As this enews goes out, we are approaching the 8 October closing date for public submissions to the Heritage Act Review, after 30 years of its operation. All Trust members are encouraged to email submissions to paula.poon@planning.nsw.gov.au  Please be concise and follow the terms of reference. A Message Board has been set up on the Trust website, and we invite Trust members and supporters to post their views there. Also in this issue, we invite readers to submit stories of up to 200 words plus an image about a place that resonates for you – a beach, a club, a street, a house, a shop, a school, a park, a wilderness, a future place... Selected stories will be published here in enews in the run-up to “Our Place” - the Trust’s Cultural Festival in April 2008 (email kwestaway@nsw.nationaltrust.org.au). See below for an evocative piece from artist Tom Carment kicking off the series. Finally, over this coming weekend and beyond, join us for some exciting events: the Cirquinox spring equinox circus festival at Everglades, Leura, this Sunday 23 September; two great events at Experiment Farm Parramatta this Saturday 22 September; the auction of Rex Dupain’s The Colour of Bondi exhibition next Monday 24 September at the National Trust S H Ervin Gallery; and  the opening of the prestigious Portia Geach Award for women’s portraiture, also at the Gallery, on 28 September.

Tina Jackson
Executive Director
tjackson@nsw.nationaltrust.org.au

Urban Conservation Areas - Protecting our History
The Trust recently carried out a survey of two Trust listed Urban Conservation Areas, O’Brien’s Estate at Hurstville, and Lindfield in Ku-ring-gai. The majority of the O’Brien’s Estate UCA is on Kogarah Council’s Local Environmental Plan. Lindfield, although nominated by Ku-ring-gai Council, has not been approved for its LEP. Lindfield, with no statutory protection, has sustained major destruction to its historic fabric. Each property in both areas was assessed for its contribution to the quality and intactness of the conservation area. A colour coding system of dark green (exemplary), light green (contributory), grey (neutral), yellow (non-contributory) and red (out of place) was used (see image). Both areas are directly adjoining railway stations with OBrien’s Estate metres from Hurstville City Centre. Its listing has protected it effectively.

Click image to enlarge

Helipads Proposal for Jamberoo Valley
One of the Trust’s earliest-listed Landscape Conservation Areas, Jamberoo Valley, listed in 1975, is threatened by a development proposal for two helipads at the Jamberoo Recreation Park. The proposal involves helicopter flights almost every weekend of the year from the Valley to Kiama, which would seriously degrade enjoyment of the beauty, tranquility and unique qualities of this wonderful place. The Trust will be strongly objecting to this proposal and invites members to submit objections to Kiama Municipal Council by the 3 October deadline.

Mall Proposal defeated by Mudgee Residents
The consent by Mid-Western Regional Council of a Stockland mall development proposal in the heart of Mudgee has been suspended by the Land and Environment Court. The council was found to be in breach of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, as development consent had been granted without bringing the development into line with "the historic, social, architectural or aesthetic significance" of the CBD streetscape, requirements of Mudgee's LEP. 5,000 Mudgee residents signed a petition opposing this development. The Trust strongly supports the protection of historic Mudgee from such unsympathetic development.

Astor Apartment Building Development
The Trust has objected to a redevelopment of the Astor Apartment Building in Macquarie Street, Sydney, the first company title apartment building in Australia. The Astor was the historic home of many notable Australians including Samuel Henry Ervin, benefactor of the National Trust’s S H Ervin Gallery. Although the City of Sydney has approved the basement area development it has refused permission for any alterations to the historic hair salon, in operation for 74 years. Council is taking enforcement action regarding the basement office use and to ensure retail use, as the building was designed to be used, is reinstated. The Trust supports calls for an independent consultant to prepare the Conservation Management Plan for the building.

Auction – The Colour of Bondi, Rex Dupain, Mon 24 September, S H Ervin Gallery
At an unprecedented event on Monday 24 September, the whole collection of work from The Colour of Bondi exhibition will be auctioned by fine art auctioneers, Bonhams & Goodman, after the close of the show.  All 47 colour photographs will be sold with some of the proceeds donated to the National Trust and SH Ervin Gallery. Onsite at S H Ervin Gallery, Watson Rd Observatory Hill, Monday 24 September, 6 pm. For more information, please call 02 9258 0173 or click here. Hurry – last days of exhibition. Closes 23 September.

Portia Geach Memorial Award National Trust S H Ervin Gallery 28 Sept– 4 November
The annual award exhibition for portraiture by contemporary Australian women artists. Now in its 43rd year the Portia Geach Memorial Award, at $18,000, is the richest art prize for women in Australia.  It was established in 1961 by Florence Kate Geach to commemorate her sister Portia’s (1873-1959) achievements.  Like the Archibald, the prize is awarded on an annual basis to the “best portraits painted from life of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters or Science by any female artist resident in Australia”. National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery, Watson Road, Observatory Hill.  Tues to Sun 11am – 5pm; $6, $4 Trust members, seniors & conc. For information, call 02 9258 0173.

October School holiday art workshops – S H Ervin Gallery
Enrol your little ones in a series of children’s workshops to coincide with the Portia Geach Award at the National Trust S H Ervin Gallery. All workshops begin with a short tour of the exhibition. Cost includes entry to exhibition, materials and tuition. Self portraits: drawing from the reflection. Thursday 4 October, 1pm - 3pm. Pastels, pen and ink, suitable for children 5-12 years, cost: $30; Portrait painting with acrylics: Friday 5 October, 1pm - 4 pm. Suitable for 8-15 years, cost: $35; Telling a story through a portrait: Thursday 11 October, 1pm - 3 pm. Mixed media, suitable for 5-12 years, cost: $30; Silhouette portraits: Friday 12 October, 1pm - 3 pm. Suitable for 8 – 16 years, cost $30 Bookings essential. Contact: Eleanor Venables 02 9258 0122 or evenables@nsw.nationaltrust.org.au

A dose of Colonial medicine – 22 September
At Experiment Farm Cottage, the National Trust will host an interactive living history presentation of colonial surgery and medicine, plus engaging tours where visitors can view the colonial medicine chest and books owned by Surgeon Harris dating back to the mid-18th century. Two sessions will be held on 22 September: 10.30am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm. 9 Ruse St, Harris Park. Cost: $15 / $10 NT members and concessions. Phone 02 9635 8149 or 9635 5655. Bookings essential.

Storytelling at Experiment Farm Cottage – 22 September
The Trust and the Storytellers’ Guild continue their regular storytelling program Tales and Tunes at the Trust during History Week with storytelling at Experiment Farm Cottage. Stories for children from 1pm -2pm, followed by a half-hour musical interlude, and then an hour-long storytelling session for adults from 2.30pm-3.30pm. Free with property admission.

Tales from the Rocks – 23 September, 10.30am – 12noon
Many colourful characters have inhabited the Rocks over the past 200 years and they are the source of many fascinating stories. Why not see a different side of Sydney’s oldest neighbourhood by listening to a storyteller share these tales in the places they happened. The National Trust and Australian Storytelling Guild’s TaleTour is designed for adults. Meet outside the Garrison Church, Argyle and Lower Fort Streets, Millers Point. Cost: $8. Phone 0408 875 137 or 02 9985 8454. Bookings essential.

Send in the Clowns – Spring Equinox festivities at Everglades: 23 September
Celebrate the spring equinox with the whole family at the annual ‘Cirquinox’ at Everglades, Leura - a colourful interactive circus festival featuring aerial acts, stage shows, roving performers, workshops, video installations, face painting, and circus stalls. Sunday 23 September, 10am – 4pm. Food and drinks available for sale, or byo picnic. Cost: adults $10, concession $7, children $5, family $25 (includes all shows). Shuttle bus service from Leura station for a gold coin donation. For more please click here.

Register Now for the National Trust Festival – ‘Our Place’ 2008!
In the 28th year of the National Trust Festival, 2008 will see a fantastic variety of over 450 community events across NSW from Saturday 5 April to Sunday 20 April 2008. This year’s theme focuses on Australian life yesterday, today and tomorrow, with a view to a better future. ‘Our Place’ is a home, a club, a street, a business, a playing field, a theatre, a gallery, a restaurant, an historic site, a garden, a mall, a region, the state, our country, our place in the world, a future place. Register your event to join this exciting celebration, and we’ll promote it free via the Trust website and printed Festival program.  Click here and complete the online registration form by Friday 30 November 2007. For more click here or call the Festival Organiser on 02 9258 0181.

Our Place: A Vignette by Tom Carment
This is the first in a series of variations on the theme of Our Place, individuals’ reflections on places that have resonance for them, in the lead up to the Our Place Festival 2008.

Send your entry of maximum 200 words + image to kwestaway@nsw.nationaltrust.org.au Selected entries will be published in our e-news.

“These pictures were painted looking up from a big sloping rock around from the base of Ben Buckler, North Bondi. I was attracted to the precarious image of a house on top of the undermined sandstone cliff... In the early morning the shoreline is thick with crabs, hanging on and feeding in the foam. To get out there you have to crawl on your belly through a sort of cave under the house- sized boulders and, at high tide, wade through a few places. Even on a crowded beach day almost no-one comes around that far. Some local kids must hang out in the cave - they'd left behind a soft drink bottle bong and some empty spray cans - but I never saw them.  One afternoon, after I'd finished painting, I crawled back out towards Bondi Beach pushing my backpack ahead of me - into the sudden glare of tungsten lights. A model in a bikini was striking a pose at the cave mouth, before a crew of photographers and stylists. They looked a bit astonished at my appearance. I wished them good day but they didn't reply. I squeezed my way out, around the model and their equipment. Afterwards I wondered if maybe they'd thought I'd been sleeping under there.”

Tom Carment, Ben Buckler (detail) 2007

Bushcare volunteers
The Ludovic Blackwood Sanctuary Memorial Sanctuary is a National Trust property in Beecroft. It contains an important remnant of Blue Gum High Forest (BGHF), part of a convict road and historical saw pits from the days of logging. Its connectivity to the adjoining Mount St Benedict College with its BGHF and to Devlins Creek means it has important habitat value. An echidna and two Powerful Owls have been reported foraging in the area. A Bushcare group set up in early 2004 currently meets twice a month and always welcomes new members. To find out more, please contact the Trust’s Bushland Management Department on 02 9258 0132 / 0176. 

New property coordinator for Miss Traill’s House and Garden
The National Trust’s Miss Traill’s House and Garden is open for the tourism season with a new part-time property coordinator on board to oversee the beautiful Colonial Georgian cottage and grounds. Tina Rheinberger brings a wealth of experience to the Trust, gained through previous positions. Miss Traill’s House will be open from 12 noon to 3.30pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during spring, summer and autumn, and will close in the winter.

Online Survey about the role of environment/heritage groups - participate and win!
The Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney is undertaking research into the benefits of, and barriers to, joining environment or heritage groups.  Members of the National Trust are invited to participate in an online survey for this research. Participants go into a prize draw to win a hamper of delicious organic goodies. Second prize is a copy of Al Gore's book 'An Inconvenient Truth' donated by ACF. The survey is anonymous and contact details will not be passed on to the research team or any other third party. Click here to complete the survey. Closes Monday 24 September.

Donate to the National Trust and help preserve our heritage for future generations.
For details of our latest appeal, click here.
To leave a gift to the National Trust in your will please call 02 9258 0182 or click here for further information.

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