Merimbula –Imlay The Old School Report Historical Society www.merimbulahistoricalsociety.webhive.com.au February 2018 Added extra!!! Diary - From the Editor -  Sat 10 February 2018 Some extra items have arrived on my news desk which I was going to put in the next SEHGI meeting - issue but have decided to add an extra page to the current one! Bermagui Thank you Les Sulivan, who used to be a regular member of the Society as well as a  Mon 26 February 2pm notable writer in the area, and Rob Whiter, who is a member of the Eden Killer Whale - M-IHS Meeting RSL Museum. I am thanking them for a) reading my newsletter and b) complying with my  Mon 26 March 2pm - request for articles! M-IHS Meeting RSL Please read Les’s response to the article about Australia Day and Rob’s great photos and  Wed 18 April - begin- news from Snug Cove and the proceedings at the Port of Eden. ning of National Trust Also I made a flying (literally!) visit to Sydney yesterday and visited the Art Gallery of New Heritage Festival South Wales to see the Rembrandt & the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the  Mon 28 May 2pm - Rijksmuseum before it closes and the brand new Lady and the display of M-HIS Meeting RSL stunning from France. Another must-see if you can make it! Olwen Morris at [email protected].

The Lady and the Unicorn - The Lady and the Unicorn series is on loan to the Art Gallery of NSW from the Committee members - Musée de Cluny - Musée National du Moyen Age in . It is the first and probably the President - Don Bretherton only time these prestigious tapestries will be shown in Australia. V-P 1 - Garry Moorhead The six large tapestries dating from around 1500 depict a richly costumed woman flanked by a lion and a unicorn set in a (thousand-flower) garden on a vivid red back- Secretary - Shirley Bazley ground. No-one knows for certain who the maker was nor who they were made for but Treasurer - Gary Selman many years of scholarship have placed the makers of the compositions as possibly Maître d’Anne de Bretagne and his son, Jean d’Ypres, both well-known painters in Paris Curator - Liz Bretherton in 14th century. More difficult to resolve has been the place where the tapestries were Committee members - Andrew actually woven. McManus, Brigitte Kestermann, The tapestries were re-discovered in the Chateau de Boussac, a small castle in in central France. Prosper Mérimée, then Inspector General of Historic Monuments, Geraldine McCann recognised the exceptional worth of the tapestries and their deteriorating condition, and recommended they be purchased for the State in 1841. Eventually the town of Boussac agreed to sell the tapestries to the State in 1882 and they have lived at the Musée de Cluny ever since. The precise meaning of the tapestries has given rise to contentious debate, but the most widely accepted interpretation to- day is that of an allegory of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Mystery surrounds the sixth tapestry which bears the inscription Mon Seul Desir (My Sole Desire). It arguably illustrates a sixth sense; an internal sense close to our idea of the soul, mind or heart. The fabled unicorn and the lion are shown bearing the coat of arms of the Le Viste family, who would have commissioned the tapestries. Highly symbolic, the lion, King of Beasts, is a symbol of vigilance and fealty whereas the unicorn represents purity and chastity. One could spend hours (and I did!) looking at these magnificent works, identifying the many small animals and flowers and pondering their symbolic meaning as well as gazing at the wonder of their creation which took place so many years ago.

The Lady indicates the sense This scene is believed to The Lady & her young The Lady delicately takes a of touch by holding a banner illustrate the sixth sense in companion are playing a sweet from a bowl to feed in one hand while the other mediaeval times meaning small instrument known as a her pet parrot. In front of gently grasps the unicorn’s the soul, the mind or the positive organ illustrating her the monkey is also horn. heart. the sense of hearing. eating a treat.

1 Email in Response to ‘Massacres & Protests’ Article - As a descendant of two convicts (Gt Gt Grandfather, 1816 and Gt Grandmother, 1840) I am thankful for the opportunity the colony gave them to redeem themselves and give their hundreds of descendants the opportunities for a good life. One descendant told of firing warning shots at aborigines trying to steal from their corn (maize) crop while another told how he was respected by the local aborigines for being an arbitrator in their disputes with neighbouring tribes or clans. Changing to another date would eliminate the significance of the date for better or for worse and remove the meaning of the date as a reason for protest at founding, colonisation, settlement or invasion, however one wishes to view it. Let both attitudes prevail on 26 January as a reminder of the past and celebrate the founding as appropriate. There is enough goodwill for both. Instead of protest perhaps a better understanding of the Aboriginal culture and point of view in a positive way rather than threats to burn Australia to the ground. Les Sullivan (Former member and writer who is sadly no longer in the area).

Report from Snug Cove 9 February 2017 - This port remains busy...... On Tuesday HMAS Choules departed just after noon. She is a 16,000 Tonne ship 176 me- tres in length with a beam of 24 metres. Designed with a dock- ing well in her stern she can in extreme cases carry 700 troops who disembark using landing craft via the well. She has a very roomy flight deck for helicopter activities and a top speed of 18 Knots. Seen below is the mixing of cement & water to form a grout which is immediately pumped underwater to fill sundry irregular spaces between the scour protection mats and the sheet piling of the breakwater wharf. The powder in huge bags was brought to the crane by a fork lift, to be then lifted to the hopper for mixing. One old gentleman watching from Thompson's Point with his 2 dogs couldn't understand where all that material was going. However it was explained to me today that the "Slurry" was being pumped underwater as it was mixed. Covert operation that was!!

The lads from our Local Aboriginal Land Council are progressing well with the No 2 deck that overlooks the Rock Pool here in Snug Cove, Unlike the No 1 deck this smaller installation will pro- vide a spectacular 180 Degree panorama from Nor East to Sou West.

(Left) South East view includes the port.

Heron construc- tions are nearing the end of their contract to dredge and install scour protection with a h a n d o v e r t o Waterways N.S.W. expected towards the end of March.

Keeping you posted as events unfold! South West view to Boydtown across the bay. Nor’ East Rob & Emma

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