NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA Heritage in Trust
(ACT)
May 2015
_________________________________________________________________
The Metric Church? St Stephen’s, Queanbeyan Was St Stephen’s Church in Queanbeyan the only 19th century Australian church designed in metric configurations? Historian and heritage consultant, Brendan O’Keefe examines this claim which has become part of our local folklore. St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Queanbeyan was designed in 1871 by the Reverend Alberto Dias Soares, then the local Church of England minister, and built in the period 1872-74. In his thirty years of practice as an ecclesiastical architect (185988), Soares designed at least fifteen Anglican churches, as well as a number of rectories, school buildings and church halls.1 St Stephen’s is unique among his ecclesiastical commissions in that it was the only non-Anglican church that he designed.
Inside From the President ACT region Heritage Symposium Heritage Diary Travels and at home with the Trust Heritage Happenings Heritage Festival 2015 report Dirk Hartog - 400th anniversary Mugga – Mugga Open Day photos
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May 2015 sources, including newspapers, has failed to uncover the origin of the information.
From the editors This is the second edition of Heritage in Trust for 2015 and the ninth that has been published online. That’s right – the first on-line edition was published two years ago, in May 2013. We’re glad to report that the sky didn’t fall in as a result of the change from hard copy. A small number of members still request a paper version but overwhelmingly members appear to be happy reading the newsletter via their computer. We’d like to acknowledge and thank the authors who provide the bulk of the material contained in each edition of the newsletter. Our main article authors this time are previous contributor Brendan O’Keefe on St Stephen’s Church in Queanbeyan, and Peter Reynders on the 400th anniversary of Dirk Hartog’s sighting of the west coast of Australia. Another feature of this edition is the collection of photos from the Mugga – Mugga Open Day on 12 April. Views and suggestions are always welcome. You can send them by email to info@nationaltrustact.org.au or by mail to the Trust Office. The Metric Church? St Stephen’s Queanbeyan cont from p1 In her centenary history of St Stephen’s published in 1974, Jan Armour stated that Soares drew up the plans for the church ‘in metric configurations.’ 2 The statement has now become a part of local folklore, even an article of faith. If it is correct, it would almost certainly make St Stephen’s the only church designed and built to metric specifications in Australia in the 19 th century. Unfortunately, Mrs Armour did not indicate in her history from where she obtained this piece of information. Asked recently where the information had come from, she was unable to recall the source, except that she said that she gathered all of her material for the book from local sources in the QueanbeyanCanberra area. An intensive search of local historical
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On the face of it, it seems an extraordinary claim to make that St Stephen’s was built to metric proportions. However, if anyone was equipped to design a church on the metric system, it was Soares. He would have become familiar with metric measures when he lived in Oporto for two years in 1846-48, Portugal having adopted the system in 1814, and when he subsequently resided in Paris for two years in 185052.3 But if he did design the church to metric specifications, there was an immediate practical difficulty. The tradesmen engaged in construction of the building are most unlikely to have had metric measures. This would have been a particular problem for the quarryman and stonemason. To overcome the problem, Soares would have had to convert his metric dimensions into imperial measures for the tradesmen. Given this practical difficulty, one wonders why he would have bothered to design the church in metric units in the first place. A possible answer to the question may lie in Soares’s wish to distinguish St Stephen’s from all of the Anglican churches he designed, which were presumably designed in imperial measures. In this regard, it is intriguing to note that he would almost certainly have relied upon James Barr’s famous text, Anglican Church Architecture, in designing his Church of England churches. He certainly had access to a copy of this work as one had been brought to Queanbeyan in 1844 by the builder Daniel Jordan, the father of the carpenter who was later employed on the building of St Stephen’s. Jordan’s copy of Barr’s book was long held by Christ Church in Queanbeyan.4 While Soares probably made use of Barr’s book in designing St Stephen’s, it is conceivable that he could have resorted to metric measures to accentuate the fact that it was a Presbyterian rather than an Anglican church. There is some evidence to suggest, though, that this was not the case. On 29 May 1872, Charles Campbell, who was then Chancellor of the Goulburn Diocese, wrote a stern letter to Soares, saying that his attention had been directed to an article in the Queanbeyan Age Page 2
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a few days previously in which Soares was reported to have ‘furnished the Presbyterian Denomination at Queanbeyan with a plan and specifications’, had ‘permitted [himself] to be described in a public document’ as ‘the Architect’ of ‘their new place of worship’ and, at a meeting of the Queanbeyan Presbyterians, had paid his first year’s subscription ‘with best wishes’. The article in question was a report of the laying of the foundation stone of St Stephen’s. Campbell warned Soares that, if the report was true, he had made himself liable to suspension and even revocation of his licence to practise as a minister.5 No reply from Soares is on file and, in the event, he was not sacked. Campbell’s letter reveals, however, that he did not seek permission from his bishop, Mesac Thomas, to design St Stephen’s. It may thus be surmised that he saw nothing wrong with providing the Queanbeyan Presbyterian community with plans and specifications for the church. On this basis, it seems rather less likely that he would have designed St Stephen’s in metric measures to distinguish it from the Anglican churches he designed. It is possible of course that he did do this, but if he used metric units for the design in the belief that the design might otherwise cause him problems with higher authorities in the Church of England, then he would surely have sought permission from Bishop Thomas beforehand. In an effort to confirm or disprove the alleged metric dimensions of the church, heritage architect Pip Giovanelli, in company with the current author, took measurements of the exterior of the church in November 2014. It turned out that another heritage architect, Ken Charlton, had also measured the church in 1998. Belatedly, yet another set of plans and measurements were found by the church’s current minister and handed to Pip Giovanelli in December 2014.6 These last-mentioned drawings are interesting because they are accompanied by a brief summary of the church which baldly states that it was ‘built in the metric system’. The drawings are undated but, as the accompanying summary goes on to state that the church’s centenary ‘will be celebrated in 1974’, they were clearly prepared some time before this. Both the
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context and the style and text of the drawings suggests that they were done earlier in the 1970s. In referring to the church as having been built to metric dimensions, these pre-1974 drawings apparently accepted this as established fact and accordingly recorded the measurements in centimetres. The trouble is that the measurements do not actually confirm that the church was built to metric specifications. The measurements are mostly odd numbers of centimetres that do not equate to any regular number of metres, as might be expected, while in two important cases they equate to imperial measures. The exterior width of the church, for example, is quoted as 762 centimetres, which is virtually exactly 25 feet. The exterior length of the church, including the porch and vestry, is given as 1858 centimetres which is almost exactly 61 feet.
St Stephen’s
The only significant measure which the drawings quote in a regular number of centimetres is that for the internal width of the nave. This is given as 660 centimetres (ie, 21 feet 8 inches). However, in his careful measurement of the width of the nave in 1998, Ken Charlton arrived at a figure of 652.6 cm or 21 feet 4 inches in the imperial system. He also measured the interior length of the nave as 1220.5 cm or 40 feet, as against a figure of 1228 cm in the pre-1974 drawings. Page 3
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Ken Charlton and Pip Giovanelli independently measured the exterior length of the body or nave of the church as 43 feet 3 inches, while Giovanelli measured the external width of the church as 25 feet, the same as the pre-1974 drawings. Charlton did not take this measure. There was only one feature of the church for which Charlton and Giovanelli found any suggestive evidence of the use of metric units. This consisted of the length from the front of one buttress to the front of the next, for the rear four of the five buttresses on the northern side and for the four buttresses on the southern side. (There are only four buttresses on this side because of the presence of the bell tower.) The measure from one buttress to the next is exactly 3 metres (or 9 feet 10 inches). However, the measure from the front of the first buttress to the front of the second on the northern side is 305 cm (or exactly 10 feet). The spacing between the buttresses would thus appear to be a mixture of metric and imperial measures. But when taken with the rest of the measurements for the church, which look to be definitely imperial, the 3metre spacing between most of the buttresses seems to be purely coincidental.
2
Jan Armour, And this Stone – The story of St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church, Queanbeyan, Queanbeyan, 1974, p. 27. 3 ‘Death of the Rev. Canon A. D. Soares’, The Southern Churchman, vol, 12, no. 4, 15 May 1909, p. 5; Charlton, ‘Southern Spires’, p. 1. 4 Rex Cross and Bert Sheedy, Queanbeyan Pioneers – First Study, Queanbeyan, 1983, p. 67. 5 Letter, Charles Campbell, to A.D. Soares, 29 May 1872, Letter Book of Bishop Mesac Thomas, 1872-1874. 6 ‘St Stephens Presbyterian Church Queanbeyan presented by Reg Wolfe, Gary Luton and Arthur Marzalek’, undated.
The three separate measurements carried out on the church, coupled with other evidence, do not provide any support for the claim that St Stephen’s was built to metric specifications. While as a Presbyterian structure the church is unique in Soares’s corpus of works and its design and history exhibit several noteworthy features, the tradition that has grown up about its metric dimensions looks to be without substance. Brendan O’Keefe Brendan O’Keefe is an historian and heritage consultant who has carried out numerous heritage in Canberra and Queanbeyan over many years. Photographs provided by the author. 1
For the buildings that Soares designed, see Ken Charlton, ‘Southern Spires’, Anglican Historical Society Journal, no. 25, April 1998, Ransome T. Wyatt, History of the Diocese of Goulburn, Sydney, 1937, and entries in the NSW State Heritage Register and Inventory.
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St Stephen's today
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From the President
Contents
Hello members.
The Metric Church? St Stephen’s Queanbeyan ___ 1 From the President _________________________ 5 People and Places _________________________ 6 Trusted Recipe ____________________________ 6 ACT & Region Heritage Partnership Symposium _ 7 Heritage Diary ____________________________ 8 Travels and at home with the Trust ___________ 9 Heritage Happenings _______________________ 10 New Council Members _____________________ 11 Keeping up with the times – social networking __ 12 Trust Tour Reports _________________________ 13 Heritage Festival Report_____________________ 15 Dirk Hartog – 400th anniversary _______________ 18 Mugga Mugga Open Day photos ______________ 20
I’m writing this shortly after the completion of yet another successful National Trust Open Day which was held this year at the historic Mugga-Mugga. I know there is a separate report on the Open Day elsewhere in this newsletter but I really have to thank Mary Johnston, Kirsty Guster and Linda Roberts for another fantastic organisational effort. Also, to all the volunteers that helped out on the day, THANK YOU. Your help is always appreciated and this is our one major event of the year where the more help we can get the better. I’ve mentioned previously the concept of having an ‘Urban Polaris’ cycle event to heighten awareness of our heritage places. We had planned to run it in December of this year. Unfortunately there has been a change in plans and it has been decided to move the event to April next year to coincide with the 2016 Heritage Festival. I will provide more details in future newsletters. As you would all know, membership is our major source of revenue and I thank you all for supporting the work of the National Trust by being members. The ACT Trust is one of the few remaining Trusts that has a life membership option and it is by far the cheapest. In an effort to bring our rates into line with other organisations and assist in our efforts to remain sustainable, we have decided to increase life membership rates from $750 (single) to $1,137.50 and from $1,200 (household) to $1,662.50. These rates will still be the cheapest offered by any State Trust and the good news is that you can take advantage of the old rates until 30 June 2015. So, if you are thinking about this membership option you’d better lock it in quickly! And while you’re at it, don’t forget our Patron program – if you want to be remembered as an Inaugural Patron you also need to act before 30 June 2015. Now, without offending any of my fellow Council members I think it is safe to say that none of us are particularly ‘tech savvy’. But it’s OK as help is at hand! Our industrious Office Manager Liz has enlisted the help of her son Andrew to bring the social media side of our website up to speed. Go to our website at nationaltrust.org.au and you will see that we have a
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Twitter feed and a Facebook link. And, please make us one of your friends so that we can spread the good work of the Trust to the wider community. Also, in a similar vein, while you’re on the website you will see a link to a podcast from Tony Delroy’s Nightlife radio program which I was a guest on recently. It’s more of national perspective on the Trust but worth listening to, to see what’s happening nationally. And finally, I met with Minister Greg Hunt recently to discuss the National Trust at a national level and he outlined his vision to set up a National Lottery to help fund Arts and Heritage. Some of you may be familiar with the Heritage Lottery Program in the UK which raises over AUD$700 million annually. The Minister’s vision is still at the concept stage but I would ask that you pass on the idea to your friends and local MPs in an effort to spread the word as I suspect it will be a case of ‘community’ voice and support that will see the idea come to fruition. Thanks again for your interest and support. Scott McAlister President
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People and Places
Trusted recipe
New members The National Trust (ACT) warmly welcomes the following new members:
Robert and Kath Arthur Freda Hanley and Tim Barton Su and Rob Bastian Dianne and Bruce Billings Rebecca and Grahame Butler Gary and Frances Coble Simon Cullen Peter Le Cornu and Kim Cusack Jude Dodd Lorraine Lister and Lada Faith Leonard and Linda Glare Kirsty Guster Brian and Jeanette Henry Sharyn Sullivan and Barry Hugg Keith Joyce Linda Laker Julie Macklin Dylan and Francesca Matthews Bronwyn and Philip McLaren Anita Lutze and Beverley Murray Alison Neil Rod and Joan Nichols Cheng Phillips Eric and Cathy Pulford Sharon Field and Chris Quinn Roger and Kate Rose Ronis Chapman and Michael Searle Marlene Strudwick Graham and Fiona Thompson Adriana and Ron Travers Katherine Campbell and Andy Turner Ben Kempton and Sarah Webeck Ian White Diana White
Curry Paste With winter starting to emerge from the side wings, here is an alternative taste to have in the fridge at the ready for our cold evenings. It is great to have on hand for the heart-warming curry and rice but it is also good for stews and left-over roasts. Combine 2 tsp malt vinegar 2 cloves crushed garlic ½ cup oil 1 tbsp lemon juice Mix with the following ingredients 2 tbsp coriander 1 tbsp cinnamon 1 tbsp dry mustard ¼ tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp turmeric 1 tbsp ginger 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp cardamom ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 2 tsp sugar Stir over low heat for approximately 3 minutes and cool to room temperature. Makes about 1 cup. Store in airtight container in fridge. Use approximately 2 tbsp paste to 500g of meat. Di Dowling
Life Member: Dr Fiona Rothchilds
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Heritage Diary February to June 2015 A selection of heritage-related events of interest to members Details of National Trust (ACT) events are provided in Travels and at home with the Trust on page 9 Date and time
Event and location
Organiser
Contact
Wednesday 20 May 5.30-7.00pm
National Trust Speaker’s Night – Mark Butz, The intriguing history of Jerrabombera Wetlands, Menzies Room, National Archives.
National Trust
Bookings closed 62300533 or info@nationaltrustact.org.au
Wednesday 20 May 6.30 for 7.00pm
CAS/CAR lecture – Prof Matthew Spriggs, Recent Archaeology in Vanuatu (& elsewhere) Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU
CAS
www.cas.asn.au
Thu 23 - Fri 24 May
Conference: The Archaeology of Portable Art: South East Asian, Pacific, and Australian Perspectives. ANU Cooma Cottage Market and Car Boot Sale 756 Yass Valley Way, Yass Ngunawal 2015 Walks and Talks Series. Managing Environmental, Social and cultural heritage- bus tour for environment/heritage and planning professionals and post graduates. Meeting place to be confirmed CAS/CAR lecture - Daryl Wesley, Anuru Bay. Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU.
ANU
http://archanth.anu.edu.au/portable-art
National Trust Molonglo Catchment Group
https://www.facebook.com/coomacottageya ss http://www.molonglocatchment.com.au RSVP Karen@molonglocatchment.org.au
CAS
www.cas.asn.au
CAS/CAR lecture - Simon Haberle, Lake George Project. Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU. ACT and Region Annual Heritage Partnership Symposium, Sir Roland Wilson Theatrette, Building 120, ANU, Sharing Heritage: Create, Change, Cherish Life Interrupted: Gallipoli Stories The stories of our soldiers at Gallipoli – all in their own words. National Archives, Queen Victoria Terrace CAS/CAR lecture - Nick McClean, topic TBA. Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU.
CAS
www.cas.asn.au
CAS, National Trust and others
Queries to Eric Martin and Associates (emaa@emaa.com.au)
NAA
(02) 6212 3600 naa.gov.au/visit-us/exhibitions
CAS
www.cas.asn.au
INTO 2015 Conference 16th International Conference of National Trusts Cambridge UK CAS/CAR lecture - Bec Parkes, Googong Heritage Project. Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU.
INTO
http://www.internationaltrusts.org/10409 http://www.icntcambridge2015.org.uk/
CAS
www.cas.asn.au
175th Anniversary Costume Ball Cooma Cottage Yass CAS/CAR lecture - Stuart Hawkins, Vanuatu. Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU.
National Trust
6230 0533
CAS
www.cas.asn.au
Sat 24 Oct – Sun 8 Nov
Tasmania by Coach and Rail
U3A
More info or EOIs ring Garth Setchell (ph 62901100) during May.
Wednesday 18 November 6.30 for 7.00pm
CAS/CAR lecture - Billy O’Foghlu, Iron Age Music. Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU.
CAS
www.cas.asn.au
Sunday 31 May Wednesday 3 June Postponed. Date TBC. Please revisit page for new date. Wednesday 17 June 6.30 for 7.00pm Wednesday 15 July 6.30 for 7.00pm Saturday 18 July 8.30am to 5.00pm
Opens 31 July
Wednesday 19 August 6.30 for 7.00pm 7 – 11 September
Wednesday 16 September 6.30 for 7.00pm Saturday 3 October Wednesday 21 October 6.30 for 7.00pm
Notes: CAS is the Canberra Archaeological Society. CAR is the Centre for Archaeological Research. CDHS is Canberra and District Historical Society. NAA is National Archives of Australia. INTO is International National Trusts Organisation, U3A is University of the Third Age. Information on events run by organisations other than the National Trust (ACT) is provided in good faith, but readers should check dates and times with the contacts indicated above.
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Travels and at home with the Trust Local and Interstate
National Trust (NSW) and other events
Speaker’s Event - Mark Butz “The intriguing history of Jerrabomberra Wetlands”
Cooma Cottage Market and Car Boot Sale
Wednesday 20 May 2015 - 5.30pm-7.00pm, Menzies Room, National Archives of Australia Victoria Terrace, Parkes, ACT Mark is an environmental scientist by training, with a lifelong interest in history, from the prehistoric to the recent. His research into the history of the Jerrabomberra Wetlands area has unearthed many stories beyond those to do with wetlands and waterbirds. These include the early days of Duntroon, siting and design of the Federal Capital, pioneer Australian movie-making, trench warfare training, soldier settlement, record floods, a doomed railway, model dairies, a lost lake, some odd urban schemes and many slender chances that led to the wetlands of today. Cost: $10.00 NT members; $15.00 non members. Drinks & nibbles included. Bookings closed. Contact NT ACT office 02 6230 0533 or email info@nationaltrustact.org.au
Jerrabomberra Wetlands
ACT and Region Annual Heritage Partnership Symposium Theme: Sharing Heritage: Create, Change, Cherish Saturday 18 July 8.30am to 5.00pm Sir Roland Wilson Theatrette, Building 120, ANU, More information: See flyer on p7 Registrations opening soon. Eric Martin and Associates: ( emaa@emaa.com.au )
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Sunday 31 May 10am – 2pm Cooma Cottage, 756 Yass Valley Way, Yass Plenty to see. Plenty to buy. 20 stalls plus car boot sale Ring Helen on 6226 3665 or Rick on 0488 963 492
175th Anniversary Costume Ball Saturday 3 October Cooma Cottage Yass Celebrating Hamilton Hume’s 175th Year at Cooma Cottage Yass and launching the Old Hume Highway 31 Project. An evening of 1840s ballroom dancing, music, food, wine, an Opera Recital, auction, raffle & speeches. Tickets available on-line from 19 June Ring NT ACT Office on 6230 0533 for details
U3A Tour - Tasmania by Coach and Rail Sat 24 Oct to Sun 8 Nov 2015 Special invitation for National Trust (ACT) members Travelling mainly by coach, the tour includes at least 5 historic rail journeys plus cruises on the Gordon and Pieman Rivers. It also embraces World Heritage Areas such as Freycinet, Port Arthur, Lake St Clair, Cradle Mountain and The Tarkine, plus visits to a number of historic properties and towns, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) at Hobart, wineries, seafood buffets and a host of other attractions. Including 3.5 to 5 star accommodation, most meals, all the above and many other attractions, a cost in the vicinity of $4500pp dbl/twin or $5700pp sgl is indicated, plus return air fares from Canberra (for around $450pp if booked early enough). More information and EOI: Contact Garth Setchell on 6290 1100 during May.
Watch out for future NT(ACT) events including a bus tour to the Bombala area in spring and a visit to Tharwa.
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Heritage Happenings Lake Burley Griffin Guardians
Grants
This group has been formed to press for conservation of the heritage values of the Lake and surrounds. The NT supports the group.
The NT intends to submit a proposal for the conservation of the Weetangera Cemetery and possibly Reid Railway Precinct.
ACT Supreme Court
Yarralumla Forestry School
A meeting has been held between the NT and representatives of the ACT Government who are managing the private/public partnership project for the new ACT Supreme Court. Although details of the two design bids were not revealed, we have been assured that the heritage values of the existing building are being considered in the new design. An opportunity to comment in more detail will be available later in the year.
The NT has been discussing the future of the Yarralumla Forestry School with ACT Foresters. While it is listed, the future of the site is unclear.
Ginninderra Falls The NT continues liaison with the Falls group and Riverview about the long-term proposals for the Falls and the protection of its heritage values.
Forrest Townhouses Forrest town houses by Sir Roy Grounds are included within the Blandfordia 4 Precinct but concern has been expressed to the ACT Heritage Council that the general guidelines are not specific enough to adequately protect the place. Advice received is that it is not a current priority item. ACT Supreme Court
Photo: Canberra Times
Northbourne Avenue The NT participated in a charrette to consider the future of Northbourne Avenue and the light rail corridor (from EPIC to Russell) and the issues that need to be considered in developing any planning framework for the area.
ACT Planning Review The NT has made a submission on the strategic planning document that considers planning priorities for Canberra. The NT stressed the need for early consideration of, identification of, and respect for heritage places and issues.
Dickson/Lyneham Flats (Northbourne Housing Precinct) The NT is pressing for standing to have its appeal against partial listing of the precinct heard. The problem is that the public notice submission date was after the legal notice expiry date and the NT submission was received by the public notice date. This decision will be considered by 22 May 2015. The NT has also appealed the decision to demolish two towers on the Dickson side but this is being held over until a decision is made on the NT’s standing on the listing proposal.
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Forrest Townhouses http://www.canberrahouse.com/2006/11/08/forrest-townhouses1959/
ACT NT Heritage Awards 2015 This will occur again this year and the announcement of the event will occur shortly.
Yarralumla Section 64 The NT has written to ACT Heritage about the dilapidated state of this area – it is a derelict building site despite its heritage listing. The NT is seeking some action to improve the site and protect heritage values. Eric J Martin AM
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New Council Members There are three new Council members in 2015. In the last edition of Heritage in Trust, we introduced Chris Wain, former Executive Director of the ACT Trust. In this issue, we make another re-introduction, Bethany Lance. Bethany Lance is the former Research Assistant for the National Trust ACT. She currently works as a consultant for heritage consulting firm GML Heritage in their Canberra office. She has been in this position since November 2012 and since this time has been lucky enough to work on projects at significant local and national heritage places for a variety of clients in Canberra and around Australia. She has also had previous experience working for the ANU and the National Library of Australia. Bethany holds a Master of Liberal Arts, majoring in Cultural Heritage, from the Australian National University and has studied cultural heritage; archaeology; building and object conservation; history; museum and cultural heritage management; she also undertook professional practice and an internship with the ANU at Kakadu National Park as a part of her tertiary education. Her love of all things heritage stemmed from her experiences growing up on the farm that Miles Franklin lived at near Goulburn. Discovering and collecting artefacts leftover from the Franklin family's time there was one of her favourite pastimes growing up. Bethany is looking forward to working with the National Trust again in a voluntary capacity and contributing to the great work of the Trust in the ACT.
Bethany Lance (photo: GML Heritage)
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Keeping up with the times – social networking! No doubt you have heard the term ‘social media’, the interactive way of communicating, using modern technology. Rather than being static like reading a newspaper or listening to the radio, social media allows you to interact, make comments, share information, and ‘have your say’ about pretty much anything you could imagine and, more importantly, about the things that matter to you! To sign up and follow us on Facebook, simply go to http://www.facebook.com and enter your email and some personal details to get started, then navigate to http://www.facebook.com/nationaltrustact and click the like button near the top of the page.
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For Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com and enter your name and email, and choose a password to sign up and then navigate to https://twitter.com/NatTrust_ACT and click the follow button. We encourage you to join us on Facebook and Twitter and look forward to hearing from you! Like us on
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Liz and Andrew McMillan KEEP UP TO DATE Subscribe to E News Are you up with the latest National Trust happenings? Maybe you have been missing out on our E News bulletins! Make sure you are on the E News list to keep up to date with events and find opportunities to contribute to the valuable and important work of the Trust. Email info@nationaltrustact.org.au with the subject heading of: Subscribe to E News
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T
Trust Tour Reports Crookwell and Taralga Day Trip Sunday 1 March A full busload of National Trust and U3A members and friends set off on Sunday 1 March for a day’s gentle exploring of two Southern Tablelands towns, Crookwell and Taralga. The forecast wasn’t good – storms pending – but we completed the journey having felt only a drop or two of rain. Crookwell was our first destination, population about 2,500 out of the total of 7,500 in the Upper Lachlan Shire. We were joined on the bus by Sharon Thearle, an enthusiastic guide from the local Information Centre who took us on a town tour after morning tea in the park. One of the streets we drove along was called Roberts St. Was it just a coincidence that our leader for the day was Linda Roberts? No, it wasn’t! Linda’s husband, Wayne Roberts, is descended from the Horatio Roberts who arrived in Sydney in 1864 as a 4-year old and subsequently opened the first tavern in Crookwell.
Andrew Lindner demonstrating his sock-making machine
Lunch was provided at Crystal Brook Lavender Farm which is a few kilometers off the main road between Laggan and Taralga. Despite having hosted a concert the day before, the owners of the farm served a fine array of fresh sandwiches, cake, tea and coffee to the hungry horde from Canberra.
Morning tea in the park at Crookwell
We stopped off at the Lindner Sock Factory and Shop in the town where we were shown the sock-making machinery and given a brief and informative talk by fourth-generation sock maker, Andrew Lindner. Many of us also indulged in a spot of sock buying.
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The next stop and the main history/heritage fix for the day was Taralga, population about 370. There is a very active historical society in Taralga and members had turned out in force to answer our questions at their museum which comprises a former church, a slab cottage, a Nissen hut, a large shed full of equipment, and a dairy complex. Ken Fleming from the historical society gave us a brief overview of Taralga’s history, after which we were free to look at the various buildings and exhibits in the museum.
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Trust Tour Reports Chifley Walk and Talk Saturday 28 March We met at Chifley shops at 2pm - our guide, Neville Bleakley, nine participants and me as escort - on a perfect autumn afternoon.
Part of the Taralga Historical Society Museum display
Ken then guided us around the town, pointing out the many stone buildings in the main street and taking us in particular to see Christ the King Catholic Church. Sister Bernadette told us how the building was constructed within six months in 1934 at a cost of £18,000. This lovely church is surprisingly large, considering the current population of Taralga, but at one time the congregation filled the pews.
Gathering for the walk
Neville introduced himself as a long-time resident of Chifley with an interest in the history of Chifley and the broader 'Yarralumla' Valley. We learnt that older residents of the area do not approve of the name Woden Valley, believing it should be named after the Yarralumla Creek running through it so Neville uses the term ‘the Valley’. After setting the scene before suburban development and identifying landmarks such as watercourses and a former dam, Neville outlined the history of early holdings by soldier-settlers after the First World War - properties including Melrose, Yarra Glen and Yamba (owned by the Eddison family who lost three sons in WW2). The suburb of Chifley was located on the former Melrose property.
Christ the King Church at Taralga
After afternoon tea in the park, it was back into the bus for the return to Canberra. Thanks to Linda for her leadership on the day and to the various folk in Crookwell and Taralga who helped to make the day both informative and enjoyable.
We set off for a walk through the streets which we learned are named after scientists and educationalists (through a little Googling!). We then found, much to most people's surprise, the old Long Gully Road, quite a wide reserve through mature gum trees but the road alignment is clearly identifiable in places such as in this photo (next page).
Wendy Whitham (text and photos)
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Heritage Festival Report
Old Long Gully Road once formed part of the route from Cooma to Tumut. It now has a cycle/walking path which we walked along. We stopped at the seat and heritage sign for which Neville had lobbied the government.
The National Trust (ACT) had eight events in the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival which ran from 11-26 April. Unfortunately the walk to the Yankee Hat Aboriginal Art Site was cancelled because of the poor weather forecast for that day. All other events proceeded and we mercifully missed the worst of the weather.
Canberra Brickworks - Saturday 11 April
At the sign, Neville talked about the Cemetery Road and told us about his interactions with people connected with the early families who had lived in the area. A short walk took us back to the shops past the former Chifley school which Neville told us had a great gym! There is also a site for a future house for autistic children. Our final stop was in the park at the Chifley shops for coffee and cake from the Chifley Grocer. Thanks to our enthusiastic guide, Neville, we all learnt a lot about the history of Chifley and ‘the Valley’.
The Canberra Brickworks is of considerable technical value because of the presence in the one location of a number of different kiln types. The Staffordshire kiln, completed in 1915, is especially significant as the only surviving example of this kiln type in Australia. To celebrate the centenary of the kiln, we partnered with the Yarralumla Residents Association to provide two short tours of the Brickworks.
Mary Johnston (text and photos)
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Dr Peter Dowling told us that the making of bricks goes back at least 7,000 years. The first bricks were sundried. Later, bricks were dried by open fires and then in kilns. He explained how the geology of the area had determined the location of the Brickworks. Keith Baker told us about the contribution of the Brickworks to the building of early Canberra including the provisional Parliament House, East and West Blocks, the Melbourne and Sydney Buildings and early brick houses. Thor Diesendorf, who has operated Thor's Hammer at the Brickworks since 1994, provided commentary on the buildings as the groups walked through the site, stopping to look at the Staffordshire kiln and the fan house as well as later kilns of different designs. Thor also talked about the rich history as a creative space for artisans, artists and other community uses since the Brickworks closed in 1976. Marea Fatseas, from the Yarralumla Residents Association, finished the tour with an outline of the plans for development in the area. It would be nice to think that the Brickworks will have a bright future, perhaps, as Thor has suggested, as an Artisan and Designer Hub.
Mugga-Mugga Open Day - Sunday 12 April This year we partnered with ACT Historic Places to hold the Trust's 5th Heritage Festival Open Day at MuggaMugga. With 17 hectares of rural paddocks we had plenty of room to hold various displays, including the ever popular cars of various vintages and makes. Sing Australia Canberra celebrated "Sing Australia Day" with us; the Jumptown Jammers made a big impact with their swing dancing; while the Bush Poets entertained those enjoying Devonshire tea on the deck of the Education Centre. Tours of the cottage were very popular while one of the features of the event was Dr Jenny Gall's "Hidden Voices" talk and subsequent tours of the cottage where, with the help of Ian Blake and David Game, some of the music that would have been heard in the cottage in the past was re-created. Children were not forgotten, with Noahs Ark Farm Friends and the face painter both well attended. The Australian Great War Association was also there in vintage uniforms to recruit new young members and there were guns as well as nursing memorabilia, courtesy of the Canberra Hospital Foundation, on display.
Thanks to the Yarralumla Residents Association, Dr Peter Dowling, Keith Baker and Thor Diesendorf for contributing to this event. Mary Johnston
Gun Display
Thanks to all those who participated, not least the National Trust volunteers who marshalled cars, served Devonshire teas and sausages, and generally made the day run smoothly. The Open Day is supported by the ACT Government through an ACT Heritage Grant.
At the Canberra Brickworks
Mary Johnston (text and photos)
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Lenore Coltheart, author of Albert Hall: The Heart of Canberra - Wednesday 15 April A small, but interested, group gathered in the Menzies Room at the National Archives on Wednesday 15 April to hear Dr Lenore Coltheart speak. We heard how Dr Coltheart became involved in the Albert Hall some years ago - including the role of Di Johnstone, former councillor of the National Trust (ACT) and Secretary of Friends of the Albert Hall. We also heard about the research leading to Dr Coltheart's book about the Albert Hall. But the presentation was much broader than this - Dr Coltheart talked about working with the National Archives and gave us some clues on how to get access to documents of interest. She also gave some insights into how communities can influence governments' responses to heritage issues and some warnings about how heritage places can be 'demolished by neglect'. Dr Coltheart then engaged the small audience in a 'tutorial' by asking what places they valued most around Canberra and why. Nominations included wellknown sites such as Lanyon but also some lesser-known ones such as Yarralumla Brickworks, Wybalena Grove, the Hotel Kurrajong and St Patrick’s School in Braddon. There was also discussion on whether heritage could include more modern sites and she outlined criteria that were relevant in addressing more modern buildings and locations. She encouraged those who had an interest in protecting a heritage location to find out more about it including whether there was a heritage listing and, if not, to look at how to ensure conservation and at the process for possible heritage listing. A first step is to look at the ACT Heritage website www.environment.act.gov.au/heritage.
A Walk in the Park - Friday 17 April On a coolish, gloomy, misty, damp morning a small umbrellaed brigade of heritage walkers undertook the Commonwealth Park walk. This involved intermittent history information interspersed with discussions on trees and shrubs, park design, park designers and water management. We started at the initial idea for the park shown on Walter Burley Griffin's 1913 plan, then we walked through Weston's cypress plantings and past Nerang Pool. We greeted Prime Minister Bob Menzies and had a short discussion on his role in the development of the Lake and the Park. Despite inclement weather, the misty vistas added an ethereal quality particularly to the soft autumn colours of the Swamp Cypresses (Taxodium distichum) now having a strong presence in the park along with their knobbly knees. Our walk took us to Rond Terraces past various memorials. We were disappointed with the completelydry stream valley, admired the visible tangible sculptures but found appreciation of the buried Flugleman sculpture quite challenging. The local bird community of ducks, swamphens and an odd cormorant seemed happy, no doubt because the weather suited them and there were few pesky tourists. Fruit bats were hanging from tree tops and there was plenty of evidence of rabbits enjoying park life. Despite the rather unkempt look of shrub beds and the low water level of ponds, the park was lovely as always and although we ended up with wet feet we all enjoyed the walk. Juliet Ramsay (text and photo)
All in all, a very enjoyable and useful presentation for which we thank Dr Coltheart. Copies of the beautifully presented book on the Albert Hall are available in the National Trust (ACT) office. Mary Johnston
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Why organise an event in 2016 commemorating Dirk Hartog's 1616 visit? In 2015 we will commemorate the end of the Second World War. We will be invited to attend the ceremonies or watch on TV as the lines of be-medalled people march by. The authorities will organise them, and millions of dollars have been allocated to be spent on the commemoration in its various forms. It will happen. We need not plan anything. Some of us are more involved than others because of family connections to the fallen. After similar attention having been paid in 2014 to the beginning of World War I, we again will commemorate war and history, this time with many of us old enough to remember. In addition, at least five countries in Europe will commemorate the Battle of Waterloo, longer ago but also considered an important historical event. In 2016 there may not be huge international events like this planned and government may take a break from considerable commemorative investment, or it may commemorate the various bloody battles of WWI individually until 2018. In 2016 it will be 400 years since one Dirk Hartog chanced upon our west coast. Nobody was there to see it. Nobody died. Will therefore nobody care? It was one of those events that changed the vague European perception of the possible existence of a hypothetical southern land to an inkling that it really existed. Sixteenth century maps had shown a fabulous land called Beach, pronounced ''Be-ak'', in approximately the location where Hartog charted some 400 km of coastline. So was this land indeed a continent and if so how big? Hartog's chart was hard evidence and triggered a long sequence of visits, including deliberate voyages of exploration, until 200 years later it was finally clear where the coastline actually lay, and hence the extent of Australia, as it was eventually called, was revealed.
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After Hartog, the rest was merely waiting to happen: the unfolding of a continent. The land shown on Janszoon's chart of 1606 was then still regarded as merely an extension of New Guinea, so there was not the same excitement about a continent having been found. In 2016 we should commemorate Hartog's discovery. It was an important moment in the history of Australia, and we who are aware of it can create something which will stimulate wider awareness and enrich the community's understanding of Australia's history. We are all members of various organisations or bodies. I suggest that you raise your voice to propose that in 2016 your club, body, institute, department, school etc. create an event to pay some attention to Dirk Hartog's visit. It could be planting a tree (with or without plaque or time capsule), a lecture, a music event, even a barbecue―ideas aplenty! The commemoration could happen in the form of many small and medium-sized events around the nation, without marches or medals, with media coverage perhaps only in local papers. When you are asked “why remember?”, some of the following facts may help you make your point at your next meeting. The significance of Dirk Hartog’s 1616 visit to Australia is still there in the year 2016. On 25 October 1616 the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship Eendracht, skippered by Dirk Hartog, encountered the west coast of Australia. Anchoring near what is now known as Dirk Hartog Island, they stayed for two days. Before leaving, a pewter plate recording the visit was attached to a post on Dirk Hartog Island. As they sailed north they charted 400 km of the coast.
This is the first known European contact with the west coast of Australia.
The visit by Hartog and his crew was only the second time outsiders are thought to have made contact with Australia according to contemporary documentation. Page 18
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The first contact was in early 1606, a result of the voyage of the VOC ship Duyfken, skippered by Janszoon along the western shore of Cape York Peninsula.
By erecting the pewter plate as a postal message for other mariners who might land at this shore after him, Hartog recognised he had made a significant discovery in terms of European exploration.
His recording of land there, taken together with Janszoon’s charting of the Cape York coast, also first raised the possibility that this land was of significant extent, perhaps a continent.
The plate that Hartog left behind still exists. It was replaced by another VOC expedition led by Willem de Vlamingh in 1697 and the original now resides in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The Hartog plate is a tangible link to our past.
It is in fact the oldest relic in existence relating to early visits and contact by outsiders with Australia and the indigenous Australians.
It is the oldest locally written/inscribed document in our history.
Many Australians instantly recognize a depiction of Hartog’s plate.
It is a true icon of Australian history
the early visitors to our shores, making our maritime contact history visible. It ultimately may come about, but probably too late to place a Hartog monument in it in 2016.
Dirk Hatog Plate (Above Photo by the author) Photos below from https://eriksgaap.wordpress.com/tag/dirkhartog/
Hartog’s voyage of 1616 is therefore worth commemorating nationally as a defining event in Australian history, as well as being of considerable importance to the history of the Netherlands. Therefore it is worth organising something to acknowledge the 400th anniversary of this defining visit. You could form a team for it and start now.
Peter Reynders Peter Reynders is a retired town planner with an interest in maps of many types. He is Secretary of Australia on the Map (AOTM), a division of the Australasian Hydrographic Society. AOTM would like to see a ‘National Navigators Park' in Canberra, an Anzac Parade type collection of memorials of
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_____________________________________________________ Patron The Hon. Margaret Reid AO
National Trust of Australia (ACT)
Office PO Box 1144 Civic Square ACT 2608 Telephone 02 6230 0533 Fax 02 6230 0544 Email info@nationaltrustact.org.au Net www.nationaltrust.org.au ABN 50 797 949 955 Opening times: Office Location:
9.30am to 3.00pm Monday to Thursday 1st Floor, North Building Canberra City [above Canberra Museum and Gallery],
President Scott McAlister Office Manager Liz McMillan info@nationaltrustact.org.au The e-magazine, Heritage in Trust, is produced and edited by Maree Treadwell and Wendy Whitham assisted by Dianne Dowling and Mary Johnston
_____________________________________________________
About Heritage in Trust Heritage in Trust is published quarterly as an electronic magazine in conjunction with the national magazine Trust News in February, May, August and November.
Deadlines for copy mid January (February issue) mid April (May) mid July (August) mid October (November)
The editors invite articles and letters from Trust members with an interest in the heritage of the ACT and these should be addressed to The Editor, Heritage in Trust, at info@nationaltrustact.org.au.
The views expressed in Heritage in Trust are not necessarily those of the National Trust of Australia (ACT). The articles in this e-magazine are subject to copyright. No article may be used without the consent of the ACT National Trust and the author.
Mugga - Mugga Open Day 2015. Photos: Mary Johnston Left: AIF recruiters Right: Nursing Display
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More photos below.
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L-R Top row: Guide at Mugga - Mugga; Face painting; Landscape painting L-R Middle Row: Hidden Voices talk; Lacemaking Bottom: Car Display
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L-R Top to Bottom Noah Ark Farm Friends Nursing Display Sausage Sizzle JumpTown Jammers Sing Australia
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Top: AIF Recruiters Bottom: Stalls at Mugga – Mugga Open Day
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