Heritage in Trust August 2014

NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA

Heritage in Trust (ACT) August 2014

_________________________________________________________________

The Bunker today Peter Dowling

The West Block ‘Bunker’ and the Cable Girls

The May edition of Heritage News contained a short article by Peter Dowling on the West Block ‘Bunker’. Here, Peter

expands on the story.

West

Inside

Notice of AGM p 6

Heritage Happenings p 9

Travels and at home with the Trust p 12 An evening with Bill Gammage p 15

Sts Peter and Paul’s Goulburn p 17

A small, innocuous and often ignored building in

Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle has quite a remarkable

story to tell. The building is located in the West Block

curtilage and today is used as an electricity substation and

a place for the staff of the main offices to park their

bicycles. During the Second World War this small building,

tucked away behind the main building which once housed

the Prime Minister’s Department, was known by its

occupants as the ‘Bunker’.

Cont p2

Heritage In Trust August 2014

Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 2

The West Block ‘Bunker’ and the Cable Girls cont from p1

West Block and its sister building East Block were

erected in 1926. The proposed move of the seat of

government from Melbourne to Canberra, along with

the relocation of government departments and staff to

the capital, was proving to be a major logistic problem

for those involved. As a way out of the difficulty the

Advisory Committee overseeing the moves suggested

abandoning the original plan for the complete transfer

of departments. Instead, they opted for a secretariat

or nucleus of each department to be temporarily

established in Canberra, sufficient to assist the

Ministers with Parliamentary work. Two purpose-built

office blocks were constructed behind Parliament

House (now Old Parliament House) near enough to

provide immediate support for the administrative

needs of the Ministers and heads of departments.

These two buildings, originally named as Secretariat

Buildings One and Two, soon became known as East

Block (east of Parliament House) and West Block (west

of Parliament House).

West Block housed the secretariat staff of several

major government departments including the Prime

Minister’s Department. Within the Prime Minister’s

Secretariat was a section responsible for the

encryption and decryption of Prime Minister’s

Department and External Affairs communications. In

days before highly secure online decryption of

messages the main means of communication between

the Prime Minister and foreign heads of state was by

cablegrams, often sent overseas on cable links, which

were subject to interception. One way to provide

security for these communications was to encrypt the

plain language messages at their source, and then

transmit them via the cable links to their destination

where they would be decrypted back into plain

language by the recipients. The Prime Minister’s Cable

Branch staff, ensconced in the secure environment of

the Bunker, did the encryption and decryption. The

process was done on a ‘Typex’ rotor machine similar in

function to the more well-known commercial ‘Enigma’

machines used by Germany in the Second World War.

Plain text messages were encrypted into five-letter

groups by these machines using daily changing settings

of its rotors and incoming messages were decrypted

using the same daily settings.

Typex machine similar to those used in the Bunker (from Wikipedia)

From the editors

There’s plenty of interesting reading in this

August 2014 edition of Heritage in Trust. Catch

up on the current status of various heritage issues

in the ACT in Heritage Happenings and in the

separate article on Ginninderra Falls. Read

articles on The West Block ‘Bunker’ and the Cable

Girls, a little known piece of Canberra’s war-time

history, on the restoration of Sts Peter and Paul’s

Old Cathedral in Goulburn, and on the exciting

new ANU History Learning Community which has

been established by ANU history students.

There are several dates to be noted in your diary

including the Trust’s AGM on Thursday 16

October. See Travels and at home with the Trust

and the Heritage Diary for more dates and more

information on forthcoming events.

As usual we welcome your views on the contents

of Heritage in Trust. Are there subjects you

would like us to cover? Are there items of news

we should be including? Please email

[email protected] or write to the

Editors with your views and suggestions.

mailto:[email protected]



Contents

The West Block ‘Bunker’ and the Cable Girls ___ 1 From the President ________________________ 5 People and Places _________________________ 6 Notice of AGM ________________________ 6 Trusted Recipe ____________________________ 6 Heritage Diary ____________________________ 8 Heritage Happenings _______________________ 9 Ginninderra Falls proposals - update __________ 11 Travels and at home with the Trust

Local and interstate ________________ 12 Overseas __________________________ 14

An evening with Bill Gammage _______________ 15 ANU History Learning Community_____________ 16 Sts Peter and Paul’s, Goulburn ______________ 17

Cable girls 1942 from Nancy Metcalfe private collection

The Cables Branch had begun as a small group of

officers, mainly female, who dealt with the daily

encryption and decryption of communications traffic.

But during the Second World War, with the escalation

of the conflict into the Pacific area and the southward

advance of the Japanese forces, the number of high-

level security cables that had to be processed in the

Bunker increased, putting pressure on the efficiency of

the current staff. Subsequent staff increases and extra

space in the main West Block building had to be made

while still maintaining strict security requirements.

Prime Minister Curtin saw the importance of the

Cables Branch and their capacity to maintain the

enormous load of encrypting and decrypting as

absolutely vital to the war effort. A letter from the

Prime Minister to Senator Joseph Collings, Minister for

the Interior, regarding overcrowding and

unsatisfactory working conditions for the staff in West

Bock, particularly the Cables Branch, expresses the

concerns at the highest level1:

Minister for the Interior

11 January 1943

As you are aware there is a considerable lack of office

accommodation in the Commonwealth Offices West

block, and, I shall be glad if immediate steps can be

taken to remedy, as far as possible, this defect.

Without setting out the requirements of other

Departments in the building I mention the case of the

Cables Branch which has increased its staff tenfold since

the war commenced and must continue to expand. At

the present time its staff of nearly 100 is located in

rooms (some of which are makeshift rooms) which

should not be expected to carry a third of that number.

The conditions are unhealthy and in any ordinary

industrial undertaking would not be tolerated by Health

authorities. The additional accommodation for this

ever-growing staff has been temporarily met by taking

accommodation from other sections of the

Department. This is an unsatisfactory method of

solving the problem and has an upsetting effect on the

rest of the Department.

Because of manpower difficulties there has been a

change-over to female labour and the conditions under

which these girls have to work are most unhygienic. In

any ordinary business establishment there would be

suitable rest rooms and associated accommodation for

girls. The staff of the Cables Branch work continuously

throughout the seven days of the week and because of

the strain imposed upon the people some provision

should be made in the direction of providing a suitably

furnished rest-room controlled by a qualified nursing

sister. In addition, because of the erratic hours and

shiftwork, the staff has difficulty in securing meals. This

important phase should not be disregarded.

John Curtin

Prime Minister



The small Bunker and the ‘cable girls’ played a part in

one of the defining moments in Australian history and

its relationship with Britain. Following the fall of

Singapore to Japanese forces on 15 February 1942,

Curtin who had only been in office since October the

previous year cabled Churchill requesting that the 6th

and 7th Divisions then serving in North Africa be

returned home to defend Australia. However,

Churchill, mindful of the potential threat to India by

the Japanese, tried to divert the Australian troops to

Burma. What followed was a tense period of terse

cables exchanged between the two leaders with the

United States President, Franklin D Roosevelt siding

with Churchill. Curtin maintained his ground against

these two powerful leaders and the Australian

Divisions were returned home. The cables exchanged

between these leaders were encrypted and decrypted

by the Cables Branch in the Bunker.

Nancy Metcalfe, one of the ‘cable girls’ recalls2:

The typex machine was revolutionary, as the

cypher could then be put in by typing and also

deciphered … A number of girls were chosen to

help stick down the tape which emanated from

the machine with message. There was one

required for the operator each time the machine

was used… Cables were pouring in. Some were

far from interesting but I felt proud to be doing

the few which were addressed ‘Most Immediate.

Most Secret. Churchill to Curtin. Himself Alone.’

There was no doubt that the war was on when I

also read before me the news of such things as

submarines in the Sydney Harbour, the bombing

of Darwin and the sinking of HMAS Sydney… I

had been put in charge of the Typex girls and

organising a roster. Several more had to be

trained on the machine as the number of cables

grew. Early on, I always had to do the most

secret ones. I have since wondered if I had been

security checked before hand. Perhaps my 2

years with the Navy gave me an ‘all clear.’

Prior to working on the high level security cables Nancy

had been called into the office of the Department

secretary:

… so I climbed the stairs to his office. After a few

pleasantries he told me that I must swear an

oath that I would not disclose any of the

contents of the cables which I might handle. He

then produced a large bible on which I had to put

my hand and swear an oath. He then asked me

to kiss the Bible. This came as something of a

shock. It was all a new experience for me.

Somehow I think it gave me a feeling that I was

about to tackle something really serious.

Copy of cablegram from Curtin to Churchill Peter Dowling



Nancy at the Bunker 1998 from Nancy Metcalfe private collection

Today, the Bunker, the West Block building and the

Parliamentary Triangle are on the National Heritage

List and are under statutory protection. But a visitor to

the West Block site would scarcely cast a glance at the

small innocuous building at the rear nor realise the

vital operations that occurred there during the days of

the Second World War. The Bunker surely deserves a

wider recognition.

Peter Dowling National Heritage Officer, ACNT

1 NAA A292 C21630 part 1 West block Extensions 2 Nancy Metcalfe (nee Ward), Memories of War Time, HMAS

Torrens 1939-41, Gorman House & Prime Minister’s Department 1941-43, unpublished memoir, privately held, Canberra.

From the President

Hello Members

The Trust will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 16 October 2014 at the National Archives from 6.30pm onwards. I mention this because it is important for a number of reasons but two in particular. Firstly, it is a great opportunity to hear first-hand how your Trust has been going and what we have planned for the year/s ahead and to ask questions of your Councillors. Secondly, we expect to have a couple of Council vacancies and I would be interested to hear from anyone with an interest in nominating for a position on the Council to help us with the continued work of ensuring that NTACT remains a vibrant organisation. So please come along and have a glass of red with us and share your views. One of our fundraising activities has involved NTACT volunteers manning weekend BBQs at a number of commercial outlets around Canberra in recent months. Our most successful one so far was at Bunnings Fyshwick in June where the Dowlings (Dianne and Peter) and I and youngest daughter Georgia cooked and served approximately 650 sausages for a total net profit on the day of $1,250. This was an outstanding result and all goes into building up our depleted bank balances. Sincere thanks to Bunnings and my able co-workers (and the weather gods!). I’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in assisting us with one of these BBQs. It’s a fun day and an easy way for the Trust to raise much-needed funds. I’ve spoken previously about volunteers helping with events etc but I have been remiss in not mentioning some of the great work being done in the office. In particular, Alan Kerr has provided some invaluable assistance (in between cheering from the sidelines for his beloved Majura Avengers U15 girls soccer team in which his grand-daughter plays!) in cleaning out decades of paperwork and scanning relevant material for storage on hard drive and discarding irrelevant papers. (Hard copies of statutory papers and those deemed important for our history have, of course, been retained.) Thanks mate.

Scott McAlister President

The National Trust acknowledges the support of our Corporate Members and Benefactors:

Museum of Australian Democracy ContentGroup

Benefactor: Mr Rob McL. Johnston

Trust Office opening hours 2014

The Trust Office is open Monday to Thursday, from 9.30am to 3.00pm.



People and Places

Trusted Recipe

On your next trip to National Trust properties in

England you might sample scones made to this UK

National Trust recipe.

Traditional sweet scones

Serves 8.

Ingredients

225g/8oz self-raising flour

Half a teaspoon of salt

55g/2oz cold butter, diced

30g/1oz caster sugar

150ml/5fl oz milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to fan 200C and lightly oil a

non-stick baking sheet

2. Sift the flour and salt into a food processor.

Add the butter, whiz to fine crumbs, and

then tip the mixture into a bowl. Otherwise,

sift the flour and salt into a bowl and, using

your fintertips, rub the butter into the flour

until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

3. Stir in the sugar, then add the milk and mix

until it forms a soft, spongy dough

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and

gently knead until it is just smooth. The

raising agent starts to work as soon as the

liquid is added, so it’s essential to be quick.

5. Roll out the dough to about 2.5cm (an inch)

thick

6. Dust a 7cm (2 3/4 inch) diameter pastry

cutter in flour and quickly stamp out your

scones

7. Place the scones on the baking sheet

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until well risen and

brown

Serve with jam and cream or try out a National

Trust (UK) variation such as cheese scones.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-

1356399794537/

YOUR 2014 TRUST COUNCIL

Scott McAlister - President and Treasurer Lisa Norman - Vice President Graham Carter Graeme Crocket Dianne Dowling Mary Johnston Peter Lundy Eric Martin AM Jim Nockels John Tucker

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 39th Annual General Meeting of the National Trust

of Australia (ACT) will be held in the Menzies Room at

the National Archives of Australia on Thursday 16

October 2014, 6.30pm for 7.00pm.

Council vacancies will be notified in accordance with

the Memorandum and Articles of Association prior to

the meeting. If you wish to receive an individual

notification please advise the National Trust office on

02 6230 0533 or email [email protected].

Members are invited to nominate persons for election

to Council. Nominations must be made and seconded

in writing and signed by current members of the Trust

accompanied by signed consent from the nominee.

Nomination forms can be obtained from the Trust

office and must reach the office 30 days before the

AGM.

For further information please check our news page

on the website www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/news or

phone the Trust office on 02 6230 0533.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1356399794537/

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1356399794537/


http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/news



People and Places

New members

The National Trust (ACT) warmly welcomes the

following new members:

Greg and Aina Crawford

Adrian and Raelene

Dikmans

Kevin Playford and Robert

Dolamore

Michael Dowsett

Gayle and David Ginnane

Wendy and Richard

Holland

Kia Holmes

Helen and Laurens Jensma

Michael Hess and Marian

May

Susan McIntyre

Julie McKinnon

Noel Montgomery

Danica Browne and Don

Nordblom

Megan and Ian Pearson

Alyson and Ian Robinson

Chris Bourke and Julie

Ryder

Rosemary and Glynn

Shepherd

Don Taylor

Bronwyn Cooper and

Peter Thomson

Alan and Sue Williams

Trevor and Chris Wilson

ACT & Region Annual Australian

Heritage Partnership Symposium 2014

“The Future of Heritage”

This important symposium was held on 19

July 2014 and was well attended by

professionalheritage experts and interested

lay persons. A full report will feature in our

November 2014 issue.

(Photos by Wendy Whitham)

Helen Cooke opening proceedings

Audience settling

Members of the panel

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Heritage Diary 2014 A selection of heritage-related events in Canberra

Details of National Trust (ACT) events are provided in Travels and at home with the Trust, starting on page 12.

Date and time Event and location

Organiser Contact

On-going Find of the month. Each month a novel, interesting or quaint

topic from ACT Government archives is highlighted

Archives ACT www.archives.act.gov.au/

educational_resource/find of

the month

From 4 August Centenary Projects and First World War Galleries Australian War Memorial

www.awm.gov.au/1914-1918

Until 17 August

Canberra: Then and Now – an exhibition of historic photos

matched with modern day photos. National Library of

Australia

National

Library

www.nla.gov.au

Wednesday 20

August

6.30 for 7.00pm

CAS/CAR lecture – 'Common Indians', 'Negroes', and

'New Hollanders': Dampier, Buffon, and the 'Varieties of

the Human Species' in the South Seas. Bronwen Douglas

Department of Pacific & Asian History Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU

CAS www.cas.asn.au

Wednesday 17

September

5.30 – 7.00pm

National Trust Speaker’s Night – A Light in the Window,

Harper’s Mansion – a talk by Ann Beaumont

National Archives

National Trust RSVP 11 Sept to 6230 0533 or

[email protected]

Wednesday 17

September

6.30 for 7.00pm

CAS/CAR lecture – Lake Victoria Project Place Stories,

Keryn Kefous Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A,

Union Court, ANU

CAS www.cas.asn.au

Sunday 21

September

1.00-4.00pm

Visit to Callum Brae National Trust 6230 0533

Saturday 27

September 8.45am – 2.00pm

Conservation Management Planning:

the What, Why and How for Historic Gardens,

Landscapes and Buildings. Workshop

AHGS

(ACT/Monaro Riverina Branch)

Program and Registration

Wednesday 1

October National Trust Speaker’s Night – The Luck of the Irish

An evening with Babette Smith

National Trust RSVP 25 Sept to 6230 0533 or

[email protected]

Wednesday 15 October

6.30 for 7.00pm

CAS/CAR lecture – Vanuatu historic mission. James

Flexner, School of Archaeology & Anthropology, ANU

Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A, Union

Court, ANU

CAS www.cas.asn.au

Thursday 16

October

6.30 for 7.00pm

National Trust AGM, National Archives. Guest Speaker Allen Mawer on Jack Doolan of Castlemaine

National Trust 6230 0533

Sunday 2

November

1.30 – 4.30pm

Reid Open Houses National Trust 6230 0533

Sunday 9

November

Day Trip to Harper’s Mansion, Berrima and Joadja ghost

town

National Trust 6230 0533

Wednesday 19 November

6.30 for 7.00pm

AGM followed by CAS/CAR lecture – Elephant tongues for breakfast: sealing in Antarctica in the 1820s. Dr Mike

Pearson AO Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A,

Union Court, ANU

CAS www.cas.asn.au

Wed 26 - Sat 29 Nov Wed 3 - Sat 6 Dec

6.30pm

Anthology – a theatrical journey performance through Westlake created by Pip Buining and Louise Morris

Tickets are available onsite prior to the performance or on-line at

www.anthology.net.au

December

Date to be advised National Trust Christmas Party. Details to be advised National Trust 6230 0533

Note: CAS is the Canberra Archaeological Society. CAR is the Centre for Archaeological Research. AHGS is the Australian Garden History Society. Information on

events run by organisations other than the National Trust (ACT) is provided in good faith, but readers should check dates and times with the contacts indicated above.

http://www.archives.act.gov.au/

www.awm.gov.au/1914-1918


http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/Assets/18004/1/ConservationManagementPlanningregistrationbrochure.pdf


http://www.cas.asn.au/

http://www.cas.asn.au/

http://www.anthology.net.au/



Heritage Happenings The Heritage and Grants Committee has a number of heritage issues under consideration at the moment. Eric Martin reports below on the status of the various locations of potential concern.

1 Dickson/Lyneham Flats These are significant buildings that have been left to deteriorate over the past decade. Recently the tower blocks were vacated and a construction fence erected around them.

The ACT Heritage Council has had a nomination for these buildings for about 14 years and is only now considering it. The ACT Government wants to demolish these buildings and sell the land for multi-unit development to increase population densities closer to the proposed light rail system.

The Development Application (DA) will be commented on by the National Trust.

The National Trust is concerned that: - the ACT Heritage Council has not completed

its assessment; - the ACT Government is pre-empting an

outcome without due process; and - no real opportunity has been considered for

alternative and adaptive reuse.

2 Kingston Arts Precinct Masterplan The National Trust supports the Masterplan concept and the development of the Arts Precinct but is concerned that: - the multistorey car park to the west of the

Power House (Glassworks) will block significant views from the west (corner of Wentworth Avenue and Telopea Park West); and

- the heritage values of the Fitter’s Workshop which were recognised as a result of a National Trust appeal on the previous development proposals (ie the acoustic values for music) are not clearly identified or mentioned.

3 City to Lake This project is starting to evolve but it is unclear how the plans for the area between Civic and the Lake will address and respect the heritage values. The heritage sites include:

- Civic Square - City Hill - Legal Precinct - Civic Swimming Pool - Lake Burley Griffin West Basin - Acton Hotel Precinct - Canberra Avenue and Bridge - Commonwealth Park - Ian Potter House and - Shine Dome.

4 Canberra Brickworks While the Land Development Authority has a Masterplan proposal for land rezoning and development, the future of the Brickworks remains in the balance as it is not the focus of the development, and funding for work on conserving it appears minimal.

The quarry reclamation is a positive but the former railway easement and its interpretation is only marginally considered.

5 Ginninderra Falls Although the Falls are located in NSW the ACT National Trust is involved in their future.

The Falls are significant as a feature of aesthetic beauty and for natural values. The area adjacent is within the West Belconnen rezoning proposals which will be available shortly for comment. There is a need to protect the heritage values, and NSW National Parks and the NSW Government are not particularly interested (or it has a low priority with them).

Current proposals indicate a special Trust, established by the developers, to manage the area. This may be the best outcome but will need consideration of the detail as it evolves.

(See also the separate article p11 on Ginninderra Falls by Doug Finlayson from the Ginninderra Falls Association.)

6 ACT Supreme Court This is a significant building and part of a significant precinct which is under threat of substantial demolition and redevelopment with the ACT Government’s proposed private/ public partnership for the Courts. This issue needs careful monitoring as any detailed design evolves.



7 Oaks Estate Masterplan The Masterplan is available for comment and the National Trust will respond.

8 Hill Station This valuable heritage site in Hume is being forgotten. The National Trust is keen to see this heritage place conserved and used.

Hill Station Photo Eric Martin

Other Committee activities

Significant Trees The National Trust has just completed the development

of a National Register of Significant Trees through a

National Partnership Programme with the

Commonwealth Government. This lists trees throughout

Australia that are considered significant by the National

Trust. The ACT has about 30 entries in the register which

is accessible from www.trusttrees.org.au. The register will

provide a valuable information base and further

nominations are welcomed. The ACT work was largely

undertaken by Barry Cameron. A full report on the

register will be provided in our November issue.

National Trust (ACT) Heritage Awards We received a number of nominations for these Awards

which are currently being assessed. We are aiming to

announce the results in early November. A full report will

be given in a later issue.

This place matters

Don’t forget that if you're a non-profit group with

a mission to save historic or important places or

an individual looking to spread the word, feel free

to use the ‘This Place Matters’ message in your

campaigns, conferences, or promotions by

downloading our sign.

Take a photo of your important place and upload

the photo to our Facebook page adding a brief

statement as to why the place matters to you, or

post or email the information to

[email protected].

‘This Place Matters’ is a trademarked property of the National Trust (ACT) and cannot be used by for-profit entities without express permission.

National Trust (ACT) walking tours iphone app

The ACT National Trust has developed an app to help iphone users to explore Canberra's best heritage areas via self-guided walking tours.

There are five walking tours in the app, covering the beautiful areas of Reid, Blandfordia, Commonwealth Park and the Northern and Southern Borders of the ACT.

You choose the tour you want to take and follow the locations on the map. You can view historic photos and information about each important location on the tour.

The app was developed by local group Imagine Team Solutions and was supported with funding made available by the ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program.

The App is available now for iphone HERE and will have a formal launch in November. Learn more about the walking tours on the National Trust website by clicking HERE.

Eric Martin, AM

http://www.trusttrees.org.au/

http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/Assets/16659/1/ThisPlaceMatterSign.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Trust-of-Australia-ACT/239360456122560

http://www.imagineteamsolutions.com/

http://www.imagineteamsolutions.com/

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/national-trust/id893083127?mt=8

http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/walks-tours-trails



Ginninderra Falls parkland proposals –

July 2014 update

In 2011 a north Canberra community group developed a proposal to create an outstanding regional park in NSW just north of the ACT border around the confluence of Ginninderra Creek and the Murrumbidgee River that included the Ginninderra Falls. The Association’s aims were:

to restore public access to the Ginninderra Creek and Murrumbidgee River corridors and Ginninderra Falls, and

to create a sustainable public park for recreational, educational and ecological purposes.

For several years now the Riverview Group urban development company has been preparing plans for the West Belconnen township that involves housing construction in NSW south of Ginninderra Creek and adjacent land in the ACT bordering the Murrumbidgee River corridor. Over the last few months the Riverview Group has held planning workshops and cross-border government discussions to finalise planning proposals for the development in both the ACT and NSW. These have now been completed and a Cross-Border Services Committee that included NSW and ACT government and local authorities has, for the time being, been discontinued. Riverview Group planning proposal documents for land use rezoning in NSW and ACT are now complete and have been submitted to ACT and NSW Government planning departments for comment. Once issues raised by Government departments are addressed, these documents will be made available for public comment and feedback prior to rezoning approval being considered. The Ginninderra Falls Association maintains that current maps in the public arena for the footprint of the West Belconnen Urban Development indicate that the parkland along the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creek corridors is compromised and inadequate for long-term viable and attractive public parkland development. The Association contends that it is very important that the urban footprint be revised to include wider river and creek parkland corridors. When planning proposal documents become available to the public, the Ginninderra Falls Association urges

National Trust members in the ACT and NSW, and other community groups, to make representations to the ACT and NSW planning authorities to ensure that the river and creek parkland corridors are at least 300 m wide along all stretches of the waterways and that urban development does not intrude into areas with significant natural heritage. During an assessment of the area in 2013, the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service conducted an investigation into the feasibility of developing a national park centred on the Lower Ginninderra Falls and adjacent Murrumbidgee River corridor. Although the NSW Government was unwilling to fund a national park whose principal beneficiaries would be residents of the ACT, the National Parks and Wildlife Service acknowledged that:

Based on population projections for Canberra to 2050, the Ginninderra Falls Association suggests that a national park for the Ginninderra Falls area could see in excess of 50,000 visitors per annum. The Ginninderra Falls area of interest contains significant scenic as well as natural and heritage values. The area of interest has a range of recreational opportunities for the increasing population of the ACT and Yass Valley Council areas. Establishment of any reserve would require significant commitment from the NSW, ACT and local governments, the community and potentially private enterprise.

The Ginninderra Falls Association contends that there are compelling arguments for strong cooperation between the ACT and NSW Governments, together with the Yass Valley Council, to create a regional park that will preserve an area of outstanding natural beauty along parts of the Ginninderra Creek – Murrumbidgee River corridor, including the Ginninderra Falls, and greatly enhancing the region’s tourist potential. This development will create commercial opportunities that will significantly improve the value of the surrounding area as a focus for cross-border enterprises with links to existing vineyards and broad acre developments. Doug Finlayson Ginninderra Falls Association



Travels and at home with the Trust Local and Interstate

Speaker’s Night – A Light in the Window: Harper’s Mansion Wednesday 17 September 5.30 – 7pm

The National Trust is pleased to announce that former

Canberra journalist Ann Beaumont will visit us to talk

about her latest book A Light in the Window, Harper’

Mansion Berrima – the place and its people. The book is a

lively narrative which brings to life the story of James and

Mary Harper who built Harper’s Mansion and

the Surveyor-General Inn, the only pub still operating in

Berrima today. It also gives an insight into the 120 year

ownership of the house by the Catholic Church and

introduces the reader to the priests, nuns and

tenants who lived there. She also highlights the Trust’s

restoration of the property, the creation of the garden,

and the countless hours given by volunteers to keep the

house open.

Published earlier this year by the National Trust in May

Anne received a National Trust NSW heritage award for

her fine work. Copies of Anne’s book will be on sale and

she will be pleased to sign copies.

Meet: National Archives, Queen Victoria Terrace Cost: $10.00. Drinks and nibbles included. Bookings essential: RSVP 11 September to 6230 0533 or online at www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/events

Visit to Callum Brae Sunday 21 September 1– 4pm

Callum Brae was a soldier settler lease success story due to canny Hector McIntosh and hard work. While the property was leased in 1919, Hector finally moved his family here in 1925. The afternoon will start with an easy walk through the reserve which is an important link in the chain of woodland reserves that extend from Red Hill to Wanniassa Hills. Come and inspect this still much-loved working farm—heritage listed in 2011. Afternoon tea will be served before returning through the reserve.

Meet: At entry of Callum Brae Woodland Reserve, Narrabundah Lane, Symonston Cost: $25 members and $35 non-members Bookings essential: 6230 0533 or online at www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/events

Speaker’s night The Luck of the Irish An evening with Babette Smith Wednesday 1 October 5.30 – 7pm

Babette Smith is one of Australia's most respected experts on convict history and author of the bestselling Cargo of Women and Australia's Birthstain. The Luck of the Irish is a fascinating portrait of colonial life in the mid-19th century, which reveals how the Irish helped lay the foundations of the Australia we know today. The luck of the Irish was chronic bad luck, as their sad history attests. That's how it looked for 250 Irish convicts when their ship, the Hive, sank ignominiously off the NSW coast in 1835. Miraculously all survived, guided to safety by local Aboriginal people.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/events





They landed at a time when the so-called slave colony was at its height, ruled by the lash and the chain gang. Yet as Babette Smith tracked the lives of the people aboard the Hive, she discovered a very different story. Most were assigned to work on farms or in businesses, building a better life than they possibly could have experienced in Ireland. Surprisingly, in the workforce they found power, which gave rise to the characteristic Australian culture later described by DH Lawrence: 'Nobody felt better than anybody else, or higher.'

Meet: National Archives, Queen Victoria Terrace

Cost: $10.00. Drinks & nibbles included.

Bookings essential: RSVP 25 September to 6230 0533 or online at www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/events

National Trust (ACT) AGM Thursday 16 October 6.30 for 7.00pm Guest speaker at this year’s Annual General Meeting will be well known Canberra author and historian Allen Mawer who will take us on a search for Jack Doolan of Castlemaine. He was, as the song says, a teenage bushranger, but not quite the one we know.

Meet: National Archives, Queen Victoria Terrace

Reid Open Houses Sunday 2 November 1.30–4.30pm

This popular event is to be held again in collaboration

with the Reid Residents’ Association. The program

features a guided walk and visits to three houses and

gardens in this heritage-listed residential precinct, which

have been selected for their sympathetic restoration or

renovations. There will be an introductory talk on Reid

and its heritage significance by a heritage expert and the

opportunity to hear the owners provide a short talk on

their homes and gardens which can then be inspected at

leisure. A delicious afternoon tea will be served at the

Reid Pre-school.

Meet: Corner of Dirrawan Gardens and Currong St, near

the Reid Tennis Club Pavilion. A guided walking tour with

a total distance of approx. 1.5 kms (return).

Cost: $25 members; $35 non-members

Bookings essential: 6230 0533 or email:

[email protected]

Bus trip to Harper’s Mansion in Berrima and Joadja Sunday 9 November - all day bus trip from 7.30am

We invite you to

join us on one of

our interesting

regional heritage

tours, this time to

the Berrima

region where we

will explore one

of Berrima’s fine

old homes, Harper’s Mansion via the historic Joadja valley

and Joadja ghost town for morning tea, a visit to the

operating whiskey distillery and a BBQ lunch. Joadja

town was founded by Scottish workers brought out to

mine the local shale deposits. The mine closed early in

the 20th century, and the town was abandoned but the

ruins tell the story of those that lived, worked and

perished there.

Harper’s Mansion (c1834) is an excellent example of a

colonial Georgian residence, furnished in period style and

set in two acres of strolling gardens of cool climate

heritage plants overlooking the historic village of Berrima

including one of the largest hedge mazes in Australia.

Bring some spending money for the National Trust shop.

Meet: 7.30am in Deakin (car park behind the Deakin

Fitness Centre, Deakin Shops) OR 7.45am northside at the

bus stop on Northbourne Ave (outside the Southwell Park

netball courts).

Cost: $80 members; $90 non-members (including bus,

morning tea, BBQ lunch and Joadja entry)

Bookings essential: 6230 0533 or email:

[email protected] Please specify pick-up point

when booking, plus any dietary requirements.

National Trust (ACT) Christmas Party December Date and venue to be advised.

Joadja Town






Overseas

Germany

A fort on the Roman border

19 May- 10 June 2015 for 22 days

http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/GermanyTour

This exciting tour will focus on selected UNESCO World

Heritage listed places, but other places of national

significance to the history and cultural development of

Germany will be included.

Cost: $10,200 pp Land Tour only $13,200 Package price including return economy airfares (Singapore Airlines)

(Single supplement $1,620)

The Theme: A tour covering the history and culture of

Germany from the Neanderthal period of the deep past,

the Bronze and Iron Ages, the Celtic and Viking periods, the

Roman period through the Renaissance to modern times. A

focus of the tour will be visits to UNESCO World Heritage

places.

The tour will be at a leisurely pace. We will be based 5

nights in Trier, 6 nights in Berlin, 4 nights in Hamburg, 1

night in the World Heritage city of Bamberg and 5 nights

in Munich. We will have time to explore these cities and

from there venture into the heart of the country to visit

the historical, archaeological, and cultural places that

represent the development of Germany over a period of

40,000 years. We will also have free time in these cities to

explore by ourselves and to experience the food and the

shops.

Some of the highlights will include: the site and museums

of the first identified Neanderthal skeleton, sites from the

Roman period, Heidelberg and the Rhine Valley region,

Lübeck, the Viking settlement of Hedeby, Dresden, World

Heritage Gardens, Museum Island in Berlin, Potsdam and

San Souci, Wittenberg where Martin Luther challenged

Roman Catholicism and began the Reformation, the Celtic-

Roman Museum in the heartlands of the early Celts at

Manching, Nuremberg, Bamburg and more.

Brandenburg Gates

Historical archaeologist, Dr Peter Dowling will

accompany the tour and an accredited English

speaking guide will be with us at all times.

Come with us. Contact the ACT National Trust on

(02) 6230 0533 Monday – Thursday or

Travelscene Canberra City

(02) 6247 6544 Monday – Thursday

Tour inclusions

Professional English-speaking guide throughout the tour and sightseeing with local tour guides where applicable

Twin/double share 4-star accommodation throughout the tour including hotel taxes, service charges, state and local taxes

Breakfast daily, some lunches and dinners as per the itinerary

Air-conditioned coach, as per itinerary.

All touring, as stated in the itinerary

Sightseeing as outlined in the itinerary with inside visits (including admission charges)

Gratuities to the tour manager and coach driver • Tips to baggage porters and hotel staff

Tour cost not included

• Meals not specified on the itinerary • Excess baggage charges • Meals not specified in the itinerary • Beverages including tea and coffee except at breakfast

and hotel dinners, wines, liquor, soft drinks, etc • Items of a personal nature such as phone calls, laundry,

mini bar, internet access, etc • Gratuities to local guides • Transportation to/from hotels or venues if travel is

separate to that of the group

http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/GermanyTour



Speaker’s Night Report

An evening with Bill Gammage

Wednesday 16 July 2014 at the National Archives of

Australia

The meeting room was packed out and many people were left on the waiting list. Those who attended had an enjoyable evening and may have had their beliefs challenged. Peter Dowling reports. How ‘natural’ are our natural landscapes? That was the

question that many of us took away from Professor Bill

Gammage’s talk at the ACT National Trust members’ night.

A large audience, around eighty people, attended this

event - a testimony to the interest in the history of our

landscapes by our members and the high regard Bill

Gammage is held in as one of Australia’s eminent

historians.

For many years Professor Gammage has looked closely at

our rural and ‘natural’ landscapes with a discerning eye,

taking nothing for granted, not just here in Canberra but

across the continent. Professor Gammage has spent over a

decade examining a vast amount of archival and visual

records, conducting fieldwork expeditions, studying the

biology and ecology of our native flora and fauna and

looking closely at traditional Indigenous hunting and

gathering techniques. From this research he has pieced

together a convincing theory relating to an extraordinarily

complex system of human land management practices that

has shaped our landscapes and biota for many thousands

of years.

Much of the landscape we are familiar with when we travel

beyond our cities and towns is not the result of ‘natural’

causes but is to a high degree anthropogenic, caused by

the human hand. The Indigenous populations managed

the landscapes by selective burnings and with an

understanding of native plant ecology created patterns or

mosaics of open grasslands and woodlands to ensure a

plentiful and reliable source of animal and plant foods. In

doing so, it can be argued, they influenced the life-cycles of

Australian flora and fauna.

Professor Gammage stressed that where Indigenous land

management practices have ceased, particularly in our

nature parks and national parks, the ‘natural’ areas are

overgrown with competing flora species, which are subject

to the bushfires we now experience.

Archaeologists have been aware that many of the pre-

1788 landscapes of Australia have been strongly influenced

and formed by Indigenous activities. We have seen

evidence of this in the archaeological deposits dating back

through the millennia. But it has taken the work of

Professor Gammage and the rigour and detail he has

applied to his research for us to understand the true

nature and complexity of Indigenous land management

across the continent.

His book, The Biggest Estate on Earth, How Aborigines

Made Australia, is a fascinating read and has won several

awards since its publication including the Prime Minister’s

Prize for Australian History.

Bill Gammage and Aboriginal elder, Mrs Jannette Phillips

Photo Di Johnstone

Do you have a friend travelling overseas? Tell them about the advantages of joining the National

Trust including free entry into over 2000 National Trust

properties around the world.



ANU History Learning Community

The best thing about history is that there is something to

interest everyone. From the clash of arms in the Roman

gladiatorial arena, to the machinations of the Tudor court,

through to the dusty plains of frontier Australia, stories

abound of the billions of lives long since lived. Curiously,

however, schools and even sometimes universities do a

good job of making this all seem dull. That’s what the ANU

History Learning Community intends to counteract – to

invigorate some of these stories and to champion and

stimulate the power of curiosity to make history come

alive.

The ANU History Learning Community is a student-led

collective of like-minded individuals who share a passion

for history and seek to encourage a greater understanding

of our shared past whether it encompasses local, national

or global history. Through active collaboration with

academics, local institutions, organisations like the

National Trust and other students, the learning community

aims to promote all things history so that we can learn to

love our shared past – and see where those stories can

take us.

Each year two co-ordinators are selected to guide the

learning community in the direction they see fit, the

challenge being not a lack of resources or opportunities,

just the coherent organisation of all this potential. So this

year, we’ve sought to bring out the jumper-leads to give

the Learning Community a kick of life. Our two main

objectives were to increase the breadth of the History

Learning Community and to give greater publicity to

history-related events at ANU and in Canberra. In a way,

we have been seeking to act as curators, selecting some of

the best ‘goings on’ in the history world to promote to

students and the wider ANU and Canberra community.

Some of our initiatives have been very well received.

Our foray into social media led us to create a Facebook

page, enabling us to connect easily and quickly online –

attracting over 200 followers already. Our monthly

newsletter has also been a winner with several hundred

subscribers.

Also, our curated series of ‘History Highlights’ has been

especially successful - promoting several excellent local

events including a debate held at Albert Hall for Women’s

History Month and a public lecture at the ANU by the

Chichele Professor of the History of War at Oxford

University, Sir Huw Strachan.

Happily, support for the History Learning Community exists

aplenty. Our first event ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of

Coombs’ was attended by between 60 and 80 people

including undergraduates, graduates and history school

staff. The keener students delved into the labyrinthine

depths of the Coombs Building to find as many of the

‘golden idols’ as possible while other students chatted

among themselves and with academics. It was a very

relaxed affair which was designed to be a ‘meet and greet’

and a bit of fun.

We’ve also been fortunate enough to secure some

excellent guest lecturers including Associate Professor

Frank Bongiorno who gave a lecture called ‘Sex: A Raunchy

History of the Sex Lives of Australians’ based on his award

winning and acclaimed work The Sex Lives of Australians.

Not only was this shortlisted for the Australian History

Prize in the 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, but it

also won the 2013 ACT Book of the Year Awards.

Throughout the rest of the year, we’re aiming to showcase

some of the excellent historical research being done at the

ANU, by visiting academics and local Canberra historians.

So please keep an eye out – the more the merrier. On top

of this, plans are underway for exploring how we can

promote career options for students studying history, as

well as working on an undergraduate history prize. Lastly, if

you would like to connect with the History Learning

Community please like our Facebook page or send us an

email at [email protected].

Matthew Allanby and Daniel McKay




Saints Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral, Goulburn

Completed at last! It's been a long time coming. Sts Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral in Goulburn was built in two stages. The first stage, the nave, was built in 1871 -1872, and the second, transepts, sanctuary and tower, over the period 1886 - 1890. Now, with the new spire, it can be said that the building was built in three stages.

The cathedral is unique in that it is constructed with green porphyry, a hard igneous rock of a beautiful olive green colour. It is not generally used for building as it is very hard and not plentiful. The church is finished with sandstone. The original architect was Andrea Stombucco, himself a stone mason, responsible for stage one. Charles Spadaccini completed stage two. Garry Dutaillis, architect of Goulburn, designed the new spire following original drawings. It is steel framed and roofed with copper shingles. This all came about because in the current major restoration of the whole building, the original Murphy bell purchased in Dublin in 1869 was out of tune and its tower housing needed replacing. With scaffolding in place on the tower for stone restoration, to complete the building was an opportunity not to be missed.

Twenty-four tonne of stone has already been replaced on the tower. Heritage NSW provided a $70,000 grant for the bell and housing restoration on a dollar for dollar basis. The Restoration Committee is grateful for the continued support from the National Trust (NSW) through the Sts Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral Restoration Appeal.

The tower costs so far are approximately $1,080,000 and with funds exhausted, the scaffolding will remain in place for quite some time.

Garran's Picturesque Atlas of Australasia shows a sketch of the "completed" Cathedral with its short Romanesque type spire. The same edition also shows Goulburn's sister, St Saviour's Anglican Cathedral by Edmund Blackett, with its magnificent tall spire (maybe one day!)

Father Dermid McDerott (Photographs and text)

Spire in position

Refurbished bell

1886 engraving St Saviour’s Cathedral



_______________________________________________ National Trust of Australia (ACT) Office

PO Box 1144 Civic Square ACT 2608 Telephone 02 6230 0533 Fax 02 6230 0544 Email [email protected] Net www.nationaltrust.org.au ABN 50 797 949 955 Opening times: 9.30am to 3.00pm Monday to Thursday Office Location: 1st Floor, North Building Canberra City [above Canberra Museum & Gallery],

Patron

The Hon. Margaret Reid AO

President

Scott McAlister

Office Manager

Liz McMillan [email protected]

The e-magazine, Heritage in Trust, is produced and edited by Maree

Treadwell and Wendy Whitham assisted by Dianne Dowling and Mary

Johnston.

Visiting England? Make the most of your National Trust of Australia (ACT) membership. Here is a selection of images

of National Trust properties from the beautiful south west of England which you can visit for free with your ACT Trust

membership, and where you can taste a classic cream tea or cheese scones (see Trusted recipe this issue).

Cotehele, Cornwall Dovecote Cotehele Buckland Abbey, Devon Lanhydrock House Photos Maree Treadwell

A full report on my visit to these favourite properties will be in given in a future issue. We’d love to hear about your visit too. Send photos or reports to the editors at [email protected].

Maree Treadwell

About Heritage in Trust

Heritage in Trust is published quarterly as an electronic

magazine in conjunction with the national magazine

Trust News in February, May, August and November.

The editors invite articles and letters from Trust

members with an interest in the heritage of the ACT

and these should be addressed to The Editor,

Heritage in Trust, at [email protected].

Deadlines for copy

mid January (February issue)

mid April (May)

mid July (August)

mid October (November)

The views expressed in Heritage in Trust are not

necessarily those of the National Trust of Australia

(ACT). The articles in this e-magazine are subject to

copyright. No article may be used without the

consent of the ACT National Trust and the author.




Documents

Heritage in Trust August 2014