CityNews 200206

Griffin’s forgotten, sad grave gets a little love

Once grubby and overgrown, the grave of Canberra’s designer now shines, thanks to the efforts of an ACT MLA who hopes the transformation will forge stronger connections between Canberra and India.

HE designed Canberra – and the lake in its centre takes his name – which makes Chicagoborn Walter Burley Griffin one of the best-known architects in Australian history.

But in a derelict cemetery in Lucknow, India, where Griffin was laid to rest 83 years ago, you have to look hard to find his grave, as Yerrabi MLA Deepak-Raj Gupta discovered.

“People just don’t know about it,” Gupta said.

Indian-born Gupta was elected on countback to the ACT parliament last year, filling the spot left by the sudden resignation of Meehan Fitzharris.

His “mission” to find Griffin’s grave coincided with a trip to India in January to a conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association of India Region in Lucknow.

Canberra Matters 6

Crossword 23

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“It took about an hour to find it… the grave was in a pretty bad state… abandoned and forgotten because people just don’t know who he (Griffin) is,” said Gupta.

“I’ve been living in Canberra for almost 20 years, so I knew about Walter Burley Griffin, he’s the man who designed our beautiful city.

I’ve clearly never met the guy, never seen him and have no relationship with him, but standing at his grave, I felt there was something between us.”

Moved by the experience, Gupta arranged to have the

Letters 12 Politics 10 Reviewer Dougal Macdonald has five stars for this movie. Review Page 21.

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

for election comment

taken by Ian Meikle, 9b/189 Flemington Road, Mitchell.

grave cleaned and the weeds around it cleared. He adorned the architectural maestro’s resting place with flowers and organised a special ceremony where wreaths were laid.

“It was a very touching moment,” he said.

Griffin spent the last 15 months of his life in India with his wife and design partner, Marion Mahony Griffin, setting up an architectural firm in Lucknow and producing more than 50 projects between 1935 and 1937. He died of peritonitis aged 60 on February 11, 1937, and was buried the same day in Lucknow’s Nishatganj Cemetery.

Griffin was largely underappreciated during his time in Australia, but since his death recognition of his work has steadily grown.

Gupta, a long-term resident of Gungahlin, is the first ACT government representative to visit Lucknow and hopes his experience will forge strong bonds between Canberra and Lucknow.

“This is a good opportunity for people to know Lucknow,” he said.

“I’d like it to become a place where people can come and

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pay their respects to the de signer.

“I’m recommending that a display board with a brief history of Griffin’s work and achievements be placed in the vicinity of his grave… because people just don’t know who he is, and I can confidently say that people from Canberra who visit would have the same touching experience.

“I have handed over a pro posal in this regard on behalf of my Chief Minister Andrew Barr to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and I’m trying to establish a committee and an NGO who can look after Griffin’s grave on an ongoing basis.”

In 1964, when Canberra’s central lake was filled, as Grif fin had intended, Prime Min ister Robert Menzies named it Lake Burley Griffin, making it the first “monument” in Can berra dedicated to the city’s designer.

Gupta says he’d like “more to be done” in Canberra, to acknowledge Griffin’s work.

“We are living in his legacy,” he said. “I’d like to see a street named after him in Canberra or a day of celebration on the anniversary of his death.”

For more information, or to nominate, go to: www.cotaact.org.au/go/2020paa

The grim week of grinding Groundhog Days

ANOTHER week of grinding

Groundhog Days as the city grimly lives through another tense seven days (and more) of fire news.

The good was that the Beard Fire, the one that started in Walter Burley Griffin’s redwood forest in Pialligo, closed the airport and scared the bejesus out of people in Oaks Estate, had been extinguished and the State of Emergency was lifted.

The bad was the roaring, uncontrolled blaze from Namadgi National Park seriously toasting our southern suburban toes by week’s end and scaring the bejesus out of people in Tharwa and Banks.

Who’d even heard of Orroral Valley before an Army helicopter unwittingly started the fire that led the Chief Minister Andrew Barr to light the psychological tinder of the town by describing it as the potentially worst threat to the capital since the devastation of 2003.

“It is deeply regrettable that our support operations have likely started this fire,” intoned a sullenly embarrassed media statement from Defence.

Reading between the lines, one got the sense they were trying hard to be extra helpful in getting this menacing fire snuffed out and one really smart thing they did was airlift 26 endangered eastern bettongs from the incrementally threatened Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve to safety at Mt Rothwell in Victoria with the promise of brush-tailed

Master snapper ANDREW CAMPBELL took this remarkable photo of the menacing Orroral Valley Fire from the parched Kaveneys Road, off the Barton Highway, 35 kilometres away from the fire on the afternoon of January 28.

rock-wallabies to follow.

Full credit to the Parks and Conservation people for having the wit to get moving on protecting precious wildlife. Two critically endangered southern brush-tailed rock-wallabies and two yellow-footed rock-wallabies, which require ongoing care, are joining seven platypus, which have been at Taronga Zoo since late December.

A small group of critical breeding Northern Corroboree Frogs and Tidbinbilla’s captive koalas have taken up residence in purposebuilt facilities at the ANU. The animals will all come home when conditions improve.

ABOUT the only thing offering respite from this endless hell of heat, smoke and bushfires is some freezing news from the

Canberra Liberals’ tax truck from the 2012 election campaign.

They are promising to freeze rates for the next four years. All they have to do is get into government on Saturday, October 17 and, boom, Canberra ratepayers can have a four-year break from any rises, not even cost-of-living. Nothing.

Opposition Leader Alistair Coe is nonplussed by the cost of the promise, explaining to me on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” (2CC, Sundays, 10am-noon) that housing rates only constitute 10 per cent of the ACT government’s total income and freezing the increases would cost, he reckons, only 0.5 per cent of the tax take (we get a big chunk of change from the feds in GST payments).

The only problem for the Libs with this promise is year five! We’re halfway through the 20-year rates reform plan and this

coming year Labor will reef $697 million from the householders of Canberra, up from $209 million. That’s triple rates since 2012, and how we laughed when the Libs warned us of this in that election year.

“HAVE you heard the disappointing news about the ACT government’s plans for trees in Canberra?”

No, but here’s long-time cabinet minister and Greens leader Shane Rattenbury ratting to the party faithful that the Greens committed the government to a 30 per cent tree canopy target, “yet frustratingly, at the first step, the government has stumbled”. Oh, no, what to do, Shane? That terrible “Planning Minister has just proposed changes to planning laws that won’t deliver anywhere near the number of trees that were promised. For some developments, like multi-units, this could be as low as 15 per cent – half of what was agreed to. The proposal allows developers to continue profiting from the erosion of public space in our city.”

Naughty minister, naughty develop ers; welcome to the rough end of the Labor pineapple, Shane.

TUITION BY KUMON

60 YEARS OF PROVEN RESULTS

When Tom first started to attend Kumon classes he was in year 5 at school. He was two years behind his peers according to his parents. They were in desperate need of help. Soon after their Kumon Parent Orientation where Tom was assessed, a personalised study plan was designed for him. The following week, he began his daily routine either practising what he had learnt the previous day or tackling the next concept. Every day was bringing him closer to his grade level. Within one year Tom was ahead of his class.

“The structure and expectations of Kumon established great time management skills for Tom. It gave him back his self-confidence that almost disappeared three years ago”, his mother said. Tom finished Year 6 ranked in the top three students in his class.

There are four Kumon Education Centres in Canberra. They have collectively helped thousands of students, like Tom, improve their Maths and English skills and in turn their school results. Kumon achieves this by assigning carefully prepared work that is designed in a way to help students learn to solve problems on their own. The Kumon Instructor guides, instructs and encourages students to become confident and capable learners.

/ emergency, what emergency?

Climate emergency, naw just business as usual CANBERRA MATTERS

IN May the ACT Government declared a climate emergency. The expectation would have been for high-profile urgent actions.

But, what did the press release say was to happen? There were generalised statements and self-praise. Nothing new of any consequence was listed to happen. The follow-up to the emergency was business as usual.

In early January, when confronted with a shortage of masks to assist with the intense smoke haze, an anonymous government spokesperson issued the usual statement with self-praise about the government.

The list included that they were working towards strategies (let’s have meetings), that their 2019 climate strategy included actions to look at managing risks (more meetings), actions planned to make Canberra more resilient (meetings), reviewing planning regulations (even more meetings), working towards a 30 per cent tree canopy target (meetings) and working on a timeframe to implement

If they actually believed in a climate emergency, then this government needs to stop issuing documents, stop having meetings and cease the misleading spin. The urgent and overdue action is planting an enormous number of trees immediately.

higher energy performance and climate resilience standards for new buildings (yep, more meetings).

It has been hard to spot the urgency to deal with their self-declared climate emergency.

I have offered comments previously on the sad reality of the ACT government’s climate policy and the misnamed thingy called Living Infrastructure. The latter avoiding the international term – Green Infrastructure – possibly because it recognises greenery as being fundamental to life on this planet.

The most that probably happened since their release would have been the meetings as outlined within the documents.

Let’s talk about that 30 per cent tree canopy target. The decades of drought have had, and continue to have, a devastating effect on our trees. An

enormous number of trees are either very stressed or simply dead. Add to that the high number that are being removed due to the ad hoc manner of development as approved by the ACT’s coalition government.

Possibly about 10 per cent of Canberra’s trees and shrubbery went missing over the last decade or so. Add to that the effects on biodiversity – and the birds. How much tree canopy do you see in the newer suburbs?

The government’s commitment is to plant 17,000 trees over four years. This will go nowhere near the urgent actions required to plant at least 7000 annually if the former canopy were to be restored.

Given the climate emergency, what is not being addressed is the urgent need for the tree canopy to be largely made up of mature, old-growth trees to provide shade as well as to assist with carbon capture.

If they actually believed in a climate emergency, then this government needs to stop issuing documents, stop having meetings and cease the

FAST 5 DAY TURN-AROUND TIME

misleading spin. The urgent and overdue action is planting an enormous number of trees immediately.

The other is to only approve developments that do not require the removal of trees or at least result in more trees and shrubbery than previously on the site.

As for the suburbs that this government’s planning directorate continues to allow to be built, there’s little being done to make these new homes ready for the real extent of the climate changes. As for plans to retro-fit those suburbs that have little tree canopy and biodiversity, somehow that does not get a mention.

In October this year we have the ACT elections. There is nothing from this Labor Greens coalition and its cohort of candidates that provides any hint that urgent actions on climate are being taken seriously.

There are many words. There are

probably many meetings planned.

Given the realities of the climate emergency, something has to change drastically before voters could have any confidence in ACT Labor or the ACT Greens to care for the bush capital’s future.

This leaves the final words to be how the ACT Liberals would deal with this emergency. They remain quiet. The best I have seen is that “it is difficult to do anything while in opposition”. It looks like they will be in opposition for a lot longer.

If something does not change in the next nine months, then we, and future generations, are in trouble.

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

OPINION / the asylum-seeker stain

We are not the people we like to think we are

IN a few months it will be seven years since Australia introduced the policy of mandatory and indefinite off-shore detention for all asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat.

The policy was introduced in July 2013, to my horror, by a Labor government, indeed at a time when Anthony Albanese was Deputy Prime Minister.

I don’t think a single one of us that vehemently opposed the policy at that time thought it would still be in place seven years later or that asylum seekers hurriedly despatched to Manus and Nauru to prove, in the lead up to the looming 2013 election, just how tough Labor was on asylum-seeker policy, would still be there in 2020. However, as unbelievable as it may seem and as unforgivable as it surely is, there remain all these years later, hundreds of innocent, vulnerable and severely abused and traumatised asylum seekers in New Guinea and Nauru.

To provide some perspective, it would not be unheard of for a person convicted in the ACT for say manslaughter, rape, aggravated assault or armed robbery to spend no longer than seven years in prison.

Which brings me to my point. Why is it that in the main, we the people of Australia, priding ourselves as among the most enlightened and fair-minded people in the world, have given up bothering to protest about Australia’s

We cannot delude ourselves into thinking that there remains nothing to be concerned about in our treatment of asylum seekers or that we have not done irredeemable harm to our reputation as a fair and just nation.

collective inhumanity to a group of vulnerable and marginalised people who came to us, as they were entitled to do under international law, seeking safety and security and looking for a better life?

Is it that we are not the people we like to think we are? Is the truth that we really don’t have any qualms about treating people in the odious and heartless way in which we have treated asylum seekers transported to offshore detention? Or is it that it is simply pointless to protest because of the unstinting support of both the government and opposition for the policy?

engagement with the issue has reduced massively. For example, I don’t think the annual Palm Sunday asylum rally in Canberra last year attracted any media coverage at all.

that there is no need for us to feel selfconscious or guilty about maintaining offshore detention.

The narrative is increasingly that the asylum seekers that we have deliberately and knowingly subjected to treatment that is in clear breach of international law as well as Australia’s human rights obligations and any sense of human decency have either already been relocated to the US or that they can in fact leave New Guinea and Nauru any time they like and go home, if they want.

I concede that when I publicly express my views about just how horrible and unforgivable Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers is I am probably reflecting a minority view.

It is also clear that the level of media coverage and public activism or

I also understand the sheer weariness of those that have been involved for almost seven years in the campaign against these draconian policies. A weariness undoubtedly exacerbated by the knowledge that the campaign has in the main been ineffective. Firstly, because it has bipartisan support and latterly because the relocation of a large number of asylum seekers from Manus and Nauru to the US and the introduction of the medevac arrangements, have caused many people to assume, or be led to believe, that the problem has been solved. That it is over.

There appears to be a growing, if self-serving and convenient, belief

The truth is much murkier than that. There are still in the order of 500 asylum seekers on Nauru and in New Guinea. A large number of them are from Iran and will not be accepted by the US and/or have had their asylum claims rejected or they have not been assessed.

Enormous pressure is being brought to bear on those remaining to return to the countries from which they fled, regardless of the dangers such a return presents. Irrespective of their formal status Australia is clearly morally responsible for their welfare and their safety. A responsibility we have to our great shame honoured in the breach.

Without wishing to diminish the importance of the deal agreed to by the US to settle asylum seekers from Manus and Nauru or of the medevac arrangements belatedly introduced last year, and repealed in December, we cannot delude ourselves into thinking that there remains nothing to be concerned about in our treatment of asylum seekers or that we have not done irredeemable harm to our reputation as a fair and just nation. No matter how we choose to rationalise the way we have treated asylum seekers for the last seven long years on Manus and Nauru and continue to treat those that remain, the legacy of our brutality and inhumanity will never leave us. It is a part of our history as a nation and our identity as a people.

Jon Stanhope was chief minister from 2001 to 2011 and represented Ginninderra for the Labor Party from 1998. He is the only chief minister to have governed with a majority in the Assembly.

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.

How boiling frogs set the pace for Morrison

THE “boiling-frog syndrome” is plaguing Scott Morrison’s government. It needs to be diagnosed and treated.

The response to the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by Health Minister Greg Hunt and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has been exemplary.

The virus has created a crisis with the government reaction being swift and comprehensive. This is the frog thrown into boiling water that leaps from the pot.

The concern with Coronavirus is that it might spread and bring about large numbers of deaths if it is not contained immediately. Protecting the health of Australians and ensuring our health systems are not overloaded is an important motivation for immediate action.

In marked contrast, the urban myth suggests a frog heated slowly until the pot is boiling will simply lie back until it is finally cooked. And so many policies of current governments.

Now there is a fire crisis. A crisis. Time to react. Intense media and social pressure has woken Scott Morrison from his somnambulistic stupor on this issue. He has reacted to the fires scorching Australia.

It has been clear for years that poor diets (high in sugar, fat and salt) are responsible for more and more death and disability in Australia. Poor diet is even in the process of surpassing the impact of tobacco. On this issue, the government has taken some action to reduce the water temperature, but the steps have been small and the impact minimal.

The temperature rises. Despite more and more hospitalisations and deaths through diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, governments have declined to take effective action.

Extrapolating from the success of tobacco policy interventions, action could include increased taxation on sugary soft drinks. Additionally, there is clear evidence from the UK and around the world of the positive impact of such taxation on health. Nowhere is boiling-frog inaction

more apparent than in climate change policy. For decades the overwhelming majority of scientists have been warning about the impact of climate change.

However, it has not been a crisis. Summers have been getting warmer. Average temperatures in Australia (and across the world) have been climbing. Tornadoes, cyclones or hurricanes and other weather events have become more intense.

But the climate, like the water in the frog’s pot, has been increasing at a slow rate.

And now there is a fire crisis. A crisis. Time to react. Intense media and social pressure has woken Scott Morrison from his somnambulistic stupor on this issue. He has reacted to the fires scorching Australia more intensely and more widespread than ever before.

The government has leapt from the pot and jumped into action. There is financial support, military reserves on the job and interna-

tional assistance has arrived.

However, our community needs governments that foresee when the heat is being turned up, rather than stoking the fire. Australia needs policies to mitigate against impending crises.

There are more issues on slow heat. Although once Australians were proud of their egalitarian society, the heat is gradually cooking the concept. The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.

Our taxation systems are becoming more regressive – and disparity is growing. The Newstart allowance is

static in contrast to a steady increase for a small number of wealthy people. However, the disparity is not just restricted to the poor. Wages have stagnated while prices have climbed. For the average wage earner there has been little joy and little hope for any significant increase. In the meantime, business CEOs, such as those who run banks and airlines, have been receiving outrageous salaries – way, way beyond any sensible comparison.

Our democracy is also suffering from boiling-frog syndrome. The fire is fuelled by the conflict-of-interest donations to political parties. Even more heat is applied by the inappropriate and rorting behaviour of senior politicians. And still no real action. Apparently, the boiling point has not yet been reached.

Some ecologists argue the presence of frogs is an indicator of a high-quality environment. Our parliaments too often seem incapable of recognising the symptoms. If only they could see the heat rising. The boiling frog, representing some of the most valued characteristics of our community, is relaxed, lying back, simmering.

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.

DON’T MISS THESE FEATURED EVENTS

CHIEF MINISTER’S CONCERT

TueSday 24 March, 11am and 1pm

Join the Band of the Royal Military College for an unforgettable show.

Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave, Yarralumla. ENTRY BY GOLD COIN DONATION

Bookings via www.cmc19.eventbrite.com.au or 6282 3777

ACT SENIORS WEEK EXPO

ThursDAY 26 March,10am-3pm

One big day – entertainment and info on retirement, aged care, community and government services, legal, finance, travel and more!

Exhibition Park in Canberra. ENTRY BY GOLD COIN DONATION

Positive Ageing Awards

Friday 27 March, 2:30pm

Recognise and celebrate the groups and individuals that contribute to the older Canberra community.

Weston Ck Labor Club, Teesdale Cl, Stirling. Bookings required - call 6282 3777

Dumbing down a public housing project

WE’RE very likely to see Housing ACT once again cheapen and dumbdown a public housing project, in this case for chronically homeless people, through an opaque process it calls “Market Sounding”.

It involves the ill-informed inviting of the so-called “industry”, including real estate agents and property developers, for input on an existing, competently prepared “indicative design” for a new multi-storey project called Common Ground Dickson, in Hawdon Place. (The original Common Ground housing development is in New York, where virtually all conditions are totally different.)

Previously highly valued design, amenity, and environmental elements in public housing here are apparently to be treated as malleable, and even dispensable, in a “market-driven”, discriminatory, and money-grubbing process, by our hands-off government (it even denies that this project is public housing – as if there were some stigma attached to the term).

Government needs to stop relegating professionalism and return to preparing thorough social, accommodation, and functional briefs for public housing of all types; commissioning exemplary designs from registered architects and engineers; obtaining competitive tenders from qualified hands-on builders; having the contracts administered properly, and the works professionally and independently inspected and certified; and to owning and taking pride in the results.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Young tenant burnt by Canberra lease

THIS is the story of a young lady burnt in the fires and who just got out of a Melbourne hospital – a trusting soul who signed a lease to rent a house in O’Connor through a local real estate agent, who will remain nameless. She was trusting, foolish and brave all at the same time by signing a lease for a “group” house thinking that those renting a room would at least help out around the house as well as pay part of the rent – they did in fact the opposite – they left the house like a bomb had hit it both inside and out –

as well as skipping through owing thousands in rental arrears.

The agent has told this young lady she is responsible for the arrears of $15,000.

There is simply no possibility of her making the back payments, let alone the $7000 paid by her mother to have the place cleaned up internally and externally.

I believe the real estate agent, who was paid to properly manage the tenancy, has failed dismally by not keeping an eye on the condition of the house let alone ignoring the fact that the previous tenants were not keeping up with payments.

Peter Gately,

Flynn

I know where the money is going…

WHERE’S the tax money going to, asks columnist Paul Costigan (“Canberra Matters”, CN, January 22). Too many pop ups, quick-fix infrastructure “solutions” and un-user friendly and poorly climate-proofed public space “upgrades” and parklets.

Sue Dyer, Downer

Extension to Haig Park?

IS it true that the Rattenbury/Le Couteur combo have convinced the Barr government that the two vacant blocks either side of Northbourne Avenue (between Condamine and Masson Streets) now signposted “future Urban Renewal Site” will now be kept as parkland as an extension to Haig Park?

If so this is fantastic news to increase the green space for local and Civic residents with the area planted with shade trees, seating etcetera to increase the carbon offsets.

Obviously the sign will have to be reworded to “Urban Forest Renewal”, part of Mr Rattenbury’s great aims for the city.

Cedric Bryant, Watson

Help to feed hungry llamas

THE Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah, will host a “Feed a Llama” fundraising variety concert, 2pm5pm on Sunday, February 9. Gunter Brandstetter, bandleader for the club’s house band, The Harmonics, is rounding up singers and groups to perform to help Glenda Bloom, of Alpaca Magic, who has had to cart in water and food for months for her llamas and alpacas and her Sutton farm is at a crisis point. Entry is by donation, phone the club to secure a seat on 6295 9853.

Power of flowers

GEETHA and Gayana from GG’s Flowers will talk to the ladies of the Tuggeranong Day VIEW Club about “Flowers with a Purpose” at the club’s next lunch meeting at the Town Centre Vikings, Greenway, from 11.30am, Tuesday, February 18. Lunch costs $26 and visitors are welcome. RSVP to 0409 747017 or maleyjan@ yahoo.com by Friday, February 14.

Meeting on planning

THE Inner South Canberra Community Council is holding a public forum on proposed government changes to planning rules about the amount of green space and tree cover on new and redeveloped residential blocks. Eastlake Football Club, 3 Oxley Street, Griffith, 7pm, Tuesday, February 11.

‘People don’t have to lift a finger. They don’t have the hassle of managing a renovation – we do it all.’

Your property, their skill, better sale result

A MUTUAL passion for property brought best friends and business partners Kim Persson and Sophie McLean together to launch their innovative local company, Your Property Profits.

Driven by a commitment to helping their clients achieve the best sales results for their property, Sophie says they started their business by asking how they could use their experience and knowledge in home renovation to help people needing to sell their home to move on quickly, without stress or the worry of financial hardship, ultimately ending up with more money in their pockets.

Kim and Sophie noticed there were lots of people desperate to sell their properties, but unable to afford a pre-sale renovation. These people were often selling cheaply to better-resourced property investors. Kim and Sophie believed there was a better way to help owners get the best prices.

Kim and Sophie wanted to find a way to support people in an ethical and low-risk way for the client, that would ultimately help them move on to a better life.

“We came up with the idea of helping people who don’t have the knowledge, funds or time to renovate into an opportunity for them to renovate without any of the headaches of having to do it themselves. We

wanted to allow them to receive the best price for their property,” says Kim.

Your Property Profits has a unique business model, unlike any other company in Australia, in which Kim and Sophie (plus a team of tradespeople, stylists and real estate experts), organise and manage a renovation, style and prepare a home inside and out, ready for sale.

They say they take all the hard work on for their clients and pay for all the up-front costs, confident in their ability to make strategic improvements to a home that will increase the sale result.

Sophie says that their business model is especially attractive to clients as they don’t need to find money upfront for the renovation, as the costs aren’t required until the settlement date.

“We know what sells and how to get the most out of each property,” she says.

Kim says: “We differ from other companies as we only renovate strategically to maximise the money our clients get from the sale of their home.

“We create bespoke, tailor-made solutions for individual needs. We do extensive research and understand what a house needs and what is required in a particular suburb and area, decreasing the risk of overcapitalising.

“For example, one kitchen may need a laminate benchtop, others might need stone. We take down walls, open up houses and

From downsizers, retirees, investors or divorcing couples, Kim and Sophie say their clients do nothing, they pay nothing up front and they walk away with more money in their pockets.

Homes might be outdated, needing repairs, a complete reconfiguration or a big clean up.

“We have a great ‘A’ team,” says Kim whose tradespeople include a builder, joiner, plumber and tiler as well as a stylist and real estate agent to manage the sale.

“We are in it with them and invested in

auctions,” says Sophie.

Mother of three, Sonja Vaughan benefitted from Kim and Sophie’s expertise when they renovated Sonja’s home in Dunlop:

“My house was well loved but tired and in a state of disrepair. With their amazing organisational skills and exquisite taste they transformed my home, inside and out, into a masterpiece,” she says.

“From day one to the auction day, they managed everything. I simply turned up on the day to reap the rewards. And I couldn’t

have asked for a better result,” says Sonja.

Retiree Ian Gordon says he had a productive experience with Your Property Profits when he decided to sell his family home in Griffith.

“I handed the house over to Kim and Sophie and they did absolutely everything, as a result we achieved the sale price that we were hoping for and on top of that the complete investment in the renovations were funded by Your Property Profits. I didn’t have to pay a thing,” he says.

Kim and Sophie say that Ian and Sonja are only two of their many happy clients, from large deceased estates to smaller-sized apartments.

“Working with us is a ‘no-brainer’ and a ‘winwin’ for all involved. We sell our clients’ homes faster and for maximum profit,” says Kim. With five daughters between their two families who have all become close friends, Kim and Sophie are excited that Kim has recently moved her family from Melbourne to Canberra to be involved with the business full time. They offer a free, no-obligation consultation in order for them to see your home and understand the requirements.

“We want to help people have a better life, helping them move on with more money in their pockets,” says Sophie.

Your Property Profits. Call Kim and Sophie on 0411 648908, email hello@yourpropertyprofits. com.au or visit yourpropertyprofits.com.au

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Refresh and update the home for the new decade

WHETHER extending or renovating, preparing the home for the next season to come, looking for inspiration or ideas or upgrading the home office, “CityNews” speaks to experts from the Canberra region, who can help get the job done.

Back to school with desks made for comfort

WITH school and uni back up and running, thoughts turn to studying in comfort and upgrading existing home office furniture, says owner of Ex-Government Furniture, James Fullerton.

“We’re finding many people want standing desks, and we have a lot in stock as well as many ergonomi cally designed chairs,” he says.

“We have modern, colourful and stylish furniture to get the kids focused and studying.”

Ex-Government Furniture also has designer and vintage chairs, high-quality office furniture such as filing cabinets, desks and workstations.

“We have a range of contemporary finishes, with office furniture getting a more homely feeling these days,” James says.

“We sell designer items at a much lower price, and for uni students or anyone who doesn’t want to spend big, it works really well.

“We’re also very glad to be helping to reduce the environmental footprint of furniture waste.

“Everything we have is good quality, it’s built to last and would have otherwise ended up in landfill.”

With people revarnishing their outdoor decks at this time of year, or starting on home renos, James says that Ex-Government Furniture also has a great deal of garage shelving and cabinets ideal for storing tools and equipment.

Ex-Government Furniture, 6 Yallourn Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6490 or visit exgovfurniture.com or facebook.com/exgovfurniture

Home show with experts on everything

our cities, and there will be sessions about solar installation, water saving, custom joinery and building approval.

“We’ve also got principal interior designer Kiara Shah from Loft Studio talking about the importance of personalising a space, and artist JK Henshaw on the Japanese aesthetic philosophy ‘Wabi Sabi’, based on accepting transience and imperfection,” says Katherine.

The ShowRoom focuses on showcasing the capital’s best quality design, build and lifestyle products and service

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Experts in all kinds of quilt solutions

LOCALLY owned and proud of it, family-owned Mitchell business Therma Quilts specialises in making and servicing feather and down products such as quilts, pillows and cushions since the ‘80s.

Using quality textiles, the seamstresses at Therma Quilts hand-make every item suited to the customer’s needs and provide a top-up service when quilts and pillows show signs of wear or loss of warmth and fluffiness.

“Servicing of feather and down products is essential for keeping them in optimal condition for comfort,” says a Therma Quilts spokeswoman.

“With time and usage, body proteins and lipids (natural oils and perspiration) are absorbed on to

Eco-friendly cleaning and rejuvenation of:

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quilt casings and into the feather and down inside.

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“With time and usage, the fabrics on quilts wear out and get thin, but once holes appear there is no need to throw away your quilt.

“Whether you’re wanting to rejuvenate your quilt, customise it or buy a new custom-made one, we can look after you.”

Therma Quilts, Unit 9, 10-12 Kemble Court, Mitchell. Call 6241 6859 or visit thermaquilts.com.au

Now’s the time to plan ahead for winter

SUMMER it may be, but in terms of home additions now’s the time to plan ahead for winter, says John Schmitzer from Heating and Cooling Services in Fyshwick.

As specialists in Lopi gas log fires, the company offers the latest in “direct vent” or “balanced flue” gas fireplaces.

Lopi gas fireplaces are available in a freestanding form for easy installation, as zero-clearance fireplaces suitable for installation in timber stud work and as gas inserts designed to replace existing open-masonry fireplaces or chimneys.

“Lopi fires are excellent quality, reliable and designed to suit any space,” says John.

“With our in-built gas log fire installations, we can manage everything from end to end. Once you have chosen your ideal unit, we can do everything from framing, gyprocking, installing, sealing, painting and tiling until you have the complete, finished fireplace set up.”

With more than 30 years in business, Heating and Cooling Services is a family owned and operated company and can provide personalised heating and cooling for any need.

Heating and Cooling Services, 80 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 7565 for more information.

Family company built on quality

BORDEAUX Construction and Management doesn’t shy away from complex renovations or extensions, says project manager Michael Milutinovic.

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No matter what an existing home or block looks like, Michael says the family-run business will work with clients from the initial concept stages all the way through to building them a dream home.

“Everything we deliver is a high-quality product that we can stand by for the long term because our reputation and our clients’ needs are very important to us,” he says.

With any home extension, he says they work with clients from the start to understand the vision they have in mind and then work with them step-by-step from the beginning to handover.

“We provide an obligation-free consultation which covers initial design and costs,” says Michael, who holds an unrestricted, “A”-class builder’s licence and has more than 14 years’ experience in the construction industry in Canberra and Sydney.

spaces,” he says.

“Our ultimate goal is always constructing their dream project at the highest quality possible.”

Bordeaux Construction and Management, 8 Aurora Place, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 4642 or visit bordeauxbcm.com.au

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

When bored, surrealist cows go to heaven...

By Helen Musa

SELF-styled “quasi-surrealist” artist

Andrew Baines is a man who uses the whole landscape as his canvas.

He’ll be here in late February with a solo exhibition of surreal paintings at the Nancy Sever Gallery but meantime, the Adelaide artist has been making a public name for himself across the country with interventions where his art intersects with society.

In October, for instance, he created an installation at North Cottesloe Beach in WA where he photographed dozens of people wearing masks holding white flowers as a symbol of acceptance to highlight World Mental Health Day, and in April this year he plans to put six Shetland ponies painted with zebra stripes into the ocean in South Australia.

Baines has form. In 2010 he persuaded Malcolm Turnbull to be part of an art event at Bondi Beach where he lined up 100 suited volunteers holding umbrellas while standing in the Bondi surf, to highlight work-life balance.

2013 saw him releasing a herd of Friesian cows into the shallows at a beach in Geelong “to give the cows some R & R from their boring regime of milking.”

“Of the dozens I’ve created over the years,” he tells us, “my most bizarre and publicised event was to line up 12 suited volunteers sitting on toilets at a beach in Adelaide, as a

silent protest due to the lack of toilets for the area.” Former politician Amanda Vanstone was among the participants.

Alas, when he recently suggested to

Australian Parliament House that a herd of cows wading in the pool near the front entrance would make a fantastic visual image, they wouldn’t agree to it.

“It would have given the cows an insight into politics, as to why the cow farmers aren’t getting attention, maybe they’d have paid heed to the cows – it’s a social issue.”

From such public events, Baines says, he creates surrealist paintings to sell.

“Most of my paintings have been created from my live installations, using real live cows,

well-known politicians, orchestras and hundreds of sausage dogs, just to name a few.”

But in his Canberra exhibition the focus will be on dairy cows, “suits” standing in the sea and his use of shadows on lighthouses to create a narrative.

Lighthouses, he explains, are one of his trademarks.

“For me, lighthouses symbolise solitude, serenity and escapism from the grey urban streets, 9-5 grind and maddening rush… With my lighthouse paintings I try to capture the simplistic, often overlooked parts of life. A suited man looks out to sea, ironically ‘searching for solitude,’ [but] no matter how much we try to escape there is

HELL SHIP

The Ticonderoga limped through the heads into Port Phillip. Her horrific voyage at an end, she appeared as a ghost ship.

A sea voyage

A tragedy

A love story

Michael Veitch renowned for his artful and tender characters and ability to transfix an audience — has put together another one man show, this time telling the true story of one of the most dramatic, yet now forgotten chapters of Australia’s early maritime history. Hell Ship is a tale of hardship and heroism; of survival and love.

thetically pleasing paintings there is a dark side, as there is a dark side to everything.

“On the whole, my work deals with escapism from reality.”

By Helen Musa

WHEN Luke Rogers took up his post as artistic director of Canberra Youth Theatre exactly a year ago, he was determined not to be one of those “heads-will-roll” newcomers.

His predecessor in the role, Katie Cawthorne, was an exponent of physical theatre and developmental work while Rogers is a seasoned director of many famous plays, from “Waiting for Godot” to “Spring Awakening” – they could hardly be more different.

It certainly hasn’t been a case of “heads will roll”, rather in a measured approach to develop ing a program inevitably different from that of his predecessor, he has kept some things and moved away in other areas.

“I didn’t tinker with them too much,” he says of the company’s production and training programs. As director, he inherited the collaborative work “Collapse”, involving writer Grace Morgan and movement artist, Chenoeh Miller, who has now gone, along with CYT’s former workshop co-ordinator Sammy Moynihan, to the new Belconnen Arts Theatre.

That fluidity in the theatre scene doesn’t bother Rogers and the interim period gave him a chance to “learn what the ‘beast’ known as Canberra Youth Theatre is… things take time and it’s a continual process of reflection”.

“We have members aged from seven to 25, including those on the way to production careers,” he says.

“You start out having fun, building confidence, I think that’s a common foundation in community and youth theatre.”

Rogers knows how it works, having himself started in theatre at about 15. He now proudly boasts of the company’s big successes in the world of adult theatre – playwrights Emily Sheen and Tommy Murphy and recent graduate Ethan Hamill, who has been accepted into NIDA’s three-year Technical Theatre and Stage Management course.

“Don’t forget Tim Ferguson from the Doug Anthony All Stars,” cuts in marketing and administration co-ordinator, Marni Mount. “And Liv Hewson, who’s been getting attention for her roles in Netflix movies.”

“We are not a drama school,” Rogers says. “We’re a theatre company and we want to ignite a spark. We say, ‘here are the tools, use them’. “In 2020 I want to mix it all up and see what youth theatre is capable of. I want to develop a sense of rehearsal and see if it works for young people.”

First up for 2020 will be “Normal” by wellknown playwright and former Canberran Katie Pollock, a kind of urban detective story in which

the investigator is a teenage girl, Poppy, who has developed a tic which spreads through her body, her group of school friends and eventually the whole town. Eight characters will be played by four actors aged 18-25 in what Rogers calls “an allegory about young people not having agency”.

Then, teaming up with The Street Theatre, the company will present “I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You”, created by Brisbane company The Good Room. It’s a revealing one-hour tell-all, where a panel of up to 20 nine-to-13-year-olds from Canberra says it as it is, backed by high-impact video design and music.

The final production for the year “Impending Everyone” by playwright Michael Andrew Collins and directed by Rogers, with 14-17-year-olds, was originally commissioned and premiered by the Australian Theatre for Young People. It explores what happens when someone at school gains access to everyone’s internet history, messages and metadata.

But the play’s not the only thing.

Rogers is also keen to engage with young

playwrights and emerging artists, so there will be masterclasses in technical matters, in physical theatre by actor Christopher Samuel Carroll and in acting by Bell Shakespeare.

A new space for two or three resident artists in CYT’s new “Actors Company”, perhaps with “some coinage”, Rogers says, and supported by the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation and with Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres.

All in all, Rogers believes the 2020 season and its adjunct classes will fulfil the basic aim of the company to see “the voice of youth expressed through intelligent and challenging theatre”.

Canberra Youth Theatre 2020 season at a glance:

• “Normal” by Katie Pollock, at the Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre, May 20-23.

• “I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You”, The Street Theatre, July 17-19.

• “Impending Everyone”, Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre, October 21-24. Book at canberrayouththeatre.com.au or 6248 5057.

Super-delish pop-up works hard to prove a point

GREEN Square is the place to head if you worship innovative food that is super delish but not pretentious or overly done.

Kiosk is a “pop-up” – a food lover’s dream – with owner-chef Louis Couttoupes at the helm (former exec chef at multiple awardwinning Bar Rochford, who helped lead the venue to a “Good Food Guide” Chef Hat). We’ve been multiple times and can’t fault any dish. The menu changes all the time, depending on what Louis and his team find at the markets, so you may or may not be able to indulge in the dishes in this dining

review. Still, uncovering what’s listed on the tall, hand-written blackboard (with sold out dishes quickly struck out) is part of the adventure.

Louis’ fave ingredient these days is miso, but that doesn’t mean he’s dabbling in “some sort of Asian fusion”, as one uninformed Google review has suggested. It means he understands the wonder of the ingredient and he’s expert at taking full advantage of its possibilities, including in sauces, for marinating, in dressings and even desserts, such as Kiosk’s miso chocolate tart ($12).

The tart is Kiosk’s intriguing take on a caramel slice. We loved it so much we went back the very next day for more.

The biscuit base is delightful, but it’s the creamy, smooth chocolate miso that trans-

ported us to heaven. Before you think that miso is too strong and salty for a dessert, think again. Louis has a deep understanding of the many types and varieties of miso and uses them to full advantage (even in a custard).

Regional produce is a passion of the team at Kiosk. Sustainability and using produce that is fresh and in season is important. The team works their magic from a tiny kitchen, making creative use of every millimetre of space.

The aim of the game is to share several (or many in our case) dishes so you gain full appreciation of Kiosk’s fare. The sardines with cherries and horseradish ($10) were sensational. The corn with jalapeno ($8) is sweet and crunchy. The cabbage, a dream dish with seaweed butter and sesame, proves that this sometimes-slammed vegetable is anything but boring ($18).

The flat iron steak, which Louis says can be underestimated as a beef cut, is out of this world ($26).

WINE

Meat and fish.. what wine to order?

A GOOD friend indicated that he wanted to eat and drink somewhere different. I suggested lunch at Rebel Rebel in New Acton.

Another friend had reported that it had a great feel and was informal yet offered fine dining and a great range of wines. And who doesn’t like a place that calls itself after the 1974 David Bowie song of the same name and includes the memorable line: “Hot tramp, I love you so?”; something I recall shouting out of tempo while dancing at an Auckland Law School party as Bowie pumped through the sound system.

The food was ordered: my friend a rump steak and me swordfish. This was a dilemma. What wine could suit both dishes? He wanted to order a red. I wanted to order a white. So, it was either wine by the glass or a compromise.

We compromised because I said I’d pay for the wine. We ordered a rosé: La Violetta YE-YE Pose Rose 2017. He muttered that rosé was generally a winemaker’s after thought and long gone were the days when you turned to Mateus rosé as a way of getting your teenage date tipsy and I was as far from that trope as you could get.

I said that you could now get Mateus for under $10 a bottle and it was good as a punch-bowl filler with fruit and rum or just drinking something on a hot day that looked pink and anodyne like his face after some time in the sun. This induced a harrumph. Aussie male banter rules.

The wine came and it had a marvellous label: the YE-YE in capitals with the first E in a bold red. It took a while, but the brain remembered: Ye-Ye was a singing phenomenon of the 1960s, Europe’s attempt to respond to the Beatles and the upsurge of rock music from the US.

The mostly sickly-sweet lyrics were tempered by a resolute sexuality that came over the trenches and stormed the machine-gun emplacement with the breathy “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus” by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg released in 1969 to shock and scandal because of the evocative susurration that emulated the sounds of love making. My friend was annoyed when I warbled la la la la je t’aime, but suitably sotto voce.

The wine’s back label reinforced this memory. There were two lines in French that were attributed to Serge Gainsbourg:

sion. The song has a salacious finale where the narrator tells us Melody had red hair and that was her natural colour. A veritable translation of the two lines is: I see lying there in front of the car

The wheel of a bicycle still spinning.

I cannot see how these lines or the French Ye-Ye movement had anything to do with the wine: the gap between the imagery and the wine’s substance was immense.

The internet tells me that the WA winery that has named itself La Violetta is also linked to the name of a song that derives from Piedmont in Italy and, to me, also appears somehow removed from the Aussie wines that are produced, albeit wine, women and song appear to be a trilogy without peer. Something worthy of a song or two.

“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.”

– George Best

Poignant intensity as Franz faces his sad fate

“A Hidden Life” (PG)

THE eighth film directed by Terrence Malick since 1973 carries a message about confronting evil adversity.

Franz Jägerstätter’s formative experiences are pretty much over before the film starts. And happiness for him ends about half way through its 174-minute screen time.

Who’s Franz Jägerstätter? In life, he was a farmer living with a wife Fani and three small daughters in the low-tech upper Austrian village of St Radegund.

In 1943, Franz knew he was liable to be conscripted back into an army controlled by another Austrian whose evil was blighting Europe at that time (he had earlier served in the ranks). Franz knew that he would be required to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler. Franz also knew that as a committed Christian, he was not going to do that.

The film’s second half is based on Franz’s correspondence with Fani. And that powerfully-told late, indeed, last, period of Franz’s life is the core of the message that Malick is delivering.

It’s not proselytising about Christianity. It’s the story of a simple, morally-strong man who knew where his life was heading. August Diehl plays him so beautifully that realising, as the filmgoer intuitively does, that he is bound for unsung martyrdom is not so discomfiting as it might be.

The film focuses its admiration on Fani’s loyalty knowing that she must raise their daughters in an increasingly disapproving community. Valerie Pachner plays her with a

poignant intensity that belies what must in reality have been a heart-rending sorrow.

There is little happiness in “A Hidden Life”.

The St Radegund sequences are visually beautiful. The horrors of the prisons where the German police take Franz unfold as normality for time and place.

“A Hidden Life” marks the final performance of one of my cinema heroes, Swiss actor Bruno Ganz playing a military judge.

Of the most maleficent portrayal of Hitler in cinema history in “Downfall” (2004), he was later quoted as saying: “Ultimately, I could not get to the heart of Hitler because there was none“.

I want people to see this film and pass the message on. I regret that I’m unable to promise entertainment. What I do promise is a powerful experience abundantly meriting those 174 minutes.

At Palace Electric and Dendy

ZACHARY Gottsagen is a 38-year-old with Down syndrome. This film, written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, is his third.

He’s an engaging man whose impairment, while visible, seems not to be a barrier to earning a living in the industry that lives by exposing real people to world attention by exposing them as other people.

It’s amusing, but not a full-on comedy. It’s warm-hearted but not effusively so. It’s a thriller but only on a very minor scale, a dramatic comedy about a young Down syndrome man whose hero is a TV wrestler, escaping from a care facility wearing only underpants, falls in with a guy (Shia LaBeouf) who steals crabs from other fishermen’s pots,

14.

Fred goes all domesticated

By Helen Musa

CANBERRANS are used to hearing contemporary bard Fred Smith singing about death and war, but now he’s turning his attention to musings on 21st century Australia and love songs for middle-aged people in his new album, “Domestic”. Smith will showcase the record in a Valentine’s Day performance, accompanied by top players including Dave O’Neill and Liz Frencham, who’ll sing some of her songs, too. At Cultural Centre Kambri, ANU, 7.45pm, Friday, February 14. Book at trybooking. com or at the door.

DIRECTOR Chris Baldock returns to Canberra Rep in his fifth directorial role with the Frank Galati stage adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”, the best-selling book of 1939 in the US. The controversial novel, which won Steinbeck both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, brings to life the powerful story of the Joad family’s trek from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to the promise of a new life in California. Canberra Rep Theatre, Acton, February 13-29. Book at canberrarep.org.au or 6257 1950.

MARKING the 250th year since Beethoven’s birth, the Australian String Quartet will be in Canberra to perform two of his opus 18-string quartets, balanced by “Aheym”, an intense contemporary work by American composer Bryce Dessner, better known as a member of the rock band The National. At Gandel Hall, National Gallery of Australia, 2pm, Sunday, February 9. Book at asq.com.au

“A PALETTE of Pioneer Places” is a collection of watercolours by Canberra artist Isla Patterson of eight homesteads of early settlers around the Hall district, shown with written histories and maps of the area. At the Link Art Space, 1 McClymont Way, Strathnairn, until February 17.

PIANIST Christian Lillicrap teams up with Phoenix Collective artistic director and violinist Dan Russell for a recital. “Ye Olde England” violin and piano sonatas by Delius and Elgar are topped off with “The Lark Ascending” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. At the High Court, 1.30pm, Sunday, February 9. Free, but registrations to hcourt.gov.au

gets chased by the owners of the pots and flees down river in a raft, joined by the pretty young care facility volunteer (Dakota Johnson) who’s been told not to come back until she finds him.

The film’s ultimate intention appears to be to scratch poverty and find merit in human kindness. There’s not a nasty bone in its body, not even from the pair of pursuers whose crab pots have been robbed. But credibility in other elements of the story does get stretched and the denouement doesn’t resolve anything. And the explanation of that quirky title is heart-warming.

At Dendy and Palace Electric

“Seberg” (M)

FROM director Benedict Andrews and writers

Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse comes this account of the illegal clandestine FBI surveillance of actress Jean Seberg between 1968 and 1971 because of her involvement with Malcolm Little, aka El-Hajj Malik ElShabazz, better known to history as Malcolm X, in the film called Hakim Jamal and played by Anthony Mackie.

Seberg made some significant movies in the French “new wave” period. She indeed had a political conscience centred on the treatment of black Americans. But her principal talent was probably located lower. Coming

from middle America, she began her cinema career by being burned at the stake in Otto Preminger’s film of Shaw’s “Saint Joan” before going on to work with major French directors.

It seems probable that while Seberg’s native awareness of the world was enough to get her roles in many movies, her intellectual assets came second to undeniable beauty. In Andrews’ film, Kristen Stewart plays her as a woman needing men to sustain her life – as well as marrying two French and one American movie directors, she had several lovers. But the real danger with which she dealt less than cautiously was her racial sympathies. She gave significant financial support to Malcolm X.

While that was going on, the FBI was busy implementing J Edgar Hoover’s instruction to discredit her by discovering or creating a dossier of her private life.

The film’s depiction of FBI field work and upper management is of an agency that did as Hoover ordered – clumsy, unsubtle, impolite, intrusive.

What good she brought to cinema is now little remembered. Whether her death in France aged 40 was murder or suicide has never been established.

At Palace Electric, Dendy and Hoyts

Kathy Lette’s

“Lette is engaging, witty and topical.” THE ADELAIDE ADVERTISER

“An emotional, funny and brilliant journey of a life that each woman can relate to.”

AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW

March 4

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Time to give hellebores the chop GARDENING

THIS may seem extreme, but it’s time to cut back the leaves of hellebores to ground level.

This allows light into the top of the plant for the formation of flowers next winter. Autumn flowering perennials will also benefit from this severe action. In the UK, this is known as the “Chelsea Chop”, which ties in with London’s Chelsea Flower Show. Cutting back the foliage by 50 per cent will increase the number of stems and double or triple the flowers.

In our garden, I’d normally have given the chop a couple of months ago, but given the slower growth of many plants due to the extreme weather, I decided to do it now. A risk, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’ve also given the 50 per cent chop to my Asters (or Michaelmas daisies), and will report on the results in autumn.

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Incidentally, when reading English magazines or even watching TV garden shows, simply add six months to those shown to bring it in line with the seasons here. For example, January [UK] is equivalent to June [AUS].

FOLLOWING the great hail storm, I’ve been inundated with calls asking: “will those trees stripped of leaves, particularly deciduous trees, come back [into leaf] or even survive?”

The answer is “yes”. Nature is a great survivor in spite of human intervention. Unfortunately, with eucalypts the new shoots tend to appear on the sides of the trunk and are known as “epicormic” growth. Many folk will say “look at how they responded, isn’t nature wonderful”. Unfortunately, this growth is similar to a pilot fish attached on the side of a whale. In high winds it’s likely to simply snap off, often after a few years’ growth. These falling branches can be highly dangerous.

ROSEMARY and lavender unfortunately have a limited life. The English Lavandula angustifolia in our front garden is looking decidedly tired, with few flowers this year and plenty of old wood. I’ve had a good run as it was planted at least 10 years ago. In reality I should have replaced this some time ago. So bite the bullet and out they come, although not before taking a few cuttings for replanting in autumn. I also like to rejuvenate the soil by adding last autumn’s rotted leaves and composted horse manure (from the Hay Shed in Pialligo) and add some dolomite for good

measure. I may wait until late autumn and plant another variety of small shrubs in their place, or even leave this area until spring to give the soil a good rest, as we did on our farm leaving the fields fallow for a season.

NOW for some botanical name changes. There are good arguments for knowing the exact relationships between plants – for example, it can help predict which pest and diseases certain plants may be susceptible to now and in the future. It’s all part of the DNA, the botanists tell us. Perovskia or Russian sage has, like rosemary, now been absorbed into the Salvia genus. So the commonly grown Perovskia atriplicifolia will become Salvia yangii. I like that name change, it’s simpler. It will be a while before the changes are apparent on labels though, as most wholesale growers print thousands in advance.

SUMMER pruning of roses can be undertaken now to encourage late summer flowering. When dead-heading, don’t just remove the old flowers but reduce the length of the stem. Depending on the variety of roses, this shortening can be at least 15cm. Then follow up with a liquid feed of organic seaweed, giving the ground a good soaking first.

PUZZLES PAGE

Madeline Moore

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Mars (your patron planet) is activating your adventure zone until Sunday 16th. So restless Rams are raring to go as you travel, explore and venture into exciting new territory (locally, interstate or internationally). Love planet Venus is vamping through your sign until March 5. So – whether you are attached or single – Friday is the perfect time to flutter your eyelashes (or flex your pecs) and ask for what you want. Then sit back and reap the romantic rewards!

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

This week love has the potential to heal, as you find the courage to follow your true destiny. Attached Taureans: romance is in the air, but the energy is behind the scenes suggesting a private, magical Valentine’s Day. Single Bulls - unexpected synchronicities could lead you to your soul mate. So look for amazing signs and ‘coincidences’ along the way. Your quote for Valentine’s Day is from writer Victor Hugo: “Life is a flower of which love is the honey.”

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

Gung-ho Mars is charging through your relationship zone until Sunday. So when it comes to love – you need to be bold and brave. Your quote for Valentine’s Day is from Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” Attached Geminis: it’s time to go on a grand adventure with your sweetheart. Single Twins – a solid friendship could veer off in a surprisingly romantic direction.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

Crabs adore their creature comforts – especially yummy food that makes you feel good. This week is the perfect time to cook up a storm or eat out at your favourite restaurant. And then Valentine’s Day is an appropriate time to reflect on the fact that love really does make the world go around. So your motto for the moment is from Peanuts cartoon strip creator, Charles M Schulz: “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

The Sun (your ruler) is racing through your relationship zone, so it’s a week when your thoughts will turn to romance, passion and companionship. Coupled Cats – with Venus visiting your aspirations zone on Valentine’s Day, find a dream you can share together. “Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but of looking outward together in the same direction” (Antoine St Exupery). Single Lions – love is likely with an amorous Aquarian or a sexy Sagittarian.

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

With sombre Saturn and heavy-duty Pluto visiting your romance zone, your love life is currently a serious business. So your quote for Valentine’s Day is from writer William Barclay: “Love always involves responsibility and love always involves sacrifice.” But Jupiter also promises moments of great joy and happiness. So learn to take the good with the bad and the rough with the smooth. It’s the contrast and tricky balancing act that make life challenging and interesting!

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

Is love interfering with your career… or vice versa? In 2020, make it a priority to find a satisfying balance between your romantic life and your professional responsibilities. Venus (your patron planet) is visiting your relationship zone on Valentine’s Day, so you’ll be even more focused on other people than usual. Your mantra for the week is from writer Robert A Heinlein: “Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Scorpios can be intense control-freaks! However, when it comes to your romantic life, avoid being over-organised and uber-controlling. With unpredictable Uranus moving slowly through your relationship zone, leave plenty of room for spontaneity and surprises! As legendary actress Loretta Young observed: “Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you.” Sunday is super for communication, conversation, education and recreation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Sagittarians are restless souls, always searching for something bigger and better in the future (symbolised by the Archer, about to release his arrow). With Mars moving through your sign and Venus visiting your romance zone, it’s time to focus on the present and make close relationships a major priority, right here and right now. So your mantra for Valentine’s Day is from writer George Sand: “There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.”

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

Are you a grumpy Goat with no get-up-and-go? Have your usual motivation and mojo gone AWOL? Don’t worry because it will be all systems go from Sunday 16th onwards, when gung-ho Mars starts racing through your sign. Coupled Capricorn – focus your attention on your lover, as you give them the royal romantic treatment this Valentine’s Day. Unhappily single? You could finally meet your soul mate via an introduction from a matchmaking family member.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

The Sun is currently shining in Aquarius, the wildest and wackiest sign of the zodiac. Some Aquarians are weirder than others, but you all have a quirky and eccentric side, even if you manage to hide it well. Valentine’s Day wisdom for the week is from writer and illustrator Dr Seuss (who had three planets in Aquarius): “When we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

If you have a problem that needs to be faced or a decision that needs to be made, avoid being distracted by other people’s agendas. Coupled Pisces – a successful long-term relationship requires hard work and constant commitment. As writer Ursula Le Guin reminds us: “Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone. It has to be made like bread, remade all the time, made new.” If you’re looking for love, you could be drawn to a person with a complicated romantic past.

Copyright

Joanne Madeline Moore 2020

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Down

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