NATIONAL TRUST > - NSW

Volume 5 NO 11 november 2012 

trust 

news 

Australia 

NATIONAL TRUST 

INSIDE >

Summer 

at the National Gallery of Australia 

14 December 2012 to 2 April 2013 | Book now: ticketek.com.au 

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS 

EXHIBITION PARTNER 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Queen of Pleasure [Reine de Joie] 1892 (detail), colour lithograph, 

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased with the assistance of Mary Peabody 2011 

nga.gov.au Parkes Place, Canberra | 10 am – 5 pm daily | Enquiries: (02) 6240 6502 

Summer 

exhibitions 

Carol Jerrems 

Until 28 January 

Free entry 

Abstract Expressionism 

Until 24 February 

Free entry 

Kastom: Arts of Vanuatu 

8 February 2013 – 16 June 2013 

Free entry 

Jesse Traill 

16 February 2013 – 23 June 2013 

Free entry

5 

10 

Navigating your way through this pdf. 

16 

8 

21 

28 

Simply click on the featured photo within the contents page to 

link you to the start of that article. Click again on the Contents 

bookmark ribbon to return to the contents. 

Look for this symbol to link to external web resources 

related to this topic. 

Inside 

ISSN: 1835-2316 

Vol 5 No 11 2012 

Trust News is published quarterly for 

National Trust members and subscribers 

in February, May, August and November. 

Publication is coordinated by the National 

Trust of Australia (WA) on behalf of the 

National Trusts of Australia and supported 

by the Department of Sustainability, 

Environment, Water, 

Population and Communities. 

National Trust of Australia (WA) 

ABN 83 697 381 616 

PO Box 1162 

West Perth WA 6872 

T: 08 9321 6088 F: 08 9324 1571 

W:www.ntwa.com.au 

Editor: Gina Pickering 

gina.pickering@ntwa.com.au 

T: 08 9321 6088 

Advertising: For advertising rates, 

contact the Editor. 

Design: Dessein Graphics 

Cover: A wild koala undergoes a health 

assessment prior to release. 

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Next Issue: February 2013 

Copy deadline:10 November 2012 

Please help us to save our environment and 

circulate this magazine as widely as possible. 

This magazine is printed on recyclable paper 

and packed in 100% degradable wrap. 

The views expressed in Trust News are not 

necessarily those of the National Trusts or the 

Department of Sustainability, Environment, 

Water, Population and Communities. The 

articles in this magazine are subject to 

copyright. No article may be used without the 

consent of the National Trust and the author. 

November - January 2013 

Greetings, 

In this edition, a preview of breathtaking 

conservation works at the oldest Executive 

Council Chamber in Australia and a million 

dollar facelift for Perth’s only surviving 19th 

Century stone building. 

South Australian treasures revealed in the 

Ayers House Museum Collection and convict 

work in clay defines changes in style and 

form. 

The National Trust also supports an 

Australian icon in the firing line as the 

community rallies with vital support. 

Enjoy 

Gina Pickering | Editor 

my Word 

with editor 

Gina Pickering 

4 The Cascades Female 

Factor 

5 An elegant mid-Victorian 

survivor 

8 School’s out on the Terrace 

10 The Broad Arrow Bricks 

12 New perspectives on 

Northwest cultural 

landscapes 

14 Right on Q 

16 Getting to know the 

Curtins in Cottesloe 

18 The Fabric of Society: 

Australia’s Heritage Quilts 

20 Tunnellers Net 

21 A chamber of delight for 

Sydney architects 

24 A Master Plan 

for the Old Farm 

26 In the firing line 

27 War on Pests 

at Miss Porter’s House 

28 Future for South Australian 

Riverland nature reserves 

29 Goulbourn Anniversary 

30 National Trust Way 

Holiday Tours 

3 Trust News Australia november 2012

perspectives 

Sustaining Australia’s World Heritage 

Tony Burke | Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 

I am delighted that over the past couple of months I have been able to announce 

significant funding for two world heritage listed places. 

At the World Heritage Listed 

Cascades Female Factory in 

Tasmania I announced $374,000 

in funding to improve the visitor 

experience as part of a conservation 

and interpretation project funded 

by the Your Community Heritage 

program. 

The yards of the Cascades 

Female Factory are filled with the 

footprints of the convict buildings 

that housed over 1000 convict 

women and children who were 

once held and worked there. 

Heritage is fundamental to our 

national identity and informs us 

about where we have come from 

and who we are. The Cascades 

Female Factory played an important 

role in Australia’s history and this 

funding will ensure that it is able to 

continue telling that story. 

The factory opened in 1828 and 

operated as a prison and place 

of punishment for re-offending 

female convicts, a female labour 

hiring depot, a hospital, a nursery, 

a place for pregnant convicts and a 

workplace. 

As one of the only places of 

early female imprisonment with 

intact remains, it is one of the most 

significant sites of convict heritage 

in the world. 

In addition to the support for 

the Cascade Female Factory I also 

recently announced an injection 

of $20 million for important 

works to Melbourne’s iconic Royal 

Exhibition Building and Carlton 

Gardens. The funding will assist 

with conservation works for the 

building and promotional and 

interpretive activities. 

The magnificent building is 

a great treasure of international 

importance. The funds will help 

Museum Victoria uphold the values 

that led to the site’s inscription on 

the World Heritage List in 2004. 

The Royal Exhibition Building 

was built for the 1880 Melbourne 

International Exhibition as an 

opportunity to promote Australia’s 

technological innovations to the 

world. The building also hosted 

the opening of the first Federal 

Parliament in 1901. It is part of our 

story as a nation and is a special 

place for all Australians. 

I am pleased that two significant 

heritage places are receiving the 

recognition and funding needed 

to assist in protection, promotion 

and the sharing of their story. 

Above Left Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. DSEWPaC 

Above right Cascades Female Factory. DSEWPaC 

Trust News Australia november 2012 

4

places 

An elegant 

mid-Victorian survivor 

Janine Hook | Ayers House Museum Manager 

Ayers House stands today not only as the last surviving 

mansion of its era on the southern side of 

North Terrace, it also interprets the life of a leading South 

Australian family of the 19 th Century. 


5

Sir Henry Ayers came from 

England as a young man 

with little schooling and went 

on to become Premier of South 

Australia and Secretary of the 

Burra Copper Mine. 

In 1858 he commissioned the 

conversion of an early nineroomed 

brick house which was 

to become the forty roomed 

mansion present today. 

Architect Sir George Strickland 

Kingston (1807-1880) produced 

what was by then a conservative, 

regency-style masterpiece. 

By the time Sir Henry’s North 

Terrace House was completed in 

1876 the interior had been handstencilled 

room by room and the 

magnificent Lyon and Cottier 

designed formal dining room 

ceiling is regarded as among the 

most significant hand-painted 

ceilings in the country. 

The National Trust of South 

Australia’s fine collection in the 

house is displayed to highlight 

original Ayers family pieces. 

TOP The Grand Staircase - access to the Guest Wing of the house and today access to the upstairs section of the Museum. 

The plush red carpets indicate that this staircase was used by the family and invited guests – not the staff of the house. G Gillman 

bottom External view of Ayers House. G Gillman 

right The Saratoga Trunk. J Hook 


6

above The Family Dining Room – the small 

dining room located behind the front 

verandah where the family would have 

dined together. G Gillman 

Recent preparations for South 

Australia’s museum reaccreditation, 

have revealed some previously 

hidden treasures in the Ayers House 

Museum collection. These items 

include South Australia Illustrated - 

volumes of watercolours by George 

French Angas (son of founding 

chairman of the South Australian 

Company George Fife Angas) which 

give insight into how early settlers 

saw the environment, Indigenous 

families and lifestyles. 

Another special find is a “Saratoga 

Trunk”, in this case fitted internally 

as a ladies travel companion with 

glove drawers and stationery 

compartments. 

The costume collection has been 

extended due to these finds as well. 

In the next year (with the installation 

of a new storage system courtesy 

of funding from History South 

Australia’s Community Museums 

Program) the upstairs Guest Wing 

will be rearranged to include a 

Ladies Dressing Room and stand 

alone Gentlemen’s bedroom. The 

introduction of the Ladies Dressing 

Room will allow a proper and more 

contextually relevant interpretation 

of costumes on a rotational basis. 

Using reflections on social 

history, visitors to the property are 

introduced to how life may have 

been for both the Ayers family and 

those “below stairs”. 

Henry Ayers: The Man Who 

Became a Rock 

Author: Jason Shute 

Between the lines 

Publisher: IB Taurus & Co, London 2011 

Reviewer: Marcus Beresford 

National Trust (SA) Councilor 

Mining magnates are topical and this book brings to 

life Australia’s first mining magnate, Sir Henry Ayers, 

a key player in the great copper boom at Burra, South 

Australia in 1845. Ayers was inaugural President of the 

Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 

From humble carpentry beginnings in Portsmouth England, Ayers first 

worked in SA legal offices, then became secretary of the SA Mining Association 

which exploited the “Monster Mine” at Burra. He also managed the financial 

affairs of big investors in that mine and went on to become Premier of South 

Australia seven times and President of the Legislative Council for 12 years. 

Uluru was named after him, but that legacy is fading. As to Ayers’ other 

legacies, these are not entirely obvious apart from Ayers House, the supremely 

elegant mansion on North Terrace, Adelaide, now a Museum of the National 

Trust of South Australia. Ayers was leader of the South Australian government 

at the time of both the settlement of the Northern Territory and construction 

of the Overland Telegraph (a major development for Australia giving rapid 

communication with Britain and other centres for the first time), but this book 

suggests that he may not have been pivotal in such developments. The reader 

gets the impression that Ayers was more the facilitator than initiator. 

In other areas he “set the scene” for later initiatives, without pushing things 

to a new level. These included women’s property rights after marriage, public 

education, eight hour work-days, unionism, and inter-colonial conferences. 

However, he appears to have been fiscally conservative and private enterprise 

orientated. 

Ayers became a member of the Unitarian Church, a religion advocating 

freedom from formal dogma or doctrines (and which embraced people like 

Catherine Spence, author and electoral reformer). 

He appears to have been quite patriotic about his new country, realising 

it had much to offer to people of his background. Unlike many other early 

Australian colonists who “made good”, he long delayed returning to England. 

The book contains an extraordinary amount of detail about Ayers’ life in 

South Australia including his relationship with his wife Annie, and in turn 

reveals much about life in the colony generally. Of particular interest is Ayers’ 

relationship with Henry Rymill, a younger man who worked under him 

initially but later became antagonistic. The suggestion is that Ayers and Rymill 

were very alike and that there was an intergenerational struggle. 

Shute’s book is a significant contribution to Australian history and 

hopefully the first of books analysing this important figure in depth. 

Available from mostlybooks@internode.on.net (08) 8373 5190 


7

School’s out on the Terrace 

Gina Pickering | Editor National Trust (WA) 

Old Perth Boys’ School located in the hubbub of St Georges Terrace 

business throng is both elegant and eye-catching. 

Its style (Gothic Revival), refreshed limestone facade and new tuckpointing 

identify it as something special in the city’s heart - and it is. Old Perth 

Boys’ School is the only mid 19 th century stone building surviving in Perth 

Central Business. 

More than a million dollars worth of conservation work has recently been 

pumped into Perth’s first purpose-built public school. 

It’s become part of shining gateway to the headquarters of industry giant 

BHP. Some say it’s a landscape of David and Goliath proportions in which 

Old Perth Boys’ School is confidently holding its own. 

The conservation of Old Perth 

Boys’ School has been a major 

commitment of the National Trust 

over the past two years and is 

unique in many ways. 

Brookfield Multiplex’s new City 

Square Development features a 45 

level office block, shops, cafes and 

a heritage precinct which includes 

Newspaper House, Perth Technical 

College, WA Trustees, Royal Union 

as well as Old Perth Boys’ School. 

TOP The fresh face of Old Perth Boys’ School. 

G Pickering / NTWA 

ABOVE An enhanced public space is an outcome of the 

National Trust (WA) commitment to conservation work. 

G Pickering / NTWA 

RIGHT An interpretive element reflects the West Australian 

Times. G Pickering / NTWA 


8

now and 

then 

Old Perth Boys’ School is a 

heritage survivor on Perth’s St 

Georges Terrace. Vested in the 

National Trust’s care since 1979, 

it was the Trust’s headquarters 

through to 1986. 

The recent program of works is 

unique in many ways. 

Finding funds for conservation 

works is always a challenge and 

the National Trust took a bold, 

innovative approach in order to 

complete the external conservation 

works to Old Perth Boys’ School. 

Through the sale of plot ratio 

(commonly known as “airspace”) to 

the developer, Brookfield Multiplex, 

some $960,000 was secured. 

National Trust CEO Tom 

Perrigo said the approach 

illustrates a National Trust ethos 

and commitment to innovative 

sustainable outcomes. 

“In addition, the National Trust 

(WA) has also contributed an 

additional $340,000 to project 

management and architectural 

services to deliver an enhanced city 

centre location that’s now available 

for lease,” he said. 

National Trust Conservation 

and Landscape Architects provided 

guidance for this project which 

had a set of unique conditions 

and required stringent meshing 

with the Brookfield Multiplex 

requirements. 

The challenges associated with 

the project included extensive 

works adjacent to and within the 

conservation site. 

According to National Trust 

conservation architect Caroline 

Stokes the extensive use of cement 

mortar in former conservation of 

the building was one of the biggest 

issues of the project. 

“We ensured all the cement 

mortar and cement repairs 

discovered during our exploration 

of the site received appropriate 

attention,” Ms Stokes said. 

“The presence of cement mortar 

leads to sacrifice of the limestone 

and so it was a priority for us to 

ensure it was removed,” she said. 

The face of Old Perth Boys’ 

School which greets the city 

community was scrubbed with 

soap and water and the new tuck 

pointing has provided a refreshed 

finish. 

Eric Hancock, Conservation 

Project Officer who was responsible 

for the extensive stoneworks, said the 

project offered some real surprises. 

“One of the highlights was 

discovering original tuck pointing 

of the stone work at the back of the 

building,” Mr Hancock said. 

“Our archaeological consultants 

revealed part of the life of Old Perth 

Boys’ School turning up a collection 

of pencils, buttons, inkwells and 

even some long lost marbles,” he 

said. 

It is one of a group of heritage 

buildings which has undergone 

conservation and adaptive reuse 

after remaining dormant for many 

years. 

Old Perth Boys’ School has links 

with education dating back to the 

early days of the Swan Colony 

and which continued into the 

20th century as part of the Perth 

Technical School. 

Even one of the principal 

consultant architects - Alan Kelsall 

- was a former Perth Technical 

School student. 

National Trust Landscape 

Architect Phil Palmer said research 

did not reveal any evidence of 

original ground treatments for Old 

Perth Boys’ School and a decision 

was made to finish the forecourt 

with high quality granite because of 

its attractive and durable qualities. 

“A natural granite material with 

soft earthy tones has been used to 

pave the surface and complement 

the limestone,” Mr Palmer said. 

Old Perth Boys’ School is a 

survivor. A classroom to many of 

Western Australia’s most prominent 

citizens and a significant legacy 

listed on Western Australia’s 

Heritage Register. 

“We have had an opportunity 

to conserve this truly important 

heritage place and contribute to 

the contemporary development in 

the heart of Perth,” Ms Stokes said. 

The National Trust worked 

with a team of consultants 

from Kelsall-Binet Architects 

and Wood & Grieve Engineers. 

Works includes: 

• A new rainwater 

and drainage system 

• Storm water collection 

• Paint finishes 

• Structural issues 

above National Trust (WA) conservation team including (L-R) Eric Hancock, Conservation Project Officer, Caroline Stokes, Conservation Architect and Phil Palmer, 

Landscape Architect. G Pickering / NTWA 


9

innovation and invention 

Excavations 

in 

New south 

wales 

The Broad Arrow Bricks 

Allan Hackett 

The broad arrow originated in 

England in 1698. It was an 

identification mark introduced 

to prevent the pilfering of 

Government property. Hence 

bricks, axes, shovels and other 

items were marked with the 

broad arrow. In New South 

Wales this practice of 

identification is usually 

accepted as commencing after 

1819 when Commissioner Bigge 

arrived in Sydney to investigate 

the state of the colony. His 

reports were extremely critical 

of Governor Macquarie for his 

lenient treatment of convicts. 

However, I believe there is evidence that the broad arrow appeared 

prior to 1819. Archaeological excavations were carried out at the 

site of the Westfield shopping centre at Parramatta. 

Bricks which were thought to be unmarked or “clean skins” by the 

archaeologist were unearthed and a sample of four bricks were made 

available for examination. These bricks were recovered from one of the 

nineteen allotments on the site which was occupied by a private settler 

in 1810. However, examination of these bricks has revealed that they 

were in fact marked. In this instance the marking took the form of a 

series of dots and interestingly the dots are arranged in the form of two 

broad arrows. These may be the first government broad arrow bricks 

made in NSW. In addition, shell mortar is associated with the bricks 

and all measure the standard English size of 100cm x 21.5cm x60cm. 

The dot markings were impressed in the brick surface with nailheads 

protruding from the kick of the stockboard as the clay was pressed into 

the mould. 

Further evidence of the broad arrow predating 1819 has been provided 

by excavations at the site of the third old Parramatta hospital. 

The hospital was built in 1818. Double arrow bricks were found on 

site in the wall footings and can still be seen today covered by a glass 

floored building. 

For more information visit www.turnofthefirstclay.com or contact Allan Hackett 

at brickyone@bigpond.com 


10

innovation and invention 


Farewell, Dear People 

Author: Ross McMullin 

ABOVE left Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s building 

regime occurred at the same time the single arrow 

appeared in Sydney. Early bricks were of English size 

but changed to 10cm x 23.5cm x 7cm in the late 1820s. 

A Hackett 

left Brickmakers sent to the penal colony at Port 

Macquarie from 1821, produced bricks on a quota 

system. Gangs assisted the brickmakers and each had 

their own identification mark. A Hackett 

ABOVE Dot markings form broad arrows in bricks from 

the Westfield site in Parramatta, NSW. A Hackett 

BELOW Brickmakers sent to the penal colony at Port 

Macquarie, from 1821 produced bricks on a quota 

system. Gangs assisted the brickmakers - each had 

their own identification mark. A Hackett 

Publisher: Scribe Publications 

Reviewer: Robert Mitchell 

National Trust members taking 

advantage of reciprocal privileges with 

the National Trust for Scotland and 

the National Trust in the remainder 

of Britain may be aware the role of 

death and taxes in the transfer of many 

country houses and estates to National 

Trust stewardship. While the imposition of death duties was a 

primary cause, the death of “heirs male” during the Great War 1914 

– 1919 was often an important factor. While the national sacrifice 

and community loss was widespread, the line of succession for 

many family estates was extinguished in the mud of Flanders 

and elsewhere. The collective impact of the national loss was also 

reflected in “government by the second eleven” a phrase describing 

the lack of depth of political leadership in Britain between 1919 and 

1939. 

In Australia the focus of commemoration of the Great War has 

been on service and sacrifice and battlefield accomplishments. 

Biographies, unit histories and memoirs continue these themes. 

As the centenary of the Great War approaches new publications 

are allowing us to re-examine the impact of the War on Australia 

and to present previously untold stories. The 60,000 soldiers lost 

in death to a young nation with a relatively small population was 

both devastating and politically potent as in the famous interaction 

between Prime Minister Billie Hughes and US President Woodrow 

Wilson over the League of Nations’ mandate for New Guinea 

demonstrated. Sometimes forgotten within the remembrance of 

the magnitude of loss are the individual stories of extraordinary 

Australians and what they might have contributed had they lived. 

Farewell, Dear People by Ross McMullin contains ten extended 

biographies of young men who exemplified Australia’s gifted lost 

generation of World War I. This book seeks to retrieve their stories 

and to fill the gaps in the nation’s collective memory. It shows how 

their deaths were a loss to Australia and part of the lasting legacy of 

the Great War. Although each biography culminates in death, these 

are not narratives of military history but rather a rich portrayal 

of Australia and Australians from the 1870s and into the 1930s. I 

entirely agree with Michael McKernan of the Canberra Times who 

characterised the narrative as a deeply felt engagement with lost 

lives, and a superb union of research and writing. 

I also agree with Peter Cochrane in his review in The Australian, 

that sometimes McMullin’s empathy for his selected individuals 

draws a long bow and loses historical context including the 

conjecture that General Sir John Monash could have replaced 

Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig as Commander in Chief in France. 

Overall however the book is a compelling read with many links 

to heritage places like Woodbridge in Western Australia which is 

under National Trust of Australia stewardship. 

Available from info@scribepub.com.au 


11

connections 

History 

reveals 

Muliticultural 

environment 

New perspectives on 

Northwest cultural landscapes 

Dr Kate Gregory | Special Project Historian National Trust (WA) 

Crossing the floodplains of the Harding River in the Shire of Roebourne, barefoot with cool soft mud 

between our toes and behind us the spectacular Table Hill, Cooya Pooya Station finally comes into view. 

It is like entering an abandoned world and our efforts to access the site are rewarded for although much 

degraded, this heritage site is rich with revelations about the past. 

The station dates from the 1870s 

although, like many Pilbara 

pastoral stations, destructive 

cyclones necessitated successive 

rebuilding campaigns. Labour 

history, the work of Aboriginal 

station hands and domestic 

workers, and shearing life are 

clearly evident in the collection 

of buildings, characterised by 

ingenious use of concrete to 

combat cyclones and termites. 

Rocky outcrops overlooking the 

complex are a picture gallery of 

ancient and contact rock art. 

ABOVE Cooya Pooya Station with remains of shearing shed and view of Table Hill, Shire of Roebourne. K Gregory/NTWA 


12

connections 

The history revealed is of a complex and contested multicultural 

environment around the earliest European settlement of the Northwest 

New research into the history 

and combined material culture of 

the site is being developed through 

a partnership between the National 

Trust of Australia (WA) and the 

University of Western Australia, 

as part of a review of the Shire of 

Roebourne’s Municipal Heritage 

Inventory. Fieldtrips to review 

sites already on the inventory, 

assess new sites for inclusion, and 

meet with the community to find 

out about places of local heritage 

significance have recently been 

undertaken with Professor Alistair 

Paterson from the University of 

Western Australia and Dr Kate 

Gregory from the National Trust. 

The history revealed is 

of a complex and contested 

multicultural environment around 

the earliest European settlement of 

the Northwest; striving mercantile 

trade reliant on a network of ports 

and landings; a long history of 

resources extraction through 

pastoralism, pearling and mining; 

evidence of frontier violence; 

labour histories from forced labour 

to imported labour; adaptation 

to the environment and design 

innovation; and rich social histories 

emerging out of a diversified 

community. 

Cossack and Roebourne are 

amongst the State’s most significant 

heritage areas in a region rapidly 

expanding as a consequence of 

the mining boom. Yet still there 

are discoveries of overlooked 

and forgotten heritage sites. 

Nestled atop spinifex covered hills 

between Cossack and Roebourne 

we recorded a site of amongst the 

earliest European stone structures 

in the Northwest. A series of stone 

stock yards, shelters and lookouts 

well camouflaged within the 

natural rocky outcrops, would likely 

have been built by the first parties of 

European settlers. The site is largely 

intact and was probably only used 

in the first few years of European 

settlement. With strategic views 

of both the landscape and the 

ocean, the sense of uncertainty 

and encounter is palpable, with 

the need for security paramount. 

New research into the complex 

heritage of the region will develop 

understanding and help ensure 

the unique heritage of the area 

is valued within this changing 

landscape. 

above Contact rock art at Cooya Pooya Station, clay pipe engraving visible. K Gregory/NTWA 

top Recording stone stock yards near the upper landing Cossack, with Dr Kate Gregory and Professor Alistair Paterson. E Wright 


13

connections 

Right on Q 

Louise O’Flynn and Cath Snelgrove | NSW National Parks & Wildlife 

One of Sydney’s outstanding heritage landscapes is offering visitors 

a unique experience based on history and environmental values 

while fulfilling stringent monitoring of its conservation and 

management program. 

Quarantine Station is of 

outstanding cultural 

significance and listed on the 

NSW State Heritage Register, 

while the whole of North Head 

in registered on the National 

Heritage List. 

In February 1833, the site was 

dedicated as a place of quarantine 

to protect the colony from deadly 

ship-borne diseases, which 

included typhus fever, yellow fever, 

smallpox and bubonic plague. For 

140 years its use ebbed and flowed 

as modes of transport changed 

and new epidemics brought new 

threats. 

Over the decades, development 

of the 27 hectare site grew to include 

67 buildings which represent fine 

examples of architecture, as well 

as evidence of changes to social 

values including lifestyle and 

medical practice in the control of 

disease. 

The site contains around 12,000 

movable objects and is also 

home to the Little Penguin and 

the locally endangered Long 

Nosed Bandicoot. It also contains 

significant remnants of Eastern 

Suburbs Banksia Scrub. 

Ownership of Quarantine 

Station was transferred from the 

Commonwealth Government to 

the NSW National Parks & Wildlife 

Service (NPWS) in March 1984, 

and while the Service consistently 

carried out basic repairs as far as 

budget allowed, it was clear that a 

massive injection of funds would 

be needed to conserve and present 

the site to its full potential. 

The leasing of Quarantine 

Station on Sydney’s North Head to 

a private company in the late 1990s 

was a controversial period in the 

history of the Station, prompting 

heated debate. The NSW National 

Trust was concerned about the 

potential threat to Quarantine 

Station’s fragile and complex 

significance posed by commercial 

involvement. 

In 2000, a conditional lease 

was signed with the Mawland 

Group which proposed re-use of 

existing buildings to provide onsite 

accommodation, conference 

and other facilities. Supporting 

the interpretation of Quarantine 

Station and reflecting its significant 

history, the plan also detailed 

revenue raising options to protect 

it for the future. The National 

Trust expressed concern about the 

length of the proposed lease and 

the possible conflict between the 

need to make a profit and keeping 

the integrity of the site. 

right Heritage buildings have been meticulously conserved. C Shain 


14

The reuse project has 

been conspicuously 

successful in achieving 

environmental and 

cultural objectives, 

restoring and 

managing the 

natural landscape, 

while stabilising 

and restoring 

historic buildings 

On 26 October 2006, a lease for 21 years was granted to Mawland Quarantine 

Station (MQS). Within the most stringent framework of controls seen in Australia 

for such a project, conservation and adaptation works commenced in 2007 and 

have been ongoing since that time. Hotel accommodation on the site, now known 

as Q Station, has been in operation for three and a half years. 

A significant number of detailed conservation planning documents were 

prepared, and no less than 233 Conditions of Approval were issued, one of which 

required that an Independent Comprehensive Environment Audit of the project 

be undertaken every five years from the commencement date, for the life of 

the project. The recently completed second audit received a score of 96%, an 

exceptional level of compliance by both MQS and National Parks. 

The audit considered environmental performance, the adequacy of the 

monitoring program and the response to issues raised by the community. It 

concluded that the reuse project had been conspicuously successful in achieving 

environmental and cultural objectives, restoring and managing the natural 

landscape, while stabilising and restoring historic buildings. It found that the 

sensitive adaption of buildings to allow the successful operation of quality hotel 

accommodation and heritage tourism operation focused on providing guests 

with an experience based on the history and environmental values of the site. 

Movable heritage had been conserved and interpreted to both protect it and add 

valuable dimension to visitor understanding of the site. 

While the Independent Environmental Audit reflects the commitment by NPWS 

and Mawland Quarantine Station to protect the cultural and natural values of the 

site, the project itself demonstrates the vast potential community benefits offered 

through the detailed, sensitive and innovative conservation and management of 

large and complex heritage sites. 

above The former baggage handling station now houses a restaurant designed to leave no mark on the original fabric. C Shain 


15

connections 

Getting to know the Curtins in Cottesloe 

Elizabeth Hoff | Guest Curator 

More than 360 people visited Curtin Family Home during its four week open season. The beachside 

residence is one of only three former prime ministerial homes open to the public. 

Members of seniors’ groups, 

young Perth leaders and other 

visitors seized the opportunity 

to tour the Curtin Family Home, 

explore the garden and take an 

audio tour by ‘Elsie Curtin’. 

A special feature of this year’s 

program was a series of live readings 

from family correspondence in the 

Curtins’ lounge room. Visitors were 

warmly welcomed and enjoyed 

tea and talk in the kitchen and 

dining room of the Curtins’ former 

residence as part of the National 

Trust program. 

Many commented that they 

were aware of a sense of intimacy, 

of being guests at a place that 

continues to evoke its past as a 

family home. One visitor later 

recalled ‘the passion, knowledge 

and dignity’ that had marked their 

visit, which was ‘a memorable 

introduction to the Curtin family 

and to John Curtin himself’. 

A team of National Trust 

volunteers assisted with the 

readings, which were offered as 

part of the 2012 National Year of 

Reading program that is celebrating 

literacy across Australia. 

Team member Trish O’Neil 

found her involvement with the 

initiative rewarding. 

“Not only has my interest and 

understanding of Curtin, the man, 

been expanded but there has been 

a fascinating wealth of stories and 

memories from the people who 

have visited,” Ms O’Neil said. 

“The simple nature of the Curtin 

home makes it a place that so many 

can relate to,” she said. 

This year’s season included an 

open day that featured activities 

for children, a chance to take the 

audio tour, and further readings 

in the family’s lounge room. For 

the first time, the Trust partnered 

with Deckchair Theatre in Perth 

during its season of The Fremantle 

Candidate which focused on John 

Curtin’s political and personal 

battles. The association also led 

to some double takes in Jarrad St 

Cottesloe when actors from the 

production visited the former 

Curtin’s residence. 

The annual program concluded 

on 3 October with an evening 

lecture at The Grove Library, 

Cottesloe, from Andrew Robb 

AD MP, the Federal Member for 

Goldstein. Mr Robb spoke on 

mental health in public life. 

The Trust was recently awarded 

a grant to support preparatory 

work for the creation of a heritage 

trail that will expand the present 

interpretation of the Curtin Family 

Home. The trail will reveal memories 

of the Curtin family in Cottesloe, 

Cottesloe landmarks, and stories 

about the suburb’s development. 

The project’s consultant is 

seeking people willing to share 

recollections of these aspects of 

Curtin family and Cottesloe history 

in an online survey and one-onone 

consultations. 

For more information 

curtintrail@gmail.com or 

call 0407 161 045. 

above A prime ministerial pose on the front steps of the Curtin Family Home. G Pickering/NTWA 

Insert Members of the National Trust attended a special performance of The Fremantle Candidate at PICA in Perth’s cultural heart. G Pickering/NTWA 


16

connections 

1 

2 

3 4 

5 6 

“The simple nature 

of the Curtin 

home makes it a 

place that so many 

can relate to.” 

1 Cast members from The Fremantle Candidate visit Curtin Family Home. G Pickering/NTWA 

2 Open Day at Curtin Family Home with National Trust Education Officer Kim Hawkes. K Rippingale/NTWA 

3 Members of the Sir Charles Court Young Leaders Program visited Curtin Family Home as part of their annual program. G Pickering/NTWA 

4 Representatives from local government authorities and the Western Australian State Heritage Office visit Curtin Family Home. G Pickering/NTWA 

5 Over 350 people visited the former residence of the Curtin Family Home during the National Trust’s annual program. E Hoff/ NTWA 

6 (L–R) Actor Steve Turner, National Trust Chairman John Cowdell, Actor Christie Sistrunk and Conservation Architect Kelly Rippingale at the opening night of 

The Fremantle Candidate. G Pickering/NTWA 


17

connections 

The Fabric of Society: 

Australia’s Heritage Quilts 

Dr Annette Gero FRS | Quilt Historian 

Australia has a wonderful quilt heritage. The earliest ‘Australian-made’ quilts were those crafted on ships by 

convict women during their transportation to the Colony. The women of Newgate Prison in England, 

sentenced to transportation to NSW for life, were taught to make patchwork quilts by the Quaker prison 

reformer, Elizabeth Fry. From 1817 to 1843 Elizabeth supervised those who were to make the long voyage to 

Australia and supplied them with patchwork as a skill to keep them occupied. Each convict woman was 

provided with one Bible, two aprons, one small bag of tape, one ounce of pins, one hundred needles, nine 

balls of sewing cotton, twenty four hanks of coloured thread, one small bodkin, one thimble, one pair of 

scissors and two pounds of patchwork pieces. 

Of all the patchwork quilts 

made by women on these 

voyages only one, the ‘Rajah’ quilt, 

has survived. Made on board the 

Rajah in 1841, the quilt bears an 

inscription in very fine cross stitch 

on one of its borders indicating that 

it was worked by the transported 

women. It is dated June 1841, and 

was presented to the ladies of 

the convict ship committee as a 

testimony of gratitude. 

Quilts were also made by genteel 

ladies, dressmakers, home makers 

and housewives, wealthy shop 

owners, WWI diggers, people who 

were forced off the land during 

the Depression, WWII Australian 

prisoners of war, rabbit trappers 

and artists’ wives. 

The thread that holds this 

patchwork of Australian history 

together is that each story told 

includes the making of a quilt. 

It draws on women’s memories, 

diaries, their letters to relatives, 

official records, newspaper and 

magazine articles reflecting the 

current domestic influences and, 

of course, the old magazines which 

provided the quilt patterns. 

The search and documentation 

of old Australian quilts over the past 

twenty years includes all periods of 

Australian history. The quilts and 

their stories, which include the 

social history of countless ordinary 

people, are to be found in my new 

book, Fabric of Society: Australia’s 

Quilt Heritage from Convict Times 

to 1960. 

By the 1850s the community 

had evolved into a wealthy 

pastoral society, and the women 

who had settled here had the time 

and means for patchwork as a 

decorative art. Fortunately many 

of these quilts have survived. One 

of the most beautiful old Australian 

quilts from this period was made 

in Sydney c1850 by Frederica Mary 

Josephson. The cotton and chintz 

quilt is a combination of stars, 

hexagons and tumbling blocks in 

striking early fabrics which would 

have been imported to the Colony 

from England. 

‘“Quilt of Hexagons and 

Diamonds”, attributed to Frederica 

Josephson and made in Sydney 

c1850’, is in the NSW National Trust 

collection and was shown at an 

above Quilt of Diamonds and Hexagons Made by Frederica Mary Josephson, Sydney, c1850. NTNSW 

right The Quilt Study Group works on the replica. NTNSW 


18

connections 


exhibition of Historical Australian 

Quilts at Old Government House, 

Parramatta, in 2000. 

Frederica Josephson was born 

in Sydney in 1833. On 21 July 1853 

she married Emmanuel Josephson, 

son of the convict silversmith, 

Jacob Josephson, who also made 

his mark in Australia’s history. 

Frederica and Emmanuel built 

Riverview Cottage at Longueville, 

Sydney and lived there from 1853 

to 1873. The estate was later sold to 

the Jesuits and is now St Ignatius 

College. 

In 2010, on a recommendation 

by NSW National Trust Collection 

Manager, Jennifer Palmer, the 

Quilt Study Group of NSW (a subcommittee 

of the Quilters’ Guild 

of NSW Inc) agreed to replicate 

Frederica’s quilt so that the original 

could ‘rest’. 

In the 1850s Frederica’s quilt 

would have taken at least two 

years to make, representing an 

extraordinary amount of work. 

As well as the tiny pieces of what 

was then highly fashionable fabric, 

there are hundreds of thousands 

of stitches, many of them probably 

worked in lantern light. 

The replica coverlet, 

affectionately known as ‘Frederica’, 

took 14 months to make and 

involved over 48 people who met 

each month to sew it together. The 

main challenge was to find fabrics 

similar to the lovely chintzes in the 

original quilt. It was finished and 

presented to the National Trust on 

13 June 2012 and is a significant gift 

which reflects the workmanship 

and the beauty of the original. 

For enquires about the book Fabric of 

Society: Australia’s Quilt Heritage from 

Convict Times to 1960 see www. 

annettegero.com or write to 

PO Box 398, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089. 

Alexander Macleay: From Scotland 

to Sydney 

Author: Derelie Cherry 

Publisher: Paradise Publishers 

Reviewer: Brian Fletcher 

Back in the early 1990s, a rather determined 

young lady came to see me at Sydney University 

and asked me to read an essay she had written. Her 

object was to see whether I thought her eligible to 

enrol as a PhD student in history. Her choice of 

subject was Alexander Macleay, one of that interesting group of men who did 

so much to advance the interests of early New South Wales. Derelie Cherry’s 

enthusiasm for her topic has resulted in her biography earning a doctoral 

degree and the recent release of a much-needed book, Alexander Macleay: 

From Scotland to Sydney. 

Derelie’s book is a colourful, entertaining work which in no way 

undermines its value as a scholarly resource – about a man who, until now, 

has somehow missed being the subject of a full-length biography. 

The book brings out Macleay’s role in numerous aspects of NSW history 

between 1826 when he arrived and 1848, the year of revolutions in Europe, 

when he died. He was, by any standards, a remarkable man who formed 

part of the Scottish diaspora which took talented Scots to the far ends of the 

globe in the nineteenth century. Coming to New South Wales to take up the 

demanding position of Colonial Secretary, he established close ties with 

Governor Darling and, in conjunction with Henry Dumaresq, the three men 

formed a triumvirate which acted as an inner cabinet. 

Although he later shared in Darling’s unpopularity among colonists of 

liberal inclination, his political career was resurrected after representative 

government was introduced in 1842. He was elected to the Legislative Council 

and became its first Speaker. 

Macleay stands out in the pages of history as a talented administrator and 

a bastion of conservatism. But, as a leading landowner, he also made his mark 

in the burgeoning pastoral industry which helped to transform New South 

Wales from penal settlement to colony. Perhaps unusual in a Scot, he did not 

handle his financial affairs particularly well and incurred heavy debts. He did 

however have well-developed intellectual and scientific interests and, while 

in England, was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society and the Royal Society. 

He built up one of the finest collections of insects in the world, was deeply 

interested in horticulture, served as President of the Australian Museum, vicepatron 

of what became the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales and 

contributed to the work of the Subscription Library. 

His interest, as Derelie shows, knew no bounds and exceeded those of 

most of his fellow colonists. He was a complex figure, however, who certainly 

did not appeal to everyone. Derelie faces up to these criticisms and succeeds 

in presenting a balanced picture of the man and a fascinating account of his 

family life. The important story of the Macleay women has not been neglected, 

including that of Fanny Macleay who was a talented botanical artist. 

Despite what was said about him, Macleay was undeniably a man of taste. 

Nothing illustrates this more than Elizabeth Bay House which he built in the 

1830s, living there with was family until 1845 when he succumbed to financial 

pressures resulting from the collapse of the colonial economy in 1842, and his 

own precarious financial position. 

Available from Alexander Macleay: From Scotland to Sydney by Derelie 

Cherry is published by Paradise Publishers and is available from all good 

bookshops and online www.alexandermacleay.com 


19

connections 

Tunnellers Net 

Gina Pickering | Editor 

A couple of amateur researchers have embarked on a project to record the 

life stories of a particular group of Australians linked to the First World War. 

Tunnelling activities of 

Australian units at war is 

their passion, and their platform 

is a website that details men and 

missions of the Australian Mining 

Corps, and the battlefield units 

which evolved from it. 

The website intends to record 

the individual stories of the 

members of A.I.F. who were, for 

some part of their military service, 

posted, assigned or allotted to 

the Australian Mining Corps, an 

Australian Tunnelling Company 

or the Australian Electrical and 

Mechanical Mining and Boring 

Company, and to reproduce, 

without comment, original 

accounts of incidents involving 

those units. 

The team has so far identified 

4,772 men associated with the 

Tunnellers including 374 who 

died in service and a further 252 

who were individually decorated. 

Amongst them is my grandfather 

Clifford Braybon and my family 

has been touched by the extent to 

which research was undertaken on 

his life for the project. 

I am advised by the ‘Tunnellers 

team’ that the story of the Australian 

Tunnellers in World War I begins in 

Scotland in about 1846 when 3664 

2/Cpl George Paul was born and 

that it ends in November 1995 with 

the death of 5873 Spr James Joseph 

Hallinan at the age of 99. 

Men who served with the 

Tunnellers also participated 

in the Ashantee War (1873-74); 

Isandhlwana (1877-79); Egypt 

(1882-91); Boer War (1899-1902); 

Russo-Jap War (1904-05); Balkan 

War (1912); Afghan/Russia Border; 

the punitive raid on Pancho Villa 

(Mexico 1916); World War 1 (1914- 

1920); Russian Relief (1919-20) and 

World War II (1939-45). 

Known National Trust connections to the Tunnellers: 

Tunnellers 

Lota House – QLD Heritage Register 

Lt Edwin Marsden Tooth 

Allan Slab Hut - QLD Heritage Register 5276 Sapper John Allan 

Robin Boyd House - Vic Heritage Register 5 Sergeant Theodore Penleigh Boyd 

Walkley House – SA Heritage Register 5 Sergeant Theodore Penleigh Boyd 

Wooroloo Cemetery & Asylum 

– WA Heritage Register 12 Tunnellers buried at this location 

For more information visit: www.tunnellers.net 

ABoVe right Sapper Clifford Braybon. 

above Anzac Day march, Sydney, c. 1950s - photo courtesy Anne Mayoh, daughter of Lt. Karl Mayoh CdeG(Bel), 1ATC. 

right The Tunnellers Net website. 


20

now and 

then 

A chamber of delight for Sydney architects 

Clive Lucas | Clive Lucas, Stapleton & Partners, Architects 

The oldest Executive Council Chamber in this country is in the northern wing of the legendry 

Rum Hospital built by Governor Macquarie between 1811-1816. This wing was in fact two surgeon’s 

residences and the room requisitioned, and redecorated by Governor Ralph Darling, for this purpose 

in 1829, was probably the principal surgeon’s dining room. It is in fact the largest room on the 

ground floor of the semi-detached houses which make up the northern wing. 

above Looking north along the balcony of the northern wing over Macquarie Street towards Horbury Terrace and the cast iron Free Church. (photo c1860 Parliament House) 

Left The restored room with its Brussels weave carpet and oak graining. The doors access the enlarged chamber added in 1843. C Lucas 

right The ‘Tutankhamun’ window is uncovered having been hidden since 1843. C Lucas 


21

now and 

then 

As architects involved with 

Parliament House for a 

number of years, one of our first 

tasks was to provide a new security 

guardhouse at the northern edge of 

the site. This meant that this room 

which for many years had been 

subdivided, first as a library and 

later for the security checking area, 

could be opened up to its original 

size and proportion. As a result the 

latest work has uncovered what 

is arguably the oldest domestic 

reception room in this country. In 

the east wall an original window 

was discovered which had been 

studded out and bricked up at the 

time of the construction of the new 

Legislative Council wing in 1843. 

This window had survived with its 

original oak graining and details 

almost completely intact. It was like 

opening up Tutankhamun’s tomb. 

The removal of various bookcases, 

wallpapers, partitions, false ceilings 

and other bits and pieces, which 

enclosed the room, located the 

chair rail and other details of 

this important early interior. The 

galleries added in 1838, and which 

seem almost unbelievable, were 

proven by the discovery of what 

appears to have been a doorway in 

the south wall giving access from 

the principal staircase. 

The room has been redecorated, 

putting back all the oak graining, 

and painting the dado in its 

original Trompe-l’oiel panelling. 

Pink distemper has been put back 

on the plasterwork. The Gothic 

inspired chimneypiece which 

probably dates from 1843 has 

been re-marbled as originally in 

imitation of a black Belgian marble. 

The fine 1840s steel register grate 

has been repaired, stripped of paint 

and polished. 

The room is now used as an 

annexe to the Legislative Assembly 

Chamber next door which as 

stated above was originally built 

for the Legislative Council. The 

room has been fitted with an 1830s 

reproduction Brussels weave carpet 

which conforms to records of the 

original refurbishment of the room 

in 1829. 

The room has been redecorated, 

putting back all the oak graining, 

and painting the dado in its 

original Trompe-l’oiel panelling. 

above ‘Elevation of the General Hospital at Sydney AD 1811’. The Council Chamber is the most left hand ground floor room of the left hand wing. 

(P.R.O. London, Bigge Papers) 

above Left Opening by Governor Gipps of the new Legislative Council Chamber on 3rd August1843 (Illustrated Sydney News) 

right The uncovered original window with its reveal shutters and its 1829 oak graining which provided the sample for graining the other joinery. 

A master painter repaints the Trompe-l’oiel dado. C Lucas 


22

now and 

then 

The room is now used as 

an annexe to the Legislative 

Assembly Chamber next door 

which was originally built 

for the Legislative Council. 

TOP The regrained oak joinery to an original window 

embrasure facing Macquarie Street. C Lucas 

ABOVE The wooden 1843 chimneypiece with steel grate, 

painted in imitation of Belgian marble and the plaster 

dado painted in Trompe-l’oiel. C Lucas 

background ‘A.A.A.A. Proposed Addition to the present 

Council Chamber for the New Council Hall’. An early 

sketch proposal for adding a full size chamber to the 

northern wing. The room is here described as ‘Present 

Council Chamber 25 x 24’. It housed a council of 15. 

(Colonial Architect’s Report 1843) 


23

now and 

then 

Masterplan 

Vision enhances 

heritage values 

A Master Plan 

for the Old Farm 

Sarah Murphy | Director, Conservation and Stewardship 

Old Farm, Strawberry Hill has all the elements needed to provide 

an outstanding tourist and community facility based on a place 

of national significance. In the National Trust’s golden jubilee 

year an indicative site masterplan was developed to express the 

vision for future development of the place. In 2011, a grant from 

the Commonwealth Government boosted the National Trust’s 

financial ability to commission a detailed, costed masterplan for 

this very important heritage place. 

T 

here is no doubt the place 

is of exceptional heritage 

significance. It was the first farm 

in Western Australia commencing 

in 1827 within a few months of 

establishment of the Military 

settlement of King George Sound. 

Stock was kept there and vegetables 

grown for the survival of soldiers 

and later the early settlers. A wattle 

and daub, thatched roof cottage 

was constructed in 1831 and was 

destroyed by fire in 1870. The two 

storey granite extension was built 

in 1836 and is what visitors see 

today. 

At one time the farm extended 

over 52 hectares. Today only 

approximately 1.7 hectares remain 

containing the main house 

building (1836), a cottage built 

pre 1889 and extensive grounds 

with some early plantings. In 1964 

Old Farm, Strawberry Hill became 

the first property acquired by 

the National Trust of Australia in 

Western Australia. 

Above: Members of the consultancy team discuss proposals for the master plan at a site meeting with National Trust staff. L-R National Trust Landscape 

Architect Phil Palmer, National Trust Interpretation Manager Anne Brake, Anthony Coupe, National Trust Director Conservation and Stewardship Sarah Murphy 

and Paul Kloeden. E Paech/Mulloway Studio 

top: An overview from the Old Farm Strawberry Hill Master Plan. 


24

now and 

then 

Left: Historical image courtesy Bird Family 

Collection, NTWA The main house as viewed from 

the south-east during the Bird family’s period of 

ownership and today. 

Below: The shoulder of this silver teapot is 

engraved with the words: “LUNIVERSITA DELLE 

QUATTRO CITTA DI MALTA AL MERITO DEL S. 

TEN. RICCAR. SPENSER D”, which roughly 

translates as having been given to (Sir) Richard 

Spencer by the University of the Four Cities of 

Malta. It is on display at Old Farm, Strawberry Hill. 

S Murphy/National Trust 

bottom: Contemporary image of Old Farm 

Strawberry Hill. S Murphy/NTWA 

The recently completed 

masterplan articulates a vision in 

which Old Farm becomes a key 

destination in Western Australia for 

both locals and visitors providing 

a platform for one of the most 

significant heritage experiences 

in Australia. Once the plan is 

implemented it is anticipated 

there will be an increase in 

visitors, greater utilisation by the 

local community and enhanced 

financial sustainability. 

The intent of the masterplan 

was to ensure all future works and 

activities at Old Farm contribute 

to and enhance the appreciation 

and understanding of its State 

and National heritage values. 

Importantly, it provides a means by 

which conservation, interpretation 

and enhanced access can be 

guaranteed through achievable 

and sustainable outcomes. 

Currently costed at $5 million, the 

project incorporates conservation 

works to the heritage buildings 

and grounds worth an estimated 

$3 million and the construction 

of an entry building in which to 

house a cafe, retail space, volunteer 

facilities, school and group visitor 

spaces, theatrette and areas for 

interpretation. 

In many ways the landscape 

strategies provide the most 

significant shift from the current 

presentation of the place. With 

reference to its significance as a 

farm, and with a desire to provide 

active public programs, the main 

strategies include a focus on 

productive gardening. Several 

areas will be planted with heritage 

variety plants taking the form of 

crops and orchards. The main drive 

is particularly evocative of the Bird 

period and its distinct character will 

be restored and enhanced through 

subtle interpretive elements and 

plantings. 

The main house is a focal point 

of the plan. It was built under the 

instruction of Sir Richard Spencer 

and is a very evocative tool in 

telling the stories of the occupants 

of Old Farm, Strawberry Hill. The 

house will continue to be central 

for interpretation within the site. 

It is intended that in the future 

visitors will enter the rooms 

and engage with interactive 

and immerse displays, while 

provenanced artifacts will be 

exhibited in a more interpretive 

context. 

The master plan will form the 

basis of future funding applications 

from Federal and State bodies 

supplemented by self generated 

funds from the National Trust 

over the next two years. It is highly 

desirable that the project is carried 

out within a defined timeframe 

so as to maintain momentum, 

minimise disruption to the site 

and to maximise opportunities for 

income generation. 


25

places 

community 

Support assists 

endangered Koalas 

In the firing line 

Sue Finnigan | National Trust QLD 

Staff at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital on the Gold Coast deal with the koala’s plight first-hand. 

Disease and trauma caused by 

dog attacks and car strikes, 

have contributed to a 400 percent 

rise in koala rescues in the Gold 

Coast region in just three years. 

Within three months (August to 

October last year), the Sanctuary 

took in and treated seventy injured 

koalas in seventy days. 

In mid-2011 the Federal 

government declared the koala to 

be ‘vulnerable’ on the threatened 

species list, announcing that koala 

numbers had dropped dramatically 

by one third in New South Wales 

and by forty percent in Queensland 

over the last 20 years. 

Currumbin Wildlife Hospital’s 

dedicated veterinarian of 10 years, 

Michael Pyne called for community 

responsibility - for people to slow 

down, lockup their dogs in at night 

and cover their pools. 

“We are struggling to keep up. 

At the rate the koalas are declining 

on the Gold Coast they will soon be 

critically endangered,” he said. 

Last year the Currumbin Wildlife 

hospital treated 6,726 injured 

animals from as far afield as 

Lismore in New South Wales and 

north to Brisbane. “ 

“Each year this number is 

increasing by about 1,000 animals 

and we are struggling to find the 

estimated $450,000 required to 

keep running at its current level,” 

Dr Pyne said. 

Funding issues reached a 

critical point and the Gold Coast 

community responded. 

It was then that the help started 

coming in. A grade one teacher 

from a local school organised a 

charity dinner at a local restaurant 

and raised around $1,000 for the 

hospital. The Gold Coast District 

RSL donated $5,000. The black 

tie gala dinner fundraiser for the 

newly created Currumbin Wildlife 

Hospital Foundation raised a record 

$22,000 thanks to the generosity of 

all those that attended. Queensland 

X-Ray, Fuji Film and Voyager 

Imaging donated a state of the 

art second hand X-ray machine 

which has been invaluable. This 

has allowed staff to wade through 

their ever increasing workload 

more quickly and at a reduced 

cost. Zarraffa’s Coffee announced 

they would donate about $70,000 

in products and machinery, 

enabling the Sanctuary to create 

ongoing revenue. The annual Palm 

Beach ‘Christmas by the Sea’ event 

chose the Wildlife Hospital to be 

the recipient of their 2011 charity 

fundraiser and the donations from 

individuals and groups far and 

wide have been gratefully received. 

In response to community’s 

concerns, the Gold Coast City 

Council has promised $120,000 

per annum for the next three years 

which will provide a foundation 

for the long term future of this vital 

community service. 

National Trust members can 

support native wildlife by visiting 

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary 

while at the Gold Coast. Every 

member’s discounted entry fee 

assists the Sanctuary in its day to 

day running. If you wish to donate 

directly, visit the Currumbin 

Wildlife Hospital Foundation at 

www.savingyourwildlife.org.au 

right Vet Nurse Patricia Smith with a Currumbin Patient. Currumbin Wildlife Hospital 


26

places 

War on Pests 

at Miss Porter’s House 

Dr Roland Bannister | National Trust (NSW) 

Miss Porter’s House in Newcastle West is a free-standing, Edwardian 

house that contains family history spanning a century. Its extraordinary 

collection of furniture, clothes, needlework, millinery and household 

goods were used daily from 1910 to 1997 by Florence Porter and the two daughters she 

raised on her own, Ella and Hazel, following the untimely death of her husband, Herbert, 

in 1919. Ella and Hazel both remained single, living in the house until they died. 

Their home reflects the women’s 

interests and activities such as 

sewing, tending the garden, taking 

tea together and with friends, 

attending local cultural events 

and caring for the possessions 

which, after the death of Hazel in 

1997, were bequeathed with the 

property to the National Trust. 

Two years ago, a pest inspection 

identified threats to Miss Porter’s 

House from household pests. 

Fortunately the danger was 

potential, rather than actual 

although there was some evidence 

of silverfish, moth, cockroaches, 

carpet beetles and mould. An 

‘Integrated Pest Management’ 

strategy has been implemented 

to conquer the issues by the Miss 

Porter’s House Management 

Committee (MPH),and some 

heritage hard-hitters including the 

National Trust’s Jennifer Palmer 

(Collection Manager) and Stephen 

Buckland (Properties and Facilities 

Manager), Tamara Lavrencic 

(former Manager of Collections at 

the Historic Houses Trust) and Alex 

Roach (Principal of Heritage Pest 

Management). 

First up, the House and 

Collection Sub-committee and 

other volunteers washed all 

washable textiles replaced paper 

and cardboard containers with 

plastic bins, archival quality storage 

boxes and Mylar sleeves. Then an 

intriguing series of treatments was 

undertaken to maximise results. 

Freezing: Certain organic items 

including cloth, clothes, shoes, 

hats, books and documents, were 

taken to Carrington Cold Storage 

for three weeks of freezing at minus 

17 degrees celcius. Smaller objects 

were packed into labelled and 

sealed 55 litre plastic tubs. Plastic 

bags were fashioned with the help 

of a heater sealer to contain larger 

individual objects. 

Oxygen deprivation: Small 

organic objects were sealed 

in plastic bags with oxygen 

scavengers and packed into tubs, 

while larger items - a wooden 

ladder for example - were packed in 

individual sealed plastic bags with 

oxygen scavengers. These tubs and 

objects were stored at Kennard’s, or 

remained in the House. Alex Roach 

set up a large plastic bubble made 

from a high-barrier film in the 

parlour to house the lounge suite, 

cushions and 

books. The 

oxygen was 

displaced by nitrogen and 

the bubble sealed. The room was 

heated to 30 degrees celcius and 

left for a total of four weeks. 

Bactigas: A low toxin, volatile 

Tea Tree Oil spray was directed at 

areas affected by mould. 

Spraying for museum pests: A 

small amount of toxic spray was 

directed to places where pests 

might congregate. 

More than 150 tubs and objects 

were taken off-site during the 

process and while the House was 

relatively empty, the interior was 

painted and professionally cleaned. 

The NSW National Trust 

contributed about $25,000 to the 

project, while volunteer initiated 

museum grants from Museums 

and Galleries NSW contributed 

$1,500 (last year) and $1,350 (this 

year) to help pay for archival 

storage products. 

The House now looks fresher, the 

bugs have met their doom, and the 

Trust’s volunteers have succeeded 

in a project of considerable 

magnitude and satisfaction. 

Left & centre The lounge suite and other organic items including paper ephemera were subjected to oxygen deprivation in a large sealed plastic bubble in a 

heated room for a month. C Shain 

right Items of clothing were sealed in individual plastic bags and frozen for three weeks. C Shain 


27

places 

Future for South Australian 

Riverland nature reserves 

Marcus Beresford | Councilor National Trust (SA) 

Government proposals for the Murray Darling Basin Plan include 2,750GL of extra water for the 

environment. It is uncertain whether this additional flow will sustain environmental assets in the South 

Australian portion of the Basin as previous advice showed an extra 7,600GL was required for good 

environmental outcomes. 

The future of the National 

Trust of South Australia’s 

twelve nature reserves in the 

Murray Basin is directly linked 

to government decisions about 

water. For some, like Woolmer 

Reserve, a superb but tiny area (2 

ha) of remnant Mallee vegetation, 

the outcome looks positive because 

of the species adaptation to arid 

conditions. The future is also 

looking bright for larger areas like 

DB Mack Reserve (265 ha), with its 

nationally endangered Mallee Fowl 

population. 

Other reserves inland from the 

river also look sustainable. Loveday 

Reserve (5.2 ha) which contains 

particularly dense and untouched 

native vegetation, conserves 

eight bird species classified as 

vulnerable, rare or uncommon in 

South Australia including Regent 

Parrots. 

However, the future of riverside 

reserves is less certain. Beautiful 

Margaret Dowling Reserve (26 ha) 

with its wetlands and interesting early 

woodcutter’s bridge, is already under 

stress from four wheel drive vehicle 

access, and the impact of houseboat 

access which has resulted in barren 

riverbank camping areas. Joint 

management arrangements with an 

adjacent government Conservation 

Park are being explored. 

ABOVE Cave Cliffs Reserve showing dieback on flats. M Beresford/NTSA 

insert Cadell Reserve Acacia ligulata. M Beresford/NTSA 


28

places 

Similarly already under some 

pressure is the iconic Overland 

Corner Reserve (283 ha) with the 

historic Trust-owned Overland 

Corner Hotel (1858) - a stopping 

point for early coaches and stock 

drovers, and adjacent Heron’s 

Bend Reserve (17 ha), with its 

spectacular riverside cliffs rich 

with 15 million year old fossils. 

There are 132 indigenous plant 

species within the reserve 

including five classified rare 

in South Australia. However 

conditions are perilous. Drought 

and insufficient water releases 

have seen the death of hundreds 

of huge River Red Gums in these 

reserves. Fortunately young 

saplings are emerging from the 

devastated landscape. 

Meantime, Cave Cliffs Reserve 

(17.7 ha) with its important 

Aboriginal heritage cave, canoetree 

and middens, plus spectacular 

cliff views, faces other threats 

including salinity and stock 

intrusions. 

On a recent visit by the National 

Trust of South Australia’s Natural 

Heritage Committee, Bery 

Bery Reserve (16 ha) could not 

be accessed due to the high 

river, while a rare population of 

Prickly Bottlebrush Callistemon 

brachyandrus was identified 

during the same visit at riverside 

Cadell Reserve (8.7 ha). The 

possibility of joint management of 

Bery Bery and Cave Cliffs is to be 

explored with the local Aboriginal 

Lands Trust. 

Goulburn Anniversary 

Goulburn, NSW, will celebrate 150 years since Queen Victoria 

declared it a city by Letters Patent in March 2013. 

As part of the celebrations the Goulburn & District Historical 

Society will hold two exhibitions of architectural drawings by 

Edmund Cooper Manfred, architect of Goulburn. 

One Exhibition, in the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery will feature 

architectural drawings of the CBD from 1880 – 1920 including the 

Town Hall, Fire Station, Mechanics’ Institute, Band Pavilion, shops 

and commercial premises. 

The second Exhibition at St Clair, the 

Archives of the Goulburn & District Historical 

Society will feature drawings of residences 

from tiny cottages to two storey villas which 

are included in two self-guided Walks. 

The Historical Society was recently 

awarded a grant in excess of $10,000 for 

the preservation of some of the collection 

by the National Library of Australia -- 

such a sizeable grant is rarely awarded, 

indicating the significance of the 

collection. 

Enquiries contact Daphne Penalver 

penalver@goulburn.net.au 

Above West End -- architectural drawings of residences from tiny cottages to grand villas. St Clair, 

318 Sloane St, Goulburn, from 24 February to late June, 2013. 

Above right Proposal for Town Hall, Auburn St, Goulburn – 1887. Goulburn and Districts Historical 

Society. 

Trust News Australia november 2012 29

National Trust Way Holiday Tours 

NEW ZEALAND’S SOUTH 

ISLAND COUNTRY ESTATE AND 

LANDSCAPE TOUR 

13-22 April 2013 

In conjunction with Homestead Tours 

this is a rare chance for National Trust 

members to visit private high country 

stations and historic homesteads, wine 

makers and local artists; to explore this 

beautiful area of the Southern Lakes 

of New Zealand’s South Island and to 

experience the generous hospitality of 

our hosts. We have chosen April as the 

autumn colours will be at their peak and 

the roses and late summer flowers still 

in bloom - a most magical time of year to 

visit. From Christchurch to Queenstown 

unparalleled scenic beauty awaits as we 

travel via Lake Tekapo, Lake Wanaka, 

Lake Dunstan and Lake Hawea. With 

mostly two or three night stays we have 

daily visits to private properties, historic 

homesteads, towns and villages. This 

tour is full of surprises as we experience 

highlights of New Zealand’s spectacular 

South Island. 

Cost per person twin share: $4,790 

Single room supplement: $950 

Note: Costs do not include airfares 

Expressions of interest: David Smith, 

Travelscene on Capri 

P: 1800 679 066 License No: TA1091 

Leader: Jill Bunning T: 02 9798 8914 

NORFOLK ISLAND 

15-22 April 2013 

Visiting Norfolk Island is a unique 

experience. Rich in history, it is blessed 

with a temperate climate. It was first 

settled by Governor Arthur Phillip as 

a penal settlement and later became 

home to the Pitcairn settlers, survivors 

of the Mutiny on the Bounty, and their 

families, descendants of whom still 

live there today. Visit historic Kingston, 

Cascade and Longridge. See and hear 

about the famous convict buildings, 

beautiful beaches and golf course. Tour 

of the Museums and cemetery and sites 

of the First and Second settlements 

will provide you with a unique and 

truly memorable experience. Visit 

the Pittcairn Settlers Village and learn 

about the colourful history of Norfolk 

Island’s most recent settlement - the 

Pittcairners and their descendants, on 

one of the last few remaining original 

settler’s properties. The dramatic show 

“Mutiny on the Bounty” involves scores 

of the descendants of the mutineers, 

who bring the story of the Mutiny alive. 

Dining is also a unique experience on 

the picturesque island with fresh fish 

and traditional island food. 



Note: Cost include airfares ex Sydney, 

7 nights accommodation at the 

Governors Lodge and most meals 

Enquiries: David Smith, Travelscene 

on Capri 

P: 1800 679 066 License No: TA1091 

Leader: Lorraine Collins T: 0439 947 479 

above Unmistakably French; the streets of 

Provence 

PROVENCE 

24 April - 7 May 2013 

From its herb-scented hills to its 

spectacular coastline, no other region 

of France fires the imagination as 

strongly as Provence. Unpack only 

twice on this delightful tour in spring. 

After a few days exploring the French 

Riviera we move to the heart of 

Provence to a comfortable hotel in 

Les Baux-de-Provence for leisurely 

daily excursions to the surrounding 

area. Visit the splendid gardens of 

Villa Ephrussi-de-Rothschild, the artist 

Cezanne’s studio and the exciting new 

museum with works by Pierre Bonnard. 

Walk through beautiful villages such as 

Gordes, St Paul-de-Vence and Rousillon 

and see UNESCO world heritage 

sites including the historic centre of 

Avignon, the Roman and Romanesque 

monuments of Arles and the Pont-du- 

Gard aqueduct. Early bookings are 

highly recommended as we will only be 

taking a group of maximum 15 people. 






P: 1800 679 066 License No: TA1091 

Leader: Loma Priddle T: 02 9412 2875 

NORTHERN ITALY: LAKES, 

MOUNTAINS & THE RIVIERA 

14-26 September 2013 

This exciting new itinerary has been 

tailor made for National Trust members 

in conjunction with Ugo and Barbara 

Mariotti, who have been conducting 

enjoyable Trust tours in Italy over the 

past 10 years. Unpack only twice as 

we stay in centrally located hotels first 

in the town of Como, set in an idyllic 

landscape of mountains on the lake 

of the same name, then in the resort 

town of Santa Margherita Ligure in 

the heart of the Italian Riviera. Visit the 

spectacular gardens of Villa Carlotta 

and Villa Melzi; Bellagio, known as 

the ‘Pearl of Lake Como’; the Swiss 

town of Lugano and the gloriously 

decorated Certosa di Pavia. Leisurely 

daily excursions on the Italian Riviera 

include Portofino, the famous villages 

of the ‘Cinque Terre’ coastline and 

the heritage listed small port of Porto 

Venere. A day tour to Lucca, one of 

the most beautiful towns in northern 

Tuscany, is also included. 






P: 1800 679 066 License No: TA1091 

Leader: Jill Bunning T: 02 9798 8914 

above Bellagio on Lake Como. 

Courtesy Italian Tourist Office 


30

QUILTY TOURS 

- 2013 - 

12 

days 

FLINDERS RANGES 

Adelaide to Sydney $4,475 

27 April to 8 May 

(twin share)** 

OUTBACK AUSTRALIA 

(including Lake Eyre) 

14 

days 

18 

days 

Sydney to Sydney 

25 May to 7 June 

REMOTE QUEENSLAND 

& BEYOND 

Sydney to Sydney 

19 July to 5 August 

$5,475 

(twin share** 

$6,950 

(twin share)** 

For full details of these tours go to 

www.quiltytours.com.au 

OR Contact Richard Quilty 

personally on 0418 201 677 

Heritage 

in the making 

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012, 

Perth-based graphic design studio 

Dessein has provided design services to 

the National Trust since 1990 making it the 

company’s oldest continuous client. 

Dessein’s creative team shapes Trust News 

Australia, Trust News WA and Heritage Living 

for the National Trust (SA) and has developed 

the National Trust’s new interactive magazines 

available online. 

Dessein is internationally recognised for its 

design concepts. 

Thanks for your commitment to the 

National Trust. 

Like to see what dessein can do? 

visit www.dessein.com.au 

Award winning 

design SINCE 1987 

** Single Supplements are available 

31 Trust News Australia november 2012

Magnificent Australia 

Heritage Air Tour 2013 

limited availability 

2 departures 

July 16 & August 21 

15 days 

17 seats 

per departure 

National Trust Members Price 

Exclusive Substantial Discount 

on published fare 

With 25 years of exploratory air touring throughout the continent, 

Flight Through The Spectacular Land Of The Dreamtime Pty Limited 

has created for National Trust members an extraordinary itinerary of 

remote Australia and the founder and director of these tours, 

David Marks has been acknowledged as the pioneer of modern day air touring in Australia. 

During the “dry season” - July and August 2013, two only departures will realize lifelong ambitions to experience a vast 

expanse of Australia, visiting destinations of world importance for wilderness and cultural heritage. 

The diverse and exciting itinerary includes specially arranged visits to ancient rock art sites in the Kimberley and in stone country of 

western Arnhemland. Also included is a rare opportunity for cultural exchange with Aboriginal saltwater people in remote eastern 

Arnhemland. Extensive surface touring by vehicle and boat on inland waterways is provided with expert or informed commentary. 

National Trust members wanting to join either of the two departures are urged to apply without delay 

to avoid disappointment, as each departure is limited to 17 passengers. 

Enquiries and Brochure: 

Flight Through The Spectacular Land of the Dreamtime Pty Limited 

Level 57, MLC Centre, Martin Place, Sydney, NSW, Australia 2000 

Phone: (02) 9230 7070 Fax: (02) 9238 7633 

Email: info@dreamtimebyair.com.au 

www.dreamtimebyair.com.au

NATIONAL TRUST > - NSW

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?