HELEN MUSA previews the display of dresses from the hit movie, ‘The Dressmaker’
Well written, well read
Conservation chief comes out fighting DANIELLE NOHRA
Wading through the fog of ‘busy words’ PAUL COSTIGAN
Wake-up calls increase for corruption body
MICHAEL MOORE
The little darlings of Westgarth Street KATE MEIKLE Garden colour for the colder months
CEDRIC BRYANT
By Danielle NOHRA
ALMOST 20 years ago Helen Oakey decided to get off the sidelines and join in the fight for climate change.
She’s been fighting ever since and now, as the ACT region’s new executive director of the Conservation Council, she says there’s still work to be done.
“Canberra is very strong on many environment and sustainability issues but there’s still work to do,” she says.
The former Greenpeace political adviser and senior adviser for Greens ACT says she’s worked on national and international issues and is excited to now work on local issues to bring about tangible change.
“I’ve had a long interest in environment and sustainability issues so it’s really exciting to be focusing on the ACT and the ACT region,” she says.
“Combining my background in environmental advocacy and then seven years in the Assembly as a political adviser put me in a strong position to look at environmental issues in the ACT through that lens.”
Helen already has a list of things she’d like to focus on such as transport and waste, but says what’s really fundamental is getting everyone on board.
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whole community with us because you don’t achieve real change unless you have the support of both the com munity and the government,” she says.
place but you need to have all parties committed to get any long-standing change.
tainly something you want to try.”
from her time at Greenpeace was thinking about how to achieve social change in terms of how we protect the environment.
around social change: people’s beliefs, information they’re given and behav iours,” she says.
in 2001, in 2019 we’re still having the conversation of how to achieve recom mended emission reductions.
ibly sad because we should have actu ally moved faster by now.
timistic because we have a younger generation coming through that is so empowered to be heard.
“We have a generation of people who understand it better.
“Canberra is doing many things right in its efforts to be environmentally sustainable, particularly in regards to greenhouse emissions, and has a
fantastic opportunity to showcase best practice across other areas of environmental management,” she says.
“But we have more work to do. The
next challenge with emission reductions is transport, waste and gas heaters.
“Transport’s a real challenge for the
Socials 21-22
Ph 02 6189 0777 Fax 02 6189 0778
9b/189 Flemington Rd, Mitchell 2911
for election comment is taken by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell. Cover: ‘The Dressmaker’ star Sarah Snook in a dress by Marion Boyce. Story Page 23.
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ACT because it’s such a car-based city.
“It’s about getting people on to public transport or shifting people towards electric vehicles or active transport. It’s also about people thinking differently about how they get around and having flexibility.
When it comes to waste, Helen says Canberra is still challenged with getting waste to landfill down.
She says one thing we could do is stop thinking of food waste as “waste” and start seeing it as things such as scraps or compost.
Another issue she believes is important is urban heat.
“More tree cover means less urban heat,” she says.
“Increasing our urban tree cover will not only support biodiversity and connectivity, but will also improve liveability in our suburbs, especially in the context of hotter summers and urban densification.”
Continuing on in her fight for climate change, Helen says it’s an exciting time in Canberra to think about how to live sustainably into the 21st century.
“I am really looking forward to working with member groups, government and the community to harness the amazing expertise and knowledge within the Conservation Council to put forward the best options for improving sustainability in the ACT and region,” she says.
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THE Hawker shopping centre has copped another damaging blow with the firebombing of the Olive at Hawker restaurant.
The Yianoulakis family opened the Mediterranean-themed eatery in early 2017, breathing new life into the popular but dilapidated shopping precinct.
Hawker shops have been under a 2012 government installed moratorium staying a drastic redevelopment. The ACT TAB outlet has gone, Ron’s Book Shop closes at the end of April and the legendary Cookery Nook fish ‘n’ chip shop has closed suddenly. The Yianoulakis’ Mawson restaurant was completely destroyed by fire the same night.
AN uncharacteristically robust rebuke delivered by ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay has opened a Pandora’s box around the seal of the confessional. Catholic Archbishop of Canberra Christopher Prowse says despite new legislation priests would not break the confessional seal but rather “the priest hearing the confession would encourage the person to report the abuse outside the seal”.
But Ramsay, a former Uniting Church minister, hit back with: “It is irresponsible for the leader of any institution to suggest their internal rules should take precedence over an ACT law which has been passed specifically to ensure the safety of our children”.
THE stunning, three-metre high mural of
the late Canberra fashion icon John Hanna has almost disappeared from Garema Place. The work – at the front of Bible House – by local artist Christopher Toth was officially unveiled by Hanna’s wife Diana and daughter Melanie in November 2017, two months after Hanna, who dressed local men for 40 years, lost a battle with cancer.
UNTIL last week there wasn’t an Australian politician qualified to nudge Barnaby Joyce aside with the “hold-mybeer” punchline when it comes to boneheaded political judgement, arrogance and barefaced opportunism. By spectacularly eclipsing all recent gaffes, missteps and poor judgement calls by politicians, Pauline Hanson has gone straight to the top of
the political dumb-as-dog-droppings pile. An Al-Jazeera doco outed two One Nation nongs in the US approaching the National Rifle Association for millions of dollars in funds, and featured footage of Hanson discussing “questions” surrounding the Port Arthur massacre.
MEANTIME the Federal member for Fenner Andrew Leigh has taken direct aim at the One Nation founder and her twisted Port Arthur conspiracy theories. Labor’s shadow treasurer tweeted: “One of the victims of the Port Arthur massacre was Zoe Hall , a brilliant young lawyer who was my mentor at Minter Ellison, the firm where we both worked. I find it revolting to think that anyone would peddle conspiracy
theories about Aust’s worst shooting”. The tweet was “liked” by 746 and retweeted a massive 2765 times.
AND I have vague recollections of once attempting to mentor Australia’s most famous redhead in the finer points of the noble art of radio shockjockery. It was early 2012 and Hanson, momentarily bereft of a political gig, accepted an offer to co-host my drivetime show. My managers thought a stunt involving the divisive Hanson would lift ratings. It didn’t.
This snap has been photoshopped by foreign agents and will definitely be taken out of context.
STILL on the wireless and shock jock Ray Hadley has been forced to apologise to a former, longtime staffer after more allegations of workplace bullying. Producer Chris Bowen posted details on his Facebook page of “years of intense bullying”. The story was picked up by Sydney’s “Daily Telegraph”, prompting other former staffers to share their stories. The former greyhound racecaller (networked through 2CC), who has confessed to a checkered history in relation to bullying, responded to the claims with “I’m sorry for any hurt I’ve caused him”.
BUT Hadley’s mea culpa may not be the end of the matter, with Bowen tweeting: “Unfortunately for Ray Hadley and 2GB this has gone way beyond me. I’m helping a long queue of people. I will not stop.’’ SBS TV is understood to be putting together a piece on Hadley and the bullying culture that has punctuated his long career.
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Excellence in Girls’ Education Since 1965
By Kate MEIKLE
DAVID Seaton was a newborn baby when his family moved to 23 Westgarth Street, O’Connor, with his four siblings in 1950.
His dad Ray, a plasterer, and mum Vida, a Mothercraft Society baby health nurse, were the first owners of the double-brick house and joined a neighbourhood of other young families living on the street, raising their children in what was a very new Canberra.
After World War II there was an influx of immigrants and refugees from Europe to Australia, and David says he grew up alongside families from countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Malta.
“In the 1950s and 1960s life was different as a child. The children in the neighbouring houses all played for hours together, getting dirty, building cubby houses on Black Mountain, but always we were back home for dinner at 6pm,” 69-year-old David recalls.
“We used to make our own fun. If you skinned your knee, you could always go into one of the neighbours’ houses and their mother would be home to give you a Band-Aid.
“My mother used to encourage the local kids to come and play in our backyard. Her one rule was ‘no fighting’!
“With five kids in our house and four next door, people had larger families in those days so there was always a lot happening at our place.”
David now lives in Nicholls and is a meditation teacher. He and his siblings sold the family home in 2005 after Vida’s passing at 89 years of age.
“The houses in our part of O’Connor were either double brick like ours and or monocrete, which were famous for being poorly insulated. Most homes
had fireplaces in the “sitting room” and an old Metters wood stove in the kitchen where we were always found huddling together.
“All food was cooked at home, with a big contribution from our own gardens and ‘chook yard’.
“Our milk, bread and fruit and veggies were all delivered by horse and cart in the 1950s.”
Families tended to live in one home for much longer than today, so David says he benefitted greatly from growing up alongside so many children his age throughout all the phases of his childhood, attending Turner Infants School
and later, Lyneham High School.
Sixty years on and thanks to the internet (and his old pals having unique European surnames), David was inspired to reconnect with the past and create a reunion, tracking down the children of his youth. A Facebook group called Old Canberra’s Northside Group which has more than 1300 members helped spread the word.
And that led to 50 old friends from Westgarth Street and surrounds gathering in the front yard of Heather Gorter last month to reminisce and reconnect.
At 91, Heather is the last of the origi-
She is only 11 years old, but Alisha can already manage many of the maths problems and English concepts she will likely see in high school. Thanks to Kumon, Alisha now finds school much easier as her academic skills are advanced, and her confidence is high.
“At school, I find I know a lot of the stuff already, often it’s just revision”, Alisha says.
nal mothers still living in her home after 70 years and was delighted to host the grown-up children, including four of her own, at the afternoon tea.
David said that the reunion brought together people from interstate and overseas, and reflected that the grown-up children, now many of them retiring from work, had achieved a lot in their careers, such as successful lawyers, doctors and teachers. There are plans to stay in touch and get together again in the future.
“We all believe there’s something special about Westgarth Street,” says David.
“Kumon has been brilliant for Alisha” says Julie, Alisha’s Mum “I always wanted to give her the best education and teach her to work hard. Kumon has done all of that and more.”
Kumon Maths and English programs cater for children from preschool to year 12 with a daily approach to developing excellent academic skills. The Kumon Instructor will tailor your child’s study program based on their specific needs. Students attend Kumon classes twice each week and receive homework to do every other day.
There are four Kumon Centres located in Canberra. For almost 30 years, they have collectively helped thousands of students improve their maths and English abilities. Call your local Kumon Centre today to see how your child can get the ‘Kumon advantage’.
FOR residential representatives, the last few months have been very onerous due to the simultaneous release of a load of government consultation documents as well as the usual tricky development applications (DA) that need to be consumed and feedback provided.
Some inner-north residents were locked away trying to get their heads around and comment on such things as (stay with me while I list these) the latest DA for the Dickson supermarket complex, the alternative facts being released for Section 72 Dickson, DAs for Northbourne towers, the Integrated Transport Strategy, the City And Gateway Urban Design Framework, the National Capital Plan Draft Amendment 91, and let’s not forget the ACT Planning Strategy 2018 (the one with an unexplained urban intensification purple bubble).
The ACT government uses a very distinctive graphic style for consultation and strategy publications and fills them with stuff to make it
Many families will first realise that they have been ‘consulted’ when the four-storey apartment block starts o appear along their back fences.
look as though many things are happening – whereas, in most cases, it is business as usual with a few questionable decisions tucked away hoping that people won’t notice.
Which brings me to another that was released last year, being the ACT’s Housing Strategy 2018. This was the subject of the informative Canberra Conversation Lecture last month titled ACT’s New Housing Affordability Strategy – Token Response or Will It Work? – with presentations by Prof Peter Phibbs and Professorial Fellow and former chief minister Jon Stanhope.
In short, they provided evidence on the serious shortcomings of the new strategy. Phibbs also presented humorous criticisms on the style of the publication that would apply to those mentioned above.
When compared to the earlier 2007 Affordable Housing Strategy, the new one has heaps of coloured photos and loads of “busy words”. These “busy words” were described as phrases
governments use when they want to be seen as being busy whereas the reality is not much is happening or at best the bureaucrats are simply doing their day-to-day jobs.
The practice for the ACT government is to load up their publications with busy words alongside many smiling faces, “busy” graphics, happy strolling couples and others at cafes and walking through the parks (although green spaces are disappearing). Here and there they scatter a few mischievous new actions – often disguised with the use of the latest “urban-planner-speak”.
All that sums up the content of much of the ACT government’s latest scatterings of documentations. These appeared just before and during the December-January period. They required people to respond in what would be normally reasonable timeframes, except of course it was holiday time, and there were so many of the things.
The hard work being undertaken by residents was reported at community meetings across Canberra. The Dickson Residents and the Downer Association had several members who must have put in days and weeks get-
ting their thoughts down, circulating drafts for comments and then getting final versions in on time (did they have a Christmas?).
The point being made here is that the ACT government knows what it is doing when it floods the community with so many consultation and strategy documents at the same time. It knows that residents have busy lives and that the majority of individuals would not have noticed that so many wonderfully coloured and graphic-filled documents were in the public domain awaiting community feedback. As was pointed out at a recent meeting, many families will first realise that they have been “consulted” when the four-storey apartment block starts to appear
along their back fences.
The city owes a lot to the committed residential representatives who have taken the painful decision not to simply knock their heads against the nearest brick wall, but to inflict the equivalent pain by slogging away to uncover all the devilish details hidden away and then make evidence based comments. They have chosen the more frustrating and endless task of attempting to influence the multiple ACT government bureaucratic planning juggernauts. We salute you.
Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday matters.
SATURDAY 20 APRIL 2019
Your ticket to ride
Celebrate with music, live entertainment and activities for the whole family at the Gungahlin and City Termini from 9am – 4pm. For more information visit transport.act.gov.au
CANBERRA IS BETTER CONNECTED
By Rod Henshaw
WHEN we reflect on the ACT’s contribution to America’s many space missions, two names are at the forefront – Tidbinbilla and Honeysuckle Creek.
There has only been sparse mention of a third space-tracking station that shouldered much of the burden of tracking countless US space missions over almost 20 years.
Orroral Valley has been described as “The Forgotten Station”, and to most people that’s the case. But not to Canberra’s Philip Clark, who devoted a significant slice of his life to working at Orroral. Now in his late 70s, Philip is determined that the underrated facility should take its rightful place in Australian space-tracking history.
He recently published a book, “The Final Orbit”, named in honour of the last manned Apollo flight in 1975, conducted jointly by the US and the (then) USSR.
“Everybody has heard of Honeysuckle Creek and the man on the moon; it got marvellous publicity. And most people had heard about the deep space network at Tidbinbilla,” Philip Clark says.
“Very few people have heard of the Space Tracking and Data Acquisition Network (STADAN), (comprising) 14 stations around the world – later re -
duced to about 10. Orroral Valley was part of that work in the ACT.
“But again, very few people, even in the ACT, had heard of Orroral Valley.”
While Tidbinbilla and Honeysuckle Creek are relatively close to Canberra, Orroral Valley is nestled about 60 kilometres further south.
“It was a very big station,” Philip explains.
“It had up to about 13 antennas for
tracking spacecraft. It could track up to seven spacecraft at once… bigger that Tidbinbilla and Honeysuckle Creek put together.”
“Sometimes it would track between 30 and occasionally up to as many as 100 tracks a day, every day, 24 hours a day.”
At its peak, Orroral Valley had a staff of more than 200, working four shifts over a 24-hour day.
“They travelled backward and
forward in a fleet of motor cars, to the terror of residents,” says Clark.
Judging by his recollections of those commutes, they weren’t for the faint-hearted. And for much of the journey, it was dirt road after leaving the Monaro Highway.
Philip lived in Queanbeyan at the time and confesses that he was able to complete the 55-kilometre trek in just 35 minutes. “And I wasn’t the fastest,” he says.
Philip Clark’s tenure at Orroral Valley stretched from 1966, shortly after the station opened, to the end of its life in the mid ‘80s.
“The Final Orbit” comprehensively chronicles an era of space exploration and the many challenges faced jointly by NASA and its Orroral Valley associate. Little else has been done to preserve the station’s largely neglected history.
Among his fondest memories is the first flight of the space shuttle Columbia in April, 1981. Philip was at the operations console when the astronauts broke protocol by playing a snippet of Slim Dusty’s “Waltzing Matilda” as they passed overhead.
Philip treasures an authentically distorted recording of that historical event, knowing he was probably the first person on earth to hear it, albeit by just a few seconds.
So why don’t we know more about Orroral Valley and the important role it played during its two decades of existence? And why is it “The Forgotten Station”?
While Orroral Valley achieved so much in that time, it seems it wasn’t enough to grab media attention. Or in Philip Clark’s words: “It didn’t do anything glamorous. It just did all the work.”
“The Final Orbit”, published by Dreamstone Publishing.
AS a breed, we columnists tend to spend our days on the dark side. That’s where outrage lives and it makes good fodder for our regular bursts of indignation.
But there are those rare times when the sun breaks through and warms the cockles of our bleak hearts. And this, I’m happy to say, is just such an occasion.
Unlike nearly every other country in the world, we have done something so clever that it’s almost impossible to believe we meant it. But once done, we’ve fallen in love with it and right now it’s repaying our dedication 10 times over. I speak, of course, of compulsory voting. Its introduction was nothing much to boast about. No ringing phrases from some antipodean Abraham Lincoln ushered it in. Instead, voters had been so apathetic in the 1922 election that the result was a mess and they made it law in 1924 (but only for whitefellas; the First Australians were not included until 1984).
But since that time our elections have basically been decided on who controls the
Unlike nearly every other country in the world, we have done something so clever that it’s almost impossible to believe we meant it.
votes of what Malcolm Turnbull called “the sensible centre”. Some will protest that it makes election day a choice between tweedle-dum and tweedledummer. And there’s some truth to the criticism, despite the leaders protesting: “This is the most critical election in a generation” each time polling day comes around. But look at the alternative. In the US where only 60 per cent voted in 2016, the hard core from the ‘base’ elected Donald J Trump. Enough said. And in the UK, only 70 per cent voted in the Brexit referendum that just scraped through by 51.89 to 48.11 against. The remainers thought it would be an easy win and many didn’t bother to vote. So, once more, a victory for the hard-core extremists. It gets better. In addition to compulsory voting, we have a
preferential system that gives voters for the smaller parties a say – at the margins – in the final count. So everyone has a stake in the system and you don’t get the ridiculous Canadian results where a first-past-the-post system wipes out one side or the other.
Better yet, when we become disillusioned with the major parties and the extremist groups don’t fill the bill, we have an inbuilt shock absorber in the form of independents. And it’s becoming clear that our preference is for the highly credentialed women from that sensible centre – viz Cathy McGowan, Kerryn Phelps, Rebekha Sharkie and, hopefully, Zali Steggall.
And while we’re on the subject of women, the recent “Q&A” on the ABC gave just a glimpse of the many women-in-waiting to become MPs, not only from the panel but the questioners
as well. It’s a barely tapped resource, but it takes a uniquely splendid public broadcaster to reveal its national potential. So chalk up another win for Australia in the election stakes. Our system is far from perfect. We need four-year fixed terms so the government can get on with it and the opposition can have their policies ready at the starting line. And we really don’t need an English “royal” as our head of state. Happily, those days are coming to a natural close.
Meantime, we can give ourselves a hearty pat on the back. Not quite sure how we managed it, but come election time, fair dinkum, there’s no better place to be.
robert@robertmacklin.com
MARGARET and Mick
Dando, of Ainslie, are this year’s ACT Good Neighbour Award winners.
ACT Neighbourhood Watch annually makes the award to people making a positive difference to their neighbourhood; making a special effort towards people around them; offering to assist in practical or special ways or for volunteering or supporting the local community.
Margaret and Mick were nominated by their neighbour and executive director of Anglicare Australia Kasy Chambers, who said: “They are wonderful
neighbours to those in the street. They pick up parcels, meet tradies, have a chat, keep people in touch with each other, watch your house when you are away, the list goes on.
“They are also strong believers in the importance of a neighbourhood and local community and delight in living in a street with a mixture of older, younger and working residents.
“Upon noticing a number of elderly people walking in our street they put a park benchstyle seat outside their house. The seat has become used by many in the neighbourhood.
“Marg and Mick make our street a neighbourhood,” Ms Chambers said.
THERE I was, a “journalist-at-large”, invited to the Canberra Wine Week kick-off dinner. These events are reward for sharing the wine news with you, dear reader.
And Kylie was in my mind: I should be so lucky lucky, lucky, lucky... Keep going, my mind said: too much luck, not enough commitment to other than professed otherworldliness. I just don’t feel the connection to these events that a better person or wine connoisseur might embrace. Yet I felt seraphic even before I tasted the wine, as if The Boat House had transferred me to another place and angels were playing their harps – no not drunk yet, just shaky with anticipation. Anyway, the milieu of so many people with wine knowl edge and sheer ability was quite overwhelming. The Boat House food took the experience to a new level.
Canberra Wine Week starts on April 5 and wine columnist RICHARD CALVER joined an exclusive dinner to get things started.
At the dinner I sat next to Carla Rodeghiero, a long-time winemaker at her own vineyard, Sapling Yard.
Canberra wine week is April 5-14 and I acknowledge that this event was to announce that fact. The dinner foreshadowed the events to a lucky few, but the good thing about wine appreciation is that it depends more on what you like than what is necessarily good or necessarily connected to an event.
This was an extraordinary rosé, this was extraordinary company and, as I looked out at the waves on the lake smashing against the shore outside the venue, I thought about that Kylie song yet again and hummed: lucky, lucky, lucky.
I found it quite strange that Carla apologised for the state of her hands as she held them out in front of me against the stark white tablecloth, blaming vintage when those hands spoke legions of her skill, ringless and character-full. She did admit to a husband though!
I am not sure why the restaurant matched so many tomato-based, acidic flavours with this wine because it was already distinctly acidic.
Carla was effusive about this wine despite the mismatch but acknowledged that somehow matters had gone awry with the food choice.
She was very bold in her public speaking. She stood up to speak about the way she had approached the winemaking. She told us: “I tried this with 50 per cent wild ferment and then aged it in barrels
for three months. It’s 85 per cent pinot noir and 15 per cent shiraz. But to give the wine balance we put it on stainless steel ferment. In the end it has produced a savoury rosé with spice and a deep texture, unusual for this kind of wine.”
Texture is indeed a forgotten element of wine; acidity gives wine an outline, ferment a base.
These elements frame the scene for our tastebuds. We are always fighting for the balance between alcohol and sugar. Acidity cuts through fats and oils in the mouth so matching this wine with acidic vegetables was wrong. Food-friendliness should have come through the war of fruit and acid and given this excellent wine its due.
I spoke to Carla about her small but potent production. She mentioned that her tiny growing area near Braidwood was heavily populated with eucalypt saplings that inspired the name and gave her poetic inspiration and the fortitude to produce to her own standards and the exuberant and different rosé.
Goodness me, there were other wines that night. But the heady presence of this particular winemaker and a rosé that challenged the pallet was enough to make me… feel lucky
RELAY for Life team, the Bold Bandannas, will be at the Belconnen Markets to raise funds for cancer research, 8am-5pm, April 13-14. Its stall will sell homemade preserves, pickles, chutneys, lemon butter, and sugar-reduced preserves, plus a range of handsewn items, including children’s dress-up clothes, hand-knitted dolls’ clothes, beanies, scarves and other gifts.
AS part of the ACT Heritage Festival, Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre will present an exhibition showcasing the settling of the district in the 1860s and 1870s. Canberra historian Dr Barbara Dawson will open the exhibition at 11am on Sunday, April 14, which will be followed at 1pm by a fundraising concert, “A Taste of Brass”, featuring Canberra Youth Brass, Victoria Street Brass and Canberra Brass.
THE Canberra Cats, supporter group for the AFL team Geelong, is inviting fellow followers to watch the team on the big screen in the community room of the Southern Cross Club Woden over coming months. There are two matches in April, round four against GWS at 1.45pm on April 13 and round six against West Coast Eagles, 4.40pm, April 28. More details and dates via canberracats@gmail.com
By Michael MOORE
A FEDERAL anti-corruption commission is long overdue. There is more than enough evidence.
Again and again events point to the need to keep our government, our politicians and political parties in check. And the last thing we need federally is the reprehensible delays that have been witnessed in establishing the ACT Anti-Corruption and Integrity Commission.
The wake-up calls have been thunderous. Whether it is the conduct of a range of members required to pay back overuse of allowances or George Christensen spending inordinate amounts of time in the Philippines while accepting a parliamentary salary. Or perhaps Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party seeking large donations from the National Rifle Association.
One of the worst, in my mind, is the use of taxpayers’ money to run election campaigns for the party in power.
Thinly veiled government advertisements pointing out the wonderful work of the current government have been flooding the commercial television channels. Suddenly they appear. Oh! Must be election time! This is not a political party’s money. It is taxpayers’ dollars that would be better spent on health, education and infrastructure.
Or, if it comes from a marketing budget on healthy messaging around tobacco, obesity and harmful use of alcohol.
Make no mistake, this behaviour corrupts our political system, our democracy. As such, it looks to me like corrupt behaviour. Using public money to improve a political party’s (or parties’) chances of being re-elected is inappropriate, immoral and is likely to be judged as corrupt. However, this should not be just a matter of opinion. An ICAC can gather evidence, make a judgement and take an appropriate course of action.
Investigations into corrupt behaviours have rarely come up empty-handed. However, there are protections in place as their findings have sometimes been challenged in the court. Ironically, the man who established the
anti-corruption commission in NSW was former premier Nick Greiner who successfully challenged a finding in his own case.
On the surface, the 28 trips to the Philippines that George Christensen undertook in one year while on a parliamentary salary seems unconscionable. Even staying for, using an average of three days a trip, would have amounted to around three months away. In one year! How would a Federal ICAC have viewed this?
When Finance Minister Mathias Cormann accepted $2700 in flights to Singapore that had been covered by travel agent Helloworld but “not considered free” was he acting inappropriately or (more likely) carelessly? He did repay the money as soon as he was made aware by the media. However, Helloworld does have government contracts and the chief executive of Helloworld is Federal Liberal Party treasurer, Andrew Burnes. A proper investigation would have been appropriate.
One Nation’s Mark Latham accuses Al Jazeera journalists of entrapment techniques when they exposed One Nation’s attempts to seek foreign donations from the gun lobby in the US – and specifically from the despicable National Rifle Association. Footage demonstrated promises of trading-off Australian gun laws for foreign donations. Donations to political parties might also be a source of corruption. They buy access for some. Look at the influence in the past of big tobacco and now the alcohol industry, along with mining and energy companies. Political donations provide an advantage for some businesses and individuals. At what point does this influence shift from support for a political party to underpinning corrupt decisions?
Ordinary people don’t have all of the information and ought not to decide what is or what is not corrupt behaviour. Nor should it be the role of the media. However, it is reasonable for them to demand the establishment of an Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.
By Helen Musa
AT 95 and with a twinkle in the eye, you get the impression that master designer and architect Derek Wrigley is just as sharp as he was on the day in 1957 when he was hired by legendary Australian furniture maker Fred Ward.
He was joining the Design Unit at the fledgling Australian National University, the only one in the country to have such a unit.
In 1965, Wrigley would travel around the world and find that it was still unique. Alas, the unit no longer exists, but its work is chronicled in a new exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery curated by the ANU Heritage Unit’s Jack Dunstan titled “Total Design: Derek Wrigley and the ANU Design Unit 1954-1977”.
Wrigley recalls the heady days when the ANU was governed by people who were equally good at bean-counting and original thinking, people such as chancellor HC (“Nugget”) Coombs, registrar Ross Hohnen and bursar William Hamilton.
Acting under instructions from Prime Minister Robert Menzies, who had charged them with merging the research schools with the undergraduate Canberra University College, they conceived the university as a quintes -
sentially modern beacon of secular, democratic, yet elite study.
To that end, it was decided all aspects of university planning should be integrated. This was grist to the mill to Wrigley, a young English migrant who had graduated with a diploma of architecture from the College of Art and Design in Manchester under a professor trained in the modernist Bauhaus movement, which had seen architecture and design as a totality, not separate bits.
Ward, as head of the design unit, had been charged with designing fur-
niture and other objects for University House that would seamlessly extend the architecture of Brian Lewis into its furnishings.
But charged with designing student residences and stack chairs, library card filing systems, objects any other university would have bought at a shop, Ward needed help, so eventually there were 13 people on staff, including German cabinet maker Hans Pillig, who had come here as part of an AV Jennings initiative when it was discovered there weren’t enough tradesmen in Canberra.
chitecture, interior design, furniture, landscape, graphics and site signage.
In the new exhibition, designs, objects, photos and plans illustrate how closely the designers worked together with the architects, devising varying furniture arrangements for student residences, for instance.
A unique collaboration between town and gown saw Wrigley permitted a measure of personal practice, so while still working at the ANU, he worked with the National Capital Development Commission and designed and made candelabra for St David’s Church at Red Hill.
On his retirement from the university in 1977, he continued his private practice. He restored Byrne’s Flour Mill in Queanbeyan, founded Technical Aid to the Disabled (ACT Region), built two solar experimental houses in Burra, retro-fitted an existing house in Mawson and designed half the furniture and the copper coat of arms in Court 3 for the High Court of Australia.
The exhibition accompanies the launch of his latest book, published by ANU Press, “Derek Wrigley: The ANU Design Unit 1954-1977: Design Awareness in the Modern University.”
Still firm in his opinions, Wrigley is adamant that “design and art are not the same things”.
Wrigley says he and Ward always focused on the idea of timelessness in line, strength and form, evident in the luxurious, scientifically-designed seats for the Australian Academy of Science’s Shine Dome. “They’re mine,” Wrigley says with a touch of pride.
“Total Design: Derek Wrigley and the ANU Design Unit 1954-1977,” Canberra Museum and Gallery, until June 15.
HOME is many things to many people.
To some it’s not only a place where they sleep, eat and relax but it’s also a place where they work. For others it’s a space where parents play with, nurture and feed young children.
For older children or mature students, home could double as a study. Or, it simply might be a place to get creative, whether that be in the kitchen or a home studio.
No matter what it is, “CityNews” speaks with experts passionate about making anybody’s dream home a reality.
Fay has HiFi equipment for any home
WHETHER people are downsizing, building or renovating, Duratone HiFi has audio equipment to fit any home, says owner Fay Cull.
“If people plan to stay in their home for a while we have good-quality equipment for in the wall or the ceiling,” she says.
“Or if people are extending their homes, we can help them with equipment for a dedicated music room.
“It’s good to bring in the building plans before you put in the gyprock because it’ll save you a lot of time, energy and effort. We can co-operate with the architect for a good result all round.”
When people buy products from Duratone HiFi, Fay says they’re buying products which will stand the test of time and won’t be superseded next month.
“People often bring back equipment from up to 50 years ago and it’s still of good quality so they bring it in for repairs,” she says.
“If they have working equipment we are happy to accept it, or we can do a trade-in if it’s equipment we’ve sold in the past.”
As well as matching equipment so it fits into certain homes Fay says Duratone HiFi caters for all budgets and will always show the best-quality equipment within someone’s budget.
Duratone HiFi, corner of Botany Street and Altree Court, Phillip. Call 6282 1333 or visit duratone.com.au
Ex-Government Furniture’s Taylor Radnell, left, and James Fullerton.
WHEN thinking of a dream home, people often put a lot of effort into the living room or the dining room but they forget about the study, says Ex-Government Furniture owner James Fullerton.
study?” he says.
arm chairs, which James says were designed for the professors at Oxford University.
the study and James says they recently got in some unique, organic-shaped designer couches by Ron Arad.
“If you’ve got a dream home and a dream living room, then this is an exceptional, unique piece for it,” he says.
and get here.”
Ex-Government Furniture, 6 Yallourn Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6490 or visit exgovfurniture.com
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WHETHER it’s building a dream home from scratch or refreshing a home with renovations, the family-run business Bordeaux Construction and Management treats every project they do as a “dream” project, says project manager Michael Milutinovic.
“Everything we deliver is a highquality product that we can stand by for the long term because our reputation and our clients’ needs are very important to us,” he says.
“We only ever use premium subcontractors and premium products.
“When a client comes in with a vision in mind we work with them step-by-step, from the beginning to hand over, to meet all their requests.”
OWNER Jason Duncan, of Duncan’s Plumbing, and his team of office and trades staff promise to deliver the best plumbing in Canberra.
Boasting a skilled team, a range of top-of-the-line equipment, dedicated vehicles and a workshop test bay customised for fault testing, Duncan’s Plumbing offers a huge array of services for the region.
“We are licensed for both the ACT and NSW, and our tradesmen in the field are in constant contact via mobile and an internet-based SMS service, providing you with flexible, reliable assistance at need,” he says.
“Our maintenance services include all plumbing and draining.
“We also install all manner of appliances (gas, electrical, tapware, hot water systems, toilets and more), perform backflow prevention testing, service thermostatic mixing valves, and certify, fix, install and repair all gas units.”
Duncan’s Plumbing has been in business for more than 40 years and has been servicing the region for more than 20.
Duncan’s Plumbing, 1/9 Page Place, Page. Call 6254 5678, email office@ duncansplumbing.com.au or visit duncansplumbing.com.au
Michael, who holds an unrestricted, A-class builder’s licence, has been involved in the family business for two years but has more than 10 years’ experience in the construction industry in Canberra and Sydney.
What he likes about Bordeaux Construction and Management is that there’s always a point of contact.
“Clients always feel that their project is prioritised and they often say they like the personal relationship we build on throughout the process,” he says.
He says they get a lot of referrals for this reason, too.
“Our ultimate goal is always constructing their dream project at
IT can be hard to find a piece of furniture that fits, which is why Timberland Furniture in Fyshwick customises any of its furniture, so it can slot straight in to the ideal spot.
Owner Tony Purdy says they can customise the furniture for specific requirements such as changing the colour, size or adding or taking out a drawer.
“We will customise it for you to make it fit the space and with lounges we can make them to size, or you can choose your own material,” he says.
“We try to find things a little bit quirky and different because there’s no point having the same products as everyone else.”
And Tony says all products sourced by Timberland Furniture are good quality and affordable.
With about half the furniture in store being Australian made, Tony says people will get value for their money with beautiful materials used to make the furniture such as Australian hardwood.
“We provide a personal service and are able to go to the customer’s home to assist them with measurements,” he says.
Timberland Furniture, 7/17 Iron Knob Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 7411, email timberlandfyshwick@gmail.com or visit canberracustomfurniture.com
THOMPSON Health Care has been providing aged care in NSW since the ‘70s, and now it’s building a beautiful retirement village in Frederickton that, according to the CSIRO, has the most liveable climate in Australia.
“They have beautiful, mild winters and delightful summers, as opposed to Canberra’s cold winters and long, hot summers,” says special projects manager Sarah Rodgers.
Located in a community environment, 436 kilometres north of Sydney, Sarah says the first stage will include 56 villas and a resort-style country club.
“Each resident will have a two-bedroom, plus a flexi room, in a single-level luxury villa,” she says.
“[And it’ll be] right next door to the aged-care facility at Frederickton, which will provide the perfect location
for seniors to live well at every stage.”
Sarah describes it as having a country yet coastal atmosphere with a luxury lifestyle.
“People have worked hard all their lives and now it’s time to treat themselves to a bit of luxury in a pictureperfect location,” she says.
“It’s a great place for people who are seniors by themselves and are looking for old-fashioned community values and safety in their later years.”
Sarah says the proprietor of Thompson Health Care, Doug Thompson, is looking forward to welcoming residents in the later half of this year.
Thompson Health Care. Call 8467 9333 or 0414 863666 visit macleayvillage.com.au
Conveyancing laws in NSW and the ACT have become quite complex in the last few months.
At Capon and Hubert Lawyers we are up to date with the changes in Stamp Duty, Identity Verification, and Tenancy laws. Our Conveyancing Solicitor will apply these changes to your unique situation and work with you for the best result.
For the best outcome when it matters how it’s done call Capon & Hubert on 6152 9203
First Floor, 32-38 Townshend Street, Phillip ACT 2606 www.chsol.com.au e. enquiries@chsol.com.au
DARYN Griffiths of Capon & Hu bert Lawyers & Mediators enjoys helping anybody in the property sphere at all stages of life.
The property solicitor says he can help people who are buying or selling, or older people who might be downsizing and moving into a retirement village.
While Daryn covers all areas of commercial and property law, he says commercial property transactions for small businesses is his area of expertise, and it’s also what he thoroughly enjoys.
such as property or business assets,” he says.
“I like to be able to get inside a client’s business knowledge and see how I can value add to that,” he says.
Being a former small-business owner himself, Daryn says he gives his clients more than just straight legal advice and can talk to them about their documentation, business set-up and monthly bills.
He describes it as a more holistic approach and as well as providing clients with a face-to-face service, he can use his background to help keep costs down.
“My services would be beneficial for anybody who’s in the property sphere, including commercial property purchases,
“Any small-business people who are acquiring or leasing assets or buying into business franchises.”
Daryn says he provides and enjoys providing his services to these areas, but his point of difference, and the Capon & Hubert point of difference is they keep their clients informed, every step of the way.
It’s also different because of its fixed-fee model, which he says is an affordable way for clients to be part of the entire process.
Capon & Hubert Lawyers & Mediators, First Floor, 32-38 Townshend Street, Phillip. Email enquiries@ chsol.com.au, call 6152 9203 or visit chsol.com.au
Now’s a great time to double glaze
AS winter approaches, now is a great time to insulate the home by double glazing the windows, says the sales manager of TwinGlaze, Melanie Hugg.
“Thirty per cent of your home’s wall space is windows and doors. By double glazing you will make your home much warmer in winter, cooler in summer and reduce noise,” she says.
TwinGlaze is a recently launched Canberra-based business and provides an affordable double glazing option that fits into your existing window frames, says Melanie.
“There’s no construction and no mess. We work with your windows, by removing the glass and leaving the frames in place, so the installation of new TwinGlaze windows is quick and easy.
“Our clients say they have had a reduction in their energy bills of up to 40 per cent! They say their home feels more quiet and comfortable,” says Melanie.
Call TwinGlaze on 6190 1011 or email canberra@twinglaze.com.au
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. It is a five minute, pain-free procedure.
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)
By Helen Musa
WHEN Kate Winslet first steps on camera in Jocelyn Moorhouse’s film, “The Dressmaker”, she’s in the outback town of Dungatar dressed immaculately in the Dior “New Look”, a black dress and coat, with a broad-brimmed hat and white gloves.
That’s what film producer Sue Maslin calls “visual irony” and it becomes a running joke in the wacky revenge-comedy based on Rosalie Ham’s 2000 book of the same name, where at one silly point, most of the town’s women are draped in Paris fashion of the 1950s.
“The idea was for me to create something contrasting or out of place, like the black dress of the opening scene – Jocelyn wanted that emphasis,” says AFI-winning costume designer Margot Wilson, who created Winslet’s elegant look.
Now the National Film and Sound Archive is turning the spotlight on the costumes from the hit film in a glimpse “behind the seams” at haute couture fashions worn by actors Kate Winslet, Sarah Snook, Judy Davis, Rebecca Gibney and even Hugo Weaving, who plays a cross-dressing policeman.
Couture as a weapon is the key image adopted by director Moorhouse who, on first reading Ham’s book, was struck by the notion of the Singer sewing machine as a weapon of revenge.
The film hit the spot with Australian audiences, becoming the second highestgrossing Australian film of 2015 and eleventh highest-grossing film of all time at the Australian box office. This show has already been seen in many parts of regional Australia, where it has been packed out, mostly by women.
“It’s not a straight comedy, people don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Maslin tells “CityNews”, describing it as “a kind of cross between a Sergio Leone western and [the Mexican magic-realist film] ‘Like Water for Chocolate’.”
With dress as such a powerful metaphor, it was essential to get exactly the right look for
the central “outsider” character, Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage. So while the rest of the costumes were designed by Boyce, Maslin headhunted Wilson to create Winslet’s frocks.
Wilson had already enjoyed a brilliant international career in film and TV, working with director John Hillcoat on “The Proposition”, “The Road” and “Triple Nine”, which also starred Winslet.
“The best dress designers have their own distinctive style, so it made sense to have a separate costume designer for her character,” Maslin says.
“We wanted it to be visually clear,” Wilson agrees. “It’s so hilarious and so ridiculous what Tilly brings to that town.”
It was easy for Wilson to put herself into the shoes of “Tilly”, who learns her trade in Paris, spending time in the great fashion houses.
Raised in suburban Frenchs Forest, Wilson would follow her mother into Farmer’s store and lose herself smelling the fabrics, then
like that, are you?”
Later she was to discover that her grandmother had been on stage and that her great grandmother had made the costumes.
“I left school at 16 because I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” she says. She enrolled in a four-year TAFE fashion course at East Sydney Tech, later teaching part-time fashion and history of costume. She won a scholarship to go to Paris where she was able to work in the houses of Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Kenzo and, while there, was determined to make a move on the film industry.
Easier said than done. She sent out 150 resumes to different companies, getting just four negative replies saying she was overqualified.
Eventually Australian TV producer Camilla Rountree came good, offering her a job designing a skirt and blouse for a washing
costume designers such as Jennie Tate, she learnt the trade.
Wilson initiates “CityNews” into the secrets of creating costumes. She uses a specialist cutter in Sydney and also a draper.
The former uses a flat pattern, the other drapes on to a dummy, both take measurements, but in a different way. With the voluptuous figure of Winslet to dress, both approaches are essential. As for cut, while creating costumes for the athletic Essie Davis in “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”, Wilson devised a 1930s costume with 45 seams.
She and Moorhouse agreed on basic aesthetics.
“The landscape was so parched and dry, so beautiful, that my costumes would contrast with the browns of the site,” she says. The decision was made not to put Tilly into patterns, but to use rich, jewel-like colours where
a vintage red silk moire taffeta yardage she’d bought in Milan 25 years ago. That became the striking red dress Tilly wears when she walks into a footie match where she distracts the rival team with her glamour, soon changing into an even slinkier long, black gown.
“Those dresses had a certain amount of humour within them,” she says.
Curated by designer Marion Boyce, who was responsible for the non-Winslet costumes, the exhibition at the NFSA is expected to pack out, at least with women, who will relate to both the magic of fashion and the sad recognition that even in 2019, haute couture would cause a sensation in any Aussie country town.
“The Dressmaker” Costume Exhibition, National Film and Sound Archive, April 18-August 18. Bookings at nfsa.gov.au
“Five Feet Apart” (M)
THIS is a romantic drama with both participants afflicted with cystic fibrosis.
What’s cystic fibrosis, do I hear somebody ask? “Five Feet Apart”, Justin Baldoni’s directorial feature film debut, explains it with reliable clarity. If you were born without it, you’re okay. Those who got it genetically may expect to die an uncomfortable death at a relatively young age. Sufferers are vulnerable to bacteria carried in each other’s breath, hence the film’s title, specifying the minimum distance recommended for CF patients to keep away from each other.
Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) has already lost her only sibling (born free of CF) in a climbing accident, so her parents not surprisingly are distraught about the prospect of a life without children.
About to turn 18, Stella is bright and intelligent. She lives in a special hospital ward in the care of a special nurse (a wonderful performance from Kimberly Hebert Gregory). Stella meets Will (Cole Sprouse) another CF patient. Will has emotional and behavioural issues. Two handsome teenagers, packed with ripe hormones. What else can you expect? They bravely struggle against the injunction not to touch each other.
Another teenager Poe (Moises Arias) also with CF becomes their friend and encourages them with wisdom that stems from his gay sexuality. It’s a well-made film, already strongly into box office success in the US.
At all cinemas
TIM Burton’s live-action (with a generous sprinkling of CG additions) remake of this film is a 21st century rebuild of a story that stretches fantasy to delightful limits. It goes back to 1919 when, leaving his left arm on a French battlefield, Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) returns to the Medici Bros. somewhat rundown travelling circus. His two children, Milly and Joe, have adopted the baby born to Mrs Jumbo who has been sold off to pay the debts weighing heavily on circus proprietor Max Medici (Danny DeVito), an old school showman who sees opportunity in everything that comes his way, including a flying elephant. So begins a tale of circus, high finance, chicanery, romance and excitement for one and all. It’s politically correct before its time – no wild animal acts. For a movie in
a circus setting, it looks very like a Broadway musical extravaganza. No matter. Its excitement and movement will cheer the hearts of young and old children alike provided, in the latter case, that they suspend their willingness to disbelieve what they are seeing.
The song “Baby of Mine” is the only non-narrative element from that original animation that carries over. It grabbed me this time as it did then – short, sweet, plaintive and memorable. Its impossible fundamental proposition may not fly in reality, but heck, this is a movie for kids, for whom all is forgivable. At all cinemas
THIS is American director Jordan Peele’s second feature film. The first, “Get Out”, was a well-balanced mixed-race horror film that attracted favourable critical and audience favour.
“Us” is also a mixed-race film being promoted as a horror movie. After seeing it, I vox-popped a trio of young adults who liked it, thought it okay.
It’s a zombie movie by whatever categorisation you care to assign to it.
A well-to-do Afro-American family has driven in its Mercedes station wagon to its waterside weekender. They are father (Winston Duke), mom (Lupita Nyong’o), teenaged daughter (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and younger brother (Evan Alex). Next door live a wife (Elisabeth Moss) and her layabout spouse (Tim Heidecker).
By the film’s end, these six and a few lesser characters are dead, leaving the actors free to play their zombie doppelgangers each wearing a red, zip-up jumpsuit and carrying a large pair of tailor’s shears ready to stab the next live human they meet.
The story unfolds over a single night and the following day. By its end, the corpses of the local population are scattered
around the town and a long, thin, red line of zombie doppelgangers holding hands stretches over hill and dale, looking for all the world like a sort of human wall such as Donald Trump is having built to keep out unwanted folk from breaching America’s borders.
Any good teacher of creative writing will tell the pupils that short stories work best if their conclusions are linked to their beginnings of place, time and narrative themes.
“Us” follows this precept, with the same beginning and end inviting viewers to supply their own explanations. What happens between those two ends speaks for itself. Jordan Peele’s screenplay has a message for viewers prepared to recognise it. But tedium may well set in before recognition strikes, thereby making it very hard to discern.
A horror movie, perhaps, not so ill-fashioned as to be a horrible one.
At all cinemas
Applications are now open for the 10197NAT Certificate IV in Acting for Stage and Screen, Canberra’s professional acting course.
Start in July, study at our fullyequipped studios at Fyshwick, and explore acting technique for TV, film and theatre, how to audition, and how to break into the industry.
Course info session/auditionMay 2. Register online.
THE Jane Austen Festival
Australia is an annual celebration of everything Georgian, Regency and early Victorian, offering participants the opportunity to wear costumes, learn new skills, play games and sing and dance. The themes for this year are Austen’s novel “Northanger Abbey”, one of her juvenile works, “The History of England” and the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s first voyage to Australia and the Pacific. Highlights at the festival ball and the lakeside picnic. Albert Hall, April 12-14, details and bookings at janeaustenfestival.com.au
CANBERRA artists Marie Hagerty and Peter Vandermark are off to New York to exhibit in the Olsen Gruin Gallery (April 17-May 12). Friends of the Drill Hall Gallery made a donation towards the acquisition of Hagerty’s 2018 painting “Bowline”, thereby helping the artist on her way to the Big Apple.
IN “Show Passion Korea”, Korean performing groups, including Dong Rak Traditional Performing Arts Group, Kukkiwon Taekwondo Demonstration Team and Fusion MC will present Korean cultural performances in Kambri Cultural Centre, 6.30pm, April 11. Free but register at eventbrite.com.au
CANBERRA Choral Society and the National Capital Orchestra,
under the baton of Leonard Weiss, will present Vaughan Williams’ first symphony, with soprano Chloe Lankshear and baritone David Greco, as well as the Australian premiere of “On the Beach”, Christopher Gordon’s suite for orchestra and choir. At Llewellyn Hall, Saturday, April 13. Pre-concert talk by Gordon at 6.45 pm, book at premier.ticketek.com.au
CANBERRA guitarist Callum Henshaw is preparing to tour Japan, but will first present a mixture of old favourites from Barrios and Scarlatti, as well as
music recently composed by the Cuban composer Leo Brouwer, at Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, 12.40pm-1.20pm, Wednesday, April 10. Tickets at the door.
THE Djuki Mala troupe, formerly known as the Chooky Dancers, hail from Elcho Island in North East Arnhem Land and became internationally famous in 2007 when Frank Djirrimbilpilwuy uploaded a video clip of the group dancing their own interpretation of “Zorba the Greek”. They’ll be at Spiegeltent in Civic Square, April 12-13. Book at spiegeltentcanberra.com
By Helen Musa
DAMIEN Strouthos is one of those rare theatrical individuals – a specialist in classical acting.
We’ll be seeing him soon at The Playhouse playing Cléante, the entitled but insightful son of Harpagon, the central character in Molière’s “The Miser”. That notoriously obsessive skinflint will be played by John Bell, founder of Bell Shakespeare Company in a production directed by his successor, Peter Evans.
Strouthos is no stranger to the company. When he was 19 he worked with their Actors at Work unit taking the Bard to school kids in remote parts of NSW. Then, as a founding member of the Sport for Jove Theatre Company, he played in “Cyrano de Bergerac”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Romeo and Juliet”.
Since graduating from WA’s Academy of Performing Arts in 2012 he has been with Bell Shakespeare on two national tours, three tours across eastern Australia, and as a member of the educational troupe The Players.
The celebrated play, written and staged in 1668 when the playwright was very ill, is one of several in which an ageing father is the victim of his own obsessions and it’s the perfect vehicle for Bell at his most eccentric. It’s also a chance for younger actors to test what translator Justin Fleming calls “the innate joy of rhyme”.
Instead of using the prose in which the
Fleming has reverted to the rhyme of his earlier plays, playing fast and loose with poetic conventions and inventing his own.
As Damien Strouthos explains, if it’s love-talk, they’ll speak in “ABBA” rhyme, if
it’s insincere talk, it’ll be “AABB”. Performed by professional actors, clever rhyming can range from the corny to the uproarious, so we find Cléante pronouncing: But he can stuff his discretion up his
I’ve heard of daylight robbery, but this one takes the cake.
“Justin Fleming’s translation feels very modern and fast and funny,” he says, justifying the change to rhyme by suggesting that
the master playwright would have used rhyme if he hadn’t been so sick at the time. “It gives it a real drive, pace and energy. The audience has fun predicting what the rhyme might be and then their expectations are subverted.”
The story is straight out of the commedia dell’arte farce tradition in which Molière trained as an actor. The avaricious father wants to marry the young and beautiful Mariane, but she is his son’s beloved. Also, he wants to marry his daughter Élise to a fat old man, but she’s in love elsewhere. The children and the clever servants connive to solve the problem.
“There’s something intrinsically funny in an old man wanting to marry a woman less than half his age,” Strouthos says.
“And while Cléante and his sister Elise may be a bit brattish, they exemplify a zest for love and life.”
While Molière is admired for his satirical tilts at hypocrisy and respectability, he also invests his characters with humanity, so in this play, Strouthos says, most of the characters have their own reconciliation and catharsis.
Molière throws in a gratuitous happy ending, but here his intent is clear. Harpagon ends up as a pitiful old man with his cash, and nothing else, fulfilling the old theatrical adage that “the fifth act of a comedy is the first act of a tragedy”.
Bell Shakespeare’s “The Miser”, The Playhouse, April 11-20. Book at canberratheatrecentre. com.au
By Wendy JOHNSON
BADGER & Co, one of Canberra’s newest pubs, holds a prime position at Kambri, ANU.
Kambri means “meeting place” and the place is already sprinkled with bars, cafes, shops and other services to attract people to the new precinct and build a sense of community.
It’s not just for uni students –anyone can head to Kambri for a cold bev or a bite to eat, which is what we did one weekend.
Badger & Co’s prime position overlooks Sullivan’s Creek. It’s massive inside and out, and in true uni style offers $5 happy hour drinks and food specials, including 1 kg of wings for $10 on Tuesdays, and $20 cocktail pitchers on Friday nights.
The décor is light, bright and modern. Badger & Co is destined to be a regular hangout for uni students.
The meu offers more than just pub grub and the prices are super reasonable, especially for the portion sizes.
We began by sharing several plates – with some hits and some misses.
We loved the white bean hummus, with the right amount of garlic. It came with thick slices of focaccia
the creamy aioli ($9). The zucchini flowers were disappointing although the tempura was light. The menu didn’t promise they’d be stuffed but we felt they were too bland ($12).
One friend ordered the steak sandwich ($17). Once he had ordered staff came to our outside table to clarify that it was minute steak (menu should likely say this). It wasn’t a stand out but wasn’t dry, either – the caramelised onion added moisture as did the mustard aioli. The dish comes with chunky chips.
The chicken schnitty, panko crumbed, was a treat – moist and juicy. It also came with chunky fries and a side garden salad ($17). My quinoa salad was tasty and packed with ingredients. You can add chicken or haloumi as extras. I went for the haloumi – two thick, salty
smile. The arrival of the meals was haphazard at best. We had barely started to share our entrée dishes before two of the mains came out, followed by my salad. Baffling considering that an entrée is, well, an entrée. There was no room on the table for everything so the person who served us plonked a couple of dishes on the next table. When we uttered concern about the speed of the mains, we were offered a solution – stick the dishes under the heat lamp until we were ready. No thanks, we said.
Other places that are now open at Kambri include China Plate (sister restaurant in Kingston), Broger and Rex Espresso.
Badger & Co, open Monday to Sunday, 11am to late. It’s a cashless pub.
By Cedric BRYANT
AS winter approaches, readers have asked for suggestions on hardy shrubs that provide colour through the colder months.
The first that comes to mind is the camellia family. The Camellia Society worldwide has listed more than 3000 named and distinct varieties of camellias.
The main family of camellias comprise camellia japonica, sasanqua, williamsii and reticulata, all principally from the Far East.
Today I will focus mainly on sasanqua as it is the first to flower in mid-winter and lasts for a long period. It is more robust than other varieties of camellia, being able to withstand sun, mainly due to its small leaves in comparison to, for example, japonica. And it attracts one of my favourite birds, the honeyeater, which loves the nectar.
Sasanqua has another advantage in its ability to grow fast, making it an ideal choice for creating a dense hedge. Indeed, in our own garden the back hedge has sasanqua Hiryu now at a height of three metres, although this can be kept lower.
For hedges, I suggest they are planted a metre apart. And when planting a hedge, dig a trench not individual holes, which will allow the roots to spread sideways establishing the hedge quicker.
every few weeks in spring.
Given the often severe frosts in this district, I suggest not to grow the white varieties of camellia. The flowers will quickly brown off as the sun hits the frost-covered plants in the early morning. The timing of pruning is very important and definitely not now with camellias in full bud, but immediately after flowering in late winter or early summer for this variety. Japonica should be pruned in early summer.
BERRIES play an important part in the winter garden for feed for birds, although some with bright, bird-attracting red berries are now on the weeds list (such as cotoneaster and pyracantha).
introduced to the west from China in 1845, can grow to three metres.
THEN we have the wonderful winter fragrance of viburnum fragrans farreri with its soft-pink flowers. This was also introduced from China and given the name farreri after Reginald Farrer who, with the plant hunter William Purdom, found it growing wild and introduced it into Britain in 1910.
• Give lawns a last feed before winter as they green up with some autumn rain.
• Be careful when planting bulbs not to disturb emerging hellebores.
Water in immediately after planting with certified organic Maxicrop Seaweed Plant Nutrient. This specifically promotes root growth and without that there will be no top growth. Follow this up
One shrub with amazing, bright though bitter berries is callicarpa Profusion. The bronze-purple leaves in spring are followed by lilac flowers in summer. The autumn leaves change to deep rose-purple with the stunning clusters of purple berries in winter. This deciduous shrub,
• If the hellebore leaves weren’t cut back to ground level earlier, it is not too late to do it now for extra winter flowers.
• Don’t trim daphne plants at this time as the buds are forming for winter flowers.
Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Wednesday looks frustrating for Rams, when the Sun/Saturn square leaves you feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place. Whereas Sunday’s positive Sun/ Jupiter connection provides a welcome opportunity to update a part of your life that’s been holding you back. Then you can set ambitious new goals and move onto fresh pastures. As Reece Witherspoon (a fellow Aries) observes: “With the right kind of coaching and determination, you can accomplish anything.”
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
Venus and Neptune make beautiful music on Wednesday. So it’s a wonderful time for an arts-related outing, a romantic rendezvous or a catch up with friends. On Friday and Saturday, work on improving a relationship that’s hit a rocky patch. Patience and cooperation will help steer you onto more solid ground. Be inspired by fellow Taurean, Queen Elizabeth: “Whatever life throws at us, our individual responses will be all the stronger for working together and sharing the load.”
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
Joint ventures and relationship improvements are on the table, but don’t spoil a potentially positive and productive week by being impulsive and putting your foot firmly in your mouth! Think before you speak and consult with others before you make any momentous moves (especially involving group projects, taxes or shared finances). Wednesday and Thursday are good days to don your detective cap, do research, dig deep and uncover previously hidden information.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
The Sun and Saturn clash on Wednesday, so resist the urge to be a frustrated control freak. Then (courtesy of the Sun and Jupiter) you’ll be given the opportunity to lead and/or impress those around you. Jupiter also motivates you to be more adventurous with the professional projects you take on and the colleagues, clients or customers that you deal with. Lady Luck is knocking on your work door. Just make sure you’re ready, willing and able to let her in!
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
Prepare for an exasperating time mid-week when serious Saturn trims your fiery wings, curbs your Cat creativity and stymies your natural Leo ebullience. The Universe is teaching you to be less demanding, plus much more patient and disciplined. If you heed this celestial message (and learn from it) then Sunday looks super, as lucky Jupiter helps you blast off in an adventurous new direction. Travel, education, sport and international friendships are particularly favoured.
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
This week be extra careful what you say to a stressed loved one. Criticism definitely won’t be appreciated – no matter how ‘constructive’ it is. On Wednesday, strive to get the balance right between being romantic and being realistic. You’ll find a touch of romance adds sparkle to a tired partnership, whereas a practical helping hand will assist a friend or colleague who’s going through a rough patch. Thursday is the best day to get deep-and-meaningful with someone special.
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
You prefer life to be all beauty, comfort and ease, with minimum effort and elbow grease involved. And sometimes your joie de vivre and charming manner are all that’s required. But not this week! Saturn stirs up your home zone as a family member causes problems or a domestic matter demands to be fixed. So you’ll just have to step up to the plate and accept extra responsibilities with a smile. For some lucky Librans, love and romance and work are linked on Wednesday.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
This week strive to be firm yet flexible with a stressed relative or neighbour and avoid getting drawn into futile arguments. Love is in the air on Wednesday, when Venus and Neptune rev up your Scorpio passions and romantic nature. An ambitious idea could boost your bank balance, as you commence a prosperous chapter involving work and/or finances. The more positive and proactive you are about your talents and capabilities, the better the outcome will be.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
Mid-week looks rather stressful, as something (or someone) irritates you and tests your limited patience. So avoid the temptation to play pointless power games. Venus and Neptune encourage you to communicate in a much more diplomatic and compassionate fashion. On the weekend you’ll be given the opportunity to lead and/or influence others in some way. Don’t waste it. People are looking for you to come up with the goods so get cracking and don’t disappoint!
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
Avoid being too brisk and brusque with loved ones this week, as your business side goes into overdrive. Family, friends and colleagues respect your professional approach and your multi-tasking skills, but they can also be overwhelmed by them. So try to be more sensitive to the needs of others. When it comes to a personal problem, there’s much more going on beneath the surface than you realise. Jupiter encourages you to look at the situation from a broader perspective.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
You’re keen to make the world a better place in your own humanitarian Aquarian way. Don’t get so carried away that you forget your nearest and dearest though. Sometimes it’s best to start your charitable work in your own backyard! Creative ingenuity is particularly high this week. Draw extra inspiration from Aries birthday great, fashion innovator Vivienne Westwood: “I’m not trying to do something different. I’m trying to do the same thing but in a different way.”
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
With Venus vamping through your sign (until April 20) you’ve got the power this week Pisces! Charm and confidence will take you places. Venus also makes a fantastic connection with your ruler Neptune. So love, romance, creativity, kindness and compassion are all on the radar, as you have fun and enjoy yourself to the max. Then the Sun and Jupiter boost friendship, finances or career prospects on the weekend, when a lucky opportunity heads in your direction.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2018
Across
1 Name a highly sought after NRL award. (5,1)
7 What is the faculty of seeing? (8)
8 Name the Roman god of fire. (6)
9 In which US State does Chicago lie? (8)
10 Which planet has an extensive ring system? (6)
11 What is an ornamental bottle from which wine is served at table? (8)
14 What is the first performance of a play, etcetera? (8)
18 Name another term for a horse. (6)
19 Which word describes a person who is guilty of marrying while still married? (8)
21 To be dozing, is to be what? (6)
22 What is a national memorial to those killed in war? (8)
23 What are the leaves of the calyxes of flowers? (6) Down
1 Name an annual men's lawn tennis competition. (5,3)
2 Which building is devoted to instruction by lectures? (6)
3 Name a NSW town, about 110 km south-east of Broken Hill. (8)
4 Which small freshwater duck is a wide-ranging bird of Australia. (4)
5 On some occasions when one is to start work, one must do what? (4,2)
6 What is a sacred place of worship? (6)
12 Which large cats are reputed to be the world's fastest four-legged animals? (8)
13 What are written acknowledgements of having received money, goods, etcetera? (8)
15 Which term might apply to a Canberra NRL player? (6)
16 What is a piece of grassland used for grazing animals, or making hay? (6)
17 Name an alternative term for hessian. (6)
20 In which Asian republic does Baghdad lie? (4)
Until Sat 15 June
Described as electrifying, vital and avant-garde, Marion Hall Best was the most flamboyant Australian interior designer of the 1950s through to the 1970s. Her schemes were unashamedly modern and she claimed that “gentle, soft colours…are not restful, but dreary, sapping the energy and the mind”.
Presented by CMAG, Marion Hall Best: Interiors is a travelling exhibition from Sydney Living Museums.
Until Sat 15 June
Formed in 1954, the ANU Design Unit was initially tasked to design and arrange the manufacture of furniture and furnishings for the newly established Australian National University. Under the direction of Derek Wrigley from 1962, the unit embraced a concept of ‘total design’. This exhibition, celebrates the work and legacy of this unique group of designers and makers.
Developed by ANU Heritage and is proudly presented by Canberra Museum and Gallery.
Sat 6 April – Sat 27 July
Alongside his practice as an artist and arthistorian, Nigel Lendon has been an inveterate and purposeful collector of, amongst other things, conceptual art, Afghan War rugs and over 200 plastic cameras. Lendon’s plastic camera collection has remained cocooned in storage until now.
