NATIONAL TRUST
NATIONAL TRUST
MAGAZINE
NSW
Autumn Edition February - april 2015
amazing stories, every moment
in this issue | National Trust celebrates 70 years | Cliefden Caves threatened | PM visits Tenterfield School of Arts | Anzacs commemorated at the S.H. Ervin Gallery | Trust Properties, events, merchandise and more
FROM THE CEO
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Brian Scarsbrick AM
Ian Carroll OAM The start of 2015 sees the National Trust celebrate its 70th birthday in New South Wales. It is a time to reflect on the strength of the Trust voice which has saved so much irreplaceable heritage of all kinds. It is also marked by the continued need for the Trust to campaign strongly, highlighted by a number of current issues which have the potential to change irreversibly the character and integrity of urban, regional and environmental heritage.
The recent rush to enhance Sydney’s ‘global’ status has seen the re-development of Barangaroo on the harbourside of the CBD at a pace which has totally disregarded the built, cultural and environmental significance of the site. We have had some wins at Barangaroo; in challenging the in-harbour siting of a major hotel, arguing for the retention of the deepwater berth and for the establishment of museum or gallery to commemorate the Indigenous history of the site. But irreplaceable industrial heritage has been razed, representative of the stories of how this city has evolved. Now we see a similar disregard by government and developers for Millers Point on the opposite side of the Harbour. We believe that preservation of the built and cultural history of this precinct has far greater and longer term value to the city and, indeed, the nation, than the short term gains to be had from privatisation. This is the equivalent to our city of the heritage areas one finds in European towns and cities; protected from structural and cultural change and valued by all who live in them and visit. We continue to press our point strongly to NSW Government Ministers as we aim for a solution which balances economic reality with the preservation of our cultural soul. The Trust has been saddened by the recent deaths of two of our most stalwart supporters over many decades. Mrs Mabel Wyatt, daughter-in-law to Trust Founder Annie Wyatt, was the quintessential quiet achiever. Unsung, but constant. James (Jim) Kerr gave the Trust unstinting support and the benefit of his exemplary knowledge and commitment which culminated in his being made an Honorary Member of ICOMOS at the 17th General Assembly in Paris, one of only a few Australians to receive this honour. Our next issue of the magazine will pay tribute to both these supporters of the Trust who did so much for heritage, albeit in different ways.
TRUST ACTION By Graham Quint
This year the National Trust in New South Wales celebrates 70 years since its inception, the first National Trust in what has become an Australia-wide movement dedicated to the protection of heritage of all kinds. Our not-for profit status gives us the independence which is imperative for the effectiveness of our advocacy work. It also means that we are very dependent on our members, volunteers and the wider community to support our commitments, which include the conservation and maintenance of highly significant places and collections. That we have weathered much change and economic turbulence over the years, including the recent global financial crisis, and achieved so much is a wonderful tribute to the countless individuals and communities who have worked with us over the decades. Sadly it has not been possible to save everything we have fought for, but so much irreplaceable heritage of all kinds survives as a result of National Trust action. This issue of the magazine looks back to landmark advocacy campaigns over the years, and the acquisition of significant properties and collections which, as a result, can now be enjoyed by everyone. It also addresses some of the issues of concern to the Trust today. Paramount among current threats to heritage is the decision by the NSW Government to sell historic properties in Millers Point and The Rocks, and the threat of inappropriate development in historic Parramatta, but there are many more. More information is included in Trust Action on page 3. The year 2015 also marks the 200th anniversary of the building which has been the National Trust Centre since Ivor Wyatt, son of founder Annie Wyatt, and Samuel H Ervin secured its lease from the NSW Government in 1975. Starting life in 1815 as Governor Macquarie’s Military Hospital, the building is one of Australia’s oldest. Its long history, including many years as Fort Street Public School, will be celebrated in July this year. Our National Trust has been, and will continue to be vital to Australian heritage. Challenges are changing at an ever-increasing pace and we too are evolving to ensure we have the skills and resources to deal with them. I thank you for your support, and hope you will join with us in this year of celebration.
Doubtless the future will hold more, and differing, challenges for the Trust. The pride we can all feel of being part of the Trust and its continuum will stand us in good strength. Salud, National Trust!
Millers Point The National Trust’s concerns regarding the future of Millers Point and The Rocks have deepened as Government plans to sell off historic properties in the area proceed. The Trust is arguing that only 99 year leases, with associated bonds and strict planning provisions, can properly protect this area. Jack Mundey’s BLF Green Bans saved this area in the 1970s but development pressures are again mounting unchecked and heritage protections can be switched off under present legislative provisions. Other cities such as Paris, Prague, Warsaw and Barcelona can maintain their historic quarters and old towns as tourism magnets and vital links with their past. The Trust again calls on the Government to rethink its actions in Millers Point and The Rocks.
Sirius Building, the Rocks Speaking at a National Trust function in the S.H. Ervin Gallery
The National Trust of Australia (New South Wales) Watson Road, Observatory Hill, Millers Point, Sydney 2000 GPO Box 515, Sydney 2001 P - 02 9258 0123 F - 02 9251 1110. www.nationaltrust.org.au/nsw President: Ian Carroll OAM CEO: Brian Scarsbrick AM
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The NSW National Trust Magazine is published by the National Trust of Australia (NSW) in February, May, August and November. Published articles reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Trust. Editor | Angela le Sueur Designer | Eleni Berdoukas
A report to the NSW Heritage Council had listed a number of late-Twentieth Century buildings of heritage significance worthy of Listing on the State Heritage Register. The National Trust has now nominated one of those buildings, the Sirius Building in The Rocks for listing on the State Heritage Register. This building was purpose built to house residents displaced when parts of The Rocks were developed and the Green Bans were lifted conditional on the construction of this building to house those residents.
Editorial Committee | Brian Scarsbrick AM, Angela le Sueur, Anne Weinman
Parramatta Development Pressures
Cover Image | Spectacular stalactites in the Cliefden Caves (photo: Kevin Moore)
In 2013 the National Trust opposed the development
of towers to 185 metres in height in an area zoned for 80 metre buildings in Church Street, Parramatta on the river’s edge. At the time, the Trust was assured that the height of these buildings would not set a precedent for new development closer to the Parramatta Park/Old Government House World Heritage Area. Now a new development proposal in O’Connell Street, directly opposite Parramatta Park and Old Government House, is seeking approval for a 120 metre tower in an area zoned for buildings up to 18 metres in height. For this development and others in the western edge of the Parramatta CBD, developers are citing the precedent of the Church Street tower. National Trust concerns have also been put to a Joint Regional Planning Panel hearing on the $30M RSL Club development on land formerly part of Parramatta Park. The Trust has also released its ‘Vision for North Parramatta’ which gives priority to the recognition, conservation and interpretation of heritage, parkland and open space.
Rural Fire Service 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Code of Practice In a submission to the NSW Rural Fire Service, the National Trust has called for an independent inquiry into the 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Code of Practice, which allows people to circumvent Tree Preservation Orders and Endangered Species Legislation to remove large trees on their properties where Council Development Approval would have been required. This procedure, legislated by the NSW Parliament,
has the potential to severely degrade the treed character of many Sydney Suburbs and impact severely on wildlife conservation. Evidence provided to the Trust confirms that trees which pose no arguable fire risk are being removed to create views and improve development potential.
Cliefden Caves, Mandurama The National Trust has listed on its Register and nominated for listing on the State Heritage Register ‘Cliefden Caves’ at Mandurama, which are threatened by ‘The Needles’ dam proposal on the Belubula River. The Trust is supported in the nomination by the Linnean Society of NSW and the Australian Federation of Speleologists. The Trust believes that the caves are also of National Significance.
Newcastle Historic CBD and proposed rail line closure The Trust has put in a submission to the Legislative Council Select Committee on the Planning Process in Newcastle and the Broader Hunter Region expressing its opposition to the proposed rail line closure in Newcastle and concerns at development proposals in the historic CBD. Graham Quint, Director, Advocacy National Trust NSW
image | Sirius Building
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Opinion The Cliefden Caves – Dam threatens to drown geoheritage By Bruce Welch & Dr Armstrong Osborne The passing of Gough Whitlam was a reminder of the wonderful initiative of his government in creating the Australian Heritage Commission in 1975. During the life of this commission it placed some 13000 items on the Register of the National Estate. The Cliefden Caves and Needles Gap Areas were added to this register in 1987. Unfortunately commonwealth environmental protection has been wound back and to a great extent has devolved to the states. While many items were given heritage protection in NSW, others were not. The Cliefden Caves and Needles Gap Areas were among those listings that slipped through the cracks. These areas were originally nominated by the Geological Society of Australia for their geoheritage values including the limestone deposit, the fossils, the warm spring, the travertine deposits, the Needles Gorge and the caves. The listing indicated that the major potential threat posed was the long-standing plan to dam the Belubula River. How sad, how neglectful, how outrageous it is that the state government failed to recognise and protect such a significant item of our natural heritage. This limestone deposit was first described by surveyor George Evans in 1815, only two years after the crossing of the Blue Mountains. It was the first discovery of limestone in inland Australia and was subsequently described by John Oxley in his Journal. It is not known when caves were first discovered at Cliefden, however as the first landholdings were taken up over the area in 1832 it is probable that the more obvious cave entrances were noted soon after. By the early 1870s a number of caves were well known to settlers in the district and by the 1880s visitors were being guided through some of the caves by Hosie family members from the Carlton property. C S Wilkinson, NSW government geological surveyor, visited and reported on the area in 1876 (The Australian Town and Country Journal). In his report he described the thermal spring on the banks of the Belubula River, which he claimed issued at the rate of 700 gallons per minute at 88o Fahrenheit. He stated that, ‘This spring is said to have been running in the same manner ever since it was discovered, more than thirty years ago’. Oliver Trickett, cave surveyor to the NSW government, visited the area in 1909 and described the fossils at Fossil Hill. He also expressed the opinion that the caves were well worth preserving. Subsequent work on the fossils at Cliefden has resulted in over 62 scientific papers describing 263 species. Of these, 101 species are unique to the area which is threatened by flooding. One fossil, Belubula spectacula, occurs nowhere else in the world; the genus is only recognized in two places – Cliefden Caves and Zhuhuia in south China – which
in itself provides critical evidence of plate tectonic movement when these areas in the Ordovician Period were situated considerably closer than today.
built on the Belubula River. The beauty of some of these caves rivals those of Jenolan with spectacular stalactites, stalagmites, columns and helictites (gravity defying crystal formations). Some of the caves contain In terms of modern biological conservation, the rare blue stalactites. The caves have not been open known fossil specimens of Belubula spectacula to the public because they are on private land, are (about 20 individuals at most) can be argued to be difficult to access, and have been preserved for speleequivalent in scientific importance to the discovery of the Wollemi Pine. No one would consider flooding ological and scientific study. All the larger caves are gated and locked. the gorge in the Wollemi National Park containing An Aboriginal skeleton has been discovered in one the only wild stand of Wollemia nobilis. It is only because the politicians and their advisors are unaware cave and further work is required to ascertain the extent of Aboriginal use of the caves and the area. of the palaeontological riches of the Cliefden Caves area that they contemplate such a fate for the unique Although it is known that the ecologically vulnerafossils of the Belubula River valley. The area also ble Eastern Bentwing bat (Miniopterus schreibersii contains the world’s oldest known in situ fossil oceanensis) and the Eastern Horseshoe bat (RhinolBrachiopod shell beds and the world’s earliest fossophus megaphyllus) use the caves at Cliefden, little ilised rugose corals. scientific study has been undertaken. Recent scientific There are now some 100 caves known in the area, most of which would be inundated if a dam were
The campaign to save the Belubula, the caves, the fossils, the warm spring, the bats, and all the other special natural resources will be a long one. The National Trust NSW has done a praiseworthy job in not only listing the Cliefden area on the National Trust Register, but also submitting a nomination to the Heritage Council of NSW for the Cliefden area to be listed as an item on the State Heritage Register. Dr Armstrong Osborne MSc PhD DipEd is Associate Professor, Science Education, University of Sydney. Bruce Welch is the spokesperson for the Save Cliefden Caves Association.
investigations funded through the Karst Conservation Fund of the Australian Speleological Federation point to a much more extensive habitation of these caves than previously thought. As these bats are insectivorous and large colonies can consume tonnes of insects every night, they are very important in keeping insect pests down in agricultural areas. Again, because of poor funding by government, only preliminary studies have been carried out on the flora and fauna of the area. Proposals to build a dam at the Needles Gap – Cranky Rock area on the Belubula River were rejected over 40 years ago, yet they have resurfaced with politicians using the emotive term ‘water security’. There is a push for an increase in mining (in this area gold, silver, lead & copper). What proponents of the plan fail to realise is that there is no more water, that the rivers, particularly the Belubula, are already stressed, and that building dams is not the way to solve the problems of a drier climate and increased population. As many people around the world are doing, Australians must continue to strive for smart and efficient use of scarce water resources.
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opposite page left | Stalactites and stalagmites in Cliefden Caves (photo: Phil Maynard) centre | Helictites in Cliefden Caves (photo: Tomas Wilson) this page top | 1830s ruins surrounded by rich farming land on the banks of the Belubula River (photo: Bruce Welch) this page bottom | Horseshoe Bat in Cliefden Caves (photo: Gary Whitby)
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National Trust celebrates its 70th anniversary! By Angela le Sueur
2015 is a landmark year for the National Trust of Australia (NSW) which celebrates 70 years since its foundation on 6 April 1945. This was the start of the National Trust movement throughout Australia, followed over the next few decades by the formation of Trusts in all states and territories. All are dedicated to the protection of Australia’s built, environmental and cultural heritage, so that it can be enjoyed and add dimension to our lives into the future.
She understood the importance of establishing an organisation free of government intervention, but ratified by an Act of Parliament, to confer the strength needed to combat the forces of the times.
So much has been said and written over the years about the tenacity and vision of Annie Wyatt (18851961) whose determination to preserve natural and man-made sites of beauty or historical significance attracted the support needed to establish a National Trust in Australia in 1945 and take it from strength to strength. It all started in the 1940s when Annie saw the need to act to galvanise the community to prevent the wanton erosion of Sydney’s northern bushland and the destruction of grand colonial edifices in Macquarie Street in the name of progress.
The 70th anniversary of the NSW National Trust is testimony to the relevance of the Trust movement, but heightens awareness of the need to identify incipient change and stay ahead of evolving conditions and expectations. In accordance with the Trust’s commitment to preserving shared memories and stories as a foundation for the future, we can indulge ourselves this year with a look at a fragment of the landmark achievements of the National Trust and the people who shared its vision and fought for, and with it.
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And it was done. The National Trust has long been Australia’s strongest community based, conservation organisation, maintaining an independent voice with the support of its members, volunteers, business and the wider community.
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1940s
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The Trust campaigned for years to save Macquarie Street’s The Mint, Hyde Park Barracks, St James’ Church and Parliament House from demolition
Montague Island was placed under the care of the Trust until 1990 when it was declared a nature reserve. Historic Norfolk Island buildings were protected and a long running campaign started to protect wetlands and save the Kurnell sand dunes from industrial development
The first National Trust Register was published and the Trust introduced its Restoration Appeals. Successful campaigns included the saving of the Myall Lakes from sandmining and led to the creation of Myall Lakes National Park, protection of The Rocks, the Victorian suburb of Paddington, conservation of Customs House and protection of the village of Berrima
This was a period of major consolidation with successful campaigns to protect significant environments from various threats (Illawarra State Park, the North Entrance Peninsula Redgum Forest, Jervis Bay) while the Bush Management Program was inaugurated. This was the decade of the famous Green Bans and the unusual union between the Trust, the Builders & Labourers Federation and an outraged community, which saved inner city history precincts including Victoria Street from demolition
The Trust campaigned successfully to protect rainforests from logging, and save industrial heritage such as the Como Railway Bridge and South Maitland Railway. A 15 year campaign started to save the State Theatre from demolition and there were other long running campaigns to save the Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf and Sydney’s George Patterson House
A major campaign was started to protect historic buildings affected by the 1989 earthquake. The 1836 Lennox Bridge at Parramatta was saved from demolition. ‘Old growth’ forest was conserved. The Trust campaigned to protect historic shack communities in the Royal National Park and a campaign to stop peat mining in Wingecarribee Swamp was successful in halting the work but was too late to prevent extensive storm damage to the undercut wetlands
Maritime Services Board Building (Museum of Contemporary Art) at East Circular Quay was saved from almost certain demolition. The Trust campaigned with the Catherine Hill Bay community to prevent a proposal for the massive overdevelopment of the fragile coastal area. Negotiations and campaigns started to protect Ku-ring-gai and other established Sydney suburbs from the impact of higher density controls. The Trust voiced concerns that proposals for the redevelopment of Sydney’s Barangaroo Harbourside site diminished the history and environmental integrity of the site with specific disregard for heritage items
Negotiations and representations continue to protect the heritage and integrity of Barangaroo while Government plans to privatise historic buildings in Millers Point and The Rocks threaten the built and social fabric. Representations made regarding the NSW Government’s new planning system. Campaigns and negotiations to protect Windsor’s Thompson Square. The Trust raises issues about protection of ‘contemporary’ and industrial heritage.
1957 - the Trust acquired its first property, the Tenterfield School of Arts, transferred by an Act of Parliament
1961 – the Trust made its first property purchase, Experiment Farm Cottage in Harris Farm, Parramatta. The National Trust Women’s Committee was founded to raise funds, source furnishings and promote membership of the Trust 1963 – Lindesay, Darling Point was bequeathed to the Trust by W D Pye 1964 – Stella James House (formerly Walter Burley Griffin House) Avalon was purchased 1966 – Responsibility for the care and management of Old Government House, Parramatta was transferred from the NSW Government to the Trust
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1970 – Cooma Cottage, Yass, home of Hamilton Hume, was purchased 1975 – National Trust Centre and S. H. Ervin Gallery on Observatory Hill were leased from the NSW Government 1978 – Miss Traill’s House & Garden, Bathurst, was bequeathed by Miss Ida Traill 1979 - Woodford Academy, Woodford, was bequeathed by Miss Gertrude McManamey
1980 – the National Trust Heritage Festival was inaugurated to promote widespread awareness and enjoyment of heritage 1984 - Vienna Cottage, Hunters Hill, was purchased with funding from the local Vienna Appeal Committee 1986 - Dundullimal Homestead, Dubbo, was gifted by the Palmer family 1986 – Tomago House, Tomago, was gifted by Tomago Aluminium
Annual National Trust Heritage Awards initiated as part of the Heritage Festival, to encourage and recognise excellence in all aspects of heritage management and promotion
2005 – Golden Vale, Southern Highlands. Gifted by the Keighley family
2013 – 99 year lease sold for Juniper Hall, Paddington, with conditions to ensure ongoing maintenance and regular public access References: ‘Sixty years – a long and worthwhile journey’. Graham Quint, in reflections – National Trust quarterly journal, May-July 2005 National Trust magazines from 1961 National Trust Archives image | Annie Wyatt
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Cultural Heritage Celebrating The Centenary Of The Anzacs: 2014-2018 By Jane Watters
S.H. Ervin Gallery - Exhibition Your Friend the Enemy 17 April -23 May
Letter from Idris Charles Pike, Gallipoli 18 September, 1915 - one of a series which inspired the exhibition. My dearest Violet.
I received your welcome letters by today’s mail and was very pleased to hear you received my letters quite safely from Egypt, as I used to write regularly every week. We had some fun in the trenches this morning, as you know only a few yards separate us from the Turks, so we threw some tinned beef and jam over to them, they soon raked them in to their trenches, and in return they threw tobacco and cigarette papers. A couple of the parcels had notes in them written in French, one ran something to this effect. ‘Our Friends the Enemy. We received your preserved meat, and send in return tobacco - would be pleased if you could send souvenir, and we will do the same, could you spare a good knife we would be pleased. Your soldier Friends Turks’. We threw them a knife and got some more tobacco and papers.
The exhibition Your Friend the Enemy features artworks by 16 significant Australian and New Zealand contemporary artists and commemorates the ANZAC legend and the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign. It originates from a series of letters written by Idris Charles Pike, the grandfather of well-known painter and participant in this project, Idris Murphy. The letters, sent by Pike from the trenches of Gallipoli to his sweetheart, have only recently come to light after being hidden from view for nearly 100 years. They document an extraordinary relationship between enemies describing how the Turks would haul tobacco and papers over no-man’s-land into the ANZAC trenches in exchange for biscuits and jam. On one particular occasion, the Turks wrote a polite note in French thanking the Australians for the goods, signing off ‘from your friend, the enemy’. Between 2013 and 2014, as part of the celebration of the Centenary of the ANZACS and in commemoration of the more than 102,000 ANZACS who gave their lives in service, invited artists, filmmakers, historians and writers travelled
to Istanbul and Gallipoli on a painting and research expedition. They were led in Turkey by historian, Dr Brad Manera, Executive Manager of the NSW ANZAC Memorial, who provided a direct account of the history and conflicts at significant sites on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The material they produced, documented and wrote is featured in the exhibition, while a special edition of the journal Artist Profile exclusively documents the expedition. Guest editor, arts writer John McDonald, accompanied the artists on tour, and back to their studios to make their works. The exhibition will be launched at Sydney’s S. H. Ervin Gallery on Friday 17 April to coincide with the ANZAC Day commemoration. Participating artists include: Deidre Bean, Elisabeth Cummings, Steve Lopes, Guy Maestri, Euan Macleod , Idris Murphy, Michael Nock, Peter O’Doherty , Susan O’Doherty, Stanley Palmer, Amanda Penrose Hart, Leo Robba, Luke Sciberras, Michael Shepherd , Jonathan Throsby, John Walsh. Jane Watters is Director, S.H. Ervin Gallery
The exhibition has been supported by King Street Gallery on William
We finished up with a message saying that we were going to end the armistice in a quarter of an hour by throwing a bomb and after that it was on as usual. By the way they write you can see they have a great respect for us.
Well about yourself, you say you have your old complaint coming on again. That is no good you must look after yourself more. I would have liked to have been with you at the picnic, I bet you did enjoy yourself alright. I had a letter from the club last week and they sent best wishes, also saying they would be pleased if we were back with them again as they have had some enjoyable times lately. Must leave now as two pages is the limit. Kindest regards to all at home. Au Revoir. Forever yours. Charlie.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.
Sorry I can’t get up for tea Xmas day, can’t get the day off,
opposite page left | IDRIS MURPHY : Gallipoli Evening 2013, acrylic and collage on board 130 x 120cm. Collection Gallipoli Memorial Club opposite page top right | Luke Sciberras opposite page bottom right | Euan Macleod on the beach left | The artists at sunset
S.H. Ervin Gallery - Exhibition Roy Jackson Retrospective
27 February - 12 April This exhibition spans fifty years of painting and drawing by one of the most distinctive abstract painters in Australia. Roy Jackson’s early days coincided with the impact of American abstract expressionism in Australia but unusually for an artist of his generation, he was more affected by Europeans such as Dubuffet, Klee and the Cobra painters, and by the Australians Ian Fairweather and Tony Tuckson. From the very beginning, his art has been characterised by a feeling of openness that retains the pulse of its making. In an era when ecological awareness has become paramount, his most sensitive and poetic response to the observed environment – which unfolds through a marvellously variegated and fluid graphic language – has come to seem crucially relevant, not to say authoritative because of its elemental beauty. For him, a drawing or painting is a vibrating field of energy and the pursuit of wholeness is a constant preoccupation. The realisation of this goal serves to acknowledge the indivisibility of the natural world, the continuum of human experience spanning all times and cultures, and the permeability of nature and culture.
S. H. Ervin Gallery: Open Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm Closed Mondays, public holidays and for exhibition changeover (one week before new exhibition opening) Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks, Sydney p: 02 9258 0173 OR e: shervingallery@nationaltrust.com.au or www.shervingallery.com.au
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image above | ROY JACKSON First 2013 (Clinamen series) 2013 acrylic and oil emulsion on plywood 224 x 180c
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PM Delivers Another Tenterfield Moment
Uncovering the Kitchen at Harper’s Mansion By Chris Thompson
By Ken Halliday
Celebrations for the 125th anniversary of Sir Henry Parkes’ Federation call to the people in the Tenterfield School of Arts have created another Tenterfield moment. The Prime Minister, the Hon. Tony Abbott, in an address to more than 80 people in the very same room that Parkes had delivered his famous oration on October 24, 1889, issued a challenge for a national conversation about the future of federalism. Mr Abbott made a call to arms for Government leaders to participate in a grown up debate about reforming federation, starting a process aimed at giving Australians a more rational system of government. The key to success would be firstly to define the boundaries of responsibilities between Federal, State and Local Government. The Prime Minister’s address carried a remarkable resemblance to Parkes’ 1889
oration as described by English journalist Christie Murray ....’his utterance was plain, straightforward and with the speaker’s sterling belief in the greatness of his theme, the character of the hour was strikingly evident’. The mere aspect and manner would have been remarkable anywhere but especially so in the unpretentious Sir Henry Parkes National Memorial School of Arts, where for another time the voice of an authoritative statesman gave soul and utterance to the aspirations of a people. The Friends of the Sir Henry Parkes Memorial School of Arts (a National Trust Committee) again hosted this year’s celebrations which also included the presence of two direct descendants of Sir Henry Parkes. Ken Halliday is deputy chair, Friends of the Sir Henry Parkes Memorial School of Arts, Tenterfield.
An amazing and very satisfying week in September 2014 revealed the remnants of the kitchen at Harper’s Mansion. The kitchen was probably built at the same time as the house, sometime in 1835-6. As was usual in those times, the kitchen was sited outside the house in case it caught fire. In the 1930s it collapsed and became a dump pile, which the garden volunteers occasionally disguised with pumpkins and the like. A team of twelve volunteers drawn from as far afield as Adelaide and Newcastle worked under the direction of field archaeologist Ted Higginbotham and John van Tilberg over five days to reveal what lay below the pile. And it proved much more than was expected. Part of the back wall has always been visible but more courses and a longer length has now been revealed. Also visible is a good section of brick floor including the hearth area and a brick partition wall between what was the main room and possibly a cool room at the southern end. The front (eastern) and southern walls are missing but there are traces of a footpath that may have gone along the front wall and linked with the house. The floor is well above present ground level accounting for the apparent height of the building in the one old photo we have. There were some delightful details remaining. An iron ring that would have held a vertical support for pots and pans is still set into the side of the hearth as is a hole into which a bolt would have gone to hold the main door open.
During the Harper family’s era there was no such thing as rubbish removal. Families disposed of their rubbish on site and, the wealthier the family, the more they threw out. The dig became what Ted Higginbotham termed a ‘research excavation’, an opportunity for finds which is very rare. The dig turned up many things some might call ‘rubbish’, but which are professionally termed ‘artefacts’. Among the most interesting was a small (child’s) crucifix which links beautifully to the 120 or so years the house was owned by the Catholic Church and a brick whose markings show it has come all the way from Scotland. More mundane were several rabbit traps which had to be carefully trowelled in case they were still set. The kitchen in its heyday would have been a busy area. Most of the family activities probably took place there and having it on display will improve the story we can tell to visitors. The site was prepared for display but its fragile brickwork is currently being protected beneath straw bales and tarpaulins until the last of the winter frosts have gone. The Harper’s committee is now considering how best to provide permanent protection so that the site can be viewed all the time. The archaeological dig was funded by proceeds from Ann Beaumont’s book, A Light in the Window, a grant from Wingecarribee Shire Council and generous donations from several local National Trust members. Chris Thompson is a member of the Harper’s Mansion Executive Comittee
Governor Arthur Phillip Celebrated By Gulgong Mudgee Rylstone Branch By John Bentley The Gulgong Mudgee Rylstone Branch of the National Trust celebrated the bicentennial year of the death of Arthur Phillip, first Governor of the Colony, with an October luncheon at historic ‘Woodlands’ in Mudgee. Our very special guest speaker was Michael Pembroke, whose definitive biography Arthur Phillip – Sailor, Mercenary, Governor, Spy was published in late 2013. A judge of the Supreme Court of NSW, Michael is a direct descendant on his mother’s side of Nathanial Lucas and Olivia Gascoigne who arrived at Botany Bay with Phillip’s Fleet in January 1788. He held a large audience of Trust members and friends spellbound as he brought Phillip out of the pages of school history books into a world teeming with subterfuge, dangerous alliances and the challenge of establishing a Colony for transportees on the far side of the world. Further events of this kind are being planned. Everyone is welcome. John Bentley is chair of the Gulgong Mudgee Rylstone Branch. 10
top left | Chairman of the Friends of the Sir Henry Parkes Memorial School of Arts, Peter Jeffrey, presented Prime Minister Tony Abbott with a Medallion to commemorate his visit. Photo: Hayden Smith top right| Peter Reid points to an image of his grandfather, J H Reid, included in the glass wall designed to commemorate a banquet in his honour. Photo: Charles Moon bottom right| Greeting Prime Minster Tony Abbott were Joanne and Brian Scarsbrick (National Trust CEO, NSW) and Margaret and Peter Jeffrey (Chair of the Friends of the School of Arts). Photo: Peter Reid bottom left| Michael Pembroke
top left | After careful removal of the topsoil the partition wall appears top centre | Artefacts were cleaned and sorted top right | The team, ready to prepare the site for public viewing. Pictured far right is field archaeologist Ted Higginbotham bottom | The site as it will be displayed, showing evidence of its continued use as a functional building over 150 years
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The Misses Porter, their House, and the Newcastle Earthquake
PRIVATE HOUSE INSPECTIONS LOOKING AT ARCHITECTURE
By Roland Bannister
WITH THE NATIONAL TRUST WOMEN’S COMMITTEE - FOR ALL BOOKINGS PLEASE SEE TICKET APPLICATION SHEET, PAGE 2 On 28 December 2014, Newcastle commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the devastating earthquake which hit the city on 28 December, 1989. The National Trust’s Miss Porter’s House is close to the place where most of the quake’s 13 deaths occurred. Photographs and contemporaneous reports show that the damage to the house was great. The external skin of brick, and the balcony roof, had fallen; daylight was visible between walls and ceilings. Ninety years of industrial soot which had gathered in the ceilings and wall cavities was now spread across the furniture, floors and walls. Some argued that the house should be demolished, but Ella and Hazel Porter thought otherwise. Hazel drafted letters to the insurance company, and to the Town Clerk asking that their home be saved. Their case was convincing. Their much loved home survived. During the rebuilding period, the sisters lived in rented premises. Don Barnett, the architect at the Water Board offices next to the Porters, and his writer wife Leone, befriended the women and helped them during the rental period1. Ironically, Don, who thought the building beyond repair, was assigned to talk to the women about the construction of a brick fence between the Board and their house. He eventually became the architect responsible for the repair, a task he carried out without charge.
Ella and Hazel Porter were very private, single women in their late seventies, who had lived in the one house all their lives. But the need to live elsewhere seems to have provided an opportunity - a necessity, indeed - to reassess their lives and their interface with the wider world, to a modest degree at least. Seizing the opportunity, the women installed an indoor toilet in their newly renovated bathroom, along with the earthquake repairs. During the rebuilding, some of the original architectural detail was lost, probably in the interests of economy. Their important and enduring friendship with the Barnetts would not have happened without the quake. Other Water Board employees also took some interest in the Porter sisters’ welfare. Such was the relationship between the sisters and the Water Board that in 2005 the Water Board sponsored a new rainwater tank in the Porter back yard. Ella Porter died in 1995 and Hazel in 1997. Hazel bequeathed their home to the Trust. Since then our active volunteers have almost completed cataloguing the more than five thousand Porter family objects and documents that form the collection in the House. Roland Bannister is the Deputy Chair of Miss Porter’s House Management Committee.
DIARY DATES March 10 Hunters Hill Day March 20 & 21 ‘Behind the Walls’ Open Gardens April 21 Bellevue Hill Day April 28 Heritage Festival at Lindesay ‘Remembering our Anzacs’ May 2 & 3 Katoomba and Leura Country Weekend June 2 Avalon Beach Day July 29 Garden Seminar
HUNTERS HILL DAY Tuesday 10 March 2015, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1-3pm
Hunters Hill Day
TOP left | The House c1912 Photo: Miss Porter’s House collection TOP right | From the west, just after the earthquake. Geoff Horn stands at the gate. Photo: Geoff Horn Collection bottom left | Hazel Porter in the 1990s. Photo: Miss Porter’s House collection 1 For Leone Barnett’s recollections of the Porter’s’ earthquake experience see Barnett, L. (2009). Miss Porter’s Earthquake. People of the Valley: Writings From the Hunter. Newcastle, Catchfire Press
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The long ridge of the Hunters Hill Peninsular described by Captain John Hunter when charting the harbour in 1788 - offered both desirable seclusion from the hoi-polloi of suburbia and easy water access to the city, thereby attracting entrepreneurs seeking land for high-class development in the mid 19th century. Leading the way C E Jeanneret and the Joubert brothers built many substantial houses from the local golden sandstone, both for sale and for lease to well-to-do Sydneysiders. Today, many of these houses are now treasured by discerning owners supporting the movement to preserve the essence of historic Hunters Hill. The grounds of some of the large estates of yesteryear are now occupied by innovative contemporary architecture blending with the older estates. ‘St.Claire’, 2 Wybalena Road, Hunters Hill by courtesy of Linda Little A grand two-storey residence, built in 1879 by
C E Jeanneret and attached by a tower to its twin ‘Waimera’, this house has finely dressed sandstone walls throughout, 15 foot ceilings, decorative plasterwork and lace trim, and is set in a European style garden. ‘Alexandra House’, 5 Alexandra Street, Hunters Hill by courtesy of Bridget and Peter Hawthorne In 1867 there was a small shop and house on this site. Both were removed in 1882 and replaced by a larger building, becoming Needhams Store until converted to a restaurant in the 1980s. Ravaged by fire in 2004, the building was derelict until 2011 when the owners rescued the remains of the building to create an inspired home.
combinations of foliage colour and texture. The four gardens demonstrate just how many species will thrive in salt-exposed spaces while enjoying a northfacing microclimate. Tickets: Friday $35.00 – includes all four gardens. Saturday $30 – three gardens (NOT Lindesay) Bookings: On line at www.opengarden.org.au or phone (03) 5427 1488 during business hours. Numbers are strictly limited so please book early. Note: House tours of ‘Lindesay’ are available on Friday 20 March for an additional $10.00 p/p – pay at the door.
‘Bishmizzeen’, 12 Crescent Street, Hunters Hill by courtesy of Alf and Marian Moufarrige Using the sound structural base of an original house designed by the respected architect Bob Woodward in the early 1960s the owner, employing contemporary building techniques, has created a thoroughly modern dwelling taking full advantage of the magnificent site overlooking Alexandra Bay, while respecting the views of its earlier neighbours. Hunters Hill tradition is echoed in sandstone walls, driveway and terrace. Cost: Members (only) $35, Youth (16-20yrs) $20 Bookings: Ticket Application Sheet Enquiries: 02 9363 2401
THE NATIONAL TRUST WOMEN’S COMMITTEE GARDEN PANEL and OPEN GARDENS AUSTRALIA present ‘Behind the Walls’ Friday 20 March, 10am-4.30pm: all four gardens open Saturday 21 March, 10am-4.30pm: three gardens open (NB: Lindesay – unavailable) This is a unique opportunity to visit four gardens in Carthona Avenue, Darling Point. The Trust’s own garden at ‘Lindesay’ will be on show as well as three rarely seen, secluded, private, harbourside gardens, ‘Carthona’, ‘Beach Manor’ and ‘Gingie’, each with its own individual style and personality. The 1834 Scottish gothic house, ‘Lindesay’, is surrounded by gracious gardens with a formal parterre, mature trees and lawns bordered by lovely
BELLEVUE HILL DAY Tuesday 21 April 2015, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1-3pm High above the Eastern reaches of the Harbour and lying between the Old and New South Head Roads, this land was named ‘Belle Vue’ by Governor Macquarie. Always valued for the variety of glorious harbour views, Bellevue Hill was once a favourite picnic spot for early colonists using the popular track to South Head. Coming into its own as a suburb of substantial properties in the mid to late 19th century, Bellevue Hill became home to many of Sydney’s finest examples of architecture, dating from the late 19th century to the present day. ‘Caerleon’, 15 Ginaghulla Road, Bellevue Hill by courtesy of Melinda and Simon Wright One of the finest examples of Queen Anne architecture in Sydney, ‘Caerleon’, its design commissioned from the English architect Maurice B Adams, was built for Charles Burton Fairfax in the late 19th century. Constructed of fine red brickwork, set off by white painted sash windows and roofed with mellow Marseille tiles, today ‘Caerleon’ is a landmark property embodying the grace and livability of the Queen Anne style. 61 Kambala Road, Bellevue Hill by courtesy of the owners Designed by the architect Hardy Wilson, this house has had some alterations over the years by the young Glen Murcutt and most recently by the architect Luigi Rosselli.
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successful crossing of the seemingly impenetrable barrier in 1813 William Cox and 30 convicts built a road in just 6 months. Two hundred years ago, in May 1815, Governor Macquarie travelled over this route to found the town of Bathurst. The building of the railway encouraged development of villages along the route and nowadays the World Heritage listed paradise with its rugged grandeur, attracts visitors from all over the world.
‘Godsall House’, 125 Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill by courtesy of Miranda Darling and Nick Tobias A spreading single storey bungalow renovated by Professor Leslie Wilkinson in 1929, now with alterations and a lower ground level added by Nick Tobias, Tobias Partners, this house and garden, embodying the timeless quality of the Wilkinson era in Australian architecture, is in a unique position on the Bellevue hillside with sweeping views from the Harbour at Rose Bay to Bondi and the ocean beyond. Cost: Members (only) $35, Youth (16-20yrs) $20 Bookings: Ticket Application Sheet Enquiries: 02 9363 2401
HERITAGE FESTIVAL – Remembering our Anzacs Tuesday 28 April 2015, 10.30am – 4pm Lindesay, Carthona Avenue, Darling Point- enter via Lindsay Avenue To celebrate the Centenary of the Anzacs, Robert Holden, librarian, curator of exhibitions both here and overseas and author of 32 books including one as a result of a Mitchell Library scholarship, will speak about his latest book And the Band Played On. Based on the unpublished Anzac diaries at the Mitchell Library, it tells how music and entertainment roused the Anzac spirit and boosted morale both on the front and back home. It is in fact the words of the Anzacs themselves speaking about sport, poetry, sightseeing and the books they enjoyed.
Katoomba, the chief town, is a haven for bush walkers, bird watchers, artists, writers and musicians. Leura, often called the ‘Jewel in the Mountain Crown’ with its cool climate gardens, coffee shops and galleries rewards the visitor with its spectacular walks and scenic golf courses. The National Trust property, ‘Everglades’, renowned for its Sorensen designed gardens, is one of Leura’s most treasured showplaces. Please note that as all houses open for inspection are private homes, we are unable to guarantee flat surfaces or easy access to all areas for people who find walking difficult. Some walking between properties will be required. Saturday 2 May 2015, 10am-12 noon and 2-4pm ‘Glenshiel’, 106-108 Gladstone Road, Leura by courtesy of Helen Cannella & Michael Anstiss The house was built in 1917 in the Edwardian style. The present owners are working hard to turn the original one-acre bushland block into an extensive cool climate garden of great style and beauty.
by courtesy of Jane Rosman and Elizabeth Tink Once the mountain retreat of former Premier, Barry Unsworth, the Canadian ranch style house built in 1947 is surrounded by a mature Sorensen-designed garden.
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The lunch is provided by the Friends of Everglades in combination with the Blue Mountains Branch of National Trust. Cost: $15 per head.
Sunday 3 May, 9.30am-1pm
Saturday Night Dinner: ‘A RETURN TO ELEGANCE’ – DINNER AT THE NEWLY RESTORED HYDRO MAJESTIC HOTEL, MEDLOW BATH. Dress: Gentlemen - Black tie (optional) Ladies - dinner/cocktail wear. Cost: $65 per head for 2course meal includes tea/coffee (all other beverages extra).
‘Endarley’, 33 Raymond Road, Katoomba by courtesy of Giles and Annouchka Auty ‘Endarley’ started as a small house built in 1920s at the end of Sir Frederick Darley’s apple orchard. Over the years a small ballroom was built and later, a classroom was added when the property was used as a school. Recently the house, which is still surrounded by a three-quarter acre of secluded and romantic gardens, has undergone major restorations. With continental style and elegance the artistic owners have created a house of excitement, charm and fun.
by courtesy of Jack and Johanne Wall The Art Deco House was built for author Ethel Mary Turner and her young barrister (later Judge) husband Herbert Raine Curlewis in 1928/29 as a mountain retreat. Designed by Leslie Wilkinson, the house still retains many of its original features and is surrounded by a mature garden.
AVALON BEACH DAY
GARDEN SEMINAR
Tuesday 2 June 2015, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1-3pm Avalon beach, a jewel in the crown of the Northern Beaches, occupies a unique place on the Barrenjoey Peninsular where the land narrows to bring Pittwater close to the Ocean front. On the cliff above Little Avalon, there is a remarkable group of three contemporary houses of architectural excellence. Regular viewers will remember the two seen in previous House Inspections at Avalon. Recently completed, the third of this trio provides a different interpretation for this unusual site, with views across the ocean beach to Marine Parade and its waterfront access to sand, rocks and surf.
Wednesday 29 July 2015, 10am-3pm Lindesay, Carthona Avenue, Darling Point- enter via Lindsay Avenue
by courtesy of Phillip and Tracey Campbell Built by Solomon Hyam in the 1880-1890s the single storey, hipped roof house, has recently undergone major restorations. Home to two professional musicians the property contains many interesting items collected during their travels around the world. This Federation Queen Anne style house was, for some 50 years, one of Katoomba’s superior guesthouses. ‘Dalkeith’, 33 Grose Street and 16 Craigend Street, Leura by courtesy of the owners ‘Dalkeith’, a Federation house with Arts and Crafts features, was designed by Sydney Architect T J Darling and built in 1913 as his mountain retreat. Adjoining ‘Dalkeith’, is 16 Craigend Street with its Wunderlich cladding, dating from the same period and linked by a delightful garden.
Drinks Party: Friday 1 May, 5.30 – 7pm, Everglades House, 37 Everglades Ave, Leura Enjoy an Autumn sunset in the 1930s Art Decoinfluenced house surrounded by the stunning Sorensen-designed gardens which enjoy spectacular views over the Jamison Valley. Cost: $20 per person.
The Garden Panel invited you to join us for this very popular event. You will learn the inside story behind the construction of Sydney’s about-to-be-opened, newest landmark, be transported to landscapes of extraordinary imagination and be introduced to some personalities and their beautiful gardens in Sicily. Stuart Pittendrigh will talk about Building a Headland Park at Barangaroo, Paul Urquhart will discuss The Land as a Canvas, and Peggy Muntz will take us on A Garden Journey in Sicily. All this as well as morning tea/coffee and lunch. Cost: $70 NT members, $80 friends. Enquiries: 02 9968 1915. Bookings: Ticket Application Sheet
‘Coolangatta’, 91 Waratah Street, Katoomba
PLEASE NOTE THAT BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR EACH MEAL
‘Garth’, 24 Watkins Road, Leura
Saturday Lunch: Holy Trinity Church Hall, Wentworth Falls.
Overlooking Everglades gardens and owned by a local architect, this 1920s house while retaining much of its original character, has been carefully updated to meet the needs of this busy family.
LUNCHES AND DINNERS
‘Coolangatta’ - Katoomba
Saturday 2, Sunday 3 May For thousands of years the sandstone fortress to the west of Sydney was home to the Gundungurra and Darug people. In 1788 Governor Phillip named the range Carmarthen and Lansdowne Hills and, due to the blue haze, referred to it as the Blue Mountains. Following Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson’s
by courtesy of Diego and Gina Villar and family
‘Saskatoon’, 12 Watkins Road, Leura
Refreshments, reflecting the type of food sent to the diggers while in the trenches including Anzac biscuits and fruit cakes will be available. Cost: $10 per person.
KATOOMBA & LEURA COUNTRY WEEKEND
36 Everglades Avenue, Leura
LOOKING AHEAD Details and bookings to be included in the next issue of the magazine
Hydro Majestic Ballroom
PLEASE NOTE: Bookings for this event are welcome, even if you are not attending the Country Weekend. Cancellations cannot be made after 31 March. HOUSE INSPECTION TICKETS Cost: Members $80, Friends (2 only per member) $100 Youth (16-20years) $25 Bookings: Ticket Application Sheet Enquiries: 02 9363 2401 Accomm: Blue Mountains Visitor’s Centre: 1300 653 408
Avalon Day
Avalon Day 532 Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach by courtesy of Libby and Patrick Allaway (Access from public car park, eastern end of Avalon Parade to Surfside Avenue and walkway to Barrenjoey Road) Completed just a year ago this house fulfills a longheld dream of the perfect beach house created by the owners working with the architect Peter Tout, builder Andy Bate, interior designer Thomas Hamill and garden designer Tudor Rose.
COACH TOUR KATOOMBA & LEURA COUNTRY WEEKEND
The graceful lines of its soft-shingled roof and pale walls are anchored with substantial glowing sandstone.
Friday 1, Saturday 2, Sunday 3 May
Eurota, 19 Marine Parade, Avalon Beach
Coach departs from the street that gives access to the country trains and main concourse of Central Station. Please be at the departure point at 8.30am on Friday 1 May. Returns Sunday 3 May at approximately 6pm. Cost: includes accommodation (two nights) at Redleaf Resort, Blackheath, (02 4787 8108); two dinners, two breakfasts, two lunches and inspection tickets. Note: Saturday night dinner as per information above. Twin Share: Members $580 each Friends $605 Single: Members $680 Friends $705 Bookings: Ticket Application Sheet Enquiries: For coach only, Virginia Pearson Smith- 02 9519 2343, (Friday 1 May only-0419 146 265) NB. All cancellations must be made three weeks prior to departure.
by courtesy of Stephen Doyle Probably dating from the 1920s, the house was built by a timber merchant transporting timber up and down the coast in his own vessel Eurota. The small house preserves the essential simplicity of its era, respects the qualities of the various timbers used and pays homage to its uninterrupted views of sea, shores and headland. The owner has made minor, judicious alterations while keeping the integrity of the house intact. In the garden below there is a grassy lawn beside the surf. Ticket holders will be directed to the third property. Cost: Members (only) $35, Youth (16-20yrs) $20 Bookings: Ticket Application Sheet Enquiries: 02 9363 2401
WAVERTON-NORTH SYDNEY DAY Tuesday 4 August 2015 HOW TO BOOK A PRIVATE HOUSE
INSPECTION DAY • Bookings are essential. No tickets are sold at the door. To book please use the Ticket Application Sheet on page 23. Make one payment only for multiple bookings. Tickets are not transferable. The closing date for tickets is five working days in advance. • Private house inspections are for MEMBERS ONLY. Members may bring up to two friends on Country Weekends and special events. • General conditions: No stiletto heels; visitors may be asked to remove their shoes or wear plastic overshoes (supplied). No photography is permitted. Cameras, video cameras and large bags may not be taken onto the premises. No smart-phone photography is allowed. No children under 12 years. Private homes may not be suitable for wheelchairs or walking frames. For more booking and access information, please phone the Ticket Secretary 02 9363 2401
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National Trust Way Day Tours
NATIONAL TRUST WAY SCOTTISH ISLES AND HIGHLANDS TOUR
Holiday tours JOIN A NATIONAL TRUST TOUR to enjoy travelling in comfort and style to some of the world’s most beautiful locations. Collect memories you will never forget of exotic gardens, spectacular scenery, historic sites and buildings, wonderful food and drink – and the friendships you will make in our small groups of people who share your interests and love of travel. By taking our tours, you know you are supporting the National Trust – and heritage everywhere.
NEW TOUR: 8 August - 21 August 2015 (29 August - 11 September 2015 - Fully Booked)
Wednesday 15 April 2015, 10:15am Meet either at Greenwich Wharf at 10:06am (ferry departs Circular Quay 9:45am), or if driving meet at 10:15am at 221 Greenwich Road (free on street parking available).
14 - 23 March 2015
The romance of the Scottish Isles
This unique tour combines a cruise of the Scottish Isles with a tour of the Highlands. Your journey begins with a six day cruise aboard a traditional wooden fishing boat converted to provide every comfort, as you explore the coastline of the Hebrides, a haven for wildlife and one of the most unspoiled and beautiful natural environments in the world. Along the way we will explore the isle of Mull, Otter Haven at Kylerhea, past the islands of Rum, Eigg and Muck to approach the island of Skye from the Sound of Sleat. Following the cruise we board our bus for the Highlands, travelling through stunning mountains and lochs, visiting ancient castles and historic sites along the way until our journey’s end in Edinburgh. As this tour is limited to 10 people due to the number of cabins available on our cruise boat, early bookings are highly recommended Tour Leader: Lorraine Collins 0439 947 479 Enquiries: David Smith, Travel on Capri 1800 679 066
If you came with us to the southern lakes in the South Island, you’ll love this very different, but equally fascinating tour to the Marlborough and Nelson regions at the top of the South Island. Travelling in conjunction with Homestead Tours, we will drive the Kaikoura Coast, go boating on the Marlborough Sounds, and bathe the thermal pools at Hamner Springs. Throw in a visit to Nelson and Blenheim and this will become your new ‘best tour ever’. March is the perfect time of year to visit this region. Tour Leader: Jill Bunning – 0439 321 164 Enquiries: David Smith, Travel on Capri – 1800 679 066
QT HOTEL TOUR Tuesday 28 April & Wednesday 29 April 2015 at 10:00am
WALKING TOUR OF GREENWICH POINT
NEW ZEALAND: TOP OF THE SOUTH ISLAND
Marlborough Sounds
Please note, bookings are essential for all tours. See Ticket Application Sheet on page 23 to book.
Enjoy stunning harbour views as we set off on a guided walking tour through historic Greenwich Point, located on a peninsula on the northern side of Sydney Harbour. Learn about its traditional owners, the Cammeraygal Clan, land grants and early industries including the Shell Transport & Trading Company Terminal in 1901, ship building, brickmaking and dairies. Enjoy morning tea in a private home. Comfortable shoes are essential as the tour includes walking over some rough bush terrain. Cost: (includes tour and morning tea) $40 members, $44 non-members Bookings: Essential Tickets: Ticket Application Sheet Enquiries: Judy Ashton - 0421 630 942
Macquarie’s grand Tour of Van Diemen’s Land Organised by Old Government House, Parramatta
Sunday 25 October-Tuesday 3 November 2015 This ten-day tour will re-trace some of the routes taken by Governor Macquarie when he toured
This tour was a sell-out in 2014 so don’t miss this year’s tour of Sydney’s latest boutique hotel, located in the revamped State Theatre and Gowings building. The QT has overseen a complete transformation of these two well-known heritage landmarks, resulting in a hotel with an eccentric personality and style! Blending Gothic, art deco and Italianate architecture with cool and quirky interiors, QT Sydney is not your traditional five star hotel. Following an inspection of the public areas and a room or two (subject to availability), morning tea will be served. Cost: (includes morning tea) $40 members; $44 non-members Bookings: Essential Tickets: Ticket Application Sheet Enquiries: Jill Bunning – 02 9798 8914 or 0439 321 164
The fabulous QT Hotel
Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) in 1811 and 1821. Travelling by coach, the tour takes in such historic towns and sites as Port Arthur, Stanley, Richmond & Longford and includes a walking tour of Launceston and Hobart, a penguin night at Coles Bay and a cruise of Macquarie Harbour. Visiting the National Trust properties of Runny-
mede, Penitentiary Chapel, Clarendon and Franklin House, accommodation will be in historic towns and villages. Land Cost: $2,950 NT members. Tour Leader: Almis Simans 02 9498 8995. Bookings: David Smith, Travel on Capri – 1800 679 066
SOUTHERN ITALY: AMALFI COAST & ISLANDS 24 September – 6 October 2015
Summer reds delivered by National Trust’s wine service SAVE
$121
Yours
FREE Three bottles of Triple Gold & 92 pt Zonte’s Footstep Shiraz (worth $75)
NORTHERN ITALY: LAKES, MOUNTAINS & THE RIVIERA 18 - 30 May 2015 Leisure & Luxury; Travel with our gracious hosts Ugo and Barbara Mariotti on a tour tailor-made for National Trust members. Starting on the shores of Lake Como and then on to the resort of Santa Margherita Ligure in the heart of the Italian Riviera, you’ll visit the spectacular gardens of Villa Carlotta and Villa Melzi; Bellagio; the Swiss town of Lugano and the gloriously decorated Certosa di Pavia. Leisurely daily excursions on the Riviera include Portofino, the famous villages of the ‘Cinque Terre’ coastline and the heritage listed small port of Porto Venere. A day tour to Lucca, one of the most beautiful towns in northern Tuscany, is also included. Tour Leader: Loma Priddle 0402 971 426 Enquiries: David Smith, Travel on Capri 1800 679 066
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Positano on the Amalfi Coast
Unpack only 3 times! Join us on this exciting new tour with our Italian hosts Ugo and Barbara Mariotti, along the Almalfi Coast starting with Positano on the southern side of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Sorrento peninsula to Ischia, the largest and arguably most beautiful island of the Bay of Naples. Our last stop is in Rome for a special ‘off the beaten track’ tour. Highlights of the trip include the gardens of the Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, the archeological excavations of Pompeii and the Villa San Michele on the isle of Capri. Tour Leader: Jill Bunning 0439 321 164 Enquiries: David Smith, Travel on Capri 1800 679 066
Plus FREE DELIVERY Friends of the National Trust are invited to taste 12 juicy, top-quality reds, delivered by the National Trust Wine Service, ideal for entertaining ... and at below cellar-door prices. These rich reds are $139.99 – save $121.99 – plus receive 3 FREE triple Gold Zonte’s Footstep ‘Lake Doctor’ Shiraz 2012, worth $75 – plus FREE DELIVERY.
Dark, spicy Shiraz from Barossa’s Peter Lehmann, an iconic 90-pt gem from Tyrell’s, a perfect-vintage Coonawarra Cabernet and a food-friendly King Valley favourite are just four delicious stars of this limited-edition Summer collection. Stocks can’t last – please call 1300 763 403 quoting code ‘1095002’, then sit back and let the National Trust Wine Service do the rest. Best of all, each purchase helps support the valuable work of the National Trust.
Order now on 1300 763 403 quoting ‘1095002’
brought to you by
(Lines open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-6pm)
or visit www.nationaltrustwineservice.com.au/1095002 Terms and conditions: Offer valid for new customers only. Maximum three bottles of Zonte’s Footstep ‘Lake Doctor’ Shiraz 2012 per household. While stocks last. Orders not accepted (nor will wine be delivered to) persons under the age of 18 years. Most orders are fulfilled within a week but please allow up to 14 days. Unfortunately due to rising postage costs from our carriers we are now unable to ship to the Northern Territory. If a wine becomes unavailable, a similar wine of greater value may be supplied. Normal retail prices provided by the wineries. If you don’t like a wine for any reason The National Trust Wine Service will refund you and arrange to collect the wine. Fulfilled by Wine People Pty Ltd (licence no. 514 00724, LIQP770016550) 90 Chalk Hill Rd, McLaren Vale SA 5171.
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FOR OUR MEMBERS
How to have an elegant tea for two (or more) !
Tea drinking in style has never been more popular! Let the National Trust make your tea table as pretty as a picture with new merchandise now available in our on-line shop 2
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS - February – May 2015 And Looking Ahead Visit www.shop.nationaltrust.org.au today – and invite your friends to take tea Add more than a touch of luxury with our teapot, cup and saucer and tea infuser, all in glamorous gold. 1.Gold tea pot - $54.95 | 2. Gold tea cup and saucer - $19.95 | 3. Gold tea infuser - $14.95 Sip your tea from our pretty and delicate polka dot tea sets in pink and white. Why not mix and match?
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Polka dot teacup and saucer in white and pink 4. $24.95 each set
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Enter coupon code MEMBER10 at the checkout for your National Trust membership discount.
MORE SHOPPING AT OUR POPULAR NATIONAL TRUST GIFT SHOPS
2015
Heritage festival
Everglades House & Garden, Leura – 02 4784 1938 Miss Traill’s House & Garden, Bathurst - 02 6337 2049
Conflict & Compassion
So much to see & do!
Old Government House, Parramatta – 02 9635 8149 S.H. Ervin Gallery, National Trust Centre, The Rocks – 02 9258 0173
NEW
National Trust Gift Shop, 15 Marian St. Killara – a voluntary service of the National Trust Women’s Committee – 02 9498 5182
www.nationaltrustfestival.org.au
2015
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A UTH W
HAWKESBURY BRANCH MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT DRIVE
A tour of the 1881 property will whet appetites for talks about the special benefits of National Trust membership.
Exclusive member benefits include: • Free or discounted admission to over 800 heritage properties overseas, including those of the National Trusts in the British Isles, Europe, the Caribbean, North America and the Pacific • Free or discounted admission to over 180 National Trust properties throughout Australia • Access to historic places not generally open to the public • Free magazine keeping members up to date with heritage issues, Trust properties and the wide program of Trust events throughout New South Wales • 10% discount at Trust shops. Discounted access to most Trust events
NATIONAL TRUST PEOPLE Blue Mountains Committees farewell Tom and Diana Nelson
TRIBUTE TO BERYL WINTER On a misty August morning at ‘Everglades’, a representative group of National Trust members from the various Blue Mountains committees gathered to farewell Tom and Diana Nelson prior to their departure from the mountains. Merle Parkes expressed the sentiments and thanks of those present in a fitting tribute to the enormous contribution made by the guests of honour over the years. The delicious morning tea was organised by Rhona Leach. From left | Merle Parkes, Tom Nelson, Diana Nelson, Rhona Leach
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FEBRUARY Objects for Everyday Life in the 20th Century Sunday 8 February, 1-4pm Miss Porter’s House, 434 King St, Newcastle West A fascinating display of everyday objects owned and used by Herbert and Florence Porter and their daughters, Ella and Hazel, throughout the 20th century. See what your parents and grandparents might have used to look after themselves and their homes. Talks and plenty to see. Cost: NT members and children under 5 free, $8 non-members, $6 conc. $20 family. Bookings: No. Enquiries: Roland Bannister – 02 4023 5384 or rsbannister@gmail.com MONTHLY EVENT: Sunday Afternoon Tea at the Cottage Sunday 8 February, 2-4pm, Sunday 8 March, 2-4pm, Sunday 12 April, 2-4pm And MOTHERS DAY: Sunday 10 May: Morning Tea 10am-12noon, and Afternoon Tea 2-4pm. Experiment Farm Cottage, 9 Ruse St, Harris Park
22 March, 11am ‘The Manse’, Richmond Please bring your friends, have a lovely day and encourage them to join the National Trust. Enquiries: nt.hawkesbury@gmail.com The Hawkesbury Branch of the National Trust is launching a membership recruitment drive with an information day at historic ‘The Manse’, Richmond. BYO lunch in the grounds of ‘The Manse’ with tea and coffee provided.
For National Trust Heritage Festival 2015 events, please see our Heritage Festival Guide which accompanies this magazine
Second Sunday of the month 11 APRIL – 26 MAY LE S
Norman Lindsay Gallery, Faulconbridge – 02 4751 1067
NATIONAL TRUST HERITAGE FESTIVAL – 11 April to 26 May
All who worked at Observatory Hill from 1984 to 2014 will remember Beryl Winter and be saddened by her recent death. Beryl joined the Trust staff in 1984 as membership secretary and retired in 1999. She returned in 2003 as a volunteer and was awarded a Bronze Trust Commendation in 2008. She received a Government Volunteer Award in 2009.
A lovely tea on the verandah of Experiment Farm Cottage and a tour of this special colonial property. Delectable scones with jam and cream, a selection of dainty sandwiches, mini quiches and a variety of small cakes and slices will be served. Cost (includes afternoon tea and tour): $30 per person. Afternoon tea only $25. Bookings: Essential. Tickets/enquiries: 02 9635 8149 or www.friendsofogh.com. Special bookings available on request for groups of 10-20. Contact info@friendsofogh.com Friday the 13th Ghost Tours at Woodford Friday 13 February AND Friday 13 March. Tours start 7.30 and 8.30pm Woodford Academy, 90-92 Great Western Highway, Woodford NSW (on-street parking, Woodford Ave) Recently featured in the new series Haunting Australia, the Woodford Academy is renowned for its supernatural activity. Get your ghostly chills and thrills with an intimate 1.5 hour behind-the-scenes tour of the Blue Mountains’ oldest building on Friday 13. Hear the stories of those who once dwelled within its walls – and perhaps still do! Not suitable for persons under 16 years.
Cost: $26 per person. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: 02 9248 0141 or woodfordacademy@gmail.com Parramatta Lecture Series 2015 ‘What the Butler Saw’: in conversation with Andrew Kerr Saturday 14 February, 10.30am-11.30pm Northcott Centre, 1 Fennell St, North Parramatta Our lecture series theme for 2015 is ‘The National Trust – its People, Past and Place’. Andrew Kerr alias Mr Fopp, Governor Macquarie’s butler, and confidant to curators, managers and VIPs has inside stories about Old Government House that have delighted people of all ages for over 20 years. He will be interviewed by Matt Fisher. Cost: $10 NT members, $15 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Tickets/enquiries: 02 9635 8149 or ogh@nationaltrust.com.au Parramatta Branch Meeting and Talk A History of NSW Corrective Services and Parramatta Gaol Saturday 14 February, 1pm Burnside School Hall, Masons Drive, North Parramatta
while strolling through Riversdale’s gorgeous garden. Make a day of it and go home happy. Cost: NT members free, $6 non-members, $4 conc, children under 12 free. No charge to enter the shop. Enquiries: Dawn Giles – 0409 953 859 or riversdale@nationaltrust.com.au MONTHLY EVENT: Ghost Nights at Old Government House Third Friday of the month - 7.30-10.30pm, Friday 20 February, Friday 20 March, Friday 17 April, Old Government House, Parramatta Park (Pitt St entrance), Parramatta As candlelight flickers through the corridors of this 216-year-old house, the ‘presences’ of the first ten governors of the colony and their households surround you with tales of the site’s long history. revisit the scene of a tragic accident and visit places where psychics and guides have had ghostly encounters. Maybe you will too! Cost (includes food and drinks): $32 NT members, $35 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/ enquiries: Old Government House – 02 9635 8149 or info@friendsofogh.com or www.friendsofogh. com. Visit us on Facebook – Ghost Nights at Old Government House.
Guest Speaker Scott Westlake will give us insights into the early prison system and Parramatta Gaol. There will be a raffle and afternoon tea. Ample free parking. Cost: free. Bookings: No. Enquiries: Les Tod – 02 9622 3322 or the tods@bigpond.com MONTHLY EVENT: Riversdale’s Goulburn Homestead Markets and Devonshire Teas Third Sunday of the month. Markets 9am-2pm, Teas 10am-2.30pm Sunday 15 February, Sunday 15 March, Sunday 19 April, Sunday 17 May Riversdale, 1 Maud St/Twynam Avenue, Goulburn Come to Riversdale to enjoy our luscious Devonshire teas served to you by our wonderful volunteers. Take a self-guided tour of the historic Riversdale Homestead, built as an in in the 1840s and later home to NSW Surveyor General, Edward Twynam. Browse the Riversdale shop, find bargains in our garage sale and enjoy the Homestead Markets in our grounds
image | photo by Matt Fisher
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‘Destination’ – an installation by Talulah Vane Installation - Saturday 21 February, 21 March, 4 April, 10am-4pm Artist talk – Saturday 21 February, 1-2pm Woodford Academy, 90-92 Great Western Highway, Woodford NSW (on-street parking,Woodford Ave) Talulah Vane uses the imagined truths and inherited identity of her late great-grandfather, family legend Tom Sulman, to inform her photographic and sculptural installation ‘Destination’. Before becoming a successful racing car driver, Tom was a student at Woodford Academy in the early 1900s. He died racing his Lotus Eleven Climax at Mt Panorama, Bathurst. Talulah imagines the dynamic of his dreams and ambitions within the powerful and intriguing spaces of the Woodford Academy. Refreshments will be on sale. Cost: $6 adult, $4 conc and child, $15 family. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: Noel Burgess – 02 4758 8743 or woodfordacademy@gmail.com.au Jazz in the Garden Saturday 21 February, 5-9pm Norman Lindsay Gallery, Faulconbridge This very popular annual jazz event celebrates the birthday of Norman Lindsay, one of Australia’s finest artists, and attracts around 800 jazz lovers from all over NSW to enjoy superb music in our special Gallery grounds. From the Gallery’s verandah the legendary Galapagos Duck will perform jazz classics and some upbeat jazz . Bring your family and friends, food and beverages, chair or blanket and prepare for an evening to remember. Free parking and admission to the Gallery. Cost: $25 NT members, $30 non-members, $15 children. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: Gallery Shop – 02 4751 1067 or info@normanlindsay.com.au Open Day at Brough and Grossmann Houses Sunday 22 February, 10am-3pm Brough and Grossmann Houses, 73 Church St, Maitland The annual Open Day at Brough and Grossmann Houses in Maitland will once again be a multi-faceted event. Birds, Bubs and Bedpans will feature in a display in Brough House. Bric-a-brac stall, jams and pickles, and Devonshire teas to enjoy. Cost: $5 conc entry to Grossmann House and Brough House display. Bookings: No. Enquiries: Alan Todd – 02 4933 6452. Colonial Homes on the Hawkesbury/Nepean River (including Hadley Park) A tour with Professor Ian Jack Sunday 22 February, 10am 20
Meet at Richmond Park carpark for handout and program - Join us on a self-drive car tour as we visit some of the early Georgian homestead properties of the region. The privately owned properties are rarely opened to the public and we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to view them and learn more about the families who built and lived in them, and how they are still valued by the current owners. The tour will be led by renowned historian and expert on Hawkesbury’s local history, Professor Ian Jack. Bring your own lunch to enjoy in the grounds of one of the properties. Also bring sunscreen and a hat and wear sensible shoes. Cost (includes car tour of four Georgian properties): $25 per person. $30 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Closing date 13 February (numbers are limited). Bookings/enquiries: Carol Edds – 02 4576 1209 or nt.hawkesbury@gmail.com
MARCH Morpeth Heritage Walk Sunday 1 March, 3-5.30pm Take a walk through historic Morpeth with the Friends of Grossmann House and our guide Alan Todd. Wander through the lanes and byways of this beautiful village and finish with an afternoon tea prepared by the Friends of Grossmann House at the Morpeth Museum. Some uneven walking. Cost (includes refreshments): $20 NT members, $25 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: Holly McNamee – 02 4934 4314. Coach Tour to Valley Heights Rail Museum and Norman Lindsay Gallery Thursday 5 March, 9am to approx. 5pm A coach tour organised by the Parramatta Branch to these two very different, but equally fascinating venues. Morning tea is included, admissions and possibly a steam tram ride. Guided tours of both museums. Lunches on sale at Norman Lindsay Café or bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the grounds. Cost: $65 NT members, $75 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: Les Tod – 02 9672 3322 or the tods@bigpond.com Riversdale Vintage Fair
non-members, $5 conc, children under 12 years free. Bookings: No. Enquiries: Ros Loftus 0414 951 955 or Dawn Giles 0409 953 859 or riversdale@nationaltrust.com.au Twilight Jazz at Eryldene Sunday 8 March, 5-8pm Eryldene Historic House & Garden, 17 McIntosh St, Gordon Take in the sunset at the end of an autumn day in the tranquil garden at Eryldene. Bring a picnic, drinks, a rug or folding chair, and enjoy the wonderful sound of The Moods. With a repertoire drawn from traditional jazz, swing and jive to classics from the songbooks of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, The Moods set the mood for young and old. Purchase homemade treats, tea and coffee from the Garden Café. Order gourmet rolls before 6 March to complement your picnic. Cost: $25 NT/Eryldene members, $30 non-members, $70 family (2 adults 2 children under 16), $10 child (age?). Bookings: Essential. Tickets/enquiries: Anne Davey – 02 9498 2271 or eryldene@eryldene.org.au FISH ‘n SHIPS TOUR with the Southern Highlands Branch Tuesday 10 March, from 8am The day begins with an 8am train ride from the Southern Highlands to the Maritime Museum in Sydney, followed by a welcome morning tea and a tour of the Harbour on the 19th century Tall Ship, James Craig, a visit to the Rozelle Heritage Docks & Workshop – and ends at the Sydney Fish Markets where you can have lunch (fish and chips, salad, tea/ coffee) before taking a leisurely train trip home. Take some fresh fish home with you for later! What nicer way to spend a summer’s day. Book quickly to avoid missing out. Cost (boat trip only): $35. Lunch optional (approx. $13.50pp if joining the NT party – final cost depends on the number of bookings). Train fare – own expense. Bookings: Essential. Tickets/enquiries: Mhairi Clark – 02 4861 1388 or mhairiclark@internode.on.net Looking at Architecture - Hunters Hill Tuesday 10 March, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1-3pm Please refer to pg 13
Sunday 8 March, 10am-3pm
‘Palimpsest Performance # 2’: By Ben Denham and Honi Ryan
Riversdale, Maud St/Twynam Drive, Goulburn
Saturday 21 March, times TBA
Enjoy the colonial atmosphere of this 1840s property with its wonderful heritage gardens and produce. Fun for the whole family with games, stalls, local foods and wines to buy and try, music and lots of surprises. Light lunches and refreshments. Come in appropriate vintage costume.
Woodford Academy, 90-92 Great Western Highway, Woodford NSW (on-street parking, Woodford Ave) Curated by Sarah Breen Lovett, ‘Palimpsest Performances’ is a series that explores contemporary art performance as a way of simultaneously drawing forth the past and layering present interpretations of the unique architecture and grounds of Woodford Academy. Palimpsest Performance #2 by contemporary artists Ben Denham and Honi Ryan are two separate but intertwined explorations of the land and its resources as a communication device. The project is supported by the Blue Mountains City of The Arts Cultural Grants Program 2014. Refreshments for sale. Cost: $10 adult, $4 conc and child, $20 family. Bookings: None. Enquiries: 02 4758 8743 or woodfordacademy@gmail.com
Greek National Day at Everglades Saturday 28 March, 12.30—5pm Everglades House & Garden, 37 Everglades Avenue, Leura Greek food sings of sunshine and joy. Enjoy fine Greek dishes home-cooked by The Friends of Everglades to celebrate this special day, presented for your delectation in the relaxing ambiance of Everglades Tea Rooms. After lunch, stroll through the gorgeous gardens with their superb vistas. Cost: $35 NT members, $40 non-members. BYO. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: Anita – 02 4784 1974 or Sandy – 0410 312 827 or friendsofeverglades@gmail.com
APRIL
Cost (entry to property and tour): NT/Eryldene members free, $8 non-members, $6 conc, $18 family (2 adults 2 children), $4 child (6-12 years). Bookings: No Workshop: Knit socks like the Anzac Women. Saturday (2-4pm) or Sunday (11am-1pm). Cost: $18 per person, includes wool and light refreshments. Bring your own needles if you want to continue your work at home. Bookings: Essential
‘Nalawa’, 289 Great Western Highway, Blackheath
Sunday 5 April, 7-10pm
Garden Café: High Teas available Sunday only from 2pm, includes Eryldene 101st birthday cake.
Celebrate 100 years of ‘Nalawa’ together with a commemoration of the Anzacs in song. Join the Blue Mountains Branch for an evening of fine food, wine and music in the gracious surrounds of this Federation and Art Deco home.
Woodford Academy, 90-92 Great Western Highway, Woodford NSW (on-street parking available Woodford Ave)
Cost (High Tea only): $24 adult, $10 child (6-12). Bookings: Essential. All bookings/enquiries: Eryldene – 02 9498 2271
Saturday 21 March, 6-8pm
Cost (all inclusive): $40 NT members, $45 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: Rhona Leach – 02 4757 2424 or brhonaleach@gmail.com Berrima Heritage Weekend 21-22 March Join the Southern Highlands Branch and Harper’s Mansion on a weekend of talks and walks. Mornings will feature talks by heritage architect, Clive Lucas (Saturday), and heritage garden and landscape specialist, Stuart Read (Sunday). Afternoons will feature self-guided walks with entry to some of Berrima’s older cottages, inns and churches. Bookings: Essential. More details: www.harpersmansion.com.au for the full program and costs, and download a booking form, or contact Chris at info@ harpersmansion.com.au or phone 02 4877 1375. Visit to ‘Oldholme’, East Maitland Sunday 22 March, 2-4pm The owners of this wonderful East Maitland Georgian colonial cottage, ‘Oldholme’, have given the Friends of Grossmann House the opportunity to hold an open house and afternoon tea in the beautiful gardens which overlook the plains of Wallis Creek.
Fairfax Dinner Club
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience an exclusive, intimate evening of fine dining and historic tales in the Grand Dining Room of the Woodford Academy, the Blue Mountains’ oldest building. The Grand Dining Room was built by wealthy proprietor Alfred Fairfax in the 1870s to entertain and impress his friends. The Fairfax Dinner club is held on three long weekends each year only. Guest Chef TBA. Cost: TBA. Bookings: Essential – numbers limited). Bookings/enquiries: 02 9258 0141 or woodfordacademy@gmail.com Shakespeare at the Old Gov ‘As You Like It’ presented by the Eaton Gorge Theatre Company Friday 10 April, 7pm, Sat 11 April 2pm & 7pm, Sunday 12 April, 2pm Old Government House, Parramatta Park (Pitt St entrance) After five successful years of presenting Shakespeare in the Wollongong Botanic Gardens and University, the company will bring its fun-filled production to Parramatta. Enjoy their performance of this ‘pastoral’ comedy of mistaken identity, gender politics, disguises and deceit in the beautiful grounds of Old Government House. Bring a rug and picnic, or dine at Lachlan’s pre-show or purchase a hamper. Bookings: Essential. www.trybooking.com/113263 or www.egtc.com.au or 02 4267 3920 Open Weekend: Heritage Festival at Eryldene Conflict and Compassion: Open Weekend
image | Palimpsest Performance #2
Tours: of the house, with information on E G Waterhouse, Professor German at Sydney University, his friends, international and local students and the impact of the Great War on the family.
Centenary Soiree at ‘Nalawa’
Cost (includes refreshments): $15 NT members, $20 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: Lynn Morris – 02 4932 0518.
Cost (includes house tours): NT members free, $8
Eryldene Historic House and Garden, 17 McIntosh St, Gordon
Saturday 11, Sunday 12 April, 10am-4pm
Parramatta Lecture Series 2015 ‘Re-thinking the interpretation of Old Government House 1985-2000’: a talk by Meredith Walker AM Saturday 18 April OR Saturday 9 May, 10.30am-11.30pm Northcott Centre, 1 Fennell St, North Parramatta Meredith Walker was involved in the early years of re-thinking the interpretation of Old Government House. She will speak about that period, the challenges it raised for the Trust and the resultant interpretation. Meredith is an Honorary Life Member of the Trust and recipient of the Trust’s 2009 Lifetime Achievement Awards. Cost: $10 NT members, $15 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Tickets/enquiries: 02 9635 8149 or ogh@nationaltrust.com.au Walking Tour of Greenwich Point Wednesday 15 April, 10.15am Please refer to pg 17 Make Your Mark in History: The Woodford Academy Boys and World War 1 Saturday 18 April, 10am-4pm. Talks at 11am and 2pm Woodford Academy, 90-92 Great Western Highway, Woodford NSW (on-street parking , Woodford Ave) To commemorate the centenary of World War 1, the Woodford Academy Management Committee has undertaken extensive research on the 54 Academy boys who enlisted in World War 1, and the impact 21
Ticket Application Sheet that war had on their young lives. Their stories are revealed month by month from 2014-2018, on the centenary of the month the boys enlisted, in interactive ebooks now on display in the Academy museum. Join Rae Clapshaw (former Penrith High School History Coordinator) and Ken Goodlet (local author and historian) as they reflect on ‘Conflict and Compassion’ and the boys’ experiences of the Great War to mark the official launch of the Woodford Academy’s ‘Make Your Mark in History’ program at the Academy. Sausage sizzle and refreshments for sale. Cost: $2 NT members, $6 adult, $4 conc and child, $15 family. Bookings: No. Enquiries: 02 4758 8743 or woodfordacademy@gmail.com Looking at Architecture -Bellvue Hill Tuesday 21 April, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1-3pm Please refer to pg 13 Governor Phillip Walk, Parramatta River and Parramatta Park Friday 24 April Bring sunscreen, walking shoes and water and prepare to enjoy an informative walk through historic Parramatta. Cost and other details: Brian Powyer – 0401 151 170
Cost (includes refreshments): $20 NT members, $25 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Tickets/enquiries: Holly McNamee – 02 4934 4314. Road to Bathurst Tour A Bathurst 200 event Friday 8 (8.30am start), return Sunday 10 May (4pm) This three day/two night tour re-traces Governor Macquarie’s entourage that crossed the Blue Mountains to the Bathurst Plains in 1815. In the comfort of a small bus, enjoy the insights of walker and author Almis Simans and tour guide John McIntosh, both highly experienced in conducting historic trails of NSW, Britain, Europe and New Zealand. Starting at Old Government House, other stops include Caley’s Repulse, Woodford Academy, Wentworth Falls, Mt York, Mt Blaxland and Miss Traill’s House, Bathurst, in time for the Bathurst 2015 Bicentenary Celebrations. Overnight accommodation in Katoomba and Bathurst. Cost (includes handouts, fees, transport, accommodation and meals except evening dinners): $395 per person, twin share, NT members, $430 non-members, $150 single supplement. Bookings: Essential. Tickets/ enquiries: 02 9635 8149 or ogh@nationaltrust.com.au Mothers Day weekend at Eryldene Saturday 9, Sunday 10 May, 10am-4pm
QT Hotel Tour - Please refer to pg 17 Tuesday 28 April & Wednesday 29 April, 10am Remembering our Anzacs: a Heritage Festival event - Please refer to pg 20 Tuesday 28 April, 10.30am-4pm
MAY Katoomba & Leura Country Weekend and Coach Tour Friday 1, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 May & Saturday 2, Sunday 3 May Please refer to pg 14 A return to Elegance: Dinner at the Hydro Majestic Hotel Saturday 2 May Please refer to pg 15 Glebe Precinct East Maitland Heritage Walk Sunday 3 May, 2-5.30pm Take a walk through the glebe precinct of East Maitland with our guide Michael Belcher. This fascinating area takes in the historic remains of the glebe cemetery, St Peters Anglican Church precinct, and finishes with afternoon tea in the park of Stockade Hill. Street walking and hilly terrain. 22
Parramatta Branch Meeting and talk Dickens in Australia Saturday 16 May, 1pm Burnside School Hall, Masons Drive, North Parramatta Guest speaker Michelle Cavanagh will talk about Charles Dickens and his literary connections to Australia. Raffle, afternoon tea provided. Ample free parking. Cost: free. Bookings: No. Enquiries: Les Tod – 02 9672 3322 or thetods@bigpond.com Gilbert & Sullivan Concert and Sweet Delights Afternoon Tea
Cost (includes entrance fee): $24 NT/Eryldene members, $32 non-members, $15 child (6-12). The Garden Café will not be open. Bookings: Essential. Bookings/enquiries: Eryldene – 02 9498 2271 or eryldene@eryldene.org.au
P O Box 53, Edgecliff NSW 2027 Or fax to (02) 9328 2649
• Admission will only be allowed on presentation of tickets. Members wishing to attend activities with friends must apply on the same application form in order to receive tickets in the same group. Please use only one payment to cover each group application. • Refunds will only be allowed with one week’s notice (two weeks for country weekends) and return of tickets for re-sale. A cancellation fee will be charged. Membership fees should not be included with activity payments. • More forms are available online. Search National Trust NSW Ticket Application Sheet
Old Government House, Parramatta Park (Pitt St entrance)
Address:
Postcode:
Full of colour, movement, comedy and fabulous tunes, our Gilbert & Sullivan Extravaganza is a great option for young and old alike. This show abounds with favourites from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, The Gondoliers and more. Presented in costume with dialogue and some audience participation to add to the hilarity, this show is performed complete in a 50 minute format. It has been received enthusiastically by diverse audiences in a range of Sydney and rural venues.
SAVE THE DATE
Sunday: Celebratory Teas for Mothers Day, now in their 15th year. Indulge your mother and family at a traditional tea presented in style with embroidered table linen, fine china and home-made delicacies, typical of the teas served by Mrs Janet Waterhouse of Eryldene.
The Ticket Secretary The National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Membership No:
Cost (entry only): $8 non-members, $6 conc, $4 child (6-15), $18 family (2 adults, 2 children). The Garden Café will not be open on Sunday
Cost (includes entrance fee, all materials, equipment and afternoon tea): $50 NT/Eryldene members, $58 non-members.
No telephone bookings accepted ENQUIRIES TO TICKET SECRETARY: 02 9363 2401 (10am-1pm, Mon-Fri) Please DO NOT send Ticket Applications to the National Trust Centre at Observatory Hill. The Ticket Secretary is at Lindesay, Darling Point.
Full Name:
Enjoy the garden and tours of the house on both days.
Saturday: Eryldene’s Mothers Day gift – a fun-filled, hands-on workshop for all the mothers in your life, learning how to make your own Ikebana Sogetsu arrangement, as did Mrs Janet Waterhouse, and a simple 3D floral sculpture. Finish with a sumptuous afternoon tea and go home armed with flowers and lots of inspiration. Numbers limited.
• The entire (completed) Ticket Application page. Please do not cut it up • Enclose a self-addressed, stamped business-size (DL) envelope • Give credit card details or enclose a cheque payable to The National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Please send your completed Ticket Application Sheet and payment to:
Sunday 31 May, 1.30-3.40pm
Cost (includes food and drinks): $45 NT members, $50 non-members. Bookings: Essential. Tickets/ enquiries: Old Government House – 02 9635 8149 or info@friendsofogh.com
Eryldene Historic House and Garden, 17 McIntosh St, Gordon
Please pay by credit card if possible. Please send:
Looking at Architecture - Avalon Beach Day Tuesday 2 June, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1-3pm Please refer to pg 15 Garden Seminar at Lindesay Wednesday 29 July, 10am-3pm Please refer to pg 15 Looking at Architecture - WavertonNorth Sydney Day
Telephone (Home):
Other Name(S): Please Debit My Credit Card: Visa, Mcard $
Macquarie’s Grand Tour of Van Diemen’s Land Sunday 25 October to Tuesday 3 November 2015 Please refer to pg 17
Trust News Only available online To download your issue visit:
www.nationaltrust.org.au/trust-news
Membership Number:
□ Cheque/Money Order For $
Or
Card No: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiry Date
Repeat Order Form With Your Tickets
Card Holder’s Signature:
Office use only. Date received and posted Date 2015
Activity
Tuesday 10, Hunters Hill Day March Wednesday 15 April
Walking Tour of Greenwich Point
Tuesday 21, Bellevue Hill Day April
No. Tickets
Cost
Subtotal
Additional Information
$35 per person $20 youth (16-20yrs) MEMBERS ONLY
☐ 10.30am -12.30pm ☐ 1pm – 3pm
$40 members $44 non-members
Meet either at Greenwich Wharf at 10.06am (ferry leaves Circular Quay 9.45am) or if driving, at 10.15am at 221 Greenwich Rd
$35 per person $20 youth (16-20yrs) MEMBERS ONLY
☐ 10.30am -12.30pm ☐1pm – 3pm
Tuesday 28 April
QT Hotel Tour
$40 members $44 non-members
Saturday 2, Sunday 3 May
Katoomba and Leura Country Weekend
$80 Members $100 Friends (2 only per member) $25 Youth (16-20yrs) ☐ Friday Drinks $20 per person ☐ Saturday lunch $15 ☐ Saturday Dinner – A RETURN TO ELEGANCE - $65
Please note that you must book for each meal you wish to take. Drinks are not included in the cost.
Friday 1, Saturday 2, Sunday 3, May
Coach Tour: Katoomba and Leura Country Weekend
Twin: Members $580 p/p Friends $605 p/p Single: Members $680 p/p Friends $705 p/p Includes meals and accommodation
Coach departs from street that gives access to Country trains and main concourse of Central Station 9am Fri 1 May. Please be at departure point by 8.30am. Returns Sunday 3 May approx. 6pm
Tuesday 2 June
Avalon Beach Day
$35 per person $20 youth (16-20yrs) MEMBERS ONLY
☐ 10.30am -12.30pm ☐ 1pm – 3pm
Wednesday 29 July
Garden Seminar
$70 members $80 friends (includes morning tea/coffee & lunch)
10am -3pm Lindesay, 1 Carthona Ave Darling Pt (enter via Lindsay Ave)
Saturday Dinner – A RETURN TO ELEGANCE – at the Hydro Majestic, Medlow Bath
Tuesday 4 August, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1-3pm See next issue for booking.
(Business): Email:
No cancellations for A RETURN TO ELEGANCE – dinner after 31 March.
$2 handling fee will be added to transactions by fax TOTAL NB The closing date for all ticket applications is five working days before the event. Please note that some venues may not be suitable for wheelchairs and people with limited mobility as some surfaces may be uneven and walking may be required. For information ring the Ticket Secretary 02 9363 2401.
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POSTAGE PAID IN AUSTRALIA PRINT POST
21st
Submissions close 2 April 2015
ANNUAL
NATIONAL TRUST
Heritage Awards 2015
Award Ceremony Luncheon 13 May 2015, Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont www.heritageawards.com.au
THE NATIONAL TRUST SPONSORS, SUPPORTERS AND CORPORATE MEMBERS The National Trust wishes to thank Sponsors and Funding Bodies at all levels for helping to protect our valuable heritage BRONZE PARTNERS Clayton Utz Eakin McCaffrey Cox Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Holding Redlich Lawyers & Consultants International Conservation Services Oasis Nursery Sotheby’s Trust Company of Australia FUNDING BODIES Australian Government: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities NSW Government: Office of Environment and Heritage Museums and Galleries NSW Parramatta City Council CORPORATE MEMBERS Allen Jack + Cottier Cox Architects Pty Ltd
GML Heritage Tenix Pty Ltd Winten Property Group Design 5 - Architects Pty Ltd Johnson Pilton Walker Pty Ltd Wollongong City Council MEDIA PARTNERS Media Monitors Australia SUPPORTERS List Guide A Acorn Media AMP Aurora Expeditions Best Buds Florist BridgeClimb Chifley Financial Services Christopher Shain Photography Clive Lucas Stapleton & Company FDC Fine Music 102.5FM Foto Riesel Camera House Francis - Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) Goldstein and Martens
Grays Online HLB Mann Judd John Mulally & Associates Microsoft Australia Mrs Karin Keighley National Trust Women’s Committee NRMA Motoring & Services NSW Architects Registration Board NSW Department of Commerce NSW Department of Education and Training NSW Department of Land Pinpoint Pty Ltd Quilty Tours Richard Dinham Consulting Pty Ltd The Langham, Sydney Laithwaite’s Wine People Winsor & Newton WT Partnership YHA NSW Zenith Informatiochar Management Services
JOIN US FOR A SERIES OF SUSTAINABLE HERITAGE CONSERVATION WORKSHOPS
FUNDING BODIES
as we partner with Australia ICOMOS - Building Limes Forum Australia Australian Institute of Architects - City of Sydney & APT Australasia Chapter Workshops run every Saturday from 7 Feb – 28 March To book: www.trybooking.com.au/EIVS or call (02) 9258 0141 For further information visit www.nationaltrust.org.au/nsw
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Changing your address? Let us know! Return this sheet with your new address attached. If undelivered, return to the national trust of australia (NSW) GPO box 518, SydneyNSW 2001. Registered by Australia Post. Print post 100008022. 24