STRATHNAIRN – A PLACE FOR PEOPLE

STRATHNAIRN – A PLACE FOR PEOPLE E ditor : P eter haynes writer : C hristine M c C a f f rie R esearcher : M aryann M ussared

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners of the land occupied by Strathnairn.

Thanks to Susan Pfanner and Maria Wasson for generously lending their research. Also thanks for the assistance of Jo Hollier, Leah Molony, Canberra District Historical Society, ArchivesACT, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives and the shared memories of John and Ruth Alsford, Sue and Phil Birch-Marston, Kerin Cox, Cary James, and Maurice Tully.

All people formally interviewed or who submitted written subject matter are acknowledged in the bibliography at the rear of this book.

Special thanks to the former Strathnairn Arts Presidents Jennifer Jones and Phil Nizette and current President Anita McIntyre.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material included in this book.

Photo Acknowledgements With thanks to photographer Adam McGrath for his recent series of photos that can also be seen on the Strathnairn website.

Other photos were generously lent by Barbara Jackson, Lions Club of Belconnen, Cheryl Jobsz, Maryann Mussared, Michael Sainsbury, and other contributors to the Strathnairn Photo Archive over the years.

Cover images: Main – Sales plan of blocks in Yarralumla Estate 1914. This shows sizes, boundaries and conditions of leases and includes the sale of what was to eventually become “Strathnairn”, shown as Block 3. NLA: http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-vn1979570; Lower LHS – Back of homestead, c. 1960, Strathnairn Arts Archive; Lower middle – The way to Strathnairn today; Lower RHS – Strathnairn homestead today.

Image right: Parish of Weetangera, County of Murray [cartographic material]: Land District of Queanbeyan, Eastern Division N.S.W. and Commonwealth Territory, Yarrowlumla Shire/compiled, drawn and printed at the Department of Lands, Sydney, N.S.W. 1912. Used with permission of New South Wales. Department of Lands. 1962

© Strathnairn, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt, ACT 2615 Tel 6254 2134. www.strathnairn.com.au

This project was assisted through funding made available by the ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Designer: 2B Advertising & Design, ACT Printer: LC Digital, ACT ISBN: 978-0-646-59535-1

Builder’s Blue Prints for Ian Hamilton Baird’s 1936 Extension to Strathnairn homestead. These included the woolshed, shearers’s quarters and fowl shed

Block 18, Belconnen District 1923–1934. Note signatures of Ian Hamilton Baird and Ellen Emily Melbourne Baird (as witness). ArchivesACT

Foreword As President of Strathnairn Arts Association it is my pleasure to introduce this book, a history of Strathnairn from its colonial beginnings to its current use as arts facility. The book does not claim to be definitive but is a compilation of historical data, maps, plans, images and personal and anecdotal narratives – a history, a starting point for the exploration of Strathnairn, a hidden gem in the cultural landscape of Canberra.

Many past and current users of Strathnairn have contributed to the stories in this book and so this book is about people as much as it is about place.

The book’s genesis began late in 2001 at the opening of the annual members’ exhibition. The editor of this book, Peter Haynes opened the exhibition. After the formalities his mother commented to long‑term Strathnairn aficionado, Jennifer Jones, on the beauty and interest of the place, and asked was there a publication that spoke of Strathnairn’s history and how it changed from rural land holding to a vibrant ACT Government arts facility. It may have taken more than 10 years to come to fruition but with the incredible drive of volunteer Maryann Mussared, writer Christine McCaffrie and editor Peter Haynes, we celebrate in Strathnairn – A Place for People the fulfilment of the suggestion made so long ago.

In the last six years of my tenure as President, Strathnairn has seen incredible growth. The former Chief Minister of the ACT (and Patron of Strathnairn) Mr Jon Stanhope, took a personal interest in Strathnairn as an arts facility. During his time as Chief Minister the ACT Government invested almost 1 million dollars in the development of a range of facilities.

The Government’s capital investment enabled the building of new studios, the restoration of the condemned 1936 woolshed, the establishment of the ACT’s only public access bronze foundry, renovations to the homestead and the construction of a new caretaker’s cottage. These facilities have enabled Strathnairn to continue to be a vital ingredient in the wider Canberra cultural landscape.

Volunteers have long been the strength of Strathnairn, people with a passion; they have devoted countless hours to make this place what it is today; a vibrant active arts community with facilities for the general public to enjoy. The exhibitions, the Artist in Residence program, the Shop with handcrafted goods made by members, a Café that offers a delightful menu from Friday to Sunday, each contributes to what Strathnairn offers.

Volunteers have developed a list of bird life, frogs and identified weeds and planted native flowers and shrubs on the property. Dotted around the property are sculptures donated by international and national artists. A master plan, developed for the future of our thriving arts facility, will ensure the continuing maintenance and care of the grounds and buildings that are such an integral part of Canberra’s heritage, and its energetic arts community.

We hope you will enjoy this history of Strathnairn – A Place for People.

Anita McIntyre President Strathnairn Arts 2013

Strathnairn – A Place for People

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Original plans by Ken Oliphant for the 1938 extension to the homestead included a new suite of north-facing rooms and an open verandah.

ArchivesACT

The way to Strathnairn today

Strathnairn? Where’s that?

Strathnairn? Where’s that?

Strathnairn – never heard of it!

Such are the questions and comments regularly heard in Canberra when the name, ‘Strathnairn’ is mentioned. Strathnairn, it seems, is a well kept secret.

The name of the property in outer Belconnen in the Australian Capital Territory, has been in existence for almost eighty years, yet even long term Canberra residents often do not know of its existence. It is almost as if there has been a conspiracy to keep it a secret. And given that 2013 is the centenary of Canberra, it is fitting that the secret Strathnairn is finally revealed …

So where is Strathnairn? Sitting on the fringes of the suburb of Holt, it can be accessed from Belconnen Way, Kingsford Smith Drive, Drake Brockman Drive, and then Stockdill Drive. Along this road there is a sign, proclaiming the Strathnairn property and arts centre. The gravel road leading to the homestead is appropriately named Studio Road. For Strathnairn is a haven for artists and art lovers, with a gallery and studios for artists who work in a variety of visual media, particularly in ceramics, but also printmaking, painting and sculpture – a few of the arts and crafts that Strathnairn has hosted over the past thirty six years.

And this is only a part of the story of Strathnairn. The patch of earth on which the homestead stands had seen many changes over the past two hundred years, and as part of this ancient continent and Aboriginal country, its history stretches back for millennia.

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TOP: Strathnairn woolshed today ABOVE L–R: Shearer’s quarters, Cook’s cottage (now Studio 1), the meat safe, and back of the homestead, c. 1960

Strathnairn has always been a place for people. For many thousands of years, the Ngunnawal people have called most of what is now the Australian Capital Territory their country. Several language groups were prominent in the area, yet because of the effects of European settlement it is no longer possible to definitively determine which of three local language groups, Ngunnawal, Ngarigo, or Walgalu occupied the region. There is evidence of Aboriginal quarrying for dark red jasper in the general vicinity of Strathnairn, at Block 21, Coree. A number of flaked pieces, cores and flakes have been found, as well as artefacts made from other raw material.1 While this find is significant, and there have been anecdotal reports of cave paintings, little has been found to date.

Today, a thriving arts centre is run by Strathnairn Arts.

Its promotional brochure acknowledges that it is one of Canberra’s ‘best kept secrets’.2 It remains rural, yet accessible to urban dwellers. The property may be smaller than it once was, but it hasn’t lost its links with the past.

Frederick Campbell c. 1880. Owner of the extensive land grant containing the future property Strathnairn for over 25 years. Portrait courtesy of National Library of Australia: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an24219385

How has it changed? The tract of land now known as Strathnairn has consistently decreased in size from the time of Aboriginal occupation.

Through several incarnations it was first a part of explorer Charles Sturt’s original 5000 acre grant, then it became a smaller though still considerable part of the pioneer Charles Campbell’s Belconnel Station, now known as Belconnen. By the time it became Strathnairn, the area had reduced to just 1126 acres, and following resumption by the Commonwealth in 1974, an approximate 23 acres (9 hectares) was leased to the Blue Folk arts group in 1977 for the development of their creative endeavours.

The Strathnairn homestead, completed in 1938, is in an attractive setting amidst undulating pastureland and small hills that sweep down to creeks and rivulets that feed the Murrumbidgee River. It was, and remains today, home to a wide variety of wildlife, especially native birds. Although much of the original timber was cleared for pasture, some native vegetation remains, along with exotic species introduced by the settlers.

The first Europeans to view the area were explorers, and as such were just passing through. In the early 1820s, Dr Charles Throsby, his nephew, Charles Throsby Smith, Joseph Wilde and James Vaughn reached the Molonglo River. They traversed that river valley and reached the Murrumbidgee River in 1821. Later expeditions were again made by Wilde, accompanying Captain Mark Currie and Brigade Major Ovens in 1823, while Alan Cunningham and his party travelled through the area in April 1824. Favourable reports to the Colonial government by these explorers resulted in a rush to claim the lands for grazing.3

1 2 3

Sites of Significance in the ACT – Volume Three, Gungahlin and Belconnen, Technical Paper 56, National Capital Development Commission, 1988, p.24 Strathnairn Arts Association promotional brochure, Stockdill Drive, Holt, ACT 2615, 2012 Eric Martin and Associates, ‘Belconnen Farm Conservation and Management Plan, Extract. p.12

Strathnairn – A Place for People

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TOP: The Honourable King O’Malley driving the first survey peg at Canberra Hill on 20 February 1913. The figure wearing a pith helmet on the left hand side is first Administrator of the Federal Capital Territory, Colonel David Miller and holder of the lease with his son Selwyn (which included the future Strathnairn) for over ten years. Image courtesy of National Library of Australia: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an14295948 ABOVE: Personal reference from John Sands, Stock Agent of Gunning for Ian Hamilton Baird when he applied for the lease of land that would become Strathnairn, 1933. ArchivesACT

Plans for the extensions to the original 1928 homestead by David Bruce Elphinstone in 1931. ArchivesACT

“It is my ewe lamb …’

The dispossession of the Aboriginal people began about 1824 when the first European graziers took up grants of land. These settlers included George Thomas Palmer who named his property Ginninderra, and the famous explorer, Charles Sturt, who held the original grant in 1837–8, naming it The Grange.

An anecdote claims he lost the property in a card game to Charles Campbell, son-in-law of Palmer, but this cannot be verified.4 What is known is that the transfer of the entire 5000 acres to Campbell occurred on 26 February, 1838. 5 Strathnairn was part of Sturt’s holding that was eventually divided by the ACT border; two thirds of the property being in the federal territory and the remaining third in New South Wales.

The woolshed was situated across the border, and was subsequently relocated in the federal territory.

Campbell renamed the land Belconnel Station; this title evolved to be Belconnen. Its name was given to Canberra’s western satellite town of Belconnen in the early 1960s. The Campbell family had extensive holdings including Duntroon, in what is now the Australian Capital Territory, and was concerned by the Commonwealth Government’s decision to resume much of their land as the site of the new national capital.

Frederick Campbell, known as Fred, inherited the property on his father’s death in 1888, and although he actively lobbied for the Queanbeyan district to be the site for the capital, he did not anticipate the extent to which his property would be affected.

Fred Campbell’s attachment to his home and property is entirely understandable, especially as he worked with prodigious energy to develop it. Before his tenure, land generally remained unfenced and flocks of sheep were tended by shepherds. Campbell considered this to be an inefficient practice, and at considerable expense, he set about designing and building fences appropriate to use. He drained swamps and built dams to cater for a merino sheep breeding program.6 His efforts in controlling feral pests were noteworthy, particularly in the eradication of rabbits. In 1909, the Pastures Protection Board inspector declared the Yarralumla property to be ‘free of rabbits’,7 a considerable achievement given the extent of the rabbit problem.

4 5 6 7

Maria Wasson, ‘Strathnairn Homestead – A Draft Heritage Study,’ University of Canberra, June, 2003, p.7 Eric Martin, op cit, p.14 RSC Newman, ‘Frederick Campbell of Yarralumla: a forgotten pioneer pastoralist’, Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, 93.1 (June 2007) p.94, <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DateDescend&i…>accessed 29/09/2012, p.2 of 12 Ibid, p.3 of 12

Strathnairn – A Place for People

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Panorama of the homestead and outbuildings, c. 1960

The three years it took the government to finalise arrangements were traumatic for the Campbell family.

Frederick became involved in disputes with the Returning Officer, the administration of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and the Minister for Home Affairs, King O’Malley.8 In August 1912, he wrote a letter to Charles Scrivener, Director of Commonwealth Lands and Surveys, wishing to retain the 636 acres that remained of Sturt’s original lease. ‘It is my Ewe lamb,’ he wrote, ‘and I hope the Commonwealth Government will be satisfied to leave me that much of Sturt’s 5000 acre grant and not drive me altogether out of my native district.’ 9 But his appeal fell on deaf ears. Not only did he lose his land, but also his home, Yarralumla. This would become, and remains today, the residence of the Governor General. In late February, 1913, Fred very reluctantly attended a ceremony when the first survey peg was driven into the ground

by Minister King O’Malley. Fred is not seen in the official photograph of the occasion. A photograph does survive showing Fred wearing old clothes in protest, watching the official photographer.10

8 9 10

Ibid, p.4 of 12 NAA A371.1 in Eric Martin, ibid. p.22 RSC Newman, op cit, p.4 of 12

The Federal Capital Territory was formed in 1911, and the land resumed by the Commonwealth included the site of Strathnairn. The Belconnen property was acquired by Colonel David Miller, newly appointed Administrator of the Federal Capital Territory, for his own use. According to a National Trust report on the Belconnen farm, ‘Control was subsequently passed on to [Miller’s son] Selwin (sic) Miller following the suspicious involvement of the Minister for Home Affairs, King O’Malley.’11 Just what this ‘suspicious involvement’ entailed is not mentioned – perhaps favouritism is implied.12 The Millers appear to have been worthy custodians and it was noted that under their tenure improvements were made, ‘with some workers accommodation and a laundry’.13 The Millers were active in the community and remained in the district as high profile residents until 1923.

11 The Belconnen Farm, <www.nationaltrustact.org.au> p.11, accessed Nov, 2011 12 There was considerable local dissatisfaction with this transaction, and a heated exchange occurred between two contributors using pseudonyms, almost certainly David Miller and Austin Chapman, in the Queanbeyan Age, commencing 3 November, 1914.

13 The Belconnen Farm, op cit.

Strathnairn – A Place for People

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TOP: Lamb Chop ABOVE: Original transfer documents showing transfer of Block 18 Belconnen from Jack Read, Grazier of The Pines, Ainslie to David Bruce Elphinstone on 6 March 1931 and then to Ian Hamilton Baird on 18 December 1933. ArchivesACT

Strathnairn Homestead The homestead is the heart of any property. Strathnairn’s homestead began very modestly, and was subject to a number of extensions and renovations by the various leaseholders. The lease on Block 18 was held from 1924 to 1931 by Mr Jack Read of “The Pines”, Ainslie.14 He built a small four-roomed weatherboard house that forms the core of the current homestead. At this time the house consisted of a living room and kitchen that shared a double fireplace, and two bedrooms with a central bathroom and small verandah and store room at the rear. On March 6, 1931 the lease was transferred to David Bruce Elphinstone, who held it until 1934. Elphinstone was a builder, and President of the Master Builders’ Association of Canberra.

The Ainslie Hotel on Limestone Avenue is a lasting memorial to his work in the city. He extended the small cottage on Block 18.15 His improvements included a verandah/sleepout to the eastern side of the house, and a living room with a fireplace to the south. A garage was added to the back of the house. But Mr Elphinstone gave up the lease.16 On January 2, 1934, the block, now 1126 acres in area, was transferred from Elphinstone to Ian Hamilton Baird, who extended the homestead and built the woolshed and other farm buildings.17 The first Baird extension included a nursery and two storerooms. Further buildings were added including a cottage, fowl yard, feed store and a ‘man house’, probably a shearers quarters, and the woolshed.18 The final extension to the north side of the homestead was completed in 1938, and designed by Ken Oliphant.19 Following World War I, the area was subject to division for soldier settlers. While Strathnairn, then known as Block 18, was not specifically offered in a soldier settlement subdivision, preference was given to returned soldiers seeking land. Block 18, with nearby and adjacent blocks 12, 14, and 18A, was advertised as a 25 year lease, and was again part of the larger Belconnen subdivision that was advertised in 1923.20 A number of neighbouring blocks were taken up by soldier settlers. Records show they often had difficulty complying with government regulations about issues such as the eradication of rabbits and noxious weeds, as well as loan repayments.21 They shared these problems with larger landholders, including Ian Baird.

The Soldier Settlement Scheme throughout Australia was largely a failure, as the blocks were often inadequate to support a family, many of the ex-servicemen had limited or no knowledge of farming, many suffered war-related health problems, and the onset of The Great Depression exacerbated difficulties in the repayment of loans. There is evidence that the government was more sympathetic to debt repayment during the Depression which hit in 1930.22 That Strathnairn homestead was built at all is testament to the faith of the leaseholders who sought some permanence despite the lack of freehold land.

14 Jack Read was granted a 25 year lease on September 1, 1924. A880, TL7754, 1925–1932, ACT Archives 15 Block 18, Belconnen District, DB Elphinstone, 1925–32, A880, TL7754, ACT Archives 16 A880 TL 948 Part 2, 1924–1953, ACT Archives 17 Ibid, and A880 TL 6272, Part 1, 1932–1953, ACT Archives. Plans were submitted on July 27, 1936 18 Ibid 19 ACT Department of Urban Services, Belconnen – 1332-0, Strathnairn, File 49938, ACT Archives 20 Susan Pfanner, ‘A History of Soldier Settlement in the Federal Capital Territory after the First World War’, unpublished report, 1996 p.25 21 See for example, letter from AE Wright to the Commonwealth Surveyor General, August 6, 1922, in Susan Pfanner, ibid, appendix, and Queanbeyan Age, 3 November, 1914, p.2 22 Susan Pfanner, ibid, p.20 and p.22

Strathnairn – A Place for People

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1936 Department of the Interior valuation of the improvements made to the newly named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Strathnairnâ&#x20AC;?. ArchivesACT

c. 1960 Strathnairn homestead

The homestead is situated about a kilometre from Stockdill Drive, at the bottom of a slope that gives some protection from the westerly winds. A stand of pine trees planted by Jack Read provided a wind break in years gone by, and some of these remain on the property. A verandah at the rear of the house maintains shade in summer. The front verandah was initially longer, but has been partially closed in by renovations.

By the time the Baird family was established there, Strathnairn homestead was a pleasant place, in harmony with its surrounds. Houses build atmosphere over the years and the human touch transforms a house into a home. The house, despite not being a family home for many years, has nonetheless retained a homely feeling. Doubtless this is because of the many people who have cared for it in its transformations. In its almost eighty years it has rarely stood empty. At times it has been unkempt, but it has never been unloved.

Today it is essentially an art gallery, and its domestic character ensures that it remains warm and welcoming.

The ability to enjoy works of art while having coffee or lunch adds to the sense of ease. It retains the ambience of being a farmhouse, as the clucking of chickens and the occasional lowing of nearby cows remind the visitor, along with the knowledge that fresh eggs and herbs from the garden are used in food cooked in the cafĂŠ. Yet it is also a place of great creative endeavour, with artists working onsite in their studios, administration being carried out in the office and volunteers overseeing the gallery. It is truly a place for people, with people suited to the place.

Strathnairn â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Place for People

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1977 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Strathnairn prior to being leased to Blue Folk. ArchivesACT

Subdivision of Strathnairn 1974.

ArchivesACT

The Baird Era: 1934–1974 “We ran free all over the place” The Baird family, reflecting their Scottish heritage, named the property Strathnairn, but the Bairds came to Australia from Northern Ireland where their family had lived for a number of generations. Ian Baird’s father, John Hamilton Baird, and mother Jean, first took up land near Bombala, and then moved with their children Ian and Leigh, to the Gunning district, living at a property named Birroon. So they were long familiar with the region. The senior Bairds retired in Canberra, to their Mugga Way home ‘Trentagh’ in 1935,23 Ian Baird and his wife Ellen, settling at Strathnairn.24 For the Bairds, life at Strathnairn was that of a typical farming family. Being some ten miles, or about sixteen kilometres, from Canberra, regularly dropping into the shop for supplies was not an option. For this reason there was a large larder at the homestead where bulk food supplies were stored. David Baird, son of Ian and Ellen, recalls that his mother spent a lot of time preserving and organizing food, as they were mostly self-sufficient. Ellen drove an old Chevrolet which would have afforded her a measure of independence not common for women of the era.25 Self-sufficiency was achieved through the dedicated work of the family.

Ian was a keen and successful gardener, so there were plenty of vegetables, and the animals – sheep for meat, cows for milk, and chickens for eggs, provided plenty of protein. This was particularly vital during World War II, once rationing was introduced, and afterwards until its repeal.

Rabbits were a constant problem, especially during World War II, and in the following years. Properties had been neglected during the war as so many men were on active service, and in the adjustment period afterwards, rabbits increased to plague proportions. Ian Baird kept a pack of dogs to keep the numbers down, and the young Baird boys spent a good portion of their time rabbiting. They made money selling rabbit skins, but once the government introduced myxomatosis in an attempt to eradicate the pest, the meat could not be eaten.

23 Canberra Times, April 5, 1935, p.4 24 David Baird, interview with Maryann Mussared, Canberra, October 24, 2012 25 Ibid

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2008 was a particularly bad year for Patersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Curse in the bottom paddock

Strathnairn is home to artists with a wide range of skills

Clearing Sale Notice for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Strathnairnâ&#x20AC;? superimposed on image of back of homestead, circa 1977.

Canberra Times 9 November 1974

Ian Baird, like all the farmers leasing land in the Federal Territory, had plenty of dealings with the bureaucracy.

The Territory had entire departments dedicated to keeping a relatively small area in order. Inspections for rabbit and weed control were frequent, and a close eye was kept on conditions for shearers. Every year farmers had to notify the Department of the Interior of the date shearing would commence. The shearers’ quarters and living conditions had to be inspected prior to the commencement of shearing. The inspector’s reports were detailed, noting, for example, the type of beds provided, the proximity of the sleeping quarters to the kitchen, type of lighting and flooring, and whether or not the facilities were ‘vermin free’.26 While it was appropriate that decent accommodation be provided for workers, and all farmers recognised the necessity to deal effectively with feral pests, there was some resentment of the effort and expense incurred in dealing with the upkeep of properties, only to have them resumed at what seemed to be the whim of bureaucracy.

Most Territory farmers were members of the ACT Rural Lessees Association. This was of great assistance when dealing with mutual concerns, and in communications with government departments. The farmers appealed for a reassessment of rental fees. In 1942, Strathnairn was used as a test case. Ian Baird had also acquired Block 19 as part of his Strathnairn property. Unfortunately it was not adjacent to the original lease, Block 18, but abutted Block 18A, Pine Ridge. This made movement of animals from one block to the other unwieldy. The test case concerned Block 19, and the government valuer navigated a tortuous path of additions and subtractions, before arriving at what he considered a fair rent per acre. Comment was also made, that unlike nearby New South Wales, the Territory lessees had ‘the obligation of purchase or erection of buildings, and in some cases, internal fencing, and liability for resumption without compensation for disturbance’.27 The disadvantages the ACT farmers experienced were detailed during the hearing. As well as the Commonwealth’s right of resumption and determination of compensation, lessees had to reside on their leases, unless they had special permission to live elsewhere. It was demonstrated that the return per sheep was considerably more for similar leases in the Yass district, and that in comparison with NSW, the chances of a farmer adding to a lease were very limited, and as the blocks were relatively small, making more than a basic income from the lease was difficult.28 Bushfires were a constant source of concern during dry summers. David Baird recalls a fire in the 1960s which swept through what is now the Weetangera Settlers Cemetery. Many wooden crosses above graves were burnt, and grave sites were lost. Strathnairn suffered occasional grass fires, but nothing seriously threatened the homestead and livestock. As the property was situated on high ground, flooding was not a major concern, but David remembers hearing the nearby Murrumbidgee River roaring when in flood.

26 Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Interior, Rural Workers Accommodation Ordinance 1938, No51/2111, Inspection Report, 13/09/1954, <http://naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine/asp> accessed 18/04/2012 27 ‘Land Board, Canberra Assessment Appeals, ‘The Canberra Times, Wednesday 15 July 1942, p.3, <http:nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2568229> accessed 29/01/2012 28 Ibid, Monday 27 July, 1942, p.3, <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2564363> accessed 29/01/12

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When the Bairds arrived in the district, Canberra’s Civic Centre was essentially only two blocks in size, those blocks being the distinctive Sydney and Melbourne Buildings. They bought clothes at Snows, on the corner of the Sydney Building on London Circuit and Northbourne Avenue. Food was purchased at O’Brien’s in Petrie Street. JB Youngs, for household items, was in Kingston. There were also a variety of shops in Manuka, and unlike most Canberrans of the time, the Bairds didn’t find it necessary to shop in Queanbeyan.29 Ellen Baird made the most of social occasions and was involved in a number of charities and community groups, working for the Australian American Association and charities such as the Red Cross, Victoria League and YWCA. In 1954 the Bairds hosted at Strathnairn a visit by Miss Elizabeth Palmer, an American working at the YWCA headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. She was en route to the YWCA world conference in Marysville, Victoria, the first to be held in Australia.30 Ian Baird was also interested in community affairs, leading groups on conservation excursions to the property.31 He had also served in the Volunteer Defence Corps during World War II.32 Strathnairn had a tennis court, tennis being a popular activity for many Australians at the time, and David Baird also played polo at the Canberra Showground. Other forms of entertainment included dances in the woolshed and dinner parties. Many of these would have been lit by lamps or candles, as electricity did not reach the property until 1948. David remembers the connection of electricity very well. The installation team used dynamite, in this instance too much, as they blew a huge hole in the ground, and the fallout covered the shed roof with stones.33 A consistent water supply was always a challenge. Household tanks stored water. The pumping system was a very complicated process and a daily struggle to keep in operation. The road to Canberra was not sealed, and was often in poor condition, but such difficulties were considered minor and were more than compensated for by a happy-go-lucky childhood. ‘We ran free all over the place’ said David. He and his brother, John, were not short of company, and shared adventures with the two Anderson boys from neighbouring Pine Ridge. The family was also friendly with the Shepherds, who farmed nearby block 14, Belconnen Farm, and Ian Baird particularly respected the farming expertise of Austen Shepherd, a successful soldier settler.34 Strathnairn was principally a grazing property, and although it sometimes supported cattle, sheep were the main enterprise. The numbers varied, but in a good year there could be up to 3000 sheep on the property’s pastures. In the early 1950s the price of wool sky-rocketed, and the returns would have been excellent.

When the price fell, farmers naturally diversified. For example, after David had taken over the lease from his father in 1965, he ran both merino sheep and varieties of short horn cattle until the property was resumed.

Attending school for the boys meant a daily commute to Ainslie Primary School, transported in a green panel van. Children were collected from beyond Hall, and from properties through to Parkwood and Weetangera, then driven down the dirt road to the school, that despite its name is situated in the suburb of Braddon. The boys were sent to boarding school at Sydney Church of England Grammar School – Shore – for their secondary education.

29 David Baird, op cit.

30 ‘Similarities World – Wide in Y.W.C.A.’, Canberra Times, Fri. June 4, 1954, p.2, <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/printArticleJpg/2901801/3?print=y> accessed 14/12/2011 31 National Parks Association of the ACT, vol. 3, no.5, Oct-Nov. 1965, p.8 32 ACT Memorial, <http:www.memorial.act.gov.au/person.php?id=1617> accessed 24/09/2012 33 David Baird, op cit.

34 Ibid

David Baird was resigned to the inevitability of the Commonwealth resuming his property. By 1973, the nearby suburb of Holt had been established and problems emerged with the proximity of rural leases and new settlement. There were particular problems with children from nearby suburbs trespassing, and ‘creating havoc’. Gates were often left open and animals escaped. Local dogs also invaded, and on one occasion David lost twenty sheep to a pack of dogs. He felt that the authorities were not sympathetic to his losses. With the property about to be broken up, and following a harrowing clearance sale in 1974, he gave up the lease and with his wife, Ann, embarked on a nine month world trip.35

Strathnairn – A place for all seasons

Cyclone Tracy On Christmas Eve, 1974, Cyclone Tracy devastated the city of Darwin. In the following days the residents were evacuated to other cities around the country. Canberra took a group of evacuees, but accommodation was limited, and the recently vacated homestead at Strathnairn provided shelter for some of these displaced people. Long-time Strathnairn Arts Association member, Kevin Cole, recalls it was also used in 1975 by a large Public Service family transferred from South Australia, because of the lack of suitably sized homes in the housing stock. The number of children at Strathnairn mushroomed at this time, as the resident children all regularly had friends visiting.36 But their stay was only temporary as the lease on the property passed to Peter Canham, who was also subletting Block 14, in 1976.37

35 Ibid 36 Kevin Cole, Notes on Strathnairn, Jan 18, 2013 37 Eric Martin, op cit, p.30

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Timeline of events Date From

Event

25 November 1835

Land adjacent to the Murrumbidgee is surveyed by Surveyor-General Robert Hoddle.

8 February 1836

5,000 acre grant to Captain Charles Sturt is gazetted.

3 February 1837

Governor Bourke advises Sturt his request for a grant of land has been approved.

28 February 1838

Sale of Captain Charles Sturt’s land to Charles Campbell.

1888

Frederick Campbell inherits property from his father Charles Campbell including Sturt’s 5,000.

1 January 1901

Commonwealth of Australia established.

1906

Lands Acquisition Act 1906 gazetted – land could be acquired by the Commonwealth of Australia.

1 January 1911

Formation of the Federal Capital Territory (1) C ommonwealth of Australia assumed possession of the Federal Territory and the site of Canberra. With the transfer of the Territory to the Commonwealth, free hold tenure was abolished and it was provided that all Crown lands, and all privately owned land after resumption should for ever remain the property of the nation.

Commonwealth resumes large land holdings in the Parish of Weetangera. Land offered for lease with preference given to returned soldiers (2) January 1911, nine hundred and ten square miles of land were excised from New South Wales to become the Federal Capital Territory and the site of the national capital.

27 July 1912

Yarralumla Estate (40,000 acres) acquired vide Commonwealth Gazette, including the Belconnen Estate, the majority of which was Charles Sturt’s original 5,000 grant from 1838.

At this time, maps do not show any evidence of buildings on the part that is subdivided into Block 18.

1913

Sturt’s 5,000 are leased to Selwyn Miller, son of Colonel David Miller, Administrator of the Federal Capital Territory.

1914

Yarralumla Estate subdivided and advertised for lease – for various periods.

1923

The Millers depart for Armidale, NSW where they have purchased another property.

31st July 1924

Applications for Lease, (to be addressed to Commonwealth Surveyor General) closed.

1 September 1924

Mr Jack Read is granted a 25 year least to Block 18.

1928

A small four-roomed house with a double chimney between the living room and kitchen is built on Block 18. This now forms the core of the current homestead.

6 March 1931

Lease of Block 18 transferred from Jack Read to David Bruce Elphinstone, a builder (a member of the family of builders who built a substantial part of the suburb of Glebe) from Ainslie who built the Ainslie Hotel and was President of the Master Builders’ Association of Canberra.

c. 1932

Extension to original cottage by David Bruce Elphinstone Block 18.

Date From

Event

2 January 1934

Lease of Block 18 (1126 acres) transferred from David Bruce Elphinstone to Ian Hamilton Baird.

27 July 1936

Mr James Jorgensen, Government architect provides a valuation of the work completed at Strathnairn (Block 18) (already extended by David Bruce Elphinstone) and a range of new outbuildings, including the woolshed.

1938

Ken Oliphant is commissioned to extend the homestead. He does this by adding a suite of rooms to the north of the original building.

1965

Ian Hamilton Baird retires with wife Ellen to Deakin and his son David takes over managing the leasehold.

1973

The City Plan is varied to upgrade Weetangera Road from the western end of Drake Brockman Drive, Holt to the proposed Lower Molongo River Quality Control Centre.

David Hamilton Baird becomes aware his lease may be resumed and starts selling off his more valuable stock.

Saturday 16 November 1974

Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort Ltd branch of Yass NSW holds a ‘Genuine Clearing Sale” at Strathnairn. Catering is provided by the Woden Valley Lion Club. On sale is household furniture, plant and machinery, livestock and the Baird family leaves shortly after.

January 1975

While being managed by the Federal Government, the property provided a refuge for people displaced by Darwin’s Cyclone Tracy.

1975

Federal Department of Housing allocates the homestead to a public servant and his large family from South Australia owing to the lack of suitable large houses in the housing stock.

December 1977

The rural remnant of the original Block 18 becomes home to the Blue Folk Community Arts Association.

4 June 1982

Stockdill Drive is renamed in honour of Donald Alexander Stockdill (c. 1924–1980) former Assistant Director, Water Supply and Sewerage Division, ACT Region, Dept of Housing and Construction 1969–1980.

28 October 1984

There is a change of name from Blue Folk Community Arts Association to Brindabella Community Arts Farm.

31 December 1992

Strathnairn Ceramics established.

1996

Australian Wood-Fire Survey 1996 held in conjunction with the Australian National University.

17 February 1998

Strathnairn Arts Association formed from an amalgamation of Strathnairn Ceramics and Brindabella Community Arts.

June 1999

Strathnairn Arts Association signs a new 20-year lease with the ACT Government with an expiry date of December 2020.

2009

Beginning of renovations to homestead and woolshed according to the new Master Plan.

February 2010

Transfer from lease to licence.

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Sculptures by Strathnairnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s front dam

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“Making costumes” – Blue Folk’s Gypsy Holiday Program, c. 1980

Blue Folk staff from left to right: John Alsford, Madeline Bullock and Domenic Mico, c. 1981

The Blue Folk Era – Giving creativity its wings The arts association, Blue Folk, received the Strathnairn homestead from the Department of the Capital Territory on December 1, 1977. Its brief was to create an environment which would ‘enable a child or adult to develop and discover his or her own abilities through creative imagination.’38 The association of Blue Folk with the property was reinforced when they were granted a twenty five year lease on the Strathnairn homestead and twenty three acres of land, in May 1980.39 Blue Folk had evolved over several years from a once a week meeting of people who enjoyed singing their folk songs, or blues, or sharing their contemporary poems, into a more structured society of artists, actors, poets, singers and musicians. It was formalised by the formation of a committee at a public meeting on 26 May, 1976. The committee consisted of eleven members and a full time Artistic Director/Administrator.40 The objectives of the Blue Folk Association were ambitious, and the energy and enthusiasm of the members apparent from the reports produced. As well as involvement in both contemporary and traditional folk and blues music, they aimed to promote, manage and conduct festivals of music, drama, and theatrical productions for both children and adults. There was an emphasis on activities for children and teenagers, with multi-arts programs designed, and classes in ‘all aspects of the visual and performing arts, in Canberra and elsewhere’ planned. Furthermore, their stated objectives were to ‘present, produce, manage and conduct at theatres, halls, galleries, cinemas, open spaces and other premises, activities such as: plays, dramas, concerts, recitals, exhibitions, demonstrations, expositions, adventure playground constructions, children’s art activities and other entertainments …’ with a view to promoting and encouraging community arts and involvement.41 It was a demanding program for the fledgling committee and its five full-time staff.42 Much of the responsibility was shouldered by the Artistic Director, Domenic Mico, who lived with his family at Strathnairn, and along with his creative work, undertook the care of the animals and other general maintenance activities.

38 39 40 41 42

Blue Folk Community Arts Association Inc., Annual Report, 1 July 1979 – 30 June 1980, p.3 Ibid Ibid Ibid, p.4 Ibid, p.5

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Gloria the Chicken makes friends with Blue Folkies as part of their holiday program, c. 1981

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Rainwater tank stand

In 2012 Bindi Cooper visited Strathnairn with her family and is pictured alongside a photo she appeared in decades before as a Blue Folkie with Gloria the Chicken

Domenic was born in southern Italy in 1946, training as an artist and eventually becoming involved in other aspects of the visual and performing arts. He and Chris Rutter formed Blue Folk in the early seventies.

In the mid seventies this became Blue Folk Community Arts Association. Domenic was very much the driving force for the development of the creative program, especially with children. He strongly believed that the creative arts were useful in developing self-direction and self-motivation, and that the creative process was as important as the end product.43 One of the particularly well-received programs was developed with schools, and based on the Social Studies unit, Early Australian Settlement. This was in response to the receipt of a special project grant from the Schools Commission. The program promoted the concept of learning by doing, and had children of all ages in primary school undertake dramatic roles interpreting the lives of convicts and settlers, and integrating art, craft, story writing, poetry and oral presentation. The children clearly enjoyed the experience, and a number of them had their reports published in Blue Folk’s Innovation Project Report of 1980. Below are some samples.

Blue Folk holiday program

43 Domenic Mico, Directors Report, ibid, p.14

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What I think about Strathnairn.

On Friday and Thursday the 30th and 31st October, Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 went to Strathnairn. I think Strathnairn is a beautiful and wonderful place to pretend to be free settlers. The air is nice and fresh and the scenery is wonderful. I think it is fun to build your own houses and build your own fire place because you do it yourself and I like making gardens too. At Strathnairn I was acting the role of Mary Jane Butler. The settlers were allowed to boss around all the convicts.

Strathnairn On Thursday and Friday last week we went to Strathnairn and acted out the colonial days cooking on open fires, eating damper and clear vegetable soup. The convicts worked making pretend huts out of hessian. We made billy tea and wood tables and shelves and we made furniture too. There was an exploration party that went out and looked for good grazing areas, even though we had no cattle or sheep. We each took on roles of free settlers or convicts.

We named our settlement Sydney Town. Everybody enjoyed it.

We each took lunch and shared it out.

At Strathnairn At Strathnairn, We had two days, To make a town of hessian.

We made a kitchen, With a fire, We cooked some food, Which we ate, With great desire.

Each large family Made a house, Which they furnished, On their own An on the last day, Before we went away, We had damper, And vegetable soup.

Now that we’ve gone, We’re so very sad, For the days that we spent, At Strathnairn.1

1

Blue Folk Community Arts Association Incorporated, Innovation Project Report, 1980, pp 21, 23

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TOP: Blue Folk activities were often exhausting for both young and old ABOVE: The Bunyip Wagon

Blue Folk activities

Strathnairn Development ‘Something for Everybody’ Following the granting of the lease, work commenced on renovating the woolshed and the construction of the Children’s Arts and Crafts Village. The Ginninderra Apex Club began construction of a toilet block, while the Belconnen Apex Club carried out electrical work on the village. Government funding was forthcoming, with $5000 for the woolshed coming from the Advisory Committee on the Arts, and $25000 for the Children’s Village from the Office of Child Care. Volunteers also enthusiastically contributed to working bees to develop the grounds and facilities. Landscaping included the construction of two dams.

Trees were planted, and animals installed. These included four goats, two horses, chickens, geese and ducks, a peacock, doves, a donkey named Pedro, and some sheep.44 The Strathnairn Gallery was a focus for the enterprise. By June, 1980 it had been in operation for a year and a half, and was ‘doing very well’ despite unfavourable economic conditions45 Plans were afoot to establish a Craftspeople in Residence program to run workshops and contribute to the further development of Blue Folk.46 According to Domenic, there was freedom in the activities then that would not be allowed today, given current awareness of safety issues.47 Such activities as sword fighting with wooden swords, a vital part of the dramas that involved the pirate ship, ‘Hispaniola’, at Strathnairn’s dam, some experiences as ‘convicts’ and other rough and tumble occupations, no doubt contributed to the occasional bit of skin being lost, or some bruises and bumps, but were thoroughly enjoyed by the children as they acted out their various roles.

44 45 46 47

Robyn Mico, Blue Folk, 1979, op cit, p.18 Ibid Ibid, p.19 Domenic Mico, Interview with Maryann Mussared, 13 April, 2012

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Blue Folk activities

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Blue Folkies

1981 saw a number of changes, with Domenic Mico resigning to pursue studies in Italy, and his wife, Robyn leaving at the same time. But … the show must go on! Programs for the year included farm visits and fun days, dramatic productions, gallery functions, exhibitions, weekly classes, activities in schools and the community, holiday programs and workshops for the intellectually disabled. A number of these activities were conducted away from the Strathnairn property. Blue Folk presentations were a regular feature of the popular ‘Sunday in the Park’ with activities such as stilt walking, face painting, clown troupes, mime and puppetry enjoyed by throngs of people, especially children. There were also ‘Sunday in the Barn’ activities which were held at Strathnairn during winter months.48 Meanwhile the farm was developing. The all important toilet block was completed, and the woolshed was altered and used as a workshop space. It was cold, and the need for heating and insulation was noted. The homestead had necessary repairs done with most of the guttering replaced and some of the interior ceilings relined. The Lions Club updated the electrical wiring in the house. Its involvement also included planting of trees and catering for concerts at various times.49 Sandra Warner, who had been Blue Folk Treasurer, took on the job of Farm Manager, and found plenty to occupy her time. She commented: ‘ … if one wanted to work a 10 hour day, six days a week, work can be found here.’ But she was not complaining, as she loved ‘the opportunity to work on the farm and be involved in a community venture.’50 Maintenance was an ongoing problem. The report lamented the dilapidated state of the outbuildings and fences and the inadequate housing for the animals. One paddock had been enclosed with a fence, six feet in height, to contain the kangaroos and goats, while Sandra’s long term plan was to make Strathnairn as self-supporting as possible, but with a balanced environment ‘with as much emphasis on a diversity of plant life as on the animals supported by it.’ Meanwhile the number of animals on the farm had been reduced. 51 1981 was after all, a year of severe drought.

1982 saw the drought continuing, not only for the land, but for the Blue Folk budget. The flow of money in the form of grants dried up. Ian Corr, in the Administration report for the year, bemoaned the difficulty of keeping the budget balanced. Costs and inflation seriously affected the bottom line. However, he was able to state that, ‘… we have, in 1982 achieved a change of direction in our financial balance sheet. … we are now around the bend and climbing out of our debts.’ Corr ruefully hoped the ACT House of Assembly would recognise the efforts made in 1982, and increase subsidy funding. 52 At this time, more effort was put into publicity about classes with press releases at the beginning of each school term for television, radio and newspapers. Handouts were delivered to schools in the Belconnen area. Creative activities continued apace, with workshops in patchwork, carpentry, drama, creative dance, puppetry, mime, and Charlie’s Fun Factory – a multi-arts program for 8 to 11 year olds.53 The gallery saw an increase in craftspeople and crafts. These included pottery, weaving, jewellery, herb growing, screen-printing, woodwork, rag dolls and leatherwork. Three successful promotion days were held, with the fresh herb sales being a feature. 54 The farm problems were exacerbated by continuing drought. Although the animal numbers had been reduced, hand feeding was necessary. Nevertheless, windbreak and woodlot planting continued, with a good survival rate despite frugal watering. Survival of these plants was also aided by the installation of stock-proof fences. 55

48 Blue Folk Community Arts Association Incorporated, Annual Report 1982, p.20 49 Blue Folk Community Arts Association Incorporated, Annual Report, 1981 p.14, and ‘Lions Club involvement at Strathnairn 1982, Malcolm Smith, interview with Maryann Mussared, 7 December, 2012 50 Sandra Warner, ibid, p.9 51 Ibid, p.14 52 Ian Corr, Blue Folk Community Arts Association Incorporated, Annual Report 1982, p.13 53 Ibid, 1982, p.24 54 Ibid, p.25 55 Sandra Warner, ibid, p.27

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Barbara Jackson in the homestead with macramĂŠ installation created by local school students, c. 1982

The Lions Club of Belconnen has had a longstanding relationship with Strathnairn. 1982 was a great year of assistance with replanting and rewiring. Courtesy of Lions Club of Belconnen Archive

An Organisational Metamorphosis Blue Folk became Brindabella Community Arts in 1984. The question must be asked – why? The original name was well known in the Canberra community, and was synonymous with creative activity and fun, particularly for children. However there was a perception within the group that interest was flagging, the organisation seemed to be fraying a little at the edges, and was becoming tired. It needed a new direction and impetus if it was to survive. President Madeline Bullock oversaw the process of the name change.

In the Brindabella Arts Report of 1984 she commented on the issues that confronted the organisation.

‘This Association has been facing critical change over the past few years. It has looked at alternatives, supported them and learned from them, and this year, reaching a crisis, has made the final choice of change of direction with a new name and logo.’56 Such was the strength of feeling for the need to change that it involved not only a name change and change of logo, but a decision was taken to have a symbolic burning of the old Blue Folk banner and its replacement with the new one. This was advertised in the press as a ‘rebirth’, and it was reported that the old flag would be burnt on a huge bonfire as the new one was raised. 57 Cheryl Jobz, who was working with the organisation at the time, recollects that there was a design competition for the new logo and the final choice was well received. Tee shirts incorporating the logo were worn by the staff. 58 The desire for change was not unanimous, however, with some staff leaving, and others reluctantly accepting the inevitable.

56 Madeline Bullock, 1984 Annual Report, Brindabella Community Arts Association, Inc., p.3 57 Canberra Standard, 6 September, 1984, p.9 58 Cheryl Jobz, interview, November 9, 2012

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The many moods of Strathnairn

“Every dollar had to count” But such a dramatic and symbolic action as burning the old banner and replacing it, did not eliminate the ongoing problems within the group. The most pressing problem was a shortage of money. There was never a lack of creativity, energy, enthusiasm and dedication, but like most arts groups it depended on grants from various bodies, both government and private. The early eighties was a time of economic difficulty. Inevitably this affected the generosity not only of community funding but also that from government bodies. Activities such as ‘the arts’ were sometimes seen as non-essential or peripheral by the hard-nosed bean counters whose budgets were their raison d’être.

The farm itself was always an expense. Maintenance of buildings and fences was a continuous process.

In 1986, for instance, plans for repairs and development of the site were detailed in a newsletter with a plea for funds and volunteers, that ‘contributions in kind, cash, time, labour or in any other form will be welcomed.’ On a map of the farm included in the newsletter, the jobs to be attempted ranged from repairing the woolshed roof, to fox proofing the fowl pen, replacing a barn burnt by vandals, and building a wheelchair accessible tree hut. All the fences needed rebuilding, a tank stand was to be removed, drains were to be built to arrest soil erosion, and improvements to playground equipment made. These were only some of the tasks to be undertaken that year. 59 Art equipment was another expense. But the staff, being creatively gifted, found innovative solutions to some of their shortages. ‘Every dollar had to count,’ said Cheryl Jobz, who reported that during her time at Strathnairn, a reverse garbage project was undertaken, with recycled materials used to great effect. She recalls that great quantities of sponge off cuts were put to a variety of uses, but there was always a shortage of paint. She mixed white paint with other colours to eke them out. Recycled soft drink cans were used as individual paint containers.60 The Association was always on the lookout for free publicity, and at this time was helped by the sponsorship of the Canberra Times.

Cheryl Jobsz (centre left) with school holiday participants as part of Brindabella Community Arts Farm’s program of activities. Courtesy of Cheryl Jobsz

59 ‘The Brindabella Letter’, Brindabella Community Arts Association, Inc, August, 1986 60 Cheryl Jobz, op cit.

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Strathnairn’s own “Woodstock event, c. 1982

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Strathnairn geese

The parlous state of finances was commented on by Administrator, Peter Maher in his report of 1984.

In language reminiscent of Ian Corr’s Blue Folk report several years earlier, he welcomed the Arts Development Board’s grant of $27000, but noted that it constituted only thirteen percent of annual cash flow. He also expressed amazement at the ability of the association to maintain ‘a high public profile and high level of activity with the $25000 it received from the Community Development Fund.’ He praised the efforts of his predecessor, Margaret Chalker, in doing ‘a splendid job’.61 Such praise is also due to most of those who provided their time and talents at Strathnairn. Many willingly gave their time and effort in a true labour of love. People such as Cheryl Jobz were dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others. Cheryl believed that art was healing. She mostly worked with children and people with disabilities, and found great satisfaction in seeing these people experience growth through involvement in the artistic process, whether in creative play, visual or dramatic art, or natural dance. Apart from these activities, the staff also contributed in a practical way to running the farm. Animals needed attention and care. Cheryl for example, had cared for a lamb that lost an eye to a crow. Despite feeling squeamish, and not inclined for such activity, she dressed the animal’s injury until it healed.62 The interest of Blue Folk in providing a broad range of community and artistic activities resulted in a community tapestry being produced at Strathnairn. This was in association with the Macramé and Fibre Crafts Association of the ACT and was designed by Canberra-born artist, Barbara Jackson. Barbara selected a Canberra themed design from several ideas submitted to the committee.63 The work depicted a large gum tree with rustic fence, rocks, and mushrooms in the foreground and hills and mountains in the background. The tapestry was commenced on March 3rd, 1984, in the music room at Strathnairn, and over ten weeks various combinations of tutors and students worked on it for two hours every Saturday. Texture was a feature of the work, and a variety of techniques used to produce a rich result.

The distant mountains, for example, were woven in shades of blue and purple, while the next range of hills were half hitched in the same colours. Different techniques and textures were used to produce a black stump and the tree, which took a number of weeks to complete. Natural materials such as twigs and dried grasses were woven and sewn to the hessian background, and bark sewn on with sisal created the fence.

An interesting feature was the ‘flimsy front panel’ created by many metres of French knitting in green wool and jute on jam tins, taped with paddle pop sticks. This, along with fabric leaves and real bark mounted on a timber rod, created the wonderful illusion that Barbara envisaged.64 Given the blues and folk music connection with Strathnairn, and considering Blue Folk’s genesis, it is not really surprising that Australia’s first lady of blues and folk during the 1980s, Margaret Roadknight, performed at Strathnairn. The event was ‘Sunday at the Farm’ and the date, September 9, 1984.

The event was promoted in the Canberra Times, Nevertheless, Ms Roadknight was at the farm for five hours, a considerable stint for a performer, and it was reported that there was ‘bush music, dancing, games, stalls and other events for visitors – in the sunshine.’65

61 62 63 64 65

Peter Maher, Administrator’s report, 1984 Annual Report, op cit, p.11 Cheryl Jobz, op cit ‘The Growing Fibre Interchange’, Fibre Forum, vol3, no.3, 1984, p.34 Ibid Canberra Times, September 10, 1984, p.3

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Strathnairn has been a long-term home for many local artists

Long-term resident of Strathnairn was the much-loved donkey Pedro

Pip Cotton was contracted as Development Officer for Brindabella Community Arts in 1987. He became Manager when he discovered his job description included day-to-day responsibility for the administration of the organisation and the property. At this time emphasis was being placed on educational programs for Pre‑ and Primary School children, especially with the holiday ‘Discovery’ programs. Pip was well qualified, holding an Honours degree in Education.66 He found the organisation at the time to be highly fragmented, ‘being made up of disparate groups and individuals using the property in various ways for their own purposes … organisationally there was no common focus.’ Pip was also another in a long line of people to bemoan the neglected state of the facilities.67 The organisation was about to lose its operating grant, and there was a very low level of community involvement other than the ‘Discovery’ program and some life drawing classes, that only met the costs of those who organised and ran them. Initiatives that were put in place involved work gangs and skilled tradespeople renovating part of the main homestead as a gallery, and the building of the first group of new workshops. Agistment of horses provided a small source of money, and new people. At this time core residents formed a Life Games group that organised games and face painting activities at community and sporting events in Canberra.68 Michael Sainsbury arrived at Strathnairn in February, 1990. With a variety of practical and creative skills, he set about cleaning up the property. He recalls that the conditions were appalling, with infestations of rats and possums, and mould growing because of leaks and general moisture. The main residence, occupied by new residents, Stacey and Len Clements, had a number of cracked walls. Entire wall panels had to be replaced.

66 Pip Cotton, notes on Strathnairn, January 10, 2013 67 Ibid 68 Ibid

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Alan Watt ready for action to build the ceramics wing after receiving a grant from the Government, c. 1992

Michael also installed a bathroom, and replaced a dirt floor with a brick one in the flat, that is now the accommodation for the Artist in Residence (AIR). The outer buildings such as the stables and the chook shed were renovated, and windows were fitted in one of the studios. ‘Buildings were added to, nothing was totally demolished,’ said Michael. He also praised the work of other artists who formed working bees, spending long hours doing the hard physical work of cleaning up the site.69 Nick Stranks and Alison (Al) Munro arrived in 1992, and after years of progressive and occasionally generous funding for Blue Folk, the funding now became more frugal. Brindabella Arts Association had a mere thirteen dollars in its account at this time. Nick and Al set to work to improve the situation.

They spent considerable time cleaning up neglected studios.70

Nick Stranks and Michael Sainsbury encouraged students to exhibit at Strathnairn. This was difficult as the property was considered to be remote and was not on any established arts trail. So they targeted students, tutors and special exhibition openers such as ambassadors. Embassies were also courted for their cultural input.

Alan Watt, the head of Ceramics at the Canberra School of Art, was invited by a member of the committee to use the studios for some of his ceramics students. He maintains that they took up the offer on the condition that they had ‘exclusive rights to some studios and were able to build kilns in a purpose‑built shed.’ While pleased with that success, he noted that ‘soon after the committee resigned and we found that we (ceramics personnel) were organizing the whole show and we were about the only users of the studios. They [the studios] were also used as accommodation as well until the authorities put a stop to it.’71 It had been planned to organise a ceramics co-operative at Strathnairn, but legal issues in the ACT precluded that, and an association was incorporated. Thus the name, Strathnairn Ceramics Association came into being. Jennifer Jones was a founding member. She was a fourth year student of ceramics at Canberra Institute of the Arts in 1991, and was one of the young graduates encouraged by Alan Watt to take up a studio at Strathnairn. Alan was concerned at the number of young artists leaving Canberra after graduation. Jennifer recalls the efforts contributed to cleaning up the site, such as pulling down old fences and the old water tank, and painting the interior of the homestead.72 Strathnairn at this time was experiencing another stage in its evolution. ‘Strathnairn Ceramics was running concurrently [with Brindabella Arts] as it had different objectives to Brindabella’ said Jennifer.73 Because of the funding and organisation, ceramics quickly became the dominant art medium at the property. It was a time of growth and change, and in particular, of building. A kiln shed was built and workshop space extended. The labour was all voluntary, and Jennifer helped ‘trowelling at the edges ‘of the newly poured concrete slab. There were insufficient funds to build the roof for the new studio, so a ‘Raising the Roof’ fund raising party was held in the woolshed. The multi-talented Fergus Stewart’s band, Blues Habit played, Jeremy Smith provided the PA and sound system, and a temporary alcohol licence was acquired. Jennifer remembers that ‘Tony Cameron ran the bar, and we had a lot of fun, though not enough people came.

We made about $5 profit.’74

69 Michael Sainsbury, interview with Maryann Mussared and Christine McCaffrie, 29 November, 2012 70 Nick Stranks and Alison Munro, interview with Maryann Mussared, 3 September, 2012 71 Alan Watt, interview with Maryann Mussared, 11 December, 2012 72 Jennifer Jones, Strathnairn Events, essay, November 2012 73 Ibid 74 Ibid

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The original shearersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dunny

The ceramics studio concept was based on European models where students attended government sponsored studios after graduation, providing ‘gap’ year experience. Students could stay for one year that could be extended to two if there was no pressure from incoming students. But not many took up the offer of studios.75 While Alan Watt may have felt a little jaded by the eventual outcome, he presided over an era of energetic improvement of artistic infrastructure. Jennifer Jones, writing in a journal article, lists some of the achievements in kiln building.

A program of building and renovation was commenced and the small two-room fibro building out the back was gradually extended from either end to become studios and kiln sheds. Fergus Stewart reappeared during this period and with his experience, and need to relocate his studio and gas fired brick kiln, the facility began to develop a focus, assisted by a grant from the ACT Government.76 Bill Wood, the Minister for the Arts in the ACT Government, was responsible for the grant of $7000 to build the ceramics studio. Recycled materials were used, large side doors came from the School of Music, and weatherboard came from Melbourne, as there were no local suppliers at the time.

Strathnairn began raising its profile through the placement of works of art in public places, such as Paul Aspinall’s large clay figures that are located at the Yamba Drive entrance to Canberra Hospital, and the installation of six pavement inserts – also at the Hospital. The latter were produced in a community arts project involving young indigenous people and residents of youth refuges. The tiles were finished off in Jennifer Jones’ cottage studio and fired at Strathnairn. Paul Aspinall was the first tenant of the ceramic studio extension.77 Strathnairn Ceramics held its first members’ exhibition in the gallery in 1994 with a soup and bowl fundraiser as part of the opening, a tradition that continues to the present day. Meanwhile Brindabella Arts Association became a School of Art ‘Emerging Artists Support Scheme’ sponsor offering a studio residency and exhibition to the selected recipient. This was especially helpful in raising Strathnairn’s public profile and building interest in studio rental by artists.78 The monetary situation was once again dire. Kevin Cole remembers being handed a jam jar full of money when he became Treasurer of Strathnairn Ceramics in 1994, hardly a promising beginning.79 The auditors allowed a three month period of grace for the two organisations to sort out final bills and accounts that had become ‘a bit messy’.80 A major clean up of Strathnairn’s facilities got under way, following the merging of the two associations.

Strathnairn said goodbye to the good ship Hispaniola that had graced the dam since the Blue Folk days.

An observation bridge was also removed as it had become dangerous, and work providing concrete verandahs for a number of the studios was undertaken.81

75 Alan Watt, op cit.

76 Jennifer Jones, ‘Kublai Came By Here: a Strathnairn Story’, Pottery in Australia, issue 35/4 Summer, 1996, pp.29–30 77 Jennifer Jones, Strathnairn Events, op cit.

78 Ibid 79 Kevin Cole, op cit.

80 Ibid 81 Ibid

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TOP: Fergus Stewart with his students and works from their salt firing, 2005 ABOVE: Alan Watt hard at work on the new ceramics wing, c. 1992

At this time the organisation was almost entirely self-sufficient. While the artists considered being independent of government a plus, progress was often slow as fund-raising was time consuming and difficult, and there was a greater reliance on voluntary efforts. Another problem was the nature of the lease. As it was a rural lease, rent had to be paid, and at $12000 per annum, this was a considerable impost.

Responsibility for pest and weed control, insurance, and utilities meant that there was a constant fund shortage.82 The situation has improved in more recent years. In February 2010, for example, Strathnairn changed from a lease to a licence under artsACT, easing some of these burdens. As an artsACT facility, crucial development in the master plan protecting the historic buildings and grounds was enabled, and the monies saved were channelled into staffing.83 On July 4 and 5, 1996, a Woodfire seminar ‘Australian Wood-Fire Survey’, was hosted by Strathnairn Ceramics Association, in conjunction with the 8th National Ceramics Conference conducted by the Ceramics Department of the Canberra School of Art. A great deal of effort was put into making it a success, with Therese Bourke in particular, shouldering a huge workload in administration and logistics.

The fund‑raising skills of some members raised approximately $6000 from sponsorship.

The ‘Olsen Kiln’ a wood-fired kiln and Strathnairn icon still in use, was built for this seminar. Fred Olsen, an internationally-known ceramic artist from the United States supervised its building. Kevin Cole states that the kiln ‘has a vast array of “mouse holes” in the chimney which Fred swore could be opened and closed at the appropriate time during a firing to play a tune. After 16 years the tune is still to be heard.’84

An interesting feature of the kiln is its external decoration, designed and executed by a group of Tiwi Islanders who were attending the Ceramics Conference. The surface of the kiln is now cracked and the art work is in poor repair, but the paintings have not been touched since being completed. The kiln, as well as being a functional tool, is also a work of art.85 The success of the event was ensured by the contributions of artists such as Geoff Crispin, Ian Jones, Sandy Lockwood, Janet Mansfield, Dennis and Malina Monks, Tony Nankervis, Peter Rushforth, Owen Rye and Fergus Stewart.

The final metamorphosis from Strathnairn Ceramics and Brindabella Arts, to the Strathnairn Arts Association occurred on 17 February, 1998. Jennifer Jones was the first President, and remained in the position for three years. To address the ongoing problems of low public awareness, low gallery use and studio vacancies, a voluntary gallery manager/curator, Marcia Lochhead, was selected. Following this, SCOOP – Strathnairn Co‑op was established as an outlet for members’ work, to give the gallery a permanent display, and to further raise its profile. This meant the gallery was opened regularly, not only for individual exhibitions.86 An event enjoyed by many was organised by Lois Selby in 1999. A group of people with disabilities met regularly at Strathnairn and devised an outdoor theatre production ‘Quack’, featuring a large yellow duck and an extensive cast.87 Strathnairn’s community involvement would continue into the new century.

82 Ibid 83 Anita McIntyre, interview with Maryann Mussared, 14 February, 2013 84 Kevin Cole, op cit.

85 Ibid 86 Jennifer Jones, Strathnairn Events, op cit.

87 Kevin Cole, op cit.

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The spectacular view of the Murrumbidgee River from Shepherdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Outlook located off Stockdill Drive is much the same as when Elioth Gruner caught sight of it in the late 1920s when he first visited the region. The land occupied by Strathnairn until 1974 ran down to the river on the right hand side

Elioth Gruner, Landscape, 1929, Oil on wood panel, 30.2 x 40.6 cm Courtesy of Canberra Museum and Gallery

Canberra burns â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday 18 January, 2003 Strathnairn was not badly affected by the devastating bushfires in the Canberra region in 2003. And the property was better prepared than many others. Michael Sainsbury was aware of the fires encroaching from New South Wales, and organised the evacuation of the animals early in the morning of January 18, 2003.

They were taken to a shelter at nearby Holt Primary School oval. At approximately 11am police ordered the complete evacuation of the property.88 Artists rescued what materials they could as the fires neared.

The drama was added to by the discovery of a black snake presciently taking shelter in the laundry. At the time firefighters including some from the army, were stationed along Stockdill Drive awaiting instructions.

They built a firebreak along the perimeter of the property, and those of adjacent properties, while the dam provided a source of water for fire fighting aircraft. Strathnairn was spared the conflagration by a fortuitous wind shift. 89 Other parts of Canberra were not so lucky.

The experiences recounted by the people involved at Strathnairn was similar to many not in the direct path of the fires that day. A pall of smoke had covered Canberra for the previous two weeks, but many, like Michael Sainsbury, sensed imminent danger on this day. Strong north west winds and excessively high temperatures added to the anxiety experienced by many Canberrans. As those in the southern suburbs faced the fear and devastation of the fire front, those to the north could only wait and watch. Their anxiety lasted through the following days until the threat was finally overcome.

88 Michael Sainsbury, op cit.

89 Maryann Mussared, recollections, 20 November, 2012

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Strathnairn turkeys, 2011

Life in abundance90 We can only surmise the extent of the animal and plant life in the region before European settlement.

It had been essentially eucalypt woodland, with native grasslands, groves of native pines and shrubby bushes.

Approximately five hundred pines were planted by Jack Read in about 1926, some of which can still be seen in the surrounding area. Today there remain some three hundred year old eucalypts as evidence of the woodlands there old trees provided nest hollows for owls, kookaburras, cockatoos, galahs, rosellas, varieties of smaller birds, especially wrens, as well as sugar gliders and other possums.

During colonisation Australian flora was considered inferior to the imported variety, and native vegetation was extensively cleared, so that in 2013, only one or two tiny pockets of recently replanted wildflowers and some native grasses remain at Strathnairn. The homestead is surrounded by introduced tree species, which like the other garden plants, reflect horticultural fashions and trends over nine decades. The garden has provided vital habitat for adaptable wildlife with the nearby dams attracting water birds and the aquatic species they feed on.

Pine trees planted as wind breaks for stock have reduced, and those remaining provide pine seeds for yellow-tailed black cockatoos, and their noisy cousins, the sulphur-crested cockatoos. Other regularly seen larger birds include rosellas, magpies, ravens, wattlebirds and magpie-larks. Raptors also patrol the skies over Strathnairn, with some claiming Strathnairn as territory and hunting ground, and other overflying the property.

Black-shouldered kites hover over the paddocks when mouse plagues occur.

Many of Strathnairn’s shrubs are technically weed species. Issued as free plants for new gardens in the seventies, their seeds and berries have been dispersed into nature reserves. But they provide essential habitat, shelter and food for the range of local small birds that give Strathnairn its uniqueness and character. Wrens, red-browed finches, silvereyes and occasional double-barred finches hold their own against the blackbirds and house sparrows whose ancestors the colonists nostalgically imported. There is now a master plan to achieve balance between native and introduced species.

The prolific Strathnairn species also include grey fantails, willie wagtails, pardalotes and the higher flying swallows, all active insect eaters, found in the vicinity of the homestead. The domestic birds mix with the wild, with chickens, bantams and turkeys raking over garden beds and dust bathing in the conifers near the café lawn. Native black duck and wood duck graze the lawns, shepherding easily predated broods of ducklings in spring. The homestead dam hosts ibis, heron, cormorants, grebes, coots and other ducks from time to time, depending on the water level.

The dam is also home to several species of native frogs. It is an official Frogwatch site, and the frogs’ calls are recorded by volunteers, Dragon and damsel flies, and water-boatmen are amongst the more visible invertebrates skimming across the water.

The property provides habitat for lizards, skinks and snakes. The latter are rarely seen during the gallery’s opening hours, when the hum of human activity tends to keep them away, although a number of brown snakes have enjoyed eating poultry food, and with appetites sated have been found contentedly asleep near the shed.91 Kangaroos are frequently seen grazing close by at quieter times, sometimes sharing the paddocks with the Angus cattle. All is not idyllic, however, as in summer the persistent buzz of flies disturbs the rustic charm.

90 The section on native flora and fauna was provided in large part by Rosemary Blemings in an essay titled, ‘The Nature of Strathnairn’, December, 2012 91 Kevin Cole, op cit.

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Strathnairn is blessed with the visit of a handsome owl. Photo courtesy of Roger Curnow

More productive insect species include honey and native bees that pollinate the trees and garden flowers, while a variety of spiders keep small insects and doubtless the flies, under some control. Native wasps and beetles, especially the Plague Soldier beetles that were prolific in November of 2011 and 2012, also make Strathnairn their habitat.

Strathnairn’s custodians have attempted to restore native plant species that grew there before the colonial era.

More than reversal of change, it allows new growth for wildlife, and provides an oasis and a link to Woodstock, The Pinnacle, and Kama Nature Reserves where original vegetation can still be enjoyed and studied.

~ Once Strathnairn became a farm, animals were the essential feature. Sheep were the principal herd animal but the Baird tenure also included cattle and some horses that were mostly working animals. Sheep dogs were a necessity for the farm, and doubtless cats were kept as pets and to control mice.

During the time of Blue Folk and Brindabella Arts Association, domestic animals were a feature of Strathnairn, with Pedro the donkey being a great favourite from the late 70s until recent times. Chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese have been regular residents, and of course there was Phineas the peacock who strutted and displayed, and shed feathers, for the enjoyment of visitors. Squire, a very vocal white cockatoo, is a current resident.

During the 80s, the chickens were under threat from a fox that regularly raided their coop, forcing the cash strapped Brindabella Arts group to install a fox proof fence. One of the group's members waited up at night planning to shoot the fox, but couldn't pull the trigger when he had the culprit in his sights. Fortunately the hens were spared an untimely death by the more secure fence. The geese, allowed to roam, considered that they owned the property, and sometimes even nested on the steps of the homestead, which they aggressively defended from visitors. So successful were they that many people elected not to venture past them, or to return. At this juncture their reign of terror came to a swift end. It is not known if they ended up as Christmas dinner or paté de foie gras, or both.92 ‘Lamb Chop’, the resident sheep, was also territorial, and was prone to butting people not to his liking out of the way. He is known to have bailed up several studio holders in the toilets. Despite his name, he did not end up as a barbeque, although some might have thought it fitting. Pedro the donkey was the longest living of the domestic animals. He befriended Cindy, a horse belonging to Michael Sainsbury’s daughter, and the two were great companions until Cindy’s death. Pedro, who was himself aged and ill, pined at the loss of his friend, and had to be euthanised. The two rest together ‘somewhere’ on Strathnairn.93 Robert Hughes, the eminent author and art critic, was a visitor to Strathnairn in 1999 while filming Australia – Beyond the Fatal Shore for the BBC. A short segment was filmed at Strathnairn woolshed, as he illustrated his points about the Australian landscape using Strathnairn’s vistas. His visit was arranged by then Strathnairn Gallery curator, Marcia Lochhead. Mr Hughes noticed the fairy wrens darting about the garden, commenting that the birdlife was one of the things he missed about Australia.94 Altogether, Strathnairn Homestead Gallery annually presents over twenty exhibitions. These include local, interstate and international artists showing work in a variety of media. An Artist in Residence program has been running for several years. This program has close ties with the School of Art at the Australian National University. Links have been forged by connections to both institutions of artists such as Anita McIntyre.

92 Cheryl Jobz, interview, op cit.

93 Michael Sainsbury, op cit.

94 Jennifer Jones, interview with Maryann Mussared, 3 September, 2012

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TOP: Stefan Jakobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular Ikea Rubbish Bin Raku Kiln workshop, 2008 ABOVE: President Anita McIntyre opens another successful exhibition standing under the iconic Strathnairn lemon tree

Tiwi artist Robert Purutatameri and Strathnairn Artist-in-Residence with his work purchased by the ACT Government 2011

Artist in Residence95 Through the Artist in Residence program, the Strathnairn Arts Association has sought to enhance the vitality of an artistic working environment and to encourage greater involvement of members and the public through workshops, exhibitions, demonstrations and other activities.

Given the number of kilns provided at Strathnairn, it is not surprising that most of the artists in residence since 2000 have worked in ceramics. The length of residency has usually been between one and three months, and exhibitions of work at the conclusion of tenure have been a feature. Lars Weselaar completed a three month residency in 2005 producing wood-fired pots, while in 2006 Ryozo Shibata from Kyoto, Japan specialised in sometsuke – blue and white porcelain ware.

In 2007, Fergus Stewart whose association with Strathnairn dates from the early 90s, was Artist in Residence during January and February. He conducted a salt glazing workshop in conjunction with the centenary arch wood-fired kiln at Strathnairn. He then fired the kiln a further three times producing work for his exhibition in the Homestead Gallery.

Daniel Evans, from Kentucky USA, held the AIR position during July and August, 2007. Evans was a ceramic artist whose interest in the elements of landscape, environment, pictorial space and fired clay and their influence on physical, emotional and spiritual existence, found Strathnairn an ideal site for his art. He created large-scale three-dimensional works, conjuring up topographical maps, views to the horizon, chunks of the earth, or all of these things simultaneously. His large scale pieces were created, glazed and wood-fired at Strathnairn. His workshop demonstration gave participants an insight into his working methods.

95 Information on the Artist in Residence program has been provided by Anita McIntyre, and from the artists’ statements

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Peter Latona, Strathnairn studio holder at work on his controversial sculpture of the Honourable Al Grassby

Stefan Jakob ran a Raku kiln building workshop during his 2008 stay, and his very successful exhibition, Strata: Layers and textures, was run during April of that year. Later, emerging artists Gwanji Monks and Jasmine Schieldler from The Channon, New South Wales produced an attractive exhibition, ‘Substance, Structure, Surface’ while in residence. Chief Minister Jon Stanhope opened the new studios in 2008, a year that saw fertile cooperation between Strathnairn and the ACT Government. Another capital works grant allowed for the restoration of the woolshed.96 Wood-fired ceramics artist, Lindsay Oesterritter originally from Kentucky, USA, gave demonstrations on throwing, hand-building as well as talks on suitable clay bodies and forms for wood-firings in July 2009, while Dr Owen Rye was Artist in Residence between September and October. Rye was a master potter, wood‑firer, educator and writer about all things ceramic.

Landscape artist Michael Winters also spent some time as Artist in Residence during 2009, and returned in 2010 to produce work that was in direct response to the landscape that surrounds Strathnairn.

His exhibition, ‘Chocolate Box Landscapes’ was a tongue-in-cheek reaction to popular expectations of landscape. Winters referred to his work as ‘sculptural landscapes’, and explained that he placed ‘an aspect of a “real landscape” into a much wider context. The landscape show[sic] that our small world and its landscapes are only a small part of a much bigger world, which is both vast and endless’.97 He also held very popular workshops in developing drawings and paintings for his exhibition in 2010.98

Strathnairn’s Foundry, 2011

96 Anita McIntyre, Strathnairn notes, 2013, p.2 97 Michael Winters, Artists Statement, Canberra, March, 2010 98 Anita McIntyre, op cit, p.3

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The back of the extensive Strathnairn kiln shed complex

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The Olsen kiln

Strathnairn has an active group of studio holders working in a variety of media

2010 was a busy year for the Artist in Residence program with four artists spending time at Strathnairn. In May, French potter Roseline Vedrines conducted two workshops on hand building ceramic forms and glazing and raku firing, and an exhibition, ‘From Paris With Love : a raku trip between dreams and whimsy’, that was shown in the Homestead Gallery. Brenda Danbrook was the last visiting artist for 2010, staying from September to November. Brenda was from Opal, Alberta, Canada. Her work was exhibited internationally, in China as well as Canada and Australia. During her time at Strathnairn she gave workshops in basic techniques of ceramic tableware production, with information on short cuts, as well as finishing and firing of work, and business aspects of running an efficient, successful pottery studio.

2011 was, by contrast, a quiet year because of renovations to the homestead and the AIR accommodation, but a major success was the Remote Communities project that presented work from Ernabella and Tiwi potters. Robert Purutatameri visited between February and April, and he worked in conjunction with three artists from Ernabella to produce the exhibition, ‘Two Communities – the language of clay’. A catalogue was produced and the artists’ work was collected by the National Museum of Australia and the National Gallery.99 During 2012 Markus and Ute Böhm were Artists in Residence during February, and Adam Knoche stayed for June and July. Markus and Ute produced an exhibition, ‘Frozen Summers’ that ran in February and early March. The artists came from Alt Gaarz, between Berlin and the Baltic Sea in Germany. Ute made vessels with crystalline glazes. Both artists enjoyed using the variety of kilns at Strathnairn.100 Adam, also a potter, created functional pottery, vessels and sculptural wall pieces using the techniques of extrusion, wheel-throwing and hand-building. From June to August, 2012, Tony Nankervis, who had been head of Visual Arts at Southern Cross University in Lismore, came to Strathnairn to re-engage with his practice. An internationally recognised potter who exhibited extensively in Europe, North America and Japan, his works were deceptively simple and glazed with orange and white colour reminiscent of the colours of central Australia.

99 Ibid, p.5 100 Diana Streak, Capital Life, Canberra Times, 11 February, 2012

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“Studio 1” points the way to Jo Hollier’s busy printmaking studio

Strathnairn – The Recent Era Current president, Anita McIntyre was first elected in 2006. At this time the finances were healthy, but the dedicated artists, committee, and caretaker, Michael Sainsbury, were all still volunteering many extra hours.

The first of the capital improvements grants was received in 2007 and provided for the construction of the large barn and the squatters hut, adding four more studios.101 In the same year the web-site developed by volunteer Promotions Officer, Jo Hollier, began operating.102 The gallery program opened in 2009 with an exhibition, ‘Australia Naturally’. This shibori textile exhibition had been shown in Paris, and subsequently travelled interstate and to New Zealand. The improved funding also allowed for the employment of a salaried administrator/programs coordinator, with Leah Molony very competently filling that role. A further facilities improvement grant from the ACT Government in 2010, allowed for a veranda to be built on the south side of the homestead, floor renovation and improvements to wheelchair access and entrance to the toilets. Programs were severely interrupted in 2011 by the renovations, and the noise and dust deterred visitors. It was also a wet year and this added to delays in the building program.

Following the resignation of Jon Stanhope, new Arts Minister, Joy Burch, continued interest in the Strathnairn Arts community. She launched a Soup and Bowl fund-raiser day in a memorable downpour.103 In 2012 Strathnairn boasted nineteen studios, housing a strong community of artists working with varying media. The Association hires out studios and gallery space for emerging and established artists, as well as the Village Hall and the extensive grounds, for arts and other culture related activities. The ceramic kilns have long been a feature of Strathnairn, and plans are afoot to provide paper making equipment for Association members. A bronze foundry has added a new artistic dimension and will provide a facility for more artists to demonstrate their skills in sculpture at Strathnairn.

Strathnairn’s 1936 woolshed was restored 2009–2001 and now hosts workshops, studios and events

101 Anita McIntyre, op cit, p.1 102 Ibid, p.2 103 Ibid, p.5

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TOP: Michael Sainsbury, stalwart of Strathnairn since 1990 ABOVE: Michael Sainsburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studio

Strathnairn rebranded in 2011 and has a new look website that clearly defines the extensive activities of the organization

A new logo, updated website and promotional brochure were features of 2012 while the long awaited bronze foundry was finally underway. Grants from the ACT Government and ActewAGL have assisted in its development, with Robin Errey, Bill Fleming and Peter King and Peter Latona establishing classes.

A milestone was reached in early 2012 with the first bronze pour.104 The number and variety of talented artists, with their exhibitions and workshops were naturally a draw card for other artists and those seeking to view exhibitions. Other creature comforts emerged to cater for visitors. A café was added to the facilities.

Strathnairn Café provides lunches and morning and afternoon teas to accompany the viewing experience in the gallery. At first the café only provided coffee, tea and cake, and that was very modest with instant coffee, tea bags and a hot water urn stationed on the verandah. It has since developed more eclectic fare, and includes varieties of beverages. The café has also become known for its wood-fired pizzas, food that appropriately complements the numerous wood-fired artefacts that have been produced since the installation of the kilns.

104 Ibid, p.6

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The 2011 Strathnairn Master Plan has provided a clear way forward for a busy and well-utilised arts organization.

Image courtesy of ACT Government

Celebrations There have been many celebrations over the years, from parties and gatherings held by the Baird family, to more recent gallery events, fund-raisers, birthdays, wedding, farewells and anniversaries. In 2011, former ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, a keen supporter of Strathnairn, was honoured at a patron’s dinner with life membership of the Strathnairn Arts Association. This function was held in the woolshed. Mr Stanhope’s interest in the organisation as Minister for the Arts in the ACT Government, saw Strathnairn flourish both artistically and in the refurbishment of infrastructure.105 Recent growth in the government capital works grants, and the developed master plan, will ensure that Strathnairn will continue as a vibrant arts community for many years to come.

The Strathnairn woolshed was a working space for nearly 40 years. Today it hosts a variety of arts workshops

105 Ibid, p.5

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TOP: Strathnairn is a place of celebrations and to celebrate ABOVE: The recent renovations have provided the original homestead with a number of spaces that enhance its function, including verandahs to complement the Strathnairn CafÊ

Custodians of the land Throughout the years this tract of land known as Strathnairn has seen many transformations, yet in essence the land remains, only the people change. The people of Strathnairn have been many and varied, with wide‑ranging visions for land use, whether it was hunting and gathering by Aboriginal people, the adaptation to animal grazing and enclosure with permanent settlement, or a haven of creative endeavour that is currently a dynamic, well run centre for the visual arts.

Its fortunes have waxed and waned. Since the arrival of Europeans, there has been a tension between land use and money. Did Sturt really lose his ‘Grange’ in a card game? The Campbells, for all their money and influence were no match for an idea that had reached its time; the building of a national capital city. While they were well remunerated for their losses, not so the farmers who took up leases on much smaller farms following World War I. The personal and financial investment in, and attachment to the land meant leaving was more than a wrench for the Baird family, even though they were aware of the tenuous nature of their leasehold.

Once Strathnairn had become a centre for arts, first as Blue Folk, then as Brindabella Community Arts, and as the Strathnairn Ceramic Association and Strathnairn Arts Association, money was always an issue. The interest of the Federal Government in the development of the arts in Australia in the 1970s directly benefited arts communities in the ACT as well as the rest of the country. Blue Folk was a recipient of this largesse.

But governments and economic conditions change, and so did the fortunes of Blue Folk. The imbalance between the creative urge, and the finances to allow that urge to blossom, was never so obvious as in the eighties and nineties where the practicalities of running what was still basically a farm with all the attendant overheads, were often at odds with the production of high quality art, and artistic experience. It was both frustrating and exhilarating and the artists adapted, as artists always do, to the lean times, using innovative methods of fund raising to keep their associations running. People developed new skills, such as in animal care, as did Sandra Warner, in using skills in building and repairing, as did Michael Sainsbury, or in networking and fund raising as did Allan Watt, Anita McIntyre and Maryann Mussared. These are but a few of the many, many people who willingly gave, and continue to give of their time and effort to bring the arts to life in the ACT. The contribution of the arts at Strathnairn, from the Blue Folk days of the late seventies to the present is difficult to assess. It is hard to quantify, for example, the work of someone like Cheryl Jobz, whose interest in the development of self-esteem through creativity led her first to work with Domenic Mico, and then to volunteer for school holiday programs. The satisfaction she received from her work was not measured in monetary terms, as it was poorly paid, but in the difference she made in the lives of people – especially the disabled, the long term unemployed and children who had little exposure to the creative process.

Thousands of people have walked the lands of Strathnairn, from the earliest Aboriginals, to toddlers just learning to walk in 2013, but it is not a well-known venue. Perhaps that is its charm. It is a part of Canberra yet set apart, a place of great creative energy and production, yet a peaceful haven not established on the tourist trail. Many Canberrans have lived their entire lives in the city but are unaware of its existence.

Those who currently are, and have been Strathnairn’s custodians over the years know its secrets, and are willing to share and pass on their knowledge. For they are aware that their custodianship is only temporary, ultimately to be passed to a new generation – a generation that might see a reinforcement of the values and interests that currently prevail, or perhaps change into something entirely different.

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Strathnairnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foundry in full swing, 2011

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Strathnairn Bibliography Books:

Pottery in Australia, issue 35/4 Summer, 1996

Cumpston, JHL, Charles Sturt, his Life and Journeys

‘Sites of Significance in the ACT, Volume 3,

of Exploration, Melbourne, Georgian House, 1951

Gungahlin and Belconnen’, Technical Paper 656,

Gale, John, A History of and Legends Relating to the Federal Capital Territory of the Commonwealth of Australia, Queanbeyan, Fallick, 1927 National Capital Development Commission, Sites of Significance in the ACT, Canberra, 1988

National Capital Development Commission, Canberra, 1988 Wasson, Maria, ‘Strathnairn Homestead – A Draft Heritage Study’, unpublished paper, University of Canberra, June 2003

Newman, Chris, Gold Creek: Reflections of Canberra’s Rural Heritage, 1st edn, Ngunnawal, ACT, Gold Creek Homestead Working Group, 2004

Newspapers and Promotional Material: Canberra Standard

Journals/ Reports:

Canberra Times

Blue Folk Community Arts Association Inc.,

Queanbeyan Age

Annual Report, 1 July 1979, and 1980, 1981, 1982 Blue Folk Community Arts Association Inc., Innovation Project Report, 1980 Brindabella Community Arts Association, Inc.,

Strathnairn Arts Association promotional brochure 2012, Strathnairn, Stockdill Drive, Holt, ACT, 2615 The Brindabella Letter, Brindabella Community Arts Association, Inc., August, 1986

Annual report, 1984 Fibre Forum, volume 3, number 3, 1984 Joint Committee of Public Accounts, ‘Report on Agricultural and Pastoral Leases in the Federal Capital Territory, Parliament of Australia, 1929 Martin, Eric, and Associates, ‘ Belconnen Farm Conservation and Management Plan’, Extract, Kingston, ACT, EMA Architects, 2012 ‘National Parks Association of the ACT’, vol 3, no.5, Oct–Nov, 1965 Newman, RSC, ‘Frederick Campbell of Yarralumla:

Archives: Files from ESDD-ACTPLA, 24/01/2013 accessed through ACT Archives: A880, TL 948, parts 1 and 2, 1924–1953 A880, TL 6272, part 1, 1932–1953 A880, TL 6272, part 2, 1953–1954 A880, TL 7754, part 1, 1925–1932 Files from ESDD-ACTPLA 08/02/2013 accessed through ACT Archives 599/-/1332 – Lands Branch – Belconnen Block 1332

a forgotten pioneer pastoralist’, Journal of the

599/0/1332#02 – Belconnen – 0599,

Royal Australian Historical Society, 93.1, June 2007

Section – 0000, Block – 1332, Part-2

Pfanner, Susan, ‘A History of Soldier Settlement

File from ESDD – ACTPLA, 19/02/2013,

in the Federal Capital Territory after the First

accessed through ACT Archives

World War’, unpublished report, 1996

ACT Department of Urban Services, Belconnen – 1332‑0, Strathnairn, File 49938

Internet:

Interviews and Essays:

ACT Memorial, <http:www.memorial.act.gov.au/

Baird, David, interview with Maryann Mussared,

person.php?id=1617>

Canberra, 24 October, 2012

Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the

Cotton, Pip, reflections, essay, 10 January, 2013

Interior, Rural Workers Accommodation Ordinance, 1938, No 51/2111/ Inspection Report, 13/09/1954, <http://naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine/asp> Newman, RSC, ‘Frederick Campbell of Yarralumla: a forgotten pioneer pastoralist’, Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, 93.1, June 2007. <http://go.galegroup.com/pw/ retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sor=D ateDescend&…> The Belconnen Farm, <www.nationaltrust.org.au> The Canberra Times, <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2568229> <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article 2564363> <http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/

Jobz, Cheryl, interview with Maryann Mussared and Christine McCaffrie, 9 November, 2012 Jones, Jennifer, Strathnairn Events, essay, November, 2012 McIntyre, Anita, Strathnairn Notes, essay, January, 2013 Mussared, Maryann, interview with Christine McCaffrie, 20 November, 2012 Sainsbury, Michael, interview with Maryann Mussared, Christine McCaffrie and Anita McIntyre, 29 November, 2012 Watt, Alan, interview with Maryann Mussared, 11 December, 2012

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Strathnairn – A Place for People

81

Index Aboriginal presence, 3, 5, 77

Bullock, Madeline, 25, 41

ACT Government, 23, 53, 63, 65, 69, 71, 73, 75

Burch, Joy, Minister for Arts, 71

Ainslie Hotel, The, 11, 20

Bushfires, 19, 57

Alsford, John, 25 Anderson family, 20

Cameron, Tony, 51

Animals, domestic, 13, 35, 44, 47, 55, 61

Campbell, Charles, 5, 7, 22, 77

Animals, feral, 19, 49, 61

Campbell, Frederick, 5, 7, 8, 22, 77

Animals, wildlife, 59–61

Canberra Civic Centre, 20

Apex Club, 35

Canberra Hospital, 53

Artist in Residence (AIR), 1, 51, 61, 63–69

Canberra School of Art, 53, 55

artsACT, 55, 74

Canberra Times, 43, 47

Aspinall, Paul, 53

Canham, Peter, 21

Australian American Association, 20

Cattle, 20, 59

Australian National University, 61

Celebrations, 75, 76

Australian Woodfire Survey, 23, 55

Chalker, Margaret, 47 Charlie’s Fun Factory, 39

Baird, Ann, 21

Cindy, 61

Baird, David Hamilton, 15, 19, 23

Clearing Sale 1974, 21

Baird, Ian Hamilton, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 18, 19,

Clements, Len, 49

20, 22, 23

Clements, Stacey, 49

Baird, Jean, 15

Clingan, Jill, 46

Baird, John, 20

Cole, Kevin, 21, 53, 55

Baird, John Hamilton, 15

Corr, Ian, 39, 47

Baird, Leigh, 15

Cotton, Pip, 49

Belconnel, 7

Crispin, Geoff, 55

Belconnen ACT, 5, 7

Cunningham, Alan, 5

Belconnen Station, 5

Currie, Captain Mark, 5

Birroon, Gunning, 15

Cyclone, Tracy, 21, 23

Blemings, Rosemary, 59 Block 12, 11

Danbrook, Brenda, 69

Block 14, 11, 21

Drought, 39

Block 18, 11, 19, 22

Duntroon, 7, 8

Block 18A, 11, 19 Block 19, 19

Electricity installation, 20

Block 21, Coree, 5

Elphinstone, David Bruce, 11, 22

Blue Folk, 5, 23, 24–25, 26–27, 27–33, 29, 32, 33,

Emerging Arts Support Scheme (EASS), 53

34–35, 36, 39, 41, 42–43, 47, 51, 77

Entertainment, dances and dinner parties, 20, 75

Blue Folk Banner, symbolic burning of, 41

Ernabella, 69

Böhm Markus, 69

Errey, Robin, 73

Böhm Ute, 69

European exploration and settlement, 5, 7, 77

Bourke, Therese, 55

Evans, Daniel, 63

Brindabella Community Arts, 23, 41, 49, 51, 53, 55, 61, 77

Federal Capital Territory, 9

Macrame and Fibre Crafts Association, 47

Fleming, Bill, 73

Maher, Peter, 47

Foundry, 1, 71, 73, 75–76

Mansfield, Janet, 55

Funding and fundraising, 43, 51, 55, 71, 75, 77

Master Plan, 1, 23, 55, 59, 74, 75 McIntyre, Anita, 1, 60, 61, 71, 77

Ginninderra, 7

Melbourne and Sydney Buildings, 20

Grants, 35, 39, 47, 53, 71, 73

Mico, Domenic, 25, 27, 31, 35, 39, 77

Great Depression, 11

Mico, Robyn, 39

Gruner, Elioth, 56, 57

Miller, Colonel David, 6, 9, 22 Miller, Selwyn, 9, 22

Hamilton, Ellen, 15, 20

Molonglo River, 5, 23

Hispaniola, 35, 53

Molony, Leah, 1

Hollier, Jo, 71

Monks, Dennis, 55

Holt, 21

Monks, Gwanji, 65

Holt Primary School, 57

Monks, Malina, 55

Hughes, Robert, 61

Munro Alison (Al), 51 Murrumbidgee River, 5, 19

Jackson, Barbara, 38, 47

Mussared, Maryann, 1, 77

Jakob, Stefan, 60, 65 Jobz, Cheryl, 41, 47, 77

Nankervis, Tony, 55, 69

Jones, Ian, 55

Ngunnawal, 5

Jones, Jennifer, 1, 51, 53, 55 Oesterritter, Lindsay, 65 Kama Nature Reserve, 61

Oliphant, Ken, 2, 11, 23

Kilns, 53, 55, 63, 64, 65, 66, 71

Olsen, Fred, 55

King, Peter, 73

O’Malley, King, Minister for Home Affairs, 8, 9

Knoche, Adam, 69

Ovens, Brigade Major, 5

Lamb Chop, 10, 61

Palmer, George Thomas, 7

Land, resumption of, 5, 19, 22, 23

Palmer, Miss Elizabeth, 20

Landscaping, 35, 39

Pastures Protection Board, 7

Latona, Peter, 62, 73

Pedro, 35, 61

Leaseholders, 11

Phineus, 61

Leaseholders, Rural Leaseholders Association, 19

Pine Ridge, 19, 20

Leases, 21, 23, 27, 55

Pinnacle, The, 61

Lions Club, Belconnen, 39

Purutatameri, Robert, 61, 69

Lochhead, Marcia, 55, 61 Lockwood, Sandy, 55

Queanbeyan, 7

Logo, change of, 41, 73

Strathnairn – A Place for People

83

Rabbits, 7, 15, 17

Studios, 1, 3, 4, 13, 51, 53, 61, 69, 70

Read, Jack, 10, 11, 13, 22

Sturt, Charles, 5, 7, 22, 77

Red Cross, 20

Sturt, land grant, 5, 8, 85

Reverse garbage, 43

Sturt, The Grange, 7, 77

Roadknight, Margaret, 47

Sunday at the Farm, 47

Rushforth, Peter, 55

Sunday in the Barn, 39

Rutter, Chris, 31

Sunday in the Park, 39

Rye, Owen, 55, 65 Ryozo, Shibata, 63

Throsby Smith, Charles, 5 Throsby, Charles, 5

Sainsbury, Michael, 49, 51, 57, 61, 70, 71, 77

Timeline, 22–23

Schiedler, Jasmine, 65

Tiwi artists, 55, 69

School of Music, 53

Trentagh, 15

School programs, 31, 39, 40, 43, 49, 77

Trespassers, 21

Schools, Ainslie Primary, 20 Schools, Sydney Church of England Grammar, 20

Vaughn, James, 5

SCOOP – Strathnairn Co-op, 55

Vedrines, Roseline, 69

Scrivener, Charles, Director of Commonwealth

Vegetation, exotic, 19

Lands and Surveys, 8

Vegetation, native, 59–61

Selby, Lois, 55

Victoria League, 20

Shearing and shearers’ quarters, 4, 11, 19, 53

Volunteer Defence Corps, 20

Sheep, 20, 61

Volunteers, 1, 13, 35, 43, 49, 71, 77

Shepherd, Austen, 20 Shop in Canberra, 20

Walgalu, 5

Smith, Jeremy, 51

Warner, Sandra, 39, 77

Soldier Settlers, 11, 20, 22

Water supply, 20

Soup and Bowl Fundraisers, 53, 71, 76

Watt, Alan, 48, 51, 52, 53, 77

Sporting activities, 20

Weaving, 17, 47

Squire, 61

Website, 71, 73

Stanhope, Jon, Chief Minister for ACT, Minister for

Weeds, noxious, 11

the Arts and Strathnairn patron, 1, 65, 71, 75

Weetangera Settlers Cemetery, 19

Stewart, Fergus, 51, 52, 53, 55, 63

Weselaar, Lars, 63

Stockdill Drive, 3, 13, 23, 33, 56, 57

Wilde, Joseph, 5

Stranks, Nick, 51

Winters, Michael, 65

Strathnairn Arts Association, 1, 5, 21, 23, 55, 63,

Wood, Bill, Minister for Arts, 53

71, 75, 77 Strathnairn Cafe, 1, 73, 76

Woodfired pizzas, 73 woolshed, 1, 4, 7, 11, 20, 23, 35, 51, 73, 75

Strathnairn Ceramics Association, 23, 51, 53, 55, 77 Strathnairn Gallery, 35, 39, 61, 71

Yarralumla Estate, 7, 8, 22

Strathnairn homestead, 2, 4, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 74

YWCA, 20

Strathnairn property improvements, 12, 19, 23, 35, 39, 43, 51, 53, 71