Capital history in the news
UC Cultural Pass opens doors to Canberra’s landmark institutions | Faculty of Arts and Design students commencing their studies at the University of Canberra will have access to some of Canberra’s best cultural institutions in 2020 as part of the UC Cultural Pass initiative. Launching for the first time this year, the pass will allow holders to attend exclusive events and exhibitions and expand their knowledge of Canberra’s art and history spaces.
Plans in place to keep collections safe | Canberra Times’ article about Canberra’s major collecting institutions’ plans for protecting their collections from the recent threats of smoke and bushfires.
Braddon newspaper history set for rewrite | Canberra Times’ article about plans to redevelop the original offices of The Australian newspaper on Mort Street in Braddon. It explains that these offices are the last physical link to a fierce newspaper rivalry, which played out in Canberra’s city centre more than 50 years ago, when The Australian was launched in 1964.
Don't jump! Urban myth at play! | Canberra Times’ article by anthropologist M Harper Harrington that explores the enduring urban myth that the 10-metre diving tower at the Canberra Olympic Pool was closed because someone died doing a belly flop off it.
Sydney & Melbourne Buildings revitalisation | The ACT Government has been consulting on proposed new legislation that will help ensure two of Canberra’s most significant buildings, the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings, are celebrated and presented in a way that recognises their importance to Canberra’s history.
One way to get into Parliament | Canberra Times’ article by historian Stephen Holt about a 1953 Parliament House security incident which reflected the Cold War fears and phobias of the time. Mieczyslaw, a Polish migrant convinced that Russians were after him broke into Parliament House seeking protection from “the big boss” Prime Minister Robert Menzies.
Acknowledgement: The image above is of Parliament House (1920), the scene of the Mieczyslaw security incident. The image is by Rose Stereograph Co., out of copyright and comes from the State Library of Victoria . See acknowledgement page for full details.
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