Capital history in the news
Digitising papers of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson
Banjo Paterson: discovering more about the man behind the words | The National Library of Australia is starting to digitise its collection of the papers of A.B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson, pictured above. Acquired by the Library in 2019 after being held by four generations of the Paterson family support for the project is being sought. See here for more details.
Before Canberra
Doma development to be built over possible Aboriginal men's business site in Canberra | Ngambri man Shane Mortimer draws attention to plans for a housing development to be built on a site, at the foot of Mount Ainslie, which local Ngambri people say was used for sacred men's business. Shane also explains that markers used for the survey of the National Capital can be found at the site.
Grazier's diary details pastoral life | Historian Matthew Higgins writes about George De Salis, a local grazier who lived at the massive property Cuppacumbalong near Canberra for several decades. His diaries in the National Library of Australia covering the 1870s through to the early 1900s have preserved a detailed picture of his life and times.
Remembering COVID-19 and the 2019/2020 bushfires
COVID-19 collecting by the ACT Heritage Library | The ACT Heritage Library would like to capture the lived experiences of members of the Canberra and surrounding community by developing a COVID-19 Community Archive that documents Canberrans’ lives during this unprecedented time in our history.
Vase that survived Cobargo bushfire at potter's studio accepted into National Museum |A vase has been donated to the collection of the National Museum of Australia for an exhibition on the 2019/2020 bushfires. Daniel Lafferty found it in the remains of his pottery in the Cobargo region which was destroyed in the fires.
Canberra’s aero heritage
Historians call for Canberra's first airport, now buried beneath Dickson, to be heritage listed | Local historian Jane Goffman is pushing to have remnants of Canberra’s first aerodrome, located in Dickson, surveyed and excavated, and placed on the heritage register. The heritage nomination has the support of National Trust ACT, which wants to have key sites surveyed with ground-penetrating radar.
Impromptu air shows of the 1940s | Tim the Yowie Man writes about the Second World War years in Canberra when the skies came alive with the roar of foreign aircraft. American pilots flew Kittyhawk fighters and the No.18 NEI (Netherlands East Indies) RAAF Squadron, a joint Dutch and Australian bomber squadron was based in the city.
War Memorial news
War Memorial starts taking bookings for re-opening | The Australian War Memorial is re-opening its doors on 1 July, providing three booking options for its free, timed tickets to manage crowd numbers safely as the ACT continues to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
Shopping mall or long-term solution? Former memorial staff divided on expansion plans | Covers submissions to the parliamentary Public Works Committee, including comments on the size of the proposed works and the need for the spending. Former directors, historians and staff of the Australian War Memorial have called for the expansion plans to be abandoned, while one former assistant director says the proposal will improve the way the public interacts with the institution.
Acknowledgement: The portrait above of Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson was taken in about 1890 by photographer Falk, Sydney. The image is from the State Library of NSW. See details here.
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