Cinema

Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018

Gadfly 208 By Robert Macklin It was gratifying to read the recent news that support is building for the development of an Indigenous Cultural Precinct in Canberra to fill the obvious Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 ‘hole in the heart’ of the capital’s cultural heritage. It would join the National Gallery, Archives, Library, Museum, AWM, and Old Parliament House’s Museum of Australian Democracy. The support, we’re told, is coming from both sides of the political fence for, ‘The National Resting Place’ of Aboriginal relics returned from British museums and quasi-scientific institutions. Moreover, the new site would incorporate AIATSIS, the marvelous repository of Aboriginal scholarship currently in the National Museum complex. All well and good. The great danger, however, is the temptation to see it as a memorial to the past when it’s real purpose should be the next big step towards the proud incorporation of the 60,000 years of Aboriginal cultural heritage into the unique Australian identity. We’ve had the painful colonial era; followed by the successful multi-cultural era. The great opportunity now is to open our minds to reconciliation, the one concept that will complete our maturing – a spiritual homecoming that honours the values that sustained the country throughout those sixty millennia. And given the ravages of climate change we have visited upon the place in only 240 years since the invasion, it could hardly be more urgent. Here I must declare an interest. I am currently researching and writing the biography of a rare white Australian who gave his life to the Aboriginal cause. His name is Donald Thomson, zoologist, anthropologist, war hero, world renown photographer and journalist. His fellow professors at Melbourne University dubbed him, ‘Australia’s Lawrence of Arabia’. He was born in Melbourne in 1901, the year of Federation, and died in 1970, wracked with frustration from his dealings with the Australian establishment and physically exhausted from expeditions to some of the roughest country of Australia - Cape York, Arnhem Land and the Great Stoney Desert. But his great work with the First Nations revealed the extraordinarily complex and sophisticated culture and linguistic skills of a people that white Australia disparaged and demeaned. Only last month, Justice Debra Mortimer in the Federal Court ruled that 2,188 square kilometres of land on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula would be handed back to the Aboriginal people. Central to land claim was Donald Thomson’s anthropological work on Cape York in the 1920s and 30s. It is his work, and the support of those who have drawn upon it, that has helped to fuel the great movement of the Uluru Statement of the Heart. Reconciliation can become the great national reform movement of the 21st century. And the indigenous devotion to ‘country’ – in our struggle with bushfires, cyclones, droughts and sea-rise - give it the kind of relevance that cannot be denied, even by politicians who ‘don’t hole the hose’. Already the Aboriginal story is part of the nightly news and commentary in programs like The Drum; music from Paul Kelly, Archie Roach and many more; TV drama like the stunning Total Control. The universities are producing a cohort of young Aboriginal women and men in the professions and in the articulation of their cause. The momentum seems unstoppable. So while the Aboriginal precinct might get it’s funding as a ‘National Resting Place’ I suspect there will be no rest among those who want our nation to embrace its past, and celebrate a genuine Australian identity as we set forth on the next 60,000 years of our story. www.robertmacklin.com

Following the debacle around the old Coopers Island Road ca le grid and a cow allegedly jumping over it the Council agreed to allow the farmer to instead erect a Public Gate. The old ca le grid has now been removed, the Public Gate made official and the public duly no fied that it is an offence to leave the gate open. But somewhere along the way an odd thing happened. The Councillors were convinced that the old grid, that had been in place for over forty years without a single instance of a cow wandering onto the highway, was no longer able to contain a leaping cow. They were encouraged to believe that the only way to stop a wayward beast was to erect a gate across the Public Road, to formally endorse the gate and make it a punishable crime to leave the gate open. Along the way to this end-game it was iden fied that Council actually didn't have a Ca le Grid Policy and, as such, were not in a posi on to determine if any of the exis ng grids on public roads across the shire met any standard. It was agreed that such a policy would be dra ed. You might then expect that, given the direc on to dra such a policy, as requested by Council, to then be placed on public exhibi on before being adopted, that Council staff would hold back any applica on for a new ca le grid un l they had a policy in place. But not Eurobodalla Council. A ca le grid of unknown specifica ons has been allowed to be installed on Coopers Island Road in conjunc on with the newly legalised Public Gate. It appears that the farmer didn't trust the public closing the gate and has decided the best way to ensure his ca le don't go onto the highway is to install ... a ca le grid. Fortunately, while the Council was in caretaker mode as the elec on was underway, the staff took it upon themselves to grant permission for the new ca le grid to be installed on the public road. Having no policy or standard the grid had no guidelines to comply with. When asked how such a decision could be made the staff responded, in wri ng, "The Grids and Gates Policy is being developed by Council. This Policy will be submi ed to the new Council when it is formed in the new year, for review and endorsement. If issues arise with the grid which has now been installed on Coopers Island Road then those issues will be dealt with in accord with the adopted Policy."

Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018

Above: Council staff indicate that if "issues arise with the grid which has now been installed on Coopers Island Road then those issues will be dealt with in accord with the adopted Policy. One wonders at whose expense?

The ques ons to be asked by new councillors will be 1. "Does the new ca le grid meet the standards that Council will adopt". 2. "Do these standards ensure that a ca le grid will prevent any escape of a cow and therefore remove any risk of liability from Council?" 3. "If the standards indicate there is no risk, especially if the farmer complies with the requirement that ca le shall be supervised at all me whilst traversing the public road to go between paddocks, why is there a need to retain a Public Gate?" 4. "Is it standard prac ce for staff to provide permission for the installa on of gates and grids on Public Roads without the authority of the Councillors who are the ones vested with the Authority to issue such permissions under the Roads Act?"

Written by Sally Scott

Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 Journalist Alex Grant is enjoying the last days of her summer holiday in Croa a when she is accosted by an old school friend, Marie Puharich, and her odious brother, Brian, both there to a end the funeral of their fearsome grandfather’s two loyal retainers. The only upside of the whole sorry business is mee ng Marco, the family’s resident Adonis. An incorrigible foodie, Alex is unable to resist Brian’s invita on to visit the family creamery in Australia’s south-west to snoop around for stories and eat her body weight in brie. But trouble has a way of finding Alex, not least because her curiosity is the size of a giant goudawheel. What begins as a country jaunt in search of a juicy story will end in death, disaster and the destruc on of mul ple pairs of shoes. The Incredible Life of Hubert Wilkins: Australia's greatest explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins is one of the most remarkable Australians who ever lived.

The son of pioneer pastoralists in South Australia, Hubert studied engineering before moving on to photography, then sailing for England and a job producing films with the Gaumont Film Co. Brave and bold, he became a polar expedi oner, a brilliant war photographer, a spy in the Soviet Union, a pioneering aviator-navigator, a death-defying submariner - all while being an explorer and chronicler of the planet and its life forms that would do Vasco da Gama and Sir David A enborough proud. As a WW1 photographer he was twice awarded the Military Cross for bravery under fire, the only Australian photographer in any war to be decorated.

Reading—A beer with Baz “Shhhh…. Mick…your schooner is there. I want to listen to Beryl’s speech farewelling old Bob. She told me to listen for the good dig at him at the end.” Mick seated himself at the bar table, took a sip and scanned the gathering. “That miserable old bastard. Crikey Bazza, they had to dig deep if Beryl is farewelling him. She’s the union delegate and hates his guts. I doubt if anyone is going to miss him.” As always, Bob stood perfectly upright, his ghtly kno ed e noosed his throat and his ght lips bu onholed a face chiselled from Moruya granite. Beryl tapped the microphone a couple of mes for silence.

Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018

“As you know we are all gathered to wish our boss a happy re rement. Well, I’m not going to wish him a happy re rement.” Beryl paused and Mick screwed his eyes and put his hand over his mouth. “No… I’m not going to wish him a happy re rement because I know he will have a happy re rement.” Mick let out a breath of relief.

“I know Bob will have a happier re rement than me because he has saved for this moment.” Mick leaned into Bazza.

“I reckon he will too, Bazza. He’s a bloody ght arse as well as the crankiest bloke I know. The young ones call him LOL Bob.”

“In fact, I would say Bob will have a happier re rement than anyone in this room.” There were odd nods of agreement amongst the gathered throng and the granite head lted slightly. “She’s got that right, Bazza. He wouldn’t give you the dribbles off his nose, even if he had a cold.” “Now Bob, your serious approach to life is…. ahhhhh…admired by all, and I might even say exemplary. We remember the me you mistakenly brought your five year old’s lunch to work and we thought it was hilarious. You sat there in your suit and e and ate the fairy bread, the Freddo frogs and the Musk S cks. You even sipped the raspberry cordial from the Spider-Man drink bo le. All without a smile.” There was a slight chuckle amongst the audience and Bob almost unkno ed an eyebrow. Beryl con nued on with a few more anecdotes that were funny to the audience but Bob remained unmoved, like a Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon. “I truly believe that it is this discipline that has ensured you will have a happy re rement, Bob. In fact, many of you probably don’t know that Bob will have a happier re rement than the richest person in the whole of the Eurobodalla Shire.”

Reading—A beer with Baz “Geez, Bazza. I knew he had a quid, but even I’m a bit surprised.” “In fact, I would safely say that Bob will have a happier re rement than James Packer, Twiggy Forrest or even Gina Rhinehart.”

Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 There were a couple of coughs and even the granite face allowed an eyebrow to move. “She’s gone a bit far now, Bazza. Beryl must be a er a promo on.”

“So Bob, where all of us humble souls have been saving our superannuation and the rich amongst our population building casinos or digging stuff out of the ground for a happy retirement, you have been focused on saving up your smiles. I don’t think you have spent one since working with us. We can only assume you are now going to spend them. It should well and truly guarantee a happy retirement.”

Have a beer with Baz at john.longhurst59@gmail.com

Pork-Barrel Us, Please

The State Government’s support for the arts for 2021-2022 was recently announced. It totalled $9,317,000 with $1,119,000 granted to Aboriginal Arts and Culture (nothing of this to Aboriginal history or heritage), $1,465,00 to Theatre, $1,014,000 to the Visual Arts, $1,098,000 to Contemporary Music. Museums and History were thrown a few crumbs - just $258,000 (or 2.7% of all funding). And $135,000 of this was awarded to the running of the History Council of NSW, which seemingly has done li le to directly benefit the NSW South Coast.

So, very li le was available for grass-roots museums or history. Absolutely none of the money found its way to benefit the South Coast.

With a State by-elec on not far away, it would now be appropriate for local history and local museums to be the recipients of some generous pork-barreling. There are 15 history socie es/museums between Batemans Bay and Eden, all deserving of support, all with their hands out perpetually looking for support. South Coast History Society can immediately iden fy several millions of dollars of worthy South Coast history/museums projects that would benefit from some significant pork-barreling. And it can supply hundreds of tes monials from voters in the area a es ng to the value they place on local history and local museums.

So, local museums and history socie es now look forward to announcements that pre-by-elec on cheques are in the mail.

Peter Lacey President, South Coast History Society

WANTED. – A load of gravel at the entrance gate to Bateman’s Bay Post Office where the boys were sailing their toy boats on Saturday last. What? HEAVY VEALER. – Mr. M. Kea ng had hanging in his shambles this week a six-month old vealer, reared on an up-the-mountain cow, which weighed 270 lbs [122kg]. We saw it weighed. BIG CABBAGE. – Bateman’s Bay is noted for doing big things, two cabbages, presented to a friend in Moruya by the grower, Mr. D. Forbes Mackay, turning the scales at over 11 lbs [5kg] each. THE PLAGUE. – Sydney has been proclaimed a plague infected area, and all shipping will be under supervision; there will be a medical inspec on of all travellers, and a strict inspec on during the transhipping of all cargo. NEGLECT. – The neglect of the Shire Council in not levelling down the unsightly and dangerous rise at the corner of Vulcan and Queen Streets, where the Court House fence was moved back a panel, is a discredit to it. Where is our once progressive local representa ve? DISAPPOINTMENT. – Our proprietor and “occasional” editor was grievously disappointed on his return from Bateman’s Bay on Saturday night last to find that our town ligh ng proposal had been turned down. “Old and Truthful” has received hundreds of similar grievous disappointments, so he is hopeful of surviving this one. SHIRE PRESIDENT. – At the mee ng of the Eurobodalla Shire on Wednesday the elec on of President for the ensuring 12 months took place. Cr. D. Hutchison, who has been President for four and a half years, declined nomina on, Cr. T. Flood was nominated and unanimously elected. PROGRESS ASSOCIATION. – General Business… It was decided to ask the Park Trustees to have a gate erected in the Mantle Hill side of Park for the convenience of the public; also decided that the Shire Council be asked to place danger signals along the roads of the Eurobodalla Shire. It was thought perhaps the Automobile Society would supply these signals free of cost if applied for. It was also suggested that the Council be wri en to sugges ng that all owners of straying stock found in streets a er sunset and before sunrise be prosecuted. Duly moved and seconded that the Shire Council be asked to put a strong bell at the Nelligen Ferry on the North Side. It was also decided to ask to have the war trophy (Machine Gun) placed in a posi on open to the public view and sugges ng that the gun be placed in front of the Court House within the fence. ADVERTISMENT. – During the Summer Months MY MOTOR LORRY will ply for beach MORUYA HEADS every Sunday and Holiday, Leaving Moruya at 10.30 a.m. J. HANSEN, Proprietor.

Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018

Again this is not fake news neither is it some poli cal spin but just progress by John Holland to finish the new bridge contract. The ques ons to be asked is will the new boa ng environment along the northern shore of the Clyde River be be er than we had before this concrete four pile in the river monstrosity was built? Short answer no but why? In the old days we had a boat ramp paid for by Boa ng Now funds taken from the boat licences for NSW boaters and fishers. It was “upgraded” a few years before the bridge construc on was started by the local Eurobodalla Council and the car park was resurfaced, a BBQ shelter and sea ng was installed and new shiny stainless steel steps were added so the infirmed could access the beach. The fish cleaning table stayed the same as did the boatramp itself. The boatramp had one major advantage in that is was adjacent to a beach so people could launch their vessels and secure it to the beach when they parked their trainers. It had one major disadvantage in that due to its loca on the sand from the river built up on the surface and surrounds so it was not safe for non-fourwheel drive vehicles to launch at low de. But in general it was an easy facility to use when smaller vessel from north of the bridge wanted to traverse the upper reaches of the Clyde. That all changed during the construc on of the bridge. Firstly Transport for NSW intermi ently closed the boat ramp to all vessels during the construc on phase – s ll closed today. Secondly they put forward a civil roads design which must have come from someone who has never towed a boat trailer or even observed how a boatramp works. It is a complete mess with two sets of round-abouts and a boat parking area unusable by anyone but a competent reversing experience. Did they consult with the community? - No. Did they receive well thought out submissions? - Yes a number, even one on the back of cardboard container from a slab of beer. One came from an urban designer in close consulta on with the boa ng community – see photo. BUT did they listen and take note – well, we will have to see but the current indica ons are they bulldozed ahead with their original design put forward in the Batemans Bay project Urban Design and Landscape Plan 12 August 2019. The Foreshore Advisory Commi ee was led up the garden path and told this whole area would be upgraded and we would get improved facili es. We received a visit from the State Labour Minister who came to see the proposals and to talk about what they could do behind the scenes to rec fy the situa on… What did the boa ng and fishing community propose as a solu on to this urban design. The north flowing off -ramp come down from the highway parallel to the new bridge and meet the Punt Road at a T-intersec on so that the vehicles and trailers could cross this and enter the prepara on area. Here the boats could remove

Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018