Capital history in the news
Deep history
Scientists elders and historians take deep dive into past | The ANU has launched a global research centre bringing together scientists, archaeologists, Indigenous elders and historians to uncover more of the world’s deep history. The centre a collaboration with Harvard University and Linnaeus University in Sweden is being hailed as a world first and will explore the pasts of native peoples from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to the Sami people of Scandinavia.
New research centre to study deep history of human past | ANU’s article about the new Research Centre for Deep History which aims to broaden the discipline of history as traditionally understood, expanding its time scale into deep history.
Tim the Yowie Man
Ghost town Canberra's netherworld | Tim the Yowie Man’s survey of Canberra’s ghost stories highlights amongst other stories that the National Film and Sound Archive is regarded as one of the most haunted buildings in Australia due to its previous life as the Institute of Anatomy.
Canberra's first long lunch | Another article from Tim. This one is about a mystery panorama photo found by Michael Monahan in his grandfather’s photo albums. It features 27 well-dressed men picnicking under the shade of a Canberra gum tree. Nick Swain of the Canberra & District Historical Society and history enthusiast Tony Maple have concluded that the image is of a working lunch set up on the northern edge of the Federal City Camp (in present day Yarralumla) sometime in March 1909. Note the Federal City Camp was the base for members and senators while they inspected sites for the capital in the Yass-Canberra area.
Anniversaries
A special place ANU childcare centre celebrates 50-years | The University Preschool and Childcare Centre at the Australian National University (ANU) celebrates its 50th birthday this year. One of the first workplace childcare centres its priority has been the children or staff and students at the ANU but children from the broader community also attended.
Cockington Green 40th-birthday-celebrations | On Sunday 3 November 2019 Cockington Green is celebrating its 40th birthday with a Special Charity Day. Entry on the day by gold coin donation with the money going to the Children’s Medical Research Institute.
Alfred Deakin exhibition
Our second prime minister was a secret newspaper correspondent | Senate President Scott Ryan’s perspective on Alfred Deakin who was the subject of his doctorate studies and is currently profiled in a Parliament House exhibition. While Senator Ryan’s interest in Alfred Deakin is the key role, he played in developing Australia’s constitution others have been drawn to his more unusual activities —spiritualism and seances and writing an anonymous column for the London Morning Post newspaper for many years.
Other news
The little cable car that couldn't | ACT Archives article about the 1975 proposal to construct a cable car or aerial gondola system on Black Mountain that would bring tourists to Canberra and provide locals with another option for enjoying the popular locality.
Canberra's Chris the sheep whose fleece captivated the world has died | News that sadly Chris the Sheep has died. In 2015 Chris made headlines around the world for his record-breaking fleece that came about because he had been living wild for six years and missed being sheared. Chris’ fleece has been displayed at the National Museum of Australia for several years and senior curator Dr Martha Sear said it was one of the most popular Museum exhibits.
Acknowledgement: The image above is of the Institute of Anatomy (ca. 1930), now the National Film and Sound Archive and according to Tim the Yowie Man regarded as one of the most haunted buildings in Australia. The image comes from the State Library of Victoria and is out of copyright. See acknowledgement page for full details.
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