NEWS DESK
Director resigns, trustees intervene It is not known if this concept will now be pursued. Mr Cunningham, who was formerly deputy director of the Regional Cultural Centre and manager of the Letterkenny Arts Centre in Ireland and Paul Hughes Fine Art gallery in London, succeeded Robert Lindsay as McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park in April 2015. He was unable to be contacted for comment before publication. In 2004, Mr Lindsay said the gallery and sculpture park faced “a funding crisis” following the death of major patron Dame Elisabeth Murdoch who contributed a $400,000 annual grant each year, 40 per cent of the gallery’s then operating costs of $1 million. The McClelland Gallery Trustees are chair Mary Delahunty, deputy chair Susie Hamson, treasurer Hayley Underwood, John Calvert-Jones, Ian Hicks, Frankston Council CEO Dennis Hovenden, Julie Kantor, Patrick Baker, Tom McMahon, Lisa Roet and John Simpson. McClelland Gallery was the site of the bohemian Harry McClelland’s painting studio. His sister, Annie May bequeathed the land and holdings to honour her brother’s memory by establishing the Harry McClelland Art Gallery and Cultural Hall. The gallery opened in 1971. Harry’s studio is still in the grounds. — with Fran Henke
Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au
On course: Jackson Ramage and Gerard Felipe enjoyed an opportunity to learn more about Australian’s constitution and how it provides a democratic framework.
Considering the constitution TWO Frankston High School students were among of 120 Victorian Year 11 and 12 students who participated in the 22nd National Schools Constitutional Convention, held at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House in Canberra last week (15-17 March). The boys, Jackson Ramage and Gerard Felipe, were selected to participate in the program, which provides senior students with an opportunity to learn about how Australia’s Constitution provides a democratic framework, and encourages them to take an active interest in the operation of government. The topic of the 2017 Convention was ‘Indigenous Australians and the Constitution’. The students had the opportunity to consider arguments
relating to Indigenous Constitutional recognition, hear from a panel of experts, get involved in group discussions and persuade other delegates of particular approaches. The sessions culminated in a mock referendum to determine the outcome of their deliberations. Jackson said he was grateful for the opportunity, which gave him the opportunity to further consider his political, legal and social future career choices. Gerard said the boys felt they couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to voice their opinions on the issues that affect them as young individuals. “We are, after all, the future of our communities,” he said.
THE director of McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park has resigned and the trustees of McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park will meet artists previously told to vacate premises to review leases at Studio Park, Langwarrin. Gallery director John Cunningham met representatives of artists’ guilds in February to advise the guilds that their leases would not be renewed in June (“Artists left without studios”, The Times 6/3/17). Gallery deputy director Lyn Johnson confirmed director John Cunningham’s exit. “The trustees are currently reviewing the matter of the tenancy of the guilds and this was communication to the guilds last week,” Ms Johnson said in a statement on Friday. The deputy director did give any reason for Mr Cunningham’s resignation. Artists, lapidarists, spinners, weavers and woodturners have been leasing premises for about $2000 a year per guild at the park’s grounds since the 1970s. Community studios were introduced by the founding trustees of the gallery. Mr Cunningham last year unveiled plans to introduce “glamping” — an upmarket version of camping — to the site.
Police focus on crime reduction, says chief Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au SOUTHERN Metro Region divisional commander Superintendent Glenn Weir last week downplayed a rise in crime in October-December last year. Crime Statistics Agency data released on Thursday painted a bleak picture: aggravated burglaries in Frankston surged 49 per cent in the past year – from 96 to 143, while motor vehicle theft was up 38.5 per cent – from 493 to 682. “We don’t deal with old data,” he said. “These statistics are three months out of date.” Theft from motor vehicles -- described by local police as “volume crime” because of its prevalence -- was up 10.6
per cent, from 1497 to 1655. “Over the past 18 weeks, we have overseen reductions in crime, which have been tracking down since the end of November,” Supt Weir said. He said the crime agency’s statistics, covering the 12 months to the end of December, had included a “bad October and November” in local crime which had “fallen since then”. “We still have a lot of concerns regarding high-end crime, such as aggravated burglaries and home invasions, but there have been consistent falls since the end of November,” he said. “It’s difficult for us. We try to focus on the real issues and on turning things around and we are confident that those reductions [in crime] will be repeated
across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula.” Skye had one of the largest increases in aggravated burglaries in the state in the final quarter of last year. There were 273 violent break-ins – up from 125 in 2015. The only other postcode to record a bigger increase was Ballarat. Other statistics showed: n Frankston: Crimes against the person 2311 – up 12.5 per cent; property and deception 8983 – up 13.8 per cent; drug offences 1225 – up 13.5 per cent; public order and security 1428 – up 4.3 per cent; justice procedures 3007 – up 24.2 per cent; other 25 – down 34 per cent. n Mornington Peninsula: Crimes against the person 1723 – up 12.5 per cent; property and deception 6453
– up 5.6 per cent; drug offences 695 – up 0.4 per cent; public order and security 1223 – up 6.3 per cent; justice procedures 1943 – up 27.5 per cent; other 31 – down 11.4 per cent. In Frankston assaults were up 17 per cent; robbery up 30 per cent; dangerous acts endangering a person up 38 per cent; arson was up 44 per cent; deception 20 per cent; cultivating and manufacturing drugs 43 per cent; drug use and possession 22 per cent; public nuisance offences up 82 per cent. On the Mornington Peninsula, sexual offences were up 60 per cent; robbery 46 per cent; arson up 34 per cent; burglaries up 29 per cent; cultivating and manufacturing drugs 39 per cent; public nuisance offences up 57 per cent.
Superintendent Glenn Weir
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Frankston Times 20 March 2017
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