Updated May 31, 2018 09:40:31
Photo: Barb Shaw and Hazel Hawke at the 1988 festival in a film still from Make it Right! (Supplied: AIATSIS) Map: Canberra 2600 When Indigenous leaders presented the historic Barunga Statement to prime minister Bob Hawke in 1988, they also gave his then wife Hazel objects of great significance. Since 1991 the Barunga Statement has been viewed tens of thousands of times by visitors to Parliament House. But Mrs Hawke's gifts have been out of public sight, tucked away for decades in the government's official gifts collection. The gifts a headdress, a headband, a set of clapsticks and a feathered string bag have gone on display for the first time in an exhibition celebrating the statement's 30th anniversary. The exhibition is a collaboration between Parliament House and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). "They're important because of their association with the Barunga Statement, which is an object of national significance," AIATSIS curator Sally Brand said. "They fill out the story of the Barunga Festival ... and show the importance of women and their roles in events such as Barunga and in cultural life." PM foreshadowed treaty at Barunga The Barunga Statement was a painted declaration on bark which called for Indigenous land rights, self-management and compensation for loss of lands. Photo: Former prime minister Bob Hawke receives a bark painting from Galarrwuy Yunupingu in 1988. (File photo) It was presented to Mr Hawke by the leaders of the Northern and Central Land councils, Galarrwuy Yunipingu and Wenton Rabuntja, during the annual Barunga sport and cultural festival in the Northern Territory. At the time, Mr Hawke said there would be a treaty "negotiated between the Aboriginal people and the government on behalf of all the people of Australia". "[The Barunga Statement] was the culmination of years of discussion," Ms Brand said. "It combines iconography from northern and central Australia with an English language text. "[It is] really a triumph of collaboration across cultures and languages." Film footage confirmed link to Hazel Hawke Photo: The objects are on public display for the first time at Parliament House. (Supplied: Parliament House (David Hempenstall)) The gifts presented to Mrs Hawke were carefully selected to represent different regions and cultural traditions. The red string headband and dot-painted clapsticks were made in central Australia; the white-feathered headdress and feathered bag were from the Top End. The objects were part of a collection of official gifts transferred to AIATSIS in 2016 from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. AIATIS curators knew the string bag had a connection to Barunga, and when they opened it they found the headdress and headband inside. But the connection to Mrs Hawke was not confirmed until they checked footage from Make it Right!, an AIATSIS documentary filmed at Barunga. The prime minister's wife was shown wearing and carrying the gifts as she was led through the festival crowd. "She looks incredibly happy," Ms Brand said. "It was a really important time in Barunga in 1988 and you can really get a sense of that." The Barunga Statement exhibition is on at Parliament House in Canberra until July 29. AIATSIS has prepared an online exhibition. Topics:indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander,20th-century,federal-parliament,people,human-interest,canberra-2600 First posted May 30, 2018 12:16:58 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-30/hazel-hawkes-barunga-gifts-on-display-at-parliament-house/9791462
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Posted May 26, 2018 12:21:33
A Canberra woman who allegedly threatened security staff at a department store with a used syringe has been denied bail by the ACT Magistrates Court. The Fraser woman was suspected of stealing up to $700 worth of clothes from the store, and was approached by security officers. She then allegedly produced the needle, and claimed she was HIV-positive. In escaping from the store, the woman is accused of approaching a car, claiming she was being chased by a group of men and needed help. When the female driver refused the accused allegedly entered the car and held a 30-centimetre knife to her face. The driver complied and dropped the accused off in Dickson. The woman was apprehended later in the evening. The court heard the woman had severe drug problems and Magistrate Glenn Theakston said the events "demonstrated how desperate she was". Police say when she was apprehended she asked the officers for her needle so that she could have "a hit of heroin". She did not enter a plea, and was remanded in custody. She is set to appear in court next month. Topics:armed-robbery,crime,law-crime-and-justice,courts-and-trials,canberra-2600,act,australia http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-26/canberra-woman-allegedly-threatened-man-with-syringe/9803424 Updated May 30, 2018 13:02:40
Photo: The Fire and Water sculpture represents gathering and togetherness. (ABC Canberra: Michael Black) In the heart of our nation's capital lies some of Australia's most confronting works of art. Reconciliation Place was commissioned to enshrine Indigenous stories and artwork in the centre of Canberra's Parliamentary Triangle. The project worked closely with Indigenous leaders to represent hope for the future while acknowledging some of the darkest moments of our colonial history. Face to face with a difficult past Photo: "I like the girl in the centre of the group, but if taken by anyone else, any of the others would do, as long as they are strong." (ABC Canberra: Michael Black, NAA: A1, 1934/6800) Some of the sculptures have literally captured the stories of Indigenous Australians with documents and articles from old newspapers. A clipping of a group of Aboriginal children has a cross marking one girl for separation from family. Exhibition curator Roslyn Hull said it was important for all Australians to recognise the harm caused to the Stolen Generations and find a way forward together. "This is a period in our history that happened. This is not something that was invented," she said. Settled in the centre of the sculpture Separation is a coolamon a traditional carrier for a baby. The coolamon has been left empty with a haunting Indigenous lullaby accompanying the artwork. Ms Hull recalled a visiting school group with a young girl who said she felt responsible for the harms committed against Aboriginal people. "She wasn't responsible. She cannot change the past," Ms Hull said. "All we can change is our own attitude to these stories in the future." Photo: The Separation sculpture allows visitors to leave notes about their feelings on the separation of children. (ABC Canberra: Michael Black) Reconciliation not a destination but a journey The Howard government never issued a formal apology to the Stolen Generations, instead moving a Motion of Reconciliation in 1999 which acknowledged past mistreatment. When Reconciliation Place opened in 2002, prime minister John Howard remarked it was at the centre of constitutional life in Australia. Its man-made hill was built in the middle and grants visitors a direct line of sight to Parliament House, the National Library and the High Court. "These are places where decisions are made that affect all of us ... and where our most treasured memories on paper are kept," Ms Hull said. She referenced the High Court's 1992 decision in the case of Eddie Mabo around Indigenous land rights. Just as Mabo's name is etched into our history, his legacy is captured on the Land Rights sculpture alongside other Indigenous leaders. Journey to a better future A fighting stick is featured on the side of one of the eastern-most sculptures. Ms Hull said the weapon wasn't incongruous with reconciliation as it had evolved to represent a message stick. "I think it's really powerful to think about how you will respond to what you've seen," she said. Photo: Reconciliation Place's public art encourages interaction and interpretation. (Supplied: UAP, Emma Reilly) Visiting school children are charged with the task of carrying away the message of reconciliation to their own families. "Point out the artworks and tell them what it's about. You teach mum and dad," Ms Hull said. The tours run by the National Capital Authority are designed to build the city in the hearts of all Australians, she said. "It's a pathway that all Australians need to be journeying along to a better future." Photo: The ongoing inclusion of more artwork acknowledges the unfinished journey of reconciliation. (ABC Canberra: Michael Black) Topics:reconciliation,indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander,history,stolen-generations,land-rights,contemporary-art,people,human-interest,canberra-2600 First posted May 30, 2018 10:55:10 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-30/public-art-building-reconciliation-in-hearts-of-all-australians/9811708 5/29/2018 0 Comments 'You reach for something that's not there': Tathra residents rebuild lives from ashesUpdated May 27, 2018 08:46:34
Photo: Roughly 65 homes were destroyed in the fires. (Instagram: @staceyleecullen) When almost everything you own is reduced to dust and rubble, putting it all back together can be a daunting prospect. But for Tathra resident Jani Klotz, who lost her home in devastating bushfires eight weeks ago, the task seems straightforward. "Well, I rebuild the same house," she said. Jani Klotz's house was one of roughly 65 homes destroyed in the blaze that tore through Tathra on Sunday, March 18. Photo: Jani Klotz fled Tathra as it was burning. (ABC News: Andrew Kennedy) Dozens more homes were damaged by the fire. Ms Klotz said she knew when she left Tathra that day, it was likely the last time she would see her home standing. "I really didn't think there was going to be a town called Tathra to come back to," she said. "It just felt so overwhelming the smoke, the gas bottles exploding, the randomness of the fire." Two months on, the scars of the fire are still visible across the town in scorched bushland and the low rumble of diggers and bulldozers. But most of the destroyed blocks have now been cleared of debris, insurance claims are being paid out and many residents are looking to rebuild. Photo: The fire's impact can still be felt two months on. (ABC News: Peta Doherty) For Ms Klotz, there is no need to worry about designing a new home she already has her dream property in mind. "Almost identical," she said. "It will look different from the outside because the materials will be different, but the shape of it will be the same. "The house really worked, it worked for me and my daughters, we loved it." House destroyed a week after sale For Ingrid Mitchell and Deb Nave, the fire probably could not have come at a worse time. Then the week prior they sold their house to friends and bought a new home just outside of Tathra. Photo: Deb Nave and Ingrid Mitchell had just sold their house when the fires destroyed it. (ABC News: Andrew Kennedy) But on March 18, their existing home in Tathra was reduced to rubble. "We didn't think the house was going to go, we thought we'd be coming home," Ms Nave said. As the fire approached, they took the precaution of packing a few things and leaving town with their two young sons. Photo: Torren Nave in front of his parents' house before it was destroyed. (Supplied) That night, they heard from a firefighter that their house was among those lost to the blaze. But after the initial shock and sadness, both Ms Nave and Ms Mitchell are looking to the future. "In the scheme of what can happen to you, losing your home is pretty insignificant," said Ms Nave. Photo: The home was reduced to rubble. (Supplied) The sale and moving plans have been abandoned, and they have decided to keep the old site. They will use funds from an insurance claim to build a new family home. "We realised after a little while that we have the opportunity to build the house that we really, really want," Ms Mitchell said. "So after a lot of deliberation and support from people, we decided that is what we would do. "We really love Tathra, we want to be here." Reaching for what's lost Standing on the site of his Tathra home of decades, Steve Jory struggles to describe his sense of loss. "Basically everything is different, but I don't know, I've never really thought that I've lost everything even though I have," he said. Photo: The cleared block where Steve Jory's home once stood. (ABC News: Andrew Kennedy) "It's a funny feeling really." Mr Jory lived with his family in his home on Oceanview Terrace for decades. They are currently living out of town, and it is not quite the same. "My wife likes to explain it as being on a holiday, and we're ready to go home now," he said. Photo: The Jory family home after the fires passed through. (Supplied: Jerome Jory) "But we don't have a home, so we'll have to stay on a holiday for a little bit longer." When leaving the house as a bushfire approaches, most people will grab a few crucial and precious items on the way out. But there is always plenty left behind, at the mercy of the blaze. "Every day you sort of reach for something and it's not there," Mr Jory said. Mr Jory works in the building trade, and is already looking ahead to rebuilding on the same site. He said while the town's appearance would change as bushland regenerated and new buildings appeared, its character would not change. "It's probably made the people closer and band together but Tathra's always been a fantastic place to live, everybody looks after everybody," he said. Topics:fires,disasters-and-accidents,tathra-2550,nsw,canberra-2600,act,australia First posted May 27, 2018 08:12:41 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-27/tathra-fires-see-residents-rebuild-after-homes-destroyed/9803676 Posted May 26, 2018 08:00:01
Photo: Tyronne Bell says the garden is no average bush tucker garden. (ABC Radio Canberra: Penny Travers) Related Story: What I learnt on an Aboriginal cultural tour Map: Weston Creek 2611 Mununja the Butterfly is a Dreamtime story of the Ngunawal people that's been passed through the generations for thousands of years. The story is now being told to the wider community through a beautiful garden at Canberra's National Arboretum. "It's not just your average bush tucker garden," Tyronne Bell, Ngunnawal elder and traditional custodian, said. "It's an educational tool for the wider community about Aboriginal culture, especially local Ngunawal culture." Mununja the Butterfly is about a young Aboriginal girl who was changed into a butterfly so she could avoid marrying the evil Gunga. He possessed great powers and would always prevent her from marrying the boy she loved. Photo: An aerial view of the garden shows the butterfly-inspired design. (Supplied: Tyronne Bell) With the help of Naja, the good spirit butterfly, Mununja was able to remain near her family and her country forever as a beautiful butterfly. The story, as told by Mr Bell's father and Ngunawal elder Don Bell, has been captured in the butterfly-shaped Indigenous garden. Visitors can also hear his son Jai telling the story through the arboretum's phone app. "It tells the story of old school but it's new school," Tyronne Bell said. Garden shaped like a butterfly The layout, colour and shape of the garden depict the geometric scales on a butterfly wings, in particular the orchard swallowtail butterfly and the common crow butterfly. Photo: Visitors to the garden can use their smart device to see a hologram of Jai Bell telling the story of Mununja the Butterfly. (ABC Radio Canberra: Penny Travers) The native plants have been selected for their cultural significance and to attract butterflies. "Most of them are linked to bush tucker; it's all about educating people about what's out in the environment to eat," Mr Bell said. "People need to understand too that we've been doing this for 60,000 years plus and we still continue it today." There are two drooping she-oaks that will one day grow into key features within the garden. "It has very, very hard timber when they grow up but also the roots can be used to make boomerangs," Mr Bell said. The wooden seating area represents the body of the butterfly where visitors can sit and reflect. "When you come to a garden it's good to reflect around what's in that garden," Mr Bell said. "It's like us as Aboriginal people: when we go to certain places to do with sites, it's all about sitting down and reflecting and connecting with the spirits." Photo: The garden offers a place to rest and reflect on Indigenous culture. (ABC Radio Canberra: Penny Travers) Garden 'an example of reconciliation' When the arboretum called for tenders for its gallery of gardens mosaic, Mr Bell worked with designers Charlie Solomon and Jim Fogarty to put forward the butterfly garden proposal. But it wasn't selected as part of the tender process and only went ahead thanks to donations from the Mackay and Waldren families. "It shows all about reconciliation," he said. "I was never a big believer of reconciliation when it first started because I always believed that you have to do it for the right reason. "But when I started my own [Indigenous] business, the wider community would always come and assist us because they could see what we were trying to do to promote local Ngunawal and Aboriginal culture. "So it's great working with the wider community to have this garden." Mr Bell wants Canberrans to visit the garden on the ACT's first Reconciliation Day public holiday on May 28. "Come up and have a look at the garden; this is what it's all about, reconciling with each other as Aboriginal, Indigenous people with the wider community." Photo: The exposed aggregate and pebble pathways depict the limestone plains of the Canberra region. (ABC Radio Canberra: Penny Travers) Topics:aboriginal,indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander,reconciliation,human-interest,weston-creek-2611,canberra-2600,act http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-26/mununja-butterfly-garden-tells-of-dreaming-and-reconciliation/9637276 5/22/2018 0 Comments Cancer patients in the bush more likely to die than those in the city, report saysBy Jennifer Douglas Updated May 22, 2018 11:34:53
Each year, more than 130,000 Australians are diagnosed with cancer. And while more people are surviving cancer than ever before, there is a disparity in survival rates for patients in regional and metropolitan Australia. The 2017 Australian Cancer Council report states that cancer patients in the bush are more likely to die than those living in the city. The main factors associated with this disparity are distance to treatment services; later tumour stage at diagnosis, due to reduced access to a GP; limited access to treatment facilities; and socio-economic disadvantage. Director of oncology at the Albury Wodonga Cancer Centre in southern New South Wales, Doctor Craig Underhill, said at least 1,000 more people were dying in regional Australia from cancer, than in the cities, each year. Photo: Dr Craig Underhill says more needs to be done to address the disparity in survival rates. (ABC Mildura Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas) Dr Underhill is concerned that many patients find it too difficult to access treatment. "They decide not to access care at all," he said. "Instead of having palliative chemotherapy, they decide not to have any treatment, so of course that has a detrimental effect on outcomes." Photo: Sanchia Aranda says there is a link between where patients live and their risk of dying. (ABC Mildura Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas ) Cancer Council Australia chief executive Sanchia Aranda said patients with colorectal cancer who lived 500 kilometres further away from treatment, had a 40 per cent higher risk of dying. "For every hundred kilometres that you live from a radiotherapy treatment centre, your risk of death from colorectal cancer goes up by 8 per cent," she said. Travelling 14 hours for life-saving treatment Helen Wilson, a nurse from Mildura in regional Victoria, required a left mastectomy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. She needed to do the 14-hour round trip to Melbourne for the surgery, and then every three weeks, for life-saving treatment. Photo: Breast cancer survivor Helen Wilson had to travel to Melbourne for surgery and treatment. (ABC Mildura Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas ) The treatment incapacitated her, but Ms Wilson said it was the excessive travel that was the hardest to cope with. "On top of that fact that I was fighting for my life, the cost of travel and accommodation caused undue financial stress, as I needed to cover these costs upfront," she said. "If I could have had my radiotherapy once a week in Mildura, it would have made the whole experience so much easier to cope with." A 900km trip there and back Dianne Stewart's battle with cancer began just before Christmas 2015, when she was diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The initial shock of the diagnosis was compounded by the need to drive the 900km round trip to Adelaide from her home in Wentworth, New South Wales, for regular treatment. For the then 70-year-old, the travel was daunting. Photo: Dianne Stewart is fighting cancer for a third time. (ABC Mildura Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas) "My travel costs were reimbursed, but finding the funds to cover the fuel and accommodation upfront did contribute a fair bit of stress," Mrs Stewart said. "Some days I was too sick to travel, which added additional accommodation costs to my treatment." After having chemotherapy for non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2015, Mrs Stewart was again diagnosed with cancer in June 2017, this time involving her colon. "Fortunately, I was able to have surgery and chemotherapy treatment in Mildura, Victoria, only 35 minutes across the border from my home town of Wentworth," she said. "Being able to receive treatment nearby and be close to my family and support network has made my recovery so much better," Mrs Stewart said. "The local hospital staff are very supportive and have made my chemo and all the challenges that go with it, just that little bit easier." Mrs Stewart's lymphoma has returned and she is again facing extensive travel to Adelaide for treatment. Photo: In her second fight with cancer, Dianne Stewart received chemotherapy closer to home. (ABC Mildura Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas) Addressing the disparity between the city and the bush Cancer specialists have been lobbying governments for more than a decade to help address the disparity in cancer outcomes in regional and metropolitan Australia. In north Queensland, telehealth chemotherapy is reducing the need for patients to travel hundreds of kilometres for treatment. Patients can instead receive chemotherapy at their local hospital. Locally-trained nursing staff deliver the treatment with support from a clinical specialist via telehealth. Ten government-funded regional cancer treatment centres have been established across Australia. Albury Wodonga did not receive one of the centres, but has established its own, through a public-private partnership. Photo: The Albury Wodonga cancer centre is the result of a public-private partnership. (ABC Mildura Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas ) The centre's director of oncology, Dr Underhill, said regional cancer services had come a long way in improving outcomes for patients in the bush, but more needed to be done. He said due to the success of the new centres, patient numbers had exceeded expectations and staff were working beyond sustainable limits. Photo: Greg Hunt says a new rural health workforce package is a national priority. (ABC Mildura Swan Hill: Jennifer Douglas) Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said his priority was a new rural health workforce package. "That's something that I'm very hopeful we can deliver," Mr Hunt said. "That won't just help within the cancer and oncology space, but it's about assisting with the rural health workforce right across the board," Mr Hunt said. Topics:death,ethics,grief,budget,health,abc,journalism,human,rural-women,dna-testing,counselling,health-policy,healthcare-facilities,diseases-and-disorders,cervical-and-vulval-cancers,mildura-3500,nsw,qld,wodonga-3690,albury-2640,canberra-2600,wentworth-2648,sa,adelaide-5000,vic,melbourne-3000 First posted May 21, 2018 07:03:16 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-21/cancer-patients-travel-hundreds-of-kilometres-for-treatment/9758072 Posted May 21, 2018 08:06:19
The "commonly held" notion that pregnancy is a cause of long-term weight gain has been challenged by new research, which suggests unemployment and depression are instead likely factors. A study from the University of Canberra tracked the weight of 8,000 young women over 15 years, comparing the results of those who became mothers with those who did not. "The common perception in laypeople, but also researchers, is that pregnancy probably has a really significant role in weight gain in women over the long term," researcher Deborah Davis said. "We divided up those who'd had babies with those who hadn't had babies, and looked at the weight gain over 15 years. "Ones who had babies didn't have a different weight gain to women who didn't." While it is normal to see moderate weight gain during pregnancy, Professor Davis said women only needed to eat a little extra. "Women don't need twice the calories when they're pregnant, they do need a little bit more," she said. "It's about 300 calories. "I think that's an amazing thing, that a woman can make a whole person on not a lot of additional calories each day. "Women should really concentrate not on the volume of food, but really on eating good food really nutrient rich." Over the 15-year period, it was found that most women gained a small amount of weight, but the difference between women who had children and those who did not was insignificant. The study examined other factors influencing weight gain, finding that university education and high levels of exercise were indicators of smaller weight gain. Professor Davis said while a link between depression and weight gain was found, the study did not conclude whether one factor caused the other. A link was also established between unemployment and increased weight gain. "It wasn't about how much income you had, but if you had no paid job you were more likely to have a bigger weight gain," she said. Topics:obesity,health,pregnancy-and-childbirth,reproduction-and-contraception,university-of-canberra-2617,canberra-2600,act,australia http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-21/pregnancy-obesity-university-canberra-study/9782064 Updated May 18, 2018 14:37:36
Map: Canberra 2600 A tanned Broadwood and Sons gem dropped at a Canberra tip shop on Monday was the first grand piano Charlie Bigg-Wither had ever seen. Its worth was anyone's guess, but when a successful German concert pianist contacted the Green Shed's co-owner expressing excitement to play it, he knew he had picked up something special. From human remains to grenade launchers, Mr Bigg-Wither thought the Mitchell tip which sells unwanted items for bargain prices had seen it all. External Link:Jack Larmour plays blindfolded "We have always joked that all we need now is a grand piano and a penny-farthing," he said. Thanks to the family that dropped off the Broadwood and Sons grand piano when its owner moved into a nursing home last week, he is now only waiting for the latter. And what better way to celebrate that than to give it to a talented musician, judged by the shed's faithful Facebook followers? Mr Bigg-Wither has been gobsmacked by the interest in his "The Tip has got Talent" Facebook post, which he wrote on a whim on Wednesday afternoon. 'Crazy idea' inspired by TV show, fear of damage His competition lets anyone visit the shed, try their hand at playing the donated piano and add a recording of their performance to the Facebook post. Whichever video garners the most likes by 9:00am on Monday will be crowned the winner, with the result to be announced on the Facebook page. External Link:Alex plays Legend of Zelda Mr Bigg-Wither said he was inspired by a reality TV show and a fear the instrument would be damaged if it was left in the shed. "We put a $1,000 [price tag] on it for a couple of days it's potentially worth a lot more than $1,000, some people have said it's worth $10,000 but we generally sell things cheaply so they move and they don't hang around," he said. "But then we thought it was too nice to be sitting here, we didn't want it to get ruined, so we thought we'd have a crazy idea and give it a good home." External Link:Boy plays piano at Green Shed Some people, including pianists and Beethoven specialists, took to Facebook to point out that Beethoven played a Broadwood, suggesting the piano was more than a century old. Mr Bigg-Wither acknowledged the shed was potentially missing out on a decent sale, but wanted to bring the community together, adding jokingly "sometimes we like to do dumb things". External Link:Cassie plays the piano Initially he was going to ask people to share why they deserved the piano and choose the best story, but he recently took a liking to the reality singing show The Voice and decided to make it a contest. That decision impressed Facebook users, if the some-1000 comments staff have spent hours sifting through is anything to go by. German pianist to travel from Sydney to play External Link:Tristan plays the piano Only a handful of those comments are competition entries, and Mr Big-Whither has already hinted who is in the running for the prize, saying he enjoyed the performance from a blindfolded entrant. But as remarkable as that performance was, they might soon have a run for their money. Mr Big-Wither said he was shocked to be contacted by a pianist living in Sydney, who had just toured through Germany. "He said he was going to come down to Canberra and play it on Sunday," he said. "I Face[book]-stalked him and he was in his three-piece tuxedo, in some massive big concert hall, at an enormous piano, playing in front of all these people, and he wants to come to our little tip shop and play our baby grand piano." "I couldn't believe it." Mr Big-Whither conceded he always wanted someone to donate a grand piano to the shed because he had never even seen one, but also admitted that meant he had no idea how valuable this one really was. He was surprised to read comments suggesting it was a "historically significant instrument dating to the 1880s or probably earlier". "A Broadwood & Sons? Jesus. Whoever ends up owning that better look after it. Otherwise I'll steal it with a very large forklift," one comment read. Another person wrote "Beethoven played a Broadwood when he toured England. Also, the manufacture, sales and export information for EVERY Broadwood ever made still exist in an archive in the north of England. The person who gets this piano will be able to trace its history." Whoever first owned the piano is unlikely to have expected that history would lead it to a humble Canberra tip, but whoever owns it next will surely be grateful it did. External Link:Elise plays the piano Topics:community-and-society,charities,music,human-interest,charities-and-community-organisations,canberra-2600,act,australia First posted May 18, 2018 13:23:43 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-18/canberra-tip-second-hand-ship-giving-away-grand-piano/9774888 Posted May 19, 2018 06:00:10
Photo: The Deep Space Communication Complex is one of Canberra's best-kept secrets. (ABC Canberra: Laura Tchilinguirian) From a quiet field alongside grazing cows just south of Canberra, NASA is looking a long way into space. The Deep Space Communication Complex in the Paddys River valley at Tidbinbilla is one of only three in the world that facilitates communication between NASA and spacecraft, satellites and astronauts. The other two sites are in Spain and California. NASA's InSight mission to Mars is one of almost 40 missions supported by the Canberra facility which is run by 90 staff from the CSIRO. "Sometimes we describe ourselves as the air traffic control for space," the CSIRO's Glen Nagle said. Photo: The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex began operation from Tidbinbilla in 1964. (ABC Canberra: Laura Tchilinguirian) Photo: The ACT-based site is one of three in the world that helps NASA talk to its spacecraft. (ABC Canberra: Laura Tchilinguirian) NASA sent a robotic geologist into space on May 5 on a mission to explore the inside of the red planet. "The inside of Mars is a mystery," Mr Nagle said. "The interior of a planet is the engine of a world and it's what makes that world the way it is. "It will be the first time we've had a mission to land a seismometer on another world. "This instrument can measure vibrations as small as half the width of a hydrogen atom." The spacecraft is expected to rendezvous with Mars in November. "The mission is using an Atlas V rocket, one of NASA's most powerful boosters to give it a good kick to get to Mars in that time," Mr Nagle said. "NASA wants to be able to detect that if there's an impact on the other side of the planet from a meteor, for example, they will be able to detect the vibrations that run through the planet. "We don't know whether Mars has a molten core or not; we want to know what's going on in the mantle structure. "We're really trying to understand everything we can about what's inside the planet." Photo: The complex, pictured in 1965, is a ground station in the Paddys River valley. (CSIRO/NASA) A must-visit tourist attraction Visitors to the Deep Space Communication Complex have described the site as one of Canberra's best-kept secrets. "We are effectively the telephone exchange for the universe," Mr Nagle said. The site is home to four operational dishes and two more retired dishes on site. "We have the 70-metre-deep station dish and three 34-metre-in-diameter antennas." The network has coordinated and controlled hundreds of manned and un-manned ventures into space, including the first fly-by of Neptune in the 1980s and the Curiosity Mars Rover mission in 2012. "It was also our dish here in Canberra that captured those first flickering images of Neil Armstrong coming down the ladder and stepping onto the surface of the Moon," Mr Nagle said. "Our 26-metre antenna was at Honeysuckle Creek on July 21, 1969 that it captured those first images." Photo: The control room for DSS42, the facility's original antenna, in 1969. (CSIRO/NASA) Mr Nagle said new missions were taking off all the time. "Missions that are studying the sun, missions that are visiting planets, moons, asteroids, comets and a handful of the deep space telescopes that see hundreds of millions of kilometres away," he said. "All of these missions represent 27 countries around the world that are exploring space. "It's not just NASA that we're supporting; it's missions for Russia, India, Japan and all the European Space Agency nations. "And they rely on us to provide this communication." Topics:science-and-technology,astronomy-space,spacecraft,space-exploration,research,research-organisations,human-interest,canberra-2600 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-19/nasa-deep-space-communication-complex-in-canberra/9758428 Updated May 18, 2018 15:34:06
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has stared down an internal party challenge to secure the top spot on the party's Senate ticket at the next federal election. Key points:Sarah Hanson-Young wins top spot on the Greens' Senate ticket by a close two candidate vote of 53-47Her main competition was Robert Simms - a former Adelaide City councillor and SenatorRobert Simms is pushing for renewal of the Greens to bring people back to the party Her win comes despite a strong push from Greens member Rob Simms, who wrote to members in South Australia in March urging them to vote for him in the party's pre-selection process. The ABC understands the vote was close, with Senator Hanson-Young winning the preselection vote ahead of Mr Simms on a 53-47 two-candidate preferred basis. Mr Simms, who was parachuted into the Senate in September 2015 following the resignation of senior Green Penny Wright, lost his position in the 2016 double dissolution election after running second on the ticket behind Senator Hanson-Young. In a statement, he congratulated Senator Hanson-Young for her preselection. "This preselection was a lively contest of ideas that engaged a record number of our members and I'm proud to have been able to play my part," Mr Simms said. "Participatory democracy is one of the four pillars of the Greens and I believe our democratic culture has been strengthened as a result of this process. "I want to thank the many Greens members who voted for me in this ballot and have supported me throughout my political journey." Photo: Robert Simms lost the preselection battle to Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young in a close race. (ABC News: Tom Fedorowytsch) Senator Hanson-Young also released a statement, saying she was "delighted" to be re-endorsed by the state's members. Ms Hanson-Young's position within the federal Greens' partyroom has been under scrutiny in recent times, particularly after Greens leader Richard Di Natale stripped her of the high-profile immigration portfolio in late 2016. Sources have alleged Senator Hanson-Young did not help the party during the state election campaign earlier this year, and was overseas at World Economic Forum events in Davos, Switzerland and Harvard University in the United States. When questioned whether she ever feared losing the top spot on the party's ticket, she said "no". "Together, the Greens team and the SA community will fight to protect our environment, to care for people and to support our local artists and creators," Ms Hanson-Young said. "We will fight to save the Murray, to stop drilling in the Great Australian Bight, to take action on climate change and increase our investment in renewable energy." In his letter to party members in March, Mr Simms appealed for a refresh of the Senate ticket, saying it was an opportunity to reconnect with South Australians who had switched off from the Greens. "Our state is ripe for a progressive revolution and the Greens are the party to deliver it. This should be our time," he said. The Greens have announced Ngarrindjeri elder Major 'Moogy' Sumner will be the party's candidate for Mayo, also being contested by former Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie and Liberal Georgina Downer. Topics:government-and-politics,elections,federal-elections,greens,australia,sa,adelaide-5000,canberra-2600 First posted May 18, 2018 14:11:52 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-18/greens-sarah-hanson-young-stares-down-challenge-for-top-spot/9776180 |
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