I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few decades studying how we design, experience and use spaces. This includes completing a Planning & Design degree that covered everything from contemporary and ancient buildings and gardens to whole suburbs, cities,… Read More ›
Australia
Some of the best things in life are free (Be tempted by salinity & nuclear power art)
I never cease to be amazed by the range of high quality exhibitions, talks and other events on offer in Canberra. Not bad for a big country town (that just happens to also be a national capital). In particular, there are… Read More ›
Writers come out of the romance closet for Valentine’s Day
Last Saturday, I attended a screening of a film about romance writing called ‘Love between the covers’ at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre. (You can watch the trailer and learn more about the film – here.) Beforehand, we had the opportunity to ask some published Canberra… Read More ›
Celebrate, respect, remember & sing out loud
It’s Australia Day again (or Straya Day as we say in the local dialect), sparking the inevitable debates about whether this is a day of celebration or shame. We’re also being encouraged to participate in familiar discussions about our national anthem, our flag,… Read More ›
How hungry would you have to be?
I’ve been trying my hand at fiction lately and am very excited about winning the YWCA Canberra Frugal Feast Writing Prize. You can read my short story about eating and farming insects at the ACT Writers Centre Blog (here – http://actwritersblog.com/2016/01/11/how-hungry/).* The content… Read More ›
Not simply ‘community art’ – Glimpse the world through the eyes of artists with disabilities & experience of mental illness
I was lucky enough to see the 2015 Connected Art Exhibition in Melbourne last week. It’s finished now but I’ve prepared a short post so more people get to appreciate its creativity and the artists’ insightful comments about their images. (They were on display in the… Read More ›
Will nature survive long enough to reach its full potential?
I recently visited the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne and was prompted to look beyond the impact of climate change on humans and to consider the plight of nature itself. On the top floor was the Nature/Revelation exhibition that forms part of the… Read More ›
Strine (Part 4) – Aussie racism, the economy & picking up wogs
I’ve been feeling quite ashamed of being an Australian lately – especially when I watch documentaries by Simon Reeves and other TV presenters that discuss our country’s past and present treatment of indigenous Australians and refugees. For a country that prides itself on… Read More ›
Explore the Elements: Thomas Cook Photography Competition
Thomas Cook is running a photography competition. The rules are simple: post four photographs, each one representing the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. Click here for Competition Details. My blogger nominations are listed below – but hurry as the… Read More ›
Wartime austerity – a time when recycling was not optional
I’ve just finished reading about Australia, Singapore and the Malay Peninsula during the Second World War in a novel called ‘To Love a Sunburnt Country’.(1) The story provided a fascinating insight into life at the time and how Australians responded when war… Read More ›
It will take power & passion to save the planet
Yesterday I attended the Krebs Lecture 2015 at the University of Canberra given by Peter Garrett AM on the environment, climate change and ‘five simple steps we can take to save the hand that feeds us – our planet’.* Garrett’s credentials include former… Read More ›
Is it April Fools’ Year?
A few times this week I have found myself checking that the date wasn’t April 1. ************ The first was when it was reported that Australia is considering scaling back or postponing the national census that has been conducted every… Read More ›
The Great Aussie Dialect (Part 3) – Does it matter if we talk Strine?
Among other things, this series of posts aimed to back up the claim that our contemporary Australian dialect, Strine, is one of the world’s most advanced English dialects. (This is Part 3. Parts 1 and 2 are here & here.) It also set out to demonstrate… Read More ›
The Great Aussie Dialect – History & humour in action (Part 2)
Note: This is Part 2 of my post about the contemporary Australian dialect (‘Strine’) – one of the world’s most advanced English dialects! Make sure you read Part 1 first – here. The long & short of it To make up for adding extra… Read More ›
The Great Aussie Dialect – humour & history in action (Part 1)
I recently stumbled upon an interesting site (www.convictcreations.com) claiming that the contemporary Australian dialect (‘Strine’) is “one of the world’s most advanced English dialects.” The author went on to explain that speakers of Strine can understand kiwis (New Zealanders), poms (Brits), yanks (Americans – no matter which… Read More ›
Did Santa just drive down my street on the back of a ute?
Originally posted on Sustainability soapbox:
A good friend of mine, Brendo, donates his time each December to spread Christmas cheer and glad tidings across the region. He bolts an armchair and two dining room chairs to the tray of a…
We supersize other things, so why not snow domes?
☆ If what goes up, must come down – does it then follow that what gets smaller, must become bigger again? (like mobile phones) And what grows large, must eventually shrink? (like this huge inflatable Christmas snow dome when it is unplugged)… Read More ›
Our planet is not a magic pudding
‘The Magic Pudding’ is a classic Australian children’s book that was written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay – supposedly as an alternative to stories about fairies. It was first published in 1918 and tells the story of the Noble Society of Pudding… Read More ›
Press here for coffee?
Same tram stop sign that played the Messiah a few weeks ago (here). I keep pressing the sign and hoping for a coffee…
How did you find people before phone books & social media?
In Victoria (Australia), you probably would have used a Sands & McDougall Directory to find people in the days before telephone directories & the Internet. These impressive publications were compiled annually between 1857 and 1974 and listed the occupants at every business and residence,… Read More ›
If you want to stand out or confuse insects, wear Gaultier stripes
A major theme running through the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition in Melbourne is horizontal blue and white stripes. They are everywhere – on the walls, on the clothes, and in the video clips of catwalks. And in this painted photograph by… Read More ›
Slavery, human trafficking & exploitation in Australia today (Not sweet at all – Part 2)
In my last post (here), I discussed the trafficking and exploitation of South Sea Islanders (‘sugar slaves’) in northern Australia and the discrimination that these workers and their families faced until only a few decades ago. Unfortunately, practices such as slavery and human trafficking… Read More ›
Not sweet at all – Australia’s sugar slaves (Part 1)
Many Australians are unaware of the key role that ‘sugar slaves’ played in establishing the Australian sugar industry that is now worth around $1.5 – $2.5 billion to our country’s economy. Throughout the last half of the 19th Century, South Sea Islanders (so-called ‘kanakas’) cleared the bush and… Read More ›
Behold! Music at a tram stop!
The same tram stop that I wrote about a few weeks ago (here) is now home to a new installation – an interactive ad promoting performances of the Messiah next month. While you wait for your tram, you press the button in the centre… Read More ›
Don’t throw out your scrabble set! (Locative literature Part 2)
This is a special post dedicated to the author of ‘Hoarder Comes Clean‘ blog. Sandy (self-professed hoarder) is currently in the process of clearing out her cupboards and basement and will now blame me if she can’t bear to get rid of any scrabble board… Read More ›
Surveys are for the birds. Hey, look! A sheepdog!
This post starts out with a ‘citizen’ backyard bird survey and ends with me deciding that a kelpie or other sheepdog is the Australian ADHD equivalent to a squirrel. Confused? You should be… but the connection is actually very straightforward…. Read More ›
Using eye contact to help protect endangered species
Eye contact is our strongest form of non-verbal communication and plays a critical role in initiating emotional relationships between people (and other species). Photographers, for example, know that getting subjects to look directly at the lens of the camera is… Read More ›
Locative literature in a third place (Public art at a Melbourne tram stop)
I love to discover obscure, unexpected and ephemeral delights – such as temporary art installations. Hence my excitement when I chanced upon some ‘locative literature’ while waiting for a tram near Flinders Street Station in Melbourne last week! Sixteen very… Read More ›
Day of the Orchids – Fact really is stranger than fiction
I spent a lovely afternoon at the Canberra Spring Orchid Show last Sunday. What an incredible and diverse family of plants! It was great to see these magnificent plants in the flesh – including a spectacular Sydney Rock Orchid sporting large spikes… Read More ›
Competition for tree hollows in a suburban backyard
In case anyone is unconvinced about how serious the competition is for tree hollows in Australia, I have made a short film about something that really happened in my neighbour’s backyard in Canberra yesterday morning! It also acts as a warning for people thinking… Read More ›
Orchids – Sordid tales of lust, deception & unrequited love
Orchids go to great lengths to attract the insects that are vital to their survival. Like humans, they put on a pretty dress, slap on some lipstick and perfume, flirt and promise sexual favours and gifts (but do not always… Read More ›
A neighbourhood within a neighbourhood – Avian squatters at Eucalypt Hollow
Spring has arrived in Canberra! Gardens and parks are bursting with the glorious colours of wattle, blossom and bulbs – and are every so often topped with a rainbow halo after much-needed seasonal showers. The large eucalypt outside my living room… Read More ›
Warm Trees 2014 – Dragons, scarves & spiderwebs
The highlight of the ‘Warm Trees’ exhibition (25 July – 31 Aug 2014) at Canberra’s National Arboretum was a single tree on Dairy Farmers’ Hill near the ‘Nest’ sculpture. Here, some inspired yarn bombers created beautiful silvery cobwebs that glistened in… Read More ›
Hidden talent – homeless art & poetry
This week I saw an exhibition of homeless art, stories and poetry that was displayed in shop windows along Carlisle Street, Balaclava and Fitzroy Street, St Kilda in Melbourne. It was both uplifting and heart-wrenching at the same time. The ‘No fixed address’ community… Read More ›
Do sculptures really need development approvals & building permits? At what cost?
A large outdoor sculpture in a small Australian country town has faced more than its fair share of debate over the past two decades. The sculpture, known as ‘Dreamer’s Gate’, provoked a series of complaints from members of the local community and… Read More ›
Charity begins at home – with a pair of knitting needles or crochet hook
Knitting and crocheting are no longer just for the blue rinse set. These crafts are enjoying a renaissance across all age groups and are being used to help others and to create cheerful and creative temporary art installations. The knitters and crocheters also receive benefits through… Read More ›
Using art & social media to raise awareness about deforestation
It was great news that UNESCO unanimously rejected Australia’s bid to delist a large of area of old growth native forest in Tasmania earlier this week (especially as these areas were only awarded World Heritage status last year). However, the… Read More ›
Using wombats to promote your blog and support good causes
I am a big believer in the power of ‘word of mouth’ marketing and ‘peer to peer’ referrals. These models rely on trust and are especially well suited to blogs – where a recommendation, link or other promotion via a blogger that you… Read More ›
Every cloud really does have a silver lining
What do you do after a bad day at work? Some people eat or drink to excess. My friend Peter draws. Those who choose to over-indulge end up with a hangover or overweight – while Pete ends up with great… Read More ›
The end of the line – Sydney’s mortuary train stations
Just as every life has a start and an end, so too does a railway line. Given that my last post (here) talked about a train station that used to be at Sydney’s Rookwood Cemetery (and is now a church… Read More ›
Train station turned church – A fabulous example of adaptive reuse in Canberra
I love to watch shows like ‘Grand Designs’ – but I often find the people behind these ambitious projects to be far more interesting than the architecture. In general they are either quite naive (‘No. I have never done anything like this before’)… Read More ›
Why not celebrate Easter with green eggs, chocolate bilbies & protein balls?
Once again Australians are being encouraged to buy chocolate bilbies instead of Easter (feral) bunnies. (To learn more about bilbies, an endangered Australian marsupial that looks a bit like a rabbit with a long nose and tail and a pouch, check out this Radio… Read More ›
Edible versus Fit to eat – Are insects the answer to global food security?
For fans of ‘Charlotte’s Web’, imagine if Wilbur (the pig) had instead watched Charlotte (the spider) being taken away to be slaughtered and eaten? Would animal welfare groups such as PETA and the RSPCA have objected and fought for spiders’ rights… Read More ›
Is Canberra’s latest bogong moth sculpture the next big thing?
My last post (here) explained that millions of bogong moths pass through Canberra each spring. The moths fly at night and become confused by the city’s lights that make them think that the sun is rising. As a result, the… Read More ›
Bush tucker 2 – How do you prefer your witchetty grubs & bogong moths?
Moths, grubs, ants and other insects were important sources of energy for indigenous Australians whose traditional bush tucker diet was high in carbohydrates, protein and nutrients, and relatively low in fat and sugars. Witchetty grubs, for example, were a staple… Read More ›
Bush tucker – I say potato, others say yarla
Apart from macadamia nuts, most people (including many Australians) know very little about Aussie bush tucker – despite the fact that we have an amazing variety of edible plants, such as lilly pilly, quandong, wattle seed and lemon myrtle, on… Read More ›
What do pop art signs & a gasworks redevelopment have in common?
When I was in Melbourne recently, I noticed some public art on the footpath that proves that signs do not have to be boring and can even reflect the function (and potentially the character) of the destination they are promoting…. Read More ›
Great walls & fences of Australia 2
Anyone who read my last post about wild dog, dingo, emu and rabbit-proof fences in Australia, will hopefully appreciate the humour in my favourite TV commercial that encourages parents to invest in an Internet connection to help their kids with… Read More ›
Great walls & fences of Australia
The avenue of poplars (mentioned in this post) in the Tuggeranong Town Park follows the line of a heritage-listed dry stone wall that once marked the boundary between two rural properties in Canberra (one of which was featured in another post – here)…. Read More ›
Play equipment for everyone & colourful road barriers
I found more sound sculptures by Kim Bowman in a playground at Black Mountain Peninsula in Canberra (mentioned in this post). There were two rain wheels, gong drums and a sonic bench. It turns out that there was lots more for kids who find it… Read More ›