Explore Magazine - Summer 2014, Volume 36 No. 2

Spring/Summer August 2014

VOLUME

36

NUMBER

2

Amphibian conservation in Southeast Asia Australian Museum Eureka Prizes turn 25 Aztecs are coming

KIM MCKAY

CONTENTS OPINION From the Director Kim McKay makes an entrance

1

In this issue Your guide to this edition’s stories

3

Building capacity Training young scientists in Southeast Asia

by Jodi Rowley

10

Reptiles and amphibians of Australia reviewed by Chris Hosking

22

Members message Serena Todd’s guide to upcoming events

33

FEATURES Opening our doors Preparing for the Museum’s first exhibition

by Rose Docker

4

Special feature 25 years of the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

5

Douglas Grant: Aboriginal Digger His was an accomplished yet tragic life by Elizabeth McKinnon

14

Life among the Aztecs Life could be hard for Aztec commoners

by Fran Dorey

16

Meeting Hal Cogger A living legend of Australian natural history

by Maxine Kauter

23

Bilum in the Maketi Ples A traditional weaving technique finds new expression by Yvonne Carrillo-Huffman

24

What on earth is a goniometer? It was state-of-the-art apparatus … in 1902 by Patricia Egan

26

Remembering Harry Wickham He brought two surprising gifts from the Solomons by Scott Mitchell

30

making AN ENTRANCE One of the great things about joining the Australian Museum is learning about its colourful history, traditions and wonderful stories. In particular, the story of Gerard Krefft, Curator (Director) from 1864 to 1874, has captured my imagination and, indeed, we are about to honour Krefft in a most fitting way.

Krefft came to Sydney and the Museum in 1860 to take up the role of Assistant Curator and within a year was made acting Curator. An outspoken man of ‘independent thought and adventurous spirit’, he demonstrated a real passion for the natural world. He mounted scientific expeditions to collect fossils and other specimens, authored books on snakes and mammals, and even discovered a new species of fish, which he identified while consuming a specimen at a dinner party!

Krefft corresponded with Charles Darwin, whose ‘new theories of evolution’ published in 1859 made sense to Krefft. But this scientific stance on evolution put him offside with Museum Trustees, many of whom were creationists. They also disliked Krefft’s management style and eventually had him dismissed and forcibly removed from the Museum.

RESEARCH

FAVOURITES Musings What’s new in culture

9

Australian Museum Foundation The Drier collection comes home

by Mandy Reid Xplorer young scientist liftout Crystal world

• from the director

12

centre

Xplanations Search > Discover

19

In your backyard with Martyn Robinson

20

Photofeast Getting up close to crystal

29

Members events Travel, talks and more

33

To honour Krefft’s work and his public stand in supporting science, I am transforming the old Director’s offices into new reception and meeting rooms to be named the Krefft Rooms. They will feature images, portraits and artefacts from Krefft’s tenure – special places where we can share Museum stories with donors, sponsors, VIP guests, media and other interested supporters.

Like Krefft and my other predecessors at the Museum’s helm, I am proud to stand up for science and the other crucial work we do here. Science is under attack on many fronts and it’s important that we continue to be a strong voice at the forefront of scientific knowledge and discovery. To this end, we are formally renaming our Research & Collections Division as the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI), just in time for National Science Week in August.

AMRI will focus on four key pillars of research: the impact of climate change on biodiversity; invasive and pest species; animal conservation; and wildlife genomics.

Its advisory board, chaired by Museum Trustee Professor Merlin Crossley, will oversee the direction of our scientific research, with input from a skilled team led by Dr Brian Lassig, Head of AMRI and Assistant Director of the Museum.

VISION

You might have seen our announcement in the news that we plan to open a new main entrance facing William Street in December this year. A new, long entry ramp starting at the corner of College Street will deliver visitors into a large and impressive glass box entry hall which will double as a new function space at night. The new entrance connects directly to the ground floor providing better access and making it easier to navigate the Museum.

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

WELCOME

in this ISSUE Welcome to the spring edition of Explore magazine.

How do you like our new cover design? It’s a new, fresh look for the Museum’s publications and we’re chuffed to be showing it off to you, our supporters, first.

FIELD GUIDE TO NSW FAUNA

The new Museum entrance, ramp and brasserie are planned to be open by December 2014. Draft concept shown. Illustration

by NSW Government Architect’s Office.

We will also move the Museum shop and café from their present location and in their place create a new exhibit – the Great Walk Gallery, featuring over 400 animal specimens – that tells the story of Australia and the world’s biodiversity. At 630 square metres, this is the first new permanent exhibition space to be added to the Museum in decades, and it will be a wonderful new attraction. The café will be moved to the rooftop where a new brasserie and function space will provide some of the best views in Sydney. A new express elevator will be installed to reach the rooftop.

We’ll be starting work on the new entrance very soon, thanks to the amazing team at the Museum and to the NSW Government for financial support. In addition to this work, the government has also provided $4.7 million over the next two years to develop a new master plan for the Museum and a clear vision for our future.

I would also like to acknowledge here some of our latest corporate partners for coming on board to support the Museum, including Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic (whose brochure is enclosed with this edition of Explore) and Adventure World. Keep an eye out for more information about Adventure World’s incredible support when they present our Aztecs exhibition, opening in September.

KIM McKAY AO

Director & CEO, Australian Museum

Was that a Blue Triangle or a Common Jezebel that just fluttered by? Find out with the Australian Museum’s new Field Guide to NSW Fauna – our latest free mobile app.

It’s the most comprehensive mobile guide to NSW wildlife available with more than 1000 species, including birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, spiders, crustaceans and insects: • detailed descriptions of each species • maps of recorded observations • endangered species listings • stunning images.

Museum scientists will continue to update the app, which has been made possible by the Federal Government’s Inspiring Australia Unlocking Australia’s Potential program.

WEBLINK

The Field Guide to NSW Fauna app is available free from iTunes and Google Play stores.

Dr Jodi Rowley is Coordinator of the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) which is being formally launched this August.

Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

CELEBRATING SCIENCE There’s much to celebrate in science at the Australian Museum this spring, with the Science Festival and National Science Week in August, hotly followed by the 25th anniversary of the Eureka Prizes in September. It’s also the International Year of Crystallography, and you can explore crystals in this edition with the scanning electron microscope, activities for young scientists and a wonderful piece of historical apparatus, the goniometer.

Jodi Rowley (above) talks about training young scientists in Vietnam and shows off yet another fabulous frog discovery, the Thorny Tree Frog. In your backyard, Martyn Robinson wonders why the Green Tree Frog has a scientific name that means ‘blue’. And St Mark’s Pre-school in Darling Point sent us a photo of rainbow poop that we just had to share.

WALK BAREFOOT From World War I, we feature two human stories with Museum connections: Douglas Grant, an Aboriginal Digger and adopted son of a Museum taxidermist, who worked for racial equality and the welfare of returned soldiers but saw little of either in his own life; and Harry Wickham, who donated a canoe to the Museum from the Solomons to raise funds for the Red Cross and was also the first person to demonstrate . . . well, let’s not spoil the surprise.

You can walk barefoot with Fran Dorey through our new Aztecs exhibition (opening 13 September), and also discover Sea Country (opening 21 November), a new exhibit about Indigenous connections to the sea. Members can book for special evening viewings of these two special exhibits and much more besides, as Serena Todd explains (see page 33).

We didn’t have room for stories about new displays of Ofer Levy’s bird photography and Beauty from Nature: the Art of the Scott Sisters (both now showing on level 2). You’ll just have to come into the Museum to see it all for yourself!

BRENDAN ATKINS, EDITOR

Please send your feedback on Explore magazine to explore@austmus. gov.au

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

FROM THE SPECIAL FEATURE ARCHIVES

FROM THE ARCHIVES

THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

eureka prizes

OPENING OUR DOORS THE MUSEUM’S VERY FIRST EXHIBITION, IN 1854, PROVIDED A PREVIEW OF THE COLONY’S ‘NATURAL AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS’.

Curator William Sheridan Wall must have been very relieved to receive a letter from Mr Beaumont of the Botany Zoological Gardens offering to remove the ‘living’ animals from the Australian Museum that ‘coming week’.

It was October 1854 and Wall was in the middle of hectic preparations for the opening of the first exhibition ever to be staged at Australia’s first museum. On 14 November, the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fitzroy, would be arriving to officially open an exhibition of the colony’s ‘natural and industrial products’ prior to their dispatch to the Paris International Exhibition of 1855.

The Museum then consisted of a single sky-lighted gallery (now the Long Gallery where the Skeletons exhibition is displayed) with a mezzanine floor and was adjoined by living quarters for staff. The display hall – still lacking permanent showcases and cabinetry and only recently having gained a complete roof – featured a selection from

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

the Museum’s collection that had already outgrown a succession of temporary premises over the previous 25 years.

As the exhibition opening date approached, the ‘indefatigable’ Curator was attempting to manage the Museum’s stuffed and stored specimens while juggling a weekly parade of workmen, tradespeople, Trustees, visitors, staff and their resident families, and a motely but high maintenance collection of live animals, including most notably a tigress and a grizzly bear.

Finally, though, an eclectic array of weird and wonderful offerings from all over the colony was assembled in a hall impressively decorated with classical statue casts and flags. The official catalogue records the complete list of exhibits, from paintings and busts to colonial wines and artificial teeth. There was something for everyone.

The exhibition opened on time and to widespread acclaim. A fortnight after the opening, the Illustrated Sydney News of

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1990–2014

SINCE 1990, THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM EUREKA PRIZES HAVE GROWN FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO BECOME AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER NATIONAL SCIENCE AWARDS PROGRAM.

25 YEARS

Governor General Sir Charles Fitzroy and the who’s who of Sydney’s cultural scene attend the opening of the Museum’s first exhibition. Wood engraving by WG Mason.

25 November reported: ‘The New South Wales Exhibition still continues daily to attract a considerable number of spectators eager to gain an insight into the hitherto unknown resources of their adopted land.’

Today, the Eureka Prizes are presented in collaboration with over 19 prize sponsors and supporters, representing government, education, research centres, corporations, media and the private sector.

The exhibition’s success was a sign of the times, reflecting the general spirit of excitement and intellectual curiosity about the young colony ignited by the gold fever spreading across it. It also launched the Australian Museum as a beacon of Sydney’s cultural and educational landscape.

In addition, each prize is judged by a panel of eminent and qualified individuals who generously give their expertise and time to the prize program. The Australian Museum thanks our sponsors, supporters and prize judges, past and present, for their contribution to the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

Today, 160 years after staging its first official exhibition, the Museum is preparing to redesign and expand its current floor space, and the Long Gallery is once again showcasing a diverse array of rare and significant objects from the Museum’s early collections (see story, page 9).

Turn the page to read about a selection of past winners and entrants from previous years.

Red-throat travels (detail).

A Red-throat Emperor, Lethrinus miniatus, is released after being tagged at Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef. This image won second place in the 2012 New Scientist Eureka Prize for Science Photography.

Photo © Dave Abdo.

ROSE DOCKER, ARCHIVIST

WEBLINK Find a longer version of this story and image gallery at australianmuseum.net.au/Explore-magazine.

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AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM EUREKA PRIZES CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

MILESTONES 1990

Eureka Prizes launched, brainchild of Robyn Williams, then President of the Australian Museum Trust.

1992

Professor Paul Davies becomes the first person to win two Eureka prizes in consecutive years (1991 and 1992) and different prize categories.

1996

Roger Muller appointed to manage the Eureka Prizes program; instigates the first Eureka website; Andrew Denton MCs the Award Dinner.

2002

Prize numbers explode to 18; Award Dinner shifts to August as part of National Science Week; first full ticketed Award Dinner to be held at external venue.

2005

Medical researcher Tony Hannon wins the inaugural People’s Choice Award; record-breaking 1000 guests enjoy Award Dinner with first screenings of Sleek Geek school videos.

2006

Catalyst coverage of the Award Dinner and selected winners takes the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes to over 700,000 television viewers nationally.

2007

New logo launched with ‘rewarding science’ tagline; 20 Eureka Prizes distributed nationally with climate change issues dominating the winners.

2008

Eureka Prizes join Twitter and Facebook. Like! Filmmaker Sonya Pemberton becomes first person to win three Eureka Prizes.

2009

Eureka Prizes celebrate their 20th anniversary with 19 prizes awarded worth over $180,000 in prize money; record media audience of 35 million.

2011

Number of prizes reaches a record high of 25, including the People’s Choice Award.

2014

Australian Museum Eureka Prizes celebrate their 25th anniversary, making 338 awards valued at over $3 million.

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PAST WINNERS

RICK SHINE

SONYA PEMBERTON

BRANDON GIFFORD

SUZANNE CORY

In 2013, Australian reptile expert Professor Rick Shine became the first Australian scientist to win a Eureka Prize in three different categories as an individual entrant. ‘I’m astonished and abashed at winning three Eureka Prizes, but it’s deeply satisfying too’, Rick said.

Sonya is one of Australia’s leading factual television producers. Her passion for quality science programming has brought her more than 30 major national and international awards, including an Emmy in 2012 for her film Immortal and three Eureka Prizes for Science Journalism.

‘The three fields involved – doing research, telling people about it, and helping students learn how to do it – are the cornerstones of my career . . . but much of the credit really belongs to the unsung heroes and heroines in my research group who have made it all possible.’

‘I think the world needs specialist science translators, now more than ever’, she said.

Her most recent film, Jabbed – Love, Fear and Vaccines, tackles the science and myths surrounding vaccination. Screening on SBS, it won many accolades including the 2013 National Press Club of Australia Best Documentary and, for Sonya, Health Journalist of the Year.

In 2013, a mini-documentary about spiders gave Brandon Gifford his third University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize in as many years. Called The Spectacular Spider, the three-minute film brings viewers alarmingly close to several types of spiders, while explaining web construction and the properties of silk in Brandon’s distinctive enthusiastic style.

Professor Suzanne Cory AC is one of Australia’s most distinguished molecular biologists. In 2012, she won the CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science in recognition of her 40-year career in scientific research, education and communication. Her research has had a major impact on our understanding of immunology and the development of cancer: discovering how the body makes a diversity of antibodies to fight infection, how genetic accidents cause cancer and how cells decide whether to live or die.

During his career, Rick has supervised more than 70 research students and 20 post-doctoral fellows, and most of his 800 published papers list his students as senior co-authors. Since the early 1980s, Rick and his students have developed several promising lines of defence in the battle to stop the Cane Toad from spreading, from the simple (habitat restoration) to the downright crafty (different pheromones that can attract or stymie Cane Toad tadpoles).

Rick Shine collected the 2013 University of Technology, Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers. Photo by Daniel O’Doherty.

She has written, directed and produced over 50 hours of broadcast documentary and executive produced many more as Head of Specialist Factual at ABC Television (2004–07) to her current role as Creative Producer with independent production company Genepool Productions. ‘It’s vital we understand the process that is science, through the stories of our times’, she said.

Look out for Sonya’s upcoming series on SBS TV, Tales of the Unexpected. Photo © Sonya Pemberton.

Brandon filmed several species of spider spinning webs, catching prey and camouflaging themselves. He also wrote, edited and narrated the film to deliver a snappy mini-documentary with plenty of pizazz. Brandon, then a Year-12 student at Casino High, said, ‘I hope my film will lead viewers to respect, rather than fear, Australia’s much misunderstood eightlegged species’.

Brandon is now studying for a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Wildlife Science at the University of Queensland.

His advice for aspiring Sleek Geeks is simple: ‘Be passionate, enthusiastic, get involved, have fun and do your very best!’

Brandon hams it up with Sleek Geeks Dr Karl (left) and Adam Spencer. Photo by Daniel O’Doherty.

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‘I am honoured to have been elected as a CSIRO Eureka science leader’, Suzanne said. ‘I congratulate the Australian Museum on their Eureka program, which encourages scientists and communicates the excitement of science and its achievements to the community.’

Suzanne continues to promote Australian science, education and policy, recently completing a four-year term as President of the Australian Academy of Science.

In 2010, Suzanne Cory became the first woman to be elected president of the Australian Academy of Science.

Photo © Suzanne Cory.

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM EUREKA PRIZES CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

CULTURE CONNECT

musings

CULTURE AND MEANING ‘It is good to see them here in Sydney, so far away from home’, commented Novita Wenda on viewing bags and skirts from her Papuan culture in the Museum’s collection. Novita is one of two young Indonesian interns hosted by the Museum recently. ‘I was born and educated in Jayapura but my family are all Dani people from the Central Highlands’, she said. ‘I was surprised and excited to see objects I hadn’t seen before and immediately felt a strong sense of connection.’ Putu Ayu Yunita Yastini, from Bali, agreed: ‘It surprised me that other people have such interest in and reverence for my culture.’ During a three-week visit, both interns offered insights about selected objects from their cultures in the Museum’s collection.

Read a detailed account of Novita and Putu’s visit at australianmuseum.net.au/ explore-magazine.

PAST MEETS FUTURE

“… the world needs specialist science translators, now more than ever.”

SONYA PEMBERTON

MICHAEL HUXLEY

CHRIS JOHNSON

Few people have seen the Red-lored Whistler, but student Michael Huxley captured some excellent footage to create a fascinating nature documentary about this rare species. Michael was runner-up in the University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize in 2009 and since then has gone on to make other nature documentaries. ‘Being part of the Eureka Prizes solidified my interest in birds but perhaps most importantly science in general’, Michael said.

Although classed as vermin by pastoralists since 1923, the Dingo plays a key role in sustaining biodiversity, according to University of Tasmania Professor Chris Johnson. His team’s research has shown that ecosystems with dingoes have more diverse and abundant populations of small native mammals.

He retains a keen interest in nature videography and outback travel and is now completing an Honours year at Adelaide University, researching metal organic frameworks, a new class of porous materials that have many industrial applications.

His latest video entitled Desert Birds in a Good Year is a professional 45-minute documentary with rare footage of birdlife and the transformation of Australia’s deserts following rain.

WEBLINK Find videos about all 2014 Eureka Prizes finalists at australianmuseum.net.au/eureka

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

Michael Huxley chose a career in scientific research and maintains a keen interest in natural history. Photo © Lynton Huxley.

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As a top predator, the Dingo suppresses kangaroo numbers which would otherwise lead to overgrazing of habitats. The Dingo also controls the feral cats and foxes which can devastate many native species. For their innovative approach to conservation, Chris and his team won the 2013 NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Eureka Prize for Environmental Research. Chris’s team included Dr Michael Letnic (UNSW), Dr Arian Wallach (JCU), Adam O’Neill (Evelyn Downs Station) and Dr Euan Ritchie (Deakin University).

‘The evidence is growing that without dingoes, Australian ecosystems would be in a lot worse shape than they already are’, Chris said.

Chris and team collect their prize at the 2013 Award Dinner (left to right): Euan Ritchie, Arian Wallach, Chris Johnson and Michael Letnic (absent: Adam O’Neill). Photo by Daniel O’Doherty.

Where else could you find a lion from Botswana, glass models of sea anemones from Germany and shell currency from the Solomon Islands? These are just a few highlights from a new display in the Long Gallery (Skeletons exhibition) which is being transformed to showcase rare and fascinating items from the Museum’s vast collections. One corner of the gallery has been transformed into a ‘cabinet of curiosities’ to create a contemporary tribute to its former glory as the Museum’s first gallery (see story, (page 4). The Australian Museum Foundation recently hosted a gala dinner, with MC Adam Spencer and Indigenous performer Marcus Corowa entertaining 200 guests and raising more than $130,000 towards the transformation.

To find out more about supporting the Long Gallery transformation project, please contact our Development team on 02 9320 6216.

SEA COUNTRY ON THE HORIZON

Above Interns Novita Wenda (right) and Putu Ayu Yunita Yastini visited the Museum under the Australia– Indonesia Youth Exchange Program. Photo by Stan Florek.

Right Baru by Djambawa Marawili (2007) will be on display in Sea Country. Photo by Carl Bento.

Sea Country tells diverse stories of the deep connections between Indigenous people and the sea, and reveals the spiritual beliefs, values and complex knowledge systems that continue across Australia today. It includes creation stories and whale ceremonies from the NSW South Coast, sustainability and conservation in the clear turquoise waters of Torres Strait and the reclaiming of Aboriginal identity around Sydney Harbour. Sea Country features treasures from the Museum’s Indigenous collection side-by-side with recent works and new multimedia. ‘This exhibition aims to show that the deep cultural connections to water are still continuing strong for Indigenous communities’, said Creative Producer Laura McBride.

Sea Country opens at the Australian Museum on 21 November 2014. Members preview, see page 36. Sea Country is staged in conjunction with Corroboree Sydney 2014, details: corroboreesydney.com.au

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

ON THE AGENDA

BUILDING CAPACITY:

Left Vietnamese amphibian biologists Le Thi Thuy Duong (left) and Dau Quang Vinh first spotted the Thorny Tree Frog. Photo

by Jodi Rowley.

Right Charismatic: the Thorny Tree Frog. Photo by Jodi Rowley.

“I’m so glad that the amphibians have them on their side.”

collaborative science

TRAINING YOUNG SCIENTISTS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA IS PART OF A LONGER TERM AMPHIBIAN CONSERVATION STRATEGY, SAYS JODI ROWLEY.

The Thorny Tree Frog is the latest in a growing array of amazing and unusual frogs to be discovered in the forested mountains of Vietnam.

international journals. In 2012 he came to work with me at the Australian Museum for several weeks, and he’s due to complete his PhD on amphibians and reptiles this year.

The report inspired me to move to Cambodia after completing my PhD and begin working on Southeast Asian amphibians.

As much as it was a group effort to find and describe the frog, it was two of my students, Le Thi Thuy Duong and Dau Quang Vinh, who first spotted the species during our expedition in 2009.

BEGINNINGS

FOREFRONT

Training young regional scientists in amphibian biology and conservation is an important part of my work, with five training courses in Southeast Asia (three in Vietnam, one in Cambodia and one in Indonesia) conducted since 2006 in conjunction with local colleagues.

About half of the 60 or so trainees and numerous additional university students have joined me for further training on the 22 expeditions I’ve run so far. For some, the rain, mud, leeches and camping are too much, but for others, like Duong and Vinh, it’s the start of a career.

We know that amphibians in this region are highly threatened, facing the highest deforestation rate on the planet. Many species are also heavily harvested for food, traditional medicine and the pet trade.

My ultimate aim is to facilitate long-term amphibian biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia, and it’s a journey that began when I first came across the 2004 Global Amphibian Assessment report, produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

So that’s where Duong and Vinh come in. They are part of a growing number of talented and committed biologists soon to be at the forefront of biodiversity conservation in Vietnam. I’m so glad that the amphibians have them on their side.

‘I thought it was a beautiful and strange frog’, recalled Duong, a PhD student at the University of Science Ho Chi Minh City. She has joined me on many field trips to Vietnam since 2008 and has since led dozens of her own. Along the way she has completed a Masters degree in amphibian ecology and conservation and published 12 scientific publications in international journals.

‘I saw that there was a nocturnal community of amphibians that I never knew about before. My interest in amphibians was strengthened by knowledge and passion imparted by Jodi and others.’

The other half of this frog-spotting pair, Vinh, has joined me on most of my expeditions since 2008 when he attended my amphibian training course as a Masters student at Vinh University. ‘I was very surprised to see the frog. I thought that it must be a new species!’ Vinh said.

It revealed for the first time that a third of the world’s amphibian species were threatened with extinction – a terrible fact that makes amphibians more threatened than birds or mammals. It also highlighted just how much trouble the amphibians of certain regions, including Southeast Asia, were in – and how little we really knew about them.

He too has led many of his own surveys and has published seven scientific papers in

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

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But we don’t yet have a reliable estimate of how many amphibian species there are in Southeast Asia, with new species like the Thorny Tree Frog being regularly discovered. And for those we do know exist, we can only make educated guesses about their true distribution, abundance and conservation status.

DR JODI ROWLEY, COORDINATOR, AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM RESEARCH INSTITUTE

THORNY TREE FROG The Thorny Tree Frog, Gracixalus lumarius, is a rather charismatic and unusual frog. Pink, yellow and covered with spikes (or ‘thorns’; hence the common name, and also the specific epithet, lumarius, which means ‘of thorns’ in Latin), this 4 cm frog is found only on the steep upper slopes of the highest mountains in central Vietnam.

Unusually, the Thorny Tree Frog lays its eggs on a tree trunk above small, water-filled tree hollows. The hatching tadpoles fall into these pools where they can develop into frogs, safe from most of the predators that lurk in larger water-bodies.

It’s also strangely coloured, for a frog, being brazenly pink and yellow (although it can change into a dull brownish if it feels like it).

And then there’s the hard, conical ‘thorns’ all over its head and back. With males sporting the biggest thorns, it’s likely they’re to do with sex recognition.

It’s only known from a few mountain peaks and is vulnerable to habitat loss, collection for the pet trade and climate change, so we need to determine the frog’s conservation status as a vital first step towards conservation.

Further reading JJ Rowley, DTT Le, VQ Dau, HD Hoang & TT Cao, 2014.

A striking new species of phytotelm-breeding tree frog (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from central Vietnam.

Zootaxa. 3785: 25–37

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

foundation THE

DRIER COLLECTION

comes home A SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF AUSTRALIAN SHELLS IS ON ITS WAY TO THE MUSEUM – ALL THE WAY FROM VANCOUVER.

Above A sundial shell, Architectonica perspectiva (Linnaeus, 1758). Photo by Alison Miller.

In Vancouver he sought to gift his collection to Vancouver City Museum (now Museum of Vancouver) and become its unpaid honorary curator. The collection was graciously accepted in 1932 by the Secretary Curator of the City Museum, TPO Menzies, who described it as, ‘a splendid gesture . . . worthy of appreciation of all Citizens who have the welfare of this City at heart’.

OFFER

Above right Dr Ezra Drier returned to Vancouver in 1930 and gifted his shell collection to Vancouver City Museum.

Photo courtesy Vancouver City Archives.

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

From 1930 to 1931, surgeon and passionate shell collector Dr Ezra Newton Drier journeyed from his adopted home in New Zealand to spend the final part of his career in Canada, where he was born and had lived for most of his early life. Travelling via eastern Australia, the Philippines and Japan, Drier collected marine, terrestrial and freshwater molluscs to add to his already extensive shell collection.

This gesture was recently favoured on the Australian Museum.

In 2012, the then-Director of Collections at the Museum of Vancouver, Joan Seidl, kindly offered Drier’s wonderful collection to major museums in Australia and New Zealand. A shower of emails followed, culminating in extensive research and a visit to Vancouver by Auckland Museum’s Wilma Blom, Marine Invertebrate Curator, to inspect the collection in 2013. She found that the collection was indeed significant and the accompanying specimen data was robust and useful – an essential criterion for any scientific collection; Drier, though an amateur, had been trained well by his New Zealand ‘mentor’, AWB Powell, who was then honorary Curator of Malacology at Auckland Museum.

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“Dr and Mrs Drier and Miss Francelle Drier of Symonds Street have been touring Australia . . .”

AUCKLAND STAR 26 MAY 1930

My interest was not only in the state of the specimens and data but also the period when the Australian material was collected (1930). We had very few specimens in our Malacology collection from this time. Museum collections worldwide are currently experiencing a renaissance in research interest precisely because of their historical depth. Data obtained from collections are used to monitor distributional range shifts as a result of a changing climate and habitat modification. To measure change we need a window to the past, and the particular value of Drier’s collection is to open the curtain on this particular period.

our experience, approximates to a whopping 15,000 individual specimens, some of which may have special value as ‘type’ specimens (the most important specimens that serve as a reference to define the characters of a species).

FOUNDATION

We would like to thank Wendy Nichols, Curator of Collections at the Museum of Vancouver, who provided logistical and other support, and Wilma Blom for her helpful report.

Through the generosity of donors, the Australian Museum Foundation has been able to fund repatriation of this historical collection to the Museum. Technical Officer Alison Miller (Australian Museum) and Severine Hannam (Marine Collection Manager from Auckland Museum) travelled to Vancouver in May this year to pack the collection for shipment. Alison’s first email to me from Vancouver read, ‘The good news is the collection is huge.

The bad news is the collection is huge’.

Both staff put in an enormous effort and long hours to meticulously work through the specimens, dividing them by geographical provenance and packing them ready for shipment.

The Australian Museum component includes some 3000 specimen ‘lots’ (which is ‘museum talk’ for anywhere between one or many specimens grouped together that are of the same species and collected at the same time and place). This number of lots, in

We anticipate an early July arrival of our new treasure, which will then be catalogued and incorporated into our world-class Malacology collections ready for researchers to study over the decades, and perhaps centuries, to come.

DR MANDY REID, COLLECTION MANAGER, MALACOLOGY

MAKING A DIFFERENCE By making a donation to the Australian Museum Foundation, you are supporting the important work of the Museum. For further information, please see the back cover or contact the Development Branch, telephone 02 9320 6216.

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Above Drawer of camaenid land snails from the Drier collection. This family of snails is currently being studied by Drs Frank Koehler and Francesco Criscione at the Australian Museum. Photo by Alison Miller.

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

FROM THE ARCHIVES

ELIZABETH MCKINNON SEARCHES FOR THE TRUE STORY OF DOUGLAS GRANT, ONE OF MANY ABORIGINAL MEN WHO ENLISTED IN WORLD WAR I.

Was Douglas saved by one of the very miners who had just shot and killed his parents? Or did Grant himself save the boy at gunpoint just as his head was about to be dashed against a tree by an Aboriginal tracker?

Such newspaper accounts written long after the event seem fanciful and melodramatic, but the Grants did take the orphaned boy to the family home in Lithgow where he was raised as one of their own. Lithgow at this time had a strong Scottish community, and Douglas was raised to speak with a distinct Scottish burr. He had an early interest in entomology, lodging several lots of insect specimens he’d collected from the Lithgow area with the Museum in 1894 and 1895. The family relocated to Annandale just west of Sydney in 1897 when Robert Grant was appointed as taxidermist to the Museum.

WAR

Douglas showed an early aptitude for drawing, and in 1897 he won first prize for a drawing of Queen Victoria during her Diamond Jubilee Exhibition. He attended Scots College in Sydney with his brother, Henry, and left school to work as a draughtsman for Mort’s Dock and Engineering Company in Sydney. His brother meanwhile followed in his father’s footsteps to become a taxidermist at the Museum, rising to Senior Taxidermist in 1909, a post he held until 1942.

DOUGLAS GRANT ABORIGINAL DIGGER

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From the very beginning, I was captured by Douglas Grant’s story. From his early adoption by a museum taxidermist to an accomplished but tragic life, he was torn between two worlds as an educated Aboriginal man in white society in the early twentieth century.

ADOPTION

Among the varying published accounts, it is difficult to discover the truth behind his adoption, but the common facts are that in 1887, Robert Grant, a taxidermist, with his wife and a colleague, was collecting specimens in the Bellenden Ker Range, Far North Queensland. An altercation in nearby Atherton between local Aboriginal people, gold miners and police escalated into a massacre of which the toddler Douglas was the only Aboriginal survivor.

By the outbreak of World War I, Douglas was working as a wool classer at the historic ‘Belltrees’ property near Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley. He enlisted in 1916 with the 34th Battalion and gained sergeant’s stripes but was prevented from leaving for the front by regulations banning Aboriginals from enlisting. But Douglas re-enlisted the following year and this time served in France as a private with the Australian 13th Battalion, only to be wounded and captured in April 1917 during the first Battle of Bullecourt.

With his dark skin, Scottish accent and educated manner, Douglas was something of an ethnological curiosity to his German captors, and his head was studied, measured and, reportedly, modelled in ebony. To his comrades, Douglas was not an Aboriginal man in a white army; he was just a fellow Digger. Douglas recalled later in life that, ‘the colour line was never drawn in the trenches’. The men voted him the Red Cross representative to distribute ration parcels, a job he performed diligently. His intellect, sense of humour and love for literature made him popular among his peers in the camps.

BEYOND THE LINE

Following the war Douglas went to live with his sister in Lithgow, working at the Small Arms Factory. With some of his fellow soldiers, he broadcast sessions on the local radio and became secretary of the Lithgow sub-branch of the RSL.

But life became difficult for Douglas and other Indigenous men who went to war. Some time after 1928, Douglas lost his job at the factory and found it difficult to obtain stable work. As an Aboriginal, he was not entitled to the grants or benefits that other returned soldiers could obtain. For a time he took part in Anzac Day parades with his trench mates, until the inequality of life took hold.

In 1929, he wrote an article which appeared in the Sunday Pictorial reflecting on the infamous massacre of 31 Aborigines the previous year in Coniston, NT, and on the social injustice in Australia and the difficulties faced by ‘half-castes’. He later worked as a clerk at Callan Park Hospital where many returned soldiers were housed.

However it appears he led a lonely life, developing depression and becoming a heavy drinker in later years. In the 1940s an acquaintance from the Museum, James Kinghorn, was marching with his unit when he saw Douglas sitting under a tree in the Domain. He broke ranks to ask him why he was not marching, to which Douglas replied, ‘I’m not wanted anymore, I don’t belong. I’ve lived long enough’.

Douglas’s foster brother passed away in 1944 in tragic circumstances. Douglas battled alcoholism and died six years after his brother, following a stroke. He had been a resident of the Salvation Army Home on Bear Island at La Perouse.

STRUGGLE

There is renewed interest in telling the true story of Aboriginal involvement in World War I, with the play Black Diggers premiering at the recent Sydney Festival (with Douglas Grant’s story included).

Estimates of Aboriginal involvement in the war vary from 400 to 1000 men, yet it is an overlooked part of Australia’s history.

Much of what I’ve read about Grant in researching this article has been from the perspective of white society. It was difficult to discover a clear picture of the man among the available conflicting and often patronising accounts. However, he emerges as a man who struggled to find his identity; a decent man, educated and loyal, who fought for his country and worked for values of greater equality, support for the disadvantaged and Aboriginal rights.

ELIZABETH McKINNON MUSEUM STUDIES INTERN

WEBLINK Read an account of Indigenous Australian service men at awm.gov.au/ encyclopedia/aborigines/indigenous/

Opposite left An older Douglas Grant sits beside the war memorial he designed at Callan Park Hospital, Rozelle. Photo by Sam Hood.

Opposite right Private Douglas Grant served in the 13th Battalion, embarking for France in August 1916.

Photo courtesy Australian War Memorial. P01692.001

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

COMING SOON

MOBILITY

If I was brave, ambitious and male, I might try to climb the social ladder by succeeding in warfare. A soldier who captured four enemies could become a government official or army captain and earn the right to wear increasingly splendid ornaments and clothing. Greater wealth could also be obtained by becoming a successful merchant or artisan, so long as you didn’t flaunt your wealth in front of nobles, as you’d be deemed an upstart! As a woman, my only real choice for upward mobility was through a good marriage – noble men could have more than one wife and were known to marry talented or beautiful commoners. This tactic was known to have worked for some men too – the daughter of emperor Itzcoatl fell in love with a commoner who then became a lord of his village.

LIFE

among the Aztecs

For the vast majority of Aztecs, however, status remained defined and life followed the same pattern. The working day started at dawn, as men left to work in fields or on public labour projects while women readied the fire in preparation for a day of pounding maize, cooking, and making cloth. For those of us lacking domestic artistry, it would have been a hard grind (no pun intended). Fortunately, for those like me, there was little variety in what was cooked. A basic meal comprised maize in one form or another (often tortillas), beans or squash. Tomatoes and wild greens provided dietary balance, as did the odd insect, fish, frog, waterfowl or turkey – the main meats available. Nobles had far more variety, as they could afford expensive imported goods and also received tributes from their subjects. They were also allowed to drink chocolate. The only other people who could partake of this luxury were sacrificial victims. So while I might be a chocoholic in this life, I think I’ll skip it as an Aztec!

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WALK, BAREFOOT, AS AN AZTEC COMMONER? FRAN DOREY TAKES US THERE.

So often the history of an empire or culture is told in terms of the grand things – rulers and nobles, war and conquest, politics and religion. While these are fascinating concepts, and are usually bloody and dramatic, they are often remote from those of us who lead relatively uneventful lives.

These were my thoughts as I started researching Aztecs, a new exhibition opening at the Australian Museum in September. The story of the Aztec empire is truly epic in its scale – from nomads and outcasts, to a warrior state ruling a large part of southern Mexico, and then decimation by Spanish conquerors in 1521. Yet somewhere on the fringes of this story were the ordinary people whose lives I can relate to: yes, the commoners (although I do aspire to more!).

Aztec society, particularly by the early 1500s, was highly complex and stratified. The nobles held all the power and most of the wealth and privileges, and they managed the affairs of state. Below them were the commoners (macehualtin) – the industrious but powerless masses who worked the fields, plied their trade as merchants or artisans, and toiled for the nobles and state when required for tax. Everyone knew their place and little could be done to change your status. In fact, overstepping the boundaries dividing these groups could bring enslavement or even death.

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One of the few outlets for commoner women was the markets. Women were a frequent sight as they came to barter for goods, sell wares or socialise. Some were even specialist traders, one of their few employment opportunities outside the home (midwives and priests were the other options). Many Aztec commoners engaged in trade or crafts, some sporadically, others full-time. At one end of the scale were vendors selling garden surpluses or food, and craftsmen making basic household items. The big players occupied the other end: merchants known as pochteca dealt in luxury imports, while master artisans created featherwork and jewellery for nobles.

Above left Blue vessel depicting Tláloc (god of rain) 1440–69.

Aztec, fired clay, pigments.

Photo by Michel Zabe © INAH.

Top Fran Dorey is the Exhibitions Project Officer for the Aztecs exhibition, opening 13 September 2014. Photo

by Stuart Humphreys.

Far left Flute1250–1521. Aztec, ceramic, pigment. Photo by Jorge Vértiz © INAH.

Bottom Two travelling Aztec merchants on the road (detail). Drawing from the Codex Florentino, c1540.

The Granger Collection, New York.

Aztecs was developed by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in partnership with the National Council for Culture and the Arts – National Institute of Anthropology and History – Mexico, CONACULTA-INAH, the Australian Museum and Museum Victoria.

The markets were hothouses of social activity, but it was still the home and fields that dominated the lives of most commoners. Home was a single-storey mud-brick building (only nobles could have a second storey), with a kitchen, a room for sleeping and a shrine.

Most homes had separate bathrooms, although public toilets were also common (placed along canals, these hung over boats which collected the waste for use as fertiliser). All commoners lived in calpulli, or neighbourhoods, of families and people in similar trades who farmed communally-owned land.

FASHION

It was easy to spot a commoner as there were strict rules defining their appearance. For men, hair was generally short as they were not allowed the flowing tresses of the nobility.

Clothing was practical and made from fibres of the maguey plant (which we know as agave). Imported cotton cloth was reserved for nobles – commoners could be executed if caught wearing it. Men wore loincloths and cloaks; women tunics and skirts. Clothes were tied, since buttons, hooks and brooches were unknown.

For young children, home schooling started at three years of age. By the teen years, everyone was at school – a compulsory system unheard of anywhere else at this time.

Nobles, and sons of wealthy commoners, went to the calmecac to be priests, politicians or army commanders. Other boys learned fighting skills and their father’s trade at school, the

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

Spring/Summer 2014

A hands-on museum

Right See what it was like to live in an Aztec commoner’s home in the Aztecs exhibition, opening 13 September at the Australian Museum. Photo by Gliserio Castañeda García © INAH

liftout for young scientists ACTIVITIES

make your own crystals celebrate science week INTERVIEW

science communicator cat beehag COLLECTOR’S CARD

sydney rock oyster INFO

carla’s blog what is a crystal? telpochalli. While noble girls learned religion and literacy, commoners perfected household skills. Strict discipline was part of the system; if children were rude to parents or teachers they could be pricked with spines, forced to inhale chilli smoke or sent to clean the streets.

STREET LIFE

That’s another surprising thing about the Aztecs – their cleanliness. While the streets may not be as clean as we’re used to, they were very clean for their time. Every day, each calpulli employed 1000 men to clean and sweep streets and buildings. Garbage was dumped at the edge of town or buried in courtyards. And most Aztecs bathed daily; no wonder they tried to douse the smelly Spanish with incense when they met!

Aztecs is proudly presented by

As with all Aztecs, religion would have ruled my life. I’d be expected to participate in one of the innumerable festivals for the Empire’s main gods and regularly prick myself with sharp objects and offer my blood as a sacrifice. Omens and portents were to be feared, and even my destiny was governed by my birth sign (although one might escape a bad destiny through strict self-control).

And how would I end my day? What ‘down time’ would I have? I might play a bit of patolli, a type of board game, or some music. I could also watch, and bet on, the nobles playing the ball-game tlachtli. Going for a social drink was out of the question – alcohol was not allowed for commoners, and I could face execution if caught drunk in public more than once. My suspicions are that I would have been too tired for anything but bed: even that simple mat on a dirt floor would seem a luxury after day as an Aztec commoner.

Sweet dreams!

Discover a world of adventure at www.adventureworld.com or call 1300 363 055

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

FRAN DOREY, EXHIBITIONS PROJECT OFFICER

Aztecs opens at the Australian Museum on 13 September 2014. Celebrate Aztec culture with a special program of tours, talks and and events. Visit australianmuseum.net.au/whatson

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CRYSTAL WORLD

WHAT IS A CRYSTAL?

Hi, I’m Carla the Echidna!

This year the world is celebrating the International Year of Crystallography, the study of crystals.

Did you see any snow this winter? Well, did you know that each snowflake is a crystal? Each one is like a tiny piece of frozen cloud that falls from the sky. That’s because clouds are made up of water droplets. When it gets really cold, the water droplets freeze into ice crystals and fall as snowflakes.

If you look at a snowflake under a magnifying glass, you’ll see that they make very pretty shapes.

Each one is different but they all have six main arms. That’s because the atoms and molecules that make up water fit together like a jigsaw that makes this pattern.

I hope you have fun learning about crystals.

MAKE YOUR OWN CRYSTALS One of the amazing properties of crystals is that they can grow! In this activity, we’ll grow a crystal you can eat: sugar!

Crystals are a special type of solid made of highly structured repeating ‘units’ of atoms and molecules. The underlying structure gives crystals their geometric appearance and properties. Good examples include diamonds, table salt and graphite in pencils. Solids that might look like crystals but really aren’t include plastics and glass.

Sugar crystals are made up of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. These three elements bond together to form a molecule called sucrose, which gives sugar crystals their characteristic hexagonal prism shape. It is very easy to grow your own sugar crystals at home.

WEBLINK Find out more about the International Year of Crystallography at IYC2014.org

You will need: 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of boiling water, food dye, a glass container, a clean tea towel, a pencil and a piece of string.

1 Stir 3 cups of sugar into 1 cup of boiling water until the sugar crystals dissolve completely (warning! safety hazard – get an adult to help you!). This creates a ‘saturated’ solution where no more sugar can dissolve.

Table salt (NaCl) is made of equal proportions of sodium (symbol Na; small spheres) and chlorine (symbol Cl; large spheres) and forms a cube pattern.

2 Add food dye to the solution.

LIFT STAPLES TO REMOVE XPLORER

On the cover Celebrate the International Year of Crystallography with a trip to the Australian Museum. Styling by Trudi Fletcher and Stuart Humphreys. Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

CARLA’S BLOG

2014

Austr lian Museuam

BE A S

CIENT

IST FO

24 & 2 5 Sept The M 1&2O ighty A ct Sur ztecs vival S cienc Time 9 e am – 3 pm Ages 8 –12 y ears Cost M embe rs $11 Bookin 0, non gs ess -Mem ential bers $ 02 93 135 20 63 89

R A DA Y!

3 Pour the solution into the glass container (another hazard!). [Hint: make sure there are no undissolved crystals in the container because these will ‘seed’ crystal growth around the edges.]

Sculpture of Xiuhtecuhtli (god of fire and guardian of merchants, pronounced she-oo-tay-koot-lee), Aztec, 1469–81. Photo by Michel Zabe © INAH.

4 Tie the string around the centre of a pencil and dangle it into the container.

5 Place a clean tea towel over your container and leave it to sit undisturbed until crystals form. This should take about a week.

Now you can pull out your sugar crystal treat. Look closely and draw the shapes of the crystals and then munch away!

Each issue of Xplorer includes a collector’s card for you to cut out and keep!

30 Celebrate National Science Week as we showcase scientific research and collections from the Museum, our partners and guest organisations.

r’s card

collecto

Enjoy a hands-on visitor experience that will spark a lifelong interest and understanding of science with expo stalls, workshops and talks.

Austr

lian Dates are: Museuam • Primary schools 12–14 August • Community day 16 August (details, see back page) • High schools 19–21 August 2014

The annual Australian Museum Science Festival attracts more than 5000 students from 70 schools, with over 1000 visitors on the community day.

Be part of this year’s festival – it’s science unleashed!

Three types of salt, viewed with the scanning electron microscope. top: table salt, middle Maldon sea salt, bottom rock salt. Photos by Sue Lindsay.

Sydney

ster Rock Oy

SCIENCE REPORTER FOR A DAY

XPLANATIONS

CELEBRATING SCIENCE With the Australian Museum Science Festival looming in August, festival coordinator Catherine Beehag spoke to Felicity Nelson.

FELICITY: What inspired you to work in Science Communication?

CATHERINE: I’ve loved science ever since I studied it in school, but I knew I didn’t just want to work in a lab. I didn’t only like one type of science; I liked all of them! When I was choosing what to do at uni I came across a degree called Science Communication at the University of New South Wales, which was ideal because I got to learn all the difference types of science.

Send your query to the Search & Discover team, email sand@austmus.gov.au

FELICITY: What do you like most about working with the Australian Museum?

CATHERINE: I love being able to work with a lot of organisations and pull in a range of very talented people to explain why they love science and why other people should love science. I like that there is a lot of flexibility in the work environment here. If there is a topic that comes up that we think is important, we can just run with it.

FELICITY: You organise the Science Festival at the Museum as part of National Science Week. What are the highlights for this year’s upcoming festival?

CATHERINE: That’s a hard one because there are a lot of really cool hands-on activities happening. We have over 50 different workshops and shows on topics ranging from CSI to dinosaurs to robotics. Kids will get to conduct their own snail dissections, explore StarLab, our inflatable planetarium, and get up close and personal with Australian wildlife. It’s going to be a really exciting festival!

Left Eat paint, poop rainbows.

Photo © Tamara JonesKormendy.

search

Below The likely culprit: the American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana.

Photo © Gary Alpert.

DISCOVER

WEBLINK Read a longer version of this interview at australianmuseum.net.au/explore-magazine.

We can be scientific and call it faeces, or polite and call it dung, scat, spoors or droppings. I could go on, but won’t. In the end it’s all the same thing.

SCAT

Catherine Beehag (right), coordinator of the Australian Museum Science Festival, spoke to Felicity Nelson, who recently graduated with Honours in Science from the University of Sydney. Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

THIS EDITION OF XPLORER COMPILED BY FELICITY NELSON AND THE SCIENCE COMMUNICATION TEAM

Sydney Ro

ck Oyster

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Photo ©

Aroon M

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2014

ALL ANIMALS FEED TO SURVIVE, AND IT IS A FACT OF NATURE THAT IF FOOD GOES IN, WASTE COMES OUT. BASICALLY THAT MEANS THAT MOST ANIMALS CREATE POO OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER.

They guessed that the pellets were cockroach poo – but why cockroaches would eat paint is an interesting question which we quickly batted to the Museum’s resident naturalist, Martyn Robinson.

COMMUNITY DAY!

2014

Australian

Museu–mvisit Saturday 16 August Bookings recommended australianmuseum.net.au/whatson or phone 02 9320 6389.

Here in Search & Discover we are often asked ‘what animal made that scat?’ And we do our best to link the deed to the owner. Recently we were sent photos by a teacher at St Mark’s Pre-school in Darling Point, Tamara Jones-Kormendy. Her students had discovered small, colourful pellets in watercolour paint trays that had been stored in an outside shed.

DIET

Austr lian Museuam

Visit the Museum for some good old-fashioned, scienceflavoured family fun: live animals, face painting, experiment stations, a science musical, workshops, competitions and giveaways. Explore environmental issues like biosecurity, clean oceans and home gardens!

Curiously, different animals make different types of poo – different enough that you can identify animals from their distinctive scats. Scientists use this information as a handy way of finding out what animals live in an area without having to trap animals or spend hours looking for them.

Search & Discover is the Museum’s hands-on mini-museum packed with real specimens and resources, from computers and microscopes to books and magazines.

Bring in your questions or email them to us at sand@austmus.gov.au.

‘You have to remember that this paint is safe for children to use’, Martyn said. ‘By its nature this means it can be swallowed without ill effects and contains a number of natural compounds based on food dyes and thickeners which – naturally enough – cockroaches with their broad diets will find edible and palatable.

‘Although safe to eat, the ingredients are not particularly digestible, and so most of it will pass through the cockroach gut relatively unchanged, resulting in these colourful scats.’

In case you were wondering this is not the way ‘hundreds and thousands’ are made … we hope …

DAVID BOCK, COORDINATOR, SEARCH & DISCOVER

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

IN YOUR BACKYARD

• with martyn robinson

MARTYN ROBINSON IS THE MUSEUM’S RESIDENT NATURALIST

WAXING LYRICAL Many visitors are curious about how we prepare non-living specimens and make them look ‘alive’ again in our exhibits. A quick look around the Museum reveals a variety of ways, depending on the type of animal and purpose of the display.

One of the easiest ways to preserve a specimen is simply to pickle it in ethanol, which prevents bacterial and fungal growth. The specimens can be displayed in a clear container, though often not with terribly life-like results.

A more modern method is freeze-drying, in which a fresh specimen is arranged in a lifelike pose and then frozen solid and placed into a vacuum, causing the water molecules to change directly from ice into water vapour (a process known as sublimation). This process removes all moisture which might otherwise encourage the growth of fungi and bacteria, and the resulting specimens are as long-lasting as the freeze-dried peas or beans in your cupboards at home.

involves the removal of all tissue that is likely to rot, to be replaced with something which won’t. Used especially for mammals and birds, taxidermists remove the animal’s skin, clean and preserve it and then refit it to a mould of fibreglass (but more traditionally a wire frame covered with papier-mâché, straw or hessian) to recreate the likeness.

Museum prep staff also use casting, in which the realistically posed animal is covered in latex or silicon rubber. Once the material has set, the body is removed (to be pickled and kept for further study if needed). The cast can be used to produce multiple replicas in the same size and pose as the original.

Then there is taxidermy (from the Greek meaning ’arrangement of skin’), which

Both freeze-drying and casting are useful for thin-skinned or delicate specimens such as reptiles, amphibians, and fish where conventional stuffing might stretch or tear the skin. A disadvantage is that the casts often require detailed ‘after work’, such as a realistic paint job or, with freeze-dried specimens, protection from insects and other pests that like to feast on dried meat!

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

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Caterpillars present yet another problem because much of their pigment occurs in the underlying tissues, not the translucent skin. A time-honoured method of preparing them for display involves replacing the body with either air or coloured wax. The dead insect is carefully ‘opened’ at the rear end and the contents of the body gently squeezed out, rather like toothpaste from a tube. The skin is then carefully inflated with a pipette and oven-dried, or the insides can be colourmatched to some candle wax prepared for the purpose. The wax is melted and, using a narrow tube as a funnel, gently pumped back into the empty caterpillar skin to produce a remarkably life-like representation of the original. Although the skill of this last method is fast disappearing, you can still see some of these wax-stuffed caterpillars in the Museum’s displays.

Above Taxidermied Fruit-piercing Moth, Eudocima fullonia, with distinctive false eyespots. Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

WHITE’S TRUEBLUE GREEN TREE FROG Colour is a funny thing. What we perceive as colour is the frequency of light that an object reflects. As you probably know, we see the primary colours red, yellow and blue, and secondary colours made up of mixtures of the primary colours. Black is an absence of reflected colour, and white is all colours reflected back together.

The colours of animals are controlled by genes which code for this or that pigment.

If some of the usual colour genes are not ‘switched on’, because of some genetic fault, then colour mutations can occur.

Animals with secondary colours, or more complex colour mixtures, can sometimes lack the genetic expression of one or two of the primary colours giving them a very different appearance to normal individuals.

For example, the Green Grocer Cicada, Cyclochila australasiae, is exactly the same species as the Yellow Monday (which lacks the blue pigment) and the Blue Moon (which, you guessed it, lacks yellow).

Animal and plant breeders use this information to select for a range of colours in our domestic flora and fauna. But colour

mutations are found less often in the wild because the unusually coloured individuals tend to stand out in the crowd, making them easier prey, or they’re ignored by prospective mates as a result. Humans are predators too, and if you look in museum collections around the world you will find a far greater percentage of these odd-coloured versions than are found in the wild.

An early Australian example is the first specimen ever named of the Green Tree Frog, Litoria caerulea. ‘Caerulea’ means ‘blue’ in Latin, but why would they name a grass-green frog ‘blue’? One explanation is that the collector, John White, SurgeonGeneral to the First Fleet, sent the original specimen to England pickled in an alcoholic beverage which leached the yellow pigment, turning the green frog blue.

Unfortunately, there is no written information to back up this story. White described the specimen in his Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales as: ‘Blue Frog, speckled beneath with greyish; the feet divided into four toes; the hind-feet webbed’. The frog was illustrated by the

Page 21

artist Sarah Stone, who was working from a preserved specimen (which accounts for its distorted shape), but some biologists believe the description was added by a British scientist, not by White. So it’s still a mystery: was it a blue specimen or did it turn blue in transit? If the latter, then we have to assume that White did not see a printer’s proof of the journal before it was published in 1790. To my mind it’s more likely that White collected an unusual, blue specimen (showing ‘collection bias’, in which strange and curious specimens tend to be collected more often than the ‘normal’ varieties). What’s more, the blue colour form still appears occasionally (see photo, above), as does an even rarer bright golden yellow form which lacks the expression of the blue pigment!

Above Was White’s Green Tree Frog blue or green when he sent it to England in 1788?

Photo by James King.

Illustration by Sarah Stone, from Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales (1790). Australian Museum Research Library.

Top left Blue specimens of Green Tree Frogs are not uncommon in nature.

Photo © Bruce Thompson.

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

SCIENCE BYTES

PEOPLE

re VIEW

meeting

by Harold G Cogger CSIRO Publishing, 2014

knowing the specimen’s geographic range, the book works as a picture guide, with the subjects posed in just the right way to aid identification.

In 1975, Dr Harold ‘Hal’ Cogger published the first edition of his Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, the first ever comprehensive account of Australian amphibians and reptiles, with 664 species listed.

Cogger’s text is clearly formatted and the descriptions include diagnostic information such as scale counts which, combined with the keys, make identifying animals such as snakes from sloughed skins and partial remains easy.

Almost 40 years later, Cogger’s book is still revered by professionals and enthusiasts alike as the definitive reference text for herpetology, with phrases like ‘have you checked Cogger?’ and ‘according to Cogger . . .’ uttered for decades.

I’ve also used Cogger to find useful information about specimens for live Museum displays. I remember doing this when we first looked into displaying the Crucifix Frog, Notaden bennettii, and Tree Skink, Egernia striolata. Cogger quickly yielded a useful summary of the relevant natural history and scientific data, and includes sections about collecting, preserving and caring for specimens.

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA (7TH EDITION)

To give you an idea of the ‘scale’ of the task, the new edition includes 1218 recognised species – an astonishing rate of discovery and description of new species!

Like other amateur and professional herpetologists, I’ve welcomed the new edition and use it regularly in my work at the Museum’s public enquiry centre, Search & Discover. We often receive photographs and specimens to identify.

Using Cogger, the first step is to ask: is it a frog, crocodile, turtle, lizard or snake?

Generally this is easy (though the legless lizards often fool beginners). Next, take the identification to the family level. So, for a lizard, is it a gecko, flap-footed lizard, skink, dragon or monitor? This requires some background knowledge, but Cogger includes definitions that make it easy for novice readers too.

Then you can narrow it down further to genus and species using the keys, photographs and distribution maps, the latter proving very useful when you have a photo but no specimen. Even without

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

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So if you are looking for an up-to-date comprehensive account of Australia’s herpetofauna, this book is for you. This revised edition features a handy table listing all Australian species and their distribution by state/territory and bioregion. I also liked the new section about using museum records to calculate distributions.

With 1056 pages, it won’t fit into your pocket (and perhaps not even your backpack!) but, if you are serious about Australian frogs and reptiles, you will find some room on your shelf.

The only question then is what to do with your old edition. You could keep it in your car, donate it to a school or even gift it to a youngster who is interested in nature. Who knows? You might just inspire the next Hal Cogger.

HAL COGGER

MAXINE KAUTER MEETS AN ICON OF AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HISTORY.

If you know something about herpetology in Australia you will already be familiar with the classic anthology Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. I recall my aunt, an enthusiastic naturalist, had one on her living room book shelf and sometimes we’d look up the lizards we’d seen at the stables near her house. It’s the kind of book that pops up all over the place. But what you may not know is that its author, Hal (Harold) Cogger AM, was once curator of reptiles and deputy director at the Australian Museum.

This year sees the release of the seventh edition of his well-loved book. As I sat down with Hal in the Museum café I mentioned that I’d been reading some reviews of the book and found a great quote from Tim Rowe of the conservation organisation Wildlife Australia in which he said the anthology ‘should be in every home’.

Hal laughs this off but admits that the book is regarded with much affection by generations of herpetologists. ‘Students have great fun going through it’, he says.

Something more than knowledge is required to forge such a connection with an audience.

Talking to Hal, it’s easy to see what that is. ‘I was intensely interested in natural history as a kid. It was a passionate interest without knowing whether or not I’d make a career out of it.’

Above Dr Hal Cogger AM is the John Evans Memorial Fellow at the Australian Museum.

Photo © Robert Kerton/ CSIRO.

His interest took him to the Museum’s prep department in 1952 where he worked while studying at night for his science degree. Hal mentions the support he received from John Evans, who became Director of the Museum in 1953 and eventually offered him a fulltime traineeship in his chosen field.

‘When I was a student I found it really frustrating that I couldn’t get the information I needed. What I was really after was a summary of what the Australian herpetofauna was, and it wasn’t available. So I decided if I ever got the chance I would produce a book that would do two things: give you an overview of the Australian herpetofauna at a particular point in time and the means to identify most species.’

Hal went on to become Curator of Reptiles in 1960 and Deputy Director of the Museum in 1976 until his retirement in 1995. The following year he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his service to the science of herpetology.

If we are lucky, each of us will be inspired by a chance encounter with the product of someone else’s lifelong passion. But if we are really lucky, we’ll get to be like Hal, having the chance to shape the passions of those around us.

MAXINE KAUTER, PROJECT COORDINATOR

CHRIS HOSKING, INTERPRETIVE OFFICER

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

CULTURE CONNECT

bilum IN THE

Opposite page Bilum basket (height 55 cm) by Florence Kamel and Hella Bikukure. Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

Left Lepa bilum (148 x 115 cm) (detail) by Florence Kamel and the Goroka Bilum Weavers. Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

MAKETI PLES

A TRADITIONAL WEAVING TECHNIQUE FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA IS FINDING NEW FORMS OF EXPRESSION.

LEPA BILUM

KMART

Cultural staff from the Museum’s Pacific section have supported Maketi Ples since it began in 2011, not just to acquire new artworks, but to attend workshops and document the perspectives of the artists.

Florence’s second piece is a bilum basket based on a frame which she purchased during a trip to Melbourne for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Florence travelled as part of the PNG contingent having been commissioned to create the official uniforms of bilum dresses and neckties for the PNG athletes.

In February this year, we were fortunate to secure two artworks which had immediately attracted our attention for their stunning simplicity and unique aesthetics.

In some parts of Papua New Guinea, particularly throughout the Highlands, the string bag or bilum is woven into all aspects of cultural life.

The first of these is called Lepa bilum, a beautiful white to yellowish wall hanging made using natural fibre with no added colourings. What makes this piece so beautiful is the stunning natural colour variation of the fibre and its texture. It was created using sisal fibre from a local plant, the succulent Agave sisalana.

This fibre is coarse, strong, durable and elastic. Working with sisal, however, is a challenging process owing to the burning acidic juices released from the fibres.

Bilum, an ancient twisting and looping technique using woven plant fibres, is used to make traditional bags that carry everything from food supplies to babies slung over their mothers’ backs, and for ceremonial dancing, body adornments and sorcery.

To process them, women place bundles of sisal on busy roads and let the cars run over the bundles for a while to squeeze out the juices. The fibres are then scraped with a knife and twisted, with the workers having to cover their arms and legs to avoid being burned. Understandably, this time-consuming and unpleasant process often makes local women reluctant to work with sisal.

From these traditional roots, the aesthetic and cultural values of the bilum are changing, thanks to imported fibres such as wool, acrylic, plastic and nylon. The technique is even finding its way into fashion garments and even homewares.

One of the leading bilum wear designers is Florence Kamel of the Bilum Weavers Association based in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province. Florence is one of many Pacific artists who come to Sydney to display their brightly coloured artworks at Maketi Ples, a contemporary art exhibition and ‘market place’ held in the heart of Sydney’s art world, Woollahara.

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

Right Florence Kamel preparing sisal fibres in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, PNG. Photo © Hella Bikukure.

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While on a shopping trip in Kmart, she saw a large vase-shaped frame covered in banana fibre, purchased it and took it home with her. With assistance from another artist from Kama, Hella Bikukure, she recycled the covering and used the same bilum looping technique to weave this impressive sculpture.

Florence is continuing to create further contemporary bilum artworks, but these two pieces are the first major experimental examples of bilum homeware and are important acquisitions for the Museum’s collection.

MAKETI PLES

An initiative of Pacific Islands Trade & Invest, the Maketi Ples festival is attracting growing interest from an Australian public who come to meet the artists and directly acquire their works (incidentally providing an important source of income for the artists and their families).

Lepa bilum was commissioned by Pacific Islands Trade & Invest as a one-off piece at the personal request of the Pacific Trade Commissioner.

While they’re visiting Sydney, we organise for the artists to view and interact with the Museum’s Pacific cultural collections, which has proven to be a source of inspiration for several future artworks.

In producing it, Florence enrolled some of the best local women specialists for its construction. The job of twisting the fibres was given to Vanessa Jones from Kama in the Goroka vicinity, who produced up to eight pieces of fibre, each two metres in length, per day. A total of ten women worked on this stunning and unique artwork, which took three weeks to make, from collecting the fibre, cleaning and twisting to looping.

We are looking forward to seeing more contemporary works inspired by the Museum’s Pacific collections at the next Maketi Ples, to be held in February 2015.

YVONNE CARRILLO-HUFFMAN, CULTURAL COLLECTIONS, PACIFIC

WEBLINK For more information about Maketi Ples, visit maketiples.com.

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

FROM THE ARCHIVES

WHAT ON EARTH IS A

goniometer?

THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WAS ONCE AN ESSENTIAL RESEARCH TOOL FOR THE SERIOUS CRYSTALLOGRAPHER, SAYS ARCHIVIST PATRICIA EGAN.

Left Mineralogy Collection Manager Ross Pogson demonstrates the use of the reflecting goniometer.

Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

In this International Year of Crystallography it is worth pausing to reflect upon the groundbreaking research undertaken by Charles Anderson on the Australian Museum’s mineral collection in the early twentieth century using state-of-the-art equipment, a two-circle (theodolite) reflecting goniometer.

PURCHASE

We don’t know how Anderson reacted to the dispassionate Australian Museum Trust minutes entry of 1 July 1902: ‘Charles Anderson asks to be supplied with a Reflecting Goniometer . . . the purchase of such an instrument is approved’, but it would have pleased him.

Anderson had certainly come a long way from his poor farming family origins in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, where he had struggled financially to gain an education. But a year after graduating from Edinburgh University with a BSc in 1900, he was appointed as Mineralogist to the Australian Museum in Sydney, arriving in 1901 to take up the position and continue his doctoral studies.

Anderson settled upon research work in morphological crystallography and the chemistry of minerals, but the Museum lacked suitable equipment. Anderson wanted to take full advantage of new technology – the reflecting goniometer – for accurately describing and identifying minerals.

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Initially he was required to travel to the University of Sydney’s Geology Department, where Museum Trustee Professor Edgeworth David had arranged for him to use their instrument. Edgeworth David prevailed upon Museum Curator Robert Etheridge to support the application to buy, at considerable expense, a reflecting goniometer for the Museum, which Etheridge did, writing: ‘This very necessary adjunct to mineral study is very urgently needed’. There was one more hurdle: Etheridge informed the Trust that a small, separate room had to be built for Anderson to work in. Its construction cost around £5.

On 5 February 1907 Etheridge reported to the Trust that the reflecting goniometer with an added telescope and collimator, allowing for more accurate measurements, purchased for £53 plus import expenses, had arrived in ‘good order’. This brass and iron instrument was designed and made by P Stoe in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1900 to the design of Victor Goldschmidt and was the most advanced reflecting goniometer in the world.

OPERATION

While appearing a simple instrument, the reflecting goniometer is deceptively complicated to set up and use. It works by shining a light (gas, later electric) onto a crystal placed on a rotating stage. The operator can then measure the angles of

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

PHOTOFEAST

UP CLOSE

crystal

CRYSTALS APPEAR AS GEOMETRIC BOULDERS OR CRAGGY CLIFFS WHEN VIEWED WITH THE SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE.

reflection on crystal faces and plot the results onto a crystal diagram. Some of Anderson’s original delicate crystallographic drawings have survived and are housed in the Australian Museum Archives along with the goniometer and its electric light source.

Top left Mineralogist Charles Anderson measuring crystals with the goniometer in 1919. Photo

by GC Clutton. V15775 Above Two of the crystals studied

by Charles Anderson are (top right) azurite, with malachite, (from Broken Hill, NSW) and cerussite (from Overflow Mine, Bobadah, NSW). Photos by Stuart Humphreys.

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

The Australian Museum holds one of the country’s oldest mineral collections, but it was Anderson who developed the Museum’s mineralogical research role.

Making significant inroads into the analysis of Australian minerals, he is particularly remembered for his findings on cerussite and azurite.

Anderson went on to publish his mineral analysis findings. In 1908 he was awarded his DSc by the University of Edinburgh for his crystallographic research, and he later lectured in crystallography at the University of Sydney. However his interest in mineralogy waned and he subsequently transferred to the study of vertebrate palaeontology where he again developed a distinguished reputation. In 1921, following the death of Etheridge, he was appointed Director of the Australian Museum, a position he held until 1940.

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The Museum’s goniometer continued to be used long after improved technologies, such as electron microprobe analysis and X-ray crystallography, became available.

Geologist and author Marcel Aurousseau used the instrument during his cadetship at the Museum between 1908 and 1911, and Thomas Hodge-Smith, Curator of Mineralogy and Petrology from 1921 to 1945, published many drawings of crystals measured with it. The instrument was last used scientifically by a visiting Russian scientist, Dr Nick Sobolev, in the late 1980s to study diamond crystals. With more than 75 years of use, it certainly appears that the Museum got value for money from this purchase.

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) fires an electron beam at an object and collects the reflected electrons to produce detailed, high resolution images. These views of the crystals shown on the previous page highlight details such as growth laminations in cerussite (bottom, x460) and the blockier growth steps of azurite (top, x340). Scanning electron micrographs

by Sue Lindsay.

WEBLINK See more of Sue Lindsay’s images at australianmuseum.net.au/Scanning-electronmicrographs.

PATRICIA EGAN, ARCHIVIST

WEBLINK See Mineralogy Collection Manager Ross Pogson demonstrate the use of the goniometer at australianmuseum.net.au/movie/Two-CircleTheodolite-Reflecting-Goniometer

Further reading Oliver Chalmers, 1992. Minerals in the Australian Museum 1901–1945. Records of the Australian Museum Supplement 15: 111–128.

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

CULTURE CONNECT

remembering Left Bringing the Solomons War Canoe into the Museum in 1923 presented many logistical challenges. Photo

by G Clutton.

HARRY WICKHAM

The Australian Museum may not be known for collections of sporting memorabilia, but it can boast a connection with Australia’s most important Olympic sport – swimming. The connection comes via a donor to the Museum, Harry Wickham, who also happened to be one of two brothers who ‘… showed the world a new way to swim’.

CHAMPIONS

Harry’s legacy to the Museum collection is a large war canoe from the Solomon Islands. His legacy to Australia can be seen at any public swimming pool across the nation: a stroke he learned in the Solomon Islands and brought to Sydney as a schoolboy.

Onlookers, more familiar with what we would now call breaststroke and the ‘dog paddle’, were astonished. One eyewitness reported that he ‘… swam with his head held fairly high, turning it quickly from side to side breathing with each complete stroke, his woolly head apparently not getting wet ... his arm action was very fast …’.

WAR CANOE

Harry Wickham was born in the Solomons in 1882 on the island of Hobopeka in Roviana Lagoon. The son of Frank Wickham, an English plantation owner, and Ameriga, a Melanesian woman from Bougainville, Harry lived closely with the local people, including the local ceremonial and war leader, Chief Hingava.

Roviana Lagoon was widely known for the large scale, ritualised headhunting carried out by its residents, and Chief Hingava was one of its fiercest proponents. Using tomoko or war canoes, large parties of up to 500 warriors from Roviana Lagoon raided islands throughout the western Solomons, returning with human heads and slaves.

Not surprisingly, these events made a vivid impression on the young Harry Wickham: later in life he recalled seeing canoes full of warriors and their victims returning from the raids, ‘… ornamented with many smoke-dried human heads, the eyes and ears inlaid with mother of pearl’.

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THE MUSEUM’S DR SCOTT MITCHELL RETRACES THE SURPRISING ORIGINS OF AN AUSTRALIAN ICON.

Just like the other children, Harry swam and dived in the lagoon, learning an overarm swimming stroke and kicking-leg movement known locally as tuppa te pala. Sent to boarding school in Sydney at the age of six, he became a regular swimmer at Bronte Baths, bringing the distinctive stroke with him.

A few years later Harry was joined in Sydney by his younger half-brother Alick who gained attention with the stroke in an under-10s race at Bronte. The prominent swimming coach George Farmer reportedly exclaimed, ‘Look at that kid crawling!’

– spawning the name ‘Australian crawl’, the world’s fastest swimming stroke, which evolved into the freestyle stroke we know today.

Alick went on to become a champion swimmer and diver. The stroke was taken up by champion Australian athlete Dick Cavill, who set a new world record at an International Championship in England in 1902. Nearly a third of the 143 Olympic gold medals subsequently awarded to Australia have been in freestyle, making it our most successful Olympic sport. Fittingly one of our greatest Olympic swimming champions is Tracey Wickham, a distant relative of Harry’s.

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Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

RETURN

After finishing his schooling in Sydney, Harry returned to Roviana Lagoon, working as an accountant, establishing a copra plantation and starting a large family (with six wives).

By the time he returned, the colonial authorities had discouraged the practice of headhunting, with the last raid from Roviana occurring in 1902, just as the Australian Crawl surged onto the international stage.

Local people maintained the knowledge of how to make the tomoko (they are still made today), and Harry commissioned one in 1912 for the Christmas races at the local Methodist Mission.

In 1915 he despatched the war canoe to Sydney as a contribution to the first national Australia Day, a fundraising effort by the Australian Red Cross for wounded soldiers at Gallipoli.

The canoe was placed on display at the Australian Museum and the Red Cross Committee agreed that if £1000 was subscribed, the canoe would be handed over to the Museum Trustees.

At nearly 14 metres in length, made from stained black timber planks and inlaid with long lines of dazzling white shell, the canoe became a favourite for generations of Museum visitors, until it was taken down and placed in offsite storage in the 1980s.

CREDIT

While most schoolboy sporting careers are quickly forgotten, Harry might well have pondered how a Melanesian swimming stroke first demonstrated by Solomon Islanders came to be known as the ‘Australian Crawl’. Just before his death in 1962, he told a journalist, ‘It’s a pity the true tale has not been told. It would be nice if Alick and I could get a nod or two in our direction for the way the world is swimming now.’

Perhaps it was the prevailing racial attitudes of the day. One of the first actions of the newly federated Australian Parliament in 1901 was to expel the 7500 Pacific Islanders recruited or enslaved by North Queensland sugar plantation owners, followed only six days later by legislation that ushered in the White Australia policy.

members night

ALL NIGHT TALKS TIME 6.30–7.45 pm COST Members $20, non-Members $30

Happily, generations of immigrants from the Pacific have forged a successful place in Australia, and like freestyle, now represent a significant part of our cultural life.

Harry’s war canoe will be going back on display in 2015, exactly one hundred years after it was donated, in what will be the Museum’s new offsite storage facility in western Sydney.

It will represent a chance not only to appreciate a significant work of art, but also to remember Harry Wickham and how the maritime heritage of the Pacific has helped shape our identity as Australians.

DR SCOTT MITCHELL, HEAD, CULTURE, CONSERVATION AND CONSULTING

Further reading C MacGregor & H Mackay, 2013. Boat in a bubble, pp 38–39 in Feathers of the Gods and other stories from the Australian Museum. Australian Museum, Sydney.

G Lawson and R Evans, 1965. The Brothers Wickham showed the world a new way to swim. pp 17–20 in J Taylor (ed) Pim’s Pacific: Stories from the South Seas. Pacific Publications, Sydney.

S Aswani, 2000. Changing identities: Roviana predatory headhunting. The Journal of the Polynesian Society 109(1) :39–70.

Left During the Second World War, at the formidable age of 57, Harry Wickham (left) enlisted as a coast-watcher and worked as a scout with Australian naval officers and American marines.

Photo by Col. Michael Currin, USMC (ret.), courtesy Pacific Collection, University of Hawaii-Manoa Hamilton Library.

BOOKING Book online at australianmuseum.net.au/

whatson or phone 02 9320 6225

Turn up the heat and celebrate Aztecs, our latest exhibition, opening 13 September.

You’re invited to join other Members for a special evening viewing of Aztecs, with food, fun and entertainment on Tuesday 16 September (details page 36).

Our Aztecs lecture series, Conquest, contrast and culture: the Aztecs and Mesoamerica, will deepen your understanding of the mysterious cultures of Mesoamerica. Hear from experts about aspects of daily life in these complex, sophisticated societies. Come for one or book the entire series!

There’s also an invitation to an evening viewing of our new Indigenous exhibition Sea Country, complete with bush tucker and guest speakers.

And don’t miss our other Night Talks covering a diversity of scientific topics (this page), from the demise of Sydney’s White-fronted Chats to Bronze Age archaeology on the Orkney Isles and the psychology of ageing.

Noches caliente – that’s ‘hot nights’ to you, gringo!

SERENA TODD

Events Coordinator Australian Museum Members Serena Todd’s photo by Carl Bento.

Scan this code to your mobile device to find all Members events, or visit our website, australianmuseum.net.au.

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

Page 32

talks

Psychology of ageing Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty, UNSW WHEN Wednesday 3 September

Most of us want to live longer but only if we have our faculties and are in good enough health to enjoy the extra years. Evidence is accumulating that lifestyle and health maintenance activities can reduce the risk of cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias and falls as well as improving mood, heart function, bones and strength.

It is never too early and never too late to start these activities. A national campaign to encourage healthy ageing would reduce costs of care and provide a major return on investment. Come and learn more about the latest advancements in ageing with Professor Henry Brodaty.

Archaeology on the Orkney Isles Dr Nick Card, Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology WHEN Wednesday 22 October

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney on Scotland’s Orkney Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for some of the most iconic prehistoric monuments of Atlantic Europe: the Ring of Brodgar and Stones of Stenness; Maeshowe, a massive chambered tomb; and the exceptionally well preserved village of Skara Brae.

Recent research is radicalising our views of this culture from 5000 years ago. In particular the stunning discovery of a complex at the Ness of Brodgar enclosed within a large walled precinct is shedding new light on how this landscape was used and developed. Join Nick Card as he reveals a complex, stratified and dynamic society.

Above right Can urban populations of the White-fronted Chat survive? Photo by Richard Major.

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Islands in the city Dr Richard Major, Australian Museum Research Institute WHEN Thursday 30 October

The White-fronted Chat, Epthianura albifrons, is a small honeyeater once widespread across Sydney but now restricted to two isolated patches of saltmarsh surrounded by urban and industrial development.

Be part of the Taronga Bird Festival with this Night Talk as Museum ecologist Richard Major describes recent research to document the decline of an endangered Sydney population of these distinctive birds. Using genetic techniques, Richard and his research partners set out to discover whether urbanisation is a barrier to the two populations and trialled cages in a last-ditch attempt to protect nests from predators.

We are pleased to introduce the Australian Museum’s new preferred travel partner – Adventure World.

All Members will now receive a 10% discount* on Adventure World holidays.

To redeem your discount call 1300 363 055 and quote your Australian Museum Membership number. Discover a world of adventure at www.adventureworld.com * conditions apply

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

members travel

members conquest, contrast and culture: the aztecs 5.

Ritual violence in Mesoamerica

Peter Mathews, LaTrobe University

WHEN Thursday 13 November

WHEN Thursday 4 December

Cultural violence in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica has been an area of interest to scholars since the time of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire. Violence was manifest in many forms, from self-inflicted bloodletting, to human sacrificial rituals (including men, women and children) and widespread cannibalism. Join Chris Carter as he discusses the archaeological evidence and compares this to the historic record.

Bloodthirsty barbarians or a sophisticated civilisation with their own philosophy, world view, art and poetry? Let Peter Mathews, a prominent Aztecs expert, provide you with a fascinating overview of Aztec civilization.

Aztecs: where are they now?

Barry Carr, historian

Pointed stones and broken bones

3.

TIME 6.30–7.45 pm

Stan Serafin, Central Queensland University

COST Members $20, non-Members $30; series (10

WHEN Thursday 16 October

talks) Members $180, non-Members $290 BOOKING Book online at australianmuseum.net.au/

whatson or phone 02 9320 6225

1.

Aztecs: all about the exhibition

Fran Dorey, Aztecs exhibition project manager WHEN Thursday 2 October

Join exhibition project manager Fran Dorey as she paints a picture of Aztec civilisation and discusses the history and culture of some key pieces in the exhibition. Fran is a historian with a special passionate interest in Aztec culture, so join her for this lively talk interspersed with behind-the-scenes insights.

2.

Aztec funerary customs

Discover new insights into ancient Mayan culture and the role of warfare throughout Mayan history. The rich evidence includes hieroglyphic inscriptions that record the military exploits of rulers; the famed Bonampak murals which graphically depict prisoner torture and sacrifice and injuries in human skeletal remains. Join Stan Serafin as he discusses warfare among the ancient Mayans, including its scale, tactics, weapons, motivations and consequences.

The enigma of La Malinche: the woman in the conquest of the Aztecs 4.

Anna Lanyon, author and historian

The Aztec mind

Chris Carter, archaeologist, ANU

6.

ALL NIGHT TALKS

7.

WHEN Thursday 20 November

Aztec culture and achievements have been highly regarded since the time of the Spanish conquest and especially since Mexico gained independence. The name Mexico is derived from the Nahua word ‘Mexica’ that the Aztecs used to describe themselves. Although most Mexicans today are people of mixed ethnic origin, Aztec identities and claims are still vividly present in Mexican thinking. Barry shows how the Nahua-speaking people in central Mexico deal with their pre-Hispanic roots and why the national culture remains fascinated with its Aztec legacies.

The ancient skywatchers of Latin America 8.

Fred Watson, Astronomer, Anglo Australian Telescope WHEN Thursday 15 January 2015

An obsession with the workings of the sky unites the world’s ancient peoples. In Latin America, remarkable edifices that linked the heavens with ritual beliefs among the population survive. In this entertaining and fully illustrated talk, astronomer Fred Watson visits just a few of these, from the Cholula Pyramid of the Aztecs to the extraordinary Nazca lines of southern Peru.

Native women’s power before and after the fall of the Aztec empire 9.

Blanca Tovías, Sydney University WHEN Thursday 22 January 2015

How did conquest and colonisation transform the lives of elite indigenous women throughout the Aztec Empire? Hear from eminent historian Blanca Tovías, who has written widely about the impact of colonialism on Mesoamerica and beyond.

Fall of the Aztecs

WHEN Thursday 6 November

10.

Chris Carter, archaeologist, ANU

The Aztecs practised complex and diverse treatments of the dead, such as wrapping in bundles, interment under residences and in cemeteries, and cremation. Anthropologist Stan Serafin discusses these funerary methods and their relationship to Aztec concepts of the soul and afterlife. Was cremation reserved only for the ruling class? Join Stan as he contrasts evidence gleaned from Aztec codices and Spanish colonial documents with recent archaeological excavations.

Revisit the story of Malintzin, or Malinche as she is known in Mexico, a teenage girl who played a critical role in the conquest of the Aztecs. Given to the Spaniards by the Mayans as a humble slave, she became interpreter and intelligence gatherer for the Spanish leader, Hernán Cortés, and the mother of his first son. Malinche’s courage and gift for languages allowed her to survive through unimaginably precarious times. Yet in modern Mexico she is often scorned as a traitor. Was she? Or do our histories construct the heroes and villains we need?

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

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Stan Serafin, Central Queensland University WHEN Thursday 9 October

WHEN Thursday 29 January 2015

How was a small group of Spanish soldiers able to defeat the Aztec empire and colonise much of the New World? ‘Guns, germs and steel’ (to quote Jared Diamond) certainly played a part in their demise, but archaeologist Chris Carter argues that Spanish culture was so different to their own that the Aztecs did not know how to respond.

Madagascar: a world apart

Experience the world’s most diverse environments with Australian Museum Members.

WHEN Departs Saturday 8 November 2014

The many cultures of Mexico: from Aztec to Maya WHEN April 2015

Join archaeologist Chris Carter as we explore the cultures of Mexico, rich with history, cuisine, music and dance. We will walk the cities of this fabulous country, visit historic sites, shop in local markets and meet local people.

Mexico has a rich tradition filled with music and dance. The tour includes visits to venues for you to experience these firsthand, with free time to explore areas at your own pace. The tour also takes us to the shores of the Caribbean for your relaxation and enjoyment.

The tour will highlight Mexico City itself, one of world’s great metropolises. Experience the art of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo and stand among the imposing ruins of Teotihuacan. We’ll take in the colonial cities of Puebla, Oaxaca and Merida, the Mayan cities of the Yucatan (Palenque, Uxmal and Chichen Itza), and relax on the shores of the Caribbean, on the ‘Mayan Riviera’. And, if you think you’d like a little more adventure, you can opt to extend your trip to Belize, a renowned biodiversity hotspot, and Guatemala.

To register your interest or find out more, please phone Serena Todd on 02 9320 6225.

Page 35

Experience a biodiversity wonderland, Madagascar. Its unique natural history, isolated from the African coast by the Mozambique Channel, has evolved in isolation. Travellers are rewarded with glimpses of outlandish wilderness inhabitants like the chameleon, 90 per cent of the world’s lemur species, rare and gorgeous birds, and more than a thousand species of orchids – including the Earth’s rarest specimen and the mysterious other-worldly black orchid.

Join Madagascar specialist Daniel Austin on this tour. UK-based Daniel has spent almost two years exploring, researching, writing and photographing in Madagascar, and has written widely on Malagasy wildlife.

For more information, email Ray Boniface at Heritage Destinations heritagedest@bigpond. com, or phone Members on 02 9320 6225.

Top left Cooking at home sitting on a petate straw carpet (detail) from Florentino Aztec codex, 16th century © Mireille Vautier / Alamy.

Left Sculpture of a dog, about 1500. Aztec, stone. Photo by Michel Zabe © INAH. Above Discover the archaeological site of Palenque, a former Mayan city, on our Mexican tour in 2015. Photo courtesy Chris Carter.

Scan this code to your mobile device to find all Members travel, or visit our website, australianmuseum.net.au.

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

special events Viva la Indepencida: An evening of Mexican flavours and Aztec treasures

Sea Country, Hear Country – new exhibition viewing

EXPLORE

WHEN Wednesday 26 November, 6.30–8.30 pm

WHEN Tuesday 16 September, 6.30–9 pm

WHERE Theatre and Indigenous Australians gallery,

COST Members $80, Non Members $95

entry via William Street

Explore, the news and events magazine of the Australian Museum and Australian Museum Members, will now be published twice per year. There will be no separate summer edition in 2014.

The evening is warm and balmy, the intoxicating scent of anticipation fills the air mingled with the hint of tequila and gunpowder. Mexican orange blossoms fill hacienda gardens with tiny dynamite bursts of fragrance, mingling with the aroma of smoked chillies, cumin and oregano from the kitchen fires.

COST Members $30, non-Members $40

The place is Dolores, Mexico; the year, 1810, and the day 16 September. A group of Mexican nationals are about to conspire to overthrow the Crown. Music plays, dancers sway, revellers drink and the night takes on the knowing grin of anticipation. Priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is freeing his men from prison, ready to incite a revolution which was to mark the first independence Mexicans had known in 300 years. Hidalgo recites his Grito de Delores ‘Viva Mexico’, ‘Viva la Indepencida!’ Soon they would be free from Spanish rule to become Mexica – Azteca – once again.

Join us to commemorate this truly special date, enjoy a private viewing of the exhibition, with a themed cocktail, Mexican inspired nibbles and entrance to the Aztecs exhibition all included!

Volume 36, Number 2, ISSN 1833-752X Spring/Summer 2014

Copyright Unless otherwise credited, all text and images appearing in Explore magazine are copyright © Australian Museum, 2014. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, you may not reproduce or copy any part of this publication without the written permission of the Australian Museum. Please contact the Editor for further information.

BOOKING Visit www.australianmuseum.net.au/

whatson or phone 02 9320 6225

Learn about the intrinsic components of Aboriginal relationships to Sea Country with ecologist and Indigenous knowledge expert Chels Marshall. Come to the Museum at night for an exclusive private viewing of our new exhibition Sea Country, which explores the economic, scientific and spiritual connections Aboriginal people have with the ocean.

Above Indigenous culture presenter Chels Marshall.

Illustration by Caz Nowaczyk. Photo by Chels Marshall.

School holiday fun!

DETAILS Visit australianmuseum.net.au/whatson

Celebrate Aztec culture with a special program of tours, talks, evening events and school holiday activities.

Let Sea Country challenge your ideas about Aboriginal knowledge of the oceans.

BOOKING Book online at australianmuseum.net.

au/whatson or phone 02 9320 6225

WHEN Friday 14 November TIME 6.30 pm – 7.30 am COST Members: adults $120, children $150;

non-Members: $140, children $180

Editorial committee Brendan Atkins (Editor) Christine Callen (Head, Marketing) Maxine Kauter (Research & Collections) Serena Todd (Members Events Coordinator) Design management Louise Cornwall Design and layout Trudi Fletcher Original design template Stephen Goddard Production Jenny Hooker Advertising Brendan Atkins 02 9320 6249 Prepress Spitting Image Printing Peachy Print

Hear from exhibition co-curators Laura McBride (Creative Producer, Australian Museum) and Amanda Reynolds (Senior Exhibition Curator) and enjoy some Indigenous nibbles, a glass of champagne and time in the exhibition. We’ll then move to the theatre to hear from Chels Marshall, a renowned expert in ecology and Aboriginal marine science and knowledge. Chels will teach us about Aboriginal ways of reading the sky and stories in the currents, and open our eyes to Aboriginal cycles of living and connecting.

AGES 5–12 years

Dinosnore Sleepover

Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Museum.

How would you like to spend the night sleeping in the Dinosaurs gallery at the Australian Museum? Come to the Museum at night for a special pizza dinner, join in a fun T. rex craft activity, tour the Museum by torchlight, watch some DVDs with friends and then catch some zzzs in the Dinosaurs exhibition, surrounded by the dinosaurs!

Make sure you bring your camera to capture every moment of this larger-than-life experience.

We welcome your feedback, comments and enquiries.

Email the Editor at explore@austmus.gov.au Kim McKay’s photo © Ross Coffey Australian Museum 6 College Street Sydney NSW 2010 Open daily 9.30 am – 5 pm (closed 25 Dec) t 02 9320 6000 (switch) t 02 9320 6225 (Members) australianmuseum.net.au

NEW BOOK! FEATHERS OF THE GODS AND OTHER TALES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

Spring/Summer August 2014

A museum

VOLUME

36

NUMBER

2

Amphibian conservation in Southeast Asia Australian Museum Eureka Prizes turn 25 Aztecs are coming

President Catherine Livingstone AO Director Kim McKay AO Environmental responsibility Explore is produced using carbon-neutral processes under an ISO 14001 environmental management system.

It is printed on ecoStar, a carbon-neutral paper made from 100% post-consumer recycled waste, using alcohol-free, vegetable-based inks made from renewable sources.

Available only from the Museum Shop, phone 02 9320 6150, email shop@austmus.gov.au RRP $50, Members price $45.

Connect with us online Above Dr Frank Talbot AM with specimen of Red Bass, Lutjanus bohar, from Feathers of the Gods.

Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

Jodi Rowley is training young scientists in Vietnam (see story, page 4). Styling and illustration by Beau Vandenburg. Photo by Stuart Humphreys.

log on!

Australian Museum website www.australianmuseum.net.au Facebook www.facebook.com/australianmuseum Twitter www.twitter.com/austmus YouTube www.youtube.com/austmus Instagram www.instagram.com/austmus

Above Sculpture of Cihuateotl, divine woman, about 1500, Aztec stone. Photo by Michel Zabe © INAH.

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MEMBERS SINCE 1972, SUPPORTING AUSTRALIA’S FIRST MUSEUM

Explore 36(2) Spring/Summer 2014

Page 36

MAKE A DIFFERENCE! The Australian Museum is a place of exploration and discovery, inspiring responsibility for our world by promoting knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of science, nature and culture.

We would like to acknowledge the generous support of our many benefactors, corporate partners and research partners in realising this vision.

These generous individuals and organisations contribute to scientific research, education and public programs, and assist in the acquisition of items that enrich the Museum’s collections.

We especially thank those who generously leave a gift to the Museum in their will – a lasting way to benefit generations to come.

To find out how your support can make a difference to our important work, please contact the Development Branch, phone 02 9320 6216 or email development@austmus.gov.au Donations to the Australian Museum and its Foundation are tax deductible.

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS 3M 4 Pines Brewing Company Adventure World Atlas of Living Australia Australian Museum Members Charles Sturt University Winery China Eastern Airlines City of Sydney Destination NSW IBM Inspiring Australia and National Science Week JCDecaux KIIS 1065 Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation Mercure Sydney Potts Point MLC National Geographic Channel Sydney Grammar School Sydney’s Child Sydney Water Target 100 The Daily Telegraph University of New South Wales University of Western Sydney GIFTS TO COLLECTIONS Steven and Janine Avery Ursula Burgoyne Louise and Sam Dawson Rod and Robyn Dent in honour of the late Pat Dent and the Anindilyakwa tribe Charles M Ellias John L Gordon Mark Hanlon J Holliday The late John Hume Leighton Llewellyn Mineralogical Society of New South Wales Inc George and Edna Oakes John Rankin Paul Scully-Power Trevor Shearston Muriel Snell Professor Günther Theischinger

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM FOUNDATION President’s Circle Claude Gauchat Christopher Grubb Ian and Stephanie Hardy Bill and Alison Hayward Mary Holt Judy Lee Diccon and Elizabeth Loxton Prue and Alasdair MacLeod Helen Molesworth Rob Rich The Sherman Foundation Rosemary Swift Director’s Club Patrick and Ailsa Crammond Warwick Evans Belinda Gibson Tim Goodman John Lamble Foundation Alice Oppen OAM David Rickards Neville and Jane Rowden Guardians Kathryn Chiba Glenn and Caroline Crane Jenny Crivelli Anthony Godfrey-Smith Ronnie Harding Ann Hoban Warwick Johnson Karina Kelly Howard Lewis Richard and Jane Malcolmson Jane Matthews Kim McKay AO Mabs Melville John Pearson John and Christina Stitt Vonwiller Foundation Custodians James and Belinda Allen David Armstrong Robert and Simone Arnott Elizabeth Cameron John and Angela Compton Phillip Cornwell John Dickinson

Hugh Dixson Terry and Dianne Finnegan Tim Foster Dan Howard SC and Rosemary Howard Frank Howarth PSM Illumina Australia Pty Ltd James E Layt AM Margaret Mashford Robert McDougall Adrian and Dairneen Pilton Martin Pool and Stephanie Miller Jenny Quist David Robb Neville and Jane Rowden David and Daniela Shannon Tehmi Sukhla Vera Vargassoff Wendy Walker Richard Whillas Tony White AM and Doffy White Stephen Wilson and Rachel Hawkeswood Jennifer Wright Supporters Antoinette Albert Michelle Atkinson KR Bell Jane Beniac Debra Cox Diana Eddy Estate of the late Clarence E Chadwick Estate of the late Phillip Jack Estate of the late Patricia M Porritt Estate of the late Merrill Pye Estate of the late Gwendoline A West John and Marilyn Evers on behalf of the late Christine Neild Greg Hammond Trevor Haworth AJ Loewenthal Lawrence Magid Ross McNair David Norman Andrew Pardoe Andrew Roberts Andrew Rothery Senta Taft-Hendry Frances Walsh