Heritage in Trust August 2015

Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 1

NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA

Heritage in Trust (ACT)

August 2015 _________________________________________________________________

Yarra Glen taken from the intersection of Cotter Road with the road to Government House.1

The Valley – Six Families Who Made a Viable Community

The Valley

Present-day Woden Valley should arguably have been

named Yarralumla Valley. Woden homestead was on the

other side of Red Hill, and part of the Duntroon Estate.

The Valley - traversed by Yarralumla Creek - was part of

Yarralumla Estate owned by Frederick Campbell, a

grandson of Robert Campbell (1769-1846) who owned

Duntroon. The Valley was subsequently acquired by the

Commonwealth in 1913, then subdivided for lease to

soldier-settlers from 1919.

Cont p2

Inside

From the President p 5

Notice of 40th AGM p 7

Heritage Diary p 8

Travels and at home with the Trust p 10

A Young Australian Soldier, a Grieving Mother, a Letter and a Compassionate German Officer p 23 Petition to list Canberra on NHL p 26

Heritage In Trust August 2015


The Valley- Six families who made a viable community

cont from p1

The name ‘Yarralumla’ was assigned in the first official

survey of 1834, and came from a local Ngunnawal

word meaning ‘echo’. The first owner of that grant of

land was Henry Donnison in 1828 who sold it to (later

Sir) Terence Murray in 1837. Frederick Campbell was

arguably the fifth owner of that estate. He built the

home in 1891 that has since become Government

House.

The Soldier-Settler Leases

The Valley is a story of endurance, expertise, friendship

and perseverance - or fall by the wayside. From 1920

The Valley was a collection of soldier-settler leases that

were allocated by ballot. Most of the leases were

between 1,000 and 1,300 acres - arguably too small for

farming in such harsh conditions. Also, some of those

who were first allocated a block did not have a farming

background. There was no room for passengers in such

a place: farmers’ wives needed experience on the land,

or a very strong determination to learn related skills.

Children had to do their bit. Families needed to

support each other.

The Valley Farmers

Four original soldier-settlers were Walter (the Captain)

Eddison (Yamba), Alister (Dick) Russell (Narrabundah),

John (Jack) Maguire (Melrose) and Ken Anderson

(Allawah). They were later joined by two other

returned servicemen: George Campbell (Yarra Glen)

and Guy Tanner (Illoura) who bought their blocks from

Messrs Gifford and Cargill respectively who were

unable to make a living out of their leases. Ken

Anderson later exchanged his block for property

owned by Phillip (Phil) and Kath Champion (Anderson

also paid some money because the Champions’

property was worth more than Anderson’s). Phil had

met his wife Kathleen while serving in the British Army

in India, and they were already farming in the north of

Canberra. Ken Anderson then employed a shepherd,

Harry Oldfield, to look after his sheep around

Canberra. Oldfield lived at Blundell’s Cottage. The

Champions moved into Allawah in 1936, and renamed

it Cooleman because there were the marks of many

Aboriginal coolemons on their land. They had the only

‘modern’ brick house in the Valley, with bricks made

on the property.

The Eddisons. Capt Eddison (Capt Eddy) was an English

gentleman farmer who bred thoroughbred horses. He

was in Australia considering migration with his family

when war broke out. He joined the 6th Australian Light

Horse in 1914, as a trooper. However, he was later

commissioned and held the rank of Captain by 1917. In

From the editors

Welcome to this winter edition of Heritage in

Trust. While the recent weather has been cold,

spring isn’t far away and the Trust has some good

trips planned – see Travels and at home with the

Trust beginning on page 10. Two other important

events coming up are the AGM on Thursday 29

October and the Christmas party on Sunday 6

December. More details will be provided on those

as they become available, but note the dates in

your diary now.

This issue looks at the families who formed the

early community within the Woden valley as it is

now known and a heart warming story from the

First World War from the records in the

Australian War Memorial, as well as reports from

the tour to Germany and other tours closer to

home, and more.

If you’ve recently visited a place of historic or

heritage interest, whether it was overseas or

within Australia, we invite you to think about

writing an article for the newsletter, to share your

experiences and give other readers new ideas for

heritage travel.

The email address for contacting the editors is

[email protected] or you can write to

the Trust Office. Views and suggestions are

always welcome.

mailto:[email protected]



1919, he and his wife Marion (nee Mills) emigrated

with their four children, initially going to Cooma. Two

more children were born after Capt Eddy was allocated

Yamba. Marion (always known as Mrs Eddy) was ill-

prepared for what she encountered: her education was

that of a young English lady with a governess to teach

her the classics, French, embroidery and perfect

deportment. She had never cooked, cleaned or sewn

patches before she came to Australia. However, she

was to become the mentor for those other Valley

wives who were similarly ill-prepared for what they

had let themselves in for by marrying a soldier-settler.

Tragically, all three of the Eddisons’ sons lost their lives

while serving in World War 2. With no male heir to

take over Yamba, Capt Eddy (by then aged 77) and Mrs

Eddy retreated in 1953 to the suburb of Deakin with

their horses. Their home at Yamba was taken over for

approximately another ten years by another family

until development finally came.

On the Champions’ property on the western side of Taylor’s Hill which can be seen in the background.2

The Russells. Alister (Dick) Russell was a graduate of

Hawkesbury Agricultural College and a farmer in WA

before he signed up in 1916. He was allocated

Narrabundah (Red Hill) in 1920, and moved into a slab

hut on the property that same year with his elegant

wife Ester (nee Burgess). They held the lease until 1929

when close relatives Arthur Russell and Charles

(Charlie) Russell took it over. Charlie – who in later life

became the bane of Canberra bureaucracy – lived on

or near that (much smaller) property until his death in

1998, aged 93. He and his wife lost their homestead

and all their belongings in the bushfire of 1952, when

Charlie was away at Jervis Bay. They rebuilt their house

in what is now Endeavour St, Red Hill.

The Maguires. Jack Maguire and his wife Clare (nee

Morrison, of Tralee) were well equipped for the task of

farming Melrose as both of them were descended from

local farming families. Clare carried out a lot of farm

work in The Valley that other wives could/would not

do as she was used to farm work on Tralee. The

Maguires – like many Valley families - had productive

fruit trees that provided fresh fruit, preserves and jam.

They also milked cows. The Maguires were the last to

give up their lease in The Valley when finally the

bulldozers arrived.

The Campbells. George Campbell was a returned

serviceman who was the great-grandson of George

Campbell of Duntroon. He had ridden on the

Yarralumla Estate as a young man, and also worked as

a jackaroo in Queensland. He and his wife Nancy (nee

Reid) moved into the small house on Yarra Glen in

1928. Nancy Reid had lived with her family in the

Riverina but had no actual farming experience. She was

brought up in a large country home with a governess,

maids, cook and gardener. Her embroidery was

magnificent but her husband had to teach her how to

light their stove to cook. She learned many of the

necessary women’s survival skills from her older

neighbour Mrs Eddy. During the Great Depression

George bought several cows so Mrs Campbell made

and sold butter to make ends meet. The Campbells

expanded their homestead when two sons (Robert,

then Curtis) were born. They had trees, a nice garden

and a tennis court.

Yarra Glen was taken over in stages, but originally it

was 1200 acres, extending from near present-day

Novar St, Yarralumla to the southern side of the big

Woden roundabout. A railway line from Canberra to

the Brickworks ran through their northern paddocks. In

the other direction, it extended from present-day

Theodore St, Curtin to the Federal Golf Course. Their

main entrance was a gate on The Cemetery Road (now

Kent St), opposite the present-day telephone

exchange. The big pine tree that stands near the Curtin



overpass on Yarra Glen (the road) was in their home

garden. The Campbells eventually acquired another

property Arawang on the Kambah Road (now

Namatjira Drive), along which George and his sons

drove sheep to Yarra Glen. George Campbell died in

1971 while living in Deakin. Mrs Campbell died in 2002

– the last of the Valley matriarchs. She died in

Brindabella Gardens Hostel in Theodore St, Curtin that

overlooks the land that she and her husband once

controlled.

The Tanners. Guy Tanner was a returned serviceman (a

sapper) who had been unsuccessful in bids for soldier-

settler blocks in Queensland and NSW before obtaining

the one forfeited in The Valley by Mr Cargill. Tanner

had worked as a jackaroo before the war, and knew

very well what the challenges would be. He was known

by all as “a damned good farmer”. He married Frances

(later known as “Brownie”) Parramore who was raised

on a property near Tarcutta. She was a fine

horsewoman and an excellent shot (one bullet = one

dead snake). However, when her mother saw the place

the young couple were going to live in, she apparently

fainted, then tried her best to dissuade her daughter

from going ahead with the union. However, Guy was a

very handsome chap, and they were in love. They

moved into the property they named Illoura in 1930

when the house was deemed fit for habitation by a

married couple. Guy died in 1956, so his son Robert –

who shared his father’s reputation as a farmer –

worked it until development came.

Valley Roads

The Valley was serviced by four main roads: Cotter

Road, The Cemetery Road, Long Gully Road and

Kambah Road. Cotter Road ran east-west from

Canberra to the Cotter. Kambah Road was on the

western edge of The Valley. It ran from Cotter Road to

present-day Kambah past Cooleman and Arawang.

Long Gully Road ran east-west, from Cooma Road (now

Monaro Highway) to Kambah Road (through present-

day Mawson, Chifley, Waramanga and Stirling). The

Cemetery Road ran from Long Gully Road (in current

Chifley) to Cotter Road via the Woden Cemetery. Its

section south of the cemetery has all but disappeared

but its northern section is present-day Kent St. Long

Gully Road was maintained by one man with a horse,

cart, pick and shovel.

The Valley Community

Farming in The Valley would have not have been

possible without a very strong community in which

everyone looked after each other, in good times and

bad, sharing tasks, expertise and equipment. There is

arguably no better account of that than in Not Without

My Corsets by Marion and Fionna Douglas (ISBN 0-646-

42672-9), which is a book now out-of-print but

available on loan via the ACT Public Library. This writer

is indebted to the above authors and to Curtis

Campbell - with whom he has spent many hours – for

much of the material used in this article.

Neville Bleakley

Neville Bleakley is a long-time resident of Canberra with a

particular interest in the history of The Valley. He has

written several articles on this subject.

Photos courtesy of Robert Campbell.

Notes on photos accompanying this article:

1 Taylor’s Hill (now Mt Taylor) is in the background. The homestead of Yarra Glen is in the trees in the centre of the photo. To the right of that are the trees around Melrose (the Maguires). It is clear that the Yarra Glen homestead is in a definite valley that made the spot particularly cold in winter. Curtis and Robert Campbell told me that water would freeze in the dog bowls, and water taps would sometimes burst. On a winter’s night they would sometimes encounter a ‘solid wall of cold’ as they approached home. 2 The truck is filling a crop duster/spreader with superphosphate. The aircraft is likely to be a variation of a Grumman Schweizer Ag-Cat, the first type of aircraft designed by a major aircraft company specifically for agricultural aviation. The Ag-Cat gained its certification for agricultural work in January 1959, and was widely used throughout the world.



From the President

Hello members.

As I write this report another financial year has come to a close. Pleasingly, I can report that we were actually able to slightly increase our bank balances over the course of the year due to a break-even operating result. Given where we were two years ago this is a fantastic effort and has come about through a combination of tight expenditure control and the continued unpaid efforts of our loyal volunteers. So again thankyou to those who continue to contribute in supporting our worthy organisation. For more information on how the operations of the Trust are going please consider attending our AGM which will be held at the National Archives on 29 October 2015 from 6:00pm. By the time you read this edition of HiT you will also probably be aware that we have moved from our long- term home in the North Building to the Griffin Centre, which is part of the Canberra Centre complex. Unfortunately the move was forced on us by the ACT Government who are expanding the Legislative Assembly and moving some of its operations into the North Building. On the positive side though I must thank the ACT Government who have looked after the Trust by providing much newer digs in the heart of the city much to the relief of Liz and our regular volunteers who come into the office. So, if you’re in town be sure to drop in and see Liz and the team. We have established a petition on our website “Include Canberra on Australia’s National Heritage List” with the aim of delivering to Minister Hunt the strongest possible message that the Trust and its friends wholeheartedly support Canberra’s listing on the NHL. So please consider registering your support by either accessing the link (https://www.change.org/p/greg-hunt-mp-minister-for-the-environment-include-canberra-on-australia-s-national-heritage-list?recruiter=334036651&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive ) or completing the form on page 26 and scanning/posting it back to Liz in the office. I’m aware that some people have received some spam email after registering. My apologies for this but be assured that we undertake these initiatives with the best of intentions.

Contents

The Valley – Six families who made a viable community _______________________________ 1

From the President ________________________ 5

People and Places/ Trusted Recipe ____________ 6

Notice of National Trust (ACT) 40th AGM _______ 7

Heritage Diary ____________________________ 8

Travels and at home with the Trust __________ 10

Heritage Happenings _______________________ 11

Inaugural Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal Award 2015 ____________________________________ 12

A visit to Bathurst _________________________ 13

ACT and Region Heritage Partnership Symposium Report __________________________________ 14

Movable Cultural Heritage _________________ 15

Dirk Hartog – 400th anniversary update /

Thanks to Peter Lundy _____________________ 16

Speaker Evenings Reports __________________ 17

Trust Tour Report - Germany _______________19

A Young Australian Soldier, a Grieving Mother, a Letter and a Compassionate German Officer ___ 23

Canberra National Heritage List Petition _______ 26

In closing, most members would know that NTACT does not own any properties and that the closest Trust property is the NSW Trust owned and operated Cooma Cottage just outside of Yass. This year marks the 175th anniversary of Hamilton Hume moving into Cooma Cottage and in recognition of this milestone there will be a Costume Ball held on site on Saturday 3 October. This will be a great fund raising opportunity for Cooma Cottage and there will be a number of NTACT Councillors attending so please consider joining us for a fun evening. More information can be obtained from the office or on our website.

Thanks again for your interest and support.

Scott McAlister President

https://www.change.org/p/greg-hunt-mp-minister-for-the-environment-include-canberra-on-australia-s-national-heritage-list?recruiter=334036651&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive








People and Places

New members

The National Trust (ACT) warmly welcomes the

following new members:

Helen Swarbrick and Alex Breeze

Mark Butz

Susan and David Chessell

Naomi Clarke

Geoff and Rossalyn Clarke

Lembit Suur and Joanne Constantinides

David and Perdi Crawford

Pam Daniel and Steve Dovey

Kathleen and Trevor Dunham

Michael and Kathi Eland

Glenn Ford

Narelle Ford

Ros Greenwood

Tim Jensma and Katie Hamilton

Greg and Dinah Irvine

Michael Jensma

Rhonda and Ken Jorgensen

Deb and Butch Louden

Lindsay and Malcolm Mackerras

Sarah Robinson and Luke McDonald

Phil McFadyen

Gini McFadyen

Ruth and Peter Meadows

Brendan Moore

Trish Moore

Ernie and Janet Oxwell

Brendan and Grace Price

Andrew and Ann Proctor

Barry and Norah Sloane

Sue and Paul Street

Robyn Oswald and David Thomson

Trusted recipe Chocolate soufflé with Shiraz syrup

http://www.wineselectors.com.au/about-wine/recipes/all-

recipes/chocolate-souffl-with-shiraz-syrup

While spring is round the corner, there are still a few wintry evenings ahead. This chocolate soufflé with Shiraz syrup will be

sure to warm you up.

Serves 4. Preparation 10 minutes

Ingredients

20 g unsalted butter

½ tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

½ cup (125ml) milk

100g 70% Cocoa chocolate (eg Lindt), broken

2 large egg yolks

3 large egg whites

¼ cup (55g) extra caster sugar

1 punnet fresh raspberries

Shiraz syrup

1 ½ cups (375 ml) shiraz 1/3 cup (75 g) caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200o C. 2. Grease four small (180 – 200 ml) soufflé dishes. Place sugar

in one dish, turn dish to coat sides and base, then tip excess sugar into next dish and repeat. Place dishes on oven tray.

3. Combine flour with a little of the milk and stir to dissolve. Add rest of milk slowly and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Simmer for 1 minute then remove from heat.

4. Stir in broken chocolate pieces and whisk till smooth. 5. Add egg yolks, whisk, and transfer to large bowl to cool. 6. Beat egg whites separately until soft peaks form. Gradually

add extra sugar one tablespoon at a time, and dissolve before adding more, until thick and glossy.

7. Fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture until just combined.

8. Divide soufflé mixture into soufflé dishes. 9. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes until puffed up but still a little

wobbly in centre. 10. Meanwhile make shiraz sauce by simmering wine and sugar

until sugar dissolves, then simmer till thickened and reduced to half cup.

Serve with shiraz sauce and fresh raspberries



New address for the Trust office

The National Trust ACT office moved at the end of July 2015

to a new location in Civic.

The new physical address is: Unit 3.9, Level 3, Griffin

Centre, 20 Genge Street, Canberra City, ACT 2600.

All other contact details remain the same.

See photos on page 24. Full contact details are on page 25.

Trust office hours from Monday 17 August to Thursday 17

September The Trust’s Office Manager, Liz, will be away from the

office from Thursday 13 August, returning on Monday 21

September. During this time the office will be manned by

Council members and volunteers on a part-time basis.

We will endeavour to keep disruption to a minimum but

over the period of 17 August to 17 September office

hours may vary. Phone messages and emails will be

checked regularly; bookings for tours and events can still

be made and membership cards processed.

Please leave a daytime phone number and your call will

be returned.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL

MEETING

The 40th 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 29 October 2015, 6.00pm for 6.30pm.

Council vacancies will be notified in accordance with

the Memorandum and Articles of Association prior to

the meeting.

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 (Phone 02 6230 0533 or email

[email protected] ) 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

National Trust (ACT) 2015

Councillors

Scott McAlister (President and Treasurer)

Dianne Dowling (Vice President)

Mary Johnston (Secretary/Public Officer)

Graham Carter

Grahame Crocket

Bethany Lance

Eric Martin

Jim Nockels

Linda Roberts

Jon Stanhope

John Tucker

Chris Wain


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



Heritage Diary August to December 2015 A selection of heritage-related events of interest to members

Details of National Trust (ACT) events are provided in Travels and at home with the Trust on page 10.

Date and time

Event and location

Organiser

Contact

On-going

Every Saturday

11.30am - 2.30pm

Blundell’s Cottage, reopened May 2015 after

heritage and interpretive works, is now open every Saturday with tours at 11.30am and 1pm. New

exhibits interpret Ginn and Sainsbury families –

the first and last families in occupation.

Numbers limited, bookings recommended.

NCA https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/blundells-

cottage-families-of-workers-tickets-16854262553

On-going Monthly

Second Sunday

10.00am – 4.00pm.

other times by

appointment

History with a Difference. Popular Canberra

storyteller, Elizabeth Burness brings stories of Canberra’s pioneering past alive with tales of the

old schooldays. Admission: gold coin

Tuggeranong Schoolhouse, 34 Enid Lorimer

Circuit Chisholm

Tuggeranong

Schoolhouse Museum

Elizabeth Burness

(02) 6161 6383 or 0400 391 440 http://www.historywithadifference.com.au/t

uggeranong-schoolhouse-

museum/index.html

Until 15 November Life Interrupted: Gallipoli Stories

The stories of our soldiers at Gallipoli – all in

their own words.

National Archives, Queen Victoria Terrace

NAA (02) 6212 3600 naa.gov.au/visit-us/exhibitions

Sat 15 August

1.00 – 4.00 pm

Cooking demonstration: Anzac biscuits.

Commemorate the centenary of ANZAC at

Calthorpes’ house and try the Calthorpes family Anzac biscuit recipe. Normal admission, this

program runs continually throughout the afternoon.

Calthorpes’ House, 24 Mugga Way, Red Hill ACT

ACT

Museums and

Galleries

www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/calt

horpes

Tuesday 11 August

5.30pm

CDHS talk – Dr Alan Roberts, A Georgian

clergyman and his son. Menzies Room, National

Archives, Queen Victoria Terrace

CDHS 6281 2929

Wednesday 19

August 3.00 – 4.30pm

ANZAC Parade – Conflict and Sacrifice

Remembered. Walking tour of selected memorials on ANZAC Parade. Meet: 2.50pm Hellenic

Memorial, cnr Limestone Avenue & ANZAC Pde

NCA Bookings essential

http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/anzac-parade-conflict-and-sacrifice-remembered-

tickets-17059026006?aff=erelexporg

Wednesday 19

August

6.30 for 7.00pm

CAS/CAR lecture - Nick McClean, on

Conservation across the cultural divide- where

are we up to? Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6,

Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU.

CAS www.cas.asn.au

Saturday 29 August

11.00am – 1.00pm Listening to the Past - Music in Historic Places

Mugga-Mugga ANU School of Music Visiting Fellow, Jennifer

Gall, explores the different kinds of sounds heard

at Mugga-Mugga from indigenous occupation and

from the 1830s when Europeans settled in the district. Chance to try out instruments belonging to

Curley family.

ACT

Museums and Galleries

Bookings essential $15 (ACT M&G

members free), Payment by Tue 25 August at Eventbrite:

http://muggalisteningtothepast.eventbrite.co

m.au.

7 – 11 September INTO 2015 Conference

16th International Conference of National

Trusts Cambridge UK

INTO http://www.internationaltrusts.org/10409

http://www.icntcambridge2015.org.uk/

Wednesday 9

September – day trip

National Trust bus trip to Love Desire and

Riches: The Fashion of Wedding Dresses at Old

Government House, Sydney

National Trust 6230 0533

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/blundells-cottage-families-of-workers-tickets-16854262553



http://www.historywithadifference.com.au/tuggeranong-schoolhouse-museum/index.html



http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/calthorpes

http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/calthorpes

http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/anzac-parade-conflict-and-sacrifice-remembered-tickets-17059026006?aff=erelexporg



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

http://muggalisteningtothepast.eventbrite.com.au/

http://muggalisteningtothepast.eventbrite.com.au/

http://www.internationaltrusts.org/10409

http://www.icntcambridge2015.org.uk/



Tuesday 15

September 10am - midday

Magna Carta 800th Anniversary – Stepping

Stones to Democracy. Walking tour from Magna Carta Place, via democratic landmarks to

Parliament House to see the copy of the Great

Charter held there, including a viewing of the

'Charters of Our Nation'. Meet at 9.50am at Magna Carta Place, Langton

Crescent, Parkes.

NCA

http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/magna-

carta-800th-anniversary-stepping-stones-to-democracy-tickets-

15868310544?aff=erelexporg

Wednesday 16

September

6.30 for 7.00pm

CAS/CAR lecture - Bec Parkes, Googong

Heritage Project. Manning Clark Centre, Theatre

6, Bldg 26A, Union Court, ANU.

CAS www.cas.asn.au

Sunday 20

September – day trip

Bombala in the spring. National Trust bus trip National Trust 6230 0533

Saturday 3 October 175th Anniversary Costume Ball

Cooma Cottage Yass

National Trust

6230 0533

Sunday 11 October

Sunday 18 October

Sunday 25 October

Writers workshop series: Sundays at home

Join Sarah St Vincent Welch to discover how ideas

of home, place, and memories can be sources for poetry, life writing and fiction, over three Sundays

at the historic Lanyon, Calthorpes’ House (18 Oct)

and Mugga-Mugga.

ACT

Museums and

Gallleries

For costings and further details:

http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.a

u/lanyon/public.html Bookings essential

Sunday 18 October Tharwa – details to follow National Trust 6230 0533

Wednesday 21

October

6.30 for 7.00pm

CAS/CAR lecture - Stuart Hawkins, Vanuatu.

Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg 26A,

Union Court, ANU.

CAS www.cas.asn.au

Thursday 29

October

6.00 for 6.30pm

National Trust AGM – details of speaker to

follow Menzies Room, National Archives

National Trust

6230 0533

Sunday 15

November

Historic Queanbeyan walk – details to follow National Trust

6230 0533

Wednesday 18 November

6.30 for 7.00pm

CAS/CAR lecture - Billy O’Foghlu, Iron Age Music. Manning Clark Centre, Theatre 6, Bldg

26A, Union Court, ANU.

CAS www.cas.asn.au

26 November –

28 March

Science and Art: 12 Years of the Waterhouse

Natural Science Art Prize

Retrospective exhibition of winning works, and

material from collections of the SA Museum, NAA, State Herbarium of SA and State Records of

SA to delve further into the science behind the art.

National Archives, Queen Victoria Terrace

NAA Bookings not needed.

(02) 6212 3600

naa.gov.au/visit-us/exhibitions

Sunday 6 December National Trust Christmas Party – details to

follow

National Trust

6230 0533

Notes: CAS is the Canberra Archaeological Society. CAR is the Centre for Archaeological Research. CDHS is Canberra and District Historical Society. NAA is National Archives of Australia. INTO is International National Trusts Organisation, U3A is University of the Third Age. NCA is National Capital Authority. NMA is National Museum of Australia. UNSW is University of NSW. 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.eventbrite.com.au/e/magna-carta-800th-anniversary-stepping-stones-to-democracy-tickets-15868310544?aff=erelexporg





http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/lanyon/public.html

http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/lanyon/public.html





Travels and at home with the Trust Local and Interstate

Love Desire & Riches: The Fashion of Wedding Dresses Bus Tour to Old Government House, Sydney Wednesday 9 September 7.30am – 6.00pm Pick up Deakin 7.30am Pick up Northbourne Ave Lyneham 7.45am

This day tour will take you to

Old Government House, Sydney

to see a collection of over 50

famous and rarely seen wedding

gowns and accessories. The

collection spans over 200 years

of fashion and includes pieces

from leading Australian

designers such as Akira Isogawa,

Collette Dinnigan and Marianna

Hardwick, rare and beautiful pieces from the National

Trust Collection, to gowns made famous through their

connection with film, television and literature. The

exquisite red dress worn by Nicole Kidman in Moulin

Rouge, Carey Mulligan’s wedding gown from The Great

Gatsby and Toni Collette’s gown from Muriel’s Wedding

are on display, along with celebrity gowns of Catriona

Rowntree and Kate Ritchie, including the bridal gown

belonging to her on-screen character, Sally Fletcher

from Home and Away.

Cost: $90.00 NT and U3A members; $100.00 non-

members. Includes morning tea, lunch, and entry

ticket. Bookings essential: Call the office on 02 6230

0533 or email [email protected]

Please specify where you will board the bus and any

dietary restrictions when booking

Bombala in the Spring Bus Tour

Sunday 20 September 7.45am – 6.00pm Pick up Northbourne Ave Lyneham 7.45am

Pick up Deakin 8.00am

This National Trust day trip to the Bombala area will

take us to two historic properties that go back to the

earliest days of European settlement on the Monaro.

The owners of both private properties have kindly made

them available to the Trust and this will allow us to see

two heritage sites that are still working properties

Old Burnima in Autumn

We will arrive at Old Burnima property at 11.00 am for a

tour of this historic home and garden and morning tea

provided by our hosts Mr and Mrs Gillespie-Jones.

Lunch is at Bombala RSL Club at 12.30. After lunch we

will depart for our second historic property, Aston,

arriving at 2.00 pm for a tour. We will depart for

Canberra at about 3.00 pm returning by 6.00pm.

Cost: $70.00 NT and U3A members; $80.00 non-

members. Includes lunch, morning and afternoon teas

Bookings essential: Call the office on 02 6230 0533 or email [email protected] Please specify where you will board the bus and any dietary restrictions when booking

Please check the website or contact the office for details of these forthcoming tours and events:

Tharwa Tour- EOI accepted now Sunday 18 October

National Trust AGM Thursday 29 October 6.00 for 6.30pm National Archives See p7 for Notice of AGM

Historic Queanbeyan Walk- EOI accepted now Sunday 15 November

National Trust Christmas party Sunday 6 December – Details to be advised





Heritage Happenings Heritage and Grants Committee Sandy Blair, the current convenor of the Heritage and Grants Committee will soon move to the south coast so the Heritage and Grants Committee make an open invitation for all members who may have an interest in heritage to join the Heritage and Grants Committee.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 19 August at 5.30pm.

The Council of the ACT National Trust extends a great amount of thanks and gratitude to Sandy who has led the Heritage and Grants Committee for a number of years since she stood down from Council. There have been significant landmark activities largely initiated by Sandy such as the annual Regional Heritage Symposium which will have a lasting legacy.

Northbourne Housing Precinct The National Trust will continue to argue for due process to be followed and for a consideration of heritage values of the site with any future proposals for the site.

The National Trust classified the place in 2004 and the current Government proposals do not even respect the ACT Heritage Council's views. The

National Trust website has more details.

Significant Trees This is a national project and includes a national register. Other states/territories are gathering in Canberra on 1-2 October 2015. The ACT National Trust is seeking any interested person to volunteer to be involved in this project.

Merry-Go-Round Conservation The National Trust has agreed to establish a special committee to manage National Trust involvement in the ongoing conservation of the Merry-go-Round. Terms of reference are being drafted for Council consideration.

Submissions Made

University of Canberra Masterplan and Draft Variation

West Basin Stage 1 of City to Lake

Pialligo Draft Variation 321

National Capital Plan Exposure Draft

Acton Peninsula Heritage Management Plan

West Belconnen NCA Amendment 85 and ACTPLA Draft Variation 351

National Capital Exposure Draft

Current Issues Griffith Park and relocation of Manuka Occasional Care The National Trust is aware of community concerns and is considering if there are heritage issues involved.

Narrabundah Housing The National Trust has supported the community interest group in that a proper heritage assessment should precede any decision regarding the future of the site.

National Heritage Listing of Canberra A petition is being circulated by the National Trust in support of the listing of Canberra on the National Heritage List. See page 26.

St John's Schoolhouse There is some evidence that James Ainslie may have built and lived in the former Schoolhouse. The National Trust is investigating this further to see if the mystery can be clarified.

Capital Metro Light Rail Stage 1 EIS This is out for comment and the National Trust will make a submission.

Ongoing Issues West Belconnen and Ginninderra Falls

Oaks Estate and extent of any heritage listing.

Kingston Arts Precinct Feasibility Study has

been circulated.

Eric J Martin AM

Canberra Merry Go Round 1996 National Library Australia



Inaugural Bathurst Macquarie

Heritage Medal Award 2015

Heritage conservation consultant

and immediate past Chair of the

ACT Heritage Council Duncan

Marshall was announced as the

inaugural winner of the Bathurst

Macquarie Heritage Medal at a

dinner in Bathurst on 7 May

2015.

Four nominees from three states

were nominated for the national $25,000 award.

Bathurst, Australia's oldest inland European settlement,

celebrating its bicentenary year in 2015, is staking its

claim on history and heritage in awarding the inaugural

Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal, funded by Bathurst

Regional Council.

Mayor of Bathurst Cr Gary Rush said Council created the

award to recognise the protection, enhancement and

promotion of Australia's heritage and help raise

awareness about the immense value of celebrating and

acknowledging the people, places and events that have

shaped us today.

Duncan Marshall is well known to members of the ACT

National Trust and is described by his peers as a

supreme professional, a forward thinker, who has made

a significant and lasting contribution to heritage

conservation, principles and practice through hundreds

of projects and publications over 30 years.

As a leading heritage conservation consultant he has

written hundreds of publications and speeches and

delivered projects locally, nationally and internationally

on World Heritage, conservation principles and practice,

heritage identification and assessment, conservation

planning and moveable cultural heritage.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Marshall praised Bathurst

for its vision and commitment in creating such an award

and its commitment to national heritage as well as local

issues.

To keep up to date with information about the Bathurst

200 celebrations, visit bathurst200.com.au

(Ed. For more information, refer to A visit to Bathurst on

page 13 of this issue of Heritage in Trust)

Duncan Marshall teaching

Text adapted from Media Release, Bathurst Regional Council, 8 May 2015 Photos Eric Martin & Associates

http://bathurst200.com.au/



A Visit to Bathurst As part of a U3A ACT trip in May, I visited Bathurst. It

turned out we were present on the very day of the city’s

200th anniversary. Proclaimed in 1815 by Governor

Lachlan Macquarie, the city celebrated this major

milestone on Thursday 7 May 2015. We didn’t take part

in any of the celebrations but we were very aware of

what was going on because our hotel had many

Japanese guests from Bathurst’s sister city, Okhuma.

Being Australia’s oldest inland city means that Bathurst

has many beautiful old buildings, including the

Courthouse, as well as other historic sites.

Former Prime Minister Ben Chifley’s house and

contents were purchased by the Bathurst City Council in

1972 and the property is now a house museum open to

visitors. The young Chifleys moved into the house in

1914 and lived in it until they died, Ben in 1951 and his

wife Elizabeth in 1962. Built in the 1880s near the

railway, the house is tiny compared with most homes

today and reflects a modest style of living that wouldn’t

be common among today’s politicians. Furnishings are

as they were in the Chifleys’ time there. The guides are

local volunteers, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about

both Ben Chifley and his home. As well as the usual

house contents, there’s an interesting display of photos

in the education centre.

Ben Chifley’s House

On a slightly grander scale is Miss Traill’s House which is

owned by the National Trust. This house was built in

1845/46 in the Georgian style.

It was originally owned by the first rector of All Saints’

Anglican Church in Bathurst and became the home of

Miss Ida Traill and her mother in the early 1930s. Ida

Traill lived there until her death in 1976. She left the

house and garden to the National Trust, having built up

a collection of a lovely objects – including furniture,

paintings and ceramics – that are a feature of the

property. When we visited, some additional objects

were on display as part of Bathurst’s 200th anniversary

celebrations. These included some pieces from the

costume collection.

Miss Traill's House

The house has a lovely garden which includes a block that was originally a horse paddock. While the garden is said to be at its best during spring and early summer, even in May it was attractive, with late roses, sasanqua camellias, nerines and autumn-tinted leaves. (The garden was featured in the February 2011 edition of Trust News.)

Miss Traill’s Garden



One of the real surprises of our visit was the Australian

Fossil and Mineral Museum, also known as the

Somerville Collection. This might sound a bit dull, but in

fact it’s an amazing collection of fossils and minerals,

beautifully displayed, and housed in a restored school

building. The collection is the work of Warren Somerville

AM who gave part of his collection to the nation in

2000, on the basis that it will always be housed in

Central Western NSW. It’s well worth a visit.

Fossil and Mineral Museum

I’m sure we saw only a fraction of what Bathurst has to

offer the visitor interested in history and heritage, and

I’m keen to start planning a second trip.

Wendy Whitham

______________________________________________

Heritage Symposium: First session speakers receiving questions

ACT and Region Heritage Partnership Symposium 2015 Sharing Heritage: Create, Change, Cherish

This year's symposium titled “Sharing Heritage: Create,

Change, Cherish” was held on Saturday 18 July and was

well attended by heritage practitioners, government

officials and interested community members.

It was a welcome opportunity to hear about and discuss

a wide range of topics and issues as well as have

Minister Gentleman advise us of the ACT Heritage

Strategy to be made available for public comment in the

future. Interested people should contact ACT Heritage.

Minister Gentleman releasing the ACT Heritage Strategy

The session on heritage learning experiences revealed

the difficulties of retaining and resourcing school

archives (Esther Davies Telopea Park) and the wonderful

detective conservation project at Museum of Australian

Democracy at Old Parliament House (MOAD)(Brendan

Carroll). It was pleasing to note that following last year's

symposium steps have been taken to record and assess

part of the University of Canberra collections (Hakim

Abdul Rahim and Dr Andrew Simpson).

Heritage and change provided evidence that heritage

buildings can be adapted with a successful outcome

such as New Acton (Tracy Hill). However there needs to

be controls so heritage fabric is protected (Richard

Sharp) and energy and sustainability needs to be better

balanced to consider existing fabric (Rachael Jackson).

We also enjoyed the amazing scope of work by Alberto

Soares which was mainly churches in the region

(Graeme Barrow).

Community involvement is important and the value of

owner/architect in-house design was explored and some



details of the Springbank Island Archaeological dig (Lucy

Blackam, Melandri Ucok) revealed. Particular collections

were presented including Oral History at MOAD OPH (Dr

Barry York) and the National Film Sound Archives audio

Visual collection (Rod Butler) provided information most

people were not aware of.

Lucy & Melandri from CAS discussing the archaeological dig on Springbank Island

An international touch was presented on communities

and change (Marilyn Truscott) and a case study of West

Lake of Hangzhou in China looked at tourism and

resident impacts.

Marilyn Truscott on China

The symposium closed with a panel of views of the day

and other issues from Sandy Blair, David Flannery, Steve

Brown and Duncan Marshall. A good day for all and

looking forward to 2016.

Expert Panel discussing their views

Eric J Martin, AM Photos Dianne Dowling

Movable Cultural Heritage An invitation to comment: In December 2014 the Minister for the Arts appointed

Mr Shane Simpson AM to undertake a broad-ranging,

independent review of the Protection of Movable

Cultural Heritage Act 1986. Mr Simpson has now

released a position paper, outlining a new model for the

protection of cultural property. The position paper,

along with a summary, is available

at www.arts.gov.au/topics/public-

consultations/review-protection-movable-cultural-

heritage-act.

The position paper is being supported by a national,

online survey, seeking public comment on the proposed

model. The survey can be accessed at

www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2223721/Review-of-the-

PMCH-Act, and will be open until 14 August 2015.

Information provided by stakeholders will be used in

developing Mr Simpson’s final report, which is due to be

presented to the Australian Government by 30

September.

You are encouraged to participate, and to distribute this information as widely as possible throughout your networks, to ensure that all interested stakeholders have an opportunity to participate. The PMCH Act plays an important role in protecting

Australia’s cultural heritage by regulating the export of

objects that are significant to our history. It also

provides for the return of foreign cultural property

which has been illegally exported from its country of

origin. The review intends to provide improved clarity

on the processes and requirements of those importing

and exporting cultural objects in Australia. The position

paper proposes a simpler legislative framework,

objective standards to define those objects being

regulated, a flexible and risk-based approach to

assessment processes, and clearer guidance to decision-

makers throughout the process.

Please direct questions to the review secretariat at [email protected]

http://www.arts.gov.au/topics/public-consultations/review-protection-movable-cultural-heritage-act



http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2223721/Review-of-the-PMCH-Act

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2223721/Review-of-the-PMCH-Act




More information on these initiatives can be found on the website of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

A map of Eendrachtsland by Dutch cartographer Hessel

Gerritsz, dated 1627. Caert van 't Landt van d'Eendracht, uit

Journalen ende affteyckeningen der stierluyden t'

samengestelt. 1627. © Nationaal Archief, Den Haag,

Verzameling Buitenlandse Kaarten Leupe, nummer toegang

4.VEL, inventarisnummer 502

Wendy Whitham

(Refer May 2015 issue for more information on Dirk Hartog 400th Anniversary)

Dirk Hartog Update

The Dutch Embassy in Canberra advises that the Dirk Hartog 2016 website www.dirkhartog2016.nl was launched on 11 May. The website is to provide a platform for anyone interested in the commemoration and celebration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Dirk Hartog in Western Australia. There is also a Dirk Hartog twitter feed, @DirkHartog2016.

According to the Dutch site, the Western Australian Government has also launched a webpage (via its Department of the Premier and Cabinet) which mentions a range of State Government-funded activities. This page indicates that there will be a particular focus on Dirk Hartog Island and Denham in the Shark Bay region and that one of the many highlights of the commemorations will be the journey to Denham by the replica Dutch ship of the era, the Duyfken.

Thanks to Peter Lundy

Peter Lundy RFD Dip Law, D(Int) L, LDIC,

MIAMA joined the ACT National Trust Council

in 2004 and has been a vice president for most

of the period since then.

Peter always provided sound quality advice,

especially during some difficult financial

periods where we had to reassess our situation

and restructure ourselves. He has a legal

background but his strength for us was in

governance, and he oversighted constitutional

refinements and ensured that we operated

correctly, including establishing procedures to

meet our obligations under corporate law.

He is a quiet and effective person who can be

relied upon, and I always appreciated his

advice and contributions to Council discussions

and decisions.

Peter attended most functions over his period

on Council and could often be found lending a

hand behind the bar especially at the end-of-

year Christmas function at Huntly.

Unfortunately his health has meant that he has

been unable to contribute this year as he would

have liked and he has now resigned from

Council.

We wish him and Maureen all the best and we

acknowledge his substantial contribution to the

ACT National Trust.

Eric J Martin AM

https://www.dpc.wa.gov.au/ProjectsandSpecialEvents/Pages/Dirk-Hartog-400-year-Commemoration.aspx#400year

https://www.dpc.wa.gov.au/ProjectsandSpecialEvents/Pages/Dirk-Hartog-400-year-Commemoration.aspx#400year

http://www.dirkhartog2016.nl/



Speaker Evening Reports The many-layered Jerrabomberra Wetlands

Wednesday 20 May

It was on the occasion of Lake Burley Griffin’s 50th

anniversary that I first attended Mark Butz’s talk on

Jerrabomberra Wetlands. The connection? Once the

lake had filled, the wetlands were more defined.

However, the many layered past had been neglected

and was ripe for exploring.

The 13-month delay in getting Mark Butz to repeat his

fascinating presentation to the Trust actually worked

well, with recent archaeological digs uncovering WWI

trenches at Jerrabomberra Wetlands hitting the media.

Well-researched and entertaining, the talk involved

Mark showing us numerous maps of the area over many

decades, with a helpful, consistent marker on each map

allowing us to orient ourselves to the changes in the

area.

Beginning with geology, Aboriginal settlement of this

lush Byalegee (Pialligo) region and on to European uses

of the land, the recurring theme was “remember it is a

floodplain”. Walter Burley Griffin’s plans included more

stylised ornamental lakes with East Lake being several

metres higher than the present Lake Burley Griffin. In

1950 East Lake and the Civic railway were deleted from

the Canberra Plan.

Mark Butz left with Park and Heritage staff at the dig site

Various floods, including in 1922, 1925, 1934 and 1945,

accounted for soldier settlements and railway

infrastructure. Today the area is a valuable wetland

habitat and refuge for migrating birds.

About 50 members and a large number of guests

enjoyed Mark’s talk at the National Archives and I

encourage you to check out the birdlife and frogs from

the new boardwalks at this wonderfully central amenity.

Linda Roberts

Archaeological dig uncovers important WWI training site.

STOP PRESS: A collaboration between the ANU School of

Archaeology and Anthropology, ACT Parks and

Conservation Service, and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands

Management Committee has resulted in a project that

aims to locate, protect, interpret and promote physical

evidence of the AIF Trench Warfare and Bombing School.

The trenches were dug 100 years ago to instruct officers

with the latest ‘Island Traverse System’ to equip our

troops leaving for the Western Front.

The site is of national importance as other trench

warfare schools in NSW, Victoria and South Australia

have all been built over. This area’s floodplain status has

protected these trenches from development.



Christmas and Cocos Islands—a

different perspective Wednesday 1 July

Our former Chief Minister Jon Stanhope is known for

being up-front where perceived injustices occur. That

passion was evident at the talk delivered to 48 members

and guests on the heritage of Christmas and Cocos

(Keeling) Islands at the National Archives.

For most of us the five detention centres on Christmas

Island and, on a lighter note, the colourful stamps

marked with Cocos (Keeling) Islands are the only

associations we have with this remote part of the world.

In his background on the islands, Jon spoke of Dampier,

of Alexander Hare and his harem of 40 Malay women, of

self-proclaimed King of Cocos Islands John Clunies-Ross,

of the discovery of phosphate and of wartime tragedies.

Christmas Island’s volcanic origin - it rises to 300m -

contrasts with Cocos Islands’ low-lying, idyllic coral

atolls. We were rather astonished to hear that there are

two mosques on Christmas Island, catering for its 80%

Muslim population, and no churches. The population of

2,000 is 70% Chinese, 20% Malay and 10% European.

Jon, Administrator for the two years 2012-14, needed an

interpreter to engage with residents of Cocos Islands.

Apartheid existed, with demarcation between the

indentured workers from Singapore, Malaya and China

(coolies) who mined and transported the phosphate, the

British and Indians.

Pictures showed traces of Japanese occupation during

WWII including steps leading to the demolished, ornate

Shinto shrine and gun towers. Jon’s frustration with the

neglect of this and other heritage was palpable, with the

jungle and trees smothering sites of significance and his

appeals to the Commonwealth and WA governments

falling on deaf ears.

WWI featured as well, with HMAS Sydney’s sinking of

the SMS Emden near Cocos Islands and German soldiers

buried on the island.

A repeated refrain was “This is now Australian soil. Do

we accept this history that these islands practised

apartheid, that the Japanese brought their ‘comfort

women’ here, that there is a German war cemetery, that

the heritage is disappearing?”

Images of neglected structures, carvings, rusted train

engines were slightly off-set by beautiful tropical views

taken from the Administrator’s house verandah looking

down on Flying Fish Cove. The presence of naval ships

was never far away.

Thank you to one of our newest National Trust

councillors for sharing this interesting part of his tenure

at this remote Australian outpost.

Linda Roberts

Stamps from Cocos (Keeling) Islands

http://www.pacificstamps.com.au/cocosislands.php

Map showing location of Cocos and Christmas Islands

http://www.pacificstamps.com.au/cocosislands.php



Overseas Trust Tour Report

Germany – Archaeology, History and

Culture 18 May – 10 June 2015

Peter and Dianne Dowling devised a busy and greatly

stimulating journey through time and place for eleven

National Trust members over three weeks, with the

emphasis on UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Geographically we began in the west at Trier, moved to

Berlin, then Hamburg, Bamberg and Munich, using those

cities as centres from which we explored surrounding

localities of special interest. The time span extended

from the Jurassic fossils at Solnhofen, Neanderthal Man

230,000 to 30,000 years ago in the Neander Valley near

Düsseldorf, through the Neolithic and Bronze Ages at

Lake Constance to the Romans at Trier and Saalburg.

There were Vikings at Hedeby near the Danish border;

we visited several medieval cities and towns, the 19th

century warehouse district of Hamburg, saw the impact

of WW2 in many places and the sparkling showrooms of

BMW in Munich!

BMW Munich

In each of the major centres we visited the stand-out

museums and art galleries. Babylonian, Roman and

Greek antiquities featured at the Pergamon and Altes

Museums in Berlin, while the chance to see

archaeological treasures such as beautifully crafted flint

tools or classic Old Masters - van Dyck, Rubens,

Breughel, Dürer and others – fulfilled the wishlist for

several of us. Whilst the actual bones of Neanderthal

Man now reside in the German National Museum in

Bonn, the story of their discovery and their place in

human evolution is wonderfully set out in a museum in

the Neander Valley near the quarry in which they were

found. The latest ideas about the causes of their

extinction are explored, and our pre-trip homework

brought us up-to-date with current thinking that Homo

sapiens interbred with H.neanderthalensis – we have

1%-4% of Neanderthal DNA in us if we are Asian or

European. Following our visit to the Neander Valley we

went to Bonn to see the actual Neanderthal skeleton

which is now on display.

Neanderthal Man

City walking or bus tours with local guides assisted us in

appreciating the layout of settlements, providing a

geographical and historical background to each town

and enabling us to re-visit and experience particular

areas on our free days, or simply to enjoy the shopping

and food experience of Germany’s distinctive regions

such as beer, sausages and Black Forest Cake!

Trier prides itself on being the most important town in

Roman times in what is now Germany. Substantial

remains include baths, a basilica, an amphitheatre,

bridge foundations and the gateway known as the Porta

Nigra. The local museum houses impressive mosaics.

Restoration still continues at some of the monuments.

At Saalburg further east, border fortifications known as



Limes have been reconstructed, with watch towers,

ditches and banks, together with associated buildings.

The outdoor museums of re-constructed Viking Age

Hedeby and Bronze Age pile dwellings on Lake

Constance were visited in very different conditions –

cold damp weather in the north near the Danish border,

and a warm sunny day at the lake on the southern

border of Germany.

Pfahlbauten Panorama

The wattle and daub dwellings of the Vikings were fitted

with items befitting the activities typical of their time;

the pile dwellings of the Neolithic and Bronze Age folk

demonstrated building techniques, dug-out canoes and

textile manufacture. There were many small villages like

this on the lakes of the Alpine region, and 111 have

been inscribed on the World Heritage List. Both

museums had indoor sections to display artefacts, maps

and diagrams.

Pfahlbauten Group textiles

Naturally most of our sojourn traced human activities

through the ages, but one special locality took us back

to the Jurassic era. In the popular imagination this era is

associated with dinosaurs, but here in the small town of

Solnhofen, located in an area of extremely fine

limestone which indicated the region was once a sub-

tropical sea, the most perfectly preserved marine

creatures were discovered. In this sea was a series of

isolated basins, within which individual assemblages of

creatures developed. So fine was the chalky sediment

around them that when they died, or were trapped by a

sudden slump of this material, even the soft parts of the

fish, brittle stars, ammonites, jellyfish, reptiles and

occasional plants were preserved. We saw the imprints

of the skins of lizards, not just the bones; here were the

circular imprints of the jellyfish and the scales of finned

fish. One slab of rock showed one creature caught in the

act of eating its prey. Another showed us "the living

fossil” of the Coelacanth, a fish still to be found in

today’s oceans. And of course the reason for the fame

of this area – Archaeopteryx was discovered – the first

inkling that birds might have evolved from reptiles! The

faint imprints of what could only be feathers had been

preserved in this fine matrix! In fact the quality of the

rock is such that it is in demand for lithographic printing.

Archaeopteryx

Cities such as Hamburg and Lübeck were given

particular impetus during the Hanseatic era when a

trading monopoly spread around the coasts of Germany,

southern Scandinavia and eastern England. We had seen

the Hanseatic warehouses in Bergen, Norway in 2008;

now we saw the city known as “Queen of the Hansa” –

Lübeck. As luck would have it, we visited Lübeck the day

after the opening of a brand new museum so we

explored both city and museum and were thoroughly

immersed in all things Hanseatic. The medieval city



centre fascinated us with its unique architecture – and

we sampled a product for which it is famous – marzipan!

One of the more fascinating parts of Hamburg was seen

on a harbour cruise; in 1887 red-brick warehouses were

built in an area of the docks now known as

Speicherstadt, to create a free port where customs

duties were not payable. Some of these buildings,

which are architecturally distinctive, now house tea,

coffee, spices, cocoa – and electronic goods and oriental

carpets! Several have been converted into museums;

nearby, Greenpeace is a tenant of a modern red-brick

building which blends well into the neighbourhood but

incorporates many energy-saving technologies.

Guide and group Bamberg

Other cities whose medieval centres we enjoyed were

Bamberg, Strasbourg and Heidelberg. Castles and

cathedrals dominated the heights while the rivers on

which they were located had provided transport, trading

centres, water and important crossing points in times

past. Today these rivers are often canalised and provide

the cheapest way of transporting non-perishable goods

such as scrap metal, coal and building materials. River

cruising tourism has also grown rapidly.

Castle Church Wittenberg

A day spent in Wittenberg Lutherstadt immersed us in

the events leading to the Reformation; we examined the

town centre and Martin Luther’s house with a local

guide and afterwards explored in our own time. In 2017

the town is celebrating the 500th anniversary of Luther’s

nailing his 95 theses to the church door – renovations

underway for this event meant that we were unable to

enter the church. Breaks for coffee and apfelstrudel

punctuated the day’s activities.

Six nights in Berlin enabled us to see a selection of the

wealth of sights on offer. Since the Berlin Wall fell in

1989, much reconstruction and modern development

has occurred, and the remaining section of the Wall

itself has become a monument and art gallery.

Berlin Wall art



A visit to Checkpoint Charlie provided a somewhat

harrowing experience when viewing the black and white

photos of the fortifications and people attempting to

escape. Later in the trip we visited Nürnberg to see the

courtroom where the Trials were held, and a recently

established museum display depicted the people who

were tried. Whilst in Munich we visited Dachau, site of

the first concentration camp in Germany built in 1933

and where Poles, Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and

others were imprisoned.

A happier evening was spent at the Berlin concert hall

where the Staatskapelle Berlin performed Beethoven’s

Piano Concerto No.4 to considerable applause. On a

sunny day we glimpsed the summer palace of

Charlottenburg and were guided around the palaces of

Sans Souci and St. Cecilienhof.

A day was devoted to Dresden, flattened by the Allies in

1945, now incredibly rebuilt. Its museums are

undergoing “staggered renovation” – at any one time

one wing is closed, but the remainder is open, and

thanks to the safe-keeping of many items during WW2,

a wonderful collection of Old Masters, porcelain and

scientific items are on display. Dresden and the Elbe

valley were inscribed on the World Heritage List – then

removed five years later by UNESCO when the city

authorities felt they had to build a new bridge to cope

with the increasing traffic congestion.

Time in Munich enabled us to experience a Biergarten

and visit the Hofbrauhaus – and the most recent aspects

of culture, BMW World – showrooms exhibiting the

latest models in a building itself worthy of note: two

cones, the upper one inverted over the lower; nearby

the BMW museum, offices and the factory. It is built

opposite Olympiapark which hosted the 1972 Games,

and whose facilities are still in regular use.

Many thanks to Peter and Dianne for all their

preparation and organisation before and during the trip;

it was wonderful to see and feel the wealth and variety

of human endeavour spanning such a long period of

time.

Text and photos: Carol Hall B.A.Hons, Geography,

University of Sheffield. Dip.Ed. Nottingham University.

Dresden Frauenkirche

Map of Germany (from Wikipedia)



A Young Australian Soldier, a Grieving Mother, a Letter

and a Compassionate German Officer

The record collections in the Australian War Memorial in

Canberra represent the very spirit of the Memorial itself.

They range from official military documents, personal

records, images, recordings, objects, films and the

personal diaries and letters of those who served. For the

professional historian they are a vital source of

information constantly used when researching and

trying to understand and tell of Australia’s involvement

in conflict.

While researching in the basement of the Memorial I

have often ordered a file from the catalogue and found

that I have in front of me an original letter or diary

written by hand describing a young soldier’s or nurse’s

experience and their thoughts before going into danger

and after surviving the horrors of war – it is a wonderful

but sobering experience to handle these original

documents. But every now and then a researcher can

come across something that really touches the heart.

This happened to me just a few months ago. I opened a

very slim folder and found just one page, a fading hand-

written letter that told a tragic story of a grieving mother

who had lost her son and a very noble German officer

who recounted how her son had died. The letter is a rare

connection between an Australian mother, her dead son

and a compassionate enemy.

Alan Serafino Righetti was born in Heywood, Victoria, on

23 August 1889. He was educated at St Patrick’s College,

Ballarat prior to his family moving to Queensland. Alan

was 25 years of age when he left his job as a storekeeper

and joined the Australian Imperial Force. He was

appointed 2nd Lieutenant with the 2nd Australian Light

Horse Regiment and served with his unit in Egypt and at

Gallipoli. After Gallipoli he returned to Egypt where he

was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 March 1916.

On 4 August 1916, he was leading his unit just outside

Romani when they engaged an Ottoman patrol. The

Ottoman unit, led by Heinrich Romer Andreae, a

German Army machine gun Officer, returned fire with

devastating effect on the Australians. Lieutenant Alan

Righetti, along with several of his men, was killed.

Following the conflict Alan’s body was identified by

Turkish soldiers from an identity disc he was wearing.

The disc was removed by the Turkish soldiers and

handed to Andreae, who in turn handed it to the

German military. Lieutenant Righetti’s body was later

recovered by Australian forces and was buried at

Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Suez Canal, Egypt.

Kantara War Memorial Cemetery where Lt Alan Righetti is buried is situated on the eastern side of the Suez Canal (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

In 1920, following the end of the war, Alan Righetti’s

identity disc was received by the Australian Imperial

Force authorities in London and then sent on to Base

Records Office, Victoria Barracks, Melbourne. It was

then forwarded to Lieutenant Righetti’s mother, Mary

Righetti. Mary received the disc along with an official

cover note, which gave the address of Heinrich Andreae

as the person who handed the disc to the military

authorities.

Mary Righetti then wrote a letter to Heinrich Andreae.

While the archival records do not have a copy of this

letter (it was most likely hand-written by Mary and no

duplicate made), we can assume that she asked after the

details of her son’s death. The reply from Heinrich

Andreae would surely have gone a long way towards

reconciling her with the death of her son.



Letter from Heinrich Romer Andreae (German Army) to

the mother of Lieutenant Alan S Righetti, 2nd Light Horse

Regiment describing her son’s death (AWM PR89/179)

“Barmen” Cleferstrasse 18 Germany 14-xi-20

Most Honoured Gracious Lady

Many thanks for your welcome letter of 24.8.20.

I write these few line because I believe that it will be

satisfactory to you to know that your son has died a

hero’s death without undergoing an instant of pain.

On 4.8.16 about 8 o’clock in the morning we succeeded

in reaching the height of the Katib Gannit & scarcely had

we looked over the top of the range when a tremendous

machine gun fire was experienced by us. A very plucky

enemy had occupied a position behind a small battery

place. As I had a few killed I lost no time in ordering the

defence guard to be erected & my company to get into

position. As the enemy was very bold & scarcely kept

under cover I succeeded in a few minutes to silence their

guns. The [Australian Troops] showed such courage as

we had never seen since the beginning of the war in

France. They fought without any regard for cover or

personal losses. Subsequently we had to [approach] the

enemy’s machine guns & with them lay a young

lieutenant struck in the head – who died almost

immediately.

On the following day a Turk brought me an identification

badge. (When I asked him what regiment had been

engaged)[sic]. I hope it will be a solace to you to know

that your son fell as a hero without suffering pain.

Assuring you of my highest esteem

Yours faithfully

Heinrich Romer Andreae

Peter Dowling

Letter from Heinrich Romer Andreae (German Army) to the mother of Lieutenant Alan S Righetti, 2nd Light Horse Regiment describing her son’s death (AWM PR89/179)

**********************************************

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National Trust of Australia (ACT)

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National Trust of Australia ACT

Petition to include Canberra on the National Heritage List

Petition summary and background

As a 20th Century city planned in the garden city style after an international competition for the seat of our Federal Government, Canberra must be recognised on Australia's National Heritage list. The natural, historic and Indigenous heritage values of the city must be respected and preserved.

National Heritage listing will not stifle development but will stimulate interest in the city. We are proud of the city and believe National Heritage listing will recognise its special place as the capital city of Australia.

Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to include Canberra on the National Heritage List.

Printed Name Signature Address Date


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Documents

Heritage in Trust August 2015