pilates are small and personalised, ranging from off-the-wall Pilates, mat, men’s, circuit and reformer classes.

“Off the wall is mat work with the addition of springs,” Sven says.

“This can either assist, making the exercise easier or they increase the difficulty thus increasing the challenge.”

Core Essentials Pilates, Level 1 / 14 Barker Street, Griffith. Email admin@ coreessentialspilates.com.au, call 0410 598542 or 0488 349747, or visit coreessentialspilates.com.au

Migraine and tension headaches?

Neck and shoulder pain?

Reduced range of movement?

& PILATES

A gym should bring people life satisfaction beyond their fitness goals. Extending into an active life and a sharper, fitter mind. Giving a body the right attention can change someone’s life. At Evo Health Club we know that bodies are made to move.

• Personal One on One sessions

• Semi Private Group Training and Group Classes available

• Heated 25 metre indoor lap pool

• Spa, sauna and steam room.

true luxury at Mudd The Spa

Mudd The Spa offers five private relaxation suites, including a couples room, a custom-designed Vichy Shower wet room and relaxation lounge.

Exclusive spa treatments and rituals for both men and women including facial, massage, hot stone massage, vichy shower, performance body treatment wraps, manicure, pedicure, organic spray tanning and waxing and tinting therapies.

To book your experience phone 6162 0909 • www.mudd.com.au Located within Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit Barton Open 7 Days

WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK advertising

Empowerment through exercise

EVO Health Club prides itself on empowering women to take care of themselves through prioritising fitness, strength and personal wellbeing, says Evo’s head coach Matthew Rodgers.

“We show women the strength and fitness their bodies are capable of through expert coaching and programming,” he says.

“With the combination of a comfortable and supportive environment, we at Evo are able to bring out the best version of yourself so you can give the world your best.”

New members at Evo Health Club begin with an assessment, which touches on physical, mental and life strengths and needs, before a program is implemented.

“Women lead increasingly active and busy lifestyles which require a healthy, fit and strong body,” Matthew says.

“Women’s Health Week is a time to identify, appreciate and celebrate all that females are capable of physically.

“It is a great opportunity to start fresh with your health and make a commitment to put your body first.”

EVO Health Club, Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton. Call 6162 0808, email workout@ evohealthclub.com.au or visit evohealthclub.com.au

A place to relax and rejuvenate

MUDD The Spa believes it’s vital for women to be able to indulge themselves in a sanctuary of relaxation and rejuvenation on a regular basis, says owner Erin Barry.

“At the very core, it is essential for women to recognise the importance of always feeling your best self and living every day with confidence,” she says.

To help women feel confident, Mudd the Spa offers an array of spa treatments such as facial, massage, hot stone massage, manicure, pedicure, waxing, tinting, organic spray tanning, performance body wraps and exfoliation therapies.

“A woman must be able to take some time out to revitalise, energise and refresh to ensure a healthy state of mind, which is essential for maintaining physical, mental and social wellbeing,” Erin says.

“We feel that Women’s Health Week is a timely reminder for all women to actively reflect on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.

“The interpretation of ‘wellness’ varies among women, however, we strongly encourage women this week to indulge in an unparalleled experience of relaxation and inner calm.”

Mudd The Spa, Hotel Realm, Level B1, 18 National Circuit, Barton. Call 6162 0909, or visit @muddthespa instagram or mudd.com.au

Health practice dedicated to women

STARTING with one doctor in 2002, Women’s Health on Strickland has grown and now has two doctors, one physiotherapist, three midwives and a team of reception staff.

The practice began with Dr Elizabeth Gallagher who was later joined by Dr Omar Adham. Together they look after a broad range of gynaecological conditions such as those requiring complex surgery.

They also offer a comprehensive private obstetric practice and a service for Urodynamics studies.

“We always have midwives in the practice because we have obstetric patients, so women can talk to them any time during their pregnancy,” says practice manager Anne Gallagher.

And for pre and post-natal musculoskeletal conditions, the practice’s physiotherapist can help women with continence-related issues and pelvic-floor dysfunction.

“Most problems women experience after childbirth or through menopause can be fixed,” Anne says.

“Women don’t have to suffer in silence or put up with the problem.”

The practice’s Mona Lisa Touch treatment is a non-surgical, non-hormonal alternative to hormone replacement therapy, which since introduced over two years ago has been very successful, says Anne.

“This treatment is a non-invasive procedure for women suffering from the symptoms of vaginal atrophy,” she says.

Women’s Health on Strickland, Suite 3-7, John James Medical Centre, 175 Strickland Crescent, Deakin. Call 6282 2033, email reception@womenshealthonstrickland.com.au or visit womenshealthonstrickland.com.au

Proven long lasting results with MonaLisa Touch

Mona Lisa Touch is a non-surgical, nonhormonal alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the treatment of symptoms related to vaginal atrophy such as-vaginal itching & burning, vaginal dryness, loss of lubrication, vaginal laxity, some incontinence symptoms and painful sexual intercourse.

The benefits are:

• Low Risk with little or no side effects

• Long lasting improvements

• No recovery time, normal activities can be resumed

• Suitable for Breast Cancer patients (not suited to HRT)

WITH time-poor women in mind, CIT offers part time courses for all its health programs, says the head of department health sciences, Emily Stewart-Reed.

But for women, or men, who want to fast-track their education, CIT’s Certificate III and IV in Fitness can be completed in as little as 18 months.

“If people are passionate about helping others in fitness, they can fast-track their qualifications to become a personal trainer,” she says.

For women who want to try a new skill, such as massage, CIT has an Introduction to Massage Short Course, which is an unaccredited, commercial program.

“It’s a good taster to what it’s like to be a massage therapist,” Emily says.

“They’ll walk away with the ability to give family members and loved ones a relax massage, as well as give them an insight into what it’s like to be a massage therapist.”

Emily says relax massage has an important place in this incredibly busy world where there is constant chaos.

“Women need to take the time out for themselves because they often put themselves last,” she says.

CIT, call 6207 3188, email infoline@cit.edu.au or visit cit.edu.au

It is a five minute, pain-free procedure. For consultations regarding the MonaLisa Touch

?

Introduction to Massage Short Course In this targeted short course you will learn foundation massage skills, and try your hand at a new career in massage! Hosted over six conveniently scheduled classes, start on Tuesday 26 September (visit trybooking.com/RRWI) or start on Tuesday 5 December (visit trybooking.com/RRWR)! Book now. This is non-accredited training.

Certificate IV in Population Health (HLT46015) This course is focussed on understanding and improving health outcomes for communities by tackling risk factors for preventable chronic disease and promoting healthy lifestyle. Delivered flexibly online and via face-to-face workshops over 2 semesters part-time. Start in Term 4!

Visit cit.edu.au/populationhealth to apply.

Smoking Cessation Skill Set (HLTSS00040) - Statement of Attainment

This skill set will provide you with the ability to support people to quit smoking. Develop evidence-based strategies whilst working with public health professionals. Learn online and attend two full-day practical workshops over one term. Start in Term 4!

Visit cit.edu.au/smokingcessation to apply.

Maybe you’re passionate about helping others achieve their fitness goals?

Jump in to your dream fitness career at CIT…

Study our fast-tracked, intensive Certificate III in Fitness (SIS30315) and Certificate IV in Fitness (SIS40215) and you could become a fully-qualified personal trainer in as little as 18 weeks!

You’ll get real industry experience in CIT’s student-run onsite gym, whilst learning from experienced industry professionals! Make a difference in people’s lives and gain a trusted fitness qualification. Start in Term 4!

Visit cit.edu.au/fitness and apply now!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Dianne’s inspiration takes some poetic licence

By Helen Musa

THE annual “Poetry on the Move” summit is one of the jewels in the crown of the University of Canberra, but last year’s event has led to a unique exhibition celebrating the beauty of our city.

It’s been a good year for former UC professor and textile artist Dianne Firth, who was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday awards and now her show, “Poetry and Place”, is at the Belconnen Arts Centre.

Inspired by her love of Canberra’s landscape and by contact with poets at the university’s Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, Firth invited poets from Australia and overseas who were in town for the summit to write about the beauty of our environment.

Some of them got carried away and came up with many poems. One British poet declined, Canberra was too far from the hedgerows of England.

Firth, in turn, undertook to create large-format textile artworks titled according to the poems, using quilting, embroidery and dyeing techniques. She completed 14 in all.

“I wanted equal numbers of Australian and overseas poets that would fit the gallery space,” she tells “CityNews”.

“It had to hang together as a coherent piece.”

From Canberra, she had words by Jen Webb, Merlinda Bobis, Paul Hetherington, Subhash Jaireth, Penelope Layland, Paul Munden, Jen Crawford and Wiradjuri poet Jeanine Leane. From overseas were poems by Pamela Beasant (Scotland), Katharine Coles (US), Philip Gross (UK), Alvin Pang (Singapore) and Jack Ross and Elizabeth Smither (NZ).

After retiring as a professor of landscape architecture in 2013, Firth joined the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, where there are lots of poets.

“In seminars as people would read their poetry, I’d be ‘getting’ mood and colour and forms and shapes – their poems had a visual effect on me,” she says.

So when 2016’s “Poetry on the Move” came up, she talked to convener Paul Munden and head of research Jen Webb about the possibility of working through different media in response to the landscape in Canberra.

“As a landscape architect I see Canberra in a particular way, so I wanted to try to help other artists see Canberra.

“But I wanted to shift the focus. This is a city of design, and even Walter Burley Griffin responded to its visual and physical attributes – I told them that.

“I said to the visitors: ‘You’ve come to Canberra to visit, how did you experience nature?’ I left it with them.”

She was dumbstruck when one poet responded: “I don’t think I like this city very much,” explaining that he preferred hedgerows, gnarly trees and the patina of age.

“He was not able to see the landscape in the way I have been trained to.”

An expert in non-figurative design, she was astonished to find that the poems, when they came in, were full of people, so it was an artistic challenge to her to find “the emotional sweep that dictates colour and form and line.”

Some were clear.

Canberra, so pale and open wide gardens groomed and architecture cool, wrote Beasant, in marked contrast to Jaireth’s encounter

Everyman’s ‘History’ in the making

By Helen Musa

“EVERY man has a story” is the motto of Canberra’s Everyman Theatre – and every boy, too, if the company’s coming production of Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys” hits the mark.

“CityNews” caught up with Christopher Zuber, by day a drama teacher at Dickson College but after hours the co-director, with Jarrad West, of the show coming soon to the Courtyard Studio. Certainly, there are differences between Dickson College and Bennett’s fictional 1980s Cutlers’ Grammar School in the North Country of England, where kids don’t usually get into Oxford or Cambridge.

But there are some things in schools that never change and Zuber is right on to them.

“What inspired me was all that energy, all the banter that you get in the classroom setting,” he says.

“You don’t have to be a teacher to remember what classrooms are like.”

As for the dialogue in “The History Boys”, it’s familiar and the dynamic in the classroom is familiar, too.

“But in terms of language, Bennett’s students are so bright and so well read – it’s not so common to have that in the classroom here,” says Zuber.

There may be cultural differences, but one thing that seems very up-to-date about the Tony and Olivier award-winner, first staged in 2004, is the official obsession with the idea that education is something that is measurable – something you can do for a test.

“Bennett presents both sides of the argument, but the play also suggests something about learning that goes beyond getting into higher education,” says Zuber.

Co-directing is traditionally considered a complex affair, but Zuber says: “We are mostly both in the room and although we’ve spread things occasionally, Jarrad and I are in constant conversation with each other.

“Jarrad is more experienced than I am in the directing stuff and, as a person, he is more outspoken… I’m a bit quieter, so I think we work

pretty well together.”

Zuber is being excessively modest. An accomplished actor who has performed for Everyman and who played Macbeth for Canberra Rep, he has also done plenty of the “directing stuff”, both as a drama student at the ANU and as a drama teacher, where he is constantly on the prowl for plays with big casts.

The play is being staged in the round, challenging in the intimate surrounds of the Courtyard Studio, but this is where having two directors pays off, because both can be moving around the rehearsal room.

The auditioned cast includes graduates from the Canberra Academy of Dramatic Art and a couple of former students of Zuber’s – “a bit odd”, he says – but they are mostly not long out of school, so some can seem a lot younger.

“It’s quite a diverse, lovely young cast of energy,” Zuber says.

“The History Boys”, Courtyard Studio, September 1-16. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

with Black Mountain: It’s no Mt. Fuji the mind scoffs but my body ignores the gibe

Or the celebration in Leane’s:

Beneath this century of concrete circles/ancient eternal archives hold/ Stories, Songs, Dance, History. Some poems hit her between the eyes, but with others, she had to go away and sleep on them to get a visual form translatable into textiles.

Firth notes that in poetry there is a tradition of writing about artworks – Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” comes to mind – but she wanted to turn the concept back to front, to look at other ways of seeing the landscape of Canberra. “Poetry and Place”, Belconnen Arts Centre, until September 17.

Exciting adventures of explorer Percy Fawcett

“The Lost City of Z” (M)

A DAY of reviewing a trio of new movies all based on real characters and events began with a saga covering 20 years in the career of Major, later Colonel, Percy Fawcett and his family.

Never heard of him? I first encountered his adventures and mysterious fate in a compendium volume of adventure stories that briefly told what was known of him and his three exploratory ventures into the Amazon rainforest.

Writer/director James Gray’s film based on David Grann’s book gives what strikes me as a balanced account of his two expeditions before World War I, his experiences in France during that war and his final expedition in 1925, accompanied by his eldest son Jack.

It’s more than a “Boy’s Own” exciting story. His sponsorship by the Royal Geographic Society was a hotbed of political turmoil fomented by an overweight member who accompanied the second expedition, was sent home early, defeated by his inability to cope with the trip’s hardships and later accused Fawcett of cowardice and bad leadership.

A constant thread of the story is Nina Fawcett, who bore three children and, until her death in 1954, remained convinced that underlying Percy’s enthusiasm was a belief that somewhere in the Amazonian jungles was the ruin of an ancient civilisation. Think of Shackleton, Scott and Livingstone, drawn to unknown places

Charlie Hunnam as Amazon explorer Percy Fawcett… confronting steamy jungles and rafting along unmapped rivers with élan.

simply because they were unknown.

The film looks impressive, from England’s green and pleasant land to chaotic battlefields in France and Amazonian rainforests where indigenous inhabitants wearing very little were difficult to befriend.

As Percy, Charlie Hunnam confronts steamy jungles and rafting along unmapped rivers with élan. Sienna Miller plays Nina with intensity and conviction. Tom Holland plays Jack as an adult. And Angus Macfadyen is a credible baddie as Murray whose enthusiasm transcended his ability to endure.

It’s an exciting story told with admirably restrained credibility.

At Dendy

“Maudie” (PG)

THE environmental rigours of Nova Scotia provide the location for this biopic of a woman of indomitable spirit, courage, determination and a sweetly innocent talent for painting naïve pictures Maud Lewis’ adult life was blighted by intense arthritis. Her marriage to Everett was no bed of roses. Aisling Walsh’s film about her adult life is more than a mere potboiler, largely because of Sherry White’s perceptive screenplay that pulls no punches and takes no emotional prisoners. It’s pretty much a three hander. Sally Hawkins as Maud is

ARTS IN THE CITY

simply wonderful. Ethan Hawke is powerful as Everett, a dour, taciturn hardscrabble farmer scared to display his limited emotional depth, which goes down better with the men in the small rural community than with the women.

Sandra (Kari Matchett) who first perceived the naïve charm of Maud’s paintings using house paint on plywood panels, occupies an important place in Maud’s story.

Aisling Walsh’s recording of simple exterior vistas does much to embellish the film with a lovely visual quality for a corner of the world about which Australians may have heard but have little visual reference. And do stay for the closing credits which include authentic footage of the real Maud and the real Everett.

At Dendy, Capitol 6, and Palace Electric

“The King’s Choice” (M)

HITLER wanted Norway for its iron ore resources and the strategic bastion it offered against any possible British sea-borne return to Europe.

Norway was a democratic monarchy with a parliamentary government and a small military force. And a monarch who had occupied the throne since 1905. On April 8, 1940, Haakon VII was a 68-year-old grandfather when a German invasion fleet appeared off his country’s coast.

Director Erik Poppe applies deft skills to

staging this essentially fact-based film using a screenplay by Harald Rosenløw-Eeg and Jan Trygve Røyneland.

Haakon (Jesper Christensen) and his son Olav (Anders Baasmo Christiansen) faced a tangle of political, constitutional, diplomatic, military and family issues during the early days of the invasion. The Norwegian military had few successes against a far stronger enemy, except on April 9, when Norwegian shore batteries sank the German battle-cruiser “Blucher”.

The man whose name lives in the vocabulary as the epitome of cowardly acquiescence and betrayal to the invaders does not appear but we hear his policy statement in telephone conversations.

“The Times” of London wrote: “To writers, the word quisling is a gift from the gods. If they had been ordered to invent a new word for traitor they could hardly have hit upon a more brilliant combination of letters”. Vidkun Quisling, the Nazi puppet who served as premier during the whole of the war, faced a firing squad in October, 1945.

Events such as this film displays deserve to be remembered because to forget them is to lose sight of important historical principles. As well, it’s profoundly entertaining and, in its own way, remarkably beautiful.

At Palace Electric

Gallery’s summer gets hyper real

CANBERRA has always been strong on arts clashes and now, hot on the heels of last week’s news about “A Night in Hyperreality” during the “HYPERactive” exhibition at Canberra Contemporary Art Space comes an invitation from NGA to the launch of its summer blockbuster – “Hyper Real”, which the gallery promises will chart the evolution of hyperrealism from the early ’70s through to the 21st century. “Hyper Real” will feature the work of 30 ground-breaking artists who amplify the understanding of humanity through sculptural, kinetic, biological, digital and virtual reality representations of the human body.

OLIVER Levi-Malouf, a former Daramalan College student and prizewinning visual artist who now studies at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, has directed a timely YouTube film called “Dear Future Me – LGBT Youth Share Their Dreams” that profiles five gay youths’ positive hopes and dreams for the future.

JAZZ in Concert at the Village returns with local piano identities Wayne Kelly and Hugh Barrett playing tributes to Thelonious Monk, accompanied by Ben O’Loghlin on bass and Andrew Dickeson on drums at the ANU Pop-up Village, 7.30pm, Wednesday, September 6. Bookings to gpage40@bigpond.net.au

IN “Dreamers of the Day”, The Song Company will take audiences on a dream-like musical journey that will challenge their awareness of time, tempo and

rhythm. At The Street Theatre, 7pm, Friday, September 8. Bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

CANBERRA-raised choreographer James Batchelor and his collaborators are touring their show “Deepspace” to the Motion Festival at Bassano del Grappa, Italy; Plastique Danse Flore at Versailles and Casino Luxembourg’s Forum d’art Contemporain/Trois CL. His company will also be in residence at Theatre National de Chaillot in Paris.

SUNDAY, September 3 is rich with music:

• CLASSICAL guitarist Matt Withers will showcase his new album, “Songs of Yesterday”, at Lerida Estate Winery, Federal Highway, Lake George, 12.30-3pm. Bookings to 4848 0231.

• MOMENTUM Ensemble, powered by the Australian Youth Orchestra, will perform a free concert at the High Court at 1.30pm. Registration to hcourt.gov.au

• BLOCK Sounds recorder ensemble, directed by Robyn Mellor with Olivia Gossip, Elana Leske and Shae Leske, will perform its debut concert, “Waves in the Air,” at All Saints Anglican Church, Ainslie, 2.30pm, tickets at the door.

• SOPRANO Julia Wee sings famous Jessye Norman songs, AfricanAmerican spirituals and Lieder by Mahler and Strauss, with Lucus Allerton on piano, for Art Song at Wesley Music Centre, 3pm. Tickets only at the door.

• MARUKI Community Orchestra presents two works by Mendelssohn at Albert Hall, 3pm. Bookings to marukicommunityorchestra.org.au or at the door.

DINING / elk & pea, braddon

The gently changing face of Latino flair

I happened to order a signature dish, the ‘Huevos Rancheros’, which I loved because it satisfied my inner craving to have something super tasty and refreshingly different.

IF all goes well, Braddon will boast a new bar in September; Attic at Elk is the brainchild of Leeroy and Sophia Petersen, owners of the bustling Elk & Pea.

The couple took over the eating house about a year ago and always wondered how best to use the decent-sized space on the second level. They identified a “hole in the market” in Braddon for a beaut bar and started developing Attic at Elk. It will accommodate up to 30 and be available to book out for functions and corporate events.

But I wasn’t at Elk & Pea for a drink. I was there for breakfast, and on a typically busy Saturday morning. Elk & Pea dishes up food with Latin American flair.

“We kept many signature dishes that were selling well when we took over,” says Leeroy.

Elk & Pea... restyled, but still with a casual, friendly atmosphere.

“We removed some that weren’t selling super well and added new ones.”

I happened to order a signature dish, the “Huevos Rancheros” (Rancher’s Eggs), which I loved because it satisfied my inner craving to have something super tasty and refreshingly different.

It’s a traditional Mexican farmer’s breakfast of chorizo, beans, corn, avocado, herb crema and corn chips all topped with a fried egg ($19). I adore the combo of ingredients and the dish has bags of flavour. I find it perfect for brunch ‘cause it gets me through until dinner.

Another popular dish is the hash fritters created, as the menu promises, with a “secret in-house recipe that has won people over since the beginning”. The side of house-made chilli jam marries well with poached eggs, avo and the balanced combo of zucchini moulded with sweet potato ($19).

The “Smashed Avo and Shrooms” is nourishing. Feta and basil do a

little dance with the dish ($19). Those with a mega appetite can order “The Grande” ($25). I reckon it would take half a day to eat it. If you’re with a group, give the breakfast banquet a go, available for tables of six or more ($22.50 a person).

The coffee at Elk & Pea is good, although service here can be slow.

I’ve been on several occasions and have had my order mixed up more than once. Patience is the order of the day here.

Leeroy and Sophia were living in Sydney before making a lifestyle shift to Canberra. They discovered Elk & Pea, determined it had good structure and bones so jumped at the chance to buy it. They’ve restyled the inside and reconfigured the front but kept the casual, friendly atmosphere. I love the large outdoor area, which captures a fair bit of sun. Heaters help break the season’s icy cold.

Elk & Pea, 21 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (including Sunday nights).

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GARDENING

Amazing

“WOW” is the only way to describe the amazing Viburnum plicatum “Mariesii”.

Named after the famous UK gardener Charles Maries (1851-1902), its distinctive, layered horizontal branches of white flowers appear as if covered in snow.

Its outstanding autumn leaf display is followed by red berries that provide winter feed for birds.

One of a genus of more than 200 varieties, both evergreen and deciduous, the deciduous varieties, which mostly come from China and Japan, are the best for flowers and the evergreens come from Malaysia to South America.

ANOTHER example of the deciduous varieties is Viburnum opulus, commonly called the snowball bush due to its round, pom-pom-like, white flowers.

Flowering in late winter/spring it was a favourite in almost every garden in the older suburbs, but of late it’s out of fashion (as are most viburnums) due to the shrinking size of the modern block. However, it you have a garden in an older suburb with a Viburnum opulus, it’s worth keeping. If it looks neglected, prune back hard and you will be rewarded not only with flowers but an autumn display of reddish-purple leaves, which are followed by bright, red berries that stay on the shrub most of winter.

I have to mention Viburnum burkwoodii and Viburnum carlesii with the stunning fragrance of their pink-budded, white flowers. Actually, V. burkwoodii is a cross between V. carlesii and V. utile, providing the best of both worlds.

Viburnum laurustinus, commonly abbreviated to V. tinus, is one of a large family of evergreen viburnums and is best known as a hedging plant. It is preferable to Photinia robusta, which as the name suggests is very robust with rapidly growing, thick stems making it difficult for the home gardener to keep in shape.

V. tinus has a mass of white-tinged, pink flowers in winter and the best time to prune it is after flowering in early to mid-spring. With larger, glossy leaves is Viburnum japonicum, which is useful as a tall hedge due, like Photinia robusta, to its vigorous growth.

I AM often asked what plant I ever regretted putting in and the answer may surprise many. It’s Triteleia, or Star of Bethlehem, that pretty bulb with the sky-blue flowers. A great ground cover in spring, it smothers everything in its path, overwhelming other small bulbs and carpet thyme. It has taken me at least three years of assiduous digging to get out every bulb. Unless it’s in a larger garden with no other plants nearby, getting rid of it may involve glyphosate. I suggest this reluctantly or, preferably, the organic Slasher herbicide.

ANOTHER plant that I feel should be on the environmental weeds list is Solanum jasminoides or the potato vine. It belongs to the same family as deadly nightshade, potatoes and tomatoes. It sends out long unruly tendrils, its white flowers smell of nothing and the leaves are a dull grey-green. There’s nothing to inspire anyone to grow it. Worse still when it turns up through the fence from next door!

MOST bulbs prefer full sun, originating in the hottest areas of the world. Tulips do not come from Holland, but originate in Turkey and Turkestan, both very hot places.

They don’t like too much shade and will not flower well if in dense shade such as evergreen trees. Under deciduous trees, spring bulbs have generally finished flowering before trees are in full leaf.

WHAT plant will revel in a shady garden? For starters, shade-loving plants like a good natural mulch and what better than fallen autumn leaves rotting away? Most shade-loving plants are acid lovers, often originating in forests and woodlands. Generally speaking, Australian plants prefer full sun. Tree ferns are an exception and one only has to look at them growing in the shade on the Clyde Mountain.

TALL, shade-loving plants include Camellia japonica, (the winter-flowering Camellia sasanqua

will tolerate full sun). Daphne, rhododendrons, azaleas and Pieris or Pearl Bush are also ideal. So too Hydrangeas, Fatsia japonica and Sarcococca or sweet box, which is a real winner for its wonderful fragrant flowers.

Suitable ground-cover plants include Euonymus “Gaiety” with green marbled leaves and E. “Emerald and Gold”, with its deep-yellow leaves, provide a lift in deep shade.

Winter-flowering Bergenia cordifolia, Cyclamen hederifolium and Viola labradorica along with the wonderful range of hellebores will give plenty of colour.

The list is endless so there is no need to get depressed if, all of a sudden, the garden is ever enveloped in shade.

Shade-loving rhododendrons are surprisingly drought tolerant.

Jottings...

• A wide range of perennial plants are arriving at garden centres, many just coming into flower for spring and summer, a perfect time for planting.

• It’s not too late to dig up and divide perennials to fill vacant spots in the garden.

• Dahlias left in the ground over winter can be dug and divided now before new growth starts.

• It’s imperative to start mulching now before the heat of summer. Canberra Sand and Gravel’s Canberra Organic Mulch is a good choice.

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Rams can be a selfish lot, as you become self-absorbed with your moods, dreams and daily dramas. But, with the Full Moon and Neptune highlighting your humanitarian side, it’s a wonderful week to re-connect with others, roll up your sleeves, and help those around you. Your ruler Mars moves into earthy Virgo (from Tuesday until October 22) which will help to stabilise your fiery Aries energy. So it’s a terrific time to take a bold idea and turn it into a practical project.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

If you expect a domestic matter to proceed at a cracking pace then you’ll be disappointed. Everything will take longer than expected, as retro Mercury muddles proceedings and the Full Moon provides distracting detours along the way. And have you drawn up a wish list of your goals for the future? Remember – you can’t hit a target if you haven’t got one! On the weekend, use your earthy energy in practical ways via gardening, building, sport, exercise or exploring the great outdoors.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

After three long weeks, thank goodness Mercury (your patron planet) finally goes direct on Tuesday. Communication, conversation, business, education and travel should all gradually improve as the week progresses. But nebulous Neptune and the Full Moon could still throw some confusion into the mix! Especially involving work and/or family matters. So think before you speak and if you find yourself compelled to spread secrets – just zip your lips and say nothing!

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

With retrograde Mercury, nebulous Neptune and a loopy Full Moon, things won’t run smoothly early in the week. Especially involving communication, education, travel and/or social media. If you adapt to changing circumstances, and accept mistakes and misunderstandings with good grace, then you’ll manage just fine. Heed the wise words of entertainer Beyonce (born on September 4, 1981): “If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow.”

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Self-delusion is a danger early in the week. Plus be very clear in the way you explain things to other people, otherwise you’re likely to get your wires crossed and your true meaning will be scrambled. Then Mercury goes direct (in your sign) so communication should start to improve from Wednesday onwards. Saturday is your number one day of the week. The powerful Sun/Pluto trine boosts your Cat charisma and heightens your creative touch and/or financial flair.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

This week’s stars highlight your helpful nature and your strong desire to be of service to others. But do other people actually require your assistance? With Mars moving into your sign, be careful you’re not just being a bossy meddler. If you are too quick to critique others, then you could find yourself with a fractious friend, a cranky colleague or a livid lover on your hands. Praise and encouragement will certainly get you a lot further than criticism, no matter how ‘constructive’ it is.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Have you been burning the midnight oil and now you’re suffering from burnout? Or have you been running around on auto-pilot, making unusually careless mistakes? With the Sun and Mars both hibernating in your solitude zone (and an unsettling Full Moon) it’s the perfect week to go AWOL as you slip into hermit mode, down-size your social life, or organise a digital detox. Spending quality time on your own (for some overdue R & R) is absolutely essential at the moment.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Early in the week Neptune, retrograde Mercury and the Full Moon all shine a bright spotlight on how well you communicate with others. Especially a child, teenager, lover or friend. If you don’t take the time to really listen to what they are saying, then you’ll get your wires crossed. Saturday’s Sun/Pluto trine provides a golden opportunity for you to influence people in a powerful and positive fashion (either in person or online). Which is what Scorpios can do so well.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

A close friend or family member is looking to you for sensitive emotional support, inspirational ideas or personal encouragement. Not criticism or tactless comments. So slip on your compassionate hat and adjust your approach accordingly. Mighty Mars charges through your career zone (from Tuesday until October 22). So it’s time to stop procrastinating and instead, be professionally bold and proactive. As the week progresses, the early bird gets the work worm!

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Avoid being a gullible Goat early in the week, when Mercury is still retrograde and someone may try to pull the wool over your eyes. Stay alert. Aim to channel Wednesday’s Full Moon energy into friendships, community projects or humanitarian pursuits. But the more you dig your heels in and refuse to budge, the more frustrating the weekend will be. So strive to be flexible; keep the lines of communication open; and use your personal power in positive ways.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

This week Neptune and the Full Moon scramble your financial antennae. So it’s not a good time to borrow funds, invest, go on a shopping spree or lend money to others, as you’re liable to make financial decisions based on your emotions (which are fluctuating wildly under the full moonbeams). Saturday brings some welcome stability, when the Sun/Pluto trine ignites your intuition and activates your inner voice, and you come up with the solution to a stubborn problem.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

The planets confuse love and communication, so be careful you’re not viewing people through ridiculously rose-coloured glasses. Creative inspiration and intuitive insights are highlighted, but don’t get so carried away that you head into the realm of pure fantasy. When it comes to a major goal, are you and your partner on the same page? And, if you’re single, can you differentiate a dream date from a disappointing dud? You’ll start to see things more clearly as the week progresses.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2017

3 Name one of the

jumper. (8)

7 What, in polo, is one of the periods of play? (6)

8 Name the bundle of nerve-cells outside the brain and spinal cord. (8)

9 Name a NW Victorian town on the Loddon River, postcode 3579. (6)

10 What is the quality of being mild or merciful? (8)

11 What are pieces cut, or torn off? (6)

14 What are growths of facial hair? (6)

17 Which term describes a person who has taken flight? (8)

18 What do we call highly skilled people? (6)

19 To have stayed behind is to have done what? (8)

20 Name an essential office employee. (6)

21 What is a person or thing without equal? (8)

Down

1 Which cat is reputed to be the world’s fastest four-legged animal? (7)

2 Kiev is the capital of which E European republic? (7)

3 What are flocks of geese known as? (7)

4 Name a musical rhythm marked by frequent syncopation. (7)

5 Who tosses the coins in the game of two-up? (7)

6 What did they call the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War? (7)

11 Name a crocus with handsome purple flowers. (7)

12 What is a particular form or system of government? (7)

13 What are individual or minute parts? (7)

14 Name another expression for width. (7)

15 To make an effort, is to do what? (7)

16 What was the profession of Doc Holliday, of the OK corral gunfight? (7)

Peter, blessed with a house more roomy than he needs, came to see me about turning his downstairs area into a rental apartment.

"Tony at work said that he was planning to do this," Peter explained.

"He had been told that he didn’t have to declare the rent in his tax return and there would be no capital gains tax if he rented it for less than six years. What do you think, Gail?”

I told him the normal rule was that if part of a house was rented and normal commercial rent was charged then that rent had to be included as income in the homeowner's tax return.

"If you let the space to a family member at a reduced rent this is regarded as private use and the income does not have to be declared. However, your deductions could be limited if you let it to a non-family member at non-commercial rent,” I told Peter, who confirmed it would be commercially let.

"In that case, Peter, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) would see this as any other rental venture," I said.

"You would need to apportion all your expenses for the property and claim these against the rental income. The ATO recommends apportioning the expenses on a floor-area basis, calculating the area that is used wholly and exclusively by the tenant as a percentage of the total floor area of the house.

"You need to include garages, verandahs and decks as part of the floor area. By way of example, if the floor area of the rented part of the house is 25 per cent then you can claim 25 per cent of expenses while 100 per cent of the rent is assessable. There could be some expenses that you claim at 100 per cent, for example depreciation on the furniture in the tenanted area and separately metered electricity.”

Despite his workmate's advice, Peter said that all seemed fine, particularly if there was no capital gains tax.

“I'm sorry, Peter, you're going to have to tell Tony that he's wrong about the capital gains tax as well," I said.

"The six year exemption only applies if the home is your principal place of residence and you leave the home for six years and you live somewhere else, for example you might live overseas for this period.

"Using the example figure, only 75 per cent of the house is your principal place of residence. The other 25 per cent is rented out and is, therefore, subject to capital gains tax when you sell.

"There is also a provision in the capital gains tax legislation that states you have to get the property valued when you start to rent it. This valuation has the effect of ensuring that the capital gain that occurred before rental is always exempt from capital gains tax and it resets the cost base of the property. So when you sell it you are working from a higher cost base and, using the example figures, 75 per cent of the gain is exempt anyway.” Peter had to admit that Tony had got it all wrong and promised to come back for more details when he'd decided whether to rent or not.

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