CELEBRATING SENIORS
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Barr’s ‘dictatorship’ ends with the new Assembly MICHAEL MOORE
That ‘ahh...’ when the wine starts taking over ROBERT MACKLIN
The stories that tombstones tell CLIVE WILLIAMS
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By Elizabeth KOVACS
Evie Hudson is a woman with amnesia, who forgets the last 13 years. Piecing her life back together, she navigates the harsh realities of coercive control.
Evie is the leading character in lo cal author Emma Grey’s second novel Pictures of You.
Her debut book, The Last Love Note, sold more than 100,000 books world wide within a few months of being published last year.
“I think that using amnesia really helped [show the effects of coercive control] because she had that sense of being completely lost in her own life,” Emma says of her new work of fiction.
“It was heightened, which isn’t un like how people find themselves in a life they never imagined.”
Inspired by her daughter’s doctoral work in gendered violence and various conversations she’d had with friends regarding controlling behaviour in partners, Emma brings a hauntingly beautiful approach to finding love and the hopelessness that can swallow a person when in an abusive or coercive relationship.
“It’s lovely to be working closely
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ing the mini series of Anne of Green Gables, falling instantly in love with Gilbert Blythe and Anne.
“I loved the fact that [Anne] had this dream and it didn’t go smoothly,” she
“So I raced to the local news agency, got a notebook and pen and started writing a novel at 14.”
“At the time, my sister looked at me and said ‘why are you wasting your school holidays on homework?’ and I realised that that was what being a
“It’s about having a story that won’t leave your mind.
“An imaginary world that you’re carrying around that you want to get
Emma, 51, who already has three Young Adult novels and two musicals under her belt, initially took a deep dive into adult fiction with her first novel, tackling topics of grief and loss following the death of her husband.
Pictures of You again delves into prominent issues facing the world.
According to her research with the National Women’s Safety Alliance, violence against women affects more than one third of women globally.
In the 2021-22 ABS Personal Safety Survey, more than one in four women aged 18 years and above were recorded to have experienced violence, emotional abuse or economic abuse by a
One statistic that shocked Emma during her research was that in 98 per cent of intimate-partner homicides, coercive control already existed in the relationship.
“Physical violence is the last thing that happens after a long period of manipulation and control,” says Emma.
“I wanted to be very responsible in how I wrote about this topic.
“I didn’t want to romanticise the toxic relationship and I think that’s the real danger because many of these controlling relationships begin with love bombing, which may feel at the time like it’s a glorious descent into love and you’re the central character in this person’s life.”
According to Emma, Evie’s story – set in Sydney, Newcastle and surrounds – hopes to emphasise the importance of standing up against what is wrong.
“Walking past that behaviour is as bad as doing it,” says Emma.
“This is my attempt in not walking past it.”
Despite this, she can’t help but ensure her characters get their own happily ever afters.
“I do like to inject some hope into every book that I write,” she says.
“I’m a romantic and I wish for people to have that second chance of a healthy, lovely relationship after they’ve lost someone or been through a divorce or abusive relationship.”
Cover: Blue and white cameo glass plaque depicts a mythological scene of Ariadne and Bacchus. Late first century BCE–early first century CE. Excavated 1960. Story Page 27. Photo: Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
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The composition of the ACT Legislative Assembly will present huge challenges for Chief Minister Andrew Barr.
His choice of a large ministry along with the Greens’ decision to move away from a coalition government exacerbates the challenges.
It will certainly not be business as usual for the Labor government.
The agreement with the Greens dur ing the period of the last Assembly gave Barr a majority coalition government. Once a decision was reached in cabinet, it was effectively rubber stamped by the ACT Legislative Assembly.
It was effectively a four-year dictatorship where the government, in effect, did not answer to the parliament.
Legislative Assembly processes did remain intact with backbenchers working hard on parliamentary committees to understand issues as well as the community view before making recommendations to government. However, if those recommendations did not suit the government – they could easily be dismissed. And, the government perspective was often heavily influenced by key public servants.
Over the next four years the scenario will be very different.
bench MLAs. They have guaranteed the passage of the budget bills and agreed to support the chief minister in any motion seeking to sack him. This would apply other than if there is reprehensible conduct. But that is where the commitments end.
Stable government has been achieved through commitments from the cross -
Every piece of legislation that comes before the Legislative Assembly will be subject to genuine review. The majority of members are not from the
Every piece of legislation that comes before the Legislative Assembly will be subject to genuine review. The majority of members are not from the government.
government. A great deal of work will need to be done to persuade the nongovernment MLAs of the need for each piece of legislation and its efficacy.
In the past, the committees have provided an effective tool to assess legislation or policy decisions. However, by maintaining eight ministers, Barr has left just two first-time MLAs to sit on committees. This will be a daunting task for Caitlin Tough and Taimus Werner-Gibbings. The two independent MLAs, Fiona Carrick and Thomas Emerson, will face a similar dilemma.
Why eight ministers? Perhaps it is to reward some of the Labor MLAs who sat on the backbench in the previous Assembly. It is true that the chief minister has reduced the number of ministers from the nine at the last Assembly when there was a coalition government.
However, Barr has commissioned double the number of ministers compared to the government of then Chief Minister Gary Humphries in
2000-2001. Gary operated with four ministers. Granted this was in a 17-member Legislative Assembly, rather than the current 25.
In the ACT, Standing Committee MLAs have the power to take on a reference themselves. It is most likely that key committees will have a Liberal MLA, a Labor MLA, an Independent MLA and a Green MLA. Without a standing agreement between the Greens and Labor, it is quite possible that some inquiries will be initiated that do not fit with the Labor government agenda.
The Tenth Assembly had nine Standing Committees and eight Select Committees. Even with a reduction in the number, the work of just two Labor MLAs sitting on the backbench will be extensive. They will need to attend all hearings, manage background research, and to carefully read all of the submissions prior to participating in drafting reports.
If Barr had limited his government to six, rather than eight ministers, there would have been four backbench MLAs to take on the responsibilities of the committee work. Six ministers for the ACT seems not unreasonable.
There are signs that Barr is taking this situation seriously. His support for Liberal Mark Parton as Speaker makes sense. He did not lose yet another backbencher to a largely administrative role. Parton is an experienced MLA and former Deputy Speaker. There is little doubt that he will take on the role as an impartial arbiter.
From the Liberals’ perspective, they have gained a role without losing voting power as the ACT Speaker has a deliberative vote (the speaker votes on all issues rather than holding a casting vote).
The first six months will be an interesting time in the ACT Assembly as the Greens and independents work between the two major parties seeking to get support for the commitments that they have made to the community.
Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.
“It is unthinkable in progressive Canberra that a significant and identifiable group of residents has been left behind and feel totally alienated. What an outrageous suggestion!
In our last column we looked at whether it was “progressive” when a particular cohort of people in a community are knowingly left behind in terms of, say, their disposable income and their capacity to engage in the life of the community.
In other words, we questioned the true meaning of the term “progressive”.
We raised this issue in light of the so-called self-designated “progressive” policies of the ACT government. However, the US election was just days away when we wrote that article and its outcome is relevant to this discussion.
Much has been written about the US election and how was it that a misogynistic, racist, convicted felon prevailed over a public prosecutor? However, there is some consensus among thoughtful observers that alienation and a feeling of being ignored and disenfranchised played a significant part in the election result.
The swinging voters, relatively small in number but enough to make a difference in key counties and states, were from the minority groups traditionally aligned with the “progressive” Democrats. But to them, pleas about risks to democracy and the economy were irrelevant. However, it is surely unthinkable in a progressive community such as Canberra, that a significant and identifiable group of residents
has been left behind and feel abandoned and totally alienated.
What an outrageous suggestion! That would be contrary to our vision of ourselves as a caring and inclusive society. There is ample evidence that we put considerable stock in that identity. For example, we voted overwhelmingly in favour of a Voice to the Parliament, and we have “the most progressive government in Australia”. Just ask the Greens and Labor.
Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Corporation, recently commented on the racial prejudice experienced by Aboriginal people living in the ACT.
Ms Tongs has unquestionable credentials having led Winnunga Nimmityjah for more than three decades, and having had personal contact with thousands of Aboriginal residents of Canberra and the region.
However, on this occasion she was referencing data published by the Productivity Commission in its most recent Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report, reproduced in Chart 1.
The chart reveals that Aboriginal people living in the ACT experience racial prejudice, ie racism, at the highest rate in Australia with more than three in four Aboriginal people (76 per cent) reporting such an experience in the past six months.
Based on this statistic, it is reasonable to conclude that almost every Aboriginal person in the ACT has experienced racial prejudice or
Source: Productivity Commission; Closing the Gap Repository; CtG14, Table SE14g.1.
vilification in their life.
The Productivity Commission report also details access to a range of government services, including for example visits to a GP, other health professionals, and/or a hospital, when needed. Chart 2 reveals, for all states and territories, the proportion of Aboriginal people who did not visit a health professional or facility despite an obvious need to do so.
The ACT-specific data is as shocking as it is shameful. Around one in four (24.7 per cent) of Aboriginal people in the ACT did not visit a GP or a clinic when needed, which is double the national rate of one in eight (12.5 per cent), and the highest in Australia.
Around one in five (19.5 per cent) Aboriginal people in the ACT did not visit a health professional other than a GP when needed, which is more than double the national rate of one in 11 (9 per cent), and the highest in Australia.
Around one in 11 (9.1 per cent) Aboriginal people in the ACT did not visit a hospital when needed, which is one and a half times higher than the national rate 6.2 per cent, and the highest in Australia.
The Productivity Commission also reports on the reasons for not visiting, or what prevented the respondents from visiting, an appropriate health professional or hospital. The respondents were asked whether affordability, cultural safety, time and physical accessibility, or whether work or personal commitments were the reasons for not visiting.
In the ACT, more than a quarter of the respondents cited cultural safety (the highest rate in Australia) and more than a third stated time and physical accessibility (again, the highest rate in Australia) as the reasons for not going to hospital.
There is a very similar picture with cultural safety (one in four) and time and physical accessibility (almost half) for not visiting a GP, which are the highest rates for individual reasons. Unsurprisingly, affordability was cited as a significant factor in not visiting other health professionals.
That three out of four Aboriginal people living in Canberra have experienced racial
portfolios.
people living in Canberra do not visit a health professional or facility when needed would be of deep concern to a progressive minister for health.
In the ACT, both these portfolios were held until the October election by a single minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith. [Post election, the indigenous portfolio moved to Suzanne Orr]. We are not aware of any minister’s or the ACT government’s reaction or response to these damning statistics.
To be fair, it may be that the ACT’s mainstream media has simply deemed the issue as not warranting their attention.
Ms Tongs has, for several years, been urging the ACT government to initiate a Board of Inquiry (Royal Commission) into Aboriginal disadvantage and the lived experience of Aboriginal peoples living in Canberra.
As this latest report by the Productivity Commission reveals Aboriginal peoples in the ACT experience the worst outcomes across a whole spectrum of indicators, in all of Australia. Following the release of this most recent report of the Productivity Commission she has renewed her call for such an inquiry. Julie Tongs’ advocacy for such an inquiry has fallen on deaf ears with the oh-so progressive Labor and Greens parties dismissing out of hand her calls for the need for an inquiry into these issues.
In a previous article, we highlighted some policy choices of the ACT government and asked whether they could in all honesty be called “progressive”.
Some would argue, as indeed we have seen, that while some policies pursued by the government may have been misguided, or necessary to continue in office, eg, the tram, but that the ACT government is nevertheless inclusive and progressive.
However, it’s indisputable that this latest report from the Productivity Commission on the ACT Labor/Greens response to the needs of the Canberra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community reveals that they are anything but progressive.
Whether it’s the big screen or the latest TV series, the opening scene is identical.
The male star returns home, opens the fridge, pulls out a beer, flips the lid and starts drinking. The female star is even more single-minded. She instantly pours a glass of wine – red or white – and takes that first lovingly restorative gulp. Depend on it. Every single time. “Ahh…” you can almost feel that lovely sense of relaxation as her cares of the day surrender to the wonders of the booze.
In an earlier era, they also lit ciga rettes. Thank goodness that’s much less frequent these days. But somehow the alcohol industry – wine in particular – has its claws firmly round the throat of the moving picture world for the best possible placement of their product.
The Sandhamn Murders… hardly a scene goes by without their drinking wine. Recently there’s been a change, everyone is drinking pink rosé.
“So what?” I hear you cry. “That American beer is hardly alcoholic at all. And the wine… well, that’s not really booze, it’s the nectar of the gods, the mark of true civilisation, a glorious libation with a socio-religious history from time immemorial…”
Sure. But how well, I wonder, would it have survived without the very addictive addition of CH 3 CH 2 OH (ethanol-alcohol). Ask yourself: “What percentage of wine sales are of the ‘alcohol free’ brand?”
I rest my case.
This is not the first time I have ex-
plored the issue. Like most journalistscum-authors, I have had my own bout with the booze, particularly during my 30s and 40s. Fortunately, the combination of a resilient and beloved wife and my dedication to the storyteller’s art pulled me through.
I once began research for a book on the chequered history of Alcoholics Anonymous with its 100 per cent recidivism. It was helpful to two of my friends, though I decried its demand to surrender to a “higher power”. I even pretended to be a member and attended an AA meeting. I was surprised to see who else was there and though I declined to speak, half the attendees
Like most journalistscum-authors, I have had my own bout with the booze, particularly during my 30s and 40s. Fortunately, the combination of a resilient and beloved wife and my dedication to the storyteller’s art pulled me through.
asked to be my “sponsor”. I fled, never
My publisher wouldn’t give me a sufficient advance to travel to the US where AA found fertile ground among the God-botherers, so I wrote my Australian history books instead. But the fascination remained.
Alcohol is a desperately destructive force in our community. According to the ABS, more than five million Australians are today drinking harmful amounts of booze.
Our little village at Waramanga has two stores – one an IGA, the other an Australia Post Office – both packed to the gunwales with wine.
So-called “fine-dining” restaurants
make their profit not from tucker but by overcharging for the wine. And when China raises the wine tariff it’s a national tragedy. Yet the drugs such as cocaine get all the publicity though their communal effect – aside from corrupting the police force – is minimal.
But Australia is small beer (as it were) in the wine stakes. Recently we’ve been watching an international Swedish TV series, The Sandhamn Murders, a pretty classy production set in the Stockholm archipelago with (mostly) good scripts and a very attractive cast.
And here’s the clincher. While hardly a scene goes by without their drinking wine, recently there’s been a change. Suddenly, instead of white or red, everyone is drinking pink rosé. Men, women, morning, evening, anytime. So I checked with Google.
And there, an industry spokesperson boasted: “As of spring, we are starting to see sort of a bounce-back in rosé consumption in the US as well as around the world.”
QED.
robert@robertmacklin.com
“Colesworth”, a portmanteau – or blended word – used in reference to the perceived duopoly of Australia’s largest supermarket retailers Coles and Woolworths, is the ANU’s Australian National Dictionary Centre’s word of the year. According to senior researcher Mark Gwynn, it is used in mostly negative contexts to highlight the power and market share the two businesses hold in Australia. Each year, the centre selects a word or expression that has gained prominence in the Australian landscape over the past 12 months.
Treasures at Trove Trove Canberra, a not for profit co-operative run by a collective of local artists and designers, is holding a Christmas shopping night at 25 Dickson Place, Dickson, 5pm-7pm on December 6.
Bandannas at Ziggy’s
The fundraising Bold Bandannas are holding a stall within Ziggy’s shop at the Fyshwick Markets, 8am-4.30pm on December 7. With proceeds in aid of cancer research, the Relay for Life team is selling its “trademark” preserves, pickles and lemon butter.
Osteoporosis is common, affecting both women and men. People 50 years and overs should discuss their risk factors with their GP.
Osteoporosis can be diagnosed and monitored by means of a DEXA or Bone Mineral Densitometry scan. A referral from your GP is required.
Locations for the I-MED DEXA or Bone Mineral Densitometry services:
Belconnen 40 Cameron Avenue
P: 02 6109 6900
Scan QR code for appointments or more information
Woden Specialist Medical Centre
Ground Floor, 90 Corinna St P: 02 6214 2222
On November 14, I attended the National Capital Authority’s Community Forum 2024 at the National Library.
The three speeches, the first by Zoom from the Regional Development Minister Kristy McBain; the second by NCA chair Terry Weber and the last by NCA chief executive Karen Doran, all stressed the importance of preserving the uniqueness of our capital, transparency of decision making and the importance of the community’s impact.
Regarding light rail, the audience heard that the approval of the NCA was still outstanding.
This encouraged me to ask to ask the following question: Since the light rail would irreversibly change our unique bush capital into one which, like most other capitals, trams were circling around government buildings, why does the NCA not ask for a non-conflicted, expert committee to evaluate the appropriateness of the light rail as public transport to Woden while circling around Parliament House, and compare it with alternatives?
The chief executive’s answer was that this was not the work of the NCA and had already been done by the ACT government.
Unfortunately, there was no time to explain that the only comparison with alternate forms of transport, such as bus rapid transit, had been done in 2012, was not transparent since the report was kept secret at the time and, as explained in my
October 10 article in CityNews, publicly compared the light rail only with the “donothing” scenario.
Quite apart from the fact that in the interim, 12 years of significant developments in public transport have taken place.
My follow-up question to the NCA is, if the appropriateness of the light rail and better alternatives are not the NCA’s concern, what are the criteria on which their approval will be based?
Since in the past, the NCA has been accused of rubber stamping the proposals of the local government, and the new chief executive has previously been the acting chief project officer at the ACT government’s directorate Major Projects Canberra tasked with building the light rail to Woden, a detailed answer to this question would provide transparency and be helpful to the public in understanding the independent decision making of the agency.
Prof Beatrice Bodart-Bailey, via email
Shrouded in charges, Alan Jones will no longer be able to lead the fray, control the spotlight or the commentary ( “Alan Jones faces fresh indecent assault charges”, citynews.com.au November 19) .
A tableaux of women on Bondi beach, wrapped in chaff bags, would act to remind more of how years of political and public acceptance of Jones’ misogynistic rhetoric and
sprays of easy, nasty contempt for others helped to push this time of reckoning out to the end of 2024 instead of it occurring much earlier.
Sue Dyer, Downer
I don’t care for Donald Trump, but the statements made about him by ambassador Kevin Rudd show nothing more than Rudd’s lack of diplomatic acumen.
On Trump’s behalf, I got ChatGPT to compose a reply: “Wow, the Australian ambassador Rudd really needs to take a step back! He’s out there making comments about me, but let’s not forget, he was once the prime minister of Australia, and we all know how that turned out!
“They say diplomacy is an art, but with his track record, it looks more like finger painting! Maybe he should focus on his own country instead of throwing shade. Australia is great, but it’s no America. Just sayin’!
“Rudd, stick to what you know, and let’s leave the negotiating to the pros. Keep it classy, folks!”
John Franze, via email
While columnist Michael Moore is certainly correct in stating that, when it comes to the
fight against COVID-19 and future pandemics, “complacency is the greatest concern for the future” (CN November 14), he neglected to say that complacency is also the greatest concern for the present.
COVID-19 should not be spoken of in the past tense – it is still very much with us. It is concerning that case numbers are not being reliably monitored and publicised, precautions are not being taken, and the public is being led to believe that we do not need to think about this any more.
The reality is that highly transmissible variants are now circulating and people are still getting very ill and being hospitalised. From November 8-14, there were 92 ACT cases confirmed from PCR tests (RAT results are no longer required or reported), six people in hospital with covid, and 1 death reported.
Covid is not just a risk for older people. A family member in his 30s, who has received an annual covid shot and who had covid two years ago, has recently been absolutely knocked out with covid. This is no time for complacency.
Karina Morris, Weetangera
As the world realises that it cannot get anywhere near net zero emissions without a dominant role for nuclear power, our government is refusing an invitation to be involved.
A few simple calculations, using the data
provided on the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water website for the year 2022-23 show the futility of reliance on solar and wind.
The annual energy consumption by all sectors using fossil fuel was 5200 petajoules, which equates to 1440 TWH, an average consumption rate of 160GW.
The electrical energy generated from solar and wind was 41TWH and 31TWH respectively, which equates to average rates of 4.7GW and 3.5 GW.
Using a capacity factor of 0.3 this corresponds to installed capacities of 15.7GW and 11.7GW, totalling 27.4 GW. This compares to an installed capacity of 533GW necessary to meet the energy consumption by all sectors, assuming their technology can be reinvented to use electricity directly or green hydrogen.
Given that the life cycle for renewable energy modules is about 20 years the wind and solar inventory would have to be replaced at a rate of 26.7GW per year, and battery resources as well. This compares to the installation rate of 8.1GW per year in the current AEMO Integrated System Plan, which is proving impossible to meet. However, there is a more serious overriding problem. Mining for rare earths and other metals, embodied energy, critical land use, and the enormous waste disposal makes reliance on solar and wind environmentally unsustainable, even in the Australian microcosm.
John L Smith, Farrer
The developer has just released the last couple of luxury spacious Summerfield country estate villas onto the market.
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Tim Walshaw (letters, CN
November 14) is correct: Canberra was meant to be a tax haven.
It was designed to be financed by lease rents and rates on the land of the territory, which was deliberately vested in the Commonwealth so that it could run the territory, to take a homely analogy, like a shopping centre with all the amenities paid for by lease rents and rates – and with no call on the taxpayers of the states and no resort to taxes on the residents of Canberra.
Many of the founding fathers had seen the 1890s land boom and bust, which wrecked “Marvellous Melbourne”, and were keen followers of American economist Henry George across all party lines.
It was Sir Joseph Carruthers, the Liberal Premier of NSW, who in his memoirs recounts meeting George and declares his pride in introducing the 1906 land value rating system (which abolished the taxes on buildings and improvements) as representing the best effort to translate Henry George’s ideas into practical legislation.
Likewise, Sir John Quick and Sir Samuel Griffith as well as Andrew Fisher were keen supporters of the idea that land values should be the basis of public revenue. They were not stupid.
There are only three things you can tax – land, labour or capital. Only one of them can’t slack off, demand higher wages, run away, stop breeding, be hidden, rust out, not replaced or shifted offshore.
So, as they say, “go figure!” and you will arrive back at what is now “modern” optimal tax theory – you are standing on it!
Dr Terry Dwyer, via email
I wonder what services and how many patients have been disrupted by the flying of an Aboriginal flag at Canberra Hospital without an Australian flag also in evidence?
Surely Vivien Munoz (letters, CN November 14) must have some substantive reason other than attacking, without evidence, the “woke government” for perpetrating “another act of obliterating things British”. I don’t blame her for being misled by all the misinformation that caused the Voice to fail (including the poor counter-attempts), and is still obviously flying around.
It was significant, however, that the ACT was the only state or territory with a majority of whose voters thought carefully enough about the issues involved to favour the Voice.
And it was one of these issues that seemed to become lost in the cloud of politically based misinformation that destroyed the Voice nationally.
and balances, of the most important British-originated institution we have – the Australian parliament.
The only way it can be “obliterated” is through Australians being sucked in by self-centred, autocratic-minded leaders who have only their own interests at heart. Given the current international situation, that’s the real problem we must look out for, not the trivial issue of what flags are being flown and where.
Eric Hunter, Cook
Columnist Robert Macklin is right to be concerned about the result of the US election (“Trump might be a plus for the good guys”, CN November 14).
If Trump again removes the US from the Paris Agreement, climate action will be slower. The US is the largest economy and the second largest emitter. Of any nation, it should be leading the fight.
in history, but it’s more important than ever to take stronger steps to combat worsening climate change. Australia can play a leading role. We can all step up.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria
Beatrice Bodart-Bailey included in her article “The new human right to challenge heat islands” (CN, November 21) a map of the ACT showing areas that were in February 2017 between three degrees and five degrees (or more) hotter than the 35 degrees mean surface temperature, as measured by NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite.
Parts of the Molonglo Valley, in particular the newest developments of Denman Prospect and Whitlam, were highlighted in red.Those suburbs have grown considerably since 2017, and would now be even hotter –perhaps shown in deep burgundy.
The final result will be suburbs where venturing outdoors during a very hot summer – which is becoming the norm – will be a serious health hazard, and staying indoors will result in very high energy bills for air conditioning, and in increased emissions. When, if ever, will the planners and developers learn that such suburban densification is ill-advised now and is not the way of the future?
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Around 250,000 men in the Australian community have been impacted by prostate cancer, and many of them are on hormone therapy to keep the cancer at bay.
Although it slows disease progression and increases survival, hormone therapy can cause both physical and psychological side effects that severely impact quality of life.
Rooftops are almost touching sideto-side, with barely space for fences between neighbouring houses. Other than north-facing windows, there is little or no sunlight access: energy efficiency ratings would therefore be very low.
It is the belief expressed by Vivien and still held by some Canberrans, that “all things British” are being “obliterated” (whatever that means). Ironically, the processes of the Voice would have required the application, with all its checks
Canberra City News Half Page Horizontal - 145mm H x260mm W.pdf 1 22/10/2024 8:45:27 am
However, because Jo Biden’s huge package to combat climate change, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has unleashed an unprecedented wave of investment, ignited a clean manufacturing boom and stimulated more than $450 billion in announced private investment in clean energy manufacturing and deployment, US states, even Republican ones, are keen to keep the money flowing. Trump has a dilemma. It’s easy to be a cup half empty at this challenging moment
There is little of the cool green space of older suburbs, and hardly a shady tree to be seen. This is partly due to the growing “footprint” of houses, and partly due to developers striving to cram as many as possible of these monster houses into a given area of land.
In response, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia is partnering with UniSQ on a research project that aims to enhance the support men receive while they’re undergoing treatment.
If you or someone you know has started, or are planning to start, hormone therapy after a prostate cancer diagnosis, and would like to take part in the study, please email pcessentials@pcfa.org.au.
Prof Jeff Dunn AO, chief of mission, PCFA
“I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
–Woody Allen
I’ve been to many cemeteries in my time, mainly to look at the tombstones.
A Defence colleague during his exchange posting to London became a “Friend of Highgate Cemetery” and gave me a guided tour.
Highgate has some well-known residents, including socialist Karl Marx, female novelist George Eliot, author Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), scientist Michael Faraday, actress Jean Simmons, actor Sir Ralph Richardson and sculptor Henry Moore.
Symbols on tombstones can carry profound meanings. An urn signifies mourning or the soul’s immortality. A broken column represents a life cut short. Angels denote protection, or the soul’s ascension to heaven. Crosses signify faith, resurrection and eternal life. Lillies symbolise purity and innocence, while roses represent love and beauty. Doves indicate peace and the Holy Spirit, while lambs often mark the graves of children. A book can signify the bible, or a person’s scholarly pursuits.
My most unusual cemetery experience was in Rumania – land of Dracula and Vlad the Impaler.
I was walking back at dusk to my hotel from a police conference dinner and passed a large cemetery, so of course had to go in and take a look at the tombstones.
When I tried to leave, I found the only gate had been padlocked. The cemetery was surrounded by a high, spiked metal fence. I eventually managed to climb out – hastened by groaning sounds from dark areas within the cemetery!
The practice of inscribing the deceased’s personal details on tombstones is a tradition that dates back thousands of years. Tombstone inscriptions, also known as epitaphs, serve to honour and remember the deceased, providing a permanent record of their lives. Sometimes they
The cemetery was surrounded by a high, spiked metal fence. I eventually managed to climb out – hastened by groaning sounds from dark areas within the cemetery!
are light-hearted, as with these: Merv Griffin, the talk show host, has the inscription: “I will not be right back after this message” on his grave.
William H Hahn Jr’s tombstone in San Francisco laments: “I told you I was sick.”
Mel Blanc was the voice behind many Looney Tunes characters, including Bugs Bunny. His usual sign-off “That’s All Folks” is inscribed on his tombstone.
Rodney Dangerfield’s tombstone reads: “There goes the neighborhood.”
Margaret Daniels’ epitaph in Richmond, Virginia, reads: “She always said her feet were killing
her, but nobody believed her.”
Epitaphs that are critical of the deceased person are less common, but some examples:
17th-century English poet and playwright John Dryden’s epitaph on his wife’s grave reads: “Here lies my wife: here let her lie! Now she’s at rest, and so am I.”
Thomas Jefferson Beale’s epitaph in Union, West Virginia, notes: “He was a man of unquestioned integrity, although his neighbors never believed it.”
And a gravestone in England: “Here lies an atheist, all dressed up and no place to go.”
Advances in technology have allowed more detailed and intricate designs on tombstones, including photographs and even QR codes that link to online testimonials.
After starting on this Whimsy, I came across a book by Richard Death titled Tombstone Humour. Given the unusual surname of the author, I checked some of the entries and found them to be genuine. I’ve quoted four of the verified violent death epitaphs: Sacred to the memory of Major
James Brush, Royal Artillery who was killed by the accidental discharge of a pistol by his orderly 14th April 1831.
Well done, good and faithful servant
In Woolwich cemetery, London
Erected to the memory of John MacFarlane
Drowned in the water of Leith By a few affectionate friends Leith churchyard, Lothian
Erected to the memory of John Phillips
Accidentally shot
As a mark of affection by his brother
On a gravestone in Ulster Blown Upward Out of Sight
He Sought the Leak By Candlelight On a headstone in Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire
I suggest that when you travel internationally you visit a local cemetery. You might find some interesting surprises.
According to a recent ABS study, Australia has the third longest life expectancy in the world, following Monaco and Japan.
With Australia’s ageing population comes the need for professionals to make those extra years comfier, supported and ensuring seniors look and feel their best.
With dementia diagnoses statistics rising, the number of family members and friends who are stepping up as carers is also going up.
“We know the prevalence of dementia is increas ing,” says Carers ACT CEO Lisa Kelly.
“That’s why we offer support, guidance and educa tion suited to all carers, regardless of their experience.
“Carers ACT provides a range of support for carers early on in their journey to ensure they feel equipped, feel supported, feel connected and get respite.
“We know support for our carers is important as it can be an incredibly isolating and challenging position to be in.”
Operating for more than 10 years, Lisa says Carers ACT is committed to providing support for the community.
“We are agile at adjusting our programs to suit different circumstances and needs,” she says.
“We want to be able to walk the journey alongside the carer and support them at every step of the way.”
Lisa’s biggest advice for carers is to reach out immediately.
“Reach out and get support straight away,” she says.
“Don’t wait until it’s overwhelming.”
Carers ACT will hold a free information session showcasing its wide range of services, 1pm-2.30pm, Wednesday, December 11 at its Holt centre.
Carers ACT, 2/80 Beaurepaire Crescent, Holt. Call the Carer Gateway Team on 1800 422737, or visit carersact.org.au
Precision Health 360 “looks at the whole you” by combining 20 years of ongoing scientific research with technology programs.
“Precision Health 360 is a platform that combines personal training with advanced science by using anthropom etry to keep your mind and body in its ideal natural state,” says BoomerAABS owner, Duncan Craig.
Becoming a personal trainer in 2017, Duncan first learnt about the advanced technology in March, quickly becoming qualified and bringing the technology to Canberra.
“It’s a relatively new platform,” says Duncan.
“There are 120 countries across the world using this technology.”
Duncan is passionate about fitness in seniors, providing group fitness training, strength for life sessions and individual coaching.
Now, Duncan says, he is excited to start providing a precise way to show scientific results that help the overall wellbeing of his clients.
“It shows a deeper view on what we should eat and when we should exercise at what points of the day,” he says.
“The technology takes regular measurements each week to give advice Duncan works across Canberra and is looking forward to providing precise results for his client’s wellbeing to ensure they are living their best lives.
BoomerAABS, call Duncan on 0404 373157, visit boomeraabs.com.au or email info@boomeraabs.com.au
Are you caring for someone with dementia and unsure about the support available to you in Canberra?
Carers ACT is here to help
Join our free upcoming information session to learn about the wide range of services we offer, including short-stay respite, retreats, support services and longer-term programs designed to help you cope, stay together longer and improve your physical and emotional well-being.
This session is open to carers and the people they care for and will provide guidance and advice, while connecting you with a strong caring community.
Information Session for People Caring for Someone with Dementia
Session Details
When: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Where: Carers ACT, 80 Beaurepaire Crescent, Holt
Everyone is welcome, and we’d love to see you there!
For more information, email carers@carersact.org.au or call us at 6296 9900
You’re not alone in your caring journey. Carers ACT is here to help and support you.
Arthritis ACT is an allied health practice with a difference, says CEO Rebecca Davey.
There are physios, exercise physiologists and an occupational therapist available but, Rebecca says, they also have a team of peer workers, people with lived experience of the conditions they support people with.
“The issue with chronic conditions is often that until you’ve lived with it, you don’t have an innate understanding of what it is to walk that walk,” says Rebecca, who is very open with the community about her journey with inflammatory arthritis and the associated chronic pain.
“It’s often just the practical ideas that you can share, and you can honestly say: ‘This works for me, you might like to try it, or you might not.’
“Everyone that works in the health arena is passionate. It’s the reason why people choose these careers.
“I think the difference with us is that we have all the added extras to support the community, especially in terms of community education and linkages to a wide range of experiences within [the] team who are there to support clients that come to our service.”
With International Day of Persons with Dis abilities coming up on December 3, Rebecca says it’s important that people know that disability can affect people of all ages and levels of ability, and argues it’s important to celebrate and recognise the different paths each person is on.
Arthritis ACT offers ongoing programs for people who need any type of support with their chronic pain or debilitating fatigue conditions.
Arthritis ACT, Pain Support & ME/CFS ACT, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. Call 1800 011041 or visit arthritisact.org.au
“The Grove Ngunnawal is the perfect destination to savour the finest retirement has to offer,” says Sarah Forbes, ACT senior development manager of Keyton
She says expansion works will “breathe new life into the area, incorporating 45 new two and three-bedroom premium villas”.
“This expansion will see the village grow from its current 161 to a 206-villa precinct including a co-located, 124-bed aged-care facility to be delivered by Arcare Aged Care,” she says.
The site will also include expansive greenery and welcoming spaces, includ ing the restored historic homestead.
“This will add to the village’s impressive offering of existing leisure amenities,” says Sarah.
Amenities include a clubhouse complete with a library, gym, indoor heated swimming pool, village green and gardens, connected walking trails and more.
“New residents to the village will have access to The Grove’s existing program of wellbeing events that continues to expand,” she says.
“This ensures our residents experience the best of retirement living that includes a sense of connection, belonging and a vibrant environment that ensures residents thrive.”
The Grove Ngunnawal, 1 Monty Place, Ngunnawal ACT. Call 1800 550550 or visit visitthegrove.com.au
Physiotherapist Emil comes to us with a wealth of physiotherapy experience and knowledge from the public hospital system and also private practice. Emil works closely with our team of Exercise Physiologists on a coordinated approach to improving your pain and overall wellbeing. Emil has a special interest in neurology and improving the lives of people living with neurological conditions. He’s also mad keen on soccer and will support you with all sports related injuries and injury prevention.
Sophie has post graduate qualifications in hydrotherapy, and as a non-sports centred Exercise Physiologist, helps clients who struggle with engaging in exercise due to a lack of sports participation. Sophie’s goal is to improve clients health via our hydrotherapy program, gym instruction and in-home visits. Sophie also is known for her passion for working with children.
Sarah believes that exercise is the best medicine. She is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with her degree in exercise physiology and rehabilitation. Previously Sarah was a swim teacher, personal trainer and an allied health assistant in the hydrotherapy field.
Jarrod is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist who graduated from the University of Canberra in 2024.
He has a passion for wanting to help those in need and aims to provide the best possible treatment and advice to each and every one of his clients.
Blake has expertise in improving clients mobility and decreasing their pain through appropriate exercise. Blake delivers our ‘My Exercise’ program, targeting the relief of lower back and sciatic pain, shoulder and upper body concerns as well as leg, hip and ankle interventions – for those who do not qualify for physiotherapy-led GLAD programs. Blake provides individual & group exercise for younger people with a disability. Blake treats clients in-clinic or via our hydrotherapy program as well as attending your gym with you.
Jacqui has a particular interest in hip and knee osteoarthritis. Jacqui delivers the GLAD program designed to reduce the need for joint replacements, or if a joint replacement is unavoidable, to prepare you thoroughly for surgery and recovery for day to day tasks. Jacqui is studying towards a PhD in the outcomes of the GLAD program.
Holly is a former sports journalist who believed so strongly in the power of exercise to heal and nurture that she undertook her 4 year degree in Exercise Physiology. Holly is be able to work with people directly to support them through their pain journey and regain independence and a joy for living again. Holly provides one on one and group exercise classes both on land and at our hydrotherapy centres to support people to gain freedom from chronic pain.
• Occupational Therapy – Assistance with the planning and modification of your home, workplace or car. Applications for NDIS, the Disability and Housing Support Pension, and also driving assessments.
• Physiotherapy – including the GLAD program for knee and hip osteoarthritis, sports injury prevention and rehabilitation, and pain condition support.
• Exercise Physiology – Individual exercise prescriptions, small group classes to increase strength and improve rehabilitation, strength and balance classes, hydrotherapy support.
With eight years of experience as a business owner and a further 20 years of renovation knowledge under her belt, Kim Perssons says it’s been a dream come true to turn her passion into a thriving business.
“We can help people who may wish to downsize, add extra support in and around a home and make their homes more accessible,” she says.
According to Kim, a house is 30 per cent more likely to sell when it has been styled.
“We’re here to help anyone wishing to downsize,” she says.
“We want to get our clients the most out of their sale and leave them with a little more in their pocket.
“We strategically renovate, using only trusted tradespeople to ensure there’s no over capitalisa tion involved.”
Kim’s goal is to ensure anyone, whether they’re looking to downsize and sell, or need a spruce up their residence to suit growing needs, have access to reliable and efficient renovating work.
“I have a great team behind me,” she says.
“We only use trusted tradespeople, and I have several of each trade to help me at each job.”
Services may include installing handrails, creating shower spaces large enough to suit a chair and widening entryways.
“It’s about preparing for those situations,” says Kim.
“That’s what I’m there to do.”
Renovation Matters, call 0427 696662 or visit renovationmatters.com.au
Most people rate their sight as their most precious sense, and about 80 per cent of the information we receive from the outside world comes through our eyes, says Shane Brookman, founder of the mobile optometry service, Angel Eyecare.
“This means that your eyes are the best camera you’ll ever own,” he says.
“If our health is our wealth, then sight is worth more than gold.”
Shane says 90 per cent of blindness is avoidable if detected early, which is why regular eye care is so important.
With Angel Eyecare being fully mobile, Shane says they are able to bring the gift of sight right to the patient’s doorstep, so they can see better without having to leave the home.
“Our mission is to deliver an essential sight-saving mobile service to those who need it most,” he says.
“Making a difference by helping people see better is what gets us out of bed every morning.”
Angel Eyecare. Email hello@angeleyecare.com.au or visit angeleyecare.com.au to schedule an appointment.
Fringe Dentures is a direct-to-thepublic denture clinic that makes and fits dentures and mouthguards, and also other services such as repairs, and realigning.
“We’re embracing new technology to make sure we get the best service and quality of work, and a better customer experience,” says owner Terry McHugh.
“We’ve transitioned to digital denture and mouthguard manufacturing, which has revolutionised our processes.
“We were doing high-quality work before, and we’re doing even higherquality work now because of the new technology that we’re using.”
Terry says that the business has expanded to include another clinic in Hawker, as well as regional centres in Jindabyne, Gundagai and Young.
“We’re still servicing the industry, including many partner dentists,” says Terry.
He says services can be claimed through health funds and they accept DVA cards.
“The most important thing, and the most enjoyable thing, is seeing happy customers walking out with their new dentures,” he says.
“If you’re happy, we’re happy.”
Fringe Dentures, 3/24 Iron Knob Street, Fyshwick. Call 6239 2534 or visit fringedentures.com.au
Dancing is a great way to increase movement, and the best part is that it doesn’t even feel like exercising, says Dale Harris, owner of Dale’s Ballroom Dancing.
It is also a great way to get out and be social, she says, which makes it a great hobby for older Canberrans.
Dale is an expert in many styles of dance, including tango, foxtrot, quickstep, Viennese waltz, cha cha, samba, jive, rumba and paso doble, and has more than 25 years’ experience teaching dance.
The seven-week dance course for adults is open again, and Dale encourages anyone to come and learn, regardless of age or experience.
“We have people of all ages coming in for the classes,” she says, with adult classes on Wednesdays, starting at 7pm.
She says classes cover Latin, New Vogue and standard dances.
They also offer private classes by appointment, which Dale says are a great option for those who may be a little timid about dancing in front of others.
“We can accommodate choreographing a dance for your own routine, to the music you have chosen,” she says.
Dale’s Ballroom Dancing, 6/38 Reed Street North, Greenway. Call 0407 066110 or visit dalesballroomdancing.com
KIDS MEDAL CLASSES
Thursdays from 5pm
• ADULT BEGINNER CLASSES
Wednesdays from 7pm
• SOCIAL DANCING
Mondays 7pm - 9:30pm
Classes are held at:
ENJOY YOURSELF IN A FUN AND ENVIRONMENTSOCIALRELAXED
Crystal Ballroom Canberra 6/38 Reed Street Nth, Greenway, Tuggeranong
Phone: 0407 066 110 | Email: dale_harris@bigpond.com Web: dalesballroomdancing.com | Principal: Dale Harris
Stepping away from a regular salary can be scary, and there are so many choices to consider. Where do you start? Add to this unfamiliar and complicated legislation, it really can be difficult to see your opportunities.
• Make the rules work for you, to enjoy retirement on your terms.
• I have 23 years of experience in advising retirees in the Canberra region.
• Extensive experience in government super such as CSS and PSS.
• Centrelink advice and implementation.
• Is a redundancy right for you at this time?
an experienced, straight forward and consistent advice relationship Call David for an appointment.
This was a significant year for Goodwin Aged Care Ser vices, as the organisation celebrated its 70th anniversary.
“This year of Goodwin’s 70th anniversary has provided a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our past, present and future,” says Goodwin Aged Care Services CEO, Stephen Holmes.
“We’ve celebrated milestones, welcomed new com munities, and continued our commitment to delivering exceptional care and services.
“With a rich history of providing quality care and ac commodation to seniors, Goodwin continues to innovate and expand its services.”
Throughout the year, Goodwin achieved several key milestones.
“We commemorated our 70th anniversary, reflecting on its journey and our future aspirations,” says Stephen.
“We also expanded our home care services to deliver 150,000 hours of home care to over 1200 clients, enabling seniors to age in place with dignity and independence.
“We welcomed Goodwin Village Araluen to the Goodwin family and acknowledged the dedication of our 780 employees and volunteers who play a crucial role in delivering exceptional care.”
Looking onwards, Stephen says Goodwin remains committed to its vision of providing quality of life and opportunities for seniors to thrive.
“By investing in innovative care approaches, expanding services, and fostering strong community connections, Goodwin aims to continue making a positive impact on the lives of seniors in the ACT and NSW,” he says.
“We are a care-based, people-centred, community organisation.”
Goodwin Aged Care Services.
Call 6175 5100 or visit goodwin.org.au
• jazzercise & dancing classes
• yoga classes
• computer classes & bookclubs
• mahjong, cards & table tennis
• craft, art & porcelain painting (02) 6248 9509
10 Watson St Turner 2612 ops@canberraseniors.org.au www.canberraseniors.org.au
she says.
“Currently, our members are really enjoying mahjong and singing classes as well as porcelain painting and exercise.”
Each year, Andrea says the organisation holds a survey to collect feedback on services, ensuring the classes offered are of benefit and interest to its members.
“I’m really proud of the culture here and know that
Andrea says the centre is on the lookout for keen crafters to join its free craft group, operating daily.
“The New Year is a great time for interested parties to come along and try something new,” she says.
Canberra Seniors Centre, 10 Watson Street, Turner. Call 6248 9509 or visit canberraseniors.org.au
Optimise your current health status through personalised, preventative and practical health advice.
Science-backed, cutting-edge technology uses data from your body, family history, and assessment of your lifestyle and environment, and syncs with your natural body clock to tailor every aspect of your health advice, supporting you 24 hours of the day.
Precision Health coaching, over 50’s Group Exercise classes and BungyPump-Nordic Walking training available from an active ageing specialist.
regulatory framework relating to retirement villages.
generally aims to advance and protect the interests of
“We do this through providing information on our website, regular emails to our members and holding expertise in matters relating to retirement villages,”
According to Janine, ACT RVRA works closely with with fellow colleagues in its sister RVRA associations
Toohey, the Discrimination, Health
Disability and Community Services Commissioner, which enables us to raise with her issues of concern to residents and to refer disputes to her to try to resolve,” says Janine.
“We also liaise with the Retirement Living Council, who represents many village operators, to discuss current retirement village issues, make representations to them where necessary and generally to keep the lines of communication with them open.” Janine urges members to call or email with any questions or queries.
ACT Retirement Village Residents Association. Email on enquiries@actrvra.org.au, call on 6179 6003 or visit actrvra.org.au
The ACT Retirement Village Residents Association (ACT RVRA) exists to advance and protect the interests of residents of ACT retirement villages, provide relevant information to them, and inform and educate them about the ACT retirement villages regulatory environment.
Website actrvra.org.au
Enquiries enquiries@actrvra.org.au or (02) 6179 6003
Become a Member See: https://actrvra.org.au/membership/ or phone us.
Be our Village Contact
Having a village contact helps us carry out our mission more effectively.
If you are interested in doing this, please contact us.
A woman came into my clinic for a consultation about her hearing aids, telling me her hearing aids were 4 years old and she had never found them to be of much help. She said the salesperson quoted her $14,000 for a pair of hearing aids, however, the monthly special of 20% discount meant they cost her $11,200. So, she ‘only’ paid $11,200 for hearing aids that did not help her. Sadly, I hear this all too often.
Here are some things to do to avoid this type of problem:
1. Visit your GP. If you or someone you know has a problem with their hearing, visiting your GP to check for wax in the ears, and to get advice is a starting point.
2. Qualifications. Always check the qualifications of the person you are dealing with. A person without professional qualifications has no business advising you about your hearing. They need to belong to a professional association with a Code of Conduct, so you know they are acting in your best interests, not their own.
years. If you are not sure about their advice, then seek a second opinion. The wrong hearing aids can be an expensive waste and could lead you to stop wearing them. You should always have a trial of hearing aids to ensure that they are right for you.
6 Pensioners and eligible DVA card holders often have entitlement to free services. If you are covered by a government concession, then let the clinician know (even though your clinician should ask). Eligible clients may obtain free hearing tests, consultations, and free hearing aids (referred to as fully subsidized hearing aids).
“A person without professional qualifications has no business advising you about your hearing. They need to belong to a professional association with a Code of Conduct, so you know they are acting in your best interests, not their own.”
– Dr Vass
These hearing aids are appropriate for many people, however if you have great difficulty hearing in background noise (for example a restaurant), then you may want to consider partially subsidized hearing aids. This is when the government pays a certain amount, and you pay for additional features and benefits. Your decision should be based on the following:
you are dealing with a qualified clinician, then they belong to a professional association. The best contact is an independent complaints body referred to as Ethics Review Committee. You can email ethics@auderc.org.au and view the website www.auderc.org.au. You can make an anonymous complaint and your complaint will be handled in a confidential and professional manner. If you are in the ACT, contact the ACT Human Rights Commission email human rights@act.gov au and the website www.hrc.act.gov.au
3. Independent advice. You should get independent, professional advice.
4. There are a wide range of hearing aids out there. Finding the right hearing aids for your communication needs can be challenging. Hearing aids vary in price and performance. Bluetooth® connectivity and rechargeable hearing aids are available on most hearing aids, along with apps that allow you to control your hearing aids from your mobile device. Be aware that just because a hearing aid is more expensive, that doesn’t mean they are the best hearing aid for you.
5. Just as hearing aids vary in performance, clinicians may also vary in performance due to training, experience, and skills. Make sure that you are comfortable and confident in their advice. You are likely to be with this clinician for the life of your new hearing aids, typically 4 to 5
(a) Can you afford the more expensive hearing aids? Don’t go into financial stress if you can’t afford them. (b) Are you clear on the free vs partially subsidized features & benefits? Never believe someone who tells you the free hearings are not good or of poor performance, this is simply not true. (c) If you try the partially subsidized hearing aids and are not happy, then return them. Do not keep hearing aids because you think the failure is yours or that you will improve over time. If the hearing aids are not working for you in the trial period, then they will not work for you in a year or two.
7. If you have a complaint, then seek help. Your clinician should be able to help you through most of your needs. Sometimes, a problem may be beyond the expertise of even the best clinician. However, if you have a complaint there are things you can do. If
According to new data from Diabetes Australia, more than 90 per cent of people living with diabetes are anxious about the ris ing cost of living, and 75 per cent are worried that managing their diabetes will become unaffordable in the future.
Diabetes Australia is a national peak body to support people who are at risk of or living with diabetes.
“Diabetes Australia has been proudly supporting the com munity for decades and now, as pressure increases on people, our support is increasing, too,” says general manager health service operations in NSW and ACT, Natalie Smith.
“Worryingly, half of survey respondents said cost-of-living pressures were negatively impacting their ability to manage their diabetes, which includes attending GP appointments, undertaking pathology tests and purchasing syringes to administer insulin.
“We know that age is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, so seniors are disproportionately affected, compared to the rest of the population.
“We want a future where diabetes can do no harm and we
services including Home Care Packages,” she says.
“We recently launched Diabetes YOUnited – a free national membership program to provide trusted support and information.
“Everyone who joins the free service will have access to up-to-date information and education tools, personalised support, regular news and updates with expert insights and resources, as well as better connection and support from Australia’s largest diabetes community.”
Diabetes Australia, 19 Moore Street, Turner. Visit diabetesaustralia.com. au or call 1800 177055.
personal and transparent
consider contacting Community Services #1.”
Juliette says being based in Canberra gives Community Services #1 the distinct advantage of being able to provide a responsive and accessible service to people in the greater ACT area.
“One of the great benefits of providing a local service is that it gives our clients confidence with their support at home knowing that the people providing the support live right here in the local community,” she says.
Juliette says the team at Community Services #1 is dedicated to ensuring clients receive a more
“It is important to seek professional estate plan ning help in order to be clear about what you want – where you want your assets to go,” says director and founding partner of Capon and Hubert, Ken Hubert.
“Your initial thoughts on this subject may not take into account contingencies which may occur.
“It is so important to ensure that the wealth you worked for goes to the people you want to inherit.”
individualised experience, and that one of the key aims is to always ensure our clients feel and are confident with their support at home services.
“If you would like to know more, please reach out to one of our team members to find out how Community Services #1 can deliver an improved level of service,” says Juliette.
Community Services #1, 63 Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah. Call 02 6126 4700, or visit communityservices1.org
Ken says at Capon and Hubert, they always work through the client’s initial plans and thoughts, and ask questions to determine a clear path forward should different scenarios occur.
“Many people who come to us have thought about making a will and feel a sense of relief once this is completed,” he says.
“We also find that people who have been asked to be an executor have a much easier role when the will they are responsible for is clear, well thought out and has considered different scenarios.”
Life can produce circumstances where initial plans may not be
possible, says Ken, and clear details of intent for assets is necessary.
“A will greatly assists anyone who may be dealing with an estate for the first time and may be unsure how to proceed and the steps which must be taken to administer an estate,” he says.
“Having a will is caring for those who may need to carry out your wishes at a challenging and difficult time.”
Capon & Hubert Lawyers & Mediators, First Floor, 32-38 Townshend Street, Phillip. Call 6152 9203 or visit chsol.com.au
Early childhood education is a big step for any new parent… and their child. In this feature CityNews speaks with a couple of leading early education centres in Canberra that are open for enrolments.
designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning, says CEO Annie Bryce.
“We prepare children to be confident, lifelong learners, equipped for school and life,” she says.
“Catering to children from six weeks to school age, Edge combines modern facilities, dedicated educators, and thoughtfully curated programs to support every child’s development.”
Annie says each centre boasts expansive outdoor play areas equipped with bike tracks, climbing areas, sandpits, veggie gardens, running spaces and quiet retreats.
“These spaces encourage children to balance active play with moments of calm and reflection,” Annie says.
“Indoors, state-of-the-art classrooms are stocked with quality resources that nurture young minds through engaging STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) activities.
Annie says Edge has a commitment to sustainability
tices of bamboo nappies, wipes and green cleaning products.
“These efforts foster environmental awareness and responsibility from an early age,” she says.
In-house chefs prepare nutritious meals for the children.
“With a focus on fresh, wholesome ingredients, the menu offers variety and caters to all dietary needs, creating opportunities for communal dining and social interaction.”
Annie says Edge is committed to incorporating cultural learning in its environment.
“Children explore their connection to Country through engaging with native flora, Aboriginal artwork, and Dreamtime stories, deepening their understanding of Australia’s rich heritage,” she says.
“Edge Early Learning not only prepares children for school but also for a lifetime of success.”
Edge Early Learning, Higgins, Ngunnawal, and Charnwood. Visit edgeearlylearning.com.au
Finding quality day care in an educational, nurturing and supportive environment can be a scary step for parents, which is where LillyPilly comes in.
dedicated to providing high-quality care and education for children,” says owner Daniel Hall.
understand the vital role childcare plays in balancing a parent’s work and home life.”
ful, thoughtfully designed centres with inspiring play spaces where children can learn, grow and explore.
Daniel says LillyPilly not only caters to their children, but to their families as well.
LillyPilly Early Education Centre, 36 Mina Wylie Crescent, Gordon ACT. Call 5116 1714 or visit lillypillyeec.com.au
Spread across Canberra in multiple locations, Northside Community Service manages three early childhood centres.
“All Northside Centres operate under the National Quality Framework and are committed to supporting the early learning of young children through high-quality, play-based educational programs and professional practices in a safe and enjoyable environment,” says general manager of corporate services, Todd Everett.
“Our centres work with children from six weeks old to school-age and are open 51 weeks a year.”
Todd says each centre is committed to working closely with children and their families to support every child’s early learning and wellbeing.
the importance of all children’s birthright to quality early education and actively works within the local and national community to improve understanding and knowledge of issues affecting children and early childhood.”
According to Todd, early childhood education can change lives.
“We know that giving children a love of learning and supporting wellbeing at an early age can drastically improve the opportunities and lifelong outcomes for every child, and in turn, the whole community,” he says.
Northside Community Service, Dickson, Turner and
A place where your child will be loved like family and is at the heart of everything we do
At LillyPilly, we know family because we are family. It’s what sets us apart from other early learning centres and is one of the many things our parents and educators love about us.
LillyPilly Early Education Centre honours the unique individuality of each child, and recognises that sparking the child’s natural curiosity is the key to unlocking their full potential.
A creative ‘hands-on’ approach ensures the child’s natural curiosity is ignited, and ‘inquiry-based’ open-ended learning activities promote the development of critical thinking and reasoning skills, as the child becomes a motivated independent learner.
Services included:
• Nutritious meals, made in house
• Complimentary Grab & Go Breakfast
• Three-Year-Old Preschool Program Partner
• OWNA App
• Educational Curriculum
• Extended Opening Hours
• Engaging Incursions
• Children’s Birthday & Family Celebrations
By Jackie WARBURTON
a tough Mediterranean plant from the mint family that grows well in our
Called Phlomis fruticosa, its sage-like leathery leaves tick all the boxes for a drought-tolerant xerophytic plant that needs very little water and survives in my garden on neglect.
A long-lived shrub, it is unfazed by hot summers and flowers for many months of the year. Its bright yellow flowers are a magnet for bees.
There are new varieties that have
colours such as pinks, whites and even one called Lemon Blush. All these species are drought tolerant and are more compact than its counterpart.
To encourage growth and to keep compact, they require tip pruning after flowering. If the stems are brown/green in colour, they can be propagated to make new plants by putting them into a sandy potting mix, kept moist and in the shade until roots have formed.
Phlomis will grow well with other drought-tolerant plants such as succulents, blue fescue or even rosemary and once it is established, it should be set-and-forget to survive and fill a hot space in the garden at the same time.
NOW the spring bulbs have died
down there’s space for the bigger spring flowers such as Russell lupins, foxgloves and, for a splash of blue, add delphiniums.
Must-haves for any cottage garden, Russell lupins are unaffected by cold weather, which is when they do most of their growing, but need protection from the wind. They can be staked if need be. They like to be mulched and moist when flowering, and are delightful to see in a large garden en masse putting on a display for several weeks through to the end of spring.
Unfortunately, they are shortlived plants, around four years at best, but small tips can be removed when they’re young that can be propagated to make free plants to add to the garden and have flowering next season.
The colour varieties are huge and they also come in bi-colours. They can add height and interest in a garden where they take up vertical space and grow well against a small wall or path.
While the plants are young, they need protection from snails and slugs. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the base of the seedling to keep them at bay.
They grow well alongside other plants such as foxgloves and delphiniums as they like the same conditions and complement the same planting theme in a cottage garden. Foxgloves (Digitalis sp) are biennial plants, meaning they have a two-year growth cycle and the first year is roots and shoots, the second is power to flower, then they die. If the seed head is chopped early enough, it may increase the longevity of the plant, but the flower display will never be as good as its first year. So, a continual planting will get them blooming every year.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
• Trim box hedges before the weather gets too hot.
• Fertiliser succulents with tomato fertiliser.
• Continue to pick sweet peas to extend their season.
• Pull out weeds that are setting seed.
Palin ponders if he’s ‘too nice’ to be a great diarist?
COLIN STEELE
By Helen Musa
“Everybody needs to see an exhibition about Pompeii and apart from going to Pompeii itself, our exhibition is the next best thing,” says National Museum curator and Rome expert, Lily Withycombe.
We’re talking about the museum’s coming summer blockbuster, Pompeii: Inside a Lost City, likely to equal or outdo its previous hit, Discovering Ancient Egypt.
Withycombe, who took part in two archaeological digs at Pompeii when she was an undergraduate, is beyond excited.
The educational office at the NMA, she says, has already been bombarded with hundreds of calls from teachers, presumably because the very subject of the last days of Pompeii is “one of those iconic subjects”.
Based on an immersive exhibition first shown in 2020 at the Grand Palais in Paris, what we’ll see in Canberra is a development, supported by Parco Archaeologico di Pompei – PAP.
The exhibition picks up on huge excavations of a new area below Mount Vesuvius,
as well as stabilisation and conservation projects that have been going on for some time.
The Grand Palais exhibition, which featured only around 20 to 25 real objects, was made possible through a collaboration with multimedia teams that reconstructed impressions of the living Pompeii.
An audiovisual experience, it was very popular, but it happened in the middle of covid, and now the National Museum has had the chance to amplify it with the support of PAP, from whom they have borrowed about 90 objects.
You can expect to see wall frescoes 13 metres in length, exquisite tiny objects like
bronze tweezers, an oil lamp in the shape of a sandal, objects in gold, silver and bronze, cooking ware and fine art.
She is particularly excited that the exhibition will feature the gravestone of a slave – “we were determined to speak to class,” she says.
PAP really came good and have loaned copies made using laser scanning in 2000 from the casts of deceased Pompeiians in their final, excruciating moments.
Reminding me that the story of Pompeii belongs to the whole world so there are international dialogues about respect, Withycombe hastens to say that such confronting objects will be placed in an
Left, A bronze storage vessel with bits of volcanic rock stuck to it.
Far left, This very large fresco, two metres high and 3.5 metres long, of a garden scene on painted plaster 1st century CE. It was excavated from the House of the Golden Bracelet in 1975.
exclusive area so that visitors can decide whether to go in or not.
PAP, she says, are careful custodians who had to ensure that the National Museum’s approach was respectable and appropriate.
“We did our due diligence.”
The Canberra exhibition is a dual offering of objects and immersive experiences.
“I would say that the objects and the immersive features have equal weight,” she says.
“There are frescoes from 14 sites, including five very large frescoes and many objects from the House of Julius Polybius.
“There’s even a bronze storage vessel with a bit of volcanic rock stuck to it… and a lot of
great photos.
“We’ve chosen objects which show the diversity of life – we’ve read about the elite houses, but what about the shops or being in the taverns? We wanted to give insights into everyday life.”
The immersive part, she expects, will take us into Pompeii on the eve of eruption in 79CE, with large-scale projections that will make us feel as if we are in that world.
There’ll be four wall-to-ceiling displays and a moving image of Vesuvius, which fills the space.
“It’s quite the best aesthetic and makes the visitors feel like they’re there. It’s beautiful and shocking,” Withycombe says, reminding me that when in Pompeii, the volcano always looms, and it was always seen as a sacred site, so much so that buildings were laid out in alignment with it.
Recent DNA studies have shown that the victims were men and women, young and old, a full spread, so scholars really don’t know why some people stayed, but happily, she adds, most Pompeiians got out safely.
The multimedia component draws heavily on the 2018-2019 excavations of new areas of Pompeii but goes a step further, recreating the shadows of archaeologists to make you feel as if you’re actually on the dig, experiencing the excitement of excavation.
Pompeii: Inside a Lost City, National Museum of Australia, December 12-May 4.
NETFLIX’S blockbuster boxing bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson wasn’t the only fight many subscribers had to endure.
Thousands who tuned in to watch the highly promoted live event were forced to battle with buffering, freezing and sound issues as the streaming platform’s servers were hit hard.
More than 60 million households around the world were watching, peaking at 65 million.
Considering that Netflix has around 280 million subscribers globally it is a huge statistic and a big deal for the platform.
YouTube star Jake Paul himself reckons the fight has “broken every viewership record for boxing since the advent of cable”.
But for many the action of the ring was reduced to an infuriating loading screen as the stream buckled.
As the two fighters entered, viewers were outraged to cop Netflix’s infamous glowing red circle with 99 per cent stuck in the middle of it.
Subscribers flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to vent their frustration.
Some described it as “absolutely
horrendous”, others said “unwatchable”, one particularly apt description said watching the fight was like “trying to push a golf ball through a hose”.
Those who were brave enough to try calling Netflix’s support line said the wait was going to be more than three hours to speak to someone.
The fight itself, as many who watched will know, was rather underwhelming, too.
The consensus on it seems to have
The word that I would use to describe Paranormal, a lively hybrid bottle-shopbar and eatery in Campbell, is sprauncy, meaning smart or showy in appearance.
That’s not just the architecture but the placement opposite an urban park that adds light and colour to the view. There’s substance not just show to this place, too, with great knowledgeable service and good bar snacks, the lamb sausage with peach ketchup a standout.
A mate who lives in Campbell had oft sung its praises especially the wine knowledge of the staff but it was only when a morning email announced that the place would be “taken over” by winemakers from Mighty Isle and Adlib that I got out of my chair, ordered an Uber and visited late on a Friday afternoon.
It’s walk-ins only and the place was nearly full at 5.15pm with people spilling out on to the terrace where Guy PalmerBrown and James Hopkins had set up a long table for the tasting of their wines.
I looked across the terrace and my presence probably increased the average age of the patrons by a couple of decades. There were many people present who were young and attractive: the thought passed my mind that the next time I’m going to have a smoking hot body is, I reckon, when I’m cremated.
Guy’s label is Mighty Isle, a reference to his British heritage. And James’ label, Adlib, is a reference to his improvised approach to the craft of winemaking.
They share a “tiny” shed at the most southwest edge of the McLaren Vale in SA and have a similar philosophy of winemaking: low intervention, while stepping away from the traditional big bold alcoholic wines.
James made it clear that the shared philosophy is grounded in upholding
up an old man for a cash grab.
The premise was genius though. By putting Tyson, the legendary former heavyweight champion of the world, against a modern internet sensation, the event was able to capitalise massively on two very different generations who were eager to watch.
Even those not into boxing tuned in just to see what the fuss was about.
Regardless of the overall reception,
tal winemaking because this wine had a supple fruity flavour that you could drink all day. Very different but very good.
James also produces a chilled red, the Drinky – a blend of Cinsault (70 per cent) and Mourvèdre (30 per cent), reminiscent of a Rhone blend, the first that gives a nod to this part of France.
This wine was pleasant, good for a picnic on a hot day, with just a hint of sour cherry that is frequently found in Cinsault-based wines.
My favourite of the seven wines on offer was their Adlib and Mighty Isle collaborative,True.
This is a blend of pinot noir and shiraz, a barrel from each winemaker, deliberately made as an homage to the Hunter Valley where the name Hermitage can no longer be used as it signifies wine made in the Rhone Valley and the French, decades ago, asserted their right to the use of the nomenclature.
The name True is printed on a blue label, a good Aussie reference. A large Yorkshireman, who was tasting at the same time as my mate and I, appeared to be having an out-of-body experience but he nicely summed up what we were feeling about this mouth-filling wine. “Proper champion,” he said, as he raised his glass.
the event is a huge win for Netflix and has offered a glimpse of what the future of major sporting events could look like.
Between the rounds of the big fight the platform was wasting no time in plugging the fact they’ll be streaming other sporting matches like the NFL in the coming months.
They’ve also made a deal with the hugely popular WWE franchise, buying the rights to stream the wrestling competition next year for around $5 billion.
The event also included an appearance from the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
It’s no coincidence they were recently the subject of a major Netflix documentary that hit the top of the website’s charts.
All of this makes it clear the streaming giant is determined to break into more sports and live events, but if this fight was anything to go by, right now they just aren’t ready for the sort of demand that will be generated.
Amusingly, even Jake Paul himself acknowledged the issues, posting that the fight “crashed the site”. Netflix probably
wasn’t too happy about that.
Putting all the issues aside, the actual presentation of the event itself was pretty slick. Netflix’s graphics, scoreboards and overall design were impressive.
And if the platform can get its connection issues sorted, this could mark a big win for consumers as well. Usually fights like these operate on a pay per view basis (PPV), meaning viewers have to shell out around $50 to $100 to watch them.
To have major events like this included in a streaming subscription is a good deal and is set to shake up the way they’re watched globally.
It might have been a very rough start, but it’s undeniable this event has set a big precedent for global sporting events to come.
If this is supposed to be the future though, Netflix better step up its game.
The second you enter Tiger Lane precinct you’re surrounded by bright neon lights, bold colourful signage and cool music.
In the centre is a massive, central bar and scattered here, there and everywhere are food outlets, including hawker-style eateries. Tiger Lane – Canberra’s Pan-Asian dining precinct – is all action and fun.
We headed in on a Monday night to graze our way through Chinese, Japanese and Cantonese dishes.
At Tiger Lane, you can order your own full meal or adopt our approach, which was to share dishes so we could eat together. We first wandered through the lane to get a feel for our eatery options and then ordered a bottle of Alpine Road pinot grigio from Gapsted Estate Wines, Victoria, a lovely drop ($42.76).
Our food adventure started at Inari Express with the amazing gyoza piping hot (six pieces for $10.90). These super moist Japanese dumplings were packed with finely minced pork and spring onion. The dough had just the right “bite” and wasn’t too thin or too thick. We dipped them into salty soy sauce.
We’re massive duck fans and so made a beeline for Lucky Duck BBQ. Our half-duck and two serves of pancakes were $39 and came with everything needed to “make your own”. The duck was succulent and bold with flavour. The pancakes were soft and amazingly thin. As usual, slices of cucumber added crunch, and the hoisin sauce was savoury, sweet and smoky.
Steamed dumplings were next on our foodie adventure, from Golden Panda. Sensational were the crystal skin prawn dumplings (six for $15.90). They were juicy and flavourful with the prawn meat carefully wrapped in slightly translucent (“crystal”)
dumpling skins.
Also from Golden Panda, we ordered Shanghai soup dumplings, a first try for a couple in our group (six for $15.90). These little gems have hot and slightly salty soup inside, although some weren’t as soupy as we would have liked.
Still a wee bit peckish (hard to believe, I know), we found ourselves back at Inari Express for an eel skewer ($9.90) and chicken skewer ($6.90) to share. The eel was wonderful. Melt-in-the-mouth and great with the Yakitori sauce. The chicken was tender and also great with the sauce.
Also from Inari Express we ordered tempura. It wasn’t our fave dish of the evening… the batter wasn’t as light and crispy as we expected. It was a generous serve for (19.90), however, and covered all the bases with prawn, sweet potato, pumpkin, eggplant, and okura (okra). The renkon (lotus root) chips were fun.
We were getting pretty stuffed, so we gave other hawker-style eateries a miss – Blowfish (sushi), Sticky Beak (fried chicken) and Supalove (Thai). Another time, for sure…
By Helen Musa
Charles Dickens is often credited with having invented Christmas as we now know it, so news that the Canberra Theatre’s next big production, Jack Maggs, is based on Dickens may have patrons quivering with pre-Yuletide excitement.
This is no turkey-and-plum-pudding romp, but rather a reworking of Great Expectations through the eyes of novelist Peter Carey and playwright Samuel Adamson, now staged by the State Theatre Company South Australia.
Jack Maggs is not a name familiar to many readers, but he’s actually Carey’s version of Magwitch, the enigmatic convict benefactor to the original novel’s hero, Pip.
The production by the company’s former artistic director, Geordie Brookman, will be one full of moving parts in an endless kaleidoscope of scenes from both the colonies and the old country.
for it.”
When I catch up with Mark Saturno, who plays Maggs, I find that there are three levels to the show – Dickens, Carey and Adamson.
“Peter Carey wanted to reclaim the conventional story from the time when convicts weren’t seen as people, were transported, never to be heard of again with nobody caring what happened to them – atrocious,” Saturno says.
“He wanted to write this as a post-colonial
He wanted to give Magwitch/Maggs a backstory showing him going back to London in search of an identity as an Englishman.
His path is not easy, strewn with many obstacles to thwart him, including the fact that when he returns from Australia, he finds London is a completely different place.
“It’s one thing to adapt a classic Dickens novel,” Saturno tells me, “but it’s something quite different to create something new as Carey has done.
“Jack is different from Magwitch, who in Dickens is a sketchy figure of mystery just there to propel Pip’s story.
Adamson has gone about bringing Carey’s novel to life, making it tangible – I guess that’s what theatre does.”
Dickens fans will recall how Pip was disgusted and ashamed when first he found the funds that were supporting him were in fact dirty convict money, as time goes on, he becomes more sympathetic, so when Magwitch is arrested, Pip vows: “I will never stir from your side.”
But it’s not Dickens’ Pip we meet in the play; it’s rather Carey’s reimagined character, now called Henry Phipps.
Despite Jack’s very odd (in the play) strategies to track him down, Phipps just
Jack, to ignore his existence and certainly not meet him face-to-face.
With the money, he’s been living the life of Reilly, a horrible character, Saturno says.
Mind you, he says, there are some beautiful scenes with Phipps, who is played by Rachel Burke as a dandy.
The play gives us the inside story of Magwitch/Jack, who appears initially as a sinister enigma. He’s back illegally, so around every corner lies danger if he gets recognised and it’s essential that he keep his identity under a lock and key.
Carey has built up the story around him, so that Jack Maggs is shown to have been,
as a baby, adopted by criminals and trained to be a pickpocket under the tutelage of an Artful Dodger. After transportation, he was pardoned, started a new life in NSW and became successful.
But all the while, Saturno says, the thing that has kept him going is the idea of this orphan, Henry Phipps.
“He’s been living vicariously through the child, giving him the upbringing that he never had… Although at first he’s quite scary, you can’t help but fall in love with this product of Hard Times.”
Saturno is just about to tell me that we’ll just have to be at the theatre to see what happens, but he gives in: “I will say that the end of the play is quite positive.”
He explains that Adamson has adapted the novel to be a play within a play, where a bunch of actors retell what happens.
He starts from the point that Dickensian London was a hard place, so he gives it a kind of Steampunk treatment, stitching the plot together with big, striking visuals and recreating different locations on wheels, to be shifted by the cast. The notorious fog of London in the 1830s plays a part and people wear top hats.
It has occurred to Saturno that there’s something serendipitous about the play coming to Canberra in December.
“There is even a Christmas scene in it,” he says.
You can bet it’s one very different from those in A Christmas Carol.
Jack Maggs, The Playhouse, December 5-7.
Michael Palin’s There and Back: Diaries 1999-2009 (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, $36.99) is the fourth in his series of Decade diaries.
Palin once reflected that a good diary should be, “rich, well-observed, gossipy, analytical, funny, introspective, bitter and celebratory”.
Certainly all these elements are covered in more than 500 closely printed pages of a book dedicated to his wife Helen, who died in May 2023.
Looking back on 1999-2009, he reflects, “our last child leaves home… it’s a holistic look at 11 years of my life”.
Palin was unsure as to his creative future, “I wanted to go back to acting and writing… But I ended up being tempted back to globetrotting and in the end made a number of TV journeys”.
Those journeys resulted in not only successful TV series, but also the best-selling books on Hemingway, Sahara, Himalaya and New Europe.
Globally he says: “We think it was a quiet time. But of course, there was 9/11, 7/7… and the war in Iraq”.
Palin juxtaposes his reactions to these with the mundanity of home life, literary and charity events and the vagaries of the English weather.
There are, of course, many diary entries about his fellow Monty Python members, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, living in England, and John Cleese and Eric Idle living in America.
if he’s ‘too nice’ to be a great diarist?
Idle, as ever, the keeper of the Python purse, eventually gets them all to agree to the production of Spamalot. Cleese needs the money to fund his numerous divorces, while Jones, who died in 2020, faces similar problems after he leaves his wife for a Swedish student whom he met at an Oxford book signing.
Palin reflects: “The more I see of the process of destroying one life and setting up another, the more it confirms me in my own ways, and makes me feel ten times more fortunate.”
And on the financial side: “From what I’ve observed, the more money you have, the more is expected of you.”
Palin is often self-critical and anxious. He reads every review of his work, even the
most negative. He reflects: “I’ve always done everything to avoid confrontation” and that perhaps he is “too nice to be a great diarist”. He documents his numerous friendships, especially with David Attenborough, Allan Bennett and the late Barry Cryer. Good friends die, notably George Harrison, who told him “the farther one travels the less one knows”.
Queen Elizabeth famously used to say to those she met on official occasions, “have you come far?”. Palin recalls how both Prince Philip and Charles greeted him with the same phrase: “What are you doing here?” We now certainly know from his diaries what Palin was doing in the decade from 1999.
MY Animals and Other Animals – a memoir of sorts (Quercus $34.95) by Bill Bailey,
comedian, musician, actor and TV presenter, is not a conventional memoir, but rather a zany account, seen through a lifetime’s interactions with birds and animals.
Bailey has said his home “started out with a rabbit and now we’ve got all sorts… The only thing this place is missing is a turnstile and a gift shop”. Currently, Bailey’s west London home contains a family of armadillos, Tommy and Pamela, and their offspring Dylan, who resemble “robot carpet cleaners”, three dogs, cockatoos, lizards, tree frogs, a couple of pheasants, an entourage, however, that has
been significantly reduced.
Bailey reflects: “We even had a giant chicken at the house for a while, a huge Malay cockerel, Kid Creole. After a few stand-offs he took against me. He had to go in the end, I was being stalked in my own back garden”.
The other downside was when Kid Creole discovered his crow, “he just wouldn’t shut up then” which didn’t go down well… A cockerel crowing at first light in a flat in west London? This is going to be a problem”.
Bailey has had some extraordinary encounters around the world, including swimming alongside a dwarf minke whale off the coast of Australia, cradling the head of a Jaguar in Brazil and holding the paw of a sun bear in India.
His memoir, with black-and-white illustrations by Bailey himself, is underpinned by a love of the natural world and how animals connect people to it and provide companionship.
Bailey shows how animals can “teach us lessons about loyalty and responsibility, and even loss”, as they don’t live very long. A warm, humorous and engaging memoir.
Dan Russell, the artistic director of Canberra’s Phoenix Collective, is back from his London quest to find a violin after his previous instrument was irreparably damaged in an accident. After playing 120 violins, he settled on a c1730 CA Testore from Milan. In news almost as good, it’s been announced that Phoenix will make its Sydney Opera House debut in March.
Inspired by Lidia Thorpe’s mixup over “heirs” and “hairs”, Shortis & Simpson will present an evening of political satire, The Hair and the Shortis, looking over the highs and lows of 2024. Smith’s Alternative, December 7.
The National Gallery of Australia will turn the spotlight on two artists, Ethel Carrick and Anne Dangar in a summer double bill of retrospectives celebrating the work of women artists to enhance understanding of their contribution to Australia’s cultural life. NGA, December 7-April 27.
Russell, left, performs with his c1730 CA Testore
Milan.
Canberra writer Marilyn Chalkley has won the SD Harvey award for a crime fiction story set on the far south coast of NSW. The story, After Hobbema, features census-taker Lotte, who gets more than she bargains for when tracking people. Chalkley is a former ABC and print journalist and pastry chef who now works for the Canberra International Music Festival.
Music abounds in the preChristmas season, including:
• Magnify, Canberra Community Chorale under the direction of Olivia Swift, Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, December 1.
The National Capital Orchestra’s Symphonie Fantastique with Canberra violist Alina Zamfir, Snow Concert Hall, December 1.
• Australian Haydn Ensemble’s Haydn’s Passion, music by Mozart and Haydn, Gandel Hall, National Gallery of Australia, December 2.
• Llewellyn Choir’s Krismas! Peace to the World!, Holy Cross Anglican Church in Hackett, December 7.
Smith’s@Belco features Glorious! A Handel Celebration, where countertenor and host Tobias Cole, along with his Salon players and pantomimist Marcel Cole, perform. Belconnen Arts Centre, December 7.
By Joanne Madeline Moore
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
With the Sun, Mercury and Mars shining in fellow fire signs, you’re in Ram freedom-bunny mode! Plus, indulgent Venus and restless Uranus rev up your extravagant, spontaneous side, so you’re in the mood to shop up a storm. But –with Mercury in retro mode – big spending now could lead to big regrets later on. You could also receive confusing information about a relative, friend or neighbour. Do some stringent fact checking and be extra patient.
TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)
Intuition and creativity are highlighted this week, as Venus (your power planet) links up with mystical, magical Neptune. But expect some frustrations and restrictions along the way, as Mercury reverses through one of your finance zones. Clever Bulls will be extra patient and disciplined – especially involving money, budgeting and business matters. Things should improve at work, as Venus transits through your career zone from Saturday until January 3.
GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)
This week Mercury (your patron planet) and the Sun highlight romance, marriage, friendship, business partnerships and joint ventures as you mix and mingle with a wide range of people. But with Mercury retrograde until December 15-16, be careful how you communicate with family, friends and work colleagues. Otherwise, you could come across as being careless, restless and superficial. Strive to be extra patient, disciplined and diplomatic.
CANCER (June 22 – July 23)
Have you been wasting time worrying and procrastinating? The Sun and retro Mercury link up in your job zone, so you need to reboot your daily routine and be flexible as you plan your future career path. If you are patient and have the confidence to listen to your wise inner voice, then you’ll be one step ahead of the professional pack! Creativity can also take you places at work. Use positive affirmations and active imagination to transition to the next level.
LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)
The focus is on friends, as the Sun and retrograde Mercury move through your friendship zone. But don’t let your peer group influence you too much. The planets encourage being your own person and doing your own thing. So, your motto for the week is from birthday great, singer-songwriter Jim Morrison: “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” Creativity is high mid-week, but don’t let your tendency to gossip come between you and others.
VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
Mercury (your patron planet) is retrograde until December 15-16, so communication and travel will be affected, especially involving family and work. Expect some of the following - dodgy deadlines, delays, disruptions, mix-ups, misunderstandings, back-flips and breakdowns, reversals and recalls. However, Mercury retrograde IS a good time to do things with an ‘re’ in front of them… revise, rehearse, review, remember, reboot, return, recover and reconnect.
LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
Some Librans will feel listless and restless, but holidays and adventures could be thin on the ground as retro Mercury opposes Jupiter (in your travel zones) which could frustrate holiday plans and slow things down. Don’t despair! Have fun closer to home and plan to explore further afield after Mercury turns direct on December 15-16. Be patient and keep your options open. Midweek is a creative and intuitive time when Venus forms a lovely link with Neptune.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
With Venus in your communication zone until Saturday, you’re in the mood for stimulating conversations with a wide range of interesting, compatible people within your extended peer group. However, Mercury is retrograde and Pluto (your ruling planet) hooks up with Venus, so relationships will be bumpy and very intense, especially with relatives and housemates. Smart Scorpios will slow down and concentrate on cooperating and compromising.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
The Sun and retrograde Mercury are visiting your sign (and opposing your ruler Jupiter) so you’re in restless, reckless, adventurous, freedom-loving mode. Limiting rules, regulations and restrictions won’t be welcome! But slow down, otherwise you could be involved in a misunderstanding, argument or accident. Inspiring quote is from singer-songwriter (and birthday great) Jim Morrison: “The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are.”
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
Venus is visiting your sign for most of the week, which is great for charming others and attracting luck. Which you’ll need in spades because Saturn (your ruling planet) squares the Sun and retrograde Mercury, so it will be a stop/start, one step forwards/two steps back kind of week. If you’re a clever Capricorn, you’ll calibrate your plans, expectations, and energy levels accordingly, especially involving communication, education and your local community.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
The courageous Sun and creative Mercury are visiting your hopes and wishes zone. So, it’s important to dream a dream, turn it into a goal, and then make it happen. But Mercury is in retrograde mode, so you’ll have to be patient. Your motto is from birthday great Walt Disney (who was born on December 5, 1901): “All your dreams can come true, if you have the courage to pursue them.” Venus shifts into Aquarius on Saturday, which is good for love and luck.
PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
Mercury is reversing through your career zone (until December 15-16) so be extra patient and diligent at work. The more you help others, the more positive and productive you’ll feel. With Venus visiting your networking zone (until Saturday) it’s also time to communicate and connect with family, friends, colleagues, clients and/or customers. You have the ability to influence people in positive ways, as you employ encouragement and praise to get others on-side.
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2024
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Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT.
In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.
Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by Winnunga AHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles.
Our services include:
• GP and Nursing
• Midwifery
• Immunisations
• Health Checks
• Men’s & Women’s Health
• Hearing Health
• Dental
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Dietician (Nutrition)
• Counselling
• Diabetes Clinic
• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah
• Needle Syringe Program
• Mental Health Support
• Healthy Weight Program
• Healthy Cooking Group
• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health
• Optometry Service
• Psychology and Psychiatrist
• Community Events
• Groups
Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services.
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Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah www.winnunga.org.au
