Frank and the art of giving
Arts personality Frank Madrid has offered up his tendon for sport.
FREYLA FERGUSON reports...
IT was days after Frank Madrid had a tendon removed from his knee to donate to his soccer-playing nephew Philippe Bernabo-Madrid that he asked the all-important question: “So, what did you actually do to me?”
Busy overseas for work, Frank didn’t have time to research what was involved in his nephew’s reconstructive surgery to the cruciate ligament by one of Australia’s leading surgeons in knee surgery, Prof Leo Pinczewski.
But he says it didn’t matter, either way – he would do anything for his nephew.
“There was no question,” Frank says.
“It was an easy decision, not only is he my beloved nephew and we are very close, but the fact that it’s for his career.
“Otherwise we’d forever in life be asking ‘what if?’”
Philippe is a 19-year-old soccer player who is currently a personal trainer at the AIS.
Originally from Columbia, Philippe has played soccer since he was four years old.
Frank says there are many happy memories of Philippe as a child on
INDEX
September 1-7, 2011
Since 1993: Volume 17, Number 33
Arts&Entertainment 15-17
Canberra Confidential 9
Cinema 17
Crossword 14
Dining 16
Garden 19
Home 18
Horoscope 14
Letters 10
News 2-8
Politics 6
Property 20-40
Social Scene 11-13
Sudoku 14
the soccer field.
“Even as a little boy, he had a special relationship with football,” he says.
His talent hasn’t wavered, Philippe has now become one of Canberra’s top scorers in the capital league and last year was selected from 500 aspiring soccer stars from across Australia to be part of the Fox8 reality TV show “Football Superstar”.
Philippe says he was reluctant to allow his uncle to go through with the procedure but “[my uncle] was really pushy about it”.
“It’s the most prized gift I have ever gotten,” Philippe says.
“I wouldn’t be able to play without it, I’ll always be thankful.
“[Soccer] is my life, for the past year I haven’t been able to play, I just don’t know what to do.
“I can’t wait to be back.”
This recent knee surgery was the last option for Philippe, who last year had the injured knee reconstructed using his own ligament from his other knee. But it wasn’t successful, leaving him only two choices – an artificial ligament, which was expensive and its success rate unproven, or a live donor.
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Would-be soccer star Philippe Bernabo-Madrid with his uncle Frank Madrid... It will take up to 12 months for Frank and Philippe to fully recover from the operations.
With both parents unsuitable for the operation, it was his uncle who volunteered to donate his tendon.
“I never would have thought to ask another person because it’s a very big thing,” he said.
“So I left it. But then my uncle had a conversation with my mum and he offered.”
It will take up to 12 months for Frank and Philippe to fully recover
Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au
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Sign moves closer to being saved
THE heritage protection of the 55-year-old neon Starlight Drive-In sign in Watson is one step closer to being secured.
Starlight apartment complex owner occupier Mick Motion-Wise earlier this year nominated the sign as an object of historic cultural value with the ACT Heritage Council.
Mr Motion-Wise said he has heard from the council this past week that the application was accepted and expects a decision will be made on whether the sign will receive heritage protection in the next two months.
His application argued that the Starlight sign was an important piece of Canberra’s heritage and a significant emblem of Australia’s cinematic history as the only 1950s drive-in sign remaining on its original site.
“CityNews” first wrote about the classic, American-style drive-in cinema sign and its deteriorating condition, last October.
from the operations.
But despite a year away from the football field, Philippe’s soccer dreams are now, thanks to his uncle, well and truly alive.
“It’d be good to play in Australia and hopefully play in the A-League,” Philippe said.
“I want to go as high as I can go; ultimately, I’d like to play in Europe by the time I’m 21 or 22 years.”
The campaign to save the sign received overwhelming support from the National Film and Sound Archive, the ACT Government and readers.
The neon sign, made in Sydney, was erected, as it stands today, on January 3, 1957.
–Freyla Ferguson
Photo by Silas Brown
FRONT COVER: Retiring ballroom dancing teacher Penny de Kauwe Story Page 15. Photo by Silas Brown
New arts chief
THE arts adviser to former Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, Shane Breynard is the new director of the Canberra Museum and Gallery. His arts background includes work on various arts projects in Australia, UK and Brazil. He replaces longstanding director Peter Haynes.
Shaw strikes gold
MURRUMBATEMAN’S Shaw Vineyard Estate Shiraz 2009 has been awarded a gold medal at the NZ International Wine Show. Vigneron Graeme Shaw says the winery’s 2009 wines are set to be amongst some of his finest.
Rotary’s opera gala
ROTARY’S third “Italian Opera Gala” will be held in Llewellyn Hall on October 8, and will star Canberra tenor Roy Best, Sun Aria winner soprano Lee Abramson, the Melbourne Opera Orchestra and local singers of the Canberra Opera Chorus. Organised by the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise, the gala will feature a program of well-loved arias, duets and choruses from Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Mascagni and Donizetti. Bookings to Ticketek on 132 849 or at www.ticketek.com.au
Coming up Roses
TUGGERANONG real estate agent Jason Roses has won the international and LJ Hooker top auctioneer prizes in the property firm’s international Auction Icon competition in Queensland. Participants are drawn from the group’s auctioneers throughout Australia, NZ and internationally.
Charity relay launch
ORGANISED by local volunteers with the support of Cancer Council NSW, the inaugural Queanbeyan Relay For Life will be launched at the Riverside Plaza from 9am on Saturday, September 3. The relay, a fun outdoor, overnight event where teams of 5-20 people take turns to walk, skip, hop or jump their way around a local oval to honour the lives of people touched by cancer, will be held at Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan, on February 10-19. Register a team at relay. cancercouncil.com.au/2012/queanbeyan_2012
Michelle Tifan... “Being an electrical apprentice was a great combination of my science background and need to be outdoors”. Photo by Silas Brown
Michelle’s flying high
By Kathryn Vukovljak SCIENCE graduate cum electrical apprentice Michelle
Tifan has won two major construction-industry awards in the space of a month.
“I think the awards help to make me highly employable, and they open about 20 more doors to me,” says the third-year, ActewAGL apprentice.
Michelle, 30, won Apprentice of the Year at the ACT Regional Building and Construction Industry Training Council annual awards in early August, and also the Outstanding Woman in a Non-traditional Trade and Outstanding Systems Electrician Apprentice awards. She followed up this success by winning the Future Leader award at the National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC) ACT Chapter Awards for Excellence.
Having studied a Bachelor of Science with honours at ANU, then going on to work in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and later the AFP, Michelle says it wasn’t long before she was desperate for a career change.
After what she calls her “quarter-life crisis”, and lots of tearful talks with family and friends “over wine and chocolate”, she worked out what she wanted to do.
“I needed to be hands-on, problem solving, doing something tangible each day that would help the community and the world at large, and I knew a trade was for me,” she says.
“The minute I started the apprenticeship in 2009, I knew it was the right decision.
“The guys are great; if you’re willing to learn they’re more than willing to impart information, and I’m learning so much.”
Michelle plans to continue with ActewAGL: “The support from the company has been fantastic, and I’d like to stick with my field and consolidate my skills.”
Ruby’s super style session
By fashion editor Libby Rolfe FASHIONISTA
and MTV poster girl
Ruby Rose (pictured) will share her style tips at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome this month.
As an “In Season” ambassador, Ruby will share the secrets of her street-style, hosting a “High Voltage” style session on Saturday, September 10. The radio personality’s unmistakable fashion sense is showcased in her collaboration with Australian label Milk and Honey.
Ruby has also created a summerinspired DJ set that will be available as a gift with purchase.
Shoppers can expect to see the star’s signature rock-chic looks,
blending punk street style with classic shapes, to reflect her personality. The style session is one of a series of events taking place at the Hyperdome this spring. Local fashion stylists will share tips and tricks for styling at sessions on September 9-12 and 16-18.
Also taking September is the “Great Accessory Trade In”, where shoppers can update their summer accessories by trading in an old bag or belt to receive a $10 centre gift card.
Ruby Rose Style Session and DJ set, Hyperdome Shopping Centre, 1pm, Saturday, September 10. More information at www.hyperdome.com.au
All in the jeans for cartoonist
“CITYNEWS” cartoonist and artist Paul Dorin has put his hand up for the 16th year to paint a pair of jeans for the Children’s Medical Research Institute, Jeans 4 Genes charity, black-tie auction and gala dinner in Sydney on September 9.
He has painted the jeans donated by Jules Lund, presenter on Channel 9’s “Getaway”. “Jules is a big personality and a colourful character and suited my style”, says Paul, who spent about 30 hours, mostly at night, working to complete the two-legged canvas. Last year, Paul won the People’s Choice Award for his work on the jeans of former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting.
To vote for a favourite pair of celebrity jeans artwork, visit www.jeansforgenes.org.au and select “current events”.
Stepping out of suicide’s shadows
By Freyla Ferguson
IT may be the leading cause of death for people under the age of in Australia, according to Lifeline Australia, but death by suicide is still considered a taboo topic.
And it’s for that reason Debbi Knee and Tom Hulse hope the “Out of the Shadows” walk will help the community speak out about the issue.
Debbi and Tom work for the national office of Lifeline and both have been affected by suicide. It’s their experiences that inspired them to organise the walk, which coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day, on Saturday September 10.
Debbi’s first experience with suicide was when she was 17 and a friend died from suicide. But it wasn’t until she was older that she found herself talking a relative out of taking their own life.
“I guess coming to Lifeline and doing the suicide intervention training really confirmed to me how important it is to talk about it, to recognise the signs and to feel comfortable acknowledging those signs with someone if you are worried about them,” she says. Tom was 18 when he was “engaging in acts that were truly unhealthy” to deal with his depression.
“It was a very difficult time, quite a dark time. It wasn’t pleasant, but for me now it’s actually a positive because I can look back and see how far I’ve come and how I’ve recovered from that,” he says.
“Out of the Shadows” walk will be at Lake Burley Griffin from Gallipoli Reach to Aspen Island at 5.30am on Saturday September 10.
The walk will begin with a song and reading and will commence just before sunrise to “symbolise walking from the darkness into the light”.
Debbi says a walk like this is important to raise awareness about suicide.
“I think it’s over 2200 people in Australia suicide every year and that impacts such a huge number of people,” she said.
More information at www.outoftheshadows. org.au
G makes progress
BUILDING work expanding The G shopping centre may mean some imminent disruptions with road closures on Gungahlin Place and Hinder Street. All the centre’s stores will continue to trade normally during the building phase, which includes a 1st Choice Liquor and multi-deck car parking due to be completed before Christmas and an expanded and upgraded Coles Supermarket, Kmart Tyre and Auto Service and specialty retailers which are expected to be open by June.
Skills for single dads
A FOUR-week course for single fathers will start at the Tuggeranong Community Centre on Wednesday, September 14. The course, primarily for fathers who are separated from their partners, costs $50 for all four sessions, plus dinner. RSVP to nuskills@nuskillslearning.org or 6100 6674.
Keith hits the road
COOLEMAN Court shopping centre manager Keith Woodman will be cycling for eight days in the 1200-kms for Kids charity bike ride, which starts in Brisbane on October 12 and finishes in Sydney. The centre and Edge Health Club are helping with the fundraising in aid of the Royal Children’s Hospital Brisbane and The Humpty Dumpty Foundation. This month Edge Health Club will donate the $49 joining fee for new members to the appeal.
WINNERS
Russian Film Festival: Winners of the double passes to the opening night of the Russian Film festival are Paul Morrissey, of Downer; Iain McKenzie, Holt; Penny Jurkiewicz, Wanniassa; Aylwen Gardiner-Garden; and Lisa Olive.
“ang Ry Boys” DVD: Winners of the “Angry Boys” DVDs are Renae Field-Leal, of Sutton Park; Jennifer Murray, Narrabundah; Kate Morse, Harrison; Catherine Whitelaw, Burleigh Waters; and Jacqui Britton, Barton.
Cartoonist Paul Dorin with Jules Lund’s charity auction jeans.
Debbi Knee and Tom Hulse.
Photo by Silas Brown
Of queries and tweets
It is time the Federal Parliament looked down the hill rather than down their noses, says columnist MICHAEL MOORE
WITHIN a day of the Prime Minister closing down Question Time after just a few minutes, the ACT Assembly adopted procedures to make its Question Time even more accountable.
It is time the Federal Parliament looked down the hill rather than down their noses. They might learn a lesson or two from the ACT Assembly. The most recent examples come from the Opposition who are building on improvements made by the Greens.
Liberal Alistair Coe spotted a weakness in the operation of Question Time and took action to rectify the situation – the sort of behaviour and action we want to see from our elected members.
“Due to urgent matters rightly taking precedence,” he observed, “some areas of government business are not questioned to the same degree as others during Question Time”. So he put a proposal to the Assembly. It was considered through the appropriate Assembly Committee, modified a little and adopted.
Coe explained that his goal was to find “more opportunities for MLAs to hold the Government to account”.
Question Time will now have an additional 15 minutes for two of the days in each sitting week with up to five questions focused on a specific portfolio. The portfolios will be rotated to ensure all ministers are under scrutiny.
THE Gallagher Government is moving to build their credentials as an innovative and open government. Their first two “virtual cabinets” were on July 26 and August 30, which allowed
the community access to raise questions directly with cabinet members and get an immediate response. Around 200 participants talked to their ministers during the hour of the first of these and about 450 tweets were sent within the session.
It is an important move; however, there are inherent dangers in confining every issue to the shallow level of just over 100 characters.
MEANWHILE, Deputy Opposition Leader
Brendan Smyth has put the Government on notice, ironically with regard to the appointment of the Auditor General.
Since the advent of the Statutory Appointments Act (1994) such appointments cannot arbitrarily be made by government. Instead, they are required to go through a consultation process with the appropriate committee of the Assembly. Smyth railed against the poor process in which the committee actually heard about the appointment of the Auditor General via media release.
He took action. “This appointment process involves one of the most important statutory roles in our form of democratic government. I considered these flaws in the process to be of such magnitude that I could not remain as the deputy chair of the committee.”
He has announced that he will be moving legislative amendments to address some of the issues that arose during this process.
No process in politics is perfect. However, the approach right across the parties in the ACT makes the Federal Parliament look like a much poorer form of democracy.
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environment
Dads, who really needs them?
NICK JENSEN says many schools avoid drawing attention to Father’s Day due to the anxiety it can create for the growing numbers of children without fathers
NOW the dust has settled on the UK riots, politicians and commentators alike have begun to analyse the issues and causes surrounding the violence.
Britain’s Opposition Labor Party Leader, Ed Miliband, has described the problem as “a values crisis”, while Prime Minister David Cameron points to the lack of “family values” as one of the main contributors.
I think this is significant, in light of our celebration of Father’s Day. About one-third of children in the UK grow up in single-parent homes, mostly femaleheaded due to a large number of absent and undependable fathers.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the friends that I have who are single mothers are some of the most hard-working and courageous people I know. But the hard truth is that truckloads of social research are now indicating the disadvantage of children in relation to poverty, education, crime, abuse, and development when they are not living with a good and loving father.
When I worked as a chaplain, the vast majority of kids that needed my support were from broken families, and it was
dose of dorin
often clear that the issues were directly related to this fact.
In Canberra, we have an alarmingly high divorce rate, a huge number of children born out of wedlock (who only have about a 20 per cent chance of their parents being together by the time they’re 16 when compared with the 80 per cent chance of children born within marriage), and a significant lack of value placed on the importance of the father’s role.
Many schools avoid drawing attention to Father’s Day due to the anxiety it can cre -
ate for the growing numbers of children without fathers.
Fathers are unique in the love and example they can provide, and are crucial in key areas of child development and identity. Maybe it is time to begin to reaffirm their value and the vital role they have in our communities. If we do not, then we risk the danger of creating a “fatherless generation”, which would surely be devastating.
Nick Jensen is the ACT director of the Australian Christian Lobby
sport Shining like a beacon
SOME people are not playing sport for the right reasons, but I guess that is what it has become – a big business and the players are convinced that they have a short amount of time to get as much out of it as possible.
Loyalty often flies out the window and it is for that reason people, such as retiring Raiders’ captain Alan Tongue, shine like beacons.
If there was a way to provide Tongue’s DNA to every young player coming through, there would be no scandals, the media would have little to report about off-field bad behaviour, and there would be little public talk about players wanting more money because they only have a limited time in the game!
The NRL could do worse than use his moral compass to guide young players through the perils of the code and instill a set of values that will help them, not only while they are playing, but throughout their lives.
Alan’s work ethic emanates from his life on the family farm, where hard work is a way of life.
As we all know, his football career has flourished, but not without hurdles.
I remember when he was told that his size could be a problem; he responded by simply work-
If the NRL was serious, it would appoint Alan Tongue as a full-time ambassador for the code, says TIM GAVEL
ing and training harder than anybody else.
He trained so hard that he became the benchmark for how hard players needed to train if they were serious about getting the best out of themselves; he showed others how to make the most of an opportunity. Alan Tongue is not the biggest player, but certainly the one with the biggest heart.
In the end, enough was
enough; he wanted to make sure that he was going to be capable of doing what all fathers love to do with their young children and not be hampered by chronic arthritis and constant pain.
In this day and age, professional footballers are forever talking about their market-value and how much they can get out of the game, and their managers work towards increasing their price.
Alan Tongue doesn’t have a manager. When he went to speak to Raiders CEO Don Furner about re-signing for another couple of seasons, it wasn’t a drawn-out process. He said he knew what he was worth; he wasn’t going to be greedy and he wasn’t going to haggle.
In announcing his retirement, Alan said it had been a privilege to play; an honour to play for the Raiders, and to cap it off, said that the game owed him nothing and he owed the game everything.
Wouldn’t you like to hear that every now and again from a few more professional sportspeople?
Raider Alan Tongue... the one with the biggest heart.
Canberra Confidential
Snowy to the rescue
IT seems Terry Snow’s been credited with carrying out a “Snowy” helicopter rescue mission of his own.
“Confidential” can report the owner of the Canberra Airport generously came to the aid of the Royal Flying Doctor Service after he landed to refuel his chopper in Broken Hill recently.
Snow told “Confidential” he was approached by the service to assist in rescuing a construction worker who’d broken his leg after colliding with a sheep on his motorbike.
“I didn’t have to think twice,” says Snow. “The RFDS is such a worthy Australian institution and everyone should do everything they can to keep them in the sky.”
Apparently the length of remote landing strips combined with recent bad weather had made it impossible for the RFDS to carry out their mission.
Nice one, Snowy!
Here’s cheers, Katie
CANBERRA’S officially on the map in TV land, it seems, and for the first time politicians and parliament have nothing to do with it!
Raiderette Katie Dewar and former Thredbo snow reporter Fiona Gwyther have both made an impression on WIN TV’s “Farmer Wants a Wife”.
And while Katie’s cheer routine wasn’t enough to get her through the next round, the bubbly blonde’s told “Confidential” she doesn’t care what other people think.
“I was asked by the producers to bring my pom poms and make up a
cheer,” she says. “I was myself and I had fun.”
Katie’s been secretly dating Matt Harfield since filming ended more than three months ago. “We’ve had to keep our relationship under wraps otherwise people would know I didn’t win,” she says. But a quick glance on Facebook before the series’ return let that cat out of the bag. With her relationship status in full view... 5, 6, 7, 8 there was obviously no second date!
Happy hooker
MEANTIME football star turned restaurateur Jeremy Paul has also made his reality TV debut with Prime’s “Dinner Date”. The ex-Wallaby and Brumbies hooker was lapping up the attention and hooking into home-cooked meals prepared by his three dates in Sydney.
Engaging news
CONGRATULATIONS are in order for WIN TV’s news presenter Danielle Post. “Confidential” has learnt she’s engaged! Post joined WIN as news presenter after Jessica Good’s departure in August last year. Sources close to the couple say Post’s been dating WIN TV’s cameraman Andrew Barnes, for about five years and she couldn’t be happier.
No doubt there’ll be plenty of ladies keeping an eye out for that rock on TV!
Leaders take to lake
DUCHESS Kate, Senator Kate Lundy and Chief Minister Katy Gallagher all have
something in common and it’s more than just their name.
All three have a keen interest in dragon boat racing. And here’s your chance to find out why. The Diamond Phoenix Dragon Boat Club is hosting a free “come and try” day, at Southern Cross Yacht Club, Saturday, September 10.
And while our Chief Minister will step into a boat for the first time at the open day, apparently she’s always been a keen supporter of the sport. Dragon boating is one of the fastest-growing team sports in the world and the fastest-growing water sport in Australia.
More information at www.diamondphoenix.asn.au
Mishka wants a home
“WAKE up and take some responsibility.” That’s the message from Michael Linke CEO of the RSPCA ACT.
The organisation is currently run off
its feet with 290 animals reportedly on site at the time “CityNews” went to print. And what’s so distressing is the sheer volume given the size of this town.
“Why, in 2011, we’re still seeing animals, particularly dogs, neglected and abused is beyond me,” Linke says.
Linke’s urging all Canberrans to consider adopting from the RSPCA.
“I don’t think Australia has really embraced animal welfare,” he says. “We have one beautiful dog, Mishka who has been with us now for 12 months.”
“Confidential” can reveal there are currently six cases of deliberate acts of animal cruelty before the ACT courts.
Lisa welcomes your feedback, thoughts and item ideas at lisa@ citynews.com.au or follow Lisa on Twitter @Lisa_Ridgley or at her blog at www.thegirlcantalk.com
Terry Snow in his helicopter in Broken Hill. Photo by Ginette Snow
Out there... Katie Dewar’s relationship for all to see on Facebook.
Mishka wants a mum and dad.
letters Seeing is believing
WITH Floriade 2011 soon on the way and with this year’s theme of “A Feast for the Senses”, it’s startling to note the contrast to the current famine crisis throughout East Africa.
Yet this story hasn’t seemed to have made international headlines in the same way as other stories like the London riots, or the US debt ceiling have.
If more people are informed though, that can pave the way for increased co-ordination
and effort as is evidenced by the recent example of Kevin Rudd having stepped up the foreign aid from $11 million to $81 million once he went over to East Africa and actually saw the situation.
Once people are made aware of such crises, there can be real people power in the ability to change and modify such circumstances for the better in seeking out aid agencies and donating.
steve Dovey, Weston
Increase car spaces
CATHERINE Carter’s Property Council of Australia’s support (“Watch this (parking) space”, CN August 25) to reduce the numbers of car spaces on some developments demonstrates developers have both eyes on the profit (understandable) and not community outcomes.
It is quite dishonest. This proposal defies clear current evidence that the minimum parking spaces codes under cater for the residents.
Please take a journey around the newer units in Canberra after 7pm and wit-
ness the overflow of cars in the streets, on the nature strips and anywhere a spot can be found. This has a direct effect on traffic flow and safety.
Unit residents normally will still have cars for weekend and other travel no matter where they live. If anything needs to be adjusted, the minimum car space codes need to be increased by at least 10 per cent. If any concession is made on any development, this will set a precedent and open the flood gates.
Geoff & susan Davidson, Braddon
Fence them in!
IN regard to Michael Moore’s article “The creeping blight of school fences” (CN August 11), perhaps he would reconsider if he knew what just recently happened at my daughter’s school, Southern Cross Early Childhood School in Scullin.
Vandals not only smashed windows, but smashed glass in the pre-school and child-care sandpits.
Loitering around schools by anyone is unnecessary unless it is a sanctioned school event. The on-going cost and trauma of vandalism and, in this case, quite malicious vandalism is not worth it, fence them in.
Unfortunately, the world has changed since the original suburban plan was implemented. Helene Dawson, Holt
The junkie haven
ON December 24, 2004, “The Canberra Times” reported that, after the number of heroin deaths in the ACT doubled in one year from eight to 17, the then-Health Minister Simon Corbell rejected establishing a medically supervised injecting centre.
This left no doubt that our government did not accept users injecting on its premises, even under close medical supervision.
Nearly a year later, the then-Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, stated: “The aim of the ACT Government is to have every inmate drug-free by the time they leave prison... it is hard to see how the provision of needles could fit in with this overarching philosophy” (“The Chronicle”, November 22, 2005).
Only two things have changed since then. The ideological obsession to spread needles far and wide has deepened, and tourists have concluded that Canberra has an insatiable appetite for illegal drugs. Apparently, the community prevalence is not high enough. Why else would the Government seek to encourage use in its prison? Even if you are locked up, you are not safe! For non-believers, “The Sunday Canberra Times” (June 5, 2011) reports that the website virtualtourist.com views the ACT as a junkie haven. The website has 1.2 million registered users from an estimated 200 countries. Imagine how much harm this is doing to our business houses and Canberra tourism generally?
colliss Parrett, Barton
Letters are invited from “CityNews” readers. Let loose to editor@citynews.com.au or write to the editor at GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601. Letters of 200 words or less stand a better chance of publication.
At the Larry Sitsky Recital Room opening, ANU
Bobbie Adam and Denise Trynor Alice Watkins and Juanita Stephens Rikki Blacka and Alison Barton
Michael Jones and Laurie McDonald Nick Palm and Jelin Jiang
Chris Peters, Sam Andrewartha and Trevar Chilver
Composer Larry Sitsky and Michael Kieran Harvey
Elaine Brennan and Michael Loebenstein Judi and Phil Thomson
At the Cancerian Ball, Great
Hall, Parliament House
Opposition Leader Zed Seselja with wife Ros
Naomi Cassilles, Elizabeth McCrudden and Sunny Rutherford Kelly Harvey and Dan McGrath
Rachel Milnes, Anthony Trump, Christie Shanie and Alex Cannell
Ron and Diana Forrester with Perrin and Lyndall Field
Yvette and Jeff Alcock
Jill Derring, Suzanne Hartley, David Brettell and Margie Reid
Chris and Reannon Beverley with Renee and Gavin Pound Graham and Gail Potts
Amy and Warwick Burr with Michelle Van Lier
At Succeed and Alive charity ball, Southern Cross Club
Kirsten and Margaret Duffy Suzie Adams, Jen Williams and Dominique Haraldson
Emma Higginson, Scott William and Zoe Harvey Kathryn and Hannah Martin with Zoe Ellem
Andrew and Rosanna Thompson Tammy and Clinton Sattler Paula and Robert Matheson
your week in the stars
With Joanne Madeline Moore September 5
– 11
ARIES (Mar 1 – Apr 0)
You prefer to work on your own but this week’s stars favour nurturing partnerships, stabilising your support network, and taking on more responsibilities than usual. Be wary about starting arguments just for the sake of it – especially with family members. Single Rams are in the mood for romance but don’t assume things will fall effortlessly into place.
TAURUS
(Apr 1 – May 0)
This week, don’t embellish the truth or be less than 100 per cent honest (at home and at work). Positive Venus/Mars aspects promise a weekend full of pleasure and passion. Sharing a sport or hobby with a loved one brings mutual benefits. For some lucky Bulls, friendship finally turns into romance. For others – true love could be as close as the boy or girl next door.
GEMINI
(May 1 – June 1)
Geminis can be real scatterbrains – all ideas and no action. But you have more chance of putting plans into practice from Friday onwards, as Mercury (your ruling planet) moves into practical Virgo. Which is just as well because workmates, friends and family are looking for less superficiality and a lot more substance. The devil is definitely in the detail.
CANCER
(June – July )
Stimulate your brain cells through reading, writing, studying, researching, listening and observing. You’re also in the mood to streamline your domestic space as you renovate or style up a storm. The more organised you are at home, the more enthusiastic you’ll feel about work, relationships – and the future. Avoid making big financial moves on Friday.
LEO (July – Aug )
Luxury-loving Leos – is your budget stretched at the moment? It’s time to tighten the purse strings and look for creative ways to boost your cash flow. There are extra dollars to be made via joint ventures with like-minded people or businesses. Be a proactive Lion! Love is in the air on Sunday but don’t spoil the romantic vibes by being totally unrealistic.
VIRGO (Aug – Sept )
With the Sun and Venus both in Virgo all week, you’re bold and beautiful as you embrace your inner contradictions. Softness and strength are a winning combination! Neptune muddles your mind on Friday morning, but things improve in the afternoon as Mercury moves into your sign. September 9-26 is the time to rationalise, research and review.
LIBRA (Sept – Oct )
Unresolved problems from the past could come back and test you. Procrastination is out and being proactive is in, as you make a big decision (before someone else does it for you). Love is in the air on Sunday. Attached Librans – send a romantic text or organise a candlelit dinner. Singles – are you viewing a potential partner through ridiculously rosecoloured glasses?
SCORPIO (Oct – Nov 1)
Pace yourself, especially early in the week. Avoid the temptation to turn a minor matter into a grand obsession. When it comes to your hopes, dreams and wishes for the future, aim for the stars as you cooperate with someone on an exciting joint project. In the words of birthday great D. H. Lawrence: “Hitch your wagon to a star, or you will just stay where you are.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov – Dec 1)
Professional matters look better this week, so make the most of the lucky opportunities that come along. But don’t let your enthusiasm for a project overtake your ability to knuckle down and get the job done. The Moon and Jupiter boost your spirits mid-week (and your business acumen). For some singles – Cupid pays a visit to your workplace.
CAPRICORN (Dec – Jan 1)
Romance and adventure are highlighted this week, as Venus and Mars spice up your love life. So take your partner on a magical journey, or go off searching for your soul mate. The pressure’s building at work but keep plugging away, and don’t expect instant results. The big lesson to learn is how to delegate. No one (not even a capable Capricorn) is indispensible.
AQUARIUS (Jan 0 – Feb 1)
Getting yourself further into financial debt is a recipe for disaster at the moment. By all means have fun but don’t break the bank. With the Sun, Mercury and Venus visiting your intimacy zone, creative communication is required when it comes to a romantic relationship. Singles – be passionately proactive as you go looking for love and adventure.
PISCES
(Feb 1 – Mar 0)
Pisceans are perplexing at the best of times! Try to communicate clearly this week, otherwise confusion and monumental mix-ups are likely (and self-delusion is a danger on Friday). Sunday is the best day for romantic reveries and declarations of undying love, but don’t get carried away with extravagant promises, vague dreams and pie-in-the-sky schemes.
all about the arts
Penny hangs up her shoes
IT’S the end of an era for veteran ballroom dance teacher Penny de Kauwe, who’s hanging up her shoes, retiring from her dance school of 0 years and leaving town.
She promises she’ll be back. “I’ve told my students I’ll come back once a month to teach them, and they’re happy with that,” she says. “It will be nice for me to come and visit, too.”
With two sons, and two small grandchildren, living in Sydney, Sri Lankan-born Penny says she’s keen to live closer to her family.
“I’ve had a fabulous time over the years, but I’ve put my other life on hold,” she says. “Sometimes I’ve missed important family occasions, like my brother’s 25th wedding anniversary, and my son’s 30th birthday, because of dance commitments.
“They do understand; they say ‘oh, you and your dancing!’, but I’ve neglected my family for so long and I don’t want to miss these things with my grandchildren.”
As well as running the Penny de Kauwe School of Dancing, which
cover story
By Kathryn Vukovljak
teaches ballroom, Latin American, New Vogue and Street Latin dance styles, Penny’s also a coach and championship adjudicator with DanceSport Australia, a fellow, examiner and past president of the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing, and an international adjudicator with the World Dance Council and the World DanceSport Federation.
Penny says that two of her students, Latin and ballrooom dancers Alison Kemp and Vaughan Liddicoat, will take over the school after she leaves.
“I think Vaughan and Alison are the best people for the job,” she says. “They know the students and they know how I teach, so it won’t be too disruptive for my students who have worked so hard at their dancing.
“I teach from 9am-12pm every day then from 6pm-10pm every night – well, not at the weekend, that’s sacrilege!” she says. “So I need a break. I want to rest, travel, enjoy my free time and just go from there.
“I’ve loved creating the school. And I love dance; I love the people, the artistic expression, the music, the movement of the body.
“It’s an achievement to start with little kids and get them up to the highest level of dancing; it gives me pleasure.”
Penny was recently awarded life membership of the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing, and also received the Crown Award for her and husband Dr David Gunasckera’s contribution to dance in Australia, which she says came as a huge, but wonderful, surprise.
Having started the dance school in 1980 as a sideline while her sons were young, she says it grew beyond her expectations.
“No one has ever looked after my kids but me, and I wanted to be home with them,” she says. “We built a dance studio at our house so I could teach on a small scale, but it grew and grew.”
Part of the growth, she says, was the creation of the National Capital DanceSport Championships in 1993, which Penny and David were responsible for, along with the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing.
New director’s informal debut
By Helen Musa
MICHAEL Loebenstein, the incoming chief executive of the National Film and Sound Archive was in Canberra this past week to meet prospective colleagues.
Loebenstein, an Austrian film curator and researcher, is an expert in digital archiving and has been curator of special programs at the Austrian Film Museum and a council member of the International Federation of Film Archives.
Attending the opening of the Larry Sitsky Recital Room at the School of Music with his Irish wife Elaine Brennan, Loebenstein told “CityNews” he was keen to see the archive consolidate its position as one of the important national cultural institutions in Canberra and to develop its research potential.
Photo
by
Dance teacher Penny de Kauwe... “It’s the right time. I’m giving it all up for the right reasons.”
Silas Brown
“It’s sad to go, naturally,” she says. “My students have become part of my life, and there are some that I’ve taught since they were children, who met their husband or wife at the dance school, and now I’m teaching their children.
“But it’s the right time. I’m giving it all up for the right reasons.”
Russian festival picks up pace
Arts editor HELEN MUSA
previews this month’s Russian Film Festival
“RUSSIAN Resurrection” is the signature tag used by Nikolai Maksymow, director of the 8th Russian Film Festival, and the name means what it says.
For though we became used to hugely successful Russian film festivals in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the collapse of the Soviet empire saw the demise of such cultural events. Now there’s not so much a renaissance as a resurrection of quality Russian cinema at home and abroad.
Founded by Maksymow in 2004, the inaugural festival was praised by the NSW Premier’s Department as one of the most successful in film-festival history.
This year he has the peculiar task of reducing the number of films making up the final program – there are just too many to choose from.
Nonetheless, he has retained big-ticket items such as recent Cannes winner “Elena”, directed by Andrei Zviagintsev; Aleksei Fedorchenko’s “Silent Souls”, a winner in Venice; and Alexei Uchitel’s “The Edge”, the epic heaped with Russian awards that will open the festival in Canberra.
To Maksymow, when you think of Russian films, you think of art-house cinema. But times are changing, so he’s put in “the odd comedy to get young people in” such as Timur Bekmambetov’s two films “Lucky Trouble” and “Six Degrees of Celebration”, which has a thematic link with Donald
Sutherland’s film. As well, there are crime movies such as “Who Am I?” and “Loot”, which looks at the criminal underworld in present-day Russia. And there are two children’s films – Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” for the tiny tots and “Kukaracha”, an animation where animals infest the computer. Both are in 3-D.
The Russian Film Festival, Greater Union Manuka, September 7-11. Bookings to www.greaterunion.com.au or at the box-office. The full program is at www.russianresurrection.com/2011/
Andrew Pike, a member of the archive board, told “CityNews”: “What is really exceptional is that he’ll bring a great deal of entrepreneurial flair to add to his archival expertise and his academic excellence.”
Chairman Chris Puplick has described Loebenstein as uniquely qualified to lead the NFSA “into the next chapter of its history as the opportunities of the National Broadband Network and the national curriculum open up before us.” He takes up his role formally in October.
Festival opener “The Edge”... an epic heaped with Russian awards.
Milla Jovovich and Ivan Urgant in “Lucky Trouble”.
Tastes worth the tremble
dining
Wendy Johnson
FOODIES tremble with excitement when a new café opens that ticks all the boxes.
And I’m still trembling from my recent visit to Farmer’s Daughter at the Yarralumla shops.
Nicole Damiani, who is in charge, understands Canberra’s almost desperate need for eateries that are unique, and unique Farmer’s Daughter is.
No wonder the place is packing it out, even though it opened only seven short weeks ago with many not still knowing it’s there.
Breakfast was on the menu during my visit and, trust me, the dishes will tantalise your tastebuds. No ordinary fare here, and options for those who love sweet to start the day and those who crave savoury.
I fussed and fussed over what to order
(don’t think it’s ever taken me quite so long, and I was starving).
Would it be, at the lower-priced mushroom hot pot (with garlic and white wine sauce) or casalingo salami baked beans (both $8.50)?
Or the higher-priced fried egg bruschetta with romesco, marinated feta and crispy onion rings ($16.50)? Hmmm. What about the ricotta bruschetta with cinnamon sugar and honey monte with accent beurre ($12.50)?
In the end, I selected the refreshingly different “No Ordinary Soldiers”, three pieces of artisan bread, all lined up perfectly on a crisp, white rectangular plate and each featuring their own healthy topping ($14.50).
The first soldier came with a light crème fraiche and to-die-for smoked salmon, the second a punchier parmesan decorated with loads of fresh rocket and the third a pack-a-punch romesco sauce, which the Mediterranean is so famous for, with thinly sliced, salty proscuitto.
All washed down with a well-prepared cappuccino. And, on the drink side, Farmer’s Daughter also offers T-2 tea for tea lovers, water by addwater and juices by Emma and Tom, including green power, radical and cloudy apple.
The décor is as yummy as the food. A lovely, minimalist chandelier hanging gracefully above the cash register, and two large, dark wooden communal tables with delightful buttercup yellow bench seats, are feature elements.
I sat at a smaller wooden table, on a classic-style Bentwood chair, also in buttercup
yellow, enjoying the small vases of fresh flowers carefully placed about the place and admiring the stunning, big vase of fresh, tall-stemmed, salmon-coloured roses that adorned one of the larger tables.
The outdoor seating gets sun for part of the day and I’ll be back soon, to sit under one of the umbrellas offering shade, to enjoy lunch and to have some fun people watching.
Farmer’s Daughter, Yarralumla, open for breakfast and lunch only. Monday-Friday, 7am to 3pm and Saturday, 8am to 2pm (will be opening soon on Sundays, same time). Call 6281 2233. There’s a $2 surcharge for using a credit card.
Hamlet through his mother’s eyes
THIS is a strong, new local text with as-yet unrealised potential.
Its debut production at Tuggeranong Theatre is engaging in its relationship to Shakespeare’s text; it provides back story, political insight and an alternative point of view to “Hamlet Prince of Denmark”.
Writer/director, Kerrie Roberts tells the well-known story through Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude.
Roberts’ extensive knowledge of Shakespeare and the historical context of Hamlet inform the text. Roberts and her cast successfully meld snippets of Shakespeare into the modern-language play, allowing the audience to easily relate
THEATRE
“Gertrude’s Hamlet”
Women’s Theatre Forum
Tuggeranong Arts Centre until September 3.
Reviewed by Simone Penkethman
the re-telling to the original story.
Three actresses play aspects of Gertrude: Mother, Woman and Queen to, as the director notes, “allow a more in-depth representation of the complexities of the female experience”.
Elaine Noon’s Mother is the most dynamic of the three. There is scope for further development of the relation -
ship between Gertrude’s three selves, particularly with regard to movement and comedy.
Adam Salter’s petulant and lusty Hamlet is the most fully realised and physically present character in the show.
“Gertrude’s Hamlet” would benefit from more workshopping and the deft hand of an experienced director to highlight its inherent, dark wit, and to shape its overall momentum.
The play follows on from a Governmentfunded project to create an interest in theatre for women. It is the first of what will become a yearly presentation by the Women’s Theatre Forum.
There’s no place like home
THIS project, conceived over 18 months by Camilla Blunden, Liliana Bogatko, Raoul Cramer and Noonee Doronila in the “verbatim theatre” style, involves storytelling and conversation.
Four well-known Canberra theatre personalities, all immigrants to this country, reveal their thoughts about the concept of “home”. Some of the stories are simple – education, making and keeping friends, marriage, and parenthood. Some are complex – divided cultural origins, escape from repression.
Played out on Gillian Schwab’s evocative set of cardboard, suitcases and plastic chairs arranged as a waiting room, the “play” has been directed surely by Barb Barnett, who varies the pace, movement and spatial relationships to help bring the content to life.
She is partially successful. The first part is dominated by simple, compelling storytelling
THEATRE
“Destination Home”
The Street Theatre, season closed
Reviewed by Helen Musa
as the four actors explain how they came to be here. We learn about friendship, about colours, about food, about longing for fields of daffodils and mushrooms, and about the strange, alien aspects of Australia. Are old Australians coldly chauvinist or are they warm and friendly? Both views are presented.
But “Destination Home” doesn’t quite know where to end. When the actors move from storytelling to analysis and over-stagey “conversation”, the relaxed atmosphere becomes strained and talky. And as the actors eyeball us with sincerity, their words seem disingenuous.
Farmer’s Daughter... The décor is as yummy as the food. Photo by Silas Brown
Faking it, all for art’s sake
arts in the city
Helen Musa
“IS that a Degas?” you may ask. Well, no, it’s Tim Hardy’s fake version of “Seated Bather Drying Herself”, his entry in the Artists Society of Canberra’s prize for the “most fabulous fake”, to be seen with around 400 other works in the society’s annual Spring Art Exhibition. Other prizes are The Molonglo Catchment Art Prize, Peg Minty Prize for Landscape and The Yarralumla IGA Still Life Prize. All artworks are for sale. The show runs at Wesley Centre, Forrest, from September 9 to 11.
THE School of Music launched the new official opening of the Larry Sitsky Recital Room last week in honour of its best-known composer. Another famous Canberran, pianist Michael Kieran Harvey, played Sitsky’s
“Dimensions of Night” to mark the occasion.
THE National Operatic Aria final, part of the Australian National Eisteddfod’s vocal competition, September 5-10, is always a nail-biting affair. It will be held at the Albert Hall, 7.30pm, September 10, with 15 aspirants. Adjudicators are super-diva Lisa Gasteen and baritone Roger Howell. Prizes are serious – $15,000, $7000 and $4000. Tickets at the door.
ARTISTS Vicki Mason and Ximena Briceño have created some of the most imaginative jewellery seen in a while for “V@X Filigree to Flora”. Mason’s pieces conjure up Australian colonial jewellery, Chinoiserie motifs and plants, while Briceño is inspired by filigree. It’s at Bilk Gallery, Palmerston Lane, Manuka, until September 24. MORE than 20 professional artists calling themselves Networks Australia have explored “nets” and “network-
ing” and come up with the exhibition, “Casting the Net”. The idea was conceived by artist Nancy Tingey, then taken up by Valerie Kirk at the ANU. It’s at the Strathnairn in Holt, until September 11.
THE new black Australian comedy, “Often I Find that I am Naked,” is at The Street Theatre, September 9-10. A two-hander, it follows the adventures of Jezebel, who spends her time shopping, drinking and looking for Mr Right.
“MIND and Soul” is an ANU School of Art Emerging Artists Support Scheme exhibition of works showing at the Alliance Française, 66 McCaughey Street, Turner, until September 16 (MondaySaturday). You’ll see print media and drawing by Annika Romeyn, gold and silversmithing by Hyun-Hee Lee, paintings by Tommy Ballog, ceramics by Elizabeth De Koke and glass by Melinda Willis.
Breaking the unwritten rules
IN Mississippi in 1963, indolent, small-town, middle-class, white mistresses dominated their coloured household servants under an unwritten set of restrictive rules.
Director Tate Taylor’s occasionally shaky adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel delivers passion, dramatic depth, anger, sorrow, humour, optimism, historical relevance, emotional sensitivity and awareness of the stony paths confronting human endeavour.
Skeeter (Emma Stone) persuades her mother’s help Aibileen (Viola Davis) and Minnie (Octavia Spenser), dismissed after being in her employer’s lavatory for other than cleaning purposes, to urge other black helps to tell their stories for anonymous publication.
When one employer dies, her daughter may expect to inherit the help. White women’s houses have segregated toilets, but their black helps rear the children.
Subtly delineating distortions of basic human dignity, “The Help” takes some trouble to keep us from taking its optimism for granted, protecting it from frivolity while inviting us to laugh.
A marvellous supporting cast of women, notably Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard and Cicely Tyson, deals with issues too important to form a bog-standard chick flick.
Men, mere providers of money and
cinema
Dougal Macdonald
progenitors of children, are unavoidable appendages in a film where the battlefield is domestic power and the combatants are women, as they ever have been.
At Dendy and Greater Union
AFTER his wife’s death, museum curator Hal (Christopher Plummer) came out and shared a happy relationship with Andy (Goran Visnjic) for his remaining years.
Now Hal’s graphic designer son Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is disposing of Hal’s estate. Hal’s Jack Russell terrier Arthur can’t go to the tip; indeed he becomes a significant supporting character in a slowpaced but intense observation of family relationships.
Oliver’s response to Hal’s coming out is more successful than his attempts to form relationships of his own.
Then he meets actress Anna (Melanie Laurent) whose home is a hotel room and whose relationship track record is similar.
Their chemistry together is initially joyous, but neither knows how to make it stick.
Dealing with that problem forms the film’s principal theme, providing profound cred -
ibility values that are a delight to watch. Plummer, McGregor, Laurent and Arthur give impeccable service leading this structurally jumbled (but totally legible) film along an unhurried dramatic path through a sensitively-written emotional environment.
Writer/director Mike Mills has made no mistakes in creating the screenplay. The goss is that his own family experiences provided its inspiration. His second narrative feature after a small number of videos and documentaries, “Beginners” shines in his CV and offers film-goers a rewarding experience from every angle.
At Greater Union
“HORRIBLE BOSSES” (MA) NO STARS
NOW I understand why commercial TV was going gangbusters promoting this bucket of garbage during the last couple of weeks. Josef Goebbels had it right when he said that if you told a big enough lie often enough, people would come to believe it.
“Horrible Bosses” has an honorable place near the top of any thinking film-goer’s list of bad films.
It took three writers to create its zero-credibility plot grossly diminished by arrantly-stupid situations. Three employees, top-grade morons occupying contrived positions to support the story, conspire to terminate their bosses – a bully, an heir using company funds to support a hedonistic lifestyle and a blonde dentist afflicted with erotomania.
Comedy often uses fools to generate laughter, but surrounds them with wit to justify their purpose. There is no wit in “Horrible Bosses”.
We have tickets to see Kevin Spacey play Richard III in December. I am flabbergasted that the director of Britain’s Old Vic Theatre consented to play the bullying boss, while acknowledging that he does it with brio.
Jennifer Aniston is fine as the erotomaniac dentist, even when she has her clothes on. But two swallows do not a summer make. This movie is a real bummer.
At all cinemas
Tim Hardy’s after Edgar Degas “Seated Bather Drying Herself’ 1895
“BEGINNERS” (M)
“THE HELP” (M)
Always room for fun home
By Kathryn Vukovljak
Brighten up the kids’ bedroom or playroom with colourful, fun pieces guaranteed to make you – and the little ones – smile.
Perfect for craft, meals... and scribbling on! Blackboard desk and stools: $49, Officeworks
Sweet his ‘n’ hers couple for a kid’s bathroom.
WC Wally and Camilla, Mooza Designs, $35, Shop Handmade
Think street parties and summer fairs and string up the
A whimsical birch plywood bookcase that holds 20 books. Choose from cloud or tree designs. Cloud bookcase by Go Home Junior, $59.95, Lark (www.larkstore.com.au)
and fun
for
This rainbow vinyl wall hanging will add a touch of happy.
Colours wall chart, Blink Designs, $60 (www.blinkdesigns.com.au)
and
Bright
handles
little people’s furniture – babushkas, strawberries, flowers
more.
Drawer handles, $7.95, Little Rooms of Delight, Gold Creek
flags.
Bunting, Mrs S&S, $25, Shop Handmade
Here comes the sun...
gardening
cedric Bryant
THIS week it is a little bit of everything, with gardens bursting into life and so much to do in the garden.
What a delight it is to spend all day in the sun with lengthening days. This is the most exciting time of the year in the garden with nature emerging from its winter overcoat. Trees in blossom, bulbs starting to provide a riot of colour and Floriade so close.
This year’s tantalising theme is “A Feast for the Senses”. I will be giving numerous talks in the Victory Garden.
A QUICK note following on from last week’s page about dwarf plants for low hedges: one rather super new plant has just arrived at the Heritage Nursery in Yarralumla after I wrote the column.
Look out for Westringea “Wild River”, a hardy compact mauve shrub that flowers over a long period and grows to just half a metre high and wide. It’s ideal for trimming as a hedge or grown in a container. Definitely worth checking out.
SOMETHING eating your veggies before you do? Looking for chemical free alternatives, creepy crawlies causing havoc in your garden and not sure where to go for the best advice?
Let’s get cracking
WE have warm, sunny days, so let’s get on with it:
A final reminder to finish pruning hydrangeas if you want them to look like the photo above.
Springtime is feeding time for every plant in the garden, this most neglected aspect of gardening. Finish dividing and transplanting perennials. This can usually be done with a sharp serrated knife. One of the easiest plants to divide is carpet thyme, simply slice off sections like cutting a cake.
Repot those houseplants you have neglected for several years.
Core and/or de-thatch lawns, the soft ground at present is the perfect time for lawn renovation.
Lay turf for new lawns. Not sure which is the best variety for your garden?
Call “Canturf”, where their lawn grasses are grown locally at Fyshwick.
Check all irrigation systems.
Drip irrigation should be flushed out. If you do not have a tap at the end of the system fit this now. Test for any holes where you may have put the fork through the line!
With pruning, hydrangeas will look like this.
The simple answer is the CIT School of Horticulture Plant Clinic. Put your pests or diseased plants in a plastic bag for plant ID and head to the CIT Bruce Campus at Charles Weston Lane on the corner of Battye and Eade Streets, Bruce, every Thursday from 4pm-6pm until September 22. Any queries, phone 6207 4610 during these hours.
MAXICROP is donating $1 to support the McGrath Foundation for every 600ml container of its seaweed plant nutrient concentrate sold before October 21. I am not only a great believer in this product, but this is an excellent cause to support and I commend it to you. Look for the special tag on the top of the bottle and the foundation and your garden will benefit.
The write direction
WOULD you like me to write more on landscaping or new products or particular groups of plants, or perhaps more on indoor plants? Over the last 25 years of garden writing, I have not asked these questions often enough. With my still relatively new garden page in “CityNews”, I am inviting you to tell me what you might like my column to cover. Suggestions, preferably short and sweet, to cedricbryant@ grapevine.com.au or write to me at “CityNews”, GPO Box 2448, Canberra City 2601.
Canberra Region Property Summary
BUY
BRUCE
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Ian McNamee & Partners 0429 077 080 2BR J
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11:00-11:45
Canberra Region Property Summary
First National Gungahlin 0417 687 379 5BR B
0414 212 332 3BR A Sat 12:30-2:00 1 Doris Turner St First National Gungahlin 0414 249 449 4BR
FORREST
FRANKLIN
HACKETT
Canberra Region Property Summary
KINGSTON
MACARTHUR
MACGREGOR
LATHAM
NARRABUNDAH
Canberra Region Property Summary
NGUNNAWAL
PEARCE
100%
Canberra Region Property Summary
THEODORE
TORRENS
TURNER
WANNIASSA
Be spoilt for choice
Single storey townhouses at East View. Close to the ponds and park these free standing 2 bedroom homes have a single carport and include full landscaping and floor coverings as well as reverse cycle heating and cooling.
Artist’s impression Two and
bedroom terrace homes some with ensuite
with a study nook. Close
Artist’s impression Artist’s impression
NORMANVOUCHER^