Trust News May 2012

Vo lu m e 5 N O 9 m ay 2 0 1 2

trust

news

6

INSIDE >

Australia

8

heritage festival highlights

NATIONAL TRUST

12 new south wales heritage awards

20 prehistory, pirates and predators

owen lade legacy

A great book deal Trust News is offering members a great book deal as part of the Year of Reading 2012.

From the Barracks to the Burrup: The National Trust in Western Australia was written by Associate Professor Andrea Witcomb and Dr Kate Gregory to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Trust. The beautifully designed book was shortlisted for the 2010 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards and includes never-before-published images.

Special price to Trust News readers $24.95 + postage until 1 August 2012.

Available from the National Trust WA shop www.ntwa.com.au

6

10

8 12

22

24

Inside 4

Bringing Home Australia’s Birth Certificate

5

Pyritic Smelting Innovation with an Acid Legacy

6

Heritage Festival 2012 Highlights

8

NSW National Trust Heritage Awards 2012

10

A Snapshot in time

12

Prehistory, pirates, and predators of the Recherche Archipelago

14

Relishing history makes impact

Emotional links to Australia’s heritage

15

Romancing the Stones

stretch across the world and our

16

N’oublions jamais L’Australie – Remembering Australia at Villers-Bretonneux

18

Alluring La Rochelle

19

The National Year of Reading 2012

20

A precious collection Owen Gower Lade (1922­—2007)

22

The Sixth Governor of the Colony: a quieter achiever

24

Reconstruction of the Gate Lodge Domes at the Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney

26

A theatre of changing roles

28

Ancanthe - a romantic ideal

29

A creative veneer

ISSN: 1835-2316 Vol 5 No 9 2012

my W o r d

Trust News is published quarterly for National Trust members and subscribers in February, May, August and November.

with editor Gina Pickerin g

Publication is coordinated by the National Trust of Australia (WA) on behalf of the National Trusts of Australia and supported by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

National Trust of Australia (WA) ABN 83 697 381 616 PO Box 1162 West Perth WA 6872 T: 08 9321 6088 F: 08 9324 1571 W:www.ntwa.com.au Editor: Gina Pickering gina.pickering@ntwa.com.au T: 08 9321 6088 Advertising: For advertising rates, contact the Editor.

Design: Dessein Graphics Cover: St Lukes, Cambell Town Owen Lade Collection National Trust Tasmania Next Issue: August 2012 Copy deadline:10 June 2012

may 2012 - august 2012 Greetings,

backyards.

In this edition of Trust News, we visit some

astonishing

world

heritage

landscapes and reveal the larrikin ingenuity of a washing day icon.

Innovation and inventiveness drive National Heritage Festival fun during May, and we highlight some events.

Please help us to save our environment and circulate this magazine as widely as possible.

This magazine is printed on recyclable paper and packed in 100% degradable wrap.

The views expressed in Trust News are not necessarily those of the National Trusts or the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. The articles in this magazine are subject to copyright. No article may be used without the consent of the National Trust and the author.

Also, deep ties to the Dutch encourage research, community creativity and new ways of thinking in the West.

Enjoy

Gina Pickering | Editor

3

Trust News Australia may 2012

perspectives

Bringing Home Australia’s Birth Certificate the Hon Greg Hunt MP | Federal Member for Flinders, Shadow Minister for Heritage

Most people would agree that a birth certificate is an important document. It confirms your existence, describing who you are and by what name you will be known to the world. Australia has just such a document: the very first map of the continent with its name written prominently across the middle.

I

t was drawn in 1804 by navigator Matthew Flinders after his historic circumnavigation of what had until then largely been referred to as Terra Australis.

This was the first time any European had circled the continent, the first time an accurate map of the entire “great south land” had been drawn and the first reference on any such map to the name Australia.

The story of Flinders’ amazing voyage around Australia has all the elements of a swashbuckling adventure: shipwreck, extreme hardship, survival against the odds, even imprisonment by colonial rival France.

He was taken prisoner on the island of Mauritius while on his way back to England. It was during this six-year incarceration that Flinders drew the very first map of Australia. He titled the map “Australia or Terra Australis”.

Upon returning to England in 1810, the Admiralty ordered Flinders to produce a new map with the order reversed to ‘Terra Australis or Australia’.

It was this map that was published in 1814, the day before Flinders’ death.

In 1 8 1 7 , G ove r n or Macquarie, learning of Flinders’ preference for the name ‘Australia’, adopted the name Australians have come to cherish.

Since Flinders’ time, the map has been kept under lock and key by the British Admiralty.

The Matthew Flinders map is an important piece of our national heritage.

It is Australia’s birth certificate and it should be here in Australia, on public display, for all Australians to see.

Above The Hon Greg Hunt MP at the Matthew Flinders statue in central Melbourne during the launch of the campaign to bring the map of Australia downunder. Office of the Member for Flinders.

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

4

That is why I have launched a campaign to persuade the British to hand the map to Australia. Keeping the map in England probably made sense during the early, turbulent years of Australia’s formation. But we’re now a mature, independent nation with a standard of living and quality of life that’s the envy of the world.

We can be trusted to look after it. To keep the map locked away in some dusty British archive is a terrible waste of an extraordinary historical document. I urge all those who believe we should have this vital piece of our heritage here in Australia to join my campaign to reclaim Australia’s birth certificate.

It would be a wonderful gesture on the part of the British if the map were gifted to Australia to mark the bicentenary of Flinders’ death in 2014.

For more information and to sign an online petition to the British Government, please visit my website at www.greghunt.com.au

i n n o vat i o n

and i n v e n t i o n

Pyritic Smelting Innovation with an Acid Legacy Chris Tassell | Managing Director, National Trust (Tas)

In 1902 under the supervision of Robert Sticht, the General Manager of the Mt Lyell Mine at Queenstown, the mines smelters achieved for the first time in the world pure or absolute pyritic smelting. All the energy required to separate a metal from its host ore was obtained from the ore itself with this smelting technique.

I

t was a fickle process that offered great economies in production.

This was particularly the case at the Mt Lyell mine where there was no adequate local fuel supply and coke was shipped from interstate and then railed to this isolated west coast mining enterprise.

Fo r Robert Sticht the achievement of pyritic smelting was the culmination of considerable experimentation with the technique that had commenced many years earlier when he was working in the mining fields of Colorado and Montana in the United States of America. Born in 1856, Robert Sticht trained both in the United States and Germany as a metallurgist and mining engineer. By the time of his appointment as metallurgist at the Mt Lyell mine in 1895 he was considered the foremost authority on pyritic smelting in the United States of America.

At Queenstown he quickly convinced the company of the potential benefits of the process and supervised the construction of a smelter partly to his own design which commenced production in 1896. Continued experimentation Top Mt

and understanding of the ore mined at Mt Lyell saw the achievement of pure pyritic smelting in 1902.

However, the variable nature of the copper ore soon required the reintroduction of one percent of coke to the smelter furnaces.

Nevertheless Sticht’s innovative approach to the management of the mine saw the company in one year earn more revenue than the State Government. Mt Lyell mine was also nominated by the Economist as the best managed mine in Australasia.

The construction of the Lake Margaret hydro-electric scheme in 1916, the changing nature of the ore being mined, the adoption of flotation techniques to process the

ore and the electrolytic refining of the copper concentrate saw the use of the pyritic smelting process discontinued in 1922 the same year that Robert Sticht died.

The use of pyritic smelting at the Mt Lyell Mine undoubtedly contributed to the financial success of the mine but it also had a profound impact upon the environment with its outpourings of sulphur fumes. On clear days fumes could be clearly seen by passengers on ships sailing into Macquarie Harbour more than 60 kilometres away. These fumes mixed with the region’s high rainfall (more than 2 metres a year) to form intense acid rain which killed most plant life for kilometres around the mine and resulted in the lunar landscape for which Queenstown is still known.

The story of Robert Sticht and pyritic smelting will be told in the new interpretative exhibition currently being developed by the National Trust in the former mine manager’s office precinct.

Scheduled to open in October this year the project is being supported by the Tasmanian Community Fund.

Lyell smelters behind the slag heap. 1930 Mt Lyell mine collection. pyritic smelters with ore and limestone flux. 1896 Mt Lyell collection.

insert Charging

5

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

i n n o vat i o n

and i n v e n t i o n

celeb

ra

Australiat e wide!

Heritage Festival 2012 Highlights The National Trusts of Australia are celebrating our nation’s natural, Indigenous and historic heritage with hundreds of events around the country. You can be part of one of the largest and longest running community festivals in 2012. The Heritage Festival has created a unique and inspiring program of events in every state. For details visit www.nationaltrust.com.au/heritagefestival/ In the meantime, here’s a taste.

New spin for iconic hoist Jennifer Bantow | Geelong and Region Branch National Trust (Vic)

The rotary clothes hoist ranks as an Australian icon. Gilbert Toyne, a Geelong farrier and wheelwright, patented the first all-metal rotary clothes hoist in Australia back in 1911.

Gilbert’s first 1911 Aeroplane Clothes Hoist - Australian patent Number 1276/11 Number 212 - has survived at the home of Deborah and Ron Gilchrist in Ardlethan.

This extremely rare example is fully operational and is still in regular use, as it has been for 100 years.

Cas Middlemis, co-author with Peter Cuffley of Hung Out to Dry, tells the story of Gilbert Toyne and confirms that the only other known example of the 1911 patent is an unassembled hoist in the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.

The original 1911 version came to light when the owners read the Festival program and saw an event in Geelong, Victoria celebrating Gilbert Toyne’s invention.

To help bring Gilbert Toyne’s story to life, the play Gilbert Toyne’s Wonderful Washing Invention by Rosan Chakir has been part of the Festival in Geelong.

ABOVE Original RIGHT Detail

patent for Gilbert Toyne’s 1925 hoist design. NTVic of the 1911 patent model found in NSW. NTVic

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

6

The reenactment takes place in Gilbert Toyne’s actual boyhood backyard under the rotary clothes hoist he invented for his mother.

The audience sits on the grass in the ‘drying yard’. Lindsay Wilson, who bought the house from Gilbert’s nieces, has kept the clothes hoist because it’s part of the history of the house.

The rotary clothes hoist has probably survived because it is so serviceable – a tribute to its ingenuity.

Toyne came up with four rotary clothes hoist designs in total. His most significant invention is the 1925 all-metal rotary clothes hoist, regarded to be the standard design for the models that followed in Australia including the Hills Hoist.

As Ron Gilchrist the owner of the 1911 model, says “… it carries three loads of washing and has been kept and maintained because it is a most efficient unit and have you ever tried to move a rotary clothes line?”

The Heritage Festival 2012 is providing an Australian icon, its inventor and all the rituals of washing day, well deserved recognition.

i n n o vat i o n

and i n v e n t i o n

Luscious Lamingtons

Festival by night

Sue Finnigan |

Janine Hook | Ayers House Manager/

National Trust (Qld)

The origin of the lamington hails from Old Government House in Brisbane during the tenure of Lord Lamington as Governor of Queensland from 18951901. The exact occasion is one for speculation.

The Governor engaged French chef Armand Galland to work at Government house in Brisbane as head chef from May 1900 until May 1901. This was a particularly busy twelve months of celebratory events for Australia’s Federation. The Governor’s wife Lady Lamington reminisced later in her diary that so many functions took place during this time that her left-hand glove lasted out four right-hand gloves through the constant hand shaking.

One of Galland’s first events as the new chef was to prepare an ‘at home’ afternoon tea on the 25 May for 1200 guests at Government House. The lack of a ballroom at the Governor’s residence meant that large parties and afternoon teas had to be held on the lawns outside.

Did Galland invent the Lamington for this particular occasion simply from the need to feed so many people in a clever and innovative way? Perhaps Armand took his French love of chocolate, mixed it with his Tahitian wife’s tradition of cooking with coconut, named it in honour of his employers for what was possibly his debut event and voilà, the Lamington was born!

For a taste of heritage visit Old Government House for morning tea on Mothers Day 13 May during the Heritage Festival.

Volunteer Coordinator National Trust (SA)

Ayers House Museum is gearing up for the popular After Dark Tours and new White Gloves Tours during the Heritage Festival.

Join Mr Wilkins (The Butler), Mrs Galvin (The House Keeper) and Mrs Jenkins (The Cook) on a candle-light tour of this magnificent house. The tours provide an insight into the roles of the parlour or scullery maid, tweenie or bootboy. Curator Dorothy Woodley’s new White Gloves Tour offers unprecedented access to National Trust of Australia (SA) treasures.

The Trust in SA has also developed a ‘Wiki’ website to explore inventions and innovations that originated in South Australia. Some include the stump jump plough and the Humphrey water pump at Cobdogla, as well as lesser known inventions like the Brattenising plough invented at Tumby Bay (used to make limestone-based Eyre Peninsula roads), the Both Brothers’ Iron lung at Jamestown, the Kaesler caravan at Goolwa, Traeger’s Pedal radio at Ceduna and Harry Butler’s Red Devil aeroplane at Minlaton.

For more information visit

www.saheritagefestival.com.au

above right: Ayers House after Dark Team includes Grant Morgan, Robyn Wight, Francy Crooks, Cynthia Wynn, Madeliene Seys, Dorothy Woodley and Genevieve Seys. J Hook

Way out west gina pickering| National Trust of Australia (WA)

The journeys of the Indian and Afghani camel drivers who carried water to Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields, the private lives of women who lived in the once thriving mill towns of the South West, the ingenuity to be found in Western Australian farming communities, a special species of Banksia currently under threat from dieback and urban bushland clearing, Aboriginal experiences of the goldfields during the Depression and the history of the 1920s charitable organisation, the Ugly Men’s Association.

These are just a few of the many fascinating ideas that will be presented in “Safe Keeping,” an exhibition inspired by an amazing Western Australian invention - the Coolgardie Safe.

More than 30 artists have responded to Coolgardie Safes sourced from around WA. This innovative exhibition will be on display at the Perth Town Hall until 18 April.

For more information visit

www.ntwa.com.au

Above: Chef

Armand Galland.

Courtesy of Robert Galland. right: Mother’s

Bloodline by artist Jillian Green features in the Safe Keeping exhibition. J Green

7

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

i n n o vat i o n

and i n v e n t i o n

NSW National Trust Heritage Awards 2012 Angela le Sueur | National Trust (NSW)

This year’s National Trust Heritage Awards drew a bumper 63 entries across categories designed to reward excellence in all aspects of heritage conservation and promotion, with entrants ranging from large corporates and government departments, to communities and dedicated individuals. The results were released in an electric atmosphere at The Westin Hotel, Sydney, on 23 April where special guest The Hon Robyn Parker, NSW Minister for the Environment and Minister for Heritage addressed entrants and their guests and presented awards.

The Judging Panel Jacqueline Goddard (Chair).......................... Program Leader Heritage EP&M,

Sustainability Division, Sydney Water Tim Smith..............................................Deputy Director, NSW Heritage Branch Robyn Christie....................................................... National Trust Board Member Murray Brown.................................... Policy and Profession Development, AIA Graham Quint..............................Conservation Manager, NSW National Trust

Among the winners: Return to Community: a history of Balls Head and its coal loader North Sydney Council

The coal loader at Balls Head, Waverton, was one of Sydney Harbour’s most advanced maritime facilities when it began operating in the early 1920s. Seventy years later, it was a redundant industrial foreshore site with an uncertain future. By 2011 the place had been redeveloped by North Sydney Council as the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability – a place dedicated to fostering understanding about the ecological, social, cultural and technological aspects of living sustainably.

Interpretation tracks the extraordinary history of Balls Head from the time of the Cammeraygal people to the early 1900s when Henry Lawson walked along its bush tracks and described its beauty in verse; from the development of the coal loader that enraged Lawson to the end of this chapter of the ‘working harbour’ and the creation of the Coal Loader Sustainability Centre. top right Twofold

Davidson Whaling Station Historic Site interpretation Godden Mackay Logan + National Parks and Wildlife Service, Office of Environment and Heritage

Davidson Whaling Station site, located on Twofold Bay on the far south coast of NSW, was the longest operating shore-based whaling station in Australia. It is a place of incredible beauty and historic importance. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service had managed the site for years, but recognised the need for a new plan to guide site interpretation

and to build partnerships with the local and regional community, promoting this as a ‘must see’ destination for all visitors to the south coast.

The Interpretation Plan developed by Godden Mackay Logan explains the particular significance of this site and whaling in pre-contact Indigenous society and the colonial economy of

Bay; serene and beautiful today but with a past of horrific blood and slaughter. Photo: Godden Mackay Logan whaling. NSW National Parks & Wild life Service

bottom right Historic

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

8

i n n o vat i o n Australia. It traces the family-run business which hunted, harvested and processed migrating whales for their oil and baleen for 70 years until 1929, and the support given to the Davidson family not just by Aboriginal whalers, but also by a pod of killer whales which assisted in the chase for part of the kill.

and i n v e n t i o n

The reconciliation of past practice with current attitudes is explored in exciting tourist activities which include the nearby Light to Light Walk and whale watching cruises, while artefacts and traditional methods are explained through on-site collections with web-based potentials.

The Enemy at Home Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales + Migrant Heritage Centre

The Enemy at Home comprises an exhibition, publication and webbased on-line exhibition which tells the story of the nearly 7000 so-called ‘enemy aliens’ interned in camps in NSW during World War 1. One was young Bavarian photographer Paul Dubotzki whose remarkable photographs record the experience of internment from 1915 to 1919.

His photographs tell an extraordinary story of prisoners of war who came from all walks of life, many of whom had lived in Australia for decades including beer baron Edmund Resch. Interned at Holsworthy in Sydney’s southwest, Trial Bay on the mid-north coast and Berrima in the Southern Highlands, the internees made the best of things through an intricate range of societies and activities including small businesses, theatres, boat-building and regattas, athletic demonstrations and cafes and clubs. Dubotzki’s

below The composite photo of the exhibition features an historic image

by Dubotzki Bottom Artist Geoff Williams tells the story of the lowering and realignment of Harrington Street as part of slum redevelopment works.

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

photographs were discovered in a small German town and brought to Sydney in 2011. Meticulous research, craftsmanship and interpretation have resulted in this award-winning insight into a littleknown aspect of Australian social history.

Heritage Murals at The Rocks Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

As part of its Interpretation Strategy for Sydney’s historic birthplace at The Rocks, the Foreshore Authority has installed a number of large-scale murals depicting and interpreting various historical scenes of the region and the highly colourful history which has been brought back to life.

Convicts, plague, slums, gangsters

For a full list of award winners and

– it was all there and now lives on. The murals are based on a collection of paintings and sketches from the 18th and 19th centuries, and post-Federation photographs that record the development of The Rocks and Circular Quay over a 150 year period.

commendations, please visit www.nationaltrust.com.au 9

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

connections

A Snapshot in time Sue Finnigan | National Trust (QLD)

The National Trust of Queensland recently commissioned photographer Tim Nemeth to photograph some of the Trust’s signature properties throughout Queensland.

The heritage buildings are amongst some of the oldest surviving homes and properties in the state, all maintained and protected by the Trust.

T

he objective of the photography project was not only to capture standard internal and external images of the buildings but to portray the properties with warmth and character, to convey them as a must see educational or tourist destination.

“My idea was to use people in my compositions exploring the homes, having fun, learning about our past, bonding with our cultural heritage. I also wanted to create warm, accommodating, ambient colours that make visitors feel like they are coming home.

I used natural light as much as I could, letting the sunlight bathe the rooms with soft light. I loved zooming in on small charming household items and zooming out to show elegant interiors. I’ve visited Brisbane, Toowoomba, Maryborough and travelled North all the way to Townsville, Cooktown, Atherton, and Charters Towers to record images of these beautiful heritage buildings.”

Tim Nemeth explains.

The National Trust of Australia (Qld) now has an updated image library of its properties, and would like to thank Tim Nemeth for his fantastic photos, and the many times when he gave his expertise voluntarily.

Images Tim

Nemeth www.timnemeth.com

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

10

Between the lines HISTORIC HOUSES OF MUDGEE Written and published by John Broadley Reviewer Angela le Sueur

A

twenty year labour of love has come to fruition for historian John Broadley, with the publication of his book Historic Houses of Mudgee. A long term resident of this early colonial settlement who quickly became passionate about recording its history, he set himself the task of documenting its most significant properties. Dating from the late 1820s to the mid-1880s, many were owned by the explorers, politicians, entrepreneurs and their pioneering families who had helped to shape the nation. Cox, Lawson, Rouse, Loneragan these are just some of the family dynasties whose Mudgee estates played an important part of life in the colony.

The book starts with Putta Bucca House sited on a grant of 2000 acres which was purchased by Lieutenant William Lawson. He registered the grant in 1834, one of several he acquired along the northern banks of the Cudgegong River.

One of the overseers Lawson employed to supervise his Mudgee holdings was Nicholas Paget Bayly, who later established the noted Havilah estate adjoining the Lawson properties. By the 1840s,Bayly was making a name for himself with his sheep breeding and management and, by the early 1870s he was able to build a grand homestead which stands today. Havilah wool still bears the mark ‘NPB’ (Nicholas Paget Bayly) over ‘Mudgee’.

Among Broadley’s favourite properties is Binnawee c1855, now listed on the State Heritage Register largely thanks to his efforts while working on its Conservation Management Plan.

There is Eugalong, now derelict but interesting because it grew in several stages from a single room built by its pioneer Swiss family owners, to expand over seven major stages as their prospects improved. Enfield can perhaps boast the greatest metamorphosis over the years, having had a first floor added, then removed, then added again as different owners and economic times dictated its character.

Other properties showcased in this publication include Cote d’Or, the aptly named Bleak House and Burrundulla which occupies an original land grant to George Cox, fourth son of Lieutenant William Cox, who is principally remembered for his role in the construction of the first road over the Blue Mountains.

It is also of note for providing the first clue to a practice that was rife in the Mudgee region for many decades, that of concealing items – most notably single shoes, strangled cats, children’s toys and needles and pins – during construction, as a means of warding off evil spirits.

How to obtain your copy of the book

Historic Houses of Mudgee will be launched early in 2012 and is printed as a limited run of 2000, each numbered and signed by the author. Illustrations include full colour and archival photographs, and exquisite line drawings

by Broadley of interior joinery and details. Cost: $70 plus $15 postage and handling throughout Australia.

Enquiries: John Broadley (John Broadley Heritage Services) (02) 6372 3365 or M: 0429 708 218 or E: jb@johnbroadleyheritage.com

Top Havilah:

the north-west façade showing the Bayly homestead (1872) to the left, Horbury Hunt’s service wing and servants’ quarters (1885) in the centre, and detached office block (c 1872) to the right. J Broadley Centre The delightful Havilah church (1905), designed by Mudgee architect Harold Hardwick. J Broadley bottom Binnawee: the south-eastern front. J Broadley

11

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

connections

Prehistory, pirates, and predators of the Recherche Archipelago David Guilfoyle | Applied Archaeology

The Gabbie Kylie Foundation (National Trust WA) recently completed its latest expedition in the Esperance region of Western Australia. Indigenous Elders, specialists in archaeology and wildlife management, and students from across Australia and overseas made up the team which discovered artefacts from the whaling period of the South Coast, and possibly those belonging to the Australia’s only known pirate – Black Jack Anderson. Gabbie Kylie partner, the Western Australian Maritime Museum, is currently conducting analyses of the find and proposes to work with the Foundation members later in the year. A musket ball was also found providing a vivid insight into the history of the islands that predates the colonial settlement of the mainland. above The

team uncovers a cache on Salisbury Island off the WA coast. L Baker Archaeologist Ross Anderson at work off Esperance. L Baker Top insert Traditional Owners and archaeologists explore a cave on Middle Island, off Esperance. L Baker bottom insert Stone artefact discovered on Salisbury Island. L Baker insert An original musket ball. L Baker Main image Maritime

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

12

connections

Obituary Diana Pockley 1913-2011

S

tone artefacts were also located scattered across Middle Island and Salisbury Island. During the last Ice Age, these islands were still connected to the continental mainland. Rising sea levels and drifting sands swept across the hundreds of granite domes creating outcrops that characterize the Archipelago today. They preceded the great flood that inundated the area and created the present day coastline and spectacular Bay of Isles.

There are very few places in the world that provide an insight into how human populations adjusted and adapted to these dramatic climate changes. WA’s Recherche Archipelago is one of them. Based on current models Salisbury Island, on the outer edge of the Archipelago, was one of the first ‘islands’ to be created by these rising seas more than 10,000 years ago.

The Gabbie Kylie team’s discovery of flaked stone artefacts on the island, and a limestone rock shelter that provides a potential rich source of information for future studies, is an exciting development. It demonstrates the ancient, changing and ongoing connections of the Esperance Traditional Owners within this landscape. It is an archaeological “laboratory” from which researchers can now study aspects of the cultural life of the people from this distant period, and the environment in which they lived, under the guidance of their modern day descendants.

This opportunity provides an insight into how the First Australians dealt with dramatic environmental changes, not as passive responders, but by embracing change through innovation, sharing, trade, and adaptation, all within a complex spiritual system based, ultimately, on an ethos of sustainability.

At the same time as this archaeological work, the team also assisted experts in Great White Sharks in monitoring behavioural patterns and observed two sharks near Salisbury Island, close to a large Australian Fur Seal colony. This work represents a new shift in the integration of cultural and natural heritage management of the ever-expanding Gabbie Kylie Foundation. The Gabbie Kylie Foundation is currently supported by BHP Billiton and the Federal Government’s Indigenous Heritage program.

If you would like to get involved in the next GK Expedition, contact David Guilfoyle davidg@appliedarchaeology.com.au

The National Trust (NSW)

The National Trust (NSW), her family, friends, and the wider community both in Australia and her native Britain, mourne the loss of a gifted, creative and generous soul with the recent death of Diana Pockley.

B

orn in England, Diana née Longridge left for Australia in 1939 (the day before Britain declared war on Germany), with her new husband, Francis Pockley. They were accompanied by Francis’ father and sister and settled in Sydney. Their first child, John, became a doctor and was called up for military service which took him to New Guinea.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, Diana pursued her interest in gardening, embroidery, music, art and books. She also took in refugees for employment and rehabilitation. In 1957 she founded the NSW Embroiderers’ Guild with Margaret Oppen and eventually became its patron. In 1964 she founded the NSW National Trust’s Garden Committee to design, maintain and raise funds for National Trust gardens, and was a driving force in the transformation of many gardens, including that of the National Trust’s elegant 1840s property Lindsay, at Darling Point.

A mainstay of the National Trust’s Women’s Committee, Diana worked with Dame Helen Blaxland, Cherry Jackaman, Nancy Fairfax and Caroline Simpson to achieve the restoration of Old Government House and Lindesay House.

She established a library which was presented to the State Library of NSW as the Diana Pockley Horticultural Library and her own gardening books will be added to the collection.

A cultured, elegant, decisive but kind and generous woman, Diana brought resilience and beauty to her work at the Trust. Her extensive family, friends and the National Trust will miss her. above Diana

Pockley (right) with Peggy Muntz and Rosemary Fairbairn in the garden they created at Lindesay. C Shain (2004)

insert This musket ball was discovered during the field trip by one of the Traditional Owners in the Gabbie Kylie Team. L Baker

13

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

connections

festi

Weaves itsvawl through powe ay human emotir of on Relishing history makes impact Erika Von Kaschke | Centre for the History of Emotions (UWA)

Dictionaries tell us that ‘zest’ could be defined as tang, piquancy, bite, relish, and appetite, but also as passion, enthusiasm, keenness and gusto.

T

his marriage between appetite and emotion is fitting for a partnership between the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, Europe 1100-1800 (CHE) and the Kalbarri Development Association, the Shire of Northampton, the Kalbarri Visitor Centre, WA Museum (Geraldton) and the community. The Embassy of the Netherlands in Canberra has recently also become a sponsor in creating this new and dynamic ZEST Festival from June 2-3, 2012, in Kalbarri.

CHE, a national interdisciplinary research centre headquartered at The University of Western Australia, was established in 2011. It aims to increase scholarly and community understanding of the meaning and significance of emotions to premodern social, artistic and historical experiences, as well as their enduring impact on Western – especially Australian – culture today.

The Zest Festival was triggered by the 300-year anniversary of the Zuytdorp shipwreck in June 2012.

It will build up to the Dirk Hartog anniversary in 2016. This fiveyear cycle of annual festivals on the Coral Coast celebrates cultural contact around the Indian Ocean from seventeenth-century Dutch East India Company contact to the present.

This festival uses this significant collision between two worlds to ignite a new interpretation of history, explores our connections to other countries, and opens up new possibilities including associated education programs for local schools, “The power of human emotion weaves its way through all of this. CHE will bring authenticity, scholarly expertise and connections with universities, museums and art organisations that will enhance the festival. CHE is developing lively and engaging interpretation of premodern cultural contact in the

left Dutch

connections to the west coast of Australia are key to the Zest festival activities. UWA Zest festival explores history using the senses, emotions and community links. UWA right Spices and stories will pepper exhibitions and menus at the festival. UWA centre The

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

14

Indian Ocean region,” said CHE Chief Investigator, Prof Susan Broomhall.

The Kalbarri Arts and Crafts Group is undertaking a quilt for the Zuytdorp anniversary as part of the Zest Festival. It will also include a ‘Still Life/Our Life’ exhibition exploring the life of the Dutch in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries alongside life in Kalbarri today.

Contemporary creative works by Kalbarri local artists that reflect the modern Australian life – domestic or exotic – will be exhibited in conjunction with images of Dutch Still Life paintings and Dutch seventeenth-century objects from the Western Australian Museum’s shipwreck collections.

A Chamber of Rhetoric (Dutch: rederijkerskamers) will feature at the event, delivering stories around a bonfire.

For more information contact susan.broomhall@uwa.edu.au.

global

Romancing the Stones Philip Palmer | Landscape Architect National Trust (WA)

Exploring the World Heritage listed Angkor temple complex on a sweltering day in the middle of the Cambodian dry season is an enthralling experience. The temples are stunning for their sheer size, the beauty of their proportions and decoration, the contrasting grandeur and subtlety of their layout and the engineering achievement in creating immense masonry structures that remain standing after more than 1,000 years in a climate that is not favourable to the conservation of buildings.

E

qually alluring is the romantic notion of the loss of these mighty structures over time to the encroaching jungle and their rediscovery in the 1800s.

Visions of intrepid explorers and archeologists hacking back tropical trees and vines to reveal these architectural glories are the stuff of adventure novels. It is little wonder that Angkor and other sites in Cambodia have been used as atmospheric locations for Hollywood movies from Lord Jim to Lara Croft – Tomb Raider.

The conservation and protection of the structures is unquestionably the highest priority and is being professionally carried out to high standards. While the clearance of trees, shrubs and vines that threaten the structural integrity of the places is on the one hand essential, in some places it has also resulted in the loss of any feeling of enshrouding mystery and rediscovery that are a very big part of Angkor’s attraction, to Western tourists at least.

Once inside the perimeter walls of the biggest temple, Angkor Wat, the vast, empty open spaces were bleak and on the hot, dry day, not

enjoyable places to be. The lack of time and language skills on my part prevented me from discovering if there were any plans to restore and reconstruct the internal landscape setting. The alignment of gates and remnant stone-lined reflecting ponds suggest formal, axial garden layouts. Generous flights of steps leading into the garden spaces and the location of pavilion buildings within them imply that the grounds were intended to be used and experienced as an integral part of the whole complex.

By way of contrast the smallest of the main temples, Ta Prohm, has been left in a relatively uncleared, semi-ruinous state. It is approached via a long path of bare earth overhung by surrounding trees and the sights and sounds of the jungle permeate the temple complex. Massive trees enveloping the buildings have been retained, partly as highly popular photoopportunities and partly, because they could not be removed without causing catastrophic structural damage. Ta Prohm provides a visitor experience that is more emotionally charged than the breathtaking but more starkly

The World Heritage listed Angkor temple

presented Ankgor Wat. Both Cambodian treasures bring valuable lessons including the need to balance conservation and public accessibility without destroying patina. They also highlight that the sense of the passage of time applies to a landscape setting at least as much as it does to buildings.

Top Massive Bottom Ta

tree roots at Ta Prohm provide mystery and a popular photo opportunity. P Palmer NTWA Prohm enveloped by jungle. P Palmer NTWA 15

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

global

N’oublions jamais L’Australie – Remembering Australia at Villers-Bretonneux Peter Dowling | National Heritage Officer Australian Council of National Trusts

There were houses burning in the town, throwing a sinister light on the scene. It was past midnight. Men muttered, ‘It’s Anzac Day,’ smiling to each other, enlivened by the omen. The die was cast...The wild cry rose to a voluminous, vengeful roar...Cheering, our men rushed straight to muzzles of machine guns... (Sgt W.H. (Jimmy) Downing)

1

V

illers-Bretonneux is a quiet rural town set in the open plains of Picardie, northern France.

With a population of just over 4,100, Villers-Bretonneux has an ever increasing close association with Australia originating from the terrible years of the First World War. In March 1918, the German forces had broken out from the defensive lines which they had held from the early days of the war and were approaching the major centre of Amiens. Amiens was a major railway and transport centre vital to the defensive efforts of France and the Allied forces.

But to reach Amiens, the Germans had first to take and hold the small town of Villers-Bretonneux. The area around the town was held

by British and Australian troops.

In early April German attempts to take Villers-Bretonneux were stopped by the Australians. The Germans regrouped, tried again and succeeded in capturing the town on 24 April. Villers-Bretonneux is located on the edge of a low plateau and was within artillery range of Amiens. Although badly battered by the fighting, the town offered protection for German artillery and posed an unacceptable threat to the

above The top The

Allied defence efforts. An immediate recapture was imperative.

On 25 April (Anzac Day) 1918, Australians from the 13th and 15th Brigades attacked. One brigade approached from the north and one from the south fighting their way to the eastern edge of VillersBretonneux, surrounding the Germans and driving them from the town. The German advance in this sector of the front had been stopped. It was a battle that has been remembered and commemorated by the people of Villers-Bretonneux to this day. But it took a toll on Australian lives.

cemetery near Villers-Bretonneux. Taken from the Australian memorial tower overlooking the fields of Picardie, Northern France P. Dowling interior of the Franco-Australian Museum, Villers-Bretonneux. France. P. Dowling

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

16

global

Last year I visited the small town on a tour of the Western Front. I particularly wanted to see how the people of VillersBretonneux remember the Australians who fought and died during those dangerous days. The commemoration of the Australian soldiers who fought there in 1918 and the range of connections between Villers-Bretonneux and Australia were more than I realised.

The main thoroughfare in the town is named Melbourne Street.

However a more prominent landmark is the small school which is named Victoria College.

The school building was a gift from the school children of Victoria to the children of VillersBretonneux to commemorate the 1,200 Australian soldiers who lost their lives defending the town in 1918. In the small school yard a prominent sign states: ‘Do Not Forget Australia’. Around the walls of the schoolyard are Aboriginal motifs painted in a style not quite similar to what we would see in Australia but powerful in their statement of connection. Above the school hall is the Musée Franco Australien (Franco Australian Museum) which has as its major theme the commemoration of the Australians and the sacrifices made to protect the town. The school and the museum alone are worth an extended visit when in the town.

But the connections go further.

The townsfolk celebrate Anzac Day every year in an official capacity. In fact, Villers-Bretonneux is rapidly becoming the centre for Australians to commemorate and pay their respects to those who served in the First World War. An annual AFL match is played there on Anzac Day with many Australians and French participating.

The town of Villers-Bretonneux is now ‘twinned’ with Robinvale, a town on the Murray River in northern Victoria. The connection between the two towns began in the late 1970s and was formalised in 1984-85. The association was inspired by the death of Lieutenant Robin Cuttle MC, from Ultima who was killed during air combat near Villers-Bretonneux in 1918. Robinvale later acquired its name from a banner made by Cuttle’s mother, ‘Vale Robin’, to commemorate her son.

Perhaps the most poignant reminder is the Villers-Bretonneux Australian National Memorial located north of the town. The memorial lists well over 10,000 names of Australian soldiers with no known graves who were killed in

France and Belgium. It now serves as the Australian national memorial to all the Australians who died on the Western Front. The imposing memorial tower and the Cross of Sacrifice overlook the rows of white crosses and the fields of Picardie.

The connections go further. On the western outskirts of VillersBretonneux is another cemetery; Adelaide Cemetery, which was started by Australians in 1918 who wished to bury their dead. In 1993, the remains of an Australian soldier, ‘Known only to God’ were carefully exhumed and brought back to Australia. The remains were then reinterred with great ceremony in the same year in the Hall of Remembrance at the Australian War Memorial. Now known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, this grave has come to be the most visited in Australia.

There will be more connections between this small French town and Australia and no doubt as the years proceed there will be new connections as well. But walking through the streets of Villers-Bretonneux on a quiet Sunday morning a long way from Australia, it’s possible to sense the sacrifice and how it is very much remembered and appreciated by successive generations.

1

Downing, W.H. 1998 (1920) To the Last Ridge, Duffy & Snellgrove, Sydney.

above An

Australian Indigenous mural painted on the wall of the Villers-Bretonneux schoolyard. A constant reminder to the local children of Australia. P. Dowling headstone of the ‘Unknown Soldier’, Adelaide Cemetery near Villers-Bretonneux, France. The remains of an Australian soldier lay in the grave for 75 years. On 2 November 1993 they were exhumed and now rest in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Australian War Memorial, Canberra. P. Dowling Insert The

17

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

global

Alluring La Rochelle Lin Goncalves | National Trust Zimbabwe

The National Trust of Zimbabwe’s flagship property, La Rochelle estate, is situated in the Imbeza Valley, Penhalonga in the mountainous eastern border area, some 280 km from Harare and 20 km from Mutare.

The house was built by Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtauld in 1951 as a retirement home, and was donated to the National Trust in 1970.

T

he property is described by top architectural professionals in glowing terms: “As a rare example in Africa of a major early Modern Movement private house, and almost unique in Zimbabwe, given the quality of its architectural detailing and of its interior decoration, especially in the Fantasia room and the Peacock cottage”.

During the time they lived here, La Rochelle was a Mecca for important local and overseas people from all walks of life, and included artists and film stars, as well as influential politicians, in addition to family members. Most of these distinguished visitors were asked to engrave their signatures with a diamond-tipped stylus on the two large end windows of the drawing room, which are of great historical importance.

The Courtaulds were great patrons of the arts, encouraging local students of art, theatre and music by funding the College of Music and The National Gallery, in addition to the Courtauld Theatre, to name just a few of the projects they generously sponsored while they were alive.

La Rochelle has a large established garden with areas of unspoiled natural woodland and numerous walking paths. There is a collection of exotic trees in the arboretum as well as palms, cycads, azaleas and other flowering shrubs. This diversity provides ideal habitats for a wide variety of bird species. The property is a popular site for Birdlife Zimbabwe, The Tree Society and the Orchid Society of Zimbabwe, being home to indigenous species of birdlife and flora.

The shade houses are filled with both exotic and indigenous orchid species, most of which belonged to Lady Virginia and some of which have since been donated to the collection.

Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia were avid plant and seed collectors, the gardens contain this vast collection in the most beautiful setting and a natural supply of water runs through a furrow system into the gardens, irrigating the ‘glen’ area with its fabulous displays of flowering shrubs, lilies, cycads and ferns.

La Rochelle is now run as a small hotel, offering overnight

left The

spectacular front garden of La Rochelle. NTZIM ‘World’s View’ is a spectacular vista within driving distance to La Rochelle. NTZIM right Orchids are a garden feature at La Rochelle. NTZIM centre

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

18

accommodation, meals, conference and workshop facilities, as well as being a popular wedding venue.

With renewed interest and an active Council and committee members, it is hoped that a refurbishment program will this year restore this beautiful property to its former stately and gracious glory.

The Trust manages and controls seven properties in Zimbabwe with the help of its Council, its employees and a number of unpaid volunteers. Council members are all unpaid volunteers, most with full-time careers outside of their National Trust work. Members enjoy free entry to all the Trust’s properties in Zimbabwe, and enjoy reciprocity with most National Trusts elsewhere.

The restoration of buildings and gardens at La Rochelle has been supported by the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO), with permanent staff members of the National Trust of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland bringing their skills to this unique property.

For more information contact hyslop@mango.zw or lingoncalves@zol.co.zw

n ow

and t h e n

Between the lines Joseph Lyons, The People’s Prime Minister Author: Anne Henderson Publisher: New South Publishing 2011 Reviewer: Dr Thomas Gunn

Australia, by comparison with many of the western democracies, has a poor record when it comes to biographies of its political leaders. Perhaps this is reflective of the traditional Australian lack of reverence for figures of authority or perhaps it is just the tall poppy syndrome. This situation is steadily changing and the publication of Anne Henderson’s latest book, Joseph Lyons, The People’s Prime Minister, is a valuable part of that change.

Henderson is no stranger to the Lyons family, having previously published a biography of Enid Lyons, Joe’s wife and the first woman elected to the House of Representatives. Much of this latest work stems from that earlier research and also draws heavily on the personal letters Joe wrote to Enid over the course of their marriage.

Lyons was very much a groundbreaker in Australian political history. A former Tasmanian Premier, he is one of the few to successfully transition to Federal level. He was the first at national level to lead his party to three consecutive electoral wins, he was amongst the first Catholics to head up the anti Labor faction, and one of the first to include his wife as an integral part of his electoral campaigns. Amongst all of this he guided Australia through the Depression.

The question of Lyons’ popularity is central to this book. Henderson contends from her very first paragraph that he was, along with Bob Hawke, ‘Australia’s most popular long serving prime minister’. It is a highly problematic claim, one that cannot be empirically proven and is supported in the book only by anecdotal evidence; his rapport with the worker at the pub, the crowds that turned out for his rallies, the attention paid to his wife and family.

Henderson’s mission is to redress the wrongs she feels Lyons endured. His popularity and his political skills have received, she believes, neither the credit nor attention they deserve. She is therefore forced to address Lyons’ place in Australian history and explain why he has become so forgotten.

This book fills an important void in the bibliography of Australia’s Prime Ministers. Her access to the family has enabled Henderson to write with an intimacy with the subject often hard to achieve when the subject is long deceased. It has also enabled her to wonderfully illustrate the text, using many photos previously not widely seen.

The National Year of Reading 2012 Thousands of Australians around the nation have been inspired to vote on their favourite books as part of the National Year of Reading.

A

mystery, a memoir, a journey into the outback, a sinister and haunting tale, an unsolved disappearance, uncontrollable desires, the horrors of war, laughter, heartbreak and a dark secret - you will find them all in the eight books which Australians have decided will be the National Year of Reading 2012 collection.

The 8 winning titles include: ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA

Smoke and Mirrors, Kel Robertson The Idea of Home, John Hughes Listening to Country, Ros Moriarty The White Earth, Andrew McGahan Time’s Long Ruin, Stephen Orr Wanting, Richard Flanagan Well Done, Those Men, Barry Heard Jasper Jones, Craig Silvey

If you would like to share your experience of reading any of these titles with other National Trust members, drop a line to gina.pickering@ntwa.com.au For more information about

the year of reading visit

www.love2read.org.au

19

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

n ow

and t h e n

A precious collection Owen Gower Lade (1922­—2007) Dr Jane Deeth

In November 2007, just two months after the death of Owen Lade, the National Trust (Tasmania) received a collection of watercolour paintings, primarily of Tasmanian buildings, from the artist’s estate. This collection is a tiny fraction of Lade’s prodigious output, but in many ways it epitomises his very particular art practice.

O

wen Lade, who spent most of his creative life on the NorthWest coast of Tasmania, had a strict understanding of what was required to become an artist. He is known in the main for his extraordinary portraits of children – an array of young faces that stare straight ahead from wonderful colour-filled canvases, their feet often bare and their hands either on knees or holding a toy. But for Lade portraiture was one of the skills he needed to master if he was to call himself an artist, and to gain the right to paint the landscapes and buildings that were central to his creative purpose.

Lade’s taxonomic, perhaps even obsessive, approach to his practice meant that drawings and paintings were more than objects of aesthetic appreciation, they were a method of recording the categories of things that interested him – children, landscapes, fungi and of course buildings.

Lade made hundreds if not thousands of sketches everywhere he went and he was well-travelled. As an avid bushwalker and walking club member, he visited almost every part of Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands. He visited the mainland, New Zealand, Israel and many countries in Europe. At home, cycling was his principal mode of transport. In later life he was often seen on his bike carrying his knapsack laden with sketchbooks, which were his most treasured possessions.

Top

Charles Street, Launceston Owen Lade Collection National Trust Tasmania

Bottom 19 Hamilton Street, West Hobart Owen Lade Collection National Trust Tasmania

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

20

n ow

and t h e n

coll

ect

An artisti’so n valuable recollection

His drawings and their accompanying annotations were the aides memoires to his life.

He returned to them often to colour them in, or to copy a place using the notes that littered the original sketches to create ‘cards’, which he gave to people who shared his sensibilities and appreciated his talents.

It is ironic that a man so interested in categorising things should be so nonchalant with dates. Perhaps his near photographic recall made this unnecessary for him. The passing of time is evident through the shifts in the style of his paint application and mark making. The earliest works have the heavy handedness of a student grappling with perspective that morphs into more confident works subtly influenced by the minimalist abstraction that flourished in technical college in the 1960s in Lade’s case under the tutelage of Alan McIntyre, Geoff Tyson and Desiderius Barriss. Post art school, the images move to a more rigorous articulation of texture and surface detail until the mid-1980s when failing eyesight increasingly dissolves the form.

The objective stance of Lade’s contribution to recording the built environment of his world, including the excursions he took with the National Trust in the 1970s, have created a body of work that is both of its time and of a particular artist who dearly loved this place.

Ichabod, meaning ‘God is departed’ is a word that is inscribed on the back of number of works, underpinning Lade’s anguish at man’s capacity for needless destruction of our heritage and our environment. It makes sense therefore that Lade should choose to leave this work to the care of the National Trust, an organisation of which he was a loyal member for many years and which actively shares this concern.

Ichabod, meaning ‘God is departed’ is a word that is inscribed on the back of number of works, underpinning Lade’s anguish at man’s capacity for needless destruction of our heritage and our environment.

* This article is based on research undertaken for Owen Lade 1922–2007 Retrospective at Devonport Regional Gallery in January 2012.

Top

8 Hill Street, West Hobart Owen Lade Collection National Trust Tasmania

Bottom Towers, New Town, Hobart Owen Lade Collection National Trust Tasmania

21

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

n ow

and t h e n

The Sixth Governor of the Colony: a quieter achiever David Hoffman | National Trust of Australia (NSW)

The sixth Governor of the Colony, Brisbane has been described as sensitive, private, pious and honourable; a tall, handsome and benevolent man with a distinguished and cheerful face who, in contrast to Lachlan Macquarie, pursued privacy and devolvement of authority, while focusing on economic reform. He was an ambitious military man with active interests in mathematics, astronomy and botany and a reader of economic philosophy. A complex man faced with a harsh and complex colonial society.

T

homas Brisbane’s distinguished military career included campaigns in the Peninsula Wars under the command of his old friend Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington. Through Wellington, Brisbane first sought the Governorship of NSW in 1815 and, after some persuasion, at the age of 46, he received his commission from Lord Bathurst in March 1821. In 1825 he was recalled along with the Colonial Secretary Frederick Goulburn when Lord Bathurst refused to side with either in a long running feud between the two men.

Thomas and Anna Maria Brisbane arrived in Sydney in November 1821 with two month old Isabella Maria and a household of relatives, friends and professional assistants. They were not fond of the colonial society and never took up residence in Sydney. The Parramatta property suited Thomas’s desire to pursue

astronomical and natural sciences, while being of benefit to Maria Anna’s ‘delicate’ nature and a sound place to raise a young family. Two more children were born there, Eleanor Australia and Thomas Australius. Their last child, Henry, born on the return voyage to Britain, survived only three months.

During Brisbane’s governorship, Government House Parramatta saw its most active period as a residence, centre of government and centre of scientific research.

Brisbane’s enduring legacy at Parramatta is his Bath House (converted to a Pavilion in 1887) and his celebrated Observatory, both built in 1822. Reports from his Observatory won him and his two assistants Carl Rümker and James Dunlop numerous medals, accolades and professional

above Major-General right Governor

Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane. NSW National Trust Archives Brisbane’s bath house, showing its elaborately detailed roof. C Shain

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

22

advancements, while Brisbane himself was to be elected President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1832. The most important discoveries and reports predicted the return of Enke’s Comet in June 1822, defining the shape of the earth, and A Catalogue of 7385 Stars, Chiefly in the Southern Hemisphere printed in 1835.

n ow

and t h e n

Between the lines Adelaide Gaol – a Cinderella of Australian penal history Marcus Beresford Councillor | National Trust (SA)

Despite its location near the banks of the River Torrens and only a short distance from Adelaide’s CBD, Adelaide Gaol has not yet become a prime tourist attraction like Tasmania’s acclaimed Port Arthur or Victoria’s highly recognised Old Melbourne Gaol. When first constructed in 1841 to plans by SA architect George Strickland Kingston, Adelaide Gaol was probably the biggest and most impressive building in the fledgling colony.

Sue Scheiffers’ history of Adelaide Gaol, Inside (2002), describes Adelaide Gaol as having a half-octagonal, radial layout with a central point from which all cells could be observed. However, a central watchtower was not actually constructed in Adelaide until the 1960s. Different sections of the prison housed debtors, women and those on remand awaiting trial. According to Inside, colonial squatter Francis Dutton described the building as an “eyesore” and asked “what do you want with such a large jail in this free colony?”

Ms Scheiffers’ excellent book is a social history which brings the buildings alive. Chapters cover a range of topics including the buildings, management practices, the first governor, officers, escapes, visitors and inebriates. An olive orchard was established outside in 1861, as well as a laundry and bakery in later years.

Remarkably, many prisoners slept on canvas hammocks until 1962. Also remarkable are the small sculptures on the original exterior, which would be the oldest public sculptures in South Australia.

Inside is a valuable source book, with interesting charts, notices and quotations from throughout the prison’s history. The prisoners who were executed in the gaol are briefly described and attention is given to the large proportion of Aborigines executed in the earlier period. Whipping, caning and birching was carried out until 1964, apparently often for sexual offences involving minors.

Sue Scheiffers’ book provides a fascinating insight into a neglected gem of Australian history. Easy to read, with both amusing and surprising sections, it presents a wide range of intriguing information, and whets the appetite for another visit to this historic complex. The Gaol closed in 1988 and is now a museum open to the public.

Brisbane was accused of being more interested in ‘star-gazing and shooting parrots’ than government which angered and pained him. His personality, philosophies and determination to separate his personal life from his professional life certainly caused friction within his staff and the colony and he had many detractors who made his rule fraught with frustration.

Despite what were at the time considered as shortcomings, Thomas Makdougall Brisbane heralded a new phase in the economic, legal, scientific and explorative development of New South Wales which, as he said to Lord Bathurst later, changed New South Wales in so many ways that if Macquarie had returned, ‘he would not have recognised the place’.

Briefed to wind back many of Macquarie’s leniencies towards convicts, Brisbane’s governorship saw the establishment of secondary penal colonies at Norfolk Island and Moreton Bay where his name lives on as the city of Brisbane. Brisbane himself opposed excessive corporal punishment, and was criticised for his granting of reprieves and pardons.

Other indelible achievements included The New South Wales Act 1823 establishing the Legislative Council, Courts of Quarter Sessions and trial by jury, the regulation of parish registers, postal services, control of shipping, and the registration of deed and legal documents. In 1822 he founded an agricultural training college and was first patron of the New South Wales Agricultural Society, while allowing freedom of the press in what was still a penal colony.

At the end of his term he stated ‘Perhaps… the time is come when New South Wales ought not to be considered a peculiar country. The rapidly increased numbers of Freemen by emigration has almost merged the convict character of the colony.’ Almost merged? Well there is another debate waiting to be had, and perhaps another Brisbane legacy? With acknowledgements to C Liston, S Rosen, H Proudfoot and others.

Inside is available to National Trust members at a special discount price of $20 (normally $33) plus $8 postage from PO Box 276 Strathalbyn 5255.

above An

obelisk erected in 1880 marks the site of the Observatory. It forms a trinity with transit stones and the former bath house. C Shain

23

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

pl aces

Reconstruction of the Gate Lodge Domes at the Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney Sean Johnson | Architect with Clive Lucas Stapleton & Partners

Much of the reconstruction work of conservation architects is based on 19th century photographs printed from usually excellent quality glass plate negatives. Photographic evidence is invaluable as it is incontrovertible and detailed. But the gate lodge domes at the World Heritage-listed Hyde Park Barracks were removed in the 1860s during the infancy of photography. There is only one known photographic image of the domes and unfortunately it is damaged in the very area targeted for reconstruction.

A

t first this c1856 photograph was thought to prove the gate lodge domes had already been removed by that date.

Enhancement of the damaged area of the image showed, however, the characteristic shallow curvature of one of the domes, a suggestion of the timber shingle coursing and the lead cap.

The Hyde Park Barracks is one of the best known works of convict architect, Francis Greenway (1777-1837). Ordered to be built

by Governor Lachlan Macquarie to house male convicts, it was completed in 1819 and consisted of

a central three-storey brick barracks surrounded by a stone walled compound. Seven domes originally adorned the complex, all roofed in timber shingles. Greenway used shallow, ‘calotte’ domes on a number of his buildings. They seem to float above their supports and are a particularly interesting characteristic of his architecture.

Over the years most of the barracks domes were demolished, leaving one on the north-west corner pavilion and one on the main barracks roof. In

above Joseph

Fowles, Watercolour, 1842-5 (Courtesy: Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW) Hyde Park Barracks, c1856 (Enhanced area shows one of the gate lodge domes) (Courtesy: John Ryland’s Library, Manchester)

right W.S.Jevons,

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

24

1983 the remaining ‘stump’ of the northern gate lodge dome was removed by the Public Works Department and the surrounding stone roof was covered with fibreglass and cement render.

fa c e

to fa c e

T By 2010 urgent conservation work was necessary to remove the fibreglass and conserve the stonework.

As part of the bicentennial celebrations of Macquarie’s induction as governor in 1810, the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales came up with the idea to reconstruct the two gate lodge domes.

In 2001 fourteen pieces of hardwood (mostly curved) had been discovered under the verandah of the Mint next door to the barracks. These were recognised as part of the material removed by Public Works in 1983. Here was some hard evidence for the dome design. The original carpenters had carved Roman numerals in each piece and the reconstruction team was able to assemble them like a wooden puzzle to form a double-layered circular base plate, accommodating vertical studs with forked tenons.

The studs were evidently part of the drum of the dome and had clearly had a lath and plaster finish internally. This established the diameter of the drum, the internal finish and the jointing technique. The shape of the dome was also revealed. The strongest evidence for this comes from the two other extant Greenway domes at the barracks. The shallow curvature and the ‘floating’ quality of the corner pavilion dome were clearly intended to be reflected in the smaller gate lodge domes which sit alongside.

Authentic materials were used (local hardwood, Casuarina shingles, lead flashings) and the original hardwood fragments were incorporated in their rightful place in the northern dome structure which is now open for inspection from inside. The reconstructed domes complete an important ornamental component of Greenway’s architectural design, helping to interpret Macquarie’s vision for Sydney.

top Northern

Gate Lodge Dome during reconstruction, June 2011, Historic Houses Trust of NSW insert Northern Gate Lodge Dome, September 2011, Clive Lucas Stapleton & Partners bottom Joseph Fowles, Sydney in 1848.

25

wo of the National Trust’s most dedicated volunteers have been recognised in the 2012 Australia Day Honours list.

Victorians Lesley Barnes and Rob Youl received OAM medals in January.

The 2012 Honours list provides national and formal recognition for approximately 690 Australians across the nation who have made a significant difference to their communities.

Lesley Barnes received the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division for her service to the preservation of Australia’s heritage, and service to the community in the arts and as a volunteer.

Lesley’s roles at the National Trust (Vic) have been long standing and enormously varied. She continues her work as the Chair of the Activities Committee and Friends and Relations of Gulf Station.

Lesley was also a Board Member from 1988 to 2000 and a member of the Collections Committee amongst other roles.

Rob Youl has been a member of the Landscape Advisory Committee since July 2003. He also received the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division. The award recognised his dedication to improving conservation outcomes across the state including revegetation, urban ecology, farm forestry, community action, indigenous species promotion and ecosystem restoration.

Rob has also worked in collaboration with several Victorian government environment departments, as well as Greening Australia, Conservation Volunteers Australia and Landcare Australia Limited, to which he was attached for over thirteen years.

As Lesley said to her local newspaper: ‘‘I think it’s strange to think you can be rewarded simply for doing something you love.’’

Congratulations to our wonderful volunteers for these well deserved honours.

pl aces

A theatre of changing roles Hamish Angas | National Trust (sa)

The Queen’s Theatre in central Adelaide is the oldest remaining purpose-built theatre on mainland Australia – Hobart’s Theatre Royal predates the Queen’s Theatre by a few years. The existence of approximately half of the original 1840 above-ground structure is remarkable and is complemented by the surviving and significant below-ground remains of the theatre.

T

he Queen’s Theatre has had a colourful history over more than 150 years and provides a fascinating insight into the historical development of Adelaide.

In May 1840 Vaiben and Emanuel Solomon announced their intention to build a theatre in Gilles Arcade.

The original Queen’s Theatre was constructed during the latter months of 1840, opening on 11 January 1841 with a production of William Shakespeare’s Othello. However, the theatre did not pay and was closed on 28 November 1842.

Negotiations between Emanuel Solomon and the colonial South Australian government led to the Theatre being adaptively reused as the Magistrate’s Court and Supreme Court from 1843 to 1850.

In early 1850 the law courts moved out of the original Queen’s Theatre, which was remodelled and reopened on 23 December 1850 as the Royal Victoria Theatre, with the addition of an elegant Georgian facade facing Gilles Arcade. The gold rushes of 1851 resulted in an exodus from South Australia to the Victorian goldfields. The patronage

of the Theatre was impacted and it again closed its doors on 21 December 1851. Despite further alterations in 1859, the Royal Victoria Theatre finally closed in 1868 following the opening of Theatre Royal in Hindley Street on 20 April 1868.

From 1868 until 1973 the site of the Queen’s and Royal Victoria Theatres has been used for a variety of non-theatrical purposes, including as: • The City Mission (1872-1876) • Formby’s Horse Bazaar (1877-1908) • Shannon’s Sales Yards, Livery Stables & Forge (1908-1928) • McPherson’s Store and Warehouse (1933-1936) • Dalgety’s Factory and Store (1937-1952) • McPherson’s Showroom (1952-1973) In 1988 and 1989, prior to a proposed development on the site by the Hooker Corporation, a major

archaeological excavation of former Queen’s Theatre revealed significant below-ground remains of the theatre, including the orchestra pit, below-stage area and dressing rooms. Following extensive negotiations the former Queen’s Theatre was transferred to the South Australian Government in 1996, which committed $600,000 to conserving the place.

The 1996 Adelaide Festival saw the return of theatrical productions to the Queen’s Theatre after an absence of more than a century and Ozopera reopened the Theatre as a performance venue with a production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

From the late 1990s South Australian universities have used the Queen’s Theatre as an exhibition space for final year students. It has also been used for other non-theatrical purposes including s o c i a l / c o r p o r at e functions and markets.

above Queen’s Theatre façade.

M Beresford NTSA below The original Queen’s Theatre building has been used for a range of purposes duing its lifetime. Courtesy History SA GN01974

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

26

pl aces

A Special Treat For National Trust Members Alice Yates | National Trust (NSW)

B

ritish heritage charities, Vivat Trust and Landmark, specialise in the meticulous conservation of unusual and significant heritage properties – which can be booked for holidays with a special difference. Now you and your family and friends can stay in properties ranging from historic cottages to castles, enjoying beautiful surroundings and stories from the past. And if you book through Vivat Trust, National Trust members Australia-wide can receive a 5% discount on holiday accommodation. Read on to whet your appetite.

A medieval gatehouse, an elegant Elizabethan banqueting tower, a castellated 18th century observatory, and a Victorian folly, are just some of the unusual historic buildings that have been saved from neglect and decay by the British charity, the Vivat Trust.

Wildly diverse in their history and architectural style, today they all have one thing in common. Each will become a holiday property.

Holiday accommodation breathes new life into these once derelict buildings, and provides them with a sustainable future, with rental income covering running and maintenance costs. Minimal alteration to the fabric or footprint of a building is required and the features that might make yearround living inconvenient such as lack of storage, a tight turn pike staircase, or tiny windows become part of the charm of the holiday.

The Vivat Trust is not the only charity to take a historic wreck and sensitively create holiday accommodation. The Landmark Trust does it too, but on a far larger scale with 190 buildings to Vivat’s 25. Both charities are building preservation trusts (BPTs.) They are

charities that make repairing and regenerating historic buildings their main objective.

Just as there is no typical historic building, there is no typical BPT, and the projects and new uses found for the buildings vary enormously. Thanks to the Architectural Heritage Fund which was founded in 1976, all BPTs have access to practical advice and grants or loans for their project work. There are about 300 BPTs in the UK. for more information visit www.vivat-trust.org to start planning.

insert Bolton Above Old

Percy Gatehouse, York (sleeps two). Vivat Observatory House, Calton Hill, Edinburgh (sleeps 8). Vivat 27

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

pl aces gift

A precious legacy

Ancanthe - a romantic ideal Chris Tassell Managing Director | National Trust (Tas)

Sir John Franklin, Lt-Governor of Tasmania, in 1842 laid the foundation stone for the state’s first museum at Lady Jane Franklin’s property Ancanthe in Kangaroo Valley, Hobart. Designed as a classical temple by convict architect James Blackburn, this Colonial Greek Revival building was intended to house natural history collections and a library.

T

he origins of the museum arose from Lady Franklin’s shock at the lack of cultural institutions in Van Dieman’s Land and the colonists’ cultural indifference.

Conceived as the centre piece of a 400 acre site acquired by Lady Franklin, Ancanthe was deliberately positioned in a romantic landscape with Mt Wellington forming the stunning backdrop. This physical emulation of the aesthetic ideals of the artist Claude Lorraine – the classical world in a sublime landscape, is considered by many to be the most complete realisation of this ideal in three dimensions in colonial Australia.

This achievement was only matched by the paintings of John Glover, an avowed follower of Lorraine who was still active as an artist in the colony during Sir John Franklin’s administration.

An integral part of Ancanthe was the development of an associated “mountain” garden featuring native plants and those from elsewhere in the southern hemisphere. The Museum was completed in 1843 before the departure of Sir John

above Ancanthe

and Lady Franklin from the colony.

On leaving she left in trust the museum, its collections, library and grounds in the hope they would continue to encourage the cultural life of the colony. However as The Companion to Tasmanian History notes, this was not to be as ‘A century of apathy and forsaken duty by the administrators of the Anglican Church followed.’

During this time the collections and the library were both damaged and removed while the museum itself was used amongst other things as an apple packing shed.

The grounds were progressively sold leaving only a small remnant of the original estate surrounding the museum. In 1949 the Lady

NTTAS

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

28

Franklin Museum as it was now known, became the home of the Art Society of Tasmania which has actively used it since.

In recent years a proposal to subdivide the last area of undeveloped land in the immediate vicinity of the museum has been progressed.

Although involving land that was not part of Lady Franklin’s original estate, the subdivision had the potential to compromise even further this Colonial “Grecian temple” and its relationship with Mt Wellington. There has been much community concern about the consequences of the subdivision, the inevitable legal processes and resulting community dissension and disillusionment. It was in these circumstances the National Trust was able to meet with representatives of the community and the developer and propose an option which saw the most critical part of the subdivision, in terms of the Museum’s relationship with its landscape, excised from the subdivision and gifted to the National Trust. It is the Trust’s intention to see this land is managed to the benefit of the Lady Franklin Museum and the community.

pl aces

A creative veneer David Burdon | NSW Government Architect’s Office

The NSW National Trust Register is continually evolving and includes over 12,000 listings that reflect the significance of numerous cultural and natural heritage places in New South Wales that the Trust deems worthy of conservation. While the addition of a nineteenth-century terrace or a colonial homestead to the Register would not come as a surprise to most members of the community, a recent listing by the NSW Trust’s Built Advocacy Committee has gained attention for its remarkable nature.

W

hen the Sydney Opera House was accorded World Heritage status in June 2007 only 33 years after it was officially opened, it was the youngest cultural site ever inscribed on the World Heritage List. The listing forced many to reassess their notion of the term ‘historic’, and brought to mind the long and complex construction process that was witnessed at Bennelong Point for over 15 years as the great sails took shape. Yet while the Opera House deservedly gains recognition from passing admirers on Sydney Harbour, it is a timber shed a little further down the Parramatta River at Homebush Bay that has recently been listed by the National Trust.

The former Ralph Symonds Ltd factory building at Homebush Bay has significance for being the largest single industrial building in the southern hemisphere when it was constructed, and it remains the largest timber building ever constructed in Australia. Regarded as the most accomplished building designed by Sydneybased company director and world authority on the use of laminated veneers and timbers, Ralph Symonds (1895-1961), the factory building was completed in 1959.

The three-bay structure was 350m

long and 160m wide, covering an area of almost six hectares, its massive 43m spans representing the peak of Australian gluelaminated arch construction. The factory building at Homebush was the leader in plywood technology and capable of producing the largest plywood sheets in the world (over 15m long).

Symonds placed his research, factory and workmen at Jørn Utzon’s disposal during the construction of the Opera House – a proposal gladly taken up by the architect who based many of his complex interior solutions on the factory’s plywood manufacturing capabilities. It was at the former Ralph Symonds Ltd factory that the large sheets of plywood used as formwork for the complex Opera House concrete pours were produced, and where much of the experimentation was carried out for the Opera House’s

planned interiors. In a 1996 letter to Ralph Symond’s son, Utzon wrote: “Your father’s enthusiasm was enormously encouraging and inspiring and gave me real confidence in the great task at hand… Experiments with models and mock-ups in his factory gave me “a look into paradise”…

No other plywood factory in the world was able to produce these difficult elements with the quality I desired. It was a miracle!”1 Although the massive factory has been subdivided for use by smaller industrial enterprises, it stands in remarkably intact condition as one of the few remaining connections with the construction of one of the world’s truly great buildings.

For more information http://www.timberbuilding.arch.utas.edu. au/projects/view_projectinfo. asp?projID=192 )

1 Elias Duek-Cohen, Utzon and the Sydney Opera House, Morgan Publications, 1967 (1998 Limited Edition reprint with addendum)

above The central arcade of the Ralph Symonds Factory at Wentworth Point, Homebush, prior to cladding, c.1957. The laminated timber arch frames spanned over 43 metres. (Source: Mitchell library, State Library of New South Wales. Images originally published in Timber building in Australia by the Timber Research unit of the Department of Architecture at the University of Tasmania.

29

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

N at i o n a l T ru s t Way

Holiday Tours

Since 1978 the Tours Committee has organised Australian and overseas tours to meet the interests of National Trust members.

Tours are carefully planned, researched and personally led by one of the voluntary members for the Tours Committee, with detailed background notes provided. Numbers are strictly limited and one of the rewarding bonuses has been the number of friendships made and maintained among people who travel with a common interest.

NORFOLK ISLAND April 2013

ABOVE

The vibrant colours of New England

in Fall

NEW ENGLAND (USA) IN THE FALL 7 - 21 October 2012 The sheer beauty of the autumn foliage in Vermont and New Hampshire in the eastern United States will absolutely astound you. It is nature at its very best. The tour, which will be led by Lorraine Collins who spent 20 years living in the United States and still visits regularly, will start in Boston. Although it will have an autumn theme, there will also be an emphasis on the history and architecture around the regions of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Visits to Salem and Old Sturbridge Village capture the essence of Colonial America as well as a visit to Plymouth where the pilgrims landed on the Mayflower. The tour also includes a visit to the Mansions of Newport, famous for its quaintness and the Americas Cup, and a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard.

We will pass through beautiful small towns with white church spires and old graveyards. No visit to New England is complete without a visit to Maine where the autumn colours meet the shore and where you will find some of the best seafood in the world. Where possible we will stay in hotels for 2 or 3 nights.

Cost per person twin share: $5 690 Single room supplement: $1 550 Note: Costs do not include airfares Bookings: David Smith, Travelscene on Capri P: 1800 679 066 License No: TA1091 Tour Leader: Lorraine Collins T: 0439 947 479

Trust News Australia MAY 2012

Visiting Norfolk Island is a unique experience. Rich in history, it is blessed with a temperate climate. It was first settled by Governor Arthur Phillip as a penal settlement and later became home to the Pitcairn settlers, survivors of the Mutiny on the Bounty, and their families, descendants of whom still live there today. Visit historic Kingston, Cascade and Longridge. See and hear about the famous convict buildings, beautiful beaches and golf course. Tours of the Museums and cemetery and sites of the First and Second settlements will provide you with a unique and truly memorable experience. Visit the Pittcairn Settlers Village and learn about the colourful history of Norfolk Island’s most recent settlement - the Pittcairners and their descendants, on one of the last few remaining original settler’s properties. The dramatic show ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ involves scores of the descendants of the mutineers, who bring the story of the Mutiny alive.

Dining is also a unique experience on the picturesque island with fresh fish and traditional island food.

Enquiries: David Smith, Travelscene on Capri P: 1800 679 066 License No: TA1091 Tour Leader: Lorraine Collins T: 0439 947 479

NEW ZEALAND’S SOUTH ISLAND COUNTRY ESTATE AND LANDSCAPE TOUR April 2013 Homestead Tours has once again designed this popular itinerary especially for National Trust members.

Visit high country estates and historic homesteads, winemakers and local artists; explore this area amid the Southern Lakes and experience the generous hospitality of our hosts. We will travel in April when the autumn colours will be at their peak- a magical time of year to visit the South Island.

Unparalleled scenic variety awaits as we travel to Lake Tekapo, Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and Queenstown. With two or three night stays we have daily visits to private properties, historic homesteads, towns and villages.

Expressions of interest: David Smith, Travelscene on Capri P: 1800 679 066 License No: TA1091 Leader: Jill Bunning T: 02 9798 8914

above Southern

Lakes in New Zealand

PROVENCE and THE FRENCH RIVIERA May 2013 Due to popular demand following two previous successful National Trust tours to Provence, we are planning another tour next year. Our first few days will be spent exploring the French Riviera, including the Villa Rothschild and the exciting new Bonnard museum. We then move to the heart of Provence where our leisurely daily excursions will include delightful towns such as Les Baux, St Remy, Arles and Nimes, the Papal Palace in Avignon and the region of Vaucluse.

Unpack only twice and enjoy the south of France in the springtime on this delightful tour. Further details will be available in the next magazine.

Expressions of interest: David Smith, Travelscene on Capri P: 1800 679 066 License No: TA1091 Leader: Loma Priddle T: 02 9412 2875 right Les-Baux-en-Provence;

centuries-old winding streets, exquisite nooks and turbulent history combine to make this one of the most fascinating villages in France

30

Trust News Australia FEBRUARY 2012

Discover Australia’s National Trust heritage places and have a great day out!

National Trust members gain FREE and discounted entry* *except for special events

WORLD HERITAGE OF ITALY TOUR 15 SEPTEMBER - 14 OCTOBER 2012 This tour will experience the long history and archaeology of Italy from the Neolithic Age 6,000 years ago by concentrating on many of the UNESCO listed World Heritage places.

Beginning in Rome the tour will take in the famous sites of the capital city including the Coliseum, Roman Forum, Vatican City and St Peters Basilica. While based in Rome we will take a step back into the ancient past by visiting the mysterious Etruscan sites, the precursors to Roman civilization. We will later journey further back into the past by visiting the famous rock engravings at Valcamonica which date from the Neolithic Age (6,000 years ago) to the Medieval and Roman periods. We will also make a special visit to see Ötzi the 5,300 year old ‘Iceman‘ who was found preserved in an alpine glacier. We will visit the famous archaeological sites of Pompeii where a devastating volcanic eruption destroyed the city in AD79; take a day trip to Naples to visit the National Archaeology Museum where many of the artefacts from Pompeii are housed; and take a drive along the world famous Amalfi coast. Along the way we will enjoy the more recent history, culture and delights of Venice, Umbria, Pisa, Florence, Alberobello and Sorrento.

Sicily is next where we will be exploring the history and culture of the island including Syracuse, Palermo and the archaeological area of Agrigento. Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the ancient Mediterranean world.

www.placestovisit.com.au

Cost per person twin share: $15,160 (includes air fares, hotels, breakfast daily and all touring) Single supplement: $1,960 Bookings: Gay Boersma at Travelscene Canberra City (02) 6247 6544 Group Leaders Dr Peter Dowling (Historical Archaeologist) & Dianne Dowling (Group Manager) OR Contact the ACT National Trust on: (02) 6230 0533 Open Monday - Friday info@nationaltrustact.org.au

31

Trust News Australia FEBRUARY 2012

lim

d ite

ava

i

il lab

ity

Magnificent Australia

Heritage Air Tour 2012 2 depa r t u r es

July 16 & August 21

15 days s 17 seat e pa per d

rt u r

e

National Trust Members Price Exclusive Substantial Discount on published fare With 25 years of exploratory air touring throughout the continent, Flight Through The Spectacular Land Of The Dreamtime Pty Limited has created for National Trust members an extraordinary itinerary of remote Australia and the founder and director of these tours, David Marks has been acknowledged as the pioneer of modern day air touring in Australia.

During the “dry season� - July and August 2012, two only departures will realize lifelong ambitions to experience a vast expanse of Australia, visiting destinations of world importance for wilderness and cultural heritage.

The diverse and exciting itinerary includes specially arranged visits to ancient rock art sites in the Kimberley and in stone country of western Arnhemland. Also included is a rare opportunity for cultural exchange with Aboriginal saltwater people in remote eastern Arnhemland. Extensive surface touring by vehicle and boat on inland waterways is provided with expert or informed commentary.

National Trust members wanting to join either of the two departures are urged to apply without delay to avoid disappointment, as each departure is limited to 17 passengers.

Enquiries and Brochure: Flight Through The Spectacular Land of the Dreamtime Pty Limited Level 57, MLC Centre, Martin Place, Sydney, NSW, Australia 2000 Phone: (02) 9963 0602 FAx: (02) 9221 1987 Email: info@dreamtimebyair.com.au

www.dreamtimebyair.com.au