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Ubiquitous conductor LEONARD WEISS is off to study… to be a conductor!

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New roof tiles for Canberra’s oldest church

By Danielle NOHRA

ONLY one major storm away from becoming unrepairable, Canberra’s oldest church, St John’s Anglican Church in Reid is in the process of getting a new, asbestosfree roof.

It’s not the first time the church’s roof has been replaced and Paul Black, the reverend at St John’s, says the church, which was built in 1841 and consecrated in 1845, needed a new roof in the ‘60s when its original timber shingles started to deteriorate.

“In 1960 the roof needed replacing and at that stage they initially looked

site in Reid.

“But there was this other material, this new, super, beaut material, that could do the job – asbestos tiles!

“[They were used and over time] what happened with the tiles was they became grey with mould.

“People have been surprised to learn that the roof is asbestos tiles.”

The project to replace the tiles has been about seven years in the making and was sparked following an asbestos report.

“Basically, we were told that the roof is at the end of its life. The surface area of the asbestos tiles can start breaking down and can release asbestos into the environment,” he says.

“That hasn’t happened yet, but it’s why they need to be replaced.”

The repairs started on July 1 but before they had, Paul says they were running the risk of a major storm damaging the roof to the point where they would not have been able to repair it.

a quirk of history, they put the nation’s capital around us,” says Paul Black.

INDEX

Arts & Entertainment 19-21

Canberra Matters 8

Cinema 20

Crossword 23

Dining 20

Gardening 22

Horoscopes 23

Letters 12

News 3-14

Through the long consultation process, he says they were lucky that wasn’t the case.

“We had to get ACT Heritage Council approval for the work and then we had to get work approvals from the ACT government and the NCA, because we’re on the edge of the parliamentary triangle,” he says.

“We also had to decide what

Politics 13

Socials 18

Cover: Conductor Leonard Weiss photographed by HOLLY TREADAWAY, whose images were meticulously built into the montage by graphic designer KARL SPELLER. Story Page 19.

Ph 02 6189 0777 Fax 02 6189 0778 9b/189 Flemington Rd, Mitchell 2911

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

we’re going to put on the roof.”

Coming from Wales, the church decided on Welsh slate tiles, which Paul says should last about 100 years, but the conservation of the church comes at a big cost.

“Always with heritage buildings and churches, there’s enormous costs in making sure they’re preserved for generations,” Paul says.

The removal of asbestos, which is estimated to cost more than $300,000, is being funded by donations from the church, the wider community and a heritage grant from the ACT government.

“Whether there will be other costs will be unforeseen,” he says.

“We have our fingers crossed because you never know what you’re going to encounter when you start pulling the roof off.”

It’s estimated the work will take about eight weeks to complete and until then Paul says St John’s worship services have been moved to the hall, which is across from the historic church.

While Paul’s only been at the church for a slice of its long life, 11 years, he says he emphasises the importance of preserving the church for future generations.

“We often say that when you come to this site, you’re coming to the original Canberra,” he says.

“We’re the oldest church in Can-

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berra, the first stone was laid in 1841.

“[At that time] there was nothing here. There was Duntroon Station and isolated farm houses.

“I call this church an English village church and literally, through a quirk of history, they put the nation’s capital around us.”

But the church isn’t the only heritage listed building on the site and just near it sits a heritage-listed school house, with a school master’s residence, which Paul says was built by Robert Campbell, of Duntroon Station, for the education of workers’ children.

It’s this rich history that Paul be -

lieves has been bringing significant people through the congregation since it was consecrated by reverend William Grant Broughton, the first Anglican Bishop of Australia, almost 175 years ago.

The Queen is one of these people and has been to St John’s Anglican Church five times. The first time was in 1954, and the last was in 2011 when Paul says he was lucky to conduct the service and preach the seminar. And even though the church is the oldest in Canberra, Paul says it’s still a vibrant, functioning church community today.

SEVEN DAYS

When slobbering Sir Les rattled the gates

THE gravitas of the office of Governor-General remains safe after the smooth transition from Sir Peter Cosgrove to David Hurley. But there was a time when the sobriety and decorum of the role was seriously disrespected.

It was the day in 2003 when 23rd GG Peter Hollingworth resigned. A drunken, loudmouthed former diplomat turned up at the gatehouse to Yarralumla’s most prestigious address, demanding to be admitted.

Shouting: “Let me in, let me in”, the dishevelled, slobbering interloper with suitcase on wheels and large media pack in tow, was none other than cultural attache to the Court of St James, Sir Les Patterson, who felt his turn in the vice-regal gig had come. The brilliant publicity stunt was arranged by promoter to the stars Coralie Wood to drum up ticket sales for the Canberra leg of yet another Barry Humphries touring show.

LISTENER reaction to 2CC’s shock decision to outsource its breakfast show won’t be known until October when results from GfK’s Canberra radio survey are released. The struggling station will simulcast

Alan Jones’ 2GB breakfast show from Sydney. Dislodged breakfast host Tim Shaw moves to drive (3pm-6pm).

THE move is smart business.

Jones is a brilliant broadcaster and, in my humble opinion, second only to John Laws, with daylight third. Given Shaw’s soft ratings, Jones (who will be much cheaper) will rate highly and provide his GB stablemate Ray Hadley with the greater Canberra lead-in audience he’s been demanding for years.

FORMER shock-jock and now former Justice Party senator Derryn Hinch has left his mark on the capital. The “Human Headline”, who has returned to TV and SkyNews, has had the pathway to his favourite Canberra bar named in his honour and made safer.

Before leaving Canberra, he cut the ribbon to “Hinch Way”, a new, improved path to Ostani Bar and Restaurant at Barton’s Hotel Realm where he had a fall in the dark last year.

TRANSPORT Canberra is dexterous in disciplining staff if nothing else. The body managed to slap the wrist of an employee’s heavy handed approach to a suspected light-rail fare evader. TC has apologised to the teenager who was booted off the tram after failing

to produce a student ID. Executive group manager for Transport Canberra Judith Sturman mitigated the incident, explaining staff are on a “learning curve”.

CANBERRA renters may have stumbled upon an inexpensive method of keeping warmer this winter. Local renters are bubble wrapping their windows to retain heat. Advocacy group Better Renting, which offers the home visit scheme “Home Truths”, says the DIY insulation can cut heating bills by up to 50 per cent.

AND spare a thought for those forced to sleep rough during a harsh Canberra winter. A campsite has materialised just metres from one of our major traffic thoroughfares. It’s possibly the same camp that until recently was briefly located in Glebe Park across from building giant Geocon’s city office. But any awkward juxtaposition was eliminated when the camp moved to West Basin before relocating to its present Civic site.

THE ANU AFL club won’t forget a recent road trip to Batemans Bay quickly. Three players ended up at the local ED, with two requiring some serious needle work after a clashing of heads in the final seconds of a game against the Batemans Bay SeaHawks. A hospital official said it had been a quiet afternoon until the wounded Griffos landed.

A SCULPTURE of late former prime minister Bob Hawke has popped up at Gold Creek. The tribute, by local artist Paul Woods now stands alongside John Howard’s

AND on ex-PMs, Sky News producer David Sharaz tells of bumping into “a lovely lady who seemed lost in Parliament. So I offer her direction. As we’re walking and talking her husband approaches”. It was only then Sharaz realised he was assisting Janette Howard

Breakfast with Alan Jones

LISTENERS to 2CC will wake to the “Alan Jones Breakfast Show” from Monday, July 15.

The 2GB icon says he will be rattling a few cages when he presents the networked breakfast show on 2CC from 5.30am to 9am on weekdays.

Jones, who has won more than 200 surveys in the largest radio market in the nation, will be taking Tim Shaw’s morning spot, while Tim will move to 2CC’s “Live and Drive” program, 3pm-6pm, weekdays.

2CC’s Michael Jones says: “Alan Jones on 2CC breakfast is a huge win for Canberra and demonstrates our commitment to keeping Canberrans abreast of the issues that matter to them most.”

Ukulele salute

TUGS Ukulele Group will help Gungahlin Day VIEW Club celebrate its 20th anniversary on Wednesday, July 24 at a lunch at Nicholls from 11.30am on Wednesday, July 24. The two-course lunch costs $35 and interested ladies should call 6262 2556 before 9pm, Sunday, July 21.

“Diane Bennett is one of Canberra well-kept

K Graff, Canberra

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NEWS / seven days sleeping in a car

Cold, sore Jenni counts her blessings

By Danielle NOHRA

AFTER seven nights sleeping in her small Holden Barina to raise awareness of homelessness, Kingston hairdresser Jenni Tarrant was sore, tired and frustrated.

The latter because she realised that many women (and men) live that life every day.

“I can go on with my life but for many this is their daily reality without an end in sight,” says Jenni, 50, of Curtin.

Jenni who was featured on the “CityNews” cover on June 27 is the owner of Bond Hair Religion. She decided to sleep in her car for a week, from July 1, to raise money for Canberra charity Toora Women, which helps the homeless, domestic-violence victims and drug/alcohol addicts.

Throughout the seven days she parked in an alleyway and didn’t use her car heater, didn’t shower, didn’t wear thermals – just her pyjamas –and lived off only $20 a day.

The cold took its toll on Jenni days before her budget did, with her first night dipping to -2C.

“[After the first night] I was sore, I was cold and hungry. I woke up with a pounding headache and [felt] numb,” she says.

Her second night was much the same.

“I felt like I had been on a long-haul flight for days,” she says.

“My eyes were stinging, I was dehy drated, not from lack of fluid just the cold air.

“[I had] bad leg cramps, my hips were aching, my chest was sore and my asthma was making [it hard to breathe] the cold air.”

On day four Jenni hit a financial bump. Three days earlier she had run out of medication, which she takes for chronic reflux, and says it left her feel ing raw on the inside.

“The script needs to be filled every two weeks and it is $40,” she says.

“I decided to just live off whatever food I had left [so I could buy the medi cation].

“For a lot of our homeless, medication, for all sorts of conditions, is vital and yet costly, so for many the question is: ‘Eat or medication?’

“Which would you choose?”

When the week ended, Jenni’s body was aching, the skin on her face was stinging, she had splits in the corners of her mouth and mentally, she felt disconnected and frustrated.

“In Australia, the highest and fastest-growing demographic of homeless

is women over the age of 50, [which is often due to] marriage breakdown, family violence and financial hardship,” she says.

“These women may turn up to work each day without ever sharing how they have to live to survive.

“Not every homeless person is what you perceive them to be. You may be working beside someone every day.”

The money Jenni has raised, more than $12,000, will go towards buying groceries for these women, as well as more than $3000 worth of toiletries.

And now the week’s up, Jenni says she feels “bloody lucky” and urges others to be more compassionate towards homeless people.

She was also excited to have a shower!

Nerds needed!

CANBERRA Seniors wants help from people able to teach basic-to-intermediate computer skills for a few hours a week to club members wanting to learn and/or improve their computer skills. The club’s also looking for anyone who can maintain a local area network. Volunteer at 6248 9509 or cseniors@ bigpond.com

Happy talk

ACT mediator and facilitator Rhian Williams will talk about “Experiments in Happiness – Building Joy and Connection” at the U3A/COTA lunchtime forum on Tuesday, July 23, from 12.30pm, at the Hughes Community Centre. Cost is $2.

Warm sale

WINTER weight pre-loved clothing for all ages and sizes is the focus for the latest sale at St Ninian’s Uniting Church Hall, corner of Mouat and Brigalow Streets, Lyneham, 9am-1pm, Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27. Morning tea and lunch will be available including fresh scones that are baked on the premises.

Speaking of speaking

DR Pauline Bryant will speak about “How We Speak in Australia” at the next lunch meeting of the Weston Creek VIEW Club at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, from 11.30am, Tuesday, August 6. Visitors and prospective members welcome. Lunch costs $30 and RSVP to 6286 4626 by August 1.

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CANBERRA MATTERS

When pesky problems come home to roost

THE ACT Labor 2020 election campaign is underway. One can imagine a strategy meeting where some would be worried that the chickens are coming home to roost. Plans are devised to deal with troublemakers – those pesky residents.

Take the Woden Valley Community Council and its long-standing issues for facilities and how massive overdevelopment is transforming the town centre.

The thinking is that the developers maximising profits with loads of high-rise towers fits well with the ACT’s “jobs and growth” agenda – so nothing to be done there.

However, a distraction is required as if the government is listening to Woden residents.

Strategy 1: The Chief Minister announces that a “pop-up” authority may be required to “activate” Woden with loads of temporary distractions. This could trick residents into thinking that this government is there for Woden (at least till the

Despite the obvious that our elected ones should represent the residents’ aspirations, they blindly use the scripts prepared by others in bureaucratic silos.

election). This should work given how the City Renewal Authority is delivering a stream of temporary “pop-ups” that convince no one how seriously the government works with inner-north residents.

Strategy 2: This involves the developers, the professions and industry groups being encouraged to get articles into local media on how major follies such as the city-to-the-lake project, an expensive stadium plonked in Civic and more high-rise apartments are fantastic. These articles should hint at how ageing protesters are to be ignored.

After all, the government knows that older generations (anyone who does not think like the Chief Minister) do not appreciate that Canberra needs to mature from a fantastic people-friendly bush capital envied by the world to become an over-developed and unplanned city just like all the others.

Strategy 3: is simple. Trump avoids the truth and so can local Labor. For

example, when the Chief Minister says it’s an urban myth that his government was thinking about apartments being built on the showground site, no one should point to the recent articles and announcements that contradict this. Alternate facts should keep those pesky people off his back – for a year.

Strategy 4: is easy given the common practice within this ACT government. Labor politicians must not (repeat – must not) stray off their prepared messages.

Even if their portfolio has something to do with urban stuff, when addressing locals on urban issues such as the stupid West Basin development or the bulldozing of parklands at Section 72 Dickson, they are instructed to read from bureaucratically prepared alternate fact sheets and not to be influenced by residents, logic, common sense and evidence-based arguments.

Despite the obvious that our elected ones should represent the residents’ aspirations, they blindly use the scripts prepared by others in bureaucratic silos such as staff for Yvette Berry, housing clearance minister, who want community designated land converted to meet their portfolio needs.

Meet with any ACT minister and see a politician using prepared spin that misrepresents residents.

The 2019-2020 ACT election campaign will see Labor politicians doing as instructed and remaining loyal to their party’s meaningless scripts. Shame!

Strategy 5: involves getting party members to confuse community meetings so government can continue unhindered with ad-hoc developments.

Party members, as residents, are to appear at community meetings and disrupt advocacy. They are to work to confuse issues raised by locals who obviously do not know what they are talking about when it comes to their suburbs and the need for more (not less)

greenery, biodiversity, parklands and community facilities. Party members will be pointing out that residents are silly for wanting good architecture and well-designed landscapes as that’s up to the developers. Meanwhile, we wait for the Canberra Liberals to kick off their election campaign on how they may handle planning and development if they were to be the government. A list of planning queries published earlier this year remains unanswered. Maybe soon?

Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday matters.

Upselling hearing loss: retail hearing aids

Recently, I was approached by a patient looking for a second opinion. The week prior she had been to a retail hearing aid store in her local shopping centre, hoping to get some advice regarding her hearing loss. As a pensioner, she should have been able to claim free hearing aids as part of the Australian Government’s hearing loss scheme under the Office of Hearing Services, but when she inquired about the program she was told by the salesperson that the governmentissued hearing aids were of poor quality and inadequate for her needs.

”We need to speak out and about what is going on in the hearing aid industry if we want change.”

– Dr Vass

The salesperson insisted what she needed was one of their more expensive hearing aids, priced at over $7,000 for a pair. Anxious about not being able to afford what seemed to be a necessity, she reached out to a friend who suggested she make an appointment with me for a second opinion.

After consulting with the patient and looking over her results, it became

clear to me that the assessment from the shopping centre was completely wrong. The patient had had surgery on one ear 20 years ago which had resulted in worse hearing loss in that ear and not the other. Yet the “hearing test” from the shopping centre showed that her hearing was equal in both ears. Was this because the tester was incompetent or the equipment was faulty? Or was it just an attempt to cover up a medical condition that would have required the patient to be seen by a doctor before hearing aids could even be considered for her? It is likely we’ll never know the answer, but any of the above explanations would be unacceptable.

We need to speak out and about what is going on in the hearing aid industry if we want change. Anyone who has a similar story can report it to the ACCC.

If you would like to have a complimentary second opinion with Dr Vass please phone 02 6282 2717 to make an appointment.

Airing the shocking stories of refugee drama

BECCA Posterino can’t help but get emotional when she recalls the desperation, violence and helplessness of stories she has heard from asylum seekers, immigrants and refugees over the past three years.

“I’m absolutely horrified and saddened by the way asylum seekers and refugees are treated,” says Becca, 44, of Turner, who’s been gathering these stories since 2016.

The freelance journalist is now preparing to launch these stories as a 12-part radio documentary, “New Beginnings”, to air on community station 2XXFM (98.3) from 10.30am to 11am, on Fridays for 12 weeks, beginning on Friday, July 19.

When Becca, whose father came to Australia on a boat from Italy, was offered this project by 2XX, she couldn’t say no.

She says she’s since spoken to people from Latin America, Iran, India, the former Yugoslavia, Italy and South Sudan.

“This documentary is all about personal stories, about the lives of people who forged new beginnings often beyond trauma, grief and loss,” Becca says.

“[It’s] confronting as it delves into

the reality and consequences of wartorn and/or politically and socially violent societies.

“It takes a certain amount of des peration and helplessness to come to a new country on a boat. Nobody really gets on a boat for a sense of adventure.”

Becca wants “New Beginnings” to shine a light on the people who have taken on enormous risks. While put ting the documentary together she learnt never to make assumptions about why people behave the way they do.

“We never know what someone has gone through,” she says.

“You hear these stories, you read these stories but to actually hear it in person, witness their tears, hear and feel their pain, it’s unbelievable trauma that they go through. It’s hard to fathom how they recover.”

As a journalist, Becca also believes she has a responsibility to challenge the current narrative around boat people and migrants.

“The boat people narrative propagated over the last 20 years and more in Australia is one that needs to be contested and re-imagined,” she says.

“We have built this narrative through political and media discourse

and perhaps by connecting to the personal stories within this documentary, particularly in our own backyard - in Canberra - we may connect to the individual, the human being.”

An individual who stood out for Becca is Reverend Peter Kuot, a South Sudanese man who is a spiritual leader of the Sudanese community in Canberra.

When Becca spoke with him, she heard about a lot of pain and sadness in the Sudanese community, which she says has particularly manifested from accusations of gang violence in Melbourne.

Another personal story centres on how Vesna Cvjeticanin came to Canberra. It was 1990 when Vesna, a Yugoslavian lawyer, travelled with her husband and their two young children to visit her grandmother in the ACT.

“I came here and the war broke out at home,” she says.

“I didn’t know English, didn’t speak English and apart from my immediate family and my grandmother and aunty, didn’t know anyone else.”

It was four years before Vesna and her family could return home and what they returned to was devastating.

“The war was raging, the country

was poor, families were destroyed,” she says.

It was not the country they left so they came back to Australia and Vesna enrolled in a law degree at the ANU.

“It was very different and I felt excited but also resentful,” says Vesna, 58, who lives in Gordon.

“Resentful towards the situation, because every day was a new beginning, I never knew what it was going to bring.”

Vesna says that when life in Australia became the new norm, the pain of losing her homeland deepened.

And while it’s been an ongoing challenge for Vesna, she says she feels lucky to have moved to a version of Australia, which at the time, was very accepting.

“Thirty years ago it was different and I feel really lucky and recognise it’s so much harder for people to come here now,” she says.

Vesna, who has recently retired after working in the public sector, is one of many stories that Becca touches on in the documentary.

Becca believes the series illustrates what human beings can overcome.

“This documentary explores our shared humanity, the importance of acknowledging we are not all born with equal access to freedom and to use our privilege to support and protect the human rights of others,” she says.

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Trees, please, but no untidy, shadeless gums

COOK’S streets likely require at least 500 of the 17,000 trees the government is promising to plant over the next four years.

The original gum trees have continued to die and many residents seem infatuated with covering the now empty grass verges with scoria gravel. The heat island effect is awful. Even a 26C day makes for an unpleasantly hot walk to the local shops.

So, please, come and fill in the gaps, but not with gum trees. I don’t think I am alone in this thought. At least 90 per cent of Belconnen residents I have questioned over the last few years do not support the government’s obsession with continually planting gum trees.

They are untidy as they drop leaves and bark all year round and their nutrient-sucking roots mean that no other shrubs or even grass can grow under them. Some people mentioned that in buying their house, they actively sought a property with no gum trees.

As an example, last year the government planted about 40 new gum trees along Hennessy Street in Belconnen. They did not consult with the adjoining home owners who were going to inherit the job of clearing their gutters and courtyards on a weekly basis.

Not surprisingly, the trees all disappeared in the first eight weeks. What a waste of ratepayers’ money.

You see, most of us want the dense, low-canopy and cooling effect that only deciduous trees offer on a hot day. This is why Dickson (where the Chief Minister lives) and other areas fortunate enough to have such lovely trees are so wonderful to be in on a hot summer’s day.

Gum trees are not a useful street tree. They survive our incredible environment because their leaves hang vertically in the heat of the day, which offers less shade and limited cooling effect. Their canopy also increases in height over time meaning that they no longer provide the equivalent amount of shade on the street and footpaths as that offered by a deciduous tree. Keep them for secondary plantings along major roads, pathways in parks and in our nature parks.

As an avid walker I place a high value on street trees, but I know a lot of people don’t. How else can you explain why so many sections of our suburbs are so lacking in decent shade?

Perhaps an educational piece in the Chief Minister’s next glossy update is required, highlighting that even at Icon Water’s higher tier 2 rate, the cost to homeowners of pouring 50 litres of water a week on a street tree equates to less than $15 a year.

This might make home owners recognise that the small cost of maintaining a deciduous tree lined street is far outweighed by the benefits of natural cooling and active travel offered to local residents – not to mention the significant increase they would reap in the value of their property.

Justine Langdon, Cook

Power of the written word

THE marketing people at ActewAGL have gone ballistic. Last week I received seven A4 size pages and a booklet about its services etcetera, etcetera.

In all it amounted to about 17,000 words. Why they were sent was not made clear.

I rang the inquiry number and spent 15 minutes pointing out to the woman who answered a number of opaque statements in the documents.

She checked all my records and, in conclusion, told me there was nothing for me to do except pay the next bill, and that what I had received was really of no import.

We were promised a paperless society!

Colliss Parrett, Barton

They’re no longer refugees

FURTHER to Jon Stanhope’s column (CN, June 22), the norm is that people claiming refugee status, claim it in the first country they arrive in after leaving the country they say they are fleeing from.

The refugees arriving in Australia have, in the main, come through other countries such as Indonesia. This means they are no longer refugees. The people coming here in boats are economic migrants and they are breaking the law by trying to come into Australia illegally. This is why they are kept on Manus and Nauru.

It is very sad that on Manus and Nauru there are crimes against these people such as rape and beatings, but they are doing it to their own. So what would they do if we let the perpetrators into Australia?

Vi Evans via email

Active travellers left in the lurch

GERDINA Bryant laments the impact of the ACT Greens’ focus and platforms for change (Letters, CN, July 2).

The ACT Greens MLAs also need to show how they are working to ensure that the current light rail set up, that they wanted so badly, can accommodate more easily both the volume of passengers living in the innernorth and also those who wish to bring their bicycles on board. They also share responsibility for ensuring timely follow-up transport network improvements across Canberra, including more efficient and reliable light rail/bus connections, far fewer cancelled bus services, improved weather protection at platforms, bus stops and interchanges, and upgraded footpaths and lighting.

While the Labor/Greens government is quick to assist car users by funding and building more park-and-ride compounds near rail stops in Gungahlin, and to boast about how the light rail project came in under budget, essential and well-planned spending to promote and encourage all forms of efficient “active travel” is lagging well behind.

Breath of fresh air on health and wellbeing

FINALLY, a breath of fresh air from the ACT government.

The quiet launch of a process to provide wellbeing indicators for the ACT offers a new approach to governing the territory.

The Chief Minister, Andrew Barr, has moved beyond the raw economic figures to measure what is really important for Canberrans: our health and wellbeing.

Wellbeing indicators are not a new idea in the international arena. NZ has just adopted its first Budget using this approach and the OECD has used very broad indicators for some time.

However, as Australian governments have become more and more conservative, the focus has been on the economy. The

Provided it isn’t hijacked by self-interest, a new ACT health initiative has the potential to take Canberra to the highest possible level of wellbeing in the world. Not a bad goal.

tries at the G20 meeting – he constantly referred to “other economies”.

On an international scale, Canberra does well on such indicators and receives the top score in Australia. So much for Melbourne being the “most liveable city” (as Melburnians love to rub in). Indeed, on measures such as Employment, Safety, Environment and Civic Engagement Canberra scores full marks – 10 out of 10.

The 10 out of 10 for Civic Engagement rings a warning bell on how these indicators need to be measured. The OECD is looking at measurable indicators worldwide and for this measure they take existing information. In this case they look at voter turnout. With the level of education and socio-economic status in Canberra along with compul-

sory attendance at the polling booth (I cannot bring myself to call it compulsory voting) we can hardly consider this a good measure.

The taskforce that the Chief Minister has assembled to conduct how to put these indicators together was quick to point out the importance of considering such issues at the first community consultation. There will be other focus groups followed by a broader consideration.

There have been plenty of pseudo consultations where governments have already made up their minds and go through a façade of consultation. In this case, the government taskforce set the aim and then sought understanding of what would work, what would be pertinent to the Canberra community, and most importantly, what would be measurable.

However, the real test of wellbeing indicators

will be around how government implements the approach. NZ has built its Budget around its indicators in the hope of delivering a healthier NZ. Just how seriously these indicators are taken by government will not be known until measures of the indicators are adopted and become part and parcel of budgeting, annual reports and the estimates process.

Until now there has been one major indicator – economic growth. It should remain. However, provided there are meaningful measures we should look for better outcomes in terms of issues such as equity, health, education, housing, community engagement, gender equity and environment. The system should be based on a hierarchy with a relatively small number of high level indicators with a wider remit for the next level down.

The UN has been able to narrow a healthier and more sustainable world by 2030 through 17 sustain-

able development goals. They certainly form a good starting point for considering what will be important for the ACT. However, ACT-specific indicators will need to focus on what is different about our bush capital, how to protect our heritage, ensure appropriate planning and facilitate a safe, caring community that values the key elements of what makes Canberra Canberra.

The process has commenced appropriately. Let’s hope the taskforce appointed by the Chief Minister can keep it on track. The goal over the next six months is “to have a ‘com-

munity’ conversation and a collection of individual thoughts and ideas because, to be meaningful as a reporting and decision-making framework, the indicator set we develop should be of manageable size to discern the key areas of progress and need”.

The early stages of this process bode well for a significant change in approach by government. Provided it does not get hijacked by self-interest, the approach does have the potential to take Canberra to the highest possible level of wellbeing in the world. Not a bad goal.

Regular daily outings: Enjoy a Fish N Chips cruise on the Clyde River, a Melodies & Tulips tour to Bowral, or a Sydney Harbour Jacaranda Cruise........ tomentionjustafew.

Regular day tours to: ‘Big’ musical matinees in Sydney. Call us about Chicago and Billy Elliot. Or for a longer trip away: Take a Mudgee ‘Doctor Doctor’ Tour, a Melbourne ‘Terracotta Warriors’ Tour, a South Australian Riverland Tour, or a Melbourne Cup Tour....... plusmanymore.

IAN MEIKLE EDITING

every week in... loves

NEWS / cardiovascular research Heartfelt warning to smokers

“We found there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Smoking causes terrible harm across the board,” she says.

doubling in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease among those smoking an average of five cigarettes a day.

The research team tracked about 190,000 Australian smokers and non-smokers participating in the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study for 36 different types of cardiovascular disease for more than seven years.

It found that smoking also causes 11,400 coronary heart hospitalisations a year –that’s 31 a day.

And for people who classify themselves as “light smokers”, Prof Banks says they’re not immune to these risks.

In what she describes as “extremely

CEO of the Heart Foundation John Kelly, describing the new evidence as disturbing, says: “It demonstrates that our battle to eliminate the devastation tobacco brings to people’s lives is far from over.

“We urge the government to maintain tobacco control as a high priority and look forward to seeing it feature strongly in the new Prevention Strategy recently announced by the Minister for Health.

“There are around 2.7 million smokers in Australia today.

“Those smokers have around triple the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to people who have never smoked, and double the risk of a heart attack, a stroke or heart failure.

“They are also five times more likely to develop peripheral cardiovascular diseases like gangrene.

“If a smoker has a heart attack or a stroke, it is more likely than not that it was caused by smoking.”

Meanwhile, the Australian Council on Smoking and Health is calling for the Federal government to reignite Australia’s National Tobacco Campaign, a key missing ingredient to reduce smoking since 2013.

Chief executive Maurice Swanson says the findings of the study demonstrate why it is vital for the government to reintroduce a national TV-led public education campaign to encourage and support smokers to quit.

“The Federal government received more than $12 billion from tobacco tax in 2018/19 but has not funded a nationwide campaign since 2013,” he says.

In good news, the research shows quitting smoking markedly reduces the risk of heart attacks, stroke and dying from cardiovascular disease compared with continuing to smoke.

The research is published in the international journal “BMC Medicine” and was undertaken in partnership with the Heart Foundation and Sax Institute.

HANDYMAN’S TRADING POST

WINTER FITNESS

Lots of ways to stay healthy

WHILE it’s tempting to remain huddled indoors during winter, there are many benefits to maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle during Canberra’s cooler months.

To help Canberrans achieve these benefits, “CityNews” speaks with some of its health and fitness experts who are passionate about keeping people fit and healthy over winter.

“Flu shots, [which] give immunity against four of the worst strains of flu, are the best way to [get through] winter,” she says.

And while flu shots are a great place to start, Rhonda says Chemist Outlet Dickson also has other items to help customers get through winter, such as heat packs, vaporisers, supplements and probiotics. But prevention is not always possible, which is why Rhonda says the highly trained and educated pharmacists do their best to provide a timely and professional dispensing service for unwell (and well) customers.

much of an effort.

“We’re here to make sure that you get the product that’s right for you at a heavily discounted price.”

Soon, Rhonda says the customerfocused community pharmacy, Chemist Outlet Dickson, will become a Cincotta discount chemist, which means they will offer even better prices and services for the community.

“[We’re always trying to] deliver medicines at discounted prices that can help any budget,” Rhonda says.

Chemist Outlet Dickson, 1/42 Dickson Place, Dickson. Call 6247 7944.

Virginia mentors through movement

MOVEMENT Mentors has helped more than 400 Canberra women improve body tone and flexibility, and reduce back pain, according to owner Virginia Cooke, and now she wants to get more women moving in July by offering $5 trial classes.

Under the name Callanetics, which will soon become Stretchtone, Virginia says the classes conducted in her home studio are small and personalised, and offer exercises with no impact.

“[The classes] help with balance, coordination and strength,” she says.

Movement Mentors’ classes are based on pulses, yoga and somatic movements, which Virginia says results in a leaner look with no stress on the joints.

“My students report better sleep, improved back issues, reduced dependence on painkillers and fewer visits to the health care professionals,” she says.

Overall she says her Stretchtone classes have many benefits, which is why she’s inviting women to come and try her introduction workshop from 1.30pm-4.30pm, on Sunday, July 21, for $36.

Movement Mentors. Call 0411 952598 or email info@movementmentors.com.au

great locations in Phillip & Gungahlin

• Extensive range of shoes for Runners, Joggers, Walkers and Gym enthusiasts of all ages

• Brands include Asics, Brooks, Nike, New Balance, Mizuno, Saucony, Hoka and On

• Great range of technical running apparel which breathes (wicks moisture) all year round

Entrance between the Central Café & Gloria Jeans Café Hibberson St, Gungahlin 6241 7054

WINTER HEALTH & FITNESS

• Extensive range of nutrition products from Endura, GU, Hammer and Tailwind

• Come in and speak to our staff of Runners, Triathletes and Orienteers with a passion and a first-hand knowledge of our entire product range!

Or visit our ‘long running store’ in Dundas Court, Phillip 6285 3508

and Gungahlin, has all the right equipment to get people running through winter, says long-time runner and director Nick Walshe. Surprisingly, he says, winter is the best time for runners to increase their training because people can go longer in the colder weather without their heart rate being elevated.

And to help people get outdoors and running in the cold weather, Nick says The Runners Shop has gear such as gloves, to keep people warm, and accessories such as a new product called the “Naked” running belt, which can hold necessities like phones, water bottles and wallets. But no matter what a customer is after, Nick says the team at The Runners Shop, who are all running

to help customers find the right running gear.

“We give people a personalised [service with an] extra level of attention, compared to what they’re used to [at other stores], to make sure they’re getting the right pair of shoes,” Nick says.

Nick’s enthusiasm for running goes beyond the store too, and on Saturday, July 20, The Runners Shop will be sponsoring a running event, hosted by the YMCA Canberra Runners Club, which starts at Menindee Drive, Parkes.

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

Orthotic shoes offer style and comfort

THERE’S no need to sacrifice style for comfort, with The Healthy Foot’s stylish and orthotic-friendly NAOT footwear, says podiatrist Mark Clayton.

Handmade in Israel from Italian leather, Mark says people have been buying NAOT footwear from The Healthy Foot in Dickson for about 25 years.

“We have the biggest stock of NAOT footwear in Canberra [and] people find them very comfortable,” he says.

Mark, who’s been a podiatrist for more than 30 years, says NAOT shoes come in many styles and colours, such as slim sizes and wide sizes, to suit the individual.

“[They are] a good quality shoe and people who wear them keep coming back,” he says.

And, Mark says if the insoles need to be replaced, The Healthy Foot can provide new insoles too.

But what’s most important is that people walk away with a shoe that’s the right fit and Mark says the team at The Healthy Foot are happy to provide that extra service to meet the customers’ requirements.

“As podiatrists, we can point them in [the right] direction,” he says.

The Healthy Foot, 1/151 Cowper Street, Dickson. Call 6262 8383 or visit thehealthyfoot.com.au

Greg gets people moving post injury

Woden Physiotherapy Sports Injury Clinic, located in both Manuka and Woden, is all about getting people back to where they were before they were injured, says owner Greg Nash.

Greg, who has about 35 years of clinical experience, sees a lot of snow sport-related injuries over the winter months and says the clinic’s aim is to restore the range of motion that was available pre-injury .

“Knee injuries are the most common injury for skiers, whereas upper limb injuries are prevalent for snowboarders,” he says.

When rehabilitating snow sport injuries, Greg says the initial treatment focuses on reducing pain, reducing swelling and protecting the area from further injury.

Then, he says they work on restoring range of motion and maintaining strength.

But Greg’s not just limited to snow related injuries and says he can help with musculoskeletal injuries, neck and back pain, joint pain and injuries from work, car accidents or other sports.

Backed by a team of highly skilled physiotherapists, Greg says the Manuka and Woden clinics, which offer after hours services and onsite parking, are trusted by the community and deliver expert advice in the management of injuries.

“We take great pride in providing a personal experience for clients,” he says.

“We know them by name and they know us by name.

“[And we] don’t just treat the injury, we treat the person.”

Manuka Woden Physiotherapy Sports Injury Clinic, 2/26 Bougainville Street, Manuka, call 6295 6896 and 3/48 Corinna Street, Woden, call 6281 1382 or email manukawodenphysio@outlook.com

THE owner of Aerial Sports, Cher Albrecht, is getting people moving for half the price this winter, with her two for one aerial and yoga classes, starting on July 15.

On top of this, Cher says Aerial Sports is currently running a competition on its Facebook and Instagram channels, where they will be giving away a free class or classes. But, she says people need to enter quickly because she will be announcing the winner on Sunday, July 14.

Then, on Monday, July 15, Cher says the beginning of Aerial Sports’ “winter special” on aerial and yoga classes is the perfect time for children and adults to try a fun and engaging alternative to the traditional gym workout.

“I originally opened Aerial Sports as an outlet for adults to play and experience aerial acrobatics,” she says.

“I find that as adults we tend to not play as much as we should, so it’s an opportunity for us to enjoy a unique sport.”

Now, following an expansion, Cher says Aerial Sports offers multiple chances for adults and children to “play” in a range of beginner and advanced classes such as regular aerial, silk, lyra or trapeze, as well as classes that work on handstands and flexibility.

“[As an instructor] it’s really fulfilling to see students learn, grow and build self confidence,” Cher says.

“I love seeing the smiles on students’ faces when they achieve a goal or do a move they didn’t think they’d be able to get.”

Aerial Sports, 17a Darling Street, Mitchell. Call 6262 0215, email info@aerialsports.com.au or visit aerialsports.com.au

Avoid getting hurt with the power of stretches

DURING the cold winter months, it’s important to get outdoors and keep active, says the director of Canberra Chiropractic, Dr Ben Schutte.

And once people are outside and moving, Ben says it’s also important for people to stretch and prepare properly before sports, including winter sports, which can be physically taxing.

“People become sedentary over winter [so] it’s important to make sure they’re moving correctly,” he says.

“[We see] occasional skiers who get hurt because they haven’t prepared properly.”

Ben, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, can help people with their rehabilitation after injury, but also offers services such as chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue techniques, corrective exercises and ancillary care.

He delivers these services out of the practice in Turner, which Ben says has been helping the

Youth club with an eye on the future

SERVING the local community for more than 60 years, Canberra Police Community Youth Club (PCYC) has been in Erindale since the 1980s, offering a range of low-cost and high-quality programs and activities to engage young people and the community.

“PCYC sport and recreation programs and activities form a part of a community engagement strategy,” PCYC says.

“These programs and activities are a low-cost, high-quality service run out of the PCYC Erindale Centre.

“This wide range of sporting and recreational options cater to the diverse local community and provide PCYC members with an inclusive environment, sense of belonging and an increase in health and mental wellbeing.”

PCYC also offers targeted programs for young people exhibiting anti-social behaviour, disengagement from school or engaging in low-grade, petty crime.

“Personal development outcomes for participants include improved resilience, leadership skills, teamwork skills, a sense of belonging, fostering better social skills, a sense of identity, skills to manage emotions, practical skills, understanding of healthy choice-making, goal setting skills and building a positive self image,” PCYC says.

“Whatever journey people may have been on, it is our mission to empower people to create pathways to a better future for themselves.”

Canberra Police Community Youth Club, 17 Grattan Court, Wanniassa. Call 6296 7822, email erindale@ pcyc.net.au or visit pcyc.net.au

Canberra community relieve neck and back pain for almost sixty years, with Canberra Chiropractic’s history dating back to 1958.

And even though they’ve been around for so long, Ben says they understand traditional chiropractic techniques but at the same time keep

up to date with modern techniques.

“We know different people will need different techniques,” he says.

Canberra Chiropractic, Unit 5, 9 McKay Street, Turner. Call 6247 3388, email admin@canberrachiropractic.com.au or visit canberrachiropractic.com.au

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

When a bored couple seek to live seperate lives DOUGAL

The Baton Man takes a final bow, for now

By Helen Musa

FOR the past few years, whenever there’s been a classical music concert in Canberra, it’s been a fair bet Leonard Weiss was conducting it.

The list is almost ridiculous and he has, at times, simultaneously picked up the baton for up to six orchestras at a time, not least the National Capital Orchestra, Canberra Youth Orchestra, the Qwire, the ANU Choral Society, Canberra Choral Society, the Canberra Sinfonia, Musica da Camera, the Maruki Community Orchestra, Dramatic Productions and ensembles from Canberra Grammar School, where he’s been teaching.

Now at the ripe age of 26, Weiss is doing what his supporters have been advising him to do for years – heading overseas to study conducting.

After a gruelling audition round in Baltimore in late February, he’s been accepted into the famous Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in that city, where he will undertake a two-year master’s course under the watchful eye of super-conductor Marin Alsop.

“I’ve spent some years figuring it out while conducting here,” Weiss says, explaining

that the Peabody and Johns Hopkins University, famous for its medical research, have established “a kind of a funny synergy or funny union”.

Peabody is the oldest music conservatorium in the US, while Johns Hopkins is famous for its medical research, but together they’ve embarked on a project where music is seen holistically. The brilliant Alsop is on the faculty at Peabody, but is also artistic director of the

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra. She has been announced as chief conductor designate of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the first woman appointed to that role.

“She’s challenging, someone really worth studying with,” Weiss says. “She’s known for her integrity and astuteness… of course, I knew of her, but I first met her at the audition.”

You’ve got to give it to Weiss. For such a

young musician, he’s game.

Describing the audition as “terrifying”, he says he was required to conduct two pieces in the first round, where 31 would-be conductors were put through their paces.

For the second round, down to 17, he had to conduct Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and Beethoven’s Fifth, as well as Leonore Overture No. 3, also by Beethoven. He was one of just five eventually selected.

Notified of the audition in early January, Weiss only had a few weeks to prepare, but he’d participated in the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s Australian Conducting Academy over two consecutive summers, so had learnt to expect the unexpected.

“For four or five years now people have been saying I should pursue further studies… Now I’ve got enough under my belt and I’m confident enough to walk into an orchestra, such a wonderful vibe.”

But inevitably some people, including some family members, have been asking him: “Why do you need to do a course? You already do this”.

“The answer is that I need to have someone technically scrutinising my work,” he says.

“Also I want to find out how other conductors get musicians to do what they ask – and to devote 12 hours a day to conducting will be sensational… the faculty at Peabody is incredible, it will push my musicality.

“It’s a challenge and an opportunity to convey a composition in a new way and I

think it’s great when musicians embrace a young conductor,” he says.

“I particularly like to reach out to new composers… you never know what a piece will sound like until you play it.”

One of the most exciting things for him recently was to conduct Michael Dooley’s new 39-minute composition, “Piano Concerto No. 1”.

“Imagine, to be the first person to play it with the composer in the room, what an amazing experience!”

Weiss has been easing out of his various musical directorships over the last half year and his final concert before heading to Baltimore will be on August 3.

He’ll be conducting Respighi’s “Pines of Rome” with the National Capital Orchestra, where his eagerness to conduct the late Italian composers had become a bit of a running joke.

“Every year I pitched it to them and they said: ‘No, it’s too hard’,” he says; so Weiss was astonished when the orchestra suggested it to him.

As for conductors being domineering, he’s against it, saying: “Conducting is facilitating the best for your musicians. You have to have a vision, you have to know the music, but you don’t have to be dictatorial.”

“Pines of Rome”, Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, Saturday, August 3. Book at premier.ticketek. com.au. Pre-concert talk by composer Dante Clavijo, 6.45pm.

When a bored couple seek to live separate lives

“An

Unexpected Love” (M)

FOR his directorial debut after a prolific career as a producer, Juan Vera joined Daniel Cuparo (for whom this is his feature film debut after a prolific TV career) to write a screenplay telling how a mature Argentinian couple dealt with themselves and their marriage after their only son leaves to see the world.

It’s a warm, intelligent observation of the stage when the past becomes another country, the present poses difficult questions of adjust ment and the future raises new problems about life and how to live it. Without being didactic nor skirting around the edges of its issues, “An Unexpected Love” sets up its events on a narrative platform that might describe any vital, middle-aged couple.

That age cohort by no means excludes younger audiences with parents coping with or confronting analogous situations. Suddenly with little to do at the end of days pursuing their academic professions, Ana and Marcos come home to polite listlessness. Change becomes inevitable.

Their solution is simple. It shocks friends and relatives whose business it really is not. They will split from the marriage and follow separate paths in relationships and lifestyles. Separate lives during the following decade form the film’s main structure.

As Ana, who can walk into a room full of people and become the focus of attention within seconds, the best word for Mercedes Moran is “splendid”. As Marcos, Ricardo Darin is what I suspect most warm-blooded women might regard as dishy. The supporting cast is no less effective. The women transiting Marcos’s

life are enthusiastic. The men into whose beds Ana chooses to jump don’t have to do much heavy lifting.

Sexual flings sprinkle a narrative principally about domestic moments – moving out of the apartment, selling the apartment, little daily habits. The film’s examination of life’s minutiae and relationships is credible. Vera and Cuparo are inviting the audience to watch and learn. Which is no bad purpose for a quite entertaining film.

At Palace Electric

“High Life” (MA)

WHEN George Lucas released “Star Wars” in 1977, my review described it as an outer space western. Cinema owners around the world have since then salivated in anticipation of the next episode in that franchise. It

the good earth PSYCHIC FAIR

The second Good Earth Psychic Fair for 2019 takes place on SUNDAY JULY 27TH at the HUGHES COMMUNITY CENTRE (right next to the Hughes Shops). Entry is $5 (children under 16 free) - this includes free workshops and talks all day.

Readers, Mediums, Healers, unique, interesting and quality stalls with alternative and spiritual themes. All enquiries or potential stallholders please contact Natasha or Lilitu on 02 6241 0799 (bus hours). Once again we are supporting the Deep Peace Trust animal sanctuary near Braidwood.

spawned many stupid, fantastical, awful, same-old same-old fantasy monsterpacked movies set in outer space, and a couple of attempts by more serious filmmakers to travel beyond earth’s orbit with stories that comply with the immutable laws of physics.

French writer/director Claire Denis has tried, with some serious attention to verity, to make an outer-space movie free of battles, monsters or other law-breaking events. That’s a brave endeavour. Sadly, it’s not very entertaining.

The story unfolds on a boxy-shaped space-craft carrying a crew of criminals offered the chance to avoid execution by crewing a scientific mission that would take nearly two earth decades and which would involve a critical issue in any plan to save humanity from extinction by colonising another astral body.

The issue? Human reproduction. That makes the film sexy, doesn’t it. Not really. “High Life” offers no erotic buzz. When it comes down to showing what this part of him does to that part of her, it gives us to understand what’s happening by implication, avoiding both prurience or prudishness.

The ethical considerations underlying this objective don’t get tangled with interactions between characters. Nor does the film demand that we go along with

DINING / assembly,

the possibility of colonising other galaxies or parts thereof. Our species has evolved over millennia to exist within specific environmental parameters – temperature, water, oxygen and gravity being the most inflexible.

Astro-physicists have discovered much about other astral bodies. But none has so far suggested that it might suit our essential needs. In “High Life”, Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche head a cast playing characters aware that their lives conform to terrestrial imperatives and that they will never reach their destination much less survive on it.

At Dendy

“The Third Wife” (MA)

IN its late-19th-century Vietnamese rural environment, Ash Mayfair’s debut film as a writer and director after a career in short films is sensitive and visually lovely.

At age 14, May (Nguyen Phuong Tra My) has been married to a wealthy Vietnamese land-owner Hung (Long Le Vu). May is pretty, innocent, vulnerable and, above all, a survivor.

Coming to the new chapter in life, May has first wife Ha (Nu Yên-Khê Tran) and second wife Xuan (Mai Thu Huong Maya) to help steer her through womanhood,

motherhood, and sexual pleasure. The film gently takes May from defloration to motherhood. A blood-stained sheet represents consummation; a growing belly shows no time was wasted for conception. Marriage brings her to a comfortable life with a single goal – to bear a son. As time passes with less and less to do thanks to servants, May’s eyes and mind begin to gradually wander. Her body discovers new sensations, not all unpleasant, some learned with guidance from the older wives, others without it. Hung’s property resembles a small self-supporting village. A sense of innocence pervades the household. It’s a male-dominated society in which the adult women of the family live in a kind of independence governed by customs that influence many daily activities.

“The Third Wife” tells about people for whom life has few complexities and simple-enough rules in a beautiful rural environment. Not clearly defining its target audience, it invites people with the wit to go along to see it to take from it as little or as much as they choose.

At Dendy

braddon Eating where the ‘ayes’ have it...

By Wendy JOHNSON

CANBERRANS love to flock to new places and these days that’s straight to the new (and massive) pub in Braddon called Assembly (where Paddy Pallin and Braddon Cellars used to be).

As its name suggests, this is a place to hang out with family and friends to do pretty much whatever you’d like. Watch sports on the big TV screens. Settle into cosy leather booths. Head to the sunny beer garden out the back to perch yourself at a picnic table or sit in the shade under the gigantic oak tree.

The fitout is fantastic – the gleaming polished concrete floors, exposed brick and wonderfully warm wooden tables all work in harmony.

We hit Assembly on a Sunday for lunch hoping to get a table (it’s fair that no bookings are being taken while staff find their feet).

We lucked into a leather booth and ordered “small share” dishes at the bar.

The haloumi fries with harissa yoghurt, pomegranate and mint ($15) were delightful and our tastebuds danced. The zucchini flowers, with goat’s cheese, maple glaze and parmesan ($16) were delish as was the kingfish sashimi with light soy ($16) – not too thick or thin.

We eyed the “big share” dishes, disappointed the 1.2kg roast lamb shoulder wasn’t available ($85 for four to six, with smoked yoghurt, cauliflower salad and flatbread). The rotisserie chicken isn’t available until after 5pm.

grams for $33), cooked as ordered and tender. It was served with a mountain of fries, charred corn cob and mushroom sauce, pepper sauce, gravy or herbed butter.

entire plate ($23). It was served with charred corn and fries, and a choice of gravy, mushroom or pepper sauce (the extra gravy ordered didn’t initially arrive).

juicy and came with a pineapple salsa, aioli and slaw. Get ready to get messy managing this one, but that’s part of the fun ($20). were cold, which surprised us, and came with a

Passion millenniums in the making

By Helen Musa

BANGARRA Dance Theatre’s artistic director, Stephen Page, is in the mood for celebration.

It’s the company’s 30th birthday and he’s put together a triple bill called “Bangarra: 30 years of Sixty Five Thousand”, a mighty tribute to its creators and the spirit of the country that inspired it.

“We’re going all around the country with this – Perth, Darwin, Hobart, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra and more – it’s amazing. Thirty years out of 65,000 and still maybe more,” Page says.

Founded in 1989 by African-American dancer Carole Johnson, who was followed as director by Page in 1991, Bangarra was named after the Wiradjuri language “to make fire” and that’s just what they do, in dance.

“Just sustaining ourselves is a feat,” Page says.

“Just surviving in the mainstream, let alone being an indigenous company… this is the only company of its kind – not to say there aren’t any other first nations companies, but we’re a full-time professional contemporary dance company that survives in the mainstream.”

While there are 28 major performing arts companies funded by the Australia Council, he says: “We’re at the lower end of that in terms of money, but we’re still there.

“We’re the only full-time indigenous professional arts company. We employ 18 indigenous artists full-time annually, and we

have a strong educational program run by retired dancers.”

Bangarra, he says, has resident indigenous dancers to create artistic beauty, but even more than that, a unique sound.

“That was created by my brother who is no longer with us,” he says in reference to the late David Page, composer of the company’s unmistakable music from the outset.

“His legacy is so strong in this company and that makes me even more aware that we have to care for our coming generations,” he says.

A special section in the program will be devoted to David in the context of the 40-minute work “Unaipon”, the work he co-created in 2004 with choreographer and Kokatha woman Frances Rings, when Stephen was the artistic director of the Adelaide Festival.

“We wanted her to create a story and start unravelling the stories from her own country in SA… David Unaipon, who’s on the $50 note, was himself a Ngarrindjeri man from SA, our first inventor and scientist, Frances went deep into that.”

Page modestly estimates that they’ve done more than 15 works since 2004 (we counted 23 in fact) but time is moving on, and he’s well aware that there’s a new dance generation of dancers eager to recreate language and story on stage.

Even so, as the middle item, he’s planned an enticing jump into the immediate past with “Stamping Ground”, created by Czech choreographer Jiří Kylián with the Nederlands Dans Theater in 1983 after a visit in 1980 to observe a gathering of Aboriginal dancers on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Amazingly, one of Bangarra’s greatest danc ers, Djakapurra Munyarryun, was there, aged just eight. Documentary-maker Hans Hulscher recorded the event in the film “Road to the Stamping Ground”, a short extract from which Bangarra will screen.

It’s a first for Bangarra to stage work by an international guest artist, but Page has been a fan of Kylián since dance student days, and has since spoken about restaging the work to the great man, who told him: “I think you’re probably doing a much more interesting coverage of modern and traditional dance.”

“Jiří was the ‘it’ thing, the neoclassical boy-wonder who wanted to tell stories,” says Page.

“He was the same age as I was when I took over at Bangarra.”

An exciting development is that for the Australian restaging, Roslyn Anderson, the Brisbane dancer who was repetiteur for the original production in Amsterdam, has been here working with the company.

The last act of the evening is, in homage to the company’s name, named “To make fire”, a 39-minute selection of representative pieces put together by Stephen and the company’s head of design, Jacob Nash.

There’ll be part of “Matthina”, about a young girl who was removed, adopted into then rejected by colonial society, followed by former Bangarra dancer Elma Kris’s “About”, which follows the spirits of the four winds in the Torres Strait.

ARTS

By Helen Musa

“It’ll be a good long evening of dance… it’s a good night if you like dancing, but if you don’t, you can have a little sleep,” Page jokes.

Page’s work “ID” is based on personal observations of people tracing the bloodlines in connecting with the old cultures asking

“Bangarra: 30 years of Sixty Five Thousand”, Canberra Theatre, July 18-20, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

Austrian triumph for teen pianist

A 16-year-old Canberra pianist has won a place in the degree program at Universität Mozarteum Salzburg, a specialist music academy in the home town of Wolfgang Amadeus

Bernice Chua, who began learning piano when she was four years old, will undertake a four-year bachelor’s course in Salzburg,

Consistently achieving A+ for AMEB piano exams over the years, she performed in the Canberra International Music Festival, in concerts at the ANU School of Music, and various embassies, and Wesley Music Centre,

where she came to our notice as a Wesley Music Scholar.

She also participated in masterclasses with international artists and achieved top places in the Sydney and Australian National Eisteddfods.

At age 13, while studying at Radford College, she won the ArtSound Young Virtuoso of the Year. After studying here with Marie Cull, she travelled for two years to study with Canberra-raised pianist Bernadette Harvey, then headed to Salzburg for a pre-college course of one year under Prof Andreas Weber.

Bernice applied for early entry into the Austrian university and after surviving two rounds got in, putting on hold a music scholarship at Canberra Girls’ Grammar School.

Her mother, Rebecca Tong, describes her daughter as “very mature”. She’s rented

an apartment for Bernice very close to the university.

The objectives of the instrumental courses at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg aim “for students to achieve artistic maturity and independence, the ability to reflect critically and evaluate their own abilities, to achieve artistic and scientific skills so as to be able to analyse musical works of art from all epochs, the ability to carry out a profession, and the ability to fulfil artistic, educational and organisational tasks with a cultural dimension.”

Her enrolment examination, Bernice told “CityNews” from Salzburg, consisted of an instrumental audition where she had to play works by Bach, Beethoven, Liszt and Mendelssohn. She also sat exams in general music theory, elementary piano playing and German.

‘Jack’ gets a leg up from the kids

CHILD Players ACT will stage “Jack and the Beanstalk”, a musical adaptation by BJ Anyos, Katie Kavanagh and Georgia Pike, at Belconnen Community Centre, Swanston Court, 11am and 2pm, July 17-20. Book at canberrarep.org.au or 6257 1950.

TRASHFEST 2019 is a wild film event culled from Andrew Leavold’s 30 years of collecting and sharing film oddities. It’s suitable for anyone into horror, cult movies or strangeness. Comprising two hours of clips from Africa, South-East Asia and Bollywood, it features the Filipino midget James Bond, the North Korean “Godzilla”, and the Turkish “Star Wars”. At Sanguineti Media, Block C, Unit 103, 49 Phillip Avenue, Canberra Technology Park, Watson, 7pm-9pm, Saturday, July 20. Tickets at the door.

THE Scandinavian Film Festival is running a selection of 21 films from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. The centrepiece is Iceland’s “A White, White Day”, billed as a darkly humorous new drama about a stoic man whose emotional reserves are pushed to their limits. In “Aurora”, a commitment-phobic party girl Aurora and Iranian refugee Darian agree to help each other. At Palace Electric, until July 31.

CANBERRA Community Chorale, directed by Dan Walker and accompanied by a string quartet, will perform “This Shining Night”, an eclectic concert of Schubert’s Mass in G, interspersed with clever re-workings of songs by pop group Depeche Mode and solo art songs from American composer Samuel Barber. Soloist is soprano Chloe Lankshear with Lucas Allerton on piano. At North Belconnen Uniting Church, Melba, 2pm, Sunday, July 14. Book at trybooking.com or cash tickets at the door.

THE “Michael Buble Christmas in July” show is coming to town with Mitch Capone playing the Canadian singer who has won four Grammy Awards. At Harmonie German Club, 7pm, Saturday, July 20. Book at harmonieclub.com.au

Dry argument of talking plants GARDENING

THE pollies told us the rebuilt Cotter Dam would give Canberra certainty of water supply and we wouldn’t be exposed to the sort of difficulties of the 2003-2012 drought for a very long time.

And yet with the city’s ever increasing numbers of houses and population, that prediction may prove incorrect.

Therefore, in the garden it’s important to look for plants that are drought tolerant rather than drought resistant.

Drought-tolerant plants require less water to survive.

2016 from plant extracts with no lasting soil residue.

mulch to about 50-75mm deep.

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For starters, we can look at plants from the driest parts of the globe, for example Mexico, California, the Mediterranean and South Africa.

A familiar example is the Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata), so called because of the similarity of its fragrance to that of orange-tree flowers.

When we bought a previous home, one such plant was growing in the garden in a spot nowhere near any taps for watering and the only water it received was from rain. And yet it survived and produced the mass of white flowers each late winter and spring every year. In the 10 years we lived there it never received water other than rain.

Besides the original Choisya species there are many cultivars produced with plant breeding. One such new cultivar is Choisya White Dazzler with all the benefit of drought resistance combined with an even greater flush of white fragrant flowers.

There is also Escallonia “Hedge with an Edge” with pink flowers. Escallonias thrive in the heat, originating in South America, although have adapted well in California. Both grow to about 1.2m x 1m, although can be clipped to keep lower.

WHILE debate continues around possible health issues associated with the handling of the weedkiller glyphosate, a reminder that there’s an organic alternative called Slasher. It was developed in Australia in

It is manufactured by the Australian company Organic Crop Protectants, which manufactures a range of certified organic products for home gardeners and farmers under the name of Eco products.

The company says Slasher can be used in veggie gardens with no withholding period. It is approved by the Australian Certified Organic.

Slasher is not systemic; rather, it is a contact-only spray and good coverage is necessary for best results and some tough, well-established and perennial weeds may need a repeat application. I’ve been trialling it at home for many months and can recommend it.

WINTER flowers are always in demand for colour in the garden and none more so than hellebores or “Winter Rose”.

Although no relation, the name is due to its resemblance to oldfashioned roses.

Hellebores have a huge range of pastel colours from soft pinks to purples. Plus they come in single flowers to semi-doubles and full doubles.

They grow best in well-drained soil and are ideally planted under deciduous trees or shrubs for shade in summer.

If you have older, scraggly specimens, it is not too late (although I recommend early autumn) to cut the old leaves to ground level. Apply a good organic fertiliser and then

They are totally frost hardy and will multiply over the years or can be dug up and divided in spring. They are the ideal plant to combine with herbaceous peonies, often referred to as the “Queen of Flowers”, also now in stock at garden centres.

EUONYMUS japonicus was used extensively as a hedging plant in the early days of Canberra, when the government clipped your front hedge!

If you want a really dense, sturdy hedge 2m-3m it is worth considering.

This evergreen shrub will withstand hard clipping. Its fluffy white flowers appear in late summer, followed by wonderfully coloured berries as seen here in a Chifley garden at this time.

Unlike other plants such as Pyracantha, birds do not eat the berries.

Over the years it has lost popularity in favour of quicker-growing plants such as Pittosporum, but without the problems of that plant, which can become very scraggly in a short time. It is still readily available at most garden centres.

Jottings...

• Growing carnivorous plants in Canberra is the focus of the next meeting of the Canberra Horticultural Society at Wesley Church Centre, Forrest, 7.30pm,

Hellebores… totally frost hardy and will multiply over the years or can be dug up and divided in spring.

Monday, July 15. All welcome.

• Rose and fruit tree pruning demonstrations will be held at the Horticultural Society’s Trial Garden, corner of Battye and Purdie Streets, Bruce, 10am-noon, Saturday, July 27.

• There will be a rose-pruning demonstration at 1 Spence Street, Hughes, 1pm3pm, Sunday, July 28.

PUZZLES PAGE

Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Resist the overwhelming urge to be an impulsive and impetuous Ram! Under the influence of retrograde Mercury, the Lunar Eclipse and Saturn, you need to apply the brakes and think before you speak and act. Otherwise you could upset others with your hasty words and reckless actions. When it comes to your career ambitions, the main quality you need to cultivate at the moment is patience. So your motto for the week is: “Good things come to those who wait.”

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

You’re keen to exercise your Bullish brain as you talk, text, tweet, post, publish and converse as creatively as possible. But (courtesy of retro Mercury) it’s not a good week to host a jolly family reunion or bring up sensitive childhood issues. Venus and Neptune encourage you to forgive transgressions from the past and stop worrying about the future. Focus on enjoying the here and now! Be inspired by birthday great Carlos Santana: “The present is where everything begins.”

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

Tuesday night’s Lunar Eclipse shines a bright spotlight on money, business, property and investments. So make sure they are all in practical order. But with Mercury retrograde, communication looks strained so be careful you’re not drawn into an argument, either in person or online. And don’t allow someone to persuade you to do something against your better judgment. Have the common sense (which is actually not so common!) to stand your ground and say no.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

The Sun and Venus are both visiting Cancer, so look for a creative project that you can really sink your teeth into. And don’t let relationship responsibilities get you down, as the Lunar Eclipse amplifies current problems. Attached Crabs… build bridges as you work through sensitive issues in a careful and caring way. Singles… don’t waste your precious time on a part-time partner. Look for a lover who is ready to commit to a long-term union. They will be well worth the wait.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Are you sick and tired of being perpetually busy? Have you been feeling like a lacklustre Lion, with too many activities crammed into your timetable? Do your best to avoid extra work functions and social events over the next few weeks. With Mercury reversing into your solitude zone, you’ll find sleep, rest and relaxation are just what the doctor ordered. Heed the wise words of birthday great Arianna Huffington: “Sleep gives us a chance to refocus on the essence of who we are.”

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

You prefer things to run in an efficient fashion but there’s a loopy Lunar Eclipse, so drop the strict schedule and take things as they come. Your very private Virgo nature is also emphasised, as Mercury reverses through your seclusion and friendship zones. So make it a priority to connect with like-minded folk who understand your peccadilloes and strong need for discretion. A loved one will be super moody on Sunday, so don’t even try to work out where they are coming from.

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Polite Librans are the peacemakers of the zodiac. And you’ll certainly require your stellar diplomacy skills this week, as the Lunar Eclipse lights up your home zone and you may feel as if you’re stuck in a never-ending episode of Family Feud! And with Mercury reversing into your career zone, it’s not a good week to sign a professional contract, initiate a work project or look for a new job. Thursday and Friday are fabulous for creative pursuits and romantic rendezvous.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

The intensity levels ratchet up this week, as there’s a Lunar Eclipse plus Pluto opposes the Sun and Venus. Issues involving relatives, neighbours, travel, education, religion and/or social media could be particularly fraught. Jealous thoughts and possessive behaviour are also a danger. If you’re not careful, then you could find yourself embroiled in a fiery argument or a frustrating power struggle. Smart Scorpios will step back, cool down, and gain some much-needed perspective.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

You’re keen to expand your knowledge base, as you pick up ideas and inspiration from all corners of the globe. Sagittarians are the cosmopolitan global citizens of the zodiac, so get connecting with your international buddies ASAP! But – with retrograde Mercury and the Lunar Eclipse lighting up your money zones – the next few weeks are not a good time to lend cash, borrow money or initiate a joint financial partnership. Instead, be patient and wait for a more auspicious time.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Under the luminous glow of the Capricorn Lunar Eclipse, concentration is high this week and your attention to detail is even better than usual. So any work you do will be of an exceptionally high standard. Coupled Capricorn – keep the lines of communication open as you work on deepening the commitment between the two of you. If you are looking for lasting love, don’t accept second best. Be discriminating, as you patiently wait for the right person to come along.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

This week you’re keen to pursue creative, humanitarian or spiritual pursuits. You’ll seek out the wise counsel of a trusted mentor or play that role yourself to someone who is looking for some judicious guidance. You’re also inclined to question your inner motivations, which can be confronting. But a soulful examination of your interior life will give you the self-knowledge and confidence to let your quintessential Aquarian nature and unique talents truly shine.

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

If you’re involved with a class, group, club or organisation, then expect power plays or personality clashes. There could also be a problem involving a major hope or wish that you have for the future. Don’t give up on your dreams Pisces! Keep going towards your goals with gusto and perseverance. So your mantra for the moment is from birthday great Nelson Mandela: “There is no passion to be found playing small… in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2019

1 What is an attendant, hired to carry a golf player’s clubs, etcetera? (6)

8 Where was Greg Norman born? (5,3)

9 Name another term for hessian or gunny. (6)

10 What are whole numbers, as distinguished from fractions? (8)

11 Name an earlier Australian Labor politician and prime minister on three occasions, Andrew ... (6)

12 Which garden was the first home of Adam and Eve? (4)

13 Name a renowned US comedian, Jack ... (5)

16 Which term describes an economic resource? (5)

19 What do we call that which is given to the poor or needy? (4)

21 To feel hatred or disgust, is to do what? (6)

22 To speed up the progress of something, is to do what? (8)

23 Which antelope can leap up to nine metres? (6)

24 What term describes a peal? (4,4)

25 Which wading birds include bitterns, egrets, etcetera? (6) Down

2 Which blue mineral is an ore of copper? (7)

3 Which sea mammal is commonly called a porpoise? (7)

4 Name another term for a sovereignty. (6)

5 What is an alternative word for an aerial? (7)

6 What are theatres where films are shown? (7)

7 Which term describes a prosecution of a claim in court? (7)

13 Name the renowned blind tenor, Andrea ... (7)

14 To puzzle completely, is to do what? (7)

15 Where did pirates once hang their captives? (7)

17 What do we call a person who resells sold-out tickets, at exorbitant prices? (7)

18 What is a level of command known as? (7)

20 Which vehicle is used for transport on snow or ice? (6)