Powerline Winter 2004

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POWERLINE+the magazine of the powerhouse museum winter 04

superb silver


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+ 02 powerline winter 04

From its earliest days the

Powerhouse Museum has seen

itself as a museum of the

world as much as a museum

of Sydney and its state.

Through contacts established

worldwide, we acquired

objects from all over the globe,

including such treasures as the

Boulton and Watt steam

engine. Today our international

collaborations take many

forms: acquisitions, loans,

collaborative temporary

exhibitions, conferences, staff

exchanges and virtual contact

via the internet. This year

promises an especially rich

mix of international

collaborations for the Museum.

Our place: Indigenous Australia

nowopens in the new branchof the famous Benaki Museum

in Athens on 1 July. The

exhibition is Australias

reciprocal gift to the people of

O2 From the director

03 Power picks

06 New exhibitions: Engineering Excellence

07 Sydney Design Week

08 New exhibitions: Contemporary silver

10 New exhibitions: Beirut to Baghdad

11 Members news: Members annual dinner

12 Members calendar

14 Members scene

15 New acquisitions: colonial sideboard

16 Interview: Lunar men author Jenny Uglow

18 From the archives: stories of our past

20 Profile: actor Nigel Sutton

21 Regional news: Layers of lace

22 Observe: Legends and transits

23 Corporate partners

24 New exhibitions at a glance

Greece, presented in

recognition of the Greek

Governments generous gift in

2000 to New South Wales

the exhibition 1000 years of the

Olympic Games: treasures of

ancient Greece. Our place has

been jointly developed by the

Powerhouse and Museum

Victoria with special funding

from both state governments.

The Australia Council and the

Australian Department of

Foreign Affairs and Trade are

supporting the involvement of

Indigenous performers and

artists. The exhibition

celebrates Australias unique

Indigenous cultures and forms

part of the Cultural Olympiad

program for the 2004 Athens

Olympic Games.

After Athens the exhibition will

travel to China to be shown at

the National Museum of China

on Tiananmen Square, Beijing.

This collaboration was the

result of a chance remark I

made to the Museums Deputy

TRUSTEES

Dr Nicholas G Pappas,

President

Dr Anne Summers AO,

Deputy President

Mr Mark Bouris

Ms Trisha Dixon

Mr Andrew Denton

Ms Susan Gray

Professor Ron Johnston

Ms Margaret Seale

Mr Anthony Sukari

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Dr Kevin Fewster AM, Director

Jennifer Sanders, Deputy Director,

Collections and Exhibitions

Mark Goggin, Associate Director,

Programs and Commercial Services

Michael Landsbergen, Associate

Director, Corporate Services

Kevin Sumption, Associate Director,

Knowledge and Information

Management

Director in 2002 when I was

visiting Beijing for our Hedda

Morrison exhibition. He

expressed keen interest in

having the exhibition come to

Beijing, both because of the

subject matter and as a way of

linking the Sydney, Athens and

Beijing Olympics. Since then

we have discussed other

collaborative projects that we

hope to develop with leading

Chinese museums.

International touring of

exhibitions such as Our place

not only showcases the

Museums collection and

talented staff but also fosters

awareness and understanding

of the history and culture of

our state and nation. Such

programs sustain and build onour already considerable

reputation as one of the

worlds leading museums.

Dr Kevin Fewster AM

Director

contentsissue 74

from the

director

FRONT COVER: FROM THEEXHIBITION CONTEMPORARY SILVER:MADE IN ITALY, VASE FROM THEEVASIONI COLLECTION, DESIGNEDBY MARCO ZANINI IN 1997 FORPAMPALONI IN FLORENCE (H: 42CM)COLLECTION: PAMPALONI. SEE STORYPAGE 8. PHOTO COURTESY OFGIANFRANCO PAMPALONI.

BACK COVER: PHOTO BY NAME TOCOME

Powerline is produced by the Print Media Department

of the Powerhouse Museum

PO Box K346, Haymarket NSW 1238

Editor: Judith Matheson

Editorial coordinator: Deborah RenaudDesign: Trigger

Photography: Powerhouse Museum unless otherwise stated.

Every effort has been made to locate owners of copyright for the images in

this publication. Any inquiries should be directed to the Rights and

Permissions Officer, Powerhouse Museum.

ISSN 1030-5750 Trustees of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

+

Where to find us

Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Darling Harbour Sydney

Opening hours 10.00 am 5.00 pm every day (except Christmas

Day). School holiday opening hours 9.30 am 5.00 pm

Contact details

Postal address: PO Box K346, Haymarket NSW 1238

Telephone (02) 9217 0111

Infoline (02) 9217 0444, Education (02) 9217 0222

The Powerhouse Museum, part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

also incorporating Sydney Observatory, is a NSW government cultural institution.

www.powerhousemuseum.com

JUNE JULY AUGUST 2004

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ABOVE: (FROM LEFT) MR PANZHENZHOU, DIRECTOR OF THENATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA, DRKEVIN FEWSTER, AND DR DONG QI,DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONALMUSEUM OF CHINA.


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brought

to light

who willbe the firstwizard?

In September 2003 the

Powerhouse Museum

announced an exciting new

award to recognise

achievement in Australian

society. Sponsored by Wizard

Home Loans, the Powerhouse

Wizard award seeks to nurture

local talent and support the

next generation of Australian

innovators.

Each year the program will

honour an individual making a

dynamic contribution in one of

the Museums areas of interest:design and decorative arts,

Australian history and science

and technology. The

Powerhouse Wizard will be an

ambassador for their chosen

field. They will also have the

opportunity promote their work

through a public program at

the Museum.

Nominations for the inaugural

Powerhouse Wizard are now

open. The selection committee

comprises the Museums

President Dr Nicholas G

Pappas and a group of

notable Australians, including

John Moriarty, founder of

Balarinji Design Studio and

Professor Belinda Probert, ProVice-Chancellor (Academic),

University of Western Australia.

The Powerhouse Wizard will be

announced in September.

The Powerhouse Museums

collection is like an iceberg

about nine tenths of it is

hidden below the surface.

What you see on display is

only a small portion of the

entire collection.

In September 2004 the

Powerhouse Museum turns 125

years old. Over that time, the

institution has acquired an

array of treasures, marvels and

curiosities that can bebeautiful, precious, historic or

simply bizarre.

To mark its 125th year, the

Museum will mount a special

display of favourite objects

that are not currently on show.

Curators will select a group of

objects from the Museum's

stores and these will be

displayed in an exhibition

called Brought to light.

Objects that are in the running

for selection include a bright

red 1959 Gogomobile Dart, a

pair of pink polka-dot platform

shoes made in the 1970s by

the fashionable House of

Merivale, and a gold-washing

cradle built with advice from

Edward Hargraves, the man

who precipitated the gold rush

of the 1850s. There is also a

coconut decorated by French

artist Lucien Henry while hewas exiled in New Caledonia in

the 1870s.

Brought to lightwill open on 25

September as part of a

weekend of festivities at the

Museum to launch the 125th

celebrations. There will be

talks, tours, workshops and

activities for all the family.

po

werpicks+

IN SEPTEMBER 2004 THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUMTURNS 125 YEARS OLD. CELEBRATE WITH US!

GOGOMOBILE DART, 1959, PLATFORM SHOE BY MERIVALE HEMMES FOR THE HOUSEOF MERIVALE, 1970S, COCONUT WATER BOTTLE CARVED BY LUCIEN HENRY, 1878-79

The Museum will bring to light some

favourite objects from the stores for our125th celebrations in September.

s

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR A NOMINATION FORMGO TO WWW.POWERHOUSEMUSEUM.COM/WIZARD


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The Gyuto Monks of Tibet will perform aseries of tantric rituals at the Museum inJuly to help create harmony in the world.


Peter Garrett AM, President of

the Australian Conservation

Foundation and former lead

singer with Midnight Oil, chats

with author and curator

Sandra McEwen (pictured left)

after the launch of EcoLogic:

creating a sustainable future,

a new book from Powerhouse

Publishing. Peter launched the

book and wrote its foreword.

Launched in April, the

Powerhouse Museums

redesigned website is more

intuitive and dynamic thanever before. The site structure

has been streamlined,

reducing the number of

mouse clicks you need to get

to the page you want, and the

number of menu items on

each page has been reduced,

making navigation easier.

the gameof life

EcoLogica beauty

Exclusive to the Powerhouse

Museum, eight Gyuto monks

from Tibet will take up

residence and offer a series

of tantric rituals designed to

create harmony in the world.

Over two weeks from 3-18 July

the monks will constructelaborate sculptures made

from butter and a beautiful

sand mandala, which they

believe to be spiritually

powerful creations.

It is Buddhist belief that

ongoing problems with

individuals or communities

whether ill health, natural

disasters or human terror

He describes it as a beauty:

thoroughly researched,

informatively illustrated and

packed with the kind of

necessary knowledge that can

help all of us better

understand and take care of

our truly unique and wonderful

land. The book is available

from the Powerhouse Museum

shop and good bookstores or

phone (02) 9217 0129 for moreinformation.

are an indication that the

underlying spiritual energy is

out of balance. Therefore

positive harmonising forces

are required before more

practical solutions can be

found. They invite visitors to

join them each day to addtheir own prayers and hopes.

The Turbine Hall, where the

monks will perform, will be

richly decorated in the style of

Tibetan gompa, with wall

hangings reflecting their

monastic environment. As well

as ancient tantric arts, there

will be a range of daily

activities, including creative

And web visitors who want

email updates on whats

happening at the Museum can

now subscribe to a monthlyemail newsletter. Among plans

to develop the website, is an

online member-curator forum

planned for later in the year.

More than a million visitors

access the website every year

whether they are planning

a visit to the Museum, doing

research, a school project, or

simply surfing so it is

important we meet the needs

of our users. Digital

communications companyMassMedia Studios worked

with us to create a website

which is more compliant with

the latest web standards. We

look forward to your feedback

on our revamped website.

Please visit us at


and tell us what you think.

PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD.

GYUTO MONK IN CEREMONIAL DRESS.PHOTO COURTESY OF GYUTO HOUSE AUSTRALIA.


workshops for children, a

series of lunchtime talks,

chanting meditations and

consulting the master

sessions. Special prayers will

be offered for visitors health

and wellbeing and their

peaceful and prosperousfuture. For the Chona Chupa

closing ceremony on Sunday

18 July, the monks will be

resplendent in yellow robes

and tall hats as they lead the

procession to the sound of

Tibetan long horns, elephant

drums and cymbals.


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BISCUIT TIN RACING GAME MADE DURING THE 1950S BY THE PEAK FREENCOMPANY, FROM THE EXHIBITION GAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA.

The Museum has broken new

ground with an education kit

about gambling issues for

Years 7-10 secondary school

teachers and students. This

significant contemporary

social issue struggles to find a

suitable place in the school

curriculum. What are the

odds? Understanding the

risks' is a well researched

resource which helps teachers

discuss gambling in the

classroom. The kit has a

Mathematics-focus, but in a

historical, technological andsocial context. It was written

by Sue Thomson, Head

teacher in Mathematics,

Hunter Valley Grammar School

with research and support

gamblingin focus

provided by Museum staff.

Also in May, writers and

commentators mined the

design, culture and history of

gambling genres and sites at

a symposium at the Museum.

A Sydney Writers Festival

event, it featured international

speakers author Dr Gerda

Reith and journalist Aniruddha

Bahal plus Dr Charles Pickett,

curator of Gambling in

Australiaand Dr Matthew

Cullen, Co-President of

McKesson Asia Pacific Pty Ltd,

which runs the G-linetelephone gambling helpline

on behalf of the Casino

Community Benefit Fund.

Supported by G-line (NSW) a telephonehelpline for people with gamblingproblems - 1800 633 635.

comingsoon!

honour to

volunteers

Experience the blockbuster

exhibition that takes you

behind the scenes of the film

trilogy. The Powerhouse is the

only Australian venue for this

exhibition which has attracted

record-breaking crowds on its

international tour. Dont miss

your chance to be

transported to Middle-earth

and see props, costumes and

artefacts from the films.Discover the secrets behind

the trilogys award-winning

special effects and

experience an immersive

encounter with The One Ring.

Opening in December 2004.Developed and presented by the Museumof New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa inpartnership with New Line Cinema. Thisexhibition was made possible through thesupport of the New Zealand Government.NLP, Inc.

Congratulations to

Powerhouse volunteers DonFrench and Albert Taylor, who

received the prestigious

Medal of the Order of

Australia (OAM) earlier this

year for their service to the

preservation and maintenance

of steam locomotives.

Don and Albert have done

volunteer work for a minimum

of two days a week for the

past 12 years in the Museums

locomotive department,

refurbishing the 38 class and32 class steam engines. Both

men spent their careers

working with steam

locomotives. Don worked for

45 years as a boilermaker and

then boiler inspector and

Albert spent 45 years as a

fitter and then brake engineer.

Their expertise and

enthusiasm is an invaluable

resource to the Museum.

ALBERT TAYLOR (LEFT) AND DON FRENCH AT EVELEIGH. PHOTO BY MARINCOKOJDANOVSKI.


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The exhibition provides a

unique opportunity to

appreciate the relevance and

significance of engineering in

the everyday objects around

us. This years display features

six project winners from

Engineers Australia, SydneyDivision, 2003 Engineering

Excellence Awards.

A device that combats

repetitive strain injury, an

innovative take on a multi-

media building, a sewerage

treatment system, a dual

clutch transmission system, a

transport research project and

a magnetic switch are all

featured in the Engineering

Excellence 2003 display.

The PosturePod was

developed by Ergoport to

combat the increasing numberof individuals who develop

muscular skeletal disorders

(MSD) from computer use.

The Australian Broadcasting

Corporations new 22-storey

building in Sydneys Ultimo

was designed and built to

consolidate the ABCs existingtelevision, radio, electronic

media, archives, and to

provide facilities for digital

television. It was constructed

by Leightons Pty Ltd.

A new car transmission system

that combines both automatic

and manual modes was

developed by Sydney

company Nautitech Pty Ltd, for

VW Germany.

The Gerringong-Gerroa

sewerage scheme connects

households and businesses in

these coastal towns to an

advanced sewage treatment

plant. Developed by Sydney

Water Corporation, Veolia

Water Australia, and Walter

Construction Group, the

treatment process allows most

of the treated effluent and

biosolids to be reused.

Sustainable Transport in

Sustainable Cities is a four-

year, $4 million research

project by the Warren Centre

for Advanced Engineering. It

demonstrates how Sydney can

become a more livable,

healthy and sustainable city.

MagswitchTM is a permanent

magnet device that can be

continuously varied between

an off and on position by

movement of a simple switch.

Engineering Excellenceis on

display in Success and

innovation on level 4.

CONTEMPORARY SILVER:MADE IN ITALYEva Czernis-Ryl

Today, Italy leads the world in the

production and innovative design ofcontemporary silverware. The book

showcases the work of major Italian

architects and designers such as Ettore

Sottsass Jr, Carlo Scarpa, Alessandro

Mendini and Robert Venturi and Italian

design companies such as Alessi.

Beautifully designed, this book is an

invaluable resource for collectors,

consumers and design historians.

Available in paperback or hard cover, 128

pages, with over 140 illustrations

RRP paperback $39.95/ members $35.95;

hardcover $55.00 / members $49.50

ISBN 1 86317 102 9 (PB); 0 85331 899 9(HC)

Available from August 2004

ALSO NOW AVAILABLE ARE TWO

INFORMATIVE NEW BOOKLETS:

Remember! Members receive 10%

discount on all titles from the

Powerhouse Shop and mailorder.

Powerhouse books are available from the

Powerhouse Shop, good bookstores and

by mailorder.

To order or for more information contact

Powerhouse Publishing on (02) 92170129

or email [email protected]

www.powerhousemuseum.com/publish

NEW RELEASES

INTERIOR OF THE NEW ABC HEADQUARTERS IN ULTIMO. PHOTO COURTESY OF LEIGHTONS PTY LTD.

everyday ingenuity

SIX INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING PROJECTS FEATURE IN

THE ANNUAL ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE EXHIBITION.

Gambling in Australia:

thrills, spills and social ills

by Charles Pickett

published in association

with the Museums new

exhibition.

24 pages, full colour, RRP

$5.95/members $5.35

The transit of Venus by Nick Lomb, which

coincides with this astronomical event on 8

June 2004.

24 pages, full colour,

RRP $5.95/members $5.35


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SYDNEY DESIGN WEEK IS NOW IN ITS EIGHTH YEAR ANDTHIS 10-DAY DESIGNFEST HAS MUCH TO CELEBRATE.story_ANNE WATSON, CURATOR DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN

sydney design weekThe Powerhouse Museum has

been a key player in Sydney

Design Week (SDW) since its

inception in 1997 and is now

the principal stakeholder. Overthat time the event has grown

to embrace an ever-increasing

range of design activities

across the Sydney community.

Significantly, design audiences

have also expanded as the

message that design is for

everybody to quote the

memorable 2002 guest

speaker Richard Seymour

has more effectively engaged

the general public.

As well as bringing design to

the public, SDW events have

also provided important

stepping stones to sustained

careers locally and

internationally for a number of

young Australian designers.

The first design festival of its

kind in Australia, equivalents of

SDW are held in Perth, Hobart

and this year Melbourne.

At the Powerhouse, SDW 2004

will feature the landmark

exhibition Contemporary silver:

made in Italy, curated by the

Museums Eva Czernis-Ryl, plus

The best of the Blue Room,

which showcases

contemporary glass design byarchitects, designers and

artists, sponsored by Bombay

Sapphire. There is also the

popular The Sydney Morning

HeraldYoung Designer of the

Year Award exhibition, theAustralian Design Awards

Powerhouse selection, and a

range of exciting public

programs featuring local and

international designers.

Exhibitions and link events are

planned throughout the inner-

city area, including the retailers

initiative Buy Design and

Workshopped, an exhibition of

the work of emerging Australian

at the Strand Arcade.

The breadth and depth of SDW

would not be possible without

the contribution andcollaboration of its major

stakeholders: the Royal

Australian Institute of Architects

(RAIA, NSW Chapter); the

Design Institute of Australia

(DIA); the Australian Design

Awards (ADA); the Australian

Graphic Design Association

(AGDA); and the Interior Design

Educators Association (IDEA),

representing Sydneys tertiary

design institutions. SDW

benefits enormously from the

individual and collective

expertise, the professional

contacts and the opportunityfor broad promotion that these

professional bodies contribute.

All stakeholders share a

common vision for SDW. Its a

vehicle to enhance community

understanding and

appreciation of design, says

the AGDAs David Terrazas. ADA

director Brandon Gien believes

Sydney Design Week is

instrumental in raising the

awareness and importance of

what good design is all about.

George Verghese of IDEA sees

SDW as a valuable opportunity

for the cross-fertilisation of

design ideas practised in

Sydney. In this Year of the Built

Environment the RAIAs Caroline

Pidcock welcomes SDW for its

potential to link architects with

other design disciplines in a

collective effort to find better

solutions for the design of

everything that surrounds us.

Apart from the range of

expertise they represent, the

input of stakeholders to the

organisation and events of

SDW is vital to the richness and

variety of the festival. With their

collaboration and that of our

media partner The Sydney

Morning Herald, 2004 promises

be the most dynamic, creative

and inclusive SDW yet.

Sydney Design Week runs from5 to 15 August 2004.

ABOVE: TEA AND COFFEE TOWER SETDESIGNED BY DENTON CORKERMARSHALL IN 2003 FOR ALESSI.PHOTO BY CARLO LAVATORICOURTESY OF ALESSI.

BELOW (FROM LEFT): GEORGEVERGHESE, IDEA; ROBERT SWIECA(SDW COORDINATOR); DAVIDTERRAZAS (AGDA); JENNIFERSANDERS (PHM); MELISSA JONES(RAIA); CATHY JAMESON (DIA); MARK

GOGGIN (PHM); STEPHANIE WATSON(ADA); KEVIN FINN (AGDA).PHOTO BY MARINCO KOJDANOVSKI

A six-piece silver tower,

designed by Melbourne

architects Denton CorkerMarshall, features in the

Contemporary silver: made

in Italyexhibition. DCM was

one of 22 international

architectural firms invited

by Italian company Alessi to

design a tea and coffee

service for the Tea & Coffee

Towers series. The Museum

asked Alessi to produce

DCMs design, one of the

first examples of the

limited-edition series, for its

collection. The set stacks

up on a tray as an 87.5 cm

tall leaning tower when notin use.


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OPPOSITE PAGE: TEA AND COFFEE SET IN STERLING SILVER DESIGNED BY ZAHA HADID (UK), 1995, AND MADE BY SAWAYA & MORONI, 1997, MILAN. COLLECTION: POWERHOUSE MUSEUM. PHOTO BY PENELOPE CLAY. ABOVE (FROMLEFT): CANDLEST ICKS, PETALO, MINIMAL COLLECTION, DESIGNED BY GABRIELE DE VECCHI, 1990, FOR DE VECCHI, MILAN. COLLECTION: MUSEO PER GLI ARGENTI CONTEMPORANEI (MAC). PHOTO COURTESY DE VECCHI. FRUITSTAND, MURMANSK, DESIGNED BY ETTORE SOTTSASS JR FOR MEMPHIS, 1982, MADE IN ELECTROPLATED SILVER BY ROSSI & ARCANDI, VICENZA, ABOUT 1987. COLLECTION: POWERHOUSE MUSEUM. PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD.TEA AND COFFEE SET IN STERLING SILVER AND BAKELITE DESIGNED BY LAURA HANDLER (USA), 1985, MADE BY POMELLAT0, VENICE, 1990. COLLECTION: MUSEO PER GLI ARGENTI CONTEMPORANEI (MAC). PHOTO COURTESYLAURA HANDLER. JUG, MOULIN, IN STERLING SILVER FROM THE SLOW DRINK SERIES, DESIGNED BY GABRIELE DE VECCHI, 2001 FOR DE VECCHI, MILAN. COLLECTION: DE VECCHI. PHOTO BY LEO TORRI, COURTESY DE VECCHI.

Italian industrial design and fashion have long been

admired in Australia, but contemporary Italian

silverware is largely unknown in this country. In fact,

Italy is the worlds leading producer of high quality

silver articles for the home.

Until the 1970s, Italian silver was almost exclusively

hand crafted in a tradition that dated back to

antiquity. Silverware from Italian workshops mostly

followed classical and other styles of the past, butduring the 1970s and 1980s it underwent a radical

transformation. New studios were formed and old

workshops transformed as the traditional approaches

were questioned and challenged. Handwork was

supplemented with some industrial methods and a

range of modern objects, intended for limited and

serial production, developed.

This metamorphosis was engineered by a group of

forward-looking silversmiths and producers working

closely with noted architects, both Italian and

international, who provided innovative designs and

inspiration. The results were outstanding and fuelled

an ongoing interest in experimentation and stylistic

innovation.

This survey exhibition draws on the collection of theMuseum for Contemporary Silverware (MAC) in

Castello Sartirana in Pavia, Lombardy, and is

supplemented with generous loans from the Museo

Alessi and several leading Italian firms and studios. It

provides a unique opportunity to discover a

fascinating area of contemporary Italian design, as it

evolved from the 1970s to today. A beautifully

produced book of the same title accompanies the

exhibition (see details on page 6).

Beginning with early efforts to break from mainstream

revivalist designs (note the ingenious 1957 stackable

tea and coffee set by Olga Finzi Baldi which also

doubles as a vase), the exhibition reveals the

dramatic changes that occurred in two Milanese

studios San Lorenzo and De Vecchi in the early

1970s. Independently of each other and through

different strategies, both firms offered an entirely new

vocabulary of clean, modern forms as a replacement

for tired historical shapes and elaborate

ornamentation.

San Lorenzo relied on its newly formed team of eight

outstanding architects, including Antonio Piva andTobia and Afra Scarpa, and Gabrielle De Vecchi

pursued his fascination with silver as a mirror. Both

firms introduced serial production, thus bringing more

affordable contemporary tableware, cutlery and

accessories into Italian homes.

The 1970s also saw the formation of the remarkable

collection of Cleto Munari in Vicenza. The self-

proclaimed Italian dandy became a key patron of

modern silver. Munaris collaboration with renowned

architects such as Carlo Scarpa, Gae Aulenti or

Studio Alchemias Michele De Lucchi resulted in many

sophisticated and ground-breaking designs. De

Lucchis playful design for Munaris covered jug in

silver and colourful plastics, which resembles more a

cartoon character than a silver vessel, pioneered

colour infusion and humour in contemporary silver.

In the early 1980s, Italian-made silver conquered the

global market. Objects by Memphis, the famous

Italian design cooperative, and Alessis Tea & Coffee

Piazzas (11 tea and coffee sets designed by leading

Italian and international architects) became icons of

postmodernism.

While silver designs of Memphis mesmerised

consumers with their outrageously surreal forms,

Alessis sets demonstrated that innovatively designed

and perfectly functional silver tableware could be

both ground-breaking and attractive to the public.

Strongly architectonic, the Alessi series had a lasting

influence on late 20th century tableware design in

countries worldwide including Australia.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Italian workshops

manufactured a diverse range of silver table and

kitchenware in the modern idiom. Responding to their

customers unceasing demand for signature pieces,

silversmithing firms and design companies continued

to engage renowned architects and designers as

creators of their silver products.

Contemporary silvershowcases the designs and

work of about 50 Italian and international architects

and designers, which were produced in 20

silversmithing workshops mostly in Milan but also in

Florence, Verona, Venice and Vicenza. The exhibition

includes striking tea and coffee sets designed by

architects of international renown such as Zaha

Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Aldo Rossi, Kazumasa Yamashita,

Michael Graves, Charles Jencks, Richard Meier, Paolo

Portoghesi, Antonio Piva and Robert Venturi.

A selection of designer vases, bowls, jugs and

candlesticks is also on show. A silver placemat is

Italian designer Rodolfo Dordonis homage to the

father of op art, Hungarian-French abstract painter

Victor Vasarely. Eloquent jugs by Gabriele De Vecchimake pleasing sounds when used, and San

Lorenzos pots and pans in pure silver are designed

for the efficient, environmentally friendly 21st century

kitchen.

Spectacular examples from Alessis most recent

offering, the Tea & Coffee Towers series, provide a

glimpse into the future of tableware design. Will these

digitally designed, amazing objects influence the

look of early 21st century tableware as the Tea &

Coffee Piazzas did in the 1980s? Visit the exhibition

and see silver design history in the making.

Contemporary silver: made in Italyopens 5 August.

THE SUMPTUOUS EXHIBITION CONTEMPORARY SILVER: MADEIN ITALY WILL BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF SYDNEY DESIGN WEEK.

the brilliance of silver

story_EVA CZERNIS-RYL, CURATOR INTERNATIONAL DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN


10/26


The countries of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and

Iraq form the dynamic centre of western Asia, more

commonly known from the European perspective as

the Near or Middle East.

International borders in this part of the Arab world

continue to reflect the fall of the Ottoman Empire after

World War I and a complex legacy of post-colonial

disorder and international political intervention.

It is an area that has long held a romantic and even

erotic fascination for the west. This is evidenced by the

Museums own collection. Since the 1880s the Museum

has acquired a wide variety of costumes, textiles, rugs,

ceramics, metalware, arms, coins, medals and

antiquities from this region that span three millennia.

Remarkable objects in themselves, they take on a

fresh relevance in their relationship to the

contemporary Arab-Australian community. Beirut to

Baghdad: communities, collecting and cultureis a new

exhibition that will showcase these, as well as present

the stories and responses of Arab-Australians to them.

As part of the development of this exhibition, a critical

focus group of community members discussed ways

to link the local community with the Museums

collection. A number of Arabic and community

organisations also had input through the Museums

wattanproject.

The exhibition will also reflect on traditional museum

practices of collecting, by examining the European

notion of Orientalism or how the Western world

fantasises about the East. Exquisite ceramic tiles from

Syria illustrate this multi-layered perspective. Taken at

face value, the tiles highlight the intricate development

of geometric and abstract design through classical

Islamic art. On an abstract level, as suggested by the

focus group, each tile is a small part of a much bigger

wall, taken out of its original context. In this way one tile

carries the burden of representing a bigger cultural

picture.

The Australian Communities Gallery, where Beirut toBaghdad will be on display from 18 June, will be alive

with community voices and images of the Arab world,

both ancient and modern.

Supported by Arab Bank Australia.

Beirut to Baghdad

SELECTION OF TILES FROM THE MUSEUMS COLLECTION IN GLAZED EARTHENWARE FROM DAMASCUS AND SYRIA,ABOUT 1500 TO 1600. PHOTO BY MARINCO KOJDANOVSKI.

A NEW AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITIES EXHIBITIONREFLECTS CHANGING ATTITUDES TO THEMUSEUMS MIDDLE EASTERN COLLECTION.story_PAUL DONNELLY AND ALISSAR CHIDIAC, EXHIBITION CURATORS


11/26


annualmembers

dinner

from themembersmanager

Just as Powerhouse Museum

exhibitions move and change

regularly, the annual Members

Dinner delivers a unique

experience every year.

The fifth annual Members

Dinner on 7 August will be an

evening of fine wine, exquisite

food and sophisticated

entertainment. Come along

and enjoy the night as we

explore the Museums key

Sydney Design Week

exhibition Contemporary

Silver: made in Italy. This

ground-breaking show is the

first survey exhibition in

Australia of modern Italian

silver. This event will be a

feast for all the senses.

See the members calendar

for details and remember to

book early as tables fill

quickly.

We have some fabulous events

coming up on our calendar for

the remainder of 2004. The

most exciting news is the

announcement that The Lord

of the Rings Motion Picture

Trilogy The Exhibition is

coming to the Powerhouse

Museum in December.

Developed and presented by

the Museum of New Zealand

Te Papa Tongarewa in

partnership with New Line

Cinema, this exhibition brings

to life writer/director/producer

Peter Jacksons epic trilogy.

Featuring film footage, sets,

costumes, props and special

effects from the films, the

exhibition is immersive and will

transport visitors to the world

of Middle-earth. You can even

cast yourself on screen as a

hobbit! Stay tuned for

exclusive members events

associated with this major

exhibition.

Powerhouse Members now

have the opportunity to attend

our exclusive exhibition

openings, which were

previously invitation only. Over

past months members haveshared the first night glamour

of Nineties to Nowand the

thrills and spills of Gambling in

Australia(see page 14). Check

out the members calendar for

another two exciting openings

this winter.

Our annual Members Dinner in

August is one of the years

highlights. Tickets move like

lightening around here, so get

in quick. There are so many

reasons to renew your

Powerhouse Membership

and remember all

memberships current on 18

July have the chance to win a

fantastic home entertainmentsystem from Sharp.

Jane Turner

mem

be

rs+

OUR ANNUAL MEMBERS DINNER WILL BE ASUMPTUOUS EVENING OF FOOD, WINE AND SILVER.

BOOK NOW FOR OURMEMBERS DINNER!

+ news and photos

+ prizes to be won

+ exclusive events

+ family activities

+ special offers

CAPTION TO COME

+


12/26

june

july

august

Thursday 17 JuneExhibition launch: Beirut to Baghdad

Join us for the community launch of Beirut to

Baghdad featuring some of the Museums Western

Asian collection including costumes, rugs, ceramics,

metal ware, arms, coins, medals and antiquities

spanning three millennia.

Time: 11.00 am, includes refreshments

Cost: members only $10 adult

Sunday 18 JulyTea and Textiles: samplers

Join senior curator Kimberley Webber for an informal

lecture titled Teaching girls to sew: a look at the

Museums collection of samplers and childrens

needlework.

11.00 am 12.30 pm includes refreshments. Meet at

the cloaking desk.

Cost: $5 members/$10 guests

Monday 12 JulySydney Observatory: space explorers workshop

NASA spacecraft Cassini-Huygens will begin its orbit of

Saturn on 1 July. Make a solar system model,

experience our new mini-planetarium show, and launch

a water-fuelled rocket. Especially for children 5-10

years old with their parents/carers. Bookings required.

Sessions at 10.00 am, 12 noon and 2.00 pm

Cost: $8 member child/$10 guest child/accompanying adults free.

Wednesday 4 August

Exhibition launch: Sydney Design WeekSydney Design Week will be one of the biggest

Museum events this year. Enjoy an exclusive evening

as the Museum opens the Young Designer of the Year

Award and the Australian Design Award exhibitions.

See these before they open to the public.

6.00 9.00 pm includes refreshments

Cost: members only $45 adult

Thursdays 5 and 12 August

Sydney Observatory: Greek legends of theconstellations

Get in the mood for the Athens Olympics by finding

out more about Greek legends of the skies in our 3-D

Space Theatre. View Scorpius, Sagittarius and

Centaurus through our telescopes and binoculars.

6.30 9.30 pm includes pizza supper

Cost: members $18 adult/$14 child/$14 concession/$50 family (2A & 2C); guests$22 adult/$16 child/$16 concession/$65 family (2A & 2C). Bookings essential.

Tuesday 8 JuneSydney Observatory: observe the Transit of Venus

Be part of this historic event introduced by Dr Nick

Lomb, curator of astronomy at 2.45 pm, followed by a

viewing of the transit until sunset in the grounds of

Sydney Observatory. Plus live webcasts from around

the globe. Bookings essential.

2.30 10.00 pm, coffee cart on-site.

Cost: members $20 adult/$16 concession/$10 children/$50 family (2A & 2C);

guests $22 adult/$18 concession/$12 children/$56 family (2A & 2C).

winter 04

+

+

+


Its one of the biggest Museum events of the year andMembers are invited! Mix with international designers andindustry insiders at the opening of Sydney Design Week.+


13/26

Monday 21 JuneTour: The Mastertouch Piano Roll Company, Petersham

On our tour of the Mastertouch Piano Roll and Fancy

Box Company in Petersham, see rare mechanical

musical instruments, heritage machinery and the hand-

finished product as it is made.

Time: 10.00 am includes morning tea. Meet at the

factory.

Cost: $10 members/$15 guests.

Saturday 7 AugustAnnual Members Dinner

Indulge in an evening of fine wine, delicious food and

great atmosphere at the fifth annual Members Dinner.

Enjoy a viewing of the exhibition Contemporary silver:

made in Italywithout the crowds, and an after-dinner

talk by our guest speaker. Its a great evening, so book

early, as places are limited.

Cost: $130 members/$150 guests/$1100 table for 10

members+

how to book formembers events

Due to limited places, bookings are essential for

every event. Please ring the Members hotline on

(02) 9217 0600 to make your booking before you

send in payment. For events at SydneyObservatory, please ring (02) 9217 0485. Please

leave a message quoting your membership

number, what event you are booking for and the

number of members and guests. We will confirm

your booking.

Payment for members events

We accept: credit card payments by phone, fax or

mail; cheques; money orders; or cash at the level 4

entrance to the Museum. We pay for all events

once bookings are confirmed, so if you are unable

to attend your event, please let us know ASAP or

we will charge you to cover costs.

All events are held at the Powerhouse Museum

unless otherwise stated. All dates, times and

venues are correct at time of publication.

Members e-newsletter

If you would like to receive the regular Members

e-newsletter with updates on all new members

events please call (02) 9217 0600 or email

[email protected] with you membership

number and e-newsletter in the subject line.

XXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXX X XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXX X XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XX

XXXXXXX X XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXX X XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXX X XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXX X XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXXXXXX X XXXXXXXX. XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XX XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XX XXXX XXXXXXXXX XX.

Tuesdays 5 & 12 JulySoundhouse course: digital video

Discover the secrets of digital movie-making in this

two-part course, from shooting to editing, effects and

final output. Use one of our digital video cameras or

bring your own. Cost includes a copy of Digital

grassroots: a practical guide to digital video.

6.00 9.00 pm

Cost: members $100/guests $130

coming soon...ICOC down under

Members are invited to attend the International

Conference on Oriental Carpets, an exciting

regional event organised by the Oriental Rug

Society of NSW (ORS) in collaboration with the

Powerhouse Museum.

To be held at the Museum from 16-19 September,

the conference features both international and

Australian speakers on rugs and textiles from

Central and Western Asia, and textiles from

Southeast Asia and Indigenous Australia and New

Zealand. Two major exhibitions are associated

with the conference. Bright flowers, curated by

the Powerhouse Museum, features textiles,

costumes and ceramics from Central Asia.

Pathways to paradise, curated by the ORS, is an

exhibition of oriental rugs in Australian collections.

Social events in Sydney and an overnight trip to

Canberra to the National Gallery of Australia are

part of the conference.

For more information or a registration form go to

www.rugsociety.org.au or contact the ConferenceCo-ordinator Rachel Miller on [email protected]

Join us for our Annual Members Dinner and indulge in an evening offine wine, good food, great entertainment and exquisite Italian silver.

+


14/26

win aSharpsystem

membersscene

Members are now invited to

attend our exclusive exhibition

opening nights. Here aresome of the famous and

interesting faces snapped at

the launches of Gambling in

Australiaand Nineties to now.

PHOTOS BY MARINCO KOJDANOVSKI.

For the Sport: more than

heroes and legendsexhibition,

Museum sponsor Sharp has

provided Powerhouse

Members with a fabulous prize

to be won by a lucky member.

The Sharp home entertainment

system is valued at more than

$4000 and includes

+ LC20B4M AQUOS 50cm LCDcolour television

+ SDAT1000W digital audiosystem

+ DVNC80X DVD VCR ComboUnit

All Powerhouse memberships

current on 18 July 2004 will be

+ 14 powerline autumn 04

automatically entered in the

draw. Its a wonderful incentive

for keeping your membership

current, and for giving a

Museum membership as a gift.

You can see the home

entertainment system on

display in the Museums foyer

throughout the Sport: more

than heroes and legends

exhibition.

For details of competition

terms and conditions go to

www.powerhousemuseum.com/members

PHOTO FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSESONLY, NOT ACTUAL PRIZE MODEL.

IMAGE OF LOUISE SAUVAGE BY BRETTFAULKNER/NEWSPIX.

CARLA ZAMPATTI LAUNCHES THEEXHIBITION NINETIES TO NOW:FASHION OF THE YEARRETROSPECTIVE.

MEMBERS OF THE WATERHOUSEFAMILY WITH CURATOR JENNIFERCORNWALL( LEFT).

LIAM WELLSTEAD (RIGHT),STUDENT FASHION DESIGNER, ATTHE LAUNCH OF NINETIES TONOW.

GAI WATERHOUSE, ONE OFAUSTRALIAS TOP HORSETRAINERS, AT THE OPENING OFGAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA.

MEDIA PERSONALITY TONYSQUIRES (LEFT) WITH MUSEUMTRUSTEES ANDREW DENTON ANDDR NICHOLAS PAPPAS ATGAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA.

MEMBERS (ABOVE) AND PETERDWYER AND FRIEND (LEFT) ATTHE LAUNCH OF NINETIES TONOW.

FASHION DESIGNER LISA HO.SIMON LOCK, FOUNDER AND CEOOF MERCEDES AUSTRALIANFASHION WEEK (LEFT) ANDFASHION DESIGNER PETERMORRISEY (CENTRE) AT NINETIESTO NOW.


15/26


The cedar pedestal sideboard with cross-banding,

inlay and lion paw feet is a superb example of the

adaptation of the English Regency style in early

colonial furniture. It is one of the best examples ofcolonial furniture to have appeared on the market for

over a decade. Its style indicates it is likely to have

been crafted during Governor Macquaries time,

about 1815-20. This was a period of economic

expansion in colonial New South Wales when

increasingly affluent colonists demanded more

sophisticated domestic environments that reflected

their status. The sideboard is one of a small number

of surviving examples of pre-1825 Australian furniture

which displays the stylistic elegance and high level of

craftsmanship of English precedents.

Purchased in March, the acquisition of the sideboard

was made possible following a generous donation to

the museum by Mr David Roche, Adelaide

businessman, noted philanthropist and collector.

Mr Roche was immediately enthusiastic about the

Museums proposal to acquire the sideboard. He is

familiar with furniture from this period, indeed, he has

devoted his life to collecting 18th and 19th century

antiques. Ron Radford, the Director of the Art Gallery

of South Australia in Adelaide where Mr Roche lives,

describes him as Australia's most systematic

collector of Regency furniture.

Mr Roche is no stranger to philanthropy. His earlier

gift of the only lifetime portrait of Matthew Flinders to

the Art Gallery of South Australia has an interesting

parallel to this donation. The Flinders portrait was

gifted in memory of his late father JDK Roche while

the sideboard honours the memory of his late mother

DEA Roche, who lived for many years in Sydney.

David Roche is proud to be associated with items

that are so culturally important to all Australians and

which should be available for future generations to

admire.

The sideboard will join other fine examples of early

19th century furniture in the Museums collection such

as the Thomas Hope Egyptian Revival suite, Governor

Macquarie chair, and James Oatley clock. They will

be displayed in the Museums new decorative arts

and design gallery, scheduled to open in July 2005.COLONIAL SIDEBOARD, IN CEDAR, ACACIA AND PINE BY ANUNKNOWN MAKER, ABOUT 1815. PURCHASED WITH FUNDS DONATEDBY DAVID ROCHE, 2004, IN MEMORY OF HIS LATE MOTHER, MRS J DK ROCHE. PHOTO COURTESY ANDREW SIMPSON.

colonial masterpiece

THE MUSEUM HAS ACQUIRED A RARE AND IMPORTANTEARLY COLONIAL SIDEBOARD FOR THE COLLECTION.

story_ANNE WATSON, CURATOR DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN


16/26


British biographer Jenny Uglow has an intimate

knowledge of the lives and work of entrepreneur

Matthew Boulton and engineer/inventor James Watt.

As the author of the fascinating book The Lunar men:

the friends who made the future, she spent five years

researching the remarkable group of friends who

called themselves the Lunar Society and whose ideas

and inventions accelerated the industrial revolution in

the latter part of the 18th century.

But Jenny was unaware when she wrote the book

that at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, the oldest

remaining rotative steam engine made by Boulton

and Watt was in action almost every day. Jenny was

in Australia in March for the Adelaide Writers Festival

and she made a detour to the Powerhouse at the

invitation of Director Kevin Fewster to talk about the

Lunar men. It was also the first time she had seen a

Boulton and Watt steam engine operating under

steam.

When I first saw it I burst into tears, she says. That

wonderful rhythmic sound, and the sinuous

movement its just like an animal. Australia is

terribly lucky to have it. I think it is one of the most

significant museum exhibits in the world.

It is certainly the most significant technologicalartefact ever to reach Australia. Built in 1785, it was

one of Boulton and Watts earliest rotative (wheel-

turning) engines and is the oldest in existence. And,

as Jenny found to her delight, it still works regularly

under steam.

The engine has further significance. Jenny explains:

Its not an experimental model. This engine has a

long working history. It worked at Whitbreads brewery

in London for 100 years and it was a terrific spectacle

in its day. This was Boulton and Watts showpiece and

it was this engine that King George III was invited to

see.

Boulton and Watt were two of five main players in the

Lunar Society, a loose-knit group of about 14 who met

in the English city of Birmingham. The others were

chemist Joseph Priestley who discovered oxygen,

potter Josiah Wedgwood, and Erasmus Darwin,

physician, poet and pioneer of evolution theory.

Researching their lives was a mammoth task. Jenny

had previously written biographies of English novelist

Elizabeth Gaskell (which led her indirectly to the

Lunar men Gaskells father was inspired by them)

and artist William Hogarth, but she found covering so

many lives a challenge.

Everybody has their separate stories until they meet

but the really exciting stories are when their lives

overlap. They are all very big characters and they are

all trying to upstage each other. But its also a story of

friendship and cooperation and mutual support. They

were friends for life. The chances of such an

extraordinary group coming together must have been

extremely slim but its almost because they were part

of the group that they became such high achievers. It

actually helped them on, she says.

Jenny believes the informal nature of the Lunar

Society (so named because its members would meet

on the full moon and travel home in the relative

safety of its light) encouraged experimentation and

radical new ideas. It was just before the period when

science acquired its own language and just before

the different disciplines split off and became

specialised. At the time it was called experimental

philosophy, whether you were collecting shells or

experimenting with gases. The societys interests

were broad ranging nobody thought it odd to be a

poet and a scientist at the same time and in

order to explain their ideas to each other or the

general public, scientists like Priestley use very

ordinary language about taste and touch and smell.

Jenny also explores the relationship between science

and commerce, which is perhaps best illustrated by

Boulton and Watt and the development of the steam

engine. Their partnership was established in 1774 and

lasted 25 years. Boulton provided the finance and the

workshop, Watt developed the engine and continued

to improve its performance over many years with aseries of inventions. Watt was dour while Boulton was

supremely confident, famously declaring: I sell, sire,

what all the world desires power.

what all the world desires

VISITING AUTHOR JENNY UGLOW TALKS ABOUTMATTHEW BOULTON AND JAMES WATT, AND THEIREXTRAORDINARILY SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP.story_JUDITH MATHESON


17/26


POWERHOUSEMUSEUM SHOPOpen 7 days, 10.00 am 5.00 pm

For more information call (02) 9217 0331

Or email [email protected]. Delivery available.

Free gift wrapping. Gift selection service.

Comfortable browsing atmosphere.

Books, CDs, writing accessories,

art glass & ceramics, scarves &

textiles, jewellery and watches,

greeting cards, educational toys

powerhousemembersreceive10%o

ffselectedmerchandise

FROM LEFT: BRITISH AUTHOR JENNY UGLOW AND POWERHOUSE MUSEUM DIRECTOR KEVIN FEWSTER WITH THE BOULTON AND WATTSTEAM ENGINE IN MARCH. PHOTO BY MARINCO KOJDANOVSKI. A DRAWING OF THE MUSEUMS BOULTON AND WATT ENGINE. WHITBREADSLONDON BREWERY IN 1792. THE BOULTON AND WATT ENGINE WORKED IN THE BUILDING (CENTRE LEFT) FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS. IMAGECOURTESY OF WHITBREAD AND CO BREWERY.

Theirs was an amazing partnership, like Laurel and

Hardy, I cant now imagine one without the other,

says Jenny. Certainly Boulton was a great

entrepreneur. I dont know whether he would have

made money otherwise, but he would have had a go

at a million other things. He had an eye for new

things. Boulton was unstoppable. Watt was slow,

depressive and anxious about money. He had been

working on his ideas for eight years and I think he

would have given up without Boulton.

It appears Watts fears about money werent

unfounded. While the steam engine was being

developed Boulton hovered on the edge of

bankruptcy. At the time he was seen to be a great

financial success but in fact he ran on debt. If his

creditors had really put the squeeze on him that

would have been it. Thats why his charm was so

important. The files are full of letters that say things

like Well, I was just about to pay you back but the

most extraordinary thing has just happened What

Boulton realised with the steam engine was that you

needed a long period of R&D and you needed to put

money in and put money in and you mustnt expect

to get any out. And now we see that this is actually a

good business model.

Of course, Boulton and Watts steam engines were

eventually a huge success and both men became

wealthy and well respected. Their Soho manufactory

in Birmingham was a model of engineering

craftsmanship, manufacturing technique and

industrial practice.

In writing the book Jenny warmed to all the grand

Lunar men but has trouble singling out a favourite.

Im endlessly entertained by Joseph Priestley as

political leader and great scientist because he is so

open. I love the energy of Josiah Wedgwood. Boulton

would be my favourite character in a novel because

hes so unstoppable, so emotional. He never gives up

even when he is in his eighties. Watt the

hypochondriac outlived them all. Erasmus Darwin has

so many skills and a wonderfully playful imagination.

He was a huge man full of ideas. His thinking about

biological evolution was the great imaginative leap of

the day.

And who would cope best in todays times? Boulton

would be completely happy in the modern world

he would be a risk-taking entrepreneur with a laptop

and a mobile phone.

The Lunar men: the friends who made the future by

Jenny Uglow is published by Faber and Faber and is

available from the Powerhouse Museum Shop.


18/26

Arthur de Ramon Penfold was the Museums fifth

curator (the equivalent of todays director) and

remains the longest serving. Appointed in 1927, he

had joined the Museum as a chemist in 1919. He

steered the Museum through the difficult years of the

Depression, the Second World War and post-war

reconstruction, all the while arguing for a new site, a

new building and a new recognition of the Museum

as an institution of national importance.

In 1939 he embarked on a six-month tour of museums

in Europe and the United States and returned with a

host of new ideas and a vision for a modern museum

of applied science, arts and industry for Sydney. He

outlined this vision 18 months later in an address tothe Royal Australian Institute of Architects (as

reported in Architecture1941): It has been found

necessary to humanise and to dramatise the story of

Science and Industry in a modern museum. It is also

imperative to show the social and economic

significance as well as the practical application of the

various technical exhibits.

As a result of his overseas tour Penfold

recommended that 90 per cent of the Museums

collection go into storage and that there be a rigid

separation of the Museum into exhibitions with broad

general interest and reserve collections for study

purposes. He advocated changing displays regularly;

introducing temporary exhibitions and making the

interior design of galleries flexible.

Penfold was most inspired by museums that used

working models and encouraged visitors to interact

with exhibits. Both these concepts remain

fundamental to the Powerhouse to this day. He also

embraced the new technology of television and laid

the groundwork for the Museums subsequent

acquisition of the illuminated plastic woman, which

was one of the Museums most popular exhibits

during the late 1950s and 60s and is still on display.

Penfold had successfully applied for _1000 through

the New York-based Carnegie Corporations Visiting

Grants Scheme in 1934. However, the government of

the day was reluctant to let him go. It was only after

considerable lobbying from members of the

Museums Advisory Committee that permission wasgranted largely because, by 1938, planning for a new

Museum of Science and Industry to replace the old

Technological Museum had begun.

On 28 January 1939 Penfold, accompanied by his wife

Eunice and daughter Dulcie, sailed to England and,

after spending time in London, toured Scotland and

Wales before travelling on to Paris and then to

Germany, Italy and the United States. The

Powerhouse Museum archives have extensive

holdings of Penfolds papers giving us an insight into

his observations not just of museums but of the

politics and society of the day.

Penfold kept a detailed if at times frustratingly

concise diary of his activities: thus on 26 April 1939

he visited the Museum of Practical Geology in

London and found it very admirable, particularly the

curved showcases and magnificent dioramas; on 27

April he went to the British Museum of Natural History

good showcases, good colour scheme, good labels

and good background to cases; and on 30 April to

the Victoria and Albert where only the refreshment

room attracted particular notice [a] disgrace; staff

inadequate; place should be closed.

At the Science Museum, he was taken with the

director, Colonel EEB Mackintosh, a military man

(Engineer) wore spats very fine active man, with

excellent knowledge of Museum. Their conversation

was wide ranging discussing the proposed new

museum in Sydney, sites, staffs, showcases, working

models, heights of buildings, lavatories recommended aero engine design for new building.

In Italy, Penfold was impressed by Mussolini a great

man for what he has accomplished for his country. In

Germany he was glowing about the achievements of

the National Socialists, Frankly, we can learn a great

deal from the Germans; how a nation manages that is

supposed to have no money and yet carry out large

works and educational schemes is beyond the

comprehension of any Britisher.

Penfold wrote enthusiastically to his colleague at the

Museum, TC Roughley, about the Deutsches Museum

and its nine miles of exhibits, the comprehensive

displays, there are no gaps to be filled, the lavish

use of working models and the sectioned models the

best I have seen. He commented on the marvellous

photographic and x-ray departments: There was a

stories from the archives

ON THE EVE OF WORLD WAR II, MUSEUM DIRECTOR A R PENFOLDVISITED MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND RETURNEDWITH A VISION FOR A MODERN SCIENCE MUSEUM.


19/26


OPPOSITE PAGE: THIS PHOTOGRAPH OF HARRIS STREET, ULTIMO,WAS TAKEN IN ABOUT 1930 BY THE MUSEUMS ECONOMICZOOLOGIST FROM ONE OF THE UPPER FLOORS OF THETECHNOLOGY MUSEUM. FACTORIES HAVE REPLACED MUCH OFTHE HOUSING IN SURROUNDING STREETS WHILE IN THE DISTANCETHE CHIMNEYS OF THE ULTIMO POWER HOUSE BLANKET THESUBURB WITH COAL DUST. IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT PENFOLD,LIKE HIS PREDECESSORS, THOUGHT THE MUSEUM IN A VERYPOOR LOCATION ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BE VERY DIFFICULT TOMOVE IT WAS WELL WORTH TRYING, IN VIEW OF THE VERYSTRONG PUBLIC FEELING REGARDING ITS PRESENTUNSATISFACTORY LOCATION. PHOTO FROM MUSEUM ARCHIVES.

THIS PAGE: PENFOLD WAS VERY TAKEN WITH THE ILLUMINATEDPEOPLE DISPLAYS HE SAW OVERSEAS. HIS INTEREST EVENTUALLYLED TO THE ACQUISITION OF THE TRANSPARENT WOMAN IN THELATE 1950S. SHE HAS BEEN ON DISPLAY EVER SINCE. PHOTO BYGEOFF FRIEND.

INCLUDED IN PENFOLDS PAPERS ARE A NUMBER OFPHOTOGRAPHS OF MUSEUM DISPLAYS . THIS ONE SHOWS THEVICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM IN LONDON.

PENFOLD IN HIS OFFICE IN THE 1940S. PHOTO FROM MUSEUMARCHIVES.

machine there which took your photo, developed the

negative, printed a copy and passed it out to you

through a slot.

Two years before his visit the Museum had opened a

new hall of motor travel dedicated to the Fuhrer.

Penfold found the collection impressive, every one is

in perfect condition. Not one shows faulty or even

worn tyres and the finish of the chassis is like new.

He also noted the choice locations of many German

museums. These people have a decided advantage

over us they are now able to use Palaces that have

been vacated by various Monarchs for Museum

purposes You will understand that my European

ideal for a modern science museum for Sydney ishardly the model which our educational authorities

will approve of.

From Europe, Penfold returned to London and then

flew to the United States of America. Arriving first in

New York he visited the Worlds Fair where he

concentrated on the technical exhibits. He spoke

highly of the New York Science Museum an amazing

museum for there is little or nothing that is not

operated or worked by the visitor. In Philadelphia he

found the Franklin Institute and Museum inspirational

with its extensive use of working exhibits, spectacular

plastics display and original chemistry exhibits.

However, he cautioned against overuse of push

buttons with the observation that numbers of visitors

pushed the buttons and did not wait to observe the

results. Penfold was impressed by the fabulous

shops that lined Americas main streets. An untitled

talk in his surviving papers urges museum directors

to offer displays as if you had a frontage to Fifth

Avenue, New York.

As well as bringing back new ideas about the design

of museum buildings and exhibitions, Penfold brought

back ideas for new exhibits. In London he had

witnessed a BBC television broadcast and began

talking to television manufacturers about a display for

the Museum. At the Museum of Hygiene in Germany

he saw an illuminated man and in New York and

Chicago illuminated women, displays that ultimately

led to the Museums acquisition of the plastic

woman. Just as significantly, for the next 20 years hesustained a lively correspondence with a wide range

of museum directors, curators, research scientists

and businessmen that he met on the trip.

Penfold returned to Australia on 3 October 1939, just

one month after Germany invaded Poland. A poignant

collection of letters survives in Penfolds archives from

museum colleagues he had met in Europe who were

desperately trying to find sponsors overseas. There is

no record of Penfold providing assistance.

Penfold retired in 1955, his vision for a modern

science museum unrealised. However many of his

ideas came to fruition in the decades that followed.

Kimberley Webber, Senior Curator, Australian History

In September 2004 the institution we now know

as the Powerhouse Museum will begin

celebrations for its 125th anniversary. In the

lead up to those celebrations Powerlinehas

published a series of ar ticles about significant

events, people, collections and projects from

our long and distinguished history. This is the

third article in the series.

+


20/26


One of the Powerhouse Museums most popular

characters is Hans the storyteller. Members and

regular Museum visitors will have encountered Hansleading tours in one of his many guises: Hans the

innkeeper of Gratz who told tales of magic and

chivalry, Hans the raconteur migrant who began life

working on the Snowy Mountain Scheme, or perhaps

Hans the film director explaining the wonderful world

of special effects.

So who is Hans? He is one of many characters

created by actor Nigel Sutton. Nigel first became

involved in museum theatre in 1990 when he joined

an acting company attached to the Museum of the

Moving Image in London. At MOMI, film came to life

as professional actors delivered first person

interpretations in the galleries. In this environment

Nigel was able to spend time with directors to

develop his characters. On returning to Australia

Nigel noticed that very little theatre was beingperformed in museums. But what was happening was

very exciting and experimental.

He began performing at the Earth Exchange at the

Rocks and was spotted by Powerhouse Museum

education officers who invited him to perform at theMint Museum (part of the Museum at the time). In

1996, he created Dr Goldfinger for the Mint. Nigels

first character at the Powerhouse was Captain Quirk,

quizmaster of the great space, fact and fantasy trivia

quiz, created for the Star Trek exhibition in 1998. With

his next character, Nigel really found his mark. Hans

the innkeeper took visitors on live interpretive tours of

the Knights of Imperial Austria exhibition for an

amazing 16-week run! What made these tours special

was that no two were ever exactly alike. They were

unscripted and often ran overtime. Tour numbers

swelled up to 100.

Asked why Hans was so popular Nigel replies, You

have to create a character that is truly passionate

and interested in the topic so they can engage the

audience. Hans was so believable that staff actuallythought I came with the exhibition from Austria and

were shocked when I spoke without the accent.

Over the years, many members have grown up with

Hans. He now has a mini-fan club that keeps coming

back for performances. I have noticed that eventhough the children get older and realise that I am

actually an actor playing a character they still interact

with the character and they dont spoil the

experience for their brothers and sisters. It is

important that you create a positive emotional

experience to the museum visit, Nigel says. While

performing at a corporate function recently a woman

recognised Nigel as the character Hans. She began

telling me how her son now buys museum catalogues

and creates interpretive stories from them. So you

can say museum theatre does work.

Hans is not Nigels only character. There was Krispin

K, the trend detective and Dan Flash, the sports

commentator. Another of Nigels characters was

TORK2U, the talking robot (pictured). As part of his

performance he would ask children in the audienceto program him. Quite often we would end up

hearing amazing stories on the meaning of life.

the storytellers storyHANS THE STORYTELLER IS A POPULAR CHARACTER AT THEMUSEUM. WE MEET THE REAL HANS: ACTOR NIGEL SUTTON.story_MICHAEL VAN TIEL, EDUCATION OFFICER photo_SUE STAFFORD


21/26


Unique examples of lace from the Orange region,

brought to light by local curator Brenda Grey,

complemented a display of lace from the Powerhouse

Museums collection at the Orange Regional Gallery in

February. The exhibition Layers of lacefeatured a

charming collection of local christening gowns, which

stole the show, as well as many interesting examples

of lace from collars to fashionable 1950s weddingdresses.

Lace specialist and former Powerhouse curator

Rosemary Shepherd and I assisted with the project

and ran packed weekend workshops for lace

identification and lace making. Workshops on the

conservation of lace were organised a couple of

weeks later by Powerhouse conservator Suzanne

Chee, who also demonstrated techniques for the

display and mounting of textiles. by the end of the

day participants had plenty of ideas on how to clean,

store, organise and display their treasures.

The Orange Regional Gallery is an inspiring local

centre for the arts and, supported by the local

council, achieves an excellent program of exhibitions

with a hard-working team of local enthusiasts. This

exhibition was a community-based show that drew on

objects from local museums and private collectors.

The Layers of laceexhibition is part of an ongoing

program to support movable heritage collections in

New South Wales and is designed to promote the

development and documentation of regional

collections. It was delivered as part of the Regional

Services program at the Powerhouse.

To date these collaborative projects with regional

organisations have focused on agricultural, timber,textile, and migration heritage collections and their

links to the Powerhouse Museums collection.

The program is part of a broader initiative to create

opportunities for curators, collection managers,

conservators, teachers, students and historians in

regional areas to undertake collection-based

research. It aims to encourage projects that identify

significant objects and collections across NSW and

increase knowledge and understanding of moveable

heritage.

Lindie Ward, Assitant Curator InternationalDecorative Arts and Design

layers of lace

OUR COLLABORATION WITH A REGIONALMUSEUM SHOWCASES BEAUTIFUL LACE.

ABOVE: POWERHOUSE MUSEUM CONSERVATOR SUZANNE

CHEE (IN RED) RUNS A WORKSHOP FOR LOCALENTHUSIASTS. BELOW: CHRISTENING GOWNS FROM THEORANGE DISTRICT. PHOTOS BY JEAN-FRANCOISLANZARONE.


22/26


legends of

the Greeks

watchingthe transit

To celebrate the 2004 Athens OlympicGames, Sydney Observatory payshomage to Greek astronomers.

Many of the constellation

names and words we use to

describe what we observe in

the night sky have their origins

in ancient Greek astronomy.

The ancient Greek word for

star is astro, making

astronomy the study of the

stars. They recognised three

types of stars in the night sky:

fixed stars, wandering stars

and hairy stars. Constellations

were made up of fixed stars.

Today we use the same basic

shapes used by the Greeks,

including their many myths

and stories. Moving among the

constellations were the Sun,

Moon and five stars that the

Greeks called asteres planetai

(wandering stars) leading to

the modern term planet. The

five visible planets are

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter

and Saturn. From time to time

a star that appeared hairy

could be seen. The Greeks

called them komEtEs (hairy

one), which became comet.

The ancient Olympic Games

began in 776 BC. Like Easter,

the Olympics were a movable

festival that used both a Moon

and Sun calendar to set a

date. The date was

determined by counting eight

full moons, starting with the

first full moon after the winter

solstice. For the northern

hemisphere the winter solstice

occurs on 22 December,

making a day in July or August

the date on which the

Olympics commenced.

In modern times we think of

astronomy purely as a science,

forgetting it is a part of our

cultural heritage and everyday

lives. To celebrate the opening

of the 2004 Athens Olympic

Games on 13 August, the

Observatory will hold two

Legends of the Greeks nights

on 5 and 12 August. For

bookings and more

information, phone (02) 9217

0485.

Dr Martin Anderson

The transit of Venus is a

pivotal event in Australianhistory. It was the transit of

1769 which brought James

Cook to the South Pacific and

then on to claim NSW for

England. The following transit

in 1874 was an important event

in Sydney Observatorys own

history.

To mark the 2004 transit of

Venus, the first in over a

century, Sydney Observatory

will present an exhibition

featuring original material from

Cooks voyage (opening 5

June) and a series of lectures

and events surrounding thetransit on 8 June. Objects on

display include an

extraordinary regulator clock,

possibly used by Cook to time

the 1769 transit, which is onloan from the Science

Museum in London. The clock

was made by John Shelton

during a period of great

advances in time-keeping and

navigation. The loan was made

possible by the Bruce and Joy

Reid Foundation.

On the day of the transit, join

curator of astronomy Dr Nick

Lomb at the Observatory for

an introduction and transit

viewing from 2.45pm until

sunset, followed by live

webcasts from around the

world.

For more information, costs

and bookings phone (02) 9217

0485.

ob

serve+

SEE THE TRANSIT OF VENUS, AND ITEMS THATTRAVELLED ON COOKS 1769 VOYAGE.

THIS CLOCK, WHICH MAY HAVE BEENUSED ON COOKS 1769 PACIFICVOYAGE TO TIME THE TRANSIT OFVENUS, WILL BE ON DISPLAY ATSYDNEY OBSERVATORY FROM 5 JUNE.PHOTO COURTESY SCIENCEMUSEUM/SSPL.

DETAIL OF AN ORRERY (MODEL OF THE PLANETS) AT SYDNEY OBSERVATORY.PHOTO BY JEAN-FRANCOIS LANZARONE.Z

j


23/26


THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGESTHE SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS

AUSTRALIAN POSTERS

SPORT: MORE THAN HEROES & LEGENDS

GRAND MARNIER

NINETIES TO NOW: FASHION OF THE YEARRETROSPECTIVE

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH


ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY DIVISION

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE 2003

METRO MONORAIL


MINCOM LIMITED

LIFE FELLOWS DINNER 2004

NIKON

SYDNEY OBSERVATORY

SBS

GAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA: THRILLS, SPILLSAND SOCIAL ILLS

SCHENKER STINNES LOGISTICS

OUR PLACE:INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA NOW

SOUNDHOUSE MUSIC ALLIANCE

SOUNDHOUSE MUSIC AND MULTI MEDIALABORATORY

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

SYDNEY DESIGN WEEK

TRANSGRID

PACIFIC SOLAR PROJECT

TRIPLE M


WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS


YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

YAMAHA DISKLAVIER GRAND PIANO

ARAB BANK AUSTRALIA

TREASURES OF PALESTINE

NOVOTEL SYDNEY ON DARLING HARBOUR

OFFICIAL SYDNEY HOTEL

REBEL SPORT


SYDNEY AIRPORT

LAWRENCE HARGRAVE: AUSTRALIASPIONEER AVIATOR

3D CLINIC


THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM IS ASTATUTORY AUTHORITY OF, AND

PRINCIPALLY FUNDED BY,THE NSW STATE GOVERNMENT.

CASINO COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND NSW AUSTRALIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS

AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT ANDHERITAGE

BOEING AUSTRALIA

CAPITAL TECHNIC GROUP

INTEL AUSTRALIA

LOGICA CMG

MASSMEDIA STUDIOS

NSW DEPARTMENT OF LANDS

TASCO

TRANSGRID

ARAB BANK AUSTRALIA

BIMBADGEN ESTATE

DUNLOP FLOORING AUSTRALIA

P&O NEDLLOYD

ROYAL DOULTON AUSTRALIA

SCHENKER AUSTRALIA

SWAROVSKI INTERNATIONAL (AUST)

THE RACI INC, NSW BRANCH

WEIR WARMAN LTD

WORMALD

VINCENT FAIRFAX FAMILY FOUNDATION

SPORT: MORE THAN HEROES & LEGENDS SPORT: MORE THAN HEROES & LEGENDS DICK SMITH AUSTRALIAN EXPLORER BELL206B JETRANGER III HELICOPTER

INTEL YOUNG SCIENTIST 2003,SOUNDHOUSE AND ONLINE PROJECTS

COLES THEATRE, TARGET THEATRE,GRACE BROS COURTYARD, K MARTSTUDIOS

ECOLOGIC: CREATING A SUSTAINABLEFUTURE

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 3830STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 3265

POWERHOUSE WIZARD

+principal partners

+senior partners

+partners

+supporters

+founding corporate members +landmark corporate members +foundations

+ state government partners

DICK SMITH

+australian government partners

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND GIVING TO THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM PLEASE CONTACT MIRANDA PURNELL ON (02) 9217 0577.


24/26

Give a gift membership+

Sport: more than heroes and legends

LEVEL 4, UNTIL 18 JULY 2004

Discover the triumphs, the fashion, the

science and the passion of sport. This

interactive exhibition brings together

material from 60 different sports put

yourself to the test, find out the latest

in improving performance, and uncover

sporting myths and secrets. Special

admission prices apply.Closing soon dont miss out!

Gambling in Australia:

thrills, spills and social ills

LEVEL 3, UNTIL 10 OCTOBER 2004

Why are Australians such enthusiastic

gamblers? Gambling in Australialooks

at the past and present of gambling in

all its major forms the lotteries,

racetracks, the Tote and TAB, hotels,

licensed clubs and casinos.

Nineties to now:

Fashion of the Year retrospective


From glamour to grunge, power suits to

hippie chic rediscover must-have

fashion from the 1990s to now. See

designs by John Galliano for Christian

Dior, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Versace,Marni, Akira Isogawa, sass & bide and

Collette Dinnigan.

Student fashion


Award-winning designs by students

from Sydneys top fashion schools.

Beirut to Baghdad

LEVEL 3, 18 JUNE 2004 30 JANUARY2005

Beautiful objects from the Museums

collection, representing the countries of

Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and

Iraq. Memories and associations of

Arabic-speaking Australians inspired

by the collection provide a

community voice.

exhibitions atSydney Observatory

Transit of Venus

FROM 5 JUNE 2004

Looks at the astronomical and

historical significance of the transit of

Venus and features material from

James Cooks South Pacific voyages.

travelling exhibitions

Our place: Indigenous Australia now

BENAKI MUSEUM, ATHENS, GREECE

1 JULY 5 SEPTEMBER 2004

Intel Young Scientist 2003

MACQUARIE REGIONAL LIBRARY, DUBBO3 JUNE 21 JULY 2004

HASTINGS LIBRARY, PORT MACQUARIE24 JULY 22 AUGUST 2004

NEWCASTLE REGIONAL MUSEUM25 AUGUST 26 SEPTEMBER 2004

Works wonders: stories about home

remedies

VISITOR CENTRE, BREWARRINA29 MAY 28 JUNE 2004

BUSH NURSES COTTAGE, LIGHTNINGRIDGE3 JULY 16 AUGUST 2004

exhibitions at a glanceJUNE_JULY_AUGUST 2004

FROM LEFT: NEW CAPTIONS TO COME.


Sydney design week5_15 AUGUST 2004

Contemporary silver: made in Italy

LEVEL 3, 5 AUGUST 2004 13 FEBRUARY2005

A showcase of the best silverware

made in Italy during the last three

decades of the 20th century. Features

the work of renowned Italian designersand silversmithing studios as well as

objects designed by international

architects and designers.

Australian Design Awards

LEVEL 4, SUCCESS AND INNOVATIONGALLERY, FROM 3 JULY 2004

See the new Powerhouse Museum

Selection from the Australian Design

Awards 2004.

The Sydney Morning Herald Young

Designer of the Year Award

LEVEL 2, 5 15 AUGUST 2004

A preview of the design stars of the

future.

Engineering Excellence

LEVEL 4, SUCCESS AND INNOVATIONGALLERY, UNTIL NOVEMBER 2004

Outstanding engineering projects fromthe Engineers Australia (Sydney

Division) Engineering Excellence

awards.

Treasured timbers

LEVEL 5, UNTIL 1 AUGUST 2004

Features the work of three Tasmanian

furniture makers who work with timber

in very different ways.

Moving the mail

LEVEL 2, TRANSPORT EXHIBITION

See how Australians communicated in

the days before email. This exhibition

also examines how postage stamps

have been produced and collected

over the years.

TURN OVER FOR DETAILS


25/26

Powerhouse MembershipIt makes a great gift!

I wish to join Powerhouse Members I wish to renew my membership

Membership number (if renewing):

INDIVIDUAL 1 year 2 years 3 yearsStandard $60 $108 $153

Concession/country* $30 $54 $77

Name to go on card

*Concession applies to full-time students, seniors, pensioners, unemployed.

Country members must live more than 150 km from Sydney GPO.

HOUSEHOLD** 1 year 2 years 3 yearsStandard $85 $153 $217

Country/concession $50 $90 $127

** A household is up to two adults and all students under 18 years at the same address. Country

households must be more than 150 km from Sydney GPO. Concession applies to full-time students,

seniors, pensioners, unemployed and all adults in the household must be eligible for concession.

Name to go on first card

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MEMBER DETAILS

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PAYMENT DETAILS

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Return this form to:

Powerhouse Members, PO Box K346, Haymarket NSW 1238


26/26

from thecollection

This Tiwi ceramic figure

represents Purukaparli with the

spirit of his dead son Jinani. In

the geographically isolated

Tiwi (we people) islands of

Bathurst and Melville in the

north, the tragic events

surrounding the ancestral

being Purukaparli are probably

the best known, as they deal

with the origins of death and

the passages and phases ofthe sun and the moon.

Moonbeams and coral:

Purukaparlis griefwas

designed and made by Mark

Puautjimi of Tiwi Design, Nguiu,

Bathurst Island, Northern

Territory, Australia, 1999. It will

feature in Our place:

Indigenous Australia now, an

exhibition developed by the

Powerhouse Museum and

Museum Victoria, which opens

in Athens on 1 July as part of

the Cultural Olympiad program

for the 2004 Athens Olympic

Games.

Exhibition supported by

Schenk

Documents

Powerline Winter 2004