NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA
Heritage in Trust (ACT) May 2013
_________________________________________________________________
Photo: Margaret Hadfield and colleagues in front of her mural at Queanbeyan Museum
The Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum
One of the best and most important museums in the
local region is the Queanbeyan and District Historical
Museum in Farrer Place, Queanbeyan. Over the last
decade, the museum has undergone a remarkable
renaissance and recently received high commendation
from the NSW Museums and Galleries Standards
Program. In the 1990s, however, the museum had
fallen on hard times. Among the volunteers who kept
the museum going, enthusiasm was waning and
numbers dwindling. And while the museum held
valuable and interesting material, its exhibits looked
tired and in urgent need of refreshing, rearrangement
and reinterpretation. Capping off the institution’s
decline, rising damp in the historic museum building
forced its closure in the late 1990s.
The museum’s renaissance began in 2002. In that year,
local historian Gillian Kelly and husband Gordon
embarked on a major program of renewal and
rejuvenation at the museum. Queanbeyan City Council
dealt with the rising damp and, with some professional
museum advice and assistance, the transformation of
the museum began.
cont p2
Inside
Heritage suburbs: Ainslie p 18
Tharwa Bridge- engineering heritage p 19
Travels with the Trust - Book Now p 11
Heritage at risk p 9
What's on? Member Events p 7 Heritage Festival Reports p 12
Heritage In Trust May 2013
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The Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum
A mutually beneficial relationship was established with
the Canberra Institute of Technology’s Museum
Practice course, informative and attractive new
exhibits were created and, to mark the museum’s
regeneration, a new colour scheme and logo were
adopted.
The pioneering work by the Kellys has been continued
and expanded by the Museum Society’s past President,
Kerrie Ruth, and by the current president John
McGlynn. Through their efforts in partnership with the
City Council, the museum has been highly successful in
securing grant funding. A large heritage grant from the
Commonwealth Government provided funds for
improvements to the museum building, including
restoration of the museum’s original timber flooring
and the welcome installation of a proper heating
system and insulation.
Further grants from the federal and NSW governments
funded the construction of the museum’s new ‘passive
storage’ building. Standing unobtrusively between the
museum and the Queanbeyan Printing Museum, the
building was cleverly designed by architect Peter
Overton to store artefacts that are not on display – as
well as the museum’s extensive archives – in
conditions of stable temperature and humidity.
Crucial to the revival of the museum has been
generous and ongoing financial and other support from
Queanbeyan City Council. Indeed, it has undertaken a
shared role of management and development with the
Museum Society. The Council regards the museum as a
major tourist attraction and an important educational
facility for locals and visitors alike, in relation to the
history of the city and its district.
The museum has also benefited from significant
support of another kind. Its resurgence has depended
on the skills and labours of an energetic and
committed band of volunteers and from the
contribution of staff and students of the CIT’s Museum
Practice course. In working on the museum’s
collections and exhibits, the students have gained
invaluable practical experience in museology.
From the editors
Welcome to the first on-line edition of
Heritage in Trust. You’ll find all your old
favourites here including information on
forthcoming tours and other activities. While the
need to reduce costs was a major reason for
Heritage in Trust going on-line, there are real
advantages for members in terms of the currency
of information, the range of articles we can bring
you and the number of colour photos. The Trust
is, of course, still looking after those members
who don’t have email or internet access.
The not-so-good news about the financial
situation is balanced by good news about the
Centenary Rally, the organisation of which is
proceeding well. ABC TV and radio personality,
Mark Carmody, has been appointed as the Rally’s
ambassador and we can expect to see his smiling
face more often as the Rally gets closer. The Trust
also had a very successful Heritage Festival with
good attendances at most events, including a
substantial representation of young people at the
Environa visit. More on Heritage Festival events
below.
We look forward to hearing your views on the
new on-line Heritage in Trust. Please email
([email protected]) or write to the
Editors with your views and suggestions.
Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum
Heritage In Trust May 2013
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The Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum
Prominent among the works in which the students
have been involved has been the conservation of the
museum’s blacksmithy. Retrieved from a local rural
property, the structure has been restored to working
order by a skilled CIT team led by Robert Cooke.
It has been to the enormous advantage of the Museum Society and the people of Queanbeyan that the Society was able to acquire the former Police Sergeant’s Residence for museum purposes in 1981. The building is a multi-roomed structure that provides space for a number of exhibitions. It is also of historic interest in its own right. A handsome brick building, it was purpose-built in 1875-76 almost certainly to a design by the NSW Colonial Architect, James Barnet. The building’s history and significance are now explained in a series of attractive interpretive signs composed by museum volunteers. And on the rear wall of the museum compound, Canberra artist Margaret Hadfield has completed a 30m by 2.5m historic mural of local people, streetscapes, buildings and activities, drawn from the work of Beaufoy Merlin and other 19th century photographers.
Overall, the aim of the museum is to tell the story of the town of Queanbeyan and its district over more than two centuries. This of course includes the history of Aboriginal occupation and use of the district before and after white settlement. Another exhibition charts Queanbeyan’s early European history from discovery and settlement to its establishment as a town. Other exhibitions cover bushrangers in the district, the town’s medical history and wheat experimenter William Farrer and his de Salis relations, complete with family artefacts. There is an ever-changing gallery of early photographs from the museum’s large
photographic collection. With the assistance of Council staff, this collection is currently being digitised by museum volunteers.
As Queanbeyan existed long before the establishment
of the ACT, the museum not surprisingly has much to
do with Canberra. The museum’s displays deal with
pre-ACT Canberra, they cover Queanbeyan’s role in the
foundation and building of the national capital, and
they consider the effects that Queanbeyan and the
national capital have had on each other. One of the
museum’s treasures is a framed collection of 35
photographs by Russian-born photographer Harry
Krantz which shows the federal capital in 1926.
Apart from the permanent exhibits on display, the
museum has mounted a series of temporary
exhibitions. The series, which is ongoing, has included
exhibitions on invention and innovation, people from
the town and district who enlisted in the world wars,
and local entertainment, including the much-missed
School of Arts Café.
What promises to be one of the most important and
fascinating temporary exhibitions that the Society has
ever presented will open in September this year.
Entitled ‘Halloran’s Way’, it will feature plans,
photographs, objects and documents from the vast
archive of Henry F. Halloran, planner of Environa and
the Canberra Freeholds Estates.
Blacksmith's shop
Farrer Piano
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The Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum
The collection, on loan from the Huskisson Museum,
will be shown exclusively in Queanbeyan, with most of
the material on display never having been seen by the
public before. The exhibition will be of such a scale
that it will be put on in the Q, the Queanbeyan
Performing Arts Centre.
The Queanbeyan Museum is open from 1.00 to 4.00pm
on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, but groups are
welcome to visit the museum at other times by
appointment. Contact [email protected] or
go to www.queanbeyanmuseum.org.au.
Brendan O’Keefe
Brendan O’Keefe is an historian and heritage consultant who has carried out numerous heritage projects in Canberra and Queanbeyan over many years. Photos provided by the author.
From the President
The National Trust enters a new phase in its history
and is making changes to be relevant, sustainable and
yet still support National Trust members and the ACT
community in ensuring our heritage is identified and
conserved in the most appropriate manner.
The Council has decided to:
Have the Heritage in Trust and Trust News distributed by electronic means.
Reduce costs, which in the immediate term has seen a delayed replacement of Bethany Lance.
Seek ACT Government support through the budget to explore ways we can work with ACT Government in a range of initiatives for the mutual benefit of both.
We will be exploring a range of initiatives to enable us
to maintain a financially sustainable future. The
support of members through this transition phase is
critical.
We have seen the departure of a few members of our
team and the National Trust’s thanks are extended to
all for their valuable contribution.
Bethany Lance, our Heritage Research Officer, has
decided to take on a full time position. Bethany
brought a younger view, enthusiasm and capability to
the position and her dedication and effort are
commended and thanked.
Sandy Blair has resigned from Council after several years, but will remain Chair of the Heritage and Grants Committee. Sandy has an enormous depth to her heritage expertise and her links to ANU were also beneficial for the National Trust. We are pleased she will continue as Chair of the Heritage and Grants Committee.
Although Bill Lewis was a Councillor for only a short
time he was an important link with the Car Clubs,
essential for the Rally, and also provided a sound
business contribution to Council. This has left the
Council with two vacancies which we will now consider
filling.
Eric Martin AM President
New Council member biography
Mary Johnston completed a BA at the University
of Sydney and worked in educational research at
the University before moving to Canberra in 1978.
After working at ANU in social sciences research
and completing a Graduate Diploma in Statistics at
the then Canberra College of Advanced Education,
she worked in the College administration. She
then joined the Commonwealth public service and
worked in various roles in education, social
services, health and employment.
Since retiring Mary has been enjoying life on a
small property near Bungendore where she and
her husband, Richard, have a house dating back to
the 1830s which they have renovated and
extended. She has enjoyed travelling in Australia
and overseas and volunteering both locally and
with the National Trust, particularly on the Tours
Committee. Mary has been a member of the
Trust for many years and even met her husband
on a National Trust tour of Balmain in Sydney!
A full list of Council members can be found on the
website www.nationaltrust.org.au
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Australia ICOMOS 2013 National Conference – Centenary of Canberra
Registrations Now Open
Imagined pasts..., imagined futures… ‘Imagined pasts, imagined futures’ is an exciting multidisciplinary conference that coincides with the centenary of Canberra and the array of cultural activities, performances, exhibitions and events that are planned for Canberra in 2013. Australia ICOMOS is partnering with the Museum of Australian Democracy in the unique setting of Old Parliament House to explore how heritage participates in the ‘imagined communities’ and ‘imagined geographies’ of nations and communities in a globalising world. Taking the imagining of the city of Canberra as our inspiration, the conference encourages a focus on imagination, innovation and creativity. Conference activities will feature special events that showcase Canberra’s unique cultural, historical and political heritage — from indigenous heritage futures, to the imagined frontiers of science and the heritage of political debate and satire! Pre and post conference activities will explore the heritage and cultural landscapes of the region, including its fantastic cool climate wines and produce.
Dates: Thursday 31 October–Sunday 3 November 2013 Venue: Museum of Australian Democracy @ OPH Early bird registration for ICOMOS Members (Full and Associate) $495, Non- members $595. Register at http://www.aicomos.com/2013-canberra-
centenary/registration/
ACT and Region Annual Australian Heritage Partnership Symposium The Centenary of Canberra – 2013
‘A Centenary of Celebrating Heritage’ Accessing, presenting and interpreting heritage places
and their collections that have contributed to 100
years and more in Canberra and the region.
Hosted by Australia ICOMOS, Canberra Archaeological Society, Donald Horne Institute for Cultural Heritage University of Canberra, Institute of Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts ANU, and National Trust of Australia (ACT). Saturday 20th July 2013; Time: 8.30am to 5pm. Venue: Sir Roland Wilson Building Theatre,
Bldg 120, ANU campus. Cost: $70 full
$50 members of host organisations, $30 concession & full-time students. Sessions include how to reach the non-believer and bureaucratic and boring- where's the fun in Canberra?
Enquiries: [email protected].
Register at National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au
Contents
Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum ______ 1 From the President __________________________ 4 Welcome to Mary Johnston New Councillor_______ 4 ACT and Region Heritage Symposium ____________ 5 Australia ICOMOS 2013 Conference _____________ 5 2013 National History Challenge ________________ 5 People and Places ____________________________ 6 What's On- National Trust events_______________ 7 Canberra Day Oration _________________________ 7 From the Executive Director ____________________ 8 Heritage Happenings __________________________9 Heritage @ Risk______________________________ 9 Launch of Merry Go Round Sign ________________ 9 C100 Heritage Events calendar________________ 10 Travels with the Trust_______________________ 11 2013 Heritage Festival Report_________________ 12 Trust Tours Reports - Bungonia Day Trip _________ 16 Donate to the Trust _________________________ 17 Heritage Suburbs: Considerable heritage of Ainslie_18 Concise history of the bridge over the Murrumbidgee
at Tharwa_________________________________ 19
History Challenge 2013
The 2013 National History Challenge is open.
This year's theme is Legends, Fact and History. Within that theme students are welcome to explore legends and facts about the national capital as Canberra celebrates its centenary. To enter the National Trust special category Australia's Heritage in the History Challenge visit: http://historychallenge.org.au/contest-information/special-categories/australias-heritage/
Entries close on Friday 30 August 2013.
The National Trust acknowledges the support of our Corporate Members and Benefactors :
Old Parliament House Library Patinations Conservation Services ContentGroup Slater & Gordon
Benefactor: Mr Rob McL. Johnston
Heritage In Trust May 2013
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People and Places
New members
The National Trust (ACT) warmly welcomes the
following new members:
Robert and Anne Alchin Verity Anderson Raymond and Gwenda Barge Sue and Stuart Barnetson Roger and Anna Birch Greg and Kerry Bolt Brian and Lydia Buchtmann Charlie and Roslyn Chan David and Lyndall Cross Margaret Davies Stephen Donkersley Anne & John Dormer Brian & Maureen Dowling Janet Elliot Margaret Fearn Terry and Anne Forde Lois and Barry Fordham Yvonne and Geoff Gillett Bruce and Kay Harvey Ann Heard Raymond and Margaret Hemsworth Richard & Diane Jackson Jacky Fogerty and Marcus James
Anne and Colin Lane Mary Lawley Susan and Neil Le Quesne Jeanette and Brendon McCormick Christine White and Craig McGregor Helen McKinnon Christine Melican Helen Moore Barry Cameron and Janet Mountseer Rob Painter Lynn Parry Christine Paterson Patricia and John Rigg Jean and Barry Schwarzer Anne and Erik Simmul Tony and Jean Singer Greg and Cathy Spencer Mathew Trinca Ian and Lisa Westwood Fung Hsien Wong Lin Stapleton and Gerhard Zatschler
The Members page is an information page for all current and prospective members of the National Trust ACT. Our aim is to pass on any information that may be of assistance to members and also to notify members of activities that have been organised by the various committees of the ACT National Trust.
Volunteer with the Trust
Do you have some spare time? Interested in heritage?
Do you have skills in administration, data entry or
research, natural, Indigenous or cultural heritage
expertise, event and/or volunteer management? The
ACT National Trust welcomes offers of assistance from
members. Call Liz at the office on 6230 0533 or email
Trusted Recipe
Canberra Cake (Walnut, apple, carrot and honey cake)
This cake was specially created for the Big 100 Party for Canberra’s Centenary. It is a healthy soft cake made with ingredients sourced from our region. In August we will go back to the menu from the opening of Parliament. Makes 1 x 1.5kg cake, 20cm in diameter.
Ingredients 250g Sassafras walnuts
250g Pialligo apples peeled, cored and diced
3 Kitanodai carrots from Cowra
300g Demeter biodynamic bakers flour from Gunnedah
250g Murrumbateman honey
4 free range eggs from Harmony Hills farm near Canberra
200ml Homeleigh Grove extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground ginger
2 tsp bicarbonate soda
Method
1. Sift flour with spices and bicarb soda 2. Gently mix liquids into dry ingredients 3. Bake at 130°C for 1 hour 4. Test with a skewer – if it comes out clean, cake is cooked through
Cream cheese lemon icing 125g light cream cheese
2 tbs icing sugar
1 tsp lemon rind
Cream together and ice top of the cake when cool.
Recipe courtesy of http://www.canberra100.com.au/memorabilia/canberra-cake/
Heritage In Trust May 2013
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What's on? Member and Friends Events
Join us on Wednesday 17 July at the National Archives for
"On the Ice. Working in Antarctica on the historic huts of
Scott and Shackleton". John Kemister, Large Technology
Conservator at the Australian War Memorial, will give a
presentation on the practical aspects of work on the huts
and artefacts, camp life, life in Antarctica, the scenery and
environment.
In 2011 John took leave to work for the New Zealand
Antarctic Heritage Trust, conserving the historic huts and
artefacts of Scott and Shackleton at Cape Evans and Cape
Royds, on Ross Island, Antarctica.
Watch the ACT website www.nationaltrust.org.au for the
latest notice of events in the 2013 calendar. Further
information on all events will be included in e-news, or
you are welcome to contact the Trust office. New
members are specially invited but all members and friends
are welcome. Please RSVP for all events through the Trust
office on 6230 0533, by email to
[email protected] or online.
Recent events included An evening with Allen Mawson,
well known Canberra historian and writer, on Wednesday
22 May hosted in conjunction with Friends of the National
Museum which was attended by 93 people. Allan gave an
enjoyable, informative and provocative talk looking into
the fascinating history of Old Acton from prehistoric to
modern times and how the heritage values of the Acton
area might be affected by the new development proposals
for the West Basin. This was followed by drinks and
nibbles and conversation as the audience discussed some
of the points raised in the presentation.
KEEP UP TO DATE
Are you up with the latest National Trust happenings?
Maybe you have been missing out on our E News
bulletins! Make sure you are on the E News list and are
kept up to date with events, have access to National Trust
media releases and opportunities to contribute to the
valuable and important work of the Trust.
Email [email protected] with the subject
heading of: Subscribe to E News
The Old Acton Bachelors' Quarters
Canberra and District Historical Society
Canberra Day Oration:
Celebrating the Centenary
The special Centenary edition of this annual event, held
on 12 March in the theatre of the National Library of
Australia, was enjoyed by a nearly full house of
enthusiastic centenary celebrators. The Orator was Geoff
Page, well-known and widely read local poet and recipient
of several major literary awards.
Geoff first visited Canberra in 1959 and came to live here
in 1964. His talk Canberra: my first forty-nine years in the
‘City of Curves’ recalled the city as he had experienced it,
with particular reference to poetry, jazz and teaching.
A captivating slide show ran behind Geoff, showing us
then and now images of places dear to the hearts of
Canberrans. Geoff finished by reading us some of the
poems he has written about Canberra over the years. If
you missed this entertaining talk, Geoff has a shorter
version of his memoir in the reputed to be 'extensively
illustrated' NLA publication: Canberra Then and Now,
available from the NLA shop.
Helen Cooke
Do you have a friend travelling overseas? Tell them about the advantages of joining the National Trust including free entry into over 2000 National Trust properties around the world.
Heritage In Trust May 2013
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From the Executive Director
To Restore or to Evolve
With the National Trust’s Centenary of Canberra event
coming up quickly (Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October)
there has been much activity around old vehicles including
launches and media shoots. This has resulted in me
rummaging around in the dusty corners of my shed to find
a suitable historic vehicle to display. At one event I took a
polished and restored BSA motorcycle and to another I
took an ex-army BSA that was used and abused by the
Australian army through the 1960s and early 70s.
The restored and shiny BSA was photographed by a
television crew and appeared on the news while the
shabby, as-used BSA got very little attention. In fact the
shabby bike is reputed to be quite a famous vehicle which
has travelled around the world as the original factory
demonstrator, resulting in sales of thousands of military
motorcycles in many exotic places. It had also been the
feature of the world’s largest motorcycle show at Earles
Court before seeing service in the Australian army.
A number of people asked “why don’t I restore it back to
original ?” By this, I suppose people think that the army
drab paint, that was roughly applied when it came to
Australia to cover the immaculate shiny dark green suited
to European warfare, should be replaced.
Immaculate and shiny would not be how I remember the
tough little bikes battling though the bush in exercises at
Puckapunyal or doing duty escorting military convoys and
foreign dignitaries near enough to 50 years ago. Each
scratch and layer of drab paint is a trophy and “restoring
it” would result in a significant loss of history.
When I look at the BSA I see, or imagine I see, all of its
history in every scratch and poorly applied layer of
camouflage paint. When I ride it, I rejoice in the strength
of those 20 solid English Clydesdales gently chuffing away
every time I hit a steep hill or strong headwind which leave
my 40 hp RZ whatsit oriental show pony in a frenzy of
scrambling for ever decreasing lower gears.
This made me think of historic properties such as Gold
Creek. The original aim of TAMS was to remove all of the
later additions to the house and retain and restore the
original small cottage section.
With each addition, no matter how unsuitable
contemporary critics judge it, an old house is an evolving
tapestry, building up layers of patina and character
reflecting the changing uses and needs of its users.
To remove those layers now would be unfortunate for
future generations who may appreciate its evolution,
rather than our flawed attempt to recreate the past.
Surely we should retain all facets of our rich and varied
history and not lose the important stages and
developments of our cultural heritage.
Note to National Trust members: If you have any vehicle
from 1913 to the present day and you would like join the
Centenary of Canberra Rally, as long as the vehicle is
registered or has club registration, your National Trust
membership qualifies you to enter. We will also need lots
of volunteers to help over the weekend of the Rally so
please note the dates in your diary now: 19 and 20
October.
Chris Wain
Launch of C100 Rally
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Heritage Happenings
Bethany Lance, Heritage Research Officer for the ACT
National Trust for the last two years, was farewelled in
April at a well attended event at the Trust Office. Bethany
has taken up a full time position to further her career in
heritage but retains her interest in the National Trust.
She has recently reported an update on the ANU historic
buggy shed which featured in last year’s Heritage @ Risk
program. This has now been fully restored and will be
featured in a future article in Heritage in Trust.
Although Bethany has left, heritage work will continue
under the Heritage and Grants committee headed by
Sandy Blair.
Current heritage projects include:
Southern Centenary Border Walk brochure and on site
signage - these are near completion
National Trust Self-Guided Tour’s Smartphone App
Registered Tree App (National project)
We will report more fully on these projects in future issues
of Heritage in Trust.
2013 Heritage @ Risk
The National Trust (ACT) has launched the 2013 Heritage
@ Risk program. The Heritage and Grants Committee
invites members to nominate any ACT places of heritage
value which they consider to be at risk and a brief
explanation as to what is the risk.
Nominations close at the National Trust (ACT) office on 15
June 2013
Margaret Reid launches Merry-go-round sign
National Trust (ACT) patron, The Hon. Margaret Reid AO,
unveiled the new Canberra Tracks interpretive sign at
the Merry-go-round in Garema Place, Civic, on Monday
15 April. The Trust had received a grant of $3,500 from
the ACT Heritage Grants Program to develop and install
the sign. In unveiling the sign, Mrs Reid said that she
recognised the need for just a short speech, as many
children on their first day of school holidays were eager
to have a ride on the 1914 Merry-go-round. Parents
appreciated the availability of free rides!
The interpretive sign is the first in the Canberra Tracks
suite of heritage signs to have a QR code, whereby the
public can view more history and photos of the much
loved Civic landmark using digital technology.
Mrs Reid also launched the Trust’s significant
contribution to the Canberra and Region Heritage
Festival. See page 12 for reports on the very successful
Trust Heritage Festival activities.
Photos Linda Robers
Heritage In Trust May 2013
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CANBERRA CENTENARY 2013
A SELECTION OF HERITAGE-RELATED EVENTS FROM MAY TO DECEMBER
For more events and for more details on the events listed in the table, including bookings, ticket prices, etc, go to www.canberra100.com.au and click on “See events”.
Date and time Location Event
Until 10 June National Library The Dream of a Century – the Griffins in Australia’s Capital –
exhibition
Until 16 June National Portrait
Gallery
First Ladies: Significant Australian Women 1913 to 2013 – art
exhibition
Until
13 October
National Museum
of Australia
Glorious Days: Australia 1913 – exhibition
Until
31 December
Cockington Green The Original Canberra House – a model version of the original
‘Canberra House’
14 May
7-9pm
National Archives Picturing the Past – Seeing Canberra’s Stories – launch of Cbr
and District Historical Society’s photographic collection on-line
19 May
2-4pm
Mugga Mugga Sylvia Curley Oration: Music in Early Canberra
20 June
9am -5pm
Tuggeranong
Homestead
Conversations at Tuggeranong Homestead: Historians share their
diverse visions of Australian history – seminar
20 July
8.30am-5pm
ANU ACT and Region Annual Australian Heritage Partnership
Symposium, A Centenary of Celebrating Heritage – a one day
symposium
16 August –
17 August 2014
National Library Canberra: Then and Now – historic photos matched with modern
day photos
29 August
12.30-1.30pm
ANBG Centenary Chats: The History of Haig Park – Eric Martin – talk
31 August
1.30-3.30pm
Mugga Mugga
Life on the Limestone Plains: Touring our Sites 2013 – Lanyon,
Calthorpes and Mugga Mugga – a 3-program series examining the
changing face of life on the Limestone Plains
28 September
1.30-3.30pm
Calthorpes’ House
Life on the Limestone Plains: Touring our Sites 2013 – Lanyon,
Calthorpes and Mugga Mugga (see 31 August)
19 – 20 October
Various National Trust (ACT) Centenary of Canberra Car Rally
26 October
1.30-3.30pm
Lanyon
Life on the Limestone Plains: Touring our Sites 2013 – Lanyon,
Calthorpes and Mugga Mugga (see 31 August)
31 October –
3 November
Museum of Aust
Democracy (OPH)
Australia ICOMOS 2013 National Conference – Centenary of
Canberra – Imagined pasts…, imagined futures… - a four-day
conference
7 November –
10 March 2014
National Library Mapping our World – Terra Incognita to Australia – display of
international and Australian maps that inspired the idea of
Australia
Heritage In Trust May 2013
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Travels with the Trust
ANU Classics Museum Monday 22 July 1.30 – 4pm
Established in 1962 the ANU Classics Museum is one of
Canberra’s cultural gems. The collection spans the
Mediterranean and beyond. The objects are beautifully
displayed since the Museum’s refurbishment. These
range from fine Roman glass tableware and jewellery,
ancient pots dating back 5,000 years, beautiful glossy
Greek vases, Greek coins from the time of Cleopatra and
Roman coins depicting Julius Caesar, to domestic ware
and interior decor from Pompeiian villas destroyed by the
eruption of Vesuvius. The tour of the Museum will be
followed by afternoon tea.
Meet: A D Hope Building, ANU Cost: $25 NT & U3A members; $35 non-members Bookings essential: 6230 0533 or email
Borobudur and Beyond August 2013, 7-8 days
Jogjakarta is a quiet (by Indonesian standards) university
town in the centre of the island of Java. It was the centre
of ancient Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms and is the site of
a number of world heritage listed ancient monuments,
including Borobudur and Candi Prambanan.
It is envisaged that the tour would include:
visits, with English speaking experts, to Borobudur, Candi Prambanan and other Hindu/Buddhist temple sites around Jogjakarta;
an evening performance of the ‘Ramayana’ ballet at Candi Prambanan;
a visit to the Sultan’s palace and adjacent historical sites;
an overnight tour into the hinterland around Jogjakarta, possibly to the Dieng plateau;
batik shopping time;
accommodation in a four star hotel/cultural centre in a traditional Javanese village near Jogjakarta;
all fares, accommodation and meals.
Cost per person twin share: $3950 Single Room supplement: $500 Expressions of interest: Phil Dalley at Travelmakers in Bailey’s Corner ,Civic, License No: TA18800538 Phone: 6247 4444 Leader: Michael Hodgkin Phone: 6258 4943
_____________________________________
Upcoming Tours
The Tours Committee is planning a number of tours for later in the year including the following:
Sunday 13 October, Blandfordia 5 and Bass Gardens guided walk
Sunday 3 November, 8th
Reid Open Houses and Gardens
Sunday 17 November, Lake George bus trip with Graeme Barrow, author of ‘Magnificent’ Lake George: The Biography
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
_______________________________________________ National Trust of Australia (ACT) Office
PO Box 1144 Civic Square ACT 2608
Telephone 02 6230 0533 Fax 02 6230 0544 Email [email protected] Net www.nationaltrust.org.au ABN 50 797 949 955 Opening times 9.30am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday Office Location 1st Floor, North Building [above Canberra Museum & Gallery], entry from Civic Square, Canberra City
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ Patron
The Hon. Margaret Reid AO
President
Eric J. Martin AM
Executive Director
Chris Wain [email protected]
Office Manager
Liz McMillan [email protected]
The e-magazine is produced and edited by Maree Treadwell and Wendy Whitham assisted by Dianne Dowling and Helen Cooke. The Publication Group is chaired by Scott McAllister.
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 12
2013 Heritage Festival Report
The theme of this year’s Canberra and District Heritage
Festival, which ran from 13-28 April, was community
milestones. The National Trust was an important
contributor to the festival, with events ranging from the
3rd Ainslie Open Houses and Gardens, the Return of the
Bellows to the Ginninderra Blacksmith’s Workshop, Tony
Powell’s stimulating presentation at Albert Hall,
excursions to Environa, Oaks Estate, the Rose Garden,
Magna Carta Place and Bungendore, to the popular open
day at Elm Grove. The open day itself attracted over 350
visitors.
Many thanks to the volunteers who contributed to the
success of these events.
Eric Martin, Linda Roberts and Wendy Whitham report
below on particular events
Linda Roberts
Thinking differently about heritage –
Tony Powell presentation, 21 April
Tony Powell, NCDC Commissioner from 1974 - 1985
and a major player during a growth period of
Canberra, provided an interesting presentation on
‘Thinking Differently About Heritage’.
He opened within a world context of Angkor Wat,
Persepolis and the Pyramids and suggested that
Canberra has yet to reach this world stage.
He offered a view that the real heritage value of Old
Parliament House was in the original size and design,
which had a greater integrity and provided a smaller
imposition on the parliamentary vista. This point was
picked up by the Canberra Times’ reporters and put
the Heritage Festival event on the front page of the
Canberra Times on the following Monday and on three
pages on the Tuesday.
Other thoughts presented included the fact that
political influences can interfere with the technical
assessment of places of heritage significance, and that
appropriate research and rigour are not always
exercised in assessing the heritage significance of
place and this only leads to a poorer quality of
heritage outcome.
He considered the environment had better heritage
value than individual buildings and it was not usually
appropriately appreciated.
It appears as though heritage is not appealing to the
younger generation and needs to be relevant to
change and not expect to be a frozen point in time.
The presentation sparked discussion and debate,
which is a useful and healthy exercise and made a
valuable contribution to the Heritage Festival.
Eric Martin
Photos Di Johnstone
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 13
Bungendore walk, Sunday 14 April
Sunday 14 April was a beautiful, mild autumn day, perfect
for a leisurely walk around the village of Bungendore
under the guidance of ACT National Trust President and
Bungendore resident, Eric Martin. The group met at
1.30pm next to the Old Stone House at 41 Molonglo St
where Eric gave a brief introduction to the history of the
village, one of the first established (in the mid-1820s) on
the early settlers’ route between Goulburn and
Queanbeyan, the Monaro and Braidwood. A handout
provided to participants included a map of our walk and a
list of the many properties, some illustrated, that we
would pass on our walk. This will be a handy reference for
future excursions.
The walk took about two hours, with a number of stops
so that Eric could tell us more about particular buildings.
Among those we noted were ‘Carrington’, St Philips
Church and church hall, the police station (formerly the
court house and a beautiful stone building), the Post
Office, the old school and school house, the Railway
Station, the former St Josephs convent and school, and
lovely ‘Birchfield’. By special arrangement we were able
to go into St Philips Church where the stained glass
windows were a particular feature.
In Gibraltar St, Eric pointed out the “top pub” (the Royal
Hotel) and the “bottom pub” (the Lake George Hotel)
before welcoming us to his home, ‘The Beehive’, built as a
hotel in 1859. As well as showing us through the house,
Eric and his family hosted a delightful afternoon tea, with
entertainment by Shortis and Simpson, which rounded off
a most enjoyable afternoon. Wendy Whitham
‘Return of the Bellows’, 26 April
As the Ginninderra Blacksmith’s Workshop is normally
closed to the public, the Trust’s event there was a
wonderful opportunity not only to make it accessible to
our members, but also to welcome back the conserved
centrepiece — the bellows.
The quality of the presenters’ information and their
enthusiasm for the Workshop were clearly evident and
the audience, including Beulah McAppion, the
granddaughter of Harry Curran, the last blacksmith,
delighted in stories of the restoration and installation
work undertaken.
Dr Peter Dowling spoke about the history and
archaeology of the workshop; John Greenwood provided
a potted history of the Onions manufactured bellows
(supplier of bellows to Queen Victoria); and Rene Muir,
Steel Fabricator from Thylacine, enlightened us with his
role in how to cradle the bellows so it’s off the ground,
back on site, with the supports out of sight.
Thanks to Dianne Dowling for cooking the sausages and
onions and to the speakers for making this event a little
gem in this year’s National Trust offering in the Heritage
Festival programme.
Linda Roberts Photo (left) Bungendore. Wendy Whitham
Photo (below) The Bellows. Linda Roberts
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 14
Three Cornerstones Walking Tour of Oaks
Estate, 20 April
Oaks Estate is one of the lesser known parts of Canberra.
Originally part of Queanbeyan, it was included in the ACT
when the boundaries for the new federal capital were
drawn up.
On the morning of Saturday 20 April, 21 walkers joined Dr
Karen Williams on a guided tour around the area. Karen is
both a resident of Oaks Estate and a historian with a
particular interest in the area, and we were fortunate to
have such a well-informed leader. Our walk took us past
the three “cornerstones” of the area, The Oaks, the
Queanbeyan Railway Station and the Robertsons’ House,
each of which represents a particular stage in Oaks Estate
history and are therefore of heritage significance.
As Karen explained to us, The Oaks, built in 1836 by the
Campbells from Duntroon, represents the earliest stage of
white settlement; the Railway Station saw the arrival of a
new form of transport in the 1880s which encouraged
agriculture in the region; and the Robertsons’ House, built
over the years from 1913, represents the arrival of the
federal capital territory and the shift in focus from
Queanbeyan to Canberra.
Another stage of our walk was along the banks of the
Molonglo and Queanbeyan Rivers where Karen pointed
out the two crossings, the junction of the two rivers (an
important landmark in the early days) and the railway
bridge. The walk ended with a very welcome sausage
sizzle in the grounds of the Robertsons’ House in Hazel
Street.
Note: More information on the concept of the cornerstones in
Oaks Estate can be found in Karen’s article in the May 2012
edition of Heritage in Trust.
Wendy Whitham
Environa, 20 April
As we approached Environa, nestled east of Hume, the
car’s sat nav registered then intricate layout of the
proposed concentric streetscape, with 1700 residential
blocks ripe for the picking. What a curious place this was!
Thanks to the owner David Larcombe, grandson of the
surveyor, entrepreneur and businessman Henry Halloran,
the Trust had rare access to this site, and could learn
about its origin.
We discovered what an amazing man Halloran was. He
was friendly with the Griffins (hence proposed tree-lined
boulevards and did I mention circles?) and travelled to
London with Sir John Sulman for the Planners Conference.
Sir Henry Parkes certainly featured and we were
privileged to have his great-great-grandson especially
come down from Sydney for the tour. A railway station
had even been built to Letchworth and several
community sporting days were held.
A number on the tour had waited many, many years to
view Environa, some with childhood memories, and they
were not disappointed.
Linda Roberts
Oaks Estate. Walking towards the bridge over Queanbeyan River. Photo: Wendy Whitham
Parkes Busts Environa. Photo Linda Roberts
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 15
Elm Grove Open Day, 27 April
We chanted ‘Vive l’Empereur’ with the incongruous
backdrop of the paddocks of Elm Grove in Bonner, as the
95th and 42nd Regiments of British army demonstrated
infantry tactics used during the Napoleonic Wars. The
crowd had assumed the role of the French and were
dutifully fired upon with blanks.
This year we returned to the Trust’s 2010 open day site,
the heritage-listed working farm of Paul and Marjorie
Carmody, Elm Grove. Without our wonderful volunteers
barbecuing, providing Devonshire teas, helping with
badge-making, selling sheep manure and quince jelly, and
collecting donations at the gate it would not have been
possible.
Thanks should also go to the wide variety of participants.
New for 2013 were the Carousel Organ, a colonial gun
collection, walk up Oak Hill, as well as the military re-
enactors. Returning to delight the public were the
bushdancers, Sing Australia Choir, lace-makers, face-
painting, Wilkie’s Piecart, sheep shearing and displays.
Mark Carmody was again a popular drawcard with his
garden tour.
Linda Roberts
Photos Linda Roberts
Request for contributions
Canberra's early schools and teachers
Canberra's initial school 'system' was fourteen
one-teacher bush schools that were captured
by the Federal Capital Territory boundary in
1911. These, and another fourteen early
Canberra schools, such as Barnes Creek, Bulgar
Creek, Thornhurst, Gibraltar, Naas and Majura,
can now be found on an on-line database
showing their precise location, all who taught
there, and the official NSW school record. The
website address is:
http://museum.hall.act.au/schools.html
The database is a 'work-in-progress', and
readers are encouraged to send contributions,
particularly about any of the 250 teachers
listed, or corrections.
This is a project of the Hall School Museum,
supported by an ACT Heritage Grant. Thanks
are due to the National Trust (ACT) for
assistance with the research to date.
Alastair Crombie Project Coordinator 'Canberra's Early Schools & Teachers' [email protected] 6230 2977
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 16
Trust Tour Reports Bungonia Day Bus Tour, Sunday 19 May
I’d never been to Bungonia – neither the gorge nor the
village – so the Trust’s day trip to the area on Sunday 19
May was a great opportunity to see both, along with 33
others. Having been on the trip to Goulburn last year
when the fog stayed down and it was bitterly cold, I was
very grateful that the sun shone on this trip! John Jervis,
who had initiated the excursion, provided commentary as
we drove to Marulan before turning off for Bungonia.
Most of the morning was given over to visiting the
Bungonia National Park. Ranger Audrey Kutzner spoke to
us briefly about the geological origins of the park and
then led us to the Lookdown for our first views. The
Lookdown sits on top of the highest limestone cliff in the
country. Most of the party then walked to Adams Lookout
which gives a spectacular view into Slot Canyon. In
addition, a number of us got a good look at a lyrebird in
the car park at the Lookdown. It’s a regular visitor there,
according to Audrey.
In the afternoon, local resident Moira McGinity joined us
on the bus as our guide. The Bungonia region was settled
in the 1820s and was a thriving community until the
highway and railway bypassed it. In recent years it’s taken
on a new lease of life, its pleasant rural nature attracting
new residents. Moira took us on a tour of the village,
which included visiting St Michael’s Catholic Church
(1847), Christchurch Anglican Church (1893), the
cemetery and the old Inverary Gaol.
Village hospitality was an important aspect of the day.
John Wiggin welcomed us and later took us to his own
property, Mizpah, to see the ruins being restored. We
had morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea at the village
hall, where locals also had wine, honey and lavender for
sale. We were also given two handouts, the Bungonia
Village and District Sites and History Guide and an excerpt
from Bungonia, Foundation of a Heritage, both of which
will be useful references.
Thanks to Linda Roberts, John Jervis and the people of
Bungonia for an excellent day.
Wendy Whitham
Bungonia Cemetery. Photo Linda Roberts
Christchurch Anglican Church. Photo Wendy Whitham
Morning tea in the village hall. Photo: Wendy Whitham
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 17
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About Heritage in Trust
Heritage in Trust is published quarterly as an electronic
magazine in conjunction with the National Magazine
Trust News in February, May, August and November.
The editors invite articles and letters from Trust members
with an interest in the heritage of the ACT and these
should be addressed to The Editor, Heritage in Trust, at
Deadlines for copy: 20 January, 20 April, 20 July, 20
October.
The views expressed in Heritage in Trust are not
necessarily those of the National Trust of Australia (ACT).
The articles in this magazine are subject to copyright.
No article may be used without the consent of the ACT
National Trust and the author.
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 18
Heritage Suburbs Series: The Considerable Heritage of Ainslie The heart of today’s Ainslie is best approached from Limestone Avenue between Grimes Street’s Deodar Cedars to reveal the secluded Corroboree Park precinct, with its backdrop of Mount Ainslie. Specially designed timber cottages are set in gardens, linked by trees in avenues merging with those in the park. In 1926 thirty four cottages were built in symmetrical pairs along Paterson Street. Although designed for public service officers with families and small salaries, at first almost all tenants were workmen building Canberra. Then came the park, around a clump of trees where aboriginals formerly gathered. With the transfer of departments from Melbourne in 1927, most of the newer tenants bussed to work at Provisional Parliament House, while wives raised children and participated in social activities. “The weatherboards” was the name residents gave the cottages around the park and along adjacent crescents. Happily, this unique neighbourhood has been conserved, with its now privately-owned cottages adapted for modern living in beautifully mature gardens. In the 1920s John Sulman’s inspiration for planning Canberra’s first housing precincts was the English garden city movement. As the ample provision of parks, playgrounds and community buildings was a feature of that movement, Corroboree Park was created. There, the Ainslie Hall (1931), relocated from Acton and extended, and a Youth Centre Hut (1950) have been much used by residents over the years. The park’s tennis club has been a community asset since 1928 as have, since 1950, the nearby Girl Guides Hall and Baker Gardens Pre-School. Sulman also planned Alt Crescent, with brick houses carefully laid out in an arc set back from the main road. Before the Great Depression slowed Canberra’s growth, streets around Wakefield Gardens were planned in a square pattern further north and some weatherboard cottages were built. Housing construction resumed in the mid-1930s with brick cottages completing the precinct.
The central parkland is reminiscent of an English village green with a perimeter carriageway. In the 1940s Canberra’s first neighbourhood shopping centre was built on the eastern side of Wakefield Gardens. Today, it is Ainslie’s busy retail and social honeypot. Also in the 1940s, housing spread to the east. Baker Gardens formed a semi-circle mirroring, on a smaller scale, the shape of Corroboree Park. Several initiatives were attempted to relieve Canberra’s post-war housing shortage. Surplus air base huts, built to resemble houses to fool enemy pilots, were transported from Tocumwal in the Riverina and nearly 70 became real houses in Ainslie. A predominantly steel house was assembled in 1947 in Cowper Street to demonstrate how the Beaufort aircraft factory could prefabricate houses. Although this was Australia’s first successful venture into such housing, the shortage of steel halted it. A trial timber house was imported from Finland and erected in Ebden Street in 1948, but no others followed. The greatest initiative was in the early 1950s. Riley-Newsum houses, designed by an Australian and prefabricated in Britain using Scandinavian timber, were erected in Ainslie and many have survived. Ainslie’s most unusual building is All Saints Anglican Church. Parishioners from St John the Baptist, Reid began services in 1938 in the Corroboree Park hall, moved to their new hall in Cowper Street in 1953 and formed a separate parish in 1955. Two years later the burnt-out stonework of Sydney’s abandoned 1868 Victorian Gothic Mortuary Railway Station, Rookwood, was purchased and the visionary project to construct a church commenced. Stan Taunton’s building skill and persistence achieved wonders. By 1959 the church was dedicated and in use. Although not an accurate rebuilding, its heritage value lies in its social significance and the technical accomplishment of its construction.
Ken Charlton Ken Charlton AM is an architectural historian who lives in Corroboree Park, Ainslie.
Photos L-R Ainslie Hall, Paterson St, Tom's Crescent Ken Charlton
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 19
Concise History of the Bridge over the
Murrumbidgee River at Tharwa
Introduction
There was a community arranged celebration at Tharwa
Bridge on Saturday 17 March 2012 to mark the success of
protest by interested locals and other parties to reject the
proposed ACT Government solution for replacing their
existing important heritage Allan truss bridge by a
modern concrete single lane bridge. The agreed solution
not only retained, but also enhanced, the existing bridge.
The celebration included a sit-down lunch on the bridge
deck for 230 people, a very large, decorated sponge cake
cut by two of the oldest locals, brought to the event by
two of the youngest locals, and family activities in the
park at the Tharwa end of the bridge.
Celebration Cake
The original bridge was opened to traffic on 27 March
1895, after being built in less than 12 months by Victorian
bridge contractor Christopher McClure, for a tendered
price of £4469.14s.10d. The bridge was built at the site of
a ford crossing of the river, as part of a strategy to open
up access for wool and produce, as well as to belatedly
provide access to the goldfields at Kiandra. The site was
on an aboriginal route used for thousands of years
beforehand to access Bogong moths in the winter.
The 187.5m long and 12m high bridge was designed by
the distinguished engineer Percy Allan, who also designed
Pyrmont Bridge and Tom Uglys Bridge. It consisted of four
90ft (27.4m) timber Allan truss spans over the main river
channel with shorter timber beam spans at each end.
Allan applied test data on Australian hardwood timbers
published in 1893 by Professor W H Warren of Sydney
University, which enabled efficient use of these timbers in
the design and building of major timber truss bridges. In
addition, Allan’s inspiration was to apply the experience
gained from his involvement in the maintenance of the
timber bridges of his day by adopting twin timber
members in the top and bottom chords.
Opening Day 27 March 1895
The period to 2008
After severe flooding in the 1920s, the three taller timber
trestle piers were replaced in 1936/37 by concrete piers,
with the concrete mixed by a steam-powered concrete
mixer and cleverly cast within the trestle timbers and
linked to the timber piles by a concrete connection. In
1939/40 the bridge was further improved by the
replacement in concrete of the other two timber trestles.
At the same time the deteriorated, rotting timber end
spans were replaced by concrete piers supporting three
steel girders, which in turn carried a reinforced concrete
deck. In addition, the timber abutments were partially
replaced with reinforced concrete.
During the 50s, 60s and 70s, the bridge was subject to
extreme overloading by heavy trucks carrying wet sand
which was being used for building works in Canberra,
causing the trusses to be overstressed.
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 20
Concrete piers - Note marks from timber (concrete cast inside trestle)
Also, some of the timber in the trusses had deteriorated
to the extent that temporary Bailey Bridging was used to
support the trusses. In 1965, a 25 tonne load limit was
applied, which in 1977 became 5 tonne, before the bridge
was subsequently closed to traffic in 2006.
In 2008, the ACT Government called tenders for a single
lane replacement bridge in prestressed concrete and was
preparing to let a contract until pressure from the
community and other interested parties forced a rethink,
which resulted in the renovation and restoration of the
existing bridge.
In a letter to The Canberra Times at the time of the
community protests, the President of the ACT National
Trust presented an argument for the retention of Tharwa
Bridge on the grounds that its heritage value to Australia
was greater than that of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He
made the point that whereas the Sydney Harbour Bridge
and its heritage are part of a world-wide family of bridges
of similar design, type and materials, the bridge over the
Murrumbidgee River at Tharwa was the result of
research, design and construction processes developed in
Australia by Australians for Australian materials and
conditions. As such it shares a unique position in
Australian heritage - like the stump jump plough and the
Hills hoist.
Renovation and restoration
In 2008, to allow light traffic (5 tonne limit) to use the
bridge as soon as possible, while the existing timber
trusses were being dismantled, a grillage of steel support
beams was erected under the existing four span deck and
supported off the existing concrete piers.
Bridge with Allan trusses removed. Deck on temporary steel frames
While the few existing timber piles exposed appeared
sound, it was impossible to confirm the soundness of all
piles over their whole depth. Conservative engineering
judgement was that in order to protect the investment
proposed for the truss renovation, there was also a need
to provide a major supplement to the timber piling
supporting the five tall concrete piers by installing
grouted micropiles. In addition, the five concrete piers
had a light vertical prestress force applied to add to their
stability under flood loads. In conjunction with this work,
the approach spans were strengthened.
The renovation of the trusses was based on an earlier
upgrading of the bridge over the Paterson River at Hinton
in the Hunter Valley. To achieve a load carrying capacity
for 44 tonne semi-trailers, some heritage sensitive
adaptation of the Allan truss system had been required.
As for the original Tharwa bridge, hardwood timber was
sourced from the north coast of NSW. It is instructive to
note that the “checking” of the timber could be well
controlled by “conditioning” and subsequent
“reconditioning” processes which involved manipulating
the moisture content of the timber, used during the
timber storage. This process was the result of specialist
advice from Gary Barker, the third member of the Peer
Review Group, and his colleague, Dr Geoff Boughton of
Curtin University in Perth, WA. It is understood that this
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 21
innovation will be incorporated into future RSM/RTA
specifications
Timber from original trusses stored at Namadgi
The work was overseen by Roads ACT, acting in
conjunction with ACT Heritage, using a series of specialist
contracts for the design, supervision and site works.
The truss renovation contract was awarded to the RTA
Bridge Maintenance Organisation at Wagga Wagga, which
had the background and expertise in timber truss bridge
works of a similar nature to undertake the complex
procurement, storage, assembly and erection processes.
Conclusion
The precinct surrounding Tharwa bridge is little changed
from the time of its original construction which adds to
the heritage significance of the bridge and our ability to
appreciate one of the ACT's finest heritage assets in its
unchanged, picturesque context.
The cost for the restoration of the only existing four span
Allan Truss, at $26 million, is somewhat greater than the
cost of a modern replacement and not something
allocated lightly, but in the case of Tharwa Bridge is an
excellent example of what can be achieved if a
community decides that part of its heritage is worth
retaining.
Brian Pearson and Ray Wedgwood
Brian Pearson and Ray Wedgwood, now retired, were
successive Chief Bridge Engineers of the NSW Road Authority.
The authors wish to thank Tony Gill, Director of RoadsACT, for
his permission to prepare this paper.
Footnotes A detailed description of the design and
construction of the Tharwa Bridge is contained in a paper
Tharwa Bridge Restoration by Marcia Prelog and Sam
Millie, Proceedings, 4th Australian Small Bridges
Conference, 10-11 May 2011
Photo acknowledgements – Historical photos Val Jeffery;
timber sourcing photos Sam Millie; other photos by the
authors.
Hardwood tree near Glenreagh, North Coast NSW
Log ready for sawing
Heritage In Trust May 2013
Heritage in Trust www.nationaltrust.org.au Page 22
Heritage Festival 2013
C100 Rally - Robyn Archer
Environa 20 April
See www.nationaltrust.org.au for more photos
Bungendore 14 April
Return of the Bellows 26 April