FRIENDS NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2012 From ‘Ayam-Ayam Kesayangan’ (Donald Friend Diaries: MS 5959) Manuscripts Collection MS 5959) Manuscripts (Donald Friend Diaries: Kesayangan’ ‘Ayam-Ayam From Shoppers at Night, Bondi Junction Mall Shoppers Donald Friend (1915–1989)

Friends of the National Library of Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected]

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR 1 Dear Friends A typical cold Canberra winter evening did not prevent a full house of Friends and other guests from coming to the Library for the annual Kenneth Myer Lecture on Tuesday 31 July. Our 2012 presenter, the well-known and respected journalist Kerry O’Brien, enthralled the audience with a perceptive and thought-provoking address on the subject In an age awash with information, how easily we forget the past. Those present clearly enjoyed the talk, for which Kerry drew on nearly five decades of experience in Australia’s media industry. We were pleased to welcome among our guests Ms Kate Baillieu, representing the Myer family and Sue Ebury, Kenneth Myer’s biographer. Since the June edition of the newsletter, we have enjoyed a number of other successful Friends events, including a lecture on Horticulture and the Office of Australian War Graves on 24 May, the Conserving Collections evening on 28 June, and the Lewin: Wild Art Lecture and Tour on 28 July. And of course we are looking to forward to our Spring Tour to the Blue Mountains in Gary Kent September and our Celebration of Hilary McPhee in October. The Friends Committee is already beginning to plan next year’s events and would be delighted to hear of any suggestions you might have for our 2013 calendar. Similarly, the Friends Membership Committee is working hard to ensure that the Friends continues to offer a range of activities and benefits that appeal to members and would welcome your suggestions. Our aim is to grow our membership significantly beyond the current record level of just over 2,000. A number of Friends have written expressing their concern about the increasingly fraught parking situation in the vicinity of the Library, which will be exacerbated with the closure to parking of the Patrick White Lawns, prior to their restoration. All the carparks surrounding the Library, and the Patrick White Lawns themselves, are managed by the National Capital Authority. Many months ago the Friends Committee provided a submission to the intergovernmental committee established to make recommendations to address parking issues in the parliamentary triangle but to date no action has been taken. We have renewed our requests to the responsible authorities to take urgent measures to ensure sufficient parking is available for Library patrons. In the meantime, we encourage you to make your complaints directly to the National Capital Authority. I look forward to seeing you at our Annual General Meeting on Monday 5 November and encourage you to nominate for positions on the 2013 Committee. Best wishes to you all Gary Kent

USE OF THE FRIENDS LOUNGE The Friends Lounge is designated as a relaxation space where members may talk freely. It is not a study area. However, we ask that members be considerate of other users, refrain from excessive noise and keep mobile phone calls brief

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] CELEBRATING HILARY MCPHEE 2 Each year the Friends celebrate an Australian who has contributed substantially to our national writing and culture. Join us this year when publisher and writer Hilary McPhee will be our guest of honour. Under the editorial guidance of McPhee and her business partner, the late , many Australian writers earned a prominent and respected position. They include Tim Winton, Richard Flanagan, , Murray Bail, Kaz Cook, Martin Flanagan, John Misto, Peter Cundall, and Drusilla Modjeska. McPhee is well known in the world of publishing. She was a founding director of McPhee Gribble Publishers, Chair of the Australia Council for the Arts and of the Hilary McPhee Major Organizations Board 1994–47 and a founding director and editor of the online political newsletter New Matilda.com. She has an honorary doctorate from , was the inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of and remains a senior Fellow of the University. She was awarded an Order of Australia for service to the Arts in 2003. In 1989 McPhee Gribble was sold to Penguin. From 2006–09 McPhee was living and working between the Middle East and Italy. She writes with insight on the complexities of life and business in the Middle East. Her autobiographical account of her publishing life, Other People’s Words (2001), gives a fascinating insight into the highs and lows of running an Australian publishing company. Today, she continues to publish widely in Australia with a particular focus on cultural policy and literature. Her selection of recent Australian writing, Wordlines, was published in 2010. She has recently edited and published film maker Tim Burstall’s diaries,Memoirs of a Young Bastard: the Diaries of Tim Burstall November 1953 to December 1954 (Miegunyah 2012). Burstall kept a diary on life in the bohemian world of Melbourne and Monsalvat. At first his observations were considered too controversial for publication but eventually McPhee found a way and published Burstall’s peppery perspective on Australian artistic life as he saw it, within the social and gender conventions of the 1950s. Join us as we celebrate Hilary McPhee as she looks back on Australian writing and publishing from her own unique position within it. Well-known journalist and broadcaster Caroline Baum will lead Hilary in a conversation through what has been a fascinating career. An afternoon tea and book signing in the Library foyer will follow the address. Thanks to The Brassey of Canberra, our accommodation partner for this event. Sunday 14 October, 2–4 pm Theatre and foyer $20 Friends, $25 non-members Bookings: http://nla.gov.au/bookings/friends or 02 6262 1698

DONATIONS SOUGHT OF NEW SCIENTIST MAGAZINE Over many years, users of the Friends Lounge have greatly enjoyed reading the New Scientist magazine, thanks to the donations of one Friends member. As this arrangement has ceased recently, we are keen to find another member who may be willing to donate their back issues of New Scientist, preferably on an ongoing basis. If you are able to assist, please contact the Friends Executive Officer on 02 6262 1551.

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] 3 2012 AGM NOTIFICATION The 2012 Annual General Meeting of the Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc will be held on Monday 5 November at 6pm in the National Library’s Conference Room, located on the 4th floor. All Committee positions will be declared vacant at the AGM and a new Committee for the forthcoming year will be elected. Being a Committee member is a positive way of contributing your time and expertise to the Friends organisation in support of the Library. It is also a great way to gain a better understanding of how both the Friends and the National Library are run. A nomination form can be found at the end of this newsletter. Nominations for Committee positions must be received by 5pm, Friday 5 October 2012. If you would like to know more about being a member of the Friends Committee, please contact Sharyn O’Brien, Friends Executive Officer, on (02) 6262 1551 or [email protected]. The 2012 Friends Medal and the 2013 Friends Travelling Fellowship will be awarded at the AGM, and Anne Xu, recipient of the 2012 Friends Travelling Fellowship, will present a report on her recent visit to California and Ohio to investigate e-book lending models adopted by US libraries. The meeting will be followed by light refreshments in the Friends Lounge. RSVPs for catering purposes would be much appreciated. Monday 5 November, 6 pm Conference Room, 4th floor, National Library of Australia Bookings: http://nla.gov.au/bookings/friends or 02 6262 1698 RECENT EVENTS Honoring Our War Dead There should be no distinction between officers and men — General Macready Australians are familiar with the elegant and poignant rows of white headstones or pedestal markers of our War Cemeteries. Many of us have relatives buried there. The design and horticulture of these Australian War Cemeteries was the focus of Launceston War Cemetery, 2011 the fifth annual joint lecture of the Friends of the National Library and Garden History Society on 24 May. It was of particular interest to gardeners and historians alike as well as those who have a more personal connection. The Friends Chair Gary Kent welcomed guests, including Brigadier Chris Appleton (CSC (Ret’d), Director of the Office of Australian War Graves), and Dr Louise Moran, Chair of the ACT Riverina Branch of the Australian Garden History Society, introduced the speaker, Ms Peta Alderman. Ms Alderman, Manager of the West Australian team for the Office of Australian War Graves, spoke on the concept, design and planting of some of the 75 Commonwealth

Dr Louise Moran of the Australian War Graves Commission Cemeteries located in Australia, Papua and New Guinea. The Garden History Society welcomes Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG) operates as an agent of the Commonwealth guests War Graves Commission (CWGC) in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Norfolk Island and the Solomon Islands. The CWGC owes its existence to the vision and determination of one man who was neither soldier nor politician. Sir Fabian Ware was a director of Rio Tinto Company. Too old to enlist in 1914, he was deeply distressed by the numbers of men being lost in battle and determined that they should be remembered forever.

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] His efforts saw the establishment of the Imperial War Graves Commission in Britain 4 in 1917. Australian war graves still honour the Commission’s founding principles that each of the dead should be commemorated individually by name either on the headstone or grave, or by an inscription on a memorial; that the headstones and memorials should be permanent; that the headstones should be uniform; and that there should be no distinction made on account of military or civil rank, race or Peta Alderman speaks about the creed. Fellowship in death would be revered. Ms Alderman spoke about the design horticulture of War Graves concepts which embody these principles. The eminent architects charged with the design were Sir Edward Lutyens, Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Reginald Bloomfield. Gertrude Jekyll, the famous garden designer, was consulted on the design of Forceville Cemetery in France which became the template for the Commission. Rudyard Kipling, whose son was killed on the Western Front in 1915, was honorary literary advisor, particularly for inscriptions. He selected the phrase “their name liveth forever more” (Ecclesiastes 44.14) to be inscribed on the Stones of Remembrance, and the phrase “known unto God” for the graves of unidentified servicemen. The intention was to create beauty, peace and serenity. Where possible, the plantings should provide some connection between those foreign fields and the gardens of home. There were to be soft lines and the effect artless rather than contrived. Jekyll’s overarching influence was painterly, using colour, texture and form. Whatever plants grew well in that locality should be chosen, rather than particular species. There were to be no weeds—ever. There were to be no paths, the headstones would form the borders and finely groomed turf would be the dominant feature. Planting Past and Present The principal plant for immediately in front of headstones has been the floribunda rose, wherever it thrives, and the first colour choices are reds and yellows. Anti-splash plants are placed, three in a triangle, at the base of the headstone, to minimize soil splash on the personal inscription. These are often oregano, marguerite daisies or ajuga repins.

Lutwyche War Cemetery, Brisbane, There is a height restriction of 20 centimetres. The garden planting is to complement 2011 the headstone, not to detract or overpower it. Plants must be long flowering and hardy. Stock is rotated very 4–5 years to keep it fresh. Perimeter borders give a sense of place. They contain more permanent plantings of trees and local species. For example in Perth kangaroo paws are planted; in Geraldton where water is scarce, there are no plants, but landscaping is done with rocks; in the Atherton War Cemetery there are tropical plants. Climate change is now an important issue in the choice of plants. In cemeteries where there is a constant risk of earth movements pedestal markers take the place of headstones. Here the classic lawn cemetery with a planted border is simple and serene. Emotion is closely attached to the plantings. Each plant has a special meaning. In the Canberra Garden of Remembrance at Woden Cemetery there is lavender for devotion, the red rose for eternal love, blue violets for faithfulness and the cypress for death. Those who tend these cemeteries see their task as an honourable and unchanging job in a changing world. Lest we forget. Further information can be obtained at www.cwgc.org Robyn Oates

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] Conserving Collections 5 You might well ask what do dental floss, zip lock plastic bags and Japanese tissue paper have to do with preserving a collection of books and paper items? Friends of National Library, who braved a chilly winter evening in June to attend a tour of the Library’s Conservation Lab and to hear how the Library preserves its collections, now have the answers. Tour of Preservation Lab Conservators demonstrate how to Jennifer Lloyd, from Manager of the Preservation Services Section, led a cover a book group of Friends on a tour of the National Library’s Conservation Lab where we saw a range of ‘challenging projects’ awaiting treatments and even some that were way beyond rescue. These included some leather bound tomes whose covers had been separated from their contents, and several volumes coated in cement slurry that had hardened, making it impossible to open the books ever again—victims of a building works accident. On the ‘up’ side we also saw two fine, coloured botanical drawings that had been discoloured by water damage and then painstakingly restored close to original condition by the conservators. Lecture on conserving collections Jennifer’s lecture covered the basic principles of preservation and Conservator Melanie Wilkinson discusses conservation methods for conservation used at the Library. She described the ‘do’s and don’ts’ for old photos creating a good physical environment for storing books and paper items, and some basic practices for preserving materials. She also talked about some of the practical steps to take, at home, to manage the storage and maintenance of one’s own collections. Jennifer’s approach was refreshingly practical and matter of fact. She pointed out that with 10 million items in the Library’s collections and only 10 staff in Preservation Services not all problems could or would be treated. It was often a matter of priorities. An example of this down to earth philosophy was the advice that not every blemish or problem needs to be treated; after all if you can still access and read a damaged book’s contents you could choose to do nothing further. In her lecture Jennifer also noted that the damage caused by the devastating floods in Florence in 1966 was a significant impetus for the development of new practices, tools, and materials that marked the beginnings of conservation practices, as we now know them. Live demonstrations Jennifer’s presentation was followed by three practical demonstrations of preservation or conservation techniques we can all use at home with our own ‘treasures’. These included a conservator demonstrating “how to construct a paper cover for a precious item” using card readily available at Art Suppliers. We also watched as another conservator showed us how to repair a paper tear on a document such as a map or poster and how to safely remove

Jennifer Lloyd discusses storage photos from photo albums that have sticky paper and polyurethane overlays. options for collection material The final demonstration showed us a variety of types of boxes and plastic storage bags most suitable for preserving and protecting individual pages or documents that are readily available in Canberra.

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] At the end of the session we all felt far better equipped to assess our 6 own collection preservation needs and even to be able to put some treatments into effect. Overall, the key message we all took away with us is: NEVER, NEVER, USE STICKY TAPE ON ANYTHING. On behalf of the audience we thank Jennifer and her team for a most informative and enjoyable evening. For advice and information about caring for your book collections go to the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) website: www.aiccm.org.au Jenny Oates Friends Lecture and Tour—Lewin: Wild Art On Saturday 28 July, Richard Neville, curator of the NLA’s current exhibition, gave a fascinating lecture to Friends on the work of John William Lewin. Richard is Mitchell Librarian at the State Library of New South Wales where the exhibition originally opened in March 2012. He admitted that the display looks even better in the NLA Gallery! Lewin, the son of a print designer turned natural history illustrator, made the surprising decision to become a free settler in the young colony of New South Wales. After an inauspicious start when the ship carrying his wife and goods set sail without him, he eventually arrived in Sydney in 1800. Here he was able to achieve much more than would have been possible in the social confines of Georgian London. He became the colony’s first professional artist who was not a convict, the first

Richard Neville lectures on the Lewin printmaker, published the first Australian illustrated book and was one of the exhibition earliest professional naturalists, despite a lack of scientific training. His water colours were hung on the walls of Government House and also sent to England. He accompanied Governor and Mrs Macquarie on an expedition to the newly accessible Bathurst Plains and was appointed coroner by Macquarie, entitling him to call himself a gentleman and affix ‘esquire’ to his name. He wrote to a friend that he regarded Australia as one of the finest countries in the world. As Richard Neville commented, Lewin is known better in libraries than on the walls of art galleries. His work deserves to be wider known and it is hoped that this beautiful retrospective will help to achieve this. After the lecture, Friends enjoyed afternoon tea and a tour of the exhibition with Volunteer Guide Roger Dobbs. Our thanks go to Richard Neville for coming to Canberra to talk to us. Elizabeth Kennedy

John William Lewin (1770–1819) White-naped honeyeater (Melithreptus lunatus) and Spear grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea resinosa) in John Hunter, Birds & flowers of New South Wales drawn on the spot in 1788, 1788–1790 Rex Nan Kivell Collection National Library of Australia

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] 2012 Kenneth Myer Lecture 7 The Kenneth Myer Lecture is the most prestigious of the Friends’ annual events and celebrates the life of Sir Kenneth Myer, AC, who was Chairman of the National Library Council from 1972 to 1982, and a long-time friend of the Library. This year, 2012, also marks 20 years since his death. The lecture was delivered by veteran journalist and TV presenter Kerry O’Brien and a full theatre greatly enjoyed his witty address on how easily Kerry O’Brien delivers the 2012 Kenneth Myer lecture we forget the past in an age awash with information. Drawing from his family history, career in journalism and many years as a highly respected ABC presenter, Kerry reached some sobering and challenging conclusions, sending us away with a lot to think about and discuss. At the Foyer reception after the event, Friends and guests enjoyed a glass of wine and the opportunity to chat with Kerry. Despite the cold Canberra winter outside, it was a very enjoyable evening. For those unable to attend, an audio recording of the lecture can be found Guests at the post-lecture reception on the National Library’s website at www.nla.gov.au/kenneth-myer-lecture. Elizabeth Kennedy

TRACING OUR MARBLES During a shift on the Foyer Information Desk one weekend I was looking at the green marble that dresses the balcony around the foyer. I remembered my partner, Tony Koukoulas, saying that his father was touched by the presence of this green marble in the Library because it came from a mine very close to the village of his birth—Pyrgos on the island of Tinos in the Cyclades. The family lived in Pireaus and Smyrna but escaped the summer The Green marble mine outside Marlas heat by going to the island and Tony’s father, Nikolaos Koukoulas, was born in Pyrgos in 1900. Later he came to Canberra at about the same time as the green marble was arriving at the National Library building site. With not much doing at the Information Desk I thought ‘Next time I go to Tinos I’ll find that mine’. Tinos is one of the Cycladic islands. It has about 7,000 residents. The villages are small white washed stone buildings, and stone paved streets with whitewashed cement grouting. Green marble beside the road from From the main port on Tinos we drove for an hour, mostly in second gear, Marlas up to the village of Pyrgos which is an international centre of marble art and one of the ‘beautiful villages of Greece’. There is a tertiary college teaching marble carving and the Museum of Marble Craft was recently completed with help from the EU. Here, marble is still worked out of the ground manually, by men and mules, using traditional equipment. The working of finished sheets uses modern machinery, and is typically done in quite small workshops employing only a handful of marble craftsmen. Apart from family wisdom that the Library’s green marble came from outside Marlas, close to Pyrgos, we had little information. Then at the Marble Craft Museum we discovered that the mine is now defunct. This brought to mind another reference, ‘From Pyrgos a road leads west to the village of Marlas. Just before entering the village you pass on the left, a small quarry which is now out of use. Here in the upper area is the rare green marble of Tinos’. (McGilchrist’s Greek Islands Vol 18. Northern Cyclades: Andros, Tinos, Syros).

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] The two clues, taken together, got us there. 8 Tinos Green marble was used for monumental works in antiquity. It is also in London’s Buckingham Palace, the pulpit of St Paul’s Cathedral, the doorways of the National Gallery, London, internal columns of the Carnegie Library Pittsburgh, and, of no small importance to the Aussie traveller and mine hunter, the public toilets of Pyrgos village, Tinos. Margaret Goode

BOOK COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY FRIENDLY PROMO Founded in 1944, the Book Collectors’ Society of Australia has been a focus for collectors to share their enthusiasm for books of all kinds. There are four meetings a year in Sydney, with a guest speaker, often one of the members, who shares some of the treasures of his or her collection of or interest in books. By ‘treasures’ we don’t necessarily mean rare and expensive books, rather we mean books that are special to the speaker. The Society’s journal, Biblionews and Australian Notes and Queries, not only deals with book collecting but is much more—a bridge that joins together all members, whether collectors, librarians or booksellers, and all who are interested in books, to have, to read, to enjoy in any way. Published in four issues per year, Biblionews publishes independent leading articles on matters ranging from manuscript studies to national heritage policy. Authoritative articles on subjects from medieval libraries to modern first editions are included, from the contentious subject of the current trend towards alternative formats of the book other than the traditional printed mode to the charming history of Australian Tramwayana by a tramway enthusiast. The Journal contains book reviews relating to book collecting or aspects of the book, news of auctions, publications, bibliographies and checklists, private press books, exhibitions and book fairs, appointments, departures and deaths. Other subjects addressed are in series on such things as book collectors past and present, uncollected authors, unfamiliar libraries (public and private) and book bindings new and old. The Society also has a substantial archive of articles, reviews and written ephemera that it is currently preparing for posting on a redesigned website. This will allow interested parties to identify opinions and information covering the world of books and associated notes and queries in the Australian idiom over almost 70 years. We will endeavour to develop the website to the point where it is easy to interpret the archive in a number of ways and also affords the opportunity of linkage with web sites of similar topics. This is a field that is of particular interest to specialists and we are keen to encourage active participation in this development. Our URL is http://bookcollectorsnews. wordpress.com/ The Society meetings in Sydney are held at the University of Sydney on the first Saturday afternoon in March, June, September and December, and anyone with an interest in books is welcome. The September meeting is normally the Annual General Meeting of the Society and the December meeting is traditionally the ‘Show and Tell’ meeting when members are invited to bring an item from their collection and talk about it for a few minutes. It is always a lively and interesting meeting. The Victorian Branch of the Society holds monthly meetings in Melbourne with guest speakers, whilst there is a separate Book Collectors’ Society of South Australia based in Adelaide.

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] The Society has members across Australia and overseas and annual 9 subscription is $30 for individuals and $40 for institutions. To join, or for any other enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact the Honorary Secretary, Dr Mark Ferson, address 4 Sofala Avenue, Riverview NSW 2066, or by email at [email protected] Chris Nicholls

CHANGES TO ONLINE EVENT BOOKING SYSTEM The Friends Committee would like to thank all members who enthusiastically moved to our online event booking system when it was introduced on 1 June this year. This was a great assistance in managing the large number of bookings received for the recent Kenneth Myer lecture. However, in response to feedback about confusion caused by the similarities between the Friends email address ([email protected]) and our booking website (friends.nla.gov.au), we will be altering the booking website address from 1 September 2012. The URL to use from this date will be http://nla.gov.au/ bookings/friends. Please note that the National Library’s online booking page will also be changing its URL, from events.nla.gov.au to http://nla.gov.au/bookings. For those who are unable to pay online by credit card, bookings for Friends events may still be made through the Friends Office on 02 6262 1698.

UPCOMING FRIENDS EVENTS Spring Tour to the Blue Mountains Join the Friends for a weekend tour to the Blue Mountains including visits to the Norman Lindsay Gallery and Everglades Gardens, with overnight accommodation and a three course dinner at the historic Carrington Hotel. This event is booked out but interested members are welcome to add their name to the waiting list in case of last minute cancellations. Saturday 22–Sunday 23 September Costs range from $325–$455 Enquiries: 02 6262 1698 or [email protected] Hilary McPhee: A Celebration Celebrate the contribution made to Australian literary culture by publisher, editor and writer Hilary McPhee, as journalist Caroline Baum leads her in conversation about her career. An afternoon tea and book signing in the Library foyer will follow the address. Thanks to The Brassey of Canberra, our accommodation partner for this event. Sunday 14 October, 2–4 pm Theatre and foyer $20 Friends, $25 non-members Bookings: nla.gov.au/bookings/friends or 02 6262 1698

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] A Christmas Carol, Then and Now 10 To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, the spring book club lecture will focus on Dickens’ classic tale of redemption, A Christmas Carol, presented by Dr Kate Mitchell. Following the lecture, participants will break into groups to continue the discussion over a glass of wine. Charles Dickens’s ghostly narrative, A Christmas Carol, is one of the author’s most well-known and celebrated tales. It circulates with such ubiquity that it is itself spectral, appearing and reappearing with such insistence that it would seem Dickens’ wish, that the story would ‘haunt [readers] houses First edition frontispiece and title page of A Christmas Carol (1843) pleasantly’, has been fulfilled. Yet its very ubiquity can make an encounter with the novella itself surprising since adaptations focus on the general trajectories of the story at the expense of the particularities of Dickens’s language and context. By understanding the particularly Victorian resonances of the narrative we are, perhaps paradoxically, better able to understand the enduring fascination of this tale today. Kate Mitchell is a Lecturer in English at ANU, where she teaches nineteenth- Century literature. She is author of History and Cultural Memory in Neo- Victorian Fiction: Victorian Afterimages (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) and co- editor (with Dr Nicola Parsons) of Reading Historical Fiction: The Revenant and Remembered Past (forthcoming, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012). Tuesday 27 November, 6 pm Conference Room and Friends Lounge Dr. Kate Mitchell $10 Friends, $15 non-members Bookings: nla.gov.au/bookings/friends or 02 6262 1698 2012 Friends Christmas Party Join the Committee, staff and other Friends members to celebrate the festive season. The evening will feature live music, catering by bookplate, 20% off in the Library’s bookshop and lucky door prizes. Those attending will also have the opportunity to view the new Library exhibition Things: photographing the constructed world. This exhibition deals with the wonderful diversity of objects represented in the Library’s photography collection from the nineteenth century to the present day. Through the works of major Australian photographers, as well as little known or anonymous photographers, this exhibition brings fascinating new imagery in to the public domain. Friday 7 December, 6 pm Foyer and Exhibition Gallery $25 Friends and invited guests Bookings: nla.gov.au/bookings/friends or 02 6262 1698

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] Country Gardens, Country Hospitality 11 Much loved gardening writer and photographer Holly Kerr Forsyth has travelled the country, revealing the landscapes that she loves and visiting gardens of note—in subtropical and temperate, alpine and arid regions, from newly established gardens to those that have evolved over generations. At each stop, over a meal hosted by the owner, the stories behind the gardens were told, their distinctive histories and features revealed. Meals were shared, created from recipes handed down from mothers or grandmothers, or made with local produce—country cooking at its best. Holly Kerr Forsyth has gathered together these stories and recipes into her new book, Country Gardens, Country Hospitality, featuring 27 inspirational properties, 60 delicious recipes and stunning photography. Join us as Holly speaks about this book and the beautiful gardens she visited to create it. The lecture will be followed by an afternoon tea and book signing in the foyer. Sunday 9 December, 2pm Conference Room and Foyer $10 Friends, $15 non-members Bookings: nla.gov.au/bookings/friends or 02 6262 1698 Friends Book Club All members of the Friends of the National Library are welcome to join this free monthly book club for literary discussion. The meetings are run by participants and each month a group member volunteers to facilitate the discussion. 25 September—All That I Am by Anna Funder 30 October—A Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Please note: November’s meeting has been replaced by the Book Club Lecture on 27 November. 7–8.30pm, Friends Lounge Free for members Bookings: http://nla.gov.au/bookings/friends or 02 6262 1698 Fortnightly Film Screenings The Friends of the National Library in association with the Reel McCoy Film Society present fortnightly film screenings on Wednesday nights, exclusively for members of both organisations. Membership cards must be shown at the door and membership to either organisation can be arranged on the night. 12 September Innocence (Australia 2000) 94 min. DVD 26 September Osaka Elegy (Japan 1936) 71 min. 16 mm 10 October Shadow of a Doubt (USA 1943) 108 min. DVD 24 October Come to the Stable (USA 1949) 94 min. 16mm 7 November The Goat Horn (Bulgaria 1972) 100 min. 16mm 21 November Grandma’s Boy (USA 1922) 60 min. 16mm PLUS A Sailor-Made Man (USA 1921) 46 min. 16mm Theatre, 6pm, free Bookings not required. Enquiries: 02 6262 1698

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] ISAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 12 The Independent Scholars Association of Australia Inc (ISAA) is a network of scholars pursuing interests in the broad streams of the humanities, arts and sciences. The purpose of the ISAA is to encourage and support individuals who undertake independent scholarly work outside the nation’s formal institutes of education and research,to promote such scholarship, and to stimulate public debate in Australia. The annual conference of the ISAA, held in conjunction with the ISAA annual lecture, will take place on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 October, in the Conference Room (4th floor) at the National Library. The theme of this year’s conference is Language and Power, and the 2012 Annual Lecture will be delivered by Don Watson. For further information on both the conference and lecture, please contact Lesley Vick, Convenor, ISAA Conference Committee at dissentmagazine@ dissent.com.au, 03 93477839 or 0406 980 372.

NEW DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS Prickles: the Art of Flowers We are very pleased to announce that we now have an agreement with a local florist to provide a 10% discount on purchases to members of the Friends. Prickles: the Art of Flowers, a unique floral design studio located in Canberra City, is able to send bouquets in the Canberra / Queanbeyan area, interstate and around the world. Regular visitors to the National Library would have seen examples of their work at many Library events. To claim your discount, please quote your Friends membership number at the time of purchase. Address: Ground Floor, Todd Building, 17 Mort Street, Canberra Phone: 02 6230 4044 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.canberraflorist.com.au/

The Brassey of Canberra Please note that the discounted accommodation rates offered to Friends at The Brassey of Canberra have altered. The new rates are: Overnight accommodation in a single standard room $160 or in a single Heritage Room $180 (both including full buffet breakfast): on an unlimited basis and subject to availability. Address: Cnr Belmore Gardens and Macquarie St, Barton ACT 2600 Phone: 1800 659 191 (toll free) or (02) 6273 3766. Fax: (02) 6273 2791 Website: http://www.brassey.net.au/

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] NATIONAL LIBRARY BOOKSHOP SPECIAL OFFER 13 Antarctica: A Biography by David Day Sale Price $ 36.00 RRP $45.00 For centuries it was suspected that there must be an undiscovered continent in the southern hemisphere. But explorers failed to find one. On his second voyage to the Pacific, Captain James Cook sailed further south than any of his rivals but still failed to sight land. However, the icebergs that he encountered provided proof of the existence of land. It was not until whaling crews ventured south from Cape Magellan in the early nineteenth century that the frozen continent was finally sighted and parts of its coast began to be claimed by nations that were intent on having it as their own. That rivalry intensified in the 1840s when British, American and French expeditions sailed south to chart further portions of the continent that had come to be known as Antarctica. On and off for nearly two centuries, the competition to claim exclusive possession of parts of Antarctica has gripped the imagination of the world. Antarctica: A Biography draws upon libraries and archives from around the world, from Britain to Argentina and Norway to New Zealand, to provide the first, large-scale history of Antarctica. This offer is available only to members of Friends of the National Library of Australia. To order a copy, please phone 1800 800 100 or email [email protected] , and quote your membership number. Mail orders within Australia incur a $5 postage and handling fee. OFFER ENDS 30 NOVEMBER 2012. OFFER NOT EXTENDED TO ONLINE ORDERS AND NO FURTHER DISCOUNTS APPLY.

ONLINE BOOKSHOP OFFER In conjunction with the Library’s Bookshop, the Friends are pleased to announce a special offer for members who make a purchase using the National Library’s online bookshop. For any purchase made by a Friend between 1 September and 20 November 2012, they will receive a free First Fleet Artist Checkbook, showcasing exquisite images by George Raper, all which are found in the National Libraries collections. This is an excellent offer for Friends, as this item retails for $9.95. This offer is in addition to the usual Friends discount and any other offers advertised on the Library Bookshop website. To claim your free First Fleet Artist Checkbook and a 15 per cent discount with all online purchases, use the promotional code FR15SEP12 at checkout. This code is valid from 1 September to 30 November 2012.

NEW NATIONAL LIBRARY PUBLICATIONS Flying the Southern Cross: Aviators Charles Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith by Michael Molkentin Australian aviators Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm made the first trans-Pacific flight in 1928 in an aircraft constructed largely of timber and fabric, the Southern Cross. With Americans Jim Warner as radio operator and Harry Lyon as navigator, they made the trip from Oakland, California, in nine days, facing electrical storms, torrential rain, equipment breakdowns, fuel shortages and the ever-present fear of engine failure. Navigational aids were primitive; contact with the outside world was by Morse code only; safety measures were non-existent. After many close calls, they landed

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] triumphantly in Brisbane, where a crowd of 15,000 welcomed them as 14 heroes. Throughout this extraordinary journey, Ulm kept a logbook in which he recorded his raw impressions of the flight. His entries, brief and to the point, give a striking sense of immediacy and authenticity, and a selection of facsimile pages from the logbook forms the basis of Flying the Southern Cross: Aviators Charles Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith. ISBN 978-0-642-27746-6 2012, pb, 250 x 220 mm, 220 pp RRP $34.95 Available October 2012 In Search of Beauty: Hilda Rix Nicholas’ Sketchbook Art by Karen Johnson Like so many Australian women artists of her era, Hilda Rix Nicholas (1884– 1961) has been rediscovered by contemporary art historians. For the first time, In Search of Beauty showcases her two sketchbooks held by the National Library of Australia. The child of a creative Melbourne household, Hilda was always with pencil in hand, persuading obliging cousins and neighbours to pose for her. Travelling to Europe in 1907, she trained at some of the finest studios in London and Paris. The experience would not only help the young student to develop her artistic skills but would also nurture a lifetime love of capturing the essence of Australia on canvas. Studies from her early years in Melbourne and in Europe provide glimpses into Hilda’s coming of age. In Search of Beauty features page after page of glorious, full-colour works of art, introduced by a thoughtful biography of the artist. ISBN 978-0-642-27752-7 2012, pb, 255 x 195 mm, 160 pp RRP $39.99 First Fleet Art Perpetual Calendar Midshipman George Raper (1769–1796) arrived on HMS Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet, at Port Jackson in January 1788. While there, he created beautiful images of the local birds and plants, which were among the first European visual impressions of Australian flora and fauna. This gorgeous perpetual calendar features 12 works by George Raper from the collection of the National Library of Australia. The calendar makes a lovely gift or a delightful addition to any home, study or office. A wonderful way to never again forget birthdays, anniversaries and other significant moments in time. ISBN 931-6-195-22028-6 2012, pb, 300 x 300 mm, 13 pp RRP $29.95 AVAILABLE OCTOBER 2012

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] Capturing Time: Panoramas of Old Australia by Edwin Barnard 15 Panoramas, whether painted or photographed, were the nineteenth-century equivalent of IMAX or Google maps. These wide-angled views of landscapes and cities fascinated viewers, who had never before seen such far-reaching perspectives on the world around them. Based on the National Library of Australia’s extensive collections, Capturing Time: Panoramas of Old Australia looks back on our nation through the magic of panoramas—to the streets of Sydney when it was the convict capital, to the gold rushes of Melbourne and to Perth, struggling to establish a toehold on the continent’s western frontier. Dating from 1810 to the 1920s, the paintings and photographs include historic views of all of Australia’s capital cities, plus some country towns. Not only can readers imagine what it might have been like to stand on Sydney’s Observatory Hill in 1820, for example, but also what it would have been like to stand there with a companion able to point out landmarks and tell the sorts of interesting stories that only locals know. Twenty panoramas and over 200 illustrations and maps feature in this jam- packed publication. The author looks at each one, chapter by chapter, exploring the background behind the featured image—who created it, why and under what circumstances—and providing a lively history of the time, pointing out interesting buildings and landmarks and telling stories and anecdotes about the items depicted. ISBN 978-0-642-27750-3 2012, pb, 225 x 300 mm, 180pp RRP $49.99 AVAILABLE OCTOBER 2012

Curious Minds: The Discoveries of Australian Naturalists by Peter Macinnis Curious Minds: The Discoveries of Australian Naturalists looks at the long line of naturalists who have traversed Australia in search of new plants and animals. Identifying and classifying the unfamiliar plants and animals was their biggest challenge—the early ones were frequently wrong but later naturalists were able to build on and learn from previous mistakes. In time, a new breed of homegrown naturalists emerged. This succession of curious minds would help to foster pride in a developing nation, as well an interest in the preservation of natural history. Curious Minds brings to life the stories of the naturalists and settlers who made the unfamiliar familiar and who contributed to developments in natural science. Among the names are Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin, Amalie Dietrich, Ludwig Leichhardt, Ferdinand von Mueller, Ellis Rowan, John Lewin and John and Elizabeth Gould. Beautifully illustrated with images from the collection of the National Library of Australia, the publication is a loving tribute to the courageous and inquisitive men and women who led by example. ISBN 978-0-642-27754-1 2012, pb, 250 x 200 mm, 216 pp RRP $39.99 AVAILABLE OCTOBER 2012

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] Topsy-turvy World: How Australian Animals Puzzled Early Explorers 16 by Kirsty Murray To the first Europeans who came to Australia, everything seemed topsy turvy. Christmas was in the summer and trees shed their bark but not their leaves. And the animals were bizarre. There was a bird that laughed like a donkey and a type of greyhound that bound along on its hind legs like a hare. There was an animal in Tasmania whose nocturnal screeches sounded like the devil and a river creature that had a duck’s bill at one end and a beaver’s tail at the other. The Europeans had never seen anything like these animals before and gave them names similar to those of the European creatures they already knew. They drew and painted odd pictures of them, showing they did not understand the animals’ habits. In one illustration, a wombat is standing on its back legs and in another a Tasmanian tiger is wrestling with a platypus of the same size. Through factional stories of real characters and events, Kirsty Murray brings alive the wonder and excitement over the first European sightings of Australian animals and the misunderstandings they had about these creatures. Her dramatisations are followed by what we know today about the animals’ habits and by other fascinating facts about them. ISBN 978-0-642-27749-7 2012, hb, 298 x 230 mm, 100 pp RRP $29.99 To purchase: http://bookshop.nla.gov.au or 1800 800 100 (freecall) Also available from the National Library Bookshop and selected retail outlets Enquiries: [email protected]

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] 17

Fof theriend National Library of Australia s

NOTICE of ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

of the

FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA INC.

FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED are notified that the Annual General Meeting will be held in the Conference Room, Level 4, National Library of Australia on

Monday 5 November 2012 at 6:00pm

The election of members to the 2013 Friends Committee will take place at this AGM. The meeting will also include the presentation of the 2012 Friends Medal and 2013 Friends Travelling Fellowship, as well as a report from Library staff member Anne Xu recipient of the 2012 Friends Travelling Fellowship. This Fellowship provided Anne with the opportunity to visit California and Ohio to investigate e-book lending models adopted by US libraries. Light refreshments in the Friends Lounge will follow the meeting.

Sharyn O’Brien Executive Officer Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. 1 September 2012

(see over for nomination form)

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected] FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA INC. 18 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 6:00pm, Monday 5 November 2012 Conference Room, 4th Floor, National Library of Australia Nominations for the Friends Committee The Friends Committee includes twelve elected positions. Nominations are sought for the Committee positions to be filled at the 2012 Annual General Meeting of the Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Should nominations exceed vacancies, a ‘first past the post’ method of election will be held at the Annual General Meeting. A further four positions on the Committee will be filled by the Director-General of the National Library, two nominees of the Director-General, and the Friends Executive Officer. Committee members will elect the Chair, Deputy Chair and Treasurer of the Committee at the first meeting following the elections. This meeting will be held on Tuesday 20 November 2012 at 5.15pm. Thereafter, Committee meetings are usually held on the third Tuesday of each month at 5.15 pm in the Council Room, Level 1, National Library of Australia.

NOMINATION FORM

Committee of the Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc.

Nominees and nominators must be members of the Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc.

I, ...... wish to be nominated for the Committee of the Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc.

NOMINEE’S SIGNATURE: ...... Membership no......

Ph: (w) ...... (h)...... (mob)......

Email......

Nominated by (please print)...... Membership no......

Signature ......

Seconded by (please print)...... Membership no......

Signature ......

Please attach a brief profile of the nominee which will be circulated to members. One paragraph is sufficient.

Nominations must be received by the Executive Officer by 5pm, Friday 5 October 2012.

Nomination forms should be posted to: The Executive Officer, Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc, National Library of Australia, Canberra ACT 2600. Forms may also be faxed to (02) 6273 4493 or emailed to [email protected]

Friends of the National Library of Australia Inc. Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: 02 6262 1698 Fax: 02 6273 4493 Email: [email protected]