AUSTRALIA’S most decorated soldier of the First World War will have his medal group, including the Victoria Cross, on display at the Australian War Memorial.

Lieutenant Colonel Henry William Murray VC CMG DSO & Bar DCM was described by historian Charles Bean as the most distinguished fighting officer of the Australian Imperial Force. His family presented the extraordinary medal group to the Director of the Australian War Memorial, Dr Brendan Nelson, at a hand-over event today.

Dr Nelson said Lieutenant Colonel Murray’s medal group, which includes the Victoria Cross, will go on long-term display in the Memorial’s Hall of Valour in the coming weeks.

“All Australians will now be able to see proof of the incredible achievements of Lieutenant Colonel Henry William Murray on display at the Australian War Memorial. We are truly grateful to his family for this selfless gesture,” Dr Nelson said.

“These medals will form an integral part of the continuing story of our Anzacs, and serve as a reminder of the bravery and daring shown by Australians in the Great War.

Murray had a spectacular rise through the ranks, going from private in 1914 to lieutenant colonel four years later. His was the first of 18 Victoria Crosses awarded to Australians in 1917.

On the night of 4/5 February 1917 Murray led the 13th Battalion’s A Company into an attack on a German position known as Stormy Trench, near Gueudecourt in France. His conduct during the battle – which lasted all night – led to his recommendation for the Victoria Cross. The citation read:

For most conspicuous bravery when in command of the right flank company in attack. He led his company to the assault with great skill and courage, and the position was quickly captured. Fighting of a very severe nature followed, and three heavy counter-attacks were beaten back, these successes being due to Captain Murray’s wonderful work. Throughout the night his company suffered heavy casualties through concentrated enemy shell fire, and on one occasion gave ground for a short way. This gallant officer rallied his command and saved the situation by sheer valour. He made his presence felt throughout the line, encouraging his men, heading bombing parties, leading bayonet charges, and carrying wounded to places of safety. His magnificent example inspired his men throughout.

Murray continued to serve with distinction during the First Battle of Bullecourt on 11 April 1917, and participated in bitter fighting at Messines and during the Third Battle of Ypres. In 1939 he enlisted once more and served during the Second World War.

Murray and his wife, Nell, had two children: a son, Douglas, and a daughter, Clementine.

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THE ACT Parks and Conservation Service is advising the public that a hazard reduction burn at Latham will commence today weather permitting.

The burn will occur at Umbagong District Park, East of Florey Drive, Latham and will be approximately 13 hectares in size.

The burn is expected to commence from 11 am until approximately 5 pm.

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ACT Policing has located missing 19-year-old Gordon woman, Kathleen Bautista safe.

Kathleen from Gordon was found by search and rescue members about 10.25am this morning near the Cotter reserve area.

Kathleen went missing on Saturday 5 September 2015 when she was last seen in Chapman about 7.00am.

The search for the teenager immediately began, and has continued for the past seven days until this morning when she was found.

Police would like to thank the outstanding work of the SES, members of the public and the media for their assistance in locating Kathleen.

UPDATE: The ABC is reporting she was found after crashing her car into a creek:

One of the searchers told the ABC Ms Bautista crashed her car on Saturday on an unmarked road near the Cotter reserve, where it fell down an embankment into a creek.

Members of the SES found the car, but it was not until more respondents arrived did they see Ms Bautista’s hand raised on a nearby ridge.

It is believed she survived by drinking water from the creek, but did not have any food for seven days.

She was taken to hospital dehydrated and suffering from exposure.

FURTHER UPDATE: ACT Policing has released the above video from their press conference with this note:

In a fantastic result for all of Canberra, Kathleen Bautista was located at 10.25am this morning, after an extensive search operation was coordinated by ACT Policing, AFP Search and Rescue team, and the ACT State Emergency Service.

Kathleen managed to remove herself from the vehicle which was involved in a collision in the Cotter Reserve area, that rolled down an embankment. She was found several hundred meters from the car, when a member of the search and rescue team saw Kathleen’s hand raise in the bushland calling for assistance.

Kathleen’s father Ronnie Bautista said that he was forever indebted to everyone that was involved, and thanked the Canberra community.

Detective Sergeant John Giles of ACT Policing Criminal Investigations said that the moment when Kathleen was found was one of the best of his career, and today was a day that will never be forgotten by anyone involved.

ACT Policing would like to thank Vodafone Australia, the SES, AFP Search and Rescue, the community, and the media for their assistance in locating Kathleen.

Today is not only a great day for the Emergency Services and the Bautista family, it’s a great day for the Canberra community who rallied to assist in the efforts to find Kathleen.

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WARREN Truss has released a delivery plan for the Inland Rail project, connecting Melbourne to Brisbane with a high performance freight line.

“The Delivery Plan outlines a 10-year construction timeframe to complete the 1,700km project – including some 600km of new track, and puts the cost at $10 billion,” Warren said.

“Inland Rail will complement existing road and rail networks and will dramatically boost productivity. Initially, it will provide for 1,800 metre long trains carrying containers stacked two high and, in the longer term, much heavier 3,600 metre long trains.

“The new freight line will reduce transit time between Melbourne and Brisbane by more than 10 hours – reducing the journey to less than a day. It will remove 200,000 trucks, or 5.4 billion net tonne kilometres of freight, from roads each year.

Sadly Australia’s biggest inland city is missing out, with the line going through Wagga and Junee instead.

The full Inland Rail Implementation Group Report is available online at infrastructure.gov.au.

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WHILE “Life” magazine isn’t the principal theme of Dutch filmmaker Anton Corbijn’s fourth feature, it provides a thread underlying a story about a Hollywood star that shone brightly in only three feature films in 1953.

James Dean’s influence on cinema grew out of the public’s need for someone to stand up for the disenfranchised young of the era, and the air of androgyny that he projected onscreen.

Luke Davies has written a screenplay for Corbijn that examines the friendship between Dean (Dane DeHaan) and freelance photographer Dennis Stock (Robert Pattinson) and the influence that Stock’s pictures, first published in a four-page spread toward the back of an issue of “Life”, had on Dean’s career.

Corbijn’s films challenge the filmgoer’s responses. The film flows at an unhurried pace through the period between the release of “East of Eden” and “Rebel without A Cause”. Not a Hollywood exposé of how the studio system used to work (Ben Kingsley plays a ruthless Jack Warner), it concentrates on Stock’s ambitions and friendship between the two young men.

Much of the film takes place on the Dean family farm in Indiana, where Stock shot the candids that his agent John Morris (Joel Egerton) eventually sold to “Life” magazine. Many of those original shots background the final credits. But those that most delighted me were shots on the farm in winter. They’re truly splendid, shot for the film in colour but a reminder of the artistic power of still black and white photography.

At Palace Electric

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IN 1982, schoolboy Brenner (Adam Sandler) was runner-up to Eddie (Peter Dinklage) in the world Pac Man championships.

Today, a whole generation plays far more complex games on their mobile phones. Some call this progress.

Leap forward to now time. Brenner installs TV systems. Today he is working in the apartment occupied by divorcee Violet (Michelle Monaghan). There’s no way she’s going to show interest in a mere tradesman.

The US military base on Guam detects an unidentified threat coming from outer space. Military panjandrums led by Admiral Porter prepare to shoot it down. At school, President Cooper (Kevin James) and Brenner were buddies. When the invader is identified as a race of Pac Men created by computer-game emissions three decades ago, who’s Cooper going to call? Why, his old buddy and Pac Man wizard Brenner and their mutual pal Ludlow (Josh Gad).

And when those two walk into the White House Situation Room, whom should they see but Violet. Wearing a colonel’s badges on her jacket.

The invading Pac Men are giant orange spheres that can be defeated only by obeying the rules of the computer game. Violet realises that beneath his humble exterior, Brenner conceals a nice-guy patriot with a good brain.

“Pixels” follows a predictable formula with gentle comedy values satirising American political, social, intellectual and military institutions. Who could ask for more?

At Hoyts, Capitol 6, Limelight

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THE plot of this sequel to last year’s futurist action fantasy based on a novel by James Dashner tries to answer the questions that its predecessor left hanging.

After surviving the Maze last year, the heroes get taken into durance vile that smiling villain Jansen (Aidan Gillen) manages for WCKD, which has divided humanity into those it wants to save and those it deems not worth saving. In time chief scientist Paige (Patricia Clarkson) selects seven for their value as guinea pigs in trials for the cure of a malady that would wipe humanity out.

Here is the film’s only element of moral value.

Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) leads six other young men, picking up girlfriend Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) as they go, in a breakout involving much running, jumping and related violence.

Outside the facility, they find themselves in a devastated urban landscape. So they set off on foot across a desert toward the mountain range where they expect, even hope, to find a resistance group that has have survived destruction.

Summing up, Wes Ball’s film is mediocre, boring crap offering spectacular visuals to distract attention from its otherwise chokingly-formulaic dramatic void. There’s scant development of either character or plot. It’s a drawn-out pursuit saga using resources that any apocalypse worth its salt would render inaccessible. Petroleum, for example.

God bless America. Without gas-guzzlers and guns, where would Hollywood’s vision of its future be? “The Scorch Trials” portends a further sequel.

At all cinemas

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THE Electoral Commission has published its report proposing new federal electoral boundaries for the ACT’s two electoral divisions of Canberra and Fraser.

The Chair of the Redistribution Committee, and Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers said the redistribution was required under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act) as more than seven years had elapsed since a federal redistribution was last undertaken in the ACT.

“The proposals would see some electors in Canberra’s inner northern suburbs transferred to the southern Division of Canberra with effect at the next federal election,” Tom said.

“The changes reflect faster population and enrolment growth trends on the north-side of Canberra in recent years, as well as taking into account the projected enrolment in both divisions through to a target date of 28 July 2019.

“The Committee faced a situation where by mid–2019 the enrolment totals for the two ACT divisions would differ to the extent that neither would meet the numerical rules and requirements under the Electoral Act.

“The status quo cannot be maintained, because without boundary adjustment, electoral enrolment in the Division of Canberra will become comparatively too small and Fraser too large.

“After careful deliberation, the Redistribution Committee has also proposed re-naming the northern Division of Fraser to Fenner in honour of the distinguished scientist Professor Frank Fenner.

The full details of the ACT Redistribution Committee proposals are available in its report at aec.gov.au.

ANU has expressed it’s glee at the re-naming:

The Australian National University (ANU) is delighted with the proposal to name one of Canberra’s federal electorates after distinguished Professor Frank Fenner AC.

“This is a great honour for Professor Fenner’s family and the University,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young AO.

“This honour will place ANU and its outstanding research strengths at the heart of the Canberra community, and demonstrate the University’s ties with Canberra.”

Professor Fenner, who died in 2010 aged 95, was one of Australia’s greatest scientists. He is best known for his work to control Australia’s rabbit plague, for helping to eradicate smallpox around the world, and for his work to fight malaria in Papua New Guinea.

UPDATE: Those being shunted south should bear in mind Gai’s speech to the House of Representatives on February 13 2012:

Southside residents: take a stand. We cannot let those in the north delude themselves into thinking they have got it better than we do. I urge all members living on the south to stay vigilant. Do not be sucked in by the member for Fraser’s voodoo. Stay south and prosper.

UPDATE: Here’s the proposed boundary:

[Photo: “Professor Frank Fenner” by Source (WP:NFCC#4). Licensed under Wikipedia.]

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A spokesperson for Shane Rattenbury has been in touch to say the lights are going to be back on in Garema Place tonight.

ActewAGL have located the fault that is immersed in an underground chamber that ActewAGL uses for its cable runs. This chamber is full of water and is a confined space.

To fix this they need to hydro vac a new trench from another light and run a new cable. This work has commenced but is not finished so there is temporary fencing erected to protect the work site.

They’ve since informed us the work is complete.

The issue was, we are told, unrelated to the lights being out in other car parks.

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FIREFIGHTERS have extinguished a fire in a kitchen flue at a Braddon restaurant.

ACT Fire & Rescue were called to the scene just before 7pm.

Three pumpers, the Bronto Aerial Unit and a commander are on scene.

The fire has not spread to any other part of the building.

Some of the patrons were evacuated.

Crews will now conduct atmospheric monitoring tests.

[photo by Tom]

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IT was the kind of party you didn’t want to end and as the food, the drinks and the entertainment went on and on and the thought of staying the night became an option. A rather nice one, too.

An honorary Latin American for the night, we were celebrating the launch of the Latin American Flavours Festival in the Hyatt’s subterranean Centenary Ballroom, which was akin to a Buenos Aires nightclub I remember.

With 13 embassies contributing to the festival, they were determined to make it a typical Latin American-style evening and succeeded admirably, especially as the guests wandered the room, watched the plate-up performed as part of the “theatre” created for the event, mixed and mingled and tried everything. The Mexican Hibiscus-Lemon Margarita was divine.    

With exceptional assistance from the Hyatt’s executive chef Nitin Kumar to test all recipes and balance the flavours of each country with his culinary team.

The Latin American Flavours Festival runs until September 22 in the Promenade Café at the Hyatt. A culinary journey, first class of course.  

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A 43-year-old man from Pearce has died tonight following a collision in Red Hill.

About 8.20pm he was driving on his motorcycle heading north along La Perouse Street, when he collided with a white Hyundai i30 travelling in the opposite direction.

ACT Policing General Duties were first to attend the scene within moments and commenced CPR.

ACT Fire and Rescue and ACT Ambulance arrived shortly after and continued the resuscitation effort but the man died at the scene.

The 19-year-old driver of the white Hyundai is shaken but uninjured and assisting police with their enquiries.

ACT Policing’s Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Team are investigating the incident and will prepare a report for the Coroner.

This is the 10th person to have died on ACT Roads this year.

[Photos via ACT Policing]

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ACT Policing endeavored to perform a traffic stop on a vehicle at the Shell Service Station in Dickson early this morning (Sunday, 13 September).

About 1am, police attempted to speak to the driver of a purple Ford tray back utility. The vehicle was displaying false registration plates.

As police approached the vehicle on foot, the driver immediately reversed his vehicle rapidly from the bowsers to evade them.

As the vehicle reversed, one member was in the direct path of the vehicle immediately before the driver accelerated. Fearing the driver was accelerating directly at him, the member drew his firearm to stop the driver’s actions. Once it became apparent that the driver was not attempting to drive directly at police but rather to evade them, the member immediately re-holstered his firearm.

The driver accelerated rapidly causing his vehicle to slew to the left in a fish tail pattern. The back of the vehicle glanced one of the members who sustained soft tissue damage.

The driver drove recklessly and dangerously, exiting the service station onto the incorrect side of the road. Police did not chase the offending vehicle.

The driver is now wanted for a number of traffic offences.

Police are urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any information that could assist police to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via act.crimestoppers.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously. Police remind people they should not report crime information via Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Firefighters are responding to a gas explosion on Mort Street in the city.

Update to come.

The gas explosion is believed to have occured in the McDonalds restaurant.

Firefighters are still investigating and attempting to shut off the gas.

The seven floor appartment block above the restaurant has also been evacuated.

ACT Fire & Rescue has three pumpers, a commander and the hazardous materials unit on scene.

The ACT Ambulance Service is also in attendence.

One man has been taken to the Canberra Hospital in a serious condition with burns to his body.

No one else is being treated at this stage.

Firefighters are ventilating the McDonalds restuarant after locating the cause of the explosion.

Further monitoring is also underway to ensure there are no further pockets of gas.

Crews have isolated the sprinkler system and residents have been allowed to return to the apartment building.

ActewAGL are also on scene along with ACT Policing.

ACT Fire & Rescue has also called in the Breathing Apparatus Van.

Crews will remain on scene for some time.

This in from ACT Policing:

ACT Policing attended McDonalds restaurant in Braddon this evening (Sunday 13 September) following a small gas explosion.

About 9pm, a 41-year-old man from Giralang entered the restaurant and ignited a 9kg gas bottle which he had brought with him. The man sustained possible life threatening injuries. He was treated at the scene by ACT Ambulance and conveyed to the Canberra Hospital.

No other patrons or staff were injured in the explosion.

ACT Policing and ACT Fire and Rescue evacuated the occupants of the restaurant and the floors immediately above in James Court as a precaution.

Cooyong Street was closed between Mort Street and Northbourne Ave while the cause of the explosion was determined.

Investigations are ongoing but police do not believe there is any further risk to the community.

Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could assist police to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333000 or online via act.crimestoppers.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

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SIMON Corbell says initial results from a study by ANU researchers into the health risks associated with living in a home insulated with “Mr Fluffy” loose-fill asbestos has found while there has been a rising incidence in mesothelioma over the past three decades, cases are still extremely rare.

Simon released the first part of the four-part ACT Asbestos Health Study today. The purpose of the study, commissioned by the ACT Government, is to gain a better understanding of the health risks associated with living in a house insulated with the “Mr Fluffy” loose-fill asbestos, which was installed in more than 1000 Canberra homes in the 1960s and 1970s.

“In the period from 1982 to 2011, only one case of mesothelioma had been diagnosed in a person recorded as a resident of a “Mr Fluffy” house at the time of diagnosis,” Simon said.

“Although the increase in the ACT between 1994 and 2011 was at a slightly greater rate than across the rest of Australia, the incidence of mesothelioma in the territory is now similar to that of other jurisdictions. Identifying trends from this data carries statistical uncertainty because of the small case numbers involved.

“While that jump is a cause of concern it is also important to note that in the ACT, similar to the rest of Australia, this cancer is mainly diagnosed in older males, suggesting the cause may be more likely due to occupational exposure.

“While the reason for higher diagnosis for older males is uncertain, it is hoped that the ANU study may shed some light on this.

“This report is only the first part of the study. Each part of the study will feed information into the next, so the whole picture will not become clear until the end of the study.”

The final results of the study will be released in 2017.

The report will be posted to the NCEPH’s website at nceph.anu.edu.au.

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TODAY, Canberra Museum and Gallery assures us, Barbie can range from a glamorous bit of eye candy to an astronaut, but even having a PhD in physics is not enough to save her from criticism.

You’ll be able to explore the subject of dolls at the CMAG until November 22  in Julie Manley’s formidable display of 500 dolls and, as we learn, “dolls can be extraordinarily powerful little receptacles of meaning.”

Trained as a potter at art school Manley has a degree in art history and started collecting fashion dolls seriously in 2000. Manley now travels to the annual Integrity Toys convention in the USA and won their ‘One of a Kind’ competition in 2011.

Since 2000, she says, many other dolls have come onto the market that are far more ‘adult’ and sophisticated. There is an amazing world of artist dolls, small editions of resin ball-jointed dolls, movie, TV and popular comic dolls out there these days but there is very little literature on the meaning or significance of dolls, which have been with us for a long time.

Doll utensils have been found in Neolithic graves, and clothes for a doll in a Byzantine cemetery. The adult doll has a very long history but baby or child dolls did not come onto the market until about 1850.

Manley’s collection of fashion dolls combines her loves of sewing, fashion and women’s history. All her dolls have all been repainted or customised in some way. She repaints the dolls’ faces and has designed and made many of the outfits. Her collection includes dolls dressed in historical fashion, ethnic clothing and couture and also features costumes from film and television.

In the early 20th century fashion dolls were used by designers such as Madeleine Vionnet to work out her new dresses, many cut on the bias and requiring yards of expensive fabric. Costume design for movies is often replicated on fashion dolls, seen in the Gone with the Wind Barbie and Ken dolls by Mattel. As well, Manley relates, there has been an explosion of art and fashion dolls in the last 20 years or so, everything from the larger 16 inch Sybarites from Superfrock (designed by Desmond Lingard and Charles Fegen in 2005), and Kingdom Dolls, both from England, to the small art dolls called ‘The Enchanted Doll’ by Marina Bychkova.

“Fashion and Fantasy: 21st century fashion dolls,”   in the Open Collections Gallery space at Canberra Museum and Gallery, Civic Square until Nov 22, Monday-Friday 10am-5pm. Weekends noon -5pm.

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ALEX White, secretary of UnionsACT, has taken aim at Crust Pizza.

“Unions are deeply troubled by yet more serious allegations of underpayments of vulnerable workers,” Alex said.

“There is no question that the Crust Pizza head office has been aware of underpayments and sham contracting for many years.

“Other Crust franchises in the chain have been prosecuted for similar underpayments, yet Crust continues to turn a blind eye to the willfulexploitation of young workers.

“This particular instance has come to light because of the courage of one of Crust’s delivery drivers, Priya De, who has stood up. As a result she has effectively been sacked by the franchise owner.

“It takes incredible bravery to speak up against this kind of exploitation, and it is unacceptable that Priya, or any worker, faces dismissal for exercising her lawful workplace rights.

“These revelations highlight the need for stronger protections for vulnerableemployees working for franchises.

“UnionsACT will run a campaign not only to get Priya reinstated, but to call on Crust to pay every cent it owes to its employees.”

Crust have sent this response:

Crust head office became aware of the situation concerning a franchised outlet in Canberra on Thursday 10 September. Immediately upon becoming aware of the matter a full internal review was initiated. Subsequent to the Franchisor’s engagement, the Franchisee has committed to promptly resolve all issues identified, including the payment of any monies owed.

More generally the Franchisor has a zero tolerance policy for franchisees who fail to properly discharge their obligations to employees.

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DELHI fabric designer, Kushma Ram, is coming to Canberra this weekend with a collection of hand woven sarees that capture the traditions of various weaving communities of India.

She has been working with weavers and embroiderers in different regions of India designing sarees and re-creating the traditional ones using centuries-old handloom traditions and techniques.

This exhibition will have a special focus on Chanderi sarees, named after the small town Madhya Pradesh where weaving is the only source of income for some 3500

Woven from fine cotton and silk, the Chanderi saree is described as “a delicate gossamer fabric that epitomizes elegance and grace”.

Chanderi sarees can be of pure cotton, pure silk or a combination of cotton and silk. Traditional motifs of coin, flowers, peacock and geometric designs are woven as additional weft during the weaving process.

It can take over a year to craft a good Chanderi saree. The more complex ‘jaal jungla’ is a good example of this. Some of the motifs and borders are woven through memories passed on within the weaving families.

According to Ms Ram, the Chanderi saree has an organic texture that drapes and makes the wearer feel graceful. It is an essential part of the bridal trousseau.’

Kay Collections exhibitions have become known for showcasing sarees that are original in design and unique in colour. For those with the ‘dhoopchhaon’ effect, a careful selection of dyes for the colours of the warp and the weft yarns are crucial.

The exhibition will also feature sarees that have previously been awarded national recognition by the President of India. Besides Chanderi sarees, the exhibition will also have other handwoven sarees such as Banarasi silks and cottons.

The Charm of Chanderi, Mantra on Northbourne 84 Northbourne Avenue, Civic Sept 18 – 19 (Fri & Sat) 10am – 7pm. Free event. Some of the sarees are for sale.

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ANDREW Barr says the Canberra community is invited to have their say on the 2016-17 ACT Budget, with the annual Budget consultation process starting today.

“Since becoming Chief Minister, I have been out in the community talking to Canberrans about the services they need and what they want the government to deliver,” Andrew said.

“This feedback was an important part of the 2015-16 Budget, and I now invite the community to share their views on how government services can be improved as part of next year’s Budget.

“The 2016-17 ACT Budget will be developed in a challenging economic period for the Territory. Our economy has been resilient in responding to the Commonwealth Government’s significant cuts to spending and jobs, and the recently released June quarter economic data indicates that the ACT economy has now turned the corner. However, we continue to face uncertainty from previous Commonwealth Government job cuts, reductions in our GST funding, and cuts to grants for education and health.

“That’s why, through the 2016-17 Budget, we will continue to use the ACT’s strong budget position to keep our economy moving by safeguarding jobs for Canberra and supporting our local businesses. We will also continue to ensure we have the right services, facilities, and infrastructure that our residents and businesses deserve and expect.

“As part of the Budget consultation, the community is able to provide feedback through an online submission form, or by providing a written submission through the Budget consultation website or the ACT Government’s Time to Talk web site. An information paper, providing details on the ACT budget position, some of the challenges facing our economy, and the major revenue and expenditure items is also available on the web site.

The 2016‑17 Budget consultation is taking place over the next month and will close on 14 October 2015.

For more information, visit the Budget consultation website at budgetconsultation.act.gov.au or Time to Talk at timetotalk.act.gov.au.

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