The Hobart Magazine February 2024

THE HOBART MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2024: ISSUE 55

FREE!

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INDEPENDENT + LOCAL

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HOBART LAUNCESTON + BEYOND

TA S S I

ANNA MYKHALCHUK USING ART FROM UKRAINE TO CONNECT COUNTRIES AND CULTURE

WWW.THEHOBARTMAGAZINE.COM.AU

Tassie Community News + Events

WITH THE WORLD WATCHING ON: DAN BOOKER REPPING TASSIE AT HARDLINE

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Publisher Stephanie Williams editor@thehobartmagazine.com.au

WELCOME TO

THE HOBART MAGAZINE Welcome to our February edition, celebrating end-of-summer warmth, apricots, arts, the outdoors and everything that this time of year brings.

February is a big month on the island so we hope you enjoy diving into the Hobart and statewide calendars of What’s On, as well as lots of community news and interesting local people, including Ukrainian artist Anna Mykhalchuk who graces

our front cover, showcasing her beautiful folk art.

If you know someone fascinating to feature, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out at editor@ thehobartmagazine.com.au with your suggestions.

All the best, Steph, James and The Hobart Magazine team

Advertising advertise@thehobartmagazine.com.au 03 6295 3742 Cover image: Anna painting at Coningham Beach, photo taken by her husband Oleh Mykhalchuk.

This page: Andrew Cottier @ajcottier_visuals Publisher Information: While all care has been taken, some information may have changed since publication.

The Hobart Magazine regrets it can’t accept liabilities from errors or omissions contained in this magazine.

The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or amend all advertisements without explanation.

Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in articles and advertisements are not endorsed by the editor or publishers. We welcome any questions, feedback or submissions, email editor@thehobartmagazine.com.au.

The Hobart Magazine acknowledges the Tasmanian Aboriginal People as the Traditional Owners and ongoing custodians of lutruwita/Tasmania. We pay our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to their Elders past, present and emerging. www.thehobartmagazine.com.au

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LOCAL PEOPLE

ANNA MYKHALCHUK Interview: Stephanie Williams Pictures: Supplied For Ukrainian artist Anna Mykhalchuk, Ukraine and Kyiv are never far from her heart. Anna keeps her connection to her homeland alive through her practice of Ukrainian folk Samchykivka painting which she proudly shares with the Tasmanian community.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? My heart and thoughts will always be with Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, where my parents live, where I grew up and studied. I have been living in Hobart since March 2022. My husband and I chose Tasmania as the safest place to live and plan the future for our son.

Tell us a little about your work. My work is connected with Ukrainian folk Samchykivka painting, with which I feel free to create - from creating miniature original paintings to creating murals.

You can see my mural ‘Optimism’ in Esteem Coffee, North Hobart. I published a Ukrainian-English book for children Forest Adventures/Лісові Пригоди, which is already available in Chinese and French. I also created a coloring book Samchykivka Garden for children and adults. Last year, I felt the

urge and started holding workshops in Hobart for people who have little or no experience of painting at all, but want to express themselves through colours.

Also I started taking part in social art projects. At the end of last year, together with A Piano of Tasmania, we organised an event to draw attention to the situation in Ukraine through art. You could see my Samchykivka paintings in Hobart at several group exhibitions and at Salamanca Market, where I have the opportunity to be present and share my art almost every Saturday. I’m currently working on preparing for a group exhibition with Outlier Artist Studio, which will be coming up in March at Moonah Art Centre. I am also looking forward to my first solo exhibition in June this year.

How long have you been an artist?

I have been painting using various techniques since childhood. In my teenage years, I repeatedly took part in art competitions and won prizes. I was happy about this success, but I didn’t consider myself an artist and didn’t make any efforts to develop my talent. But I had a feeling that I was losing something.

Everything changed in 2020. During the COVID time, I learned to create paintings using the Samchykivka art, which I fell in love with at first sight - since then I have not stopped painting, experimenting and learning this style.

What is Samchykivka art? Samchykivka Art is a floral style folk art from Samchyky (about 300 kms west of Kyiv) and abounds in vibrant, uplifting color

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with hidden fauna that entices the imagination. Houses, wooden heaters, chests, carpets and ceramics were decorated in the Samchykivka style, as the imaginative floral ornamentation was considered to be talisman, bringing good luck and good health to the owner. The tradition of decorative painting of the village of Samchyky’ is included in the National list of elements of intangible cultural heritage of Ukraine.

You’ve illustrated a children’s book that combines Ukrainian folk art with illustrations of Australian animals. How did that book come to life? I was inspired to create this book by my son, or rather by his rapid learning of English. I imagined the number of children who moved to Australia after the war in Ukraine, and I wanted to create a book that they could read in two languages. On the same day, I invited illustrator Anastasia Ananieva and co-author Iryna Bohlscheid to join me in this idea. It took us six months from the idea to the publication of the printed book. And to be honest, during this time we learnt a lot of new things and gained a lot of experience, sometimes working through the night.

Iryna is the main author, she created poems based on facts about animals and made them easy to understand. Anastasia created cute children’s illustrations in vector style, which passed my and Iryna’s comments) I was the project manager and prepared the bulk of the illustrations in the Samchykivka style. Iryna arranged it all into a book design. The feedback we are

LOCAL PEOPLE

receiving now about the poems and the book’s design is very positive. Children and adults are delighted to look at the pages and look for hidden animals and birds. So I think we will publish a series of books in this style. I am grateful to everyone who has supported this project.

What do you love doing outside of work? When I have free time, I like to mix with active ones - swimming, rollerblading, hiking, baking, travelling and the quiet activities, such as writing poetry, coming up with quotes, observing nature, reading, dreaming.

Who do you admire? It’s a long list of great people but first in this list will always be my mom Svetlana Gaeva and my dad Sergey Gredyushko.

Favourite podcast or TV show?

Honestly, I don’t watch TV. Artcurios, Start with This, 177 Nations of Tasmania are podcasts that I like to listen to.

Secret vice? Oysters are my culinary passion!

What are you reading now? I am reading two books: Sacred and Profane: A Novel of the Life and Times of Mozart by Davis Weiss and The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov.

What was your first job? I started working early, as I believe that the best knowledge is gained by doing. That’s why when I was in college, I worked half shifts as a freelancer and created web design.

What are your daily news/social media habits? I don’t have a habit of staying on social media for a long time, because I know that I can spend a lot of time there, but I actively use messengers mainly for communication and online calls with family and friends via Facebook or Instagram. News from Ukraine and Australia I received from trusted channels

“Let me help you better connect with everyone in your life”.

via Telegram or Twitter.

Your favourite place for…

Breakfast: Home!

Lunch: Esteem Coffee Dinner: Drunken Admiral.

Favourite team? The JackJumpers!

Favourite Tasmanian secret? Tasmania’s bays have many inspirational secrets, but for me the Honeymoon Bay is a special place with relaxing feelings and new ideas every time I visit that place. Plus a wilderness place in Southwest National Park where you can swim in warm water.

Parting words? This world needs more kindness, love, and care, gratitude for good and forgiveness for bad. Enjoyment, mercy, harmony, smile, optimism, shine, boldness, self-acceptance, belief. Wake up with a grateful smile, live the day enjoying the moments, go to bed with inner harmony.

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LOCAL PEOPLE

SCOTT BUTLER Interview: Stephanie Williams Swapping an island for an island, Scott is representing Tassie in the latest season of Australian Survivor.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in a town called Halifax in the North of England. I moved to Australia when I was 18 to the beautiful beachy town of Ocean Grove. Now I live in Hobart with my partner.

Tell us a little about your work. I’m the senior Art Director at Mona. So I basically come up with ideas on branding and design across everything.

You recently competed in the new season of Survivor Titans v Rebels. How did that come about? I’ve been a fan of Survivor since I was a kid, and my family and I have watched the US show religiously. When I saw how good Australia’s last season was, I thought I’d apply and see what happened! Never did I think that I’d actually be heading out to Samoa to play the game.

Is competing on a show like that something that’s usually in your lane? Or was it a bit of a left field thing to do?

I love a good puzzle and I enjoy being outdoors and any type of adventure gets me excited, so in some ways it’s not too unusual for me. However, surviving on rice and beans, and sleeping on the beach was new.

What have you discovered about yourself in the process? Being out there gives you a pretty unique perspective on your life back home. It doesn’t take long to realise just how lucky we are. I’ll never take my bed for granted again, or being able to buy coconut water in a can.

What’s one bit of show goss we can get into? Something that surprised me out there was how little time you sometimes get to scramble before a tribal council!

You get back from the challenge and everything moves so quickly. At the same time you’re just trying to get some rice cooked as everyone is starving, but you can see the other contestants all heading out to talk strategy.

What do you love doing outside of work? I love getting stuck into a good book at a cafe. I’m also working on my first fantasy book, and it’s crazy how much time it takes building your own world and filling it. I just finished a children’s book that I’m now trying to illustrate too. So lots of fun creative things.

Who do you admire? I admire so many people! I fall in and out of admiration daily. Let’s keep it in the realm of Survivor for now though, I’m a massive fan of Kelley Wentworth and Ricard from the US series. Over here, there’s a bunch of great players too, Hayley is incredible!

Favourite podcast or TV show? I love so many shows! Yellowjackets was epic, I can rewatch Antiques Roadshow anytime, and day, and Arcane was beautifully done too.

Secret vice? I love a good vanilla slice from Little Missy Patisserie, and a Kingston cream, in fact anything from there will do.

What are you reading now? I’m halfway through Ryan Cahill’s Of Blood and Fire and it’s got me good. I love when a book won’t let you put it down.

What was your first job? I actually started out working on building sites as a labourer with my Dad back in the UK. What are your daily news/social media habits? I try to keep my social time pretty limited, I like a nice clean headspace for all the creative inspiration.

Your favourite place for: Breakfast: I’m a coffee for breakfast kind of person, so usually it’s a strong flat white from The Stagg.

Lunch: I love a good slice of banana bread or soup from Straight Up, also a great place to read!

Dinner: You can’t go wrong with the Tokyo bowl or the Buddha bowl at Raincheck Lounge.

Favourite team? The Rebels! (my tribe on Survivor) Favourite Tasmanian secret? Probably not a well kept secret, but the two screens with couches in the cellar underneath the State Cinema.

Parting words? Hopefully I do Tassie proud on Survivor. And hopefully I don’t get fired.

You can watch Australian Survivor: Titans v Rebels on 10 and 10 Play.

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BITS AND PIECES

NEW NEW NEW Newest kid on the Hobart cafe scene, Lobby (134 Macquarie Street, Hobart) is opening as a coffee and sandwich bar in the Lands Building for morning coffee or lunchtime bite to eat. Can’t get enough sushi? Mainland chain, Sushi Hub (The Cat & Fiddle Arcade, Elizabeth Street, Hobart) have landed in Hobart, opening the brand’s first Tassie store next door to Smiggle. Have your cake and eat it too.

Lipscombe Larder (3 Victoria Street, Hobart) have opened their new outlet in Hobart’s CBD, with espresso and pastries on offer, as well as being a pick up point for their catering and cakes. Fresh new face, Southside (402 Macquarie Street, South Hobart) is a moment away from opening, promising a healthy takeaway menu in the old fish and chip shop space.

The team from Orlando Plenty have opened their new cafe venture, The Lanterns (Arthur Highway, Dunalley), along the main drag in Dunalley. Perfect for a coffee stop on your way around the peninsula. Send flowers via a new flower delivery service Nola (8/29 Lincoln Street, Lindisfarne). They’re sending bountiful blooms to doorstops right across greater Hobart. Offering same day delivery, Tuesday-Friday. There’s a new spot to try wines from the Tamar Valley. Evenfall Wines (2 Upper Mcewans Rd, Legana) is situated among country fields with views of the Tamar River. Stop for a drop or 10

two, with a side of East Coast rock oysters or beetroot tartare. Cellar door opens daily from 10am. T2 (The Cat & Fiddle Arcade, Elizabeth Street, Hobart) have recently made the move from Collins Street into the former Maccas space in The Cat and Fiddle Arcade. Devonport Tenpin Bowl (103-105 William St, Devonport) are planning to launch two brand new escape rooms to test your wits. The two rooms, Forbidden Forest and Midnight Manor are set to open in April. Hobartians may have noticed a change in the air with Target (52 Elizabeth Street Mall, Hobart) flipping their stock to Kmart-style offerings. The changeover is ongoing so watch this space Anko-lovers. Keep your eyes peeled for PedalBite Bicycle Garage (New Town Road, Hobart), a new bike service and coffee shop opening soon in New Town.

CALL OUT TO JOIN LGBTIQA+ REFERENCE GROUP Expressions of interest are open to be part of the new City of Hobart LGBTIQA+ Reference Group. The group will give advice on the implementation of the City of Hobart’s LGBTIQA+ Commitment, as well as identifying potential future actions on issues such as discrimination, stigma and empowerment. If you or your organisation are interested in taking part, head to www.hobartcity.com.au.

PLASTIC BAGS WANTED Do you have a collection of good quality, clean plastic bags that appear to be breeding? Let them be free to live a better life with Hobart City Mission. Their Emergency Relief team hands out up to twenty food packs per day and have recently called for some donated reusable bags so that they can continue to do so. You can donate them to the office at 50 Barrack St in the City or 11 Main Road, Moonah.

11 YEAR-OLD’S EPIC 350KM RIDE FOR BONE MARROW RESEARCH Young lad, Hugo Green is gearing up to ride a marathon 350km down Tasmania’s East Coast to raise awareness for Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome. Eleven-yearold Hugo will be taking up the mammoth challenge for his friend Will, who is battling aplastic anemia, with the aim of raising $10,000 to support both his friend and the Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision charity. According to Hugo’s parent, also named Will, “The bike ride is a significant challenge for an 11-year-old, but Hugo is determined to push himself to the limit for these important causes. He is seeking your support to help him reach his fundraising goal and make a meaningful impact in the lives of those affected by aplastic anemia and related conditions.”

To find out more or to support Hugo, head to www.mrv.org.au/support-hugos-ride.

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BITS AND PIECES THUMBS UP Great work by the recent good samaritan at the Shoreline who paid for groceries for an elderly lady with dementia when she had lost her card.

Tassie beaches right now.

Apricots.

BIG AWARD FOR YOUNG TASMANIAN LANDCARER Shout out to passionate environmentalist, Luke Cooper. Luke recently received the 2023 Young Tasmanian Landcarer Award for his contribution to Tasmania’s ecosystems, including almost eradicating the invasive Montpelier broom from Ocean Beach and restoring a patch of Eucalyptus globulus wet forest at the Sandy Bay UTAS campus. The award recognises Luke’s dedication to the natural environment and his impact on local communities across Tasmania. Along with being a founding member and current president of the UTAS Landcare Society and founder and current treasurer of Wildcare Friends of the Henty, Luke has led more than 25 landcare events across the state, teaching students important skills around land management, regeneration and restoration. Congratulations Luke, for your tireless work with the Tasmanian environmental community.

THE FLOWER POWER PROJECT Hannah Moloney and Nadia Danti from Goodlife Permaculture have started a sweet new seasonal project to give away flowers, “to create small explosions of joy and love in us and others.”

If you’d like to donate flowers from your garden or suggest a deserving local recipient head to www.goodlifepermaculture.com.au for all the details.

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In their words, “While some might think projects like this one are completely unnecessary, they’re actually completely essential for crafting joy amongst the not-joy that runs through the world. So here’s to more flowers, more gifting and more connecting with one another towards a good life and good world for all.”

SHARE THE LOVE AND DONATE BLOOD THIS VALENTINES DAY With Valentine’s Day upon us, February is the perfect time to give a gift straight from the heart by donating blood.

Australia needs three blood donations every minute to meet demand, so rolling up your sleeves for Valentine’s Day is a great way to share the love and save lives. To find your nearest donation centre, head to www.lifeblood. com.au/donor-centre. Can’t give blood?

No worries. Check out www.redcross. org.au for other cupid-approved ways to bring more love into the world this February.

The bustle and buzz in town with so many happy summer visitors.

Back to school…..IYKYK.

Guide Dogs Tasmania welcomed the arrival of its second Tasmania-born puppy litter.

THUMBS DOWN Swinging temperatures. Having to put a jumper on one minute, then sweltering the next.

Finding some unidentifiable leftover surprise at the bottom of the schoolbag from last year.

Brown bits in your avos.

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BITS AND PIECES a series of free Digital Skills Sessions and free one-on-one IT help in their larger southern libraries. The sessions from March to May include Unlocking Languages with Technology, Digital Wilderness - Using Outdoor Apps, and Your Digital Legacy. Check your local library for specific details.

THE FUTURE OF TOYS IN HOBART What happens when you put a pile of plastic toys, plastic recycling machines, the imagination of young people and the wisdom of old people together in a room?

We’ll soon find out!

SCOTT ROTH STICKS WITH THE JACKIES UNTIL 2027 JackJumpers head coach, Scott Roth, will stay in the role leading the Tasmanian basketball team until the end of the 2026/27 NBL season. The club and Roth activated the mutual option on his existing contract, plus a further one year extension to see the coach stay in Tasmania until the end of 2026/27. Tasmania JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan said, “We’re pleased to announce Scott’s commitment to the club for the next three seasons and to continue to build sustained success for the club both on and off the court,” adding, “Participation, corporate, member and fan engagement are at an all-time high, and continues to grow, and we are

very grateful to Scott in the role he has played in this so far and will continue to do so into the future.” Finnegan said. The Tasmania JackJumpers also hold the title of the hottest ticket in town, selling out throughout their season. Go the Jackies!

GET ON YOUR BIKE THIS MARCH This year Tasmanian Bike Week runs from 1-8 March to promote recreational, sport and transport bike riding in Tasmania. The week also aims to give people opportunities and support to ride more often. The week is stacked full of events including social rides for more casual and recreational cyclists, tougher challenges such as The Hobart Wheelers Club kunanyi Challenge time trial on Sunday 3 March, and the Super Tuesday annual commuter count, on 5 March. Owners of ebikes can also join in with the 12km Queens View social ride held on 1 March. To find out more about what’s on during Tasmanian Bike Week, head to www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/ tasmanianbikeweek.

DIGITAL LITERACY HELP AT HAND Unfortunately, Tasmania has one of the lowest levels of digital literacy in the country. The release of last year’s Australian Digital Inclusion Index showed improvement, but our digital inclusion score remained 3.2 points behind the national average. To support community members wanting help with all things digital, Libraries Tasmania have

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‘Future of Toys’ artists Benjamin Paul, Caitlin Fargher and Sarah Hall are running an intergenerational workshop for young people (7-12 years old) collaborating with elderly people (75+) that will look into plastic waste and new recycling machines. Participants will work together over two days to come up with a series of creative inventions that are based on the hopes and dreams of the young people, tempered with the wisdom and life lessons of the elderly participants.

This is part of a long series of workshops that Ben has been running across Australia over the past five years, and will be the first time working with two generations to create the inventions. The workshops are on 5-6 February, followed by an exhibition at Good Grief Studios from 16 February that runs for two weeks.

For more information head to www. fb.me/e/iGmYn8eDw to register for a workshop. The workshops are being held at the Battery Point Community Hall from 9am-4pm.

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BITS AND PIECES

SPRINGS LOOKOUT SPRUCE UP The Springs Lookout on kunanyi/Mt Wellington has reopened after a glow up. The City of Hobart announced the completion of works on the lookout last month. According to the September 2022 Tasmanian Visitor Survey, kunanyi/ Mt Wellington is the State’s second most visited tourist attraction and the most visited natural site (after Cradle Mountain/Lake St Clair). Councillor Bill Harvey, the Chair of the Hobart Sustainability of Infrastructure Portfolio, said finding the right balance for the mountain was a high priority. “The City of Hobart is committed to enhancing the accessibility and safety of kunanyi/Mt Wellington for both residents and visitors alike,” Cr Harvey said. “The upcoming completion of the Zig Zag track, replacement of the Pinnacle Road guard rail, and ongoing surface works on the Big Bend Fire Trail are integral parts of our comprehensive plan. These initiatives not only prioritise safety but also ensure that the natural beauty of kunanyi/Mt Wellington is preserved for future generations.”

LOCAL TASSIE WOMEN IN LITERATURE CELEBRATED Stella Day Out is a day of celebrating local women in literature, run by the Stella Prize. Held on 16 February, the day will feature two free sessions: Exploring Hope and Trust in Fiction with Amanda Lohrey in conversation with Michelle Cahill (1-2pm), and Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here with Heather Rose in conversation with Danielle Wood (2:30-3:30pm). Held at The Salon at The Hedberg, sessions are free but 16

bookings are essential, so grab your tickets via www.stella.org.au/initiatives/ stella-day-out.

GET DUCKED: NEW TASMANIAN DUCK INFO BOOKLET LAUNCHES Want to learn more about Tasmanian ducks? A new booklet from Landcare’s Pacific Black Duck Conservation Group (PBDCG), in conjunction with the Derwent Estuary Program, was launched recently at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. The booklet, Ducks of Tasmania, shares information about different Tasmanian duck species and encourages people to try to spot them rather than feed them. The PBDCG has also been aiding Tasmanian councils, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Derwent Estuary Program to develop new up-to-date signs and websites about the impacts of feeding ducks. Copies of the Ducks of Tasmania booklet are available through PBDCG’s Facebook group and Instagram.

BAD FOR TASSIE DEVILS, GOOD FOR QUOLLS? The decline in Tasmanian devil numbers due to facial cancer is having a significant impact on the spotted-tailed quoll. A global research team, with experts from the University of Tasmania, have found the decline of Tasmania’s top predator species has led to increased activity and less competition for quolls. The team found there have also been changes in the genetic make-up of the quolls - the next level of predatory species in the ecosystem. Menna Jones, Professor of Biological Sciences and a marsupial

carnivore expert from the University of Tasmania’s School of Natural Sciences, said the activity of the quoll had shifted in the areas where Tasmanian devil numbers had severely reduced. “Spotted-tailed quolls have shifted their peak night-time activity, from pre-dawn to avoid devils, to early evening with low devils when most prey are active and hunting is the best. We found that with fewer devils – Tasmania’s top scavenger – quolls are benefiting from more carrion and are spending more time feeding at carcasses,” Professor Jones said.

“There is less competition and more food, reducing the need for quolls to move around as much or as far as they once would have,” Professor Jones said. “There’s also changing evolutionary pressure on physical performance associated with escaping from devils and fertility of the quoll populations as devil numbers decline.”

MINI DARK MOFO DEETS RELEASED Mona has clarified just what will make up the reduced Dark Mofo this year when the full festival hits pause to recalibrate. Winter Feast will go for two long weekends: 13-16 June and 20-23 June. The Nude Solstice Swim will be on Friday 21 June. New exhibition Namedropping will open 15 June with The Mona Gala celebrating it the night prior. Night Shift - a debaucherous dance party last seen in 2021 - will be on into the wee hours of 21 and 22 June. An allocation of tickets to the Mona Gala will go on sale in March, and tickets to all other events will go on sale in April.

Tail-wagging fun

for the whole family

Penstock Lagoon, Tasmania www.hydro.com.au/things-to-do 17

BITS AND PIECES inthehanginggarden.com.au/weddings and tell them your story to apply.

ALL VOLUNTEER HANDS ON RAKES FOR BONORONG Bonorong has put out a call for volunteers to help around the sanctuary, particularly with raking. A recent social media post shared, “with a recent influx of calls for injured and orphaned wildlife and our teams busier than ever, we’ve been struggling to keep up with tidying the bank grass areas within our sanctuary.

For those who have visited before, you will know this is a favourite hangout spot for our resident kangaroos. If you think coming to rake with us for a couple of hours on the slopes of our beautiful sanctuary grounds and kangaroo areas sounds like something you could do, then please get in touch!” A group induction will be organised soon - after completing that, volunteers could help out any day of the week at any time, as regularly as it suits.

To put your hand up to help out email info@bonorong.com.au.

CELEBRATING QUEEN MARY’S ROOTS WITH A TASSIE TREE To celebrate Hobart-born Mary Donaldson becoming the Queen of Denmark, the City of Hobart will plant a tree. A Blue Gum (eucalyptus globulus), Tasmania’s floral emblem, will be planted in Hobart at a later date, in a location accessible to the public.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said it was an honour to mark the occasion.

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“Hobart is immensely proud of Queen Mary’s Tasmanian roots, and we are excited to celebrate this joyous occasion with a meaningful gesture that reflects our shared history and connection,” Cr Reynolds said. “This gift not only symbolises the warmth and friendship between Hobart and Copenhagen but also aligns with the City of Hobart’s commitment to environmental sustainability.”

WORK UNDERWAY AT HOBART CENTRAL CAR PARK Maintenance and replacement work started last month on the lifts at Hobart Central Car Park, the one between Melville and Bathurst streets. The works, which are due to be finished in April, involve removing one lift unit at a time, decommissioning it, and installing a brand-new lift unit. There will be minor parking restrictions on Level 4 and the open roof level with these areas fenced off for safety reasons.

SHOTGUN WEDDINGS IN TOWN Wanna get married in a hurry? Bookings are now open for couples ready to tie the knot with a small budget in Hobart. On 17 March, seven couples can get married for just $5000 at In The Hanging Garden - complete with a fully styled ceremony, professional photographer, bouquets and a one hour drinks package for ten guests.

If you think you’re ready, head to www.

LURING GPS WITH HECS FREEBIES TO AVOID GP CLIFF Tried to see a GP lately? The GP shortage in Tasmania is dire, but General Practice Training Tasmania (GPTT) has announced a possible solution that it says would be an Australian first. The GP Solution includes attracting 40 new graduating GPs to the state by paying their HECS debts. Paul Viney, Chair of GPTT Inc, said the money would be a sensible investment. “We are calling on the Tasmanian Government to invest just $4 million to fund 40 GPs into Tasmania. The average HECS debt of a graduating doctor is $100,000,” he said.

“From recent RACGP data, only 13.1% of Australian graduates are now choosing to become GPs; six years ago it was 17% and 30 years ago it was 40%. In addition, Tasmania is headed for a GP ‘cliff’, with many of the existing cohort of full time GPs nearing retirement in circumstances where younger GPs are tending to work part-time. The shortage of GPs, particularly in Tasmania with its ageing population, is beyond urgent. This is now directly impacting the State’s Emergency health services as patients have not received GP care and have now run out of other options.”

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BITS AND PIECES

SINGER EMILY WURRAMARA Picture: Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore Award-winning musician Emily Wurramara, a proud Warnindhilyagwa woman from Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory and now based near Dodges Ferry with her young family, has just released a new single, Magic Woman Dancing. It signals a new direction for Emily, with a new look and a tour to come. Known for her beautiful songs in English and Annandilyakwa - including some superb tracks for kids - Emily sat down to chat about her new music and her fave spots in and around Hobart.

New music! That’s exciting? Yeah, I’m so excited, and I’m so nervous!

I think when you create something that’s so vulnerable, and so honest, and then has like, all these beautiful people involved, you just really want to honour everyone involved but also yourself and that journey that you had to go through to be able to make it.

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randomly called me on stage to sing. I was like, ‘Are you serious?! These are my neighbours! These people are the parents of the kids that go to school!’

And the older teachers were there too!

I went up on stage and they were just like, looking at each other in confusion when I started singing!

What’s your favourite music venue in Hobart? I love Simple. I played there last year as part of a festival and it was wonderful. I supported Paul Kelly down at the Odeon and that was really lovely too. But I just love the intimate space and really beautiful community vibes of Simple, it’s really friendly. I love the little outside area, it’s really cool.

What about your favourite place to go out for some food or drink?

That’s an interesting one, because I don’t really go out! And when I do, I’m more of an outdoorsy person.

Like I’d rather go fishing and sit at a beach and try and catch fish all day.

It’s something that I did a lot with my family back at home. It is a way for me to connect with Country, like when I’m near the ocean, I know that that ocean’s connected to my Country.

Have you been playing any local gigs lately? I actually try not to play as much down here, especially in my little area. But recently Ash Grunwald was playing in the Dodges Ferry pub and we went and saw him and he

There’s just this sense of belonging I feel and I try like every time I hang out with my friends, like it’s preferences either at the beach or going for a walk.

You know, I’d rather do things like that. It’s much more fun.

What’s your favourite local beach?

My favourite beach is White Beach.

And just here at the river mouth down in Carlton, that’s another really beautiful one, a good beach for the babies to run around and play and lots of sand castle time too.

Emily will be playing at A Festival Called Panama in March, with more new music and tour news coming soon.

Increased opportunities for capacity building!

With our music program now running 5 days a week, an additional art expert, and plans to expand our cooking program to 4 days a week, we have plenty of opportunities for NDIS participants to explore their passions.

Contact us today to get started on your journey!

1800 ONTRACK (1800 668 722)

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BITS AND PIECES

WORK IS FLOWING ON TWO MAJOR LAUNNIE WATER PROJECTS Pipeline project: If you’re in Kings Park in Launceston, keep an eye out for bright new artwork and an increase in activity as TasWater begins the next stage of the city’s New Sewer Pipeline project. The project is a part of the Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan (TERHAP) which is creating new sewerage infrastructure to improve the health of the kanamaluka/Tamar estuary and the surrounding environment. Interpretive signs outlining the project have been installed along the Richies Mill Walk. The works are planned to be completed late 2024.

Invermay Flood Levee: In more water-related construction, remedial works have started to top up the Invermay flood levee between the Charles Street Bridge and the Victoria Bridge. The Launceston levee system consists of more than 12km of earth and concrete flood levees, 19 floodgates, and a series of river level gauges in Northern river catchments. City of Launceston Water Team Leader Erica Deegan said, “The proposed remedial works involve raising the levee crest to its design level and then providing an additional top up of 300mm to the area of the levee where settlement has been greater,” adding that anyone living within Launceston’s levee-protected areas was strongly encouraged to have their own emergency plan to enact in the event of a flood. The remedial works to raise the 22

levee crest are expected to take approximately two months. For information on the projects or how to assess your flood risk, head to www.launceston.tas.gov.au.

UPGRADES SLATED FOR LAUNCESTON’S PRINCESS THEATRE Plans are in the works for upgrading Launceston’s Princess Theatre and Earl Arts Centre complex. The City of Launceston put out a tender for a redevelopment of the heritage-listed theatre in May 2023, appointing Melbournebased architectural firm Lovell Chen to investigate infrastructure upgrades with assistance by internationally recognised theatre consultant Schuler Shook.

Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said the planning would prioritise the backstage, performance, box office, frontof-house and other public-facing areas in the Princess Theatre, along with the Earl Arts Centre. “The Princess Theatre was constructed more than 100 years ago and there are a range of opportunities to make the foyers and backstage areas more functional, accessible and welcoming,” Mayor Garwood said. The Princess Theatre was built in 1911 and spent most of its life operating as a cinema until it was acquired by the City of Launceston in 1970.

PFAS IN LITTLE PENGUINS Sadly, PFAS, harmful synthetic chemicals sometimes called ‘forever chemicals’, have been detected in Little Penguins

and their nests in Hobart. Scientists from the University of Tasmania’s School of Natural Sciences and Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies recently detected the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the nesting soils and blood of Little Penguins that forage and breed along Tasmania’s coastlines. PFAS are a group of chemicals that are used in many ways - from fire-fighting foams to medical devices, non-stick cookware, waterproofing, sunscreen, food packaging and more. Exposure can lead to various health issues in humans, including cancer. Mel Wells, a PhD candidate with UTAS and IMAS, was the lead author of a study that detected 14 different types of PFAS in nesting soils, blood and abandoned eggs of Little Penguins.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was the most prevalent PFAS, detected in 76% of the 50 soil samples collected from Little penguin nests, and in just over 82% of the 45 blood samples.

“We found that PFAS concentrations were positively associated with increased urbanisation around penguin colonies,” Mel said. “We detected PFAS in 100% of the samples collected from Burnie and Hobart’s Derwent Estuary. This is a real health risk to biological life, especially to marine predators like seabirds, seals and dolphins. And because we consume seafood exposed to PFAS, it’s also a risk to human health.”

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WHAT’S ON IN HOBART MONDAY

TUESDAY

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Mona Foma begins, with heaps of events until 2 March. monafoma.net.au

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Comedian and honorary Tasmanian Celia Pacquola (Rosehaven, Utopia, Thank God You’re Here!) performs at the Theatre Royal from 6:15pm.

Hobart Twilight Market at Brooke Street Pier, tonight from 4:30pm.

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Lego Club is on at Rosny Library, 3:15pm-4:15pm.

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Cook Bangladeshi food with Tajrin Jahan in an Around the World Cooking Class at Darcy’s Cafe in Moonah. Book via Eventbrite.

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Bob Log the Third plays at The Grand Poobah tonight from 7:30pm, or there’s a Neil Diamond tribute show at Huon Ex Servicemen and Servicewomen’s Club.

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Singing group Hobart Glee sings the songs of Billy Joel tonight from 6:30pm-7:30pm at Irish Murphy’s.

It’s a public holiday in southern Tasmania for the Hobart Royal Regatta.

This week’s Monday Night Folk Dance is Balfolk, a lively French dance, at St James Hall, New Town, from 7:15pm.

Billy Whitton takes the stage at The Republic from 7:30pm, or the Silent Art and Sharing Circle is on at the Ceremonial Healing Art Centre, Molle St, 7pm-8:30pm.

Australia’s biggest open mic comedy competition is back: it’s RAW Comedy Hobart’s Heat #1, 7:30pm at the Polish Club.

Catch artist Dai Li’s exquisite capturings of the everyday in her ceramics on show at Bett Gallery, open 10am-5:30pm today.

Canadian rapper Madchild hits the Hanging Garden from 7pm

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An Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation - a four-week course - starts tonight at Kickstart Arts in New Town, 7-8pm.

Hobart Library hosts Auslan Storytime from 10am this morning. Hobart City Council hosts a reception to mark the 186th Royal Hobart Regatta, at the Hobart Town Hall from 5:30pm.

Don’t forget Valentine’s Day! Pack a picnic and take your love or friends somewhere special.

Clarence Jazz Festival is back at various venues in Clarence from today until Sunday 3 March. It’s opening night tonight at Rosny Farm, 5pm-9pm.

Get more info at www. clarenceartsandevents. net.

Jack Braudis’ exhibition 2023, A Year In Paint, opens tonight 6pm-8pm at the Salamanca Arts Centre, finishing on 11 March.

Join the fully guided garden produce tour at Government House today from 10:30am. Later, Josh Thomas returns to the stand up stage at the Theatre Royal from 7:30pm.

TasPride’s Festival opens with a special event tonight at the Waterside Pavillion from 6pm. The Black Sea Carnys also play Altar from 7pm.

The 2024 Tasmania Pickleball Championships are on at the Kingborough Sports Centre from today until Sunday.

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FEBRUARY SATURDAY

SUNDAY

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Explore local wines alongside food and entertainment at the Tasmanian Wine Festival, today and tomorrow at the Royal Botanical Gardens. Tix via taswinefest.com.au.

Collegiate alumni Courtney Barnett comes home for a mixed gig - partly instrumental - at The Odeon tonight, 6pm.

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Drunk Richmond - A Walk Through Time is a historical tour from the Old Richmond Courthouse following the lives and debauchery of former citizens.

2pm-4pm.

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The Clarence Jazz Festival Big Day Out is on from 11am11pm. Today’s tours on The Lady Nelson include a bonus performance by the Stranded Wailers.

11am and 1pm, Elizabeth St Pier, head to ladynelson.rezgo.com to book.

FURTHER AFIELD 18 February New NorFUNK is holding a TasPride Festival edition - a Sunday filled with iconic Tassie drag performance, burlesque, dance, food and drinks at the indoor beer garden at the Welcome Swallow Brewery.

Note: New NorFUNK drag and burlesque performances are for a mature audience and contain adult themes. 1pm-7pm.

Celebrate the 2024 Lunar New Year Festival with the Chinese Community Association of Tasmania, Parliament House Lawns, 10am-4pm. Also, catch Grinspoon frontman, Phil Jamieson on stage at the Longley Hotel, 2pm.

Stretch the hammies and pop on the sweatbands cos Run The Bridge is back for its 15th go. Register via raceroster.com.

Check for road closures.

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It’s country and folk music night at Pablo’s Cocktails and Dreams.

Wild Country features Woody and Farrell, from 7pm-10pm.

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Hobart’s Greek community celebrates the annual Estia Greek Street Festival today, and all are welcome to join at 67 Federal Street, all day.

For even more events in Hobart and further afield this month head to www.thehobartmagazine.com.au/februaryevents

o change. Check in with individual events for further details.

8-12 February Party in the Paddock takes over Quercus Park again. Featuring big names like G Flip, Lime Cordiale and Rudimental, alongside a tonne of local artists and other entertainment. Head to www.partyinthepaddockfestival. com.au for the full lineup.

17 February Comedy festival Grapes of Mirth brings six hours of funny performances, wine, and music at Josef Chromy Wines in the Tamar Valley. Featuring Celia Pacquola, Anne Edmonds, Lehmo, Rhys Nicholson, Dane Simpson, Merrick Watts and DJ Pedro Moshman. From midday to 6pm, and 18+.

17 February Step back in time at Evandale’s Pioneer Park for the annual Evandale Village Fair and National Penny Farthing Championships, with food and stalls from 10am-4pm.

23-24 February The first ever Tasmanian Highlands Gathering is set to be a grand celebration of Gaelic, Celtic, and Scottish heritage at Miena. There will be music (including bagpipes, obvs), dancing (including highland, obvs) and entertainment, food and drink/whisky. Check out Tasmanian Highlands Gathering on Facebook for more info.

23-24 February Check out the thrilling action at the Red Bull Hardline in Maydena. Mountain bikers from around the world will carve up the tracks in the toughest downhill mountain bike event in the world. For deets, head to www.redbull.com/in-en/events/ red-bull-hard-line-australia.

24 February If a summer of music hasn’t been enough for you yet, head to the North West for Concert in the Vines. This year it features Mark Seymour (Hunters and Collectors), The Bad Loves, Ella Hooper Trio, Pete Cornelius and more.

Got an event coming up in Tassie?

Email us at editor@thehobartmagazine.com.au Background photo: Mary Harwood 25

FEBRUARY

WHAT’S ON IN TASSIE

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Make it Place, a free crafting event for the whole family, is on today at Queen Victoria Art Gallery, Launceston from 10:30am-12pm.

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It’s time to get your hands dirty at the Grassroots Festival 2024 hosted by Gunningham Family Farms.

Enjoy demonstrations, info sessions, a farmers feast and more. Tickets via Eventbrite.

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Roll up, roll up! The Great Moscow Circus is back in Launceston.

Check out thrilling BMX, scooter and acrobatic performances, including death-defying motorbike cage riders.

Multiple nights. 7pm.

Pull on your boots and grab your Akubra! The Scottsdale Rodeo is on at Santarena Park, Jetsonville, from 1pm.

Also, golf fans can head to the Strahan Open at Strahan Golf Club.

Today and tomorrow.

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Head out to Blues Night, hosted by Alive After 5 at Civic Square, Launceston.

From 4:30pm-9:30pm.

Launnie’s QVMAG are celebrating the 2024 Lunar Year of the Dragon with guided tours of the Guan Di Temple. Sessions start from 11am. Register at Eventbrite.

Take the kids out for barrels of fun at Kempton Festival with sheep racing, barrel rolling races, helicopter rides, market stalls and more.

From 9am-4pm.

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Cheer on the athletes competing in the eighth season of IronOcean, today at Burnie Lifesaving Club. Also, the Alternative Market Launceston is on from 10am-3pm at Max Fry Hall.

If you’re on the East Coast, head to Swansea for the SPOKE Motorcycle Festival. Celebrate everything motorcycle with racing, food, wine, beer, music and art. Starts 3pm.

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Head out to Haines Park for Splendour by the Mersey, a free music event featuring Jada-Li Crossey. Starts 5pm.

Grab your mates and head to a trivia night at the Devonport Football Club. Lucky door and table prizes are up for grabs. Starts 6pm.

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Party in the Paddock is back, with four stacked days of music, art and culture. Enjoy performances from 150 artists across five stages scattered across Quercus Park, Carrick.

Tickets via Oztix.

Consider yourself an artsy person? Gather, Greet & Grow is on at Little Sun Gallery, Beauty Point. Meet, greet and talk the evening away about all things art. From 4:30pm-6:30pm.

Love It Music and Camping Festival starts today in Lovetts Flats, Sassafras. Camp under the stars for three days of live music and good vibes.

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Take the kids to Youngtown Rotary’s Soggy Bottom Regatta, on today at Cataract Gorge.

If you’re in Devonport, check out the Bass Strait Maritime Centre’s The First 50 Years exhibition. 10am-3pm.

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Cult icons TISM, Cash Savage and The Last Drinks and more hit the stage at the Gorge, Mona Foma’s free music day out in Cataract Gorge, Launceston.

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Get your summer on at SummerFest, today at Shorewell Park, Burnie.

The free festival boasts live performances, cultural dances and delicious eats from 24 Carrot Gardens chef, Vladimir Panevin.

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Maggie Dent shares insights, tips and common-sense wisdom on teen boys in her nationwide seminar, From Boys to Men. On tonight at The Tramsheds Function Centre from 10am12pm.

Avid reader?

Silent Book Club is on at Quixotic Books. Join fellow book lovers and discuss all things literary over a quiet tea or coffee. From 4pm-6pm.

Have an event coming up? Let us know! editor@thehobartmagazine.com.au

Background photo: S.Group, Tourism Tasmania

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FEATURE

DAN BOOKER: GLOBAL RIDER REPS TASSIE IN REDBULL HARDLINE Interview: Peta Hen Pictures: Kike Abelleira Hailing from Hobart, mountain biker Dan Booker has done it all from competing around the world to getting his hands dirty building the very trails he races on. And with the renowned Redbull Hardline to be held at Maydena this month, Dan shares why competing on his home turf is so special.

How did you get into mountain biking?

My parents taught me to ride a bike quite young and we would regularly go on family trips to the BMX track. My childhood home was on Mount Rumney where we were lucky enough to have

a bush block running either side of the house. My brother and I had a lot of space to make tracks and build jumps.

This grew my passion for mountain biking from a young age. A family friend was racing downhill at the time and I remember going out to watch him race. I was given my first proper mountain bike for a birthday present from my parents when I was seven and about a year later, did my first local race. After that I got quite obsessed and all I wanted to do was ride my bike.

What does it mean to be competing in the upcoming Redbull Hardline event at Maydena Bike Park? It’s a very special feeling to be able to compete in Hardline.

It’s one of the highest profile events in mountain biking. Only 38 riders from around the world are selected to compete in this event so I feel very fortunate. Also for the event to be in Tasmania and to see Maydena get recognised on an international level is such an amazing achievement for the state and everyone involved.

You’ve also gotten your hands dirty working as a track builder at Maydena.

My first job after I finished school was building mountain bike tracks for a company called Dirt Art. For me this was the perfect way I could spend a lot of time biking but also make an income to fund my travels. I got to travel all over Australia for a few years constructing trails before I got the opportunity to help with the build of Maydena Bike Park. It was such an amazing place to work and really rewarding to create a world class facility which I then got to use to train on. My riding improved so quickly while working there which set me on the trajectory to where it has taken me now.

Mountain biking has taken off in Tassie.

Why do you think that is? It has really boomed in the last five years or so. It’s

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FEATURE

totally due to the incredible investment that has gone into the facilities here.

The facilities are amazing in Tasmania.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world to ride and race and still some of the best riding I have ever done is in Tassie.

The other thing that makes Tasmanian mountain biking so amazing is the natural environment we get to do it in here. The native forest here is unlike anywhere in the world and getting to bike in it is really special.

Where are you based now and what do you enjoy when you’re back in Tassie?

I’m currently based in Queenstown, New Zealand. It’s another beautiful part of the world and one of the major places that many professional riders head to train during the southern hemisphere summer.

I definitely enjoy how close you are to the ocean when I’m back in Tassie. And Hobart is also such a great city. It has everything you need but it is also so easy to escape up to kunanyi or out to South Arm for a surf.

Any other hobbies when not hitting the trails? I absolutely love surfing. It’s the perfect reset for me because the ocean is about as far away from biking as you can get.

Who should we keep an eye on in the Hardline? I’m the only Tasmanian competing in Hardline this year which is super special to me. Baxter Maiwald, Darcy Coutts, David McMillan and Remy Morton are the four other Aussies to keep an eye on!

What does the rest of 2024 have in store for you? Right now I’m training full time before heading back over to Europe in May to compete in the Enduro World Series. This is my main focus for 2024. I finished seventh overall in the series last year so I’m hoping I can improve on that again this year. That will take me through to September and then I’m looking forward to getting back to Tassie to spend some down time with family and friends!

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DAY TRIP

ROAD TRIP: A SUNDAY WELL SAVOURED Words and Pictures: Stephanie Williams

Sometimes on a Sunday morning in the warmer months we like to head to a beach. You have to make the most of it while the weather is remotely warm and the water temps aren’t so arctic. On a Sunday recently, we decided to head toward Carlton Beach, not knowing we were about to spend a whole day exploring.

First stop…coffee. Dodges Ferry locals are now spoilt for choice with the opening of Beach Bums, the new offering from the crew who started Lost Freight. Next door is Park Cafe. How lucky are these folk!

After a coffee we head to Carlton Beach for a walk. It’s overcast and blustery, with a few hardy swimmers in the water sans-wetsuit. It’s hard to miss three big paragliders chasing the wind - and we

enjoy a chat with them on the beach (yes the parachutes are expensive, no they don’t run into each other and get tangled, yes they’re quite experienced). More wandering and we find ourselves on the river surrounded by not thousands, but hundreds of thousands of small crabs. We carefully creep along the river watching them scurry away and burrow into their sandy homes.

Enjoying our impromptu road trip, rather than head home, we push on to Dunalley, past the beautifully deserted beach at Connellys Marsh. We hit Dunalley just as the bridge is being opened - we stop to watch the middle piece of the road of the bridge twist on its axis to let a sailing boat through.

Having seen an oyster farm in the distance on our way into town, we follow the signs to Blue Lagoon Oysters to pick up a dozen or two. There are two types of freshly shucked oysters to choose from the Pacific oyster (fresh, salty, younger) or Tassie Gold Pacific (slower growing, rich and creamy). This is also where you can pick up a native Tasmanian oyster, the Angasi, which is only available in cooler months, from May until September. We chose the Tassie Gold, and a side of lemon and a vinaigrette and head off to find a bayside spot to enjoy them. One of our kids is totally into oysters, the other thinks they’re gross - so three of the four of us enjoy them. To me this is

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the definition of luxury - incredibly fresh oysters enjoyed overlooking a beautiful part of Boomer Bay. Marion Bay was our next stop, to take a little breather on the beach and reminisce about Falls Festival and how much fun we’ve had there in the past (can someone please resurrect a party on this site?). We even saw a sneaky echidna who, rightfully, ran to the safety of a nearby bush and pretended to be a rock.

DAY TRIP

paste, local mustard and pickles, with a side of bread and oil ($10) to pick at. We did want to finish with a piece of Basque cheesecake ($10), as who can resist that, but they were all out. The wine tasting covered about 6-7 of the core Bream Creek range, driven by viticulturist Fred Peacock, and then also a few additions that the cellar door manager had open - a sparkling Rose, a late harvest sweetie, a Pinot Gris. In the moment, we also opted for an additional tasting of their 2017 Allenby Pinot Noir, which retails for $185 a bottle - a bargain at $10 for a generous taste. While this deliciousness was happening, the kids were happily entertaining themselves in a fenced outdoor area (would we call it a pen?), enjoying the quoits.

The final stop for the loop is Bream Creek Vineyard. Back in August they opened their brand new cellar door, a beautiful space with epic views down to the vines and Marion Bay in the distance. We took

a seat in green hued, timber and terracotta space and enjoyed a wine tasting ($20pp, which is waived if you buy two bottles at the end), with a delicious meat platter ($28) with salami, porchetta, terrine, sloe

The perfect end to our impromptu day out, which will now become our new “Visitors Loop”, the itinerary you wheel out for visiting friends and family.

Hobart’s Friday night market!

4:30pm - 9:00pm

BROOKE STREET PIER Feb 16, 23 Mar 22, 29

LONG BEACH SANDY BAY Feb 2, 9 Mar 1, 8

TASMANIAN PRODUCE

MARKET

EVERY SAT 9am-1pm KANGAROO BAY PARK

Engage, learn and experience local!

20 Kangaroo Bay Drive, Rosny 31

NUTRITION

HEALTHY LUNCHBOX EATS Words: Serena Hodge With department store shelves brimming with backpacks and glittery pencil cases, it’s that time of year where people (begrudgingly) get back into the swing of school and work lunches.

School years are a time where children learn quickly and are easily influenced by peers. Therefore, it marks a key time to discuss healthy eating at home. Fuelling children with nutritious food will not only help them to concentrate, learn and play at school; but also form healthy habits to carry throughout adult life.

Involving children in the process of preparing school lunches is one way to improve their food knowledge and increase their likelihood of actually eating what you pack. This could look like sitting down to discuss snack ideas for the coming week, having them accompany you at the supermarket, and including them in preparing meals together.

Encouraging autonomy with food choices is an important step towards raising healthy, well-nourished kids. This could be as simple as letting them choose which fruit they pack, or having them mix the batter for a batch of blueberry muffins.

Remember that it’s normal for the amount of food a child eats to fluctuate day-to-day. A parent’s role is to provide nutritions options, while allowing children to decide when and how much they eat. Don’t sweat it if they skip the sandwich or screw their nose up at the carrot sticks you so lovingly julienned for them. Increasing acceptance of new foods can take time and repeated exposure.

Knowing that there is always a chance to try again tomorrow...say, sneak some grated carrot in a savoury muffin instead.

The 6 elements of a healthy lunchbox: Fruit: Fresh or canned in juice are best.

Keep fruit straps and dried fruit to a minimum. They are high in sugar, stick 32

around on teeth and can contribute to childhood tooth decay.

Vegetables: Think crunch and colour. Try veggie sticks, adding salad to sandwiches or baking vegetables into a savoury slice or muffin.

Dairy and/or alternatives: Think cheese, yoghurt and plain milk (reduced fat varieties can be consumed by children over two years of age). If plant-based alternatives are required, choose those that are calcium fortified.

Meat: and/or alternatives: Leftover lean meat cuts, boiled eggs, natural nut butter and hummus are protein-rich sandwich fillings to replace sugar-rich chocolate spreads, jam and honey. Consider raw nuts as a snack (if the allergen guidelines at the school allows).

Grain: Include whole grain varieties of bread, wraps, flatbreads and crackers.

Avoid processed or ‘oven-baked’ snack biscuits as they are laden with refined grains and unhealthy fats.

Water: Tap water is best, or plain milk.

Avoid soft drinks, they add unnecessary sugar and energy to a child’s dietary intake and increase risk of tooth decay.

Same goes for artificially sweetened beverages, due to their acidic, tootheroding nature.

I want to make the point that lunchboxes do not need to be grandiose to be healthy (i.e. extravagant raw slices or quinoa salad). In other words, let’s normalise boring staples. Because as long as you are ticking off the basics of nutrition, there is no trophy for having the most aesthetically packed bento box in the schoolyard.

A humble sandwich, tub of yoghurt, veggie sticks, boiled egg and apple in an inexpensive Sistema tub will do the trick.

Packaged foods: Yay or nay?

Sure, it’s a nice thought that we could all

be so perfect as to not include packaged foods in our kids lunch boxes. But let’s be real, most parents are time poor and rely on such products to get everyone out the door in time. So just be mindful that when you do opt for these, choose products that are lower in refined sugar, salt, saturated fat and higher in fibre. A few dietitian approved snacks include: Cobs popcorn, The Happy Snack Company roasted chickpeas or fava beans, Macro Lentil Chips and Messy Monkey wholegrain bites.

Keeping lunch boxes fresh (and safe!)

Before I let you go, let’s take a moment to brush up on food safety. Ensure perishable items are kept cool, especially during the warmer months. Tucking a small ice pack between the yoghurt and pasta salad should do the trick. It is recommended that refrigerator items are consumed within four hours of preparation. Remind children to store their school bag in a cool place, out of direct sunlight. Lastly, remember to always check allergen guidelines of what foods are allowed to enter the classroom at your child’s school.

Or develop a safety management plant with your child’s doctor, school, teacher and class if they suffer from an allergy themselves.

For more ideas on building a healthy lunchbox, visit the Cancer Council Healthy Lunchbox website. This article is intended to inform general health eating advice. For individualised dietary advice, visit a dietitian.

Follow Serena on Instagram @coconut_mason or at www.coconutmason.blogspot.com.

HUNTER ISLAND PRESS – 2024 UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS & WORKSHOPS Zooplankton 2024 Sunday 17 to Friday 22 March, 2024 Bond Store, TMAG In conjunction with the ICES-PICES 7th International Zooplankton Production Symposium, the Zooplankton exhibition will show small individual works relating to Zooplankton.

Dialogue Wednesday 8 to Tuesday 28 May, 2024 Social Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre

Introduction to printmaking with Phyllis Fiotakis

Cyanotype sun-printing with Patricia Martin

Reduction linocutting with Ange Cooper

Saturdays 17 & 24 Feb, 2024

Sat 23 & Sun 24 March, 2024

Sat 4 & Sun 5 May, 2024

Over this two-day course, Phyllis will take you through the processes involved in three different printing techniques: collagraph, linocut and drypoint.

In this two-day course you will learn how to make cyanotype sun-prints from photo negatives and positives, plant material and a host of other 3-dimensional objects.

This two-day course will cover an overview of relief printmaking and how to create a multi-colour print using the reduction print technique.

Relief printing woodcut workshop with Michael Schlitz

Collagraphs from anything with Abbey Jane Green

Handcoloured linocuts with Grace Gladdish

Sat 8 & Sun 9 June, 2024

Sunday 16 June 2024

Sun 28 July & Sun 11 August

Over the two-day course students will learn all of the skills required to start making woodcut prints anywhere without the need for a printing press.

Participants will be creating collagraphs from recycled and foraged materials: which materials are suitable for collagraphs; and the importance of using recycled and foraged materials.

During this two-day workshop we will work on designing and carving linocuts for hand colouring, focusing on the design aspects needed to create a successful coloured relief print.

Hunter Island Press, in collaboration with the Tasmanian Ceramic Association, will be holding their Dialogue exhibition. It will be interesting to see what the results of this coming together of printmakers and ceramicists will be. Come along andmeet the makers of the work displayed.

Mini Prints 2024 Tuesday 3 to Monday 16 December, 2024 Social Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre HIP’s annual Mini Prints exhibition and sale features mini prints sized 21 x 21 cm – all priced at $50 each. Each is the printmaker’s own hand-printed work. As there are no restrictions on theme or image of the mini prints, you will often see work not shown in other exhibitions.

Hunter Island Press (HIP) is a Hobart-based not-for-profit organisation with our primary objective to establish and operate a professional public access print studio in Bellerive, Hobart. The studio provides a place for for artists to create work and pass on their skills to community. Membership allows for studio access and inclusion in HIP exhibitions and projects.

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Bookings and further information: www.hunterislandpress.org.au hunterislandpress@gmail.com

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SEASONAL EATING

THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE, AND FRUIT Words: Ollie Benson Over the Christmas break I sat down to read a recently published book by Jill Griffiths, called What’s For Dinner. In the book’s introduction the author quotes a staggering fact - that 75% of the world’s food comes from just 12 plant species and 5 animal species. And that’s despite having 14,000 edible plants to choose from!

This lack of diversity has left the western world’s food system in a precarious situation. It is therefore key that we celebrate seasonal produce and support farmers that are passionate about rebuilding diversity, preserving heirloom plants, and breeding heritage animals, who are focused on building back resilience in our systems.

People that take joy in eating and growing a diverse range of produce.

Ros Mangold is one of these people.

Having purchased Old Post Office Farm in 2015, Ros and her husband Anthony are dedicated to nurturing the certified organic orchard of stone fruit and apples they inherited with the property. With at least 10 varieties of apricots, 15 varieties of plums, and 48 varieties of apples, it’s this diversity that makes their small farm tick.

Situated in Lymington, 15 minutes from Cygnet, Old Post Office Farm, as the name suggests, was once the unofficial post office of Petcheys Bay. Built in 1908, the farmhouse is now being restored

by Ros and Anthony. When they’re not tending to the orchard or picking fruit!

By having so many varieties this extends their season and spreads the revenue they make from the farm. With a changing climate, it also means they have adaptability. This year they had apricots available two weeks before Christmas, which is almost unheard of.

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The last two varieties of apricots will be ready to go this month. Ros says these two, including the wonderfully named Pearly Glow, (named after the mother of the previous owners) are not commercial varieties as they’re not pretty, but they are fantastic for jam and for bottling.

The other key advantage to growing a diverse range is that if one variety has a bad season, they have plenty of others to fall back on. It just requires flexibility if fruit is ready earlier than normal, then it needs picking. As they’ve discovered this year!

Plums will firmly be in season during February, although their Mariposa plums, a blood plum that is Ros’ favourite, were also early. The last of the plum varieties will then be picked in April, the Autumn Giant, which as you can imagine produces large fruit with dark pink skin and yellow flesh.

Most of their stone fruit is sold through Cygnet Garden Larder. Upon

ROS’ ROASTED APRICOTS WITH BRANDY Ingredients: 12 apricots, halved and stones discarded 1 tablespoon of sugar 1 tablespoon of butter Dash of brandy Method: In a baking dish, arrange the apricots with the cut side up. Dot the butter around the dish, sprinkle with sugar and splash the brandy over the fruit. Roast in an oven at 200 degrees C for 20-25 minutes and serve with ice cream.

moving to the farm and working out the best avenue to sell their produce, Ros contacted the Cygnet Larder’s owner, Bec, who jumped at the chance to have certified organic fruit in her shop, instantly telling Ros that she would take as much as they had. Some of it is then on-sold to restaurants such as Peppina in Hobart.

Ros’ passion for diversity extends beyond orchard fruit too. With over 80 varieties of tomatoes, countless pumpkins and chillies, at Old Post Office Farm, variety most definitely is the spice of life!

Starting February 16th Tarremah Steiner School

Grail Quest Course...

A journey into the spiritual science of Rudolf Steiner.

When: School Terms Friday 4.30 to 7.30pm Saturdays 9.30am to 12.00pm

Join other Grail Questers on this journey through evolution via lectures, art workshops, singing, drama, storytelling and personal development through biography work.

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Cost: $600 per term

Some 50% Scholarships still available.

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BOOKS

THE TASSIE BOOK CLUB The Woman Booker Prize Club is a local Hobart book club. Here they share their thoughts on books by Tasmanian authors, set in Tasmania, or about Tassie topics.

This month we shift into a slower pace of life, joining strong female characters, Lacey and Lucy, as they reassess their lives and connections to place and community in rural Tasmania.

One novel is a more traditional and c omforting small-town romance, while the other explores themes of animal intelligence, conservation, and our embodied human selves.

dash for her home town of Whitton, to stay with her parents while attempting to make sense of her marriage.

Unbeknownst to Lacey, her new neighbour Shane - a widower walnut farmer - was her biggest fan when they were in high school together. As the pair develop a fledgling friendship (alongside their sweet children), might they find more than just friendship with each other? Or will each of their past hurts prevent a happy ending?

Scott wrote this book while living fulltime in Tasmania, and it certainly shows.

While the little town of Whitton is a fictional backdrop for our characters’ romance, there are many specific details of life in Tasmania, including Czegs’ Cafe in Richmond, and the best spot for viewing an Aurora Australis!

This book won’t win any accolades for breaking new ground in the romance genre, but it’s a charming rural story of finding love even after life has dealt you a bad hand.

Lacey Clark has just been spectacularly betrayed on live television by her seemingly perfect husband. Hurriedly evacuating her perfect Sydney life with her two young sons in tow, she makes a

With a really lovely cast of supporting characters, a bucolic Tasmanian backdrop, and a heartfelt message about family and community, this book might be perfect reading if you’re not quite ready to let the lazy days of your summer holiday fade away.

Our main character is Lucy; living with her ‘hippy’ abalone diver boyfriend Jem, and recovering from major surgery.

Navigating her new body, Lucy develops a deep fascination with octopuses, and finds herself drawn to the friendship of a local woman and her son. Lucy has to realise what it means to be herself, and what she might be better off without.

We see the world not just through Lucy’s eyes, but also from an octopus’ point of view. I recently gifted the book to a friend in the Northern Territory who has never been to Tasmania, and she loved it almost as much as I do! She said it had “some of the best animal-perspective sections of writing I’ve ever read, particularly from a creature with such a different sensory system to our own.”

I’m confident you will enjoy it too.

Erin Hortle’s debut novel from 2020 is one of my favourite books set in Tasmania, ever. It’s also the perfect read for late summer and early autumn. As we settle into the year and the seasons change, it’s a good time to spend some reflective hours in or near the ocean.

The Octopus and I is based around Eaglehawk Neck, and I found it an accurate, honest and loving reflection of the landscape and the community.

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Book Chatter: The Stella Day Out is a mini literary festival that celebrates and promotes the outstanding contributions of women and non-binary writers to Australian literature. Hobartians rejoice: we’re getting the second ever ‘Day Out’ at the Hedberg on the afternoon of 16 February. And the best thing? It’s free!

Keen to chat books with us? Find us on Instagram @thewomanbookerprizeclub or email thewbpc@gmail.com.

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URBAN ADVENTURE

BELLERIVE BEACH TO LITTLE HOWRAH BEACH Words and pictures: Elizabeth Osborne Walk in the footsteps of Charles Darwin on this exhilarating coastal trail.

One of Hobart’s most beautiful walks, along Bellerive Beach to Little Howrah Beach, is just ten minutes from Hobart CBD. There’s a car park at Victoria Esplanade, next to the children’s playground, where we started our walk, an easy 3km walk each way. There are spectacular views of the Derwent Estuary to the south and, to the west, Hobart city and kunanyi/Mount Wellington.

We enjoyed an exhilarating walk on a cool, grey day, with clouds low on the surrounding hills. The beach, usually alive with activity, was deserted apart from a few hardy dog walkers. Waves rolled up the river. A solitary Pacific gull wheeled overhead, a scattering of silver gulls raced along the sand.

The dunes, covered in remnant coastal vegetation, are constantly being restored and maintained by the Howrah-Bellerive Coastcare Group and Clarence City Council, and provide a buffer between the community and the awesome power of the sea. Walkers can protect the dunes by using only marked tracks.

Sandstone steps at the eastern end of Bellerive Beach led up to the Coastal Trail across Second Bluff. Charles Darwin walked along these cliffs when he visited Hobart on HMS Beagle in 1836.

Unlike modern walkers, Charles Darwin 38

was unimpressed by the sandstone cliffs and the rocks sculpted by the sea.

Second Bluff trail passes through coastal forest and woodland with tall eucalyptus trees, stands of sheoak and coast wattle inhabited by a variety of birdlife, bandicoots and echidnas. A sandstone seat offers the perfect viewing place to contemplate the coastline, and the surrounding suburb.

A gentle slope took us down to Howrah Beach, where we went to the pretty cove of Little Howrah Beach. A lone cormorant perched on a rock, drying its wings. We relaxed on a seat at the southern end of Little Howrah Beach, enjoying the view.

We retraced our steps to Bellerive Beach, invigorated by wind and waves, soaking in the beauty of the Derwent Estuary.

We retraced our steps to Bellerive Beach, invigorated by wind and waves, soaking in the beauty of the Derwent Estuary.

PHOTO: NINA HAMILTON

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HOROSCOPES

ZODIAC CHECK-IN: YOUR MONTHLY ASTRO UPDATE Words: Sara Hewitt Dive into the month ahead with practical star insights - your guide to navigating the cosmos this February.

Aries (21 Mar - 19 Apr): February and the Aquarius New Moon bring opportunities for you to reconnect and repair an old, important friendship which has been neglected in recent times. The day-today routines of home, health and work are highlighted, making this a fantastic time to create new, positive habits that will make your life easier, simpler, and healthier.

Taurus (20 Apr - 20 May): Your career and reputation are enhanced this month, and you may get the go-ahead for a promotion or alternatively permission to walk away from work - possibly permanently. Your romance, fun and pleasure zone is also being hit off, so love and feeling good are priorities. Some Taurus people will have a wish come true around children.

Gemini (21 May - 20 Jun): February and its New Moon are wonderful times for opening up your mind and life by trying something new, exotic, or foreign to you.

Travel is highlighted, even if it is just for a weekend away. The Full Moon on the 24th is in your zone of home and family. A great time for being a domestic god/dess or to just enjoy your private sanctuary.

Cancer (21 Jun - 22 Jul): This month is fantastic for your finances, especially if you are in a committed relationship and share your money. You may even get a piece of someone else‘s good luck. Take every opportunity to get clear in your mind about anything which has been confusing or worrying – especially where you are heading on your life path long term.

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Leo (23 Jul - 22 Aug): This month and New Moon will bring a sense of commitment and security to many relationships, while at the same time, partnerships which are not working could end. Your values and personal priorities are under the spotlight, when a situation arises where you have to either take a stand or take a side according to what you believe in.

Virgo (23 Aug - 22 Sep): Your health, finding new routines and changing habits are all highlighted this month – as is creating a balanced lifestyle. The Full Moon on the 24th is in your sign making this an important phase for you at a personal level - especially around your self-image and confidence. Feeling love and acceptance for yourself will help you heal and grow.

Libra (23 Sep - 22 Oct): Your intuition and psychic senses will be strengthened by the Full Moon on the 24th. You will be able to tap into your hidden feelings which will bring insight. A great month for romance and flirting. A new, lasting relationship could begin for some Librans. For others, a new hobby or sport will appeal especially if you haven’t tried it before.

Scorpio (23 Oct - 21 Nov): This is a time of major endings and new beginnings in your life and also for dreaming about a better future. You may find that you have grown out of what you used to want and now are free to go and find what really matters. A fantastic time for reaching out to old friends and for making new ones especially if they have shared interests.

Sagittarius (22 Nov - 21 Dec): February and the New Moon on the 10th is a wonderful time for clearing your mind of junk and other people’s opinions and really drilling down into what makes you happy and stress free. Your career and public reputation are highlighted now, and you may receive some well-deserved praise and acknowledgement for your past efforts.

Capricorn (22 Dec - 19 Jan): You are likely to receive some positive financial

news this month. Perhaps you will reach a security milestone or receive some money you didn’t expect. It is time to look beyond what is right in front of you and explore your potential. You may be surprised by what is possible after all especially if it means you can be true to yourself.

Aquarius (20 Jan - 18 Feb): The New Moon combined with Pluto and three other planets in your sign will bring an intense and powerful month ahead. Try to be flexible and avoid power struggles with authorities. There could be some deep and meaningful talk about the important things you share with others including money and resources, values, and intimacy.

Pisces (19 Feb - 20 Mar): This is a quiet month where your best approach is to retreat into your comfort zone and think through what you want next from your life. Inner wisdom and spiritual insight are your friends. The Full Moon on the 24th happens in your relationship zone, so you may feel very full of emotions and positive feelings for the people closest to you.

Sara is a Hobart based astrologer with over 30 years professional experience. If you would like a private psychic or astrology reading with Sara either face to face or by zoom or email, please go to www.stargold.com.au for more information and to book.

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TECH

FUTURE-TECH EXPERT ON LEADERSHIP AND LAUNNIE Interview: Stephanie Williams Tasmanian Amanda Johnstone is a globally acknowledged AI technologist and the founding CEO of Transhuman, a mental health and emotion AI technology company. A trailblazer in leadership and STEM, Amanda is heading home next month for a very special International Women’s Day event with TasICT. Amanda’s contributions have been celebrated by TIME as a Next Generation Leader and by The CEO Magazine awarding her the Start-up Executive of the Year award, highlighting her impact in social impact technology.

An entrepreneur for over 20 years, it was at the young age of 17, Amanda co-founded award-winning retail chain, Sebachi, in Tasmania. Under the mentorship of Cotton On founder, Nigel Austin, Sebachi became one of Australia’s first e-commerce stores in the early 2000’s.

Amanda has always been passionate about social issues, as Australia’s first Youth Development Officer at 18 in local government at the West Tamar Council - she also took on philanthropic roles in management, policy and strategy in suicide prevention at a youth suicide prevention retreat in Tasmania for fifteen years. Her many personal experiences with suicide, inspired Johnstone to invent her proprietary mental health App, ‘“Be A Looper” and EmotionAI technologies.

Tell us about growing up in Tasmania.

Was tech a part of your childhood?

Growing up in Tasmania was like being in a painting where the hues of technology started to seep through the canvas as time went by. My childhood was analog in many respects (I’m 37 now, so grew 42

up in the time of no mobile phones until I was in year 6), but I vividly remember the thrill of cobbling together my very own computer, a Frankenstein’s monster of tech, which Mum and I bought piece by piece for a mere $50 from the education department. It was a thrilling time, booting up that machine to the sound of dial up via an hourly pay as you go connection in Kings Meadows, and winning a Microsoft Windows 95 software package felt like claiming a golden ticket to the future. I wasn’t just eager, I was ravenous for knowledge and I still am.

How did you get your start in AI technology and future tech? My foray into AI and future tech has the makings of an ensemble film, where I’m not the sole inventor but rather the orchestrator, harmonising the brilliance of minds like Oliver Rozynski’s ground-breaking EmotionAI concept with the virtuoso performances of technologists, scientists, and developers to commercialise and deploy it to the market and protect the data that drives it. That’s my role as the CEO and this is how we’re scripting the narrative of EmotionAI at Transhuman.

My academic waltz with computer science was short lived (a whole semester at Curtain Uni before dropping out), but the real learning comes from the hands-on work of doing. And when I have maestros like Dr. Chris Mattmann from NASA JPL to guide me, every day is a masterclass in innovation!

Social issues are close to your heart.

What role does, and can, technology play in helping people? When it comes to the role of technology in social issues, I see it as the great enhancer of our humanity, not its replacement.

Technology doesn’t subtract from our human experience; it amplifies it. We’re on the cusp of a renaissance where our digital addiction morphs into meaningful interaction, where we exchange the cold touch of screens for the warmth of spatially computed and tactile handshakes and hugs, where wearables emancipate us from the tether of phones, and where AI

and The Internet of Things syncs with The Internet of Bodies, ushering in a revolution in work, wellness, and home life.

In 2023, LinkedIn named you a Top Voice in Artificial Intelligence. What does this recognition mean to you?

Being recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice in AI isn’t just a personal triumph; it’s a clarion call for clarity in a field shrouded in myth, doomsday forecasters and apprehension. It’s a platform that allows me to democratise AI education, to cut through the noise and offer a beacon for those eager to harness this transformative technology in a low barrier to access (free!) way.

You’re coming back to Tassie soon as a guest speaker for International Women’s Day at TasICT. Why is it important to empower women in leadership, especially in STEM fields?

Returning to Tassie for International Women’s Day at TasICT isn’t just a homecoming; it’s a mission. Empowering women in leadership and STEM is about curating a chorus of diverse voices, ensuring our technologies reflect a kaleidoscope of perspectives to ensure we don’t build bias into technology by only having one gender or perspective at the table.

What are you working on next? As for what’s on the horizon, Transhuman is charting new territories with Fortune 500 companies, steering them through the landscape of EmotionAI.

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FEATURE

WINNING WORDS Words: Amanda Double Picture: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images “There is great power in the knowing of a word. The controversial hypothesis of linguistic relativity holds that language shapes our perception of reality...Each generation receives language, uses and changes it, and teaches it to the next generation, which builds on it anew.”

This quote is from the preamble to a fun new book a thoughtful friend gave me recently: Grandiloquent words: a pictoric lexicon of ostrobogulous locutions, by Jason Travis Ott (Countryman Press, 2023).

Ott presents his case that grandiose, pompous or antiquated (“grandiloquent”) words, far from having no place in modern society, are needed to thrill us with their old-style magic and often still strangely-relatable meanings: “The more words you know, the more tools you have to articulate accurately the world, the people around you, your experiences, and the way you feel.” In his book he includes such delightful words as “scurryfunge” (defined as “to rush around the house in a mad cleaning spree after learning that a visitor is coming” - I can certainly relate), “coddiwomple” (“to travel with a sense of purpose toward a vague destination as yet unknown”), and the verb “deliciate “ (“to indulge or delight in something enjoyable”). Look, far be it from me to want to be “lexiphanic” (“linguistically bombastic, inflated, pretentious, or turgid”), or indeed an “ultracrepidarian” (“a know-itall who gives opinions on topics beyond one’s knowledge”), but I will admit I am a passionate “lexicomane” (”a person who loves dictionaries”).

Ott (also creator of a website, “Grandiloquent Word of the Day”) has provided a definition for each of these words, along with its ancient derivation and its use in a sentence from an 44

historical literary work, accompanied by a humorous drawing or engraving.

And to be honest, some of these arcane words may seem a little silly and overthe-top, and you wouldn’t want to use them too often in normal conversation if you wanted to retain your friends. But then I sometimes think that about some of the current officially-designated “Words of the Year” from our major dictionary centres as well. For example, Oxford selected as their Word of the Year for 2023 the term “rizz”- that is, the shortened form of “charisma”. Defined as “pertaining to someone’s ability to attract another person through style, charm, or attractiveness, this term is from the middle part of the word ‘charisma’, which is an unusual word formation pattern.”

According to Oxford, “use of the word as recorded in our corpus has increased dramatically in 2023” - with an apparent peak in June 2023 when English actor Tom Holland declared in an interview that he had “no rizz whatsoever”.

The Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year 2023 is also a shortened version of a well-known existing phrase: “cozzie livs” - a humorous colloquial play on “cost of living”. Says the Macquarie Committee: “Although cozzie livs was coined in the UK, it has resonated soundly with Australians, with its -ie suffix and its clipped formation...And what could be a more Australian approach to a major social and economic problem than to treat it with a bit of humour and informality?”

Well, I appreciate a cute contraction as well as the next person, but on this occasion I have to say that no-one I know in Hobart has ever used either of these shortened forms - except to express faint bewilderment upon their announcement as Words of the Year. I realise that by admitting this I’m revealing that I’m seriously uncool, not keeping up with the Zeitgeist. Or just moving in the wrong circles. Plus, well, I should really refer myself back to the preamble quote at the head of this page: “Each generation receives language, uses and changes it,

and teaches it to the next generation, which builds on it anew.”

This has also prompted in me a sudden flashback to the classic scene in the 1987 cult comedy/fantasy film The Princess Bride, where the Vizzini character says it’s “inconceivable” that the pirate didn’t fall, and Inigo Montoya replies (in an oddly-lovable fake accent): “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Luckily, there is one winning Word of the Year for 2023 that I CAN really relate to: the Australian National Dictionary Centre’s 2023 Word of the Year, “Matildas”. To quote the Centre: “The soaring popularity of the Australian women’s soccer team after their semi-final run at this year’s Women’s FIFA World Cup has seen experts at The Australian National University (ANU) pick Matilda as their Word of the Year for 2023. The team name (Matildas, or Tillies for short) and singular form (Matilda) were everywhere as Matildas mania swept the country, with Australians transfixed by every minute of play.”

“Matilda” was one of the names used for a swag in Australia from the 1880s (made famous in our beloved alternative anthem, “Waltzing Matilda”). Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre, Dr Amanda Laugesen, has noted that “it’s only since the mid-1990s that the women’s soccer team has been called the Matildas, but after this year’s World Cup the word has once again cemented itself in the Australian lexicon.” The name is of Old Germanic origin, apparently meaning “mighty in battle” - and the mighty Matildas brought us together and inspired us all right when we needed it most. A fitting choice indeed for an Australian Word of the Year.

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HISTORY

CHOCOLATE, SPIES AND QUAKERS Words: Mary-Lou Stephens Pictures: Tasmanian Archives What do Cadbury, Rowntree and Fry have in common? Chocolate, of course, but there’s also something more.

All three families were members of The Society of Friends, more commonly known as Quakers. The connection between Quakers and chocolate began in Britain in the early 19th century when the abuse of alcohol was rampant. In a time when a glass of town water could kill you but a tankard of ale wouldn’t, alcohol was the drink of choice. Needless to say, drunkenness was rife and the resulting squalor and depravity caused much misery in the streets and slums of the cities. Quakers regarded alcohol as a great moral evil while cocoa was thought to have medicinal properties as well as being delicious. They acted on their beliefs and manufactured chocolate drinks as a cheap and healthy alternative to alcohol.

Cadbury celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. In 1824, John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham. Among other things, he sold cocoa and drinking chocolate,

which he prepared using a mortar and pestle. By 1831, the shop was devoted entirely to drinking chocolate and he founded a factory to make a variety of cocoa essences and chocolate drinks.

Later that century his sons, George and Richard, prompted by the Quaker principle of social responsibility, moved the factory to Bournville away from the deplorable living conditions in Birmingham. They also built houses, parks and recreation facilities for their workers. George was fond of saying that no one should live or work where a rose could not grow. Bournville was dubbed the factory in the garden.

Cadbury Dairy Milk launched in 1905

after years of trial and much error by George Cadbury Junior and quickly became the most popular chocolate in the world. At that time chocolate makers often tried to steal trade secrets by sending spies, posing as employees, into each other’s factories. The factories in turn would employ detectives to try and sniff out these spies. Cadbury’s competitors were determined to get their hands on the Dairy Milk recipe by any means possible. For that reason the recipe was kept in a vault and the few who knew it were legally bound never to divulge its secret.

When Cadbury decided to build its first overseas factory in Tasmania in the early 1920s, did competitors see an opportunity to get their hands on the sought-after recipe? That’s the premise for The Chocolate Factory inspired by tales of chocolate spies and detectives, childhood visits to the Cadbury’s factory at Claremont and a lifelong love of Dairy Milk chocolate. Chocolate and spies. It’s a delicious combination.

Mary-Lou Stephens was born and raised in Hobart, has lived all over Australia and now writes while slow travelling the world with her husband. Her debut novel The Last of the Apple Blossom was a bestseller. Mary-Lou has a series of author talks coming up at Libraries Tasmania and Fullers, check their websites for more information.

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