POWERLINE

+ the magazine of the powerhouse museum spring 04

125 years
+ 02 powerline spring 04

+ O2
03
From the director
125 years
TRUSTEES
Dr Nicholas G Pappas,
President
04 Power picks Dr Anne Summers AO,
contents 06 New events: d-factory Deputy President

issue 75 07 New exhibitions: Pathways through paradise Mr Mark Bouris

Ms Trisha Dixon
08 New exhibitions: Bright flowers
Mr Andrew Denton
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2004 10 New exhibitions: The curious economist Ms Susan Gray
Professor Ron Johnston
12 Coming soon: the magic of Middle-earth
Ms Margaret Seale
13 Members news Mr Anthony Sukari
14 Members calendar
SENIOR MANAGEMENT
16 Members scene
Dr Kevin Fewster AM, Director
17 Celebrating 125 years: milestones in our history Jennifer Sanders, Deputy Director,
Collections and Exhibitions
21 Our historic transport collection
Mark Goggin, Associate Director,
22 Looking back: memories of our past Programs and Commercial Services
24 From the archives: the collector Michael Landsbergen, Associate
Director, Corporate Services
22 Observe: walking on the moon
Kevin Sumption, Associate Director,
23 Corporate partners Knowledge and Information
Management
24 New exhibitions at a glance

+
from the
director
AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF OUR PLACE:
INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA NOW IN THE NEW
CULTURAL CENTRE AT THE BENAKI
MUSEUM IN ATHENS ON 1 JULY 2004.
On 17 September 1879 the
Sydney International Exhibition
opened in the Garden Palace.
It was a showcase of invention
and industry from around the
world. The exhibition was so
popular that the government of
the day bought many of the
key exhibits to establish the
Technological, Industrial and
Sanitary Museum. Thus the
Powerhouse Museum, as we
know it today, was born.
In this special anniversary
issue of Powerline, Dr
Kimberley Webber provides
fascinating information about
our beginnings (starting on
page 17), as a precursor to the
publication of the Museum’s
history, which she is co-editing
with Professor Graeme
Davison, in May 2005.
Our 125th anniversary
celebrations begin this month
with a free Weekend Festival
for families followed by an
exciting seven-month program
of events and exhibitions.
While we can justifiably feel a
sense of achievement in
preserving and telling the story
of the people of New South
Wales over the past 125 years,
the Powerhouse has never
been a parochial museum.
From the outset we have
collected, exhibited and
interpreted artefacts from
across the country and around
the world and sought to place
our experience as a
community in a wider context.
In recent years we have
reached into our history to
record the achievements of
the original inhabitants and
reached out to different
communities to show their
unique contributions to our
society. The Beirut to Baghdad
exhibition, which recently
opened in our Australian
Communities gallery, is
sourced almost entirely from
the Museum’s collection of
objects from Syria, Lebanon,
Palestine, Jordan and Iraq. It
takes us back to the early
years of the Museum, when the
first objects from this region
were acquired. The Druze silver
collection, for instance, was
purchased in 1887. The
Museum has collaborated with
the growing population of
Arab-Australians to provide a
new interpretation of this
collection. As we enter our
125th year, this is just one
illustration of the Museum’s
extraordinarily rich and diverse
collecting history and how we
can employ it today.
Our challenge, as we look to
the future, is to continue to
record, collect and display the
history of the state’s movable
heritage with the foresight and
vision of our forebears. This, in
turn, will ensure the Museum is
able to continue to develop
fascinating and relevant
exhibitions and programs,
based on our own collections,
well into the future.
Kevin Fewster AM
Director

www.powerhousemuseum.com

THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE TO RUN IN
NSW WAS DONATED TO THE MUSEUM
IN 1884. THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN
THE ‘SHEDS’ AT THE DOMAIN WHERE
THE MUSEUM’S COLLECTION WAS
HOUSED IN THE LATE 1880S. JOSEPH
MAIDEN, THE MUSEUM’S FIRST
CURATOR, IS ON THE RIGHT. LOCO
NO 1 REMAINS ONE OF OUR MOST
TREASURED EXHIBITS.
PHOTO FROM THE POWERHOUSE
MUSEUM ARCHIVES.
Where to find us Powerline is produced by the Print Media Department
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney of the Powerhouse Museum
Opening hours 10.00 am – 5.00 pm every day (except Christmas PO Box K346, Haymarket NSW 1238
Day). School holiday opening hours 9.30 am – 5.00 pm Editor: Judith Matheson
Editorial coordinator: Deborah Renaud
Contact details
Design: Trigger
Postal address: PO Box K346, Haymarket NSW 1238
Photography: Powerhouse Museum unless otherwise stated.
Telephone (02) 9217 0111, Every effort has been made to locate owners of copyright for the images in
Infoline (02) 9217 0444, Education (02) 9217 0222 this publication. Any inquiries should be directed to the Rights and
Permissions Officer, Powerhouse Museum.
The Powerhouse Museum, part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
also incorporating Sydney Observatory, is a NSW government cultural institution. ISSN 1030-5750 © Trustees of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
 +
+ 03 powerline spring 04

125years
OUR 125 YEARS SPECIAL FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS OUR
LONG AND FASCINATING HISTORY. TURN TO PAGE 17.

ø AT THE GALA DINNER FOR THE

OPENING OF THE POWERHOUSE IN
MARCH 1988 WERE (FROM LEFT)
ELSIE AND FRED MILLAR (THEN
CHAIRMAN OF PATRONS), ROBYN
AND LINDSAY SHARP (MUSEUM
DIRECTOR), LADY AND SIR NINIAN
STEPHEN (GOVERNOR GENERAL),
from power The Premier of NSW and Minister for the
NEVILLE WRAN (CSIRO CHAIRMAN
AND FORMER NSW PREMIER) AND
JILL WRAN, HELENA AND BOB CARR
house to Arts, Bob Carr, shares his thoughts and (NSW MINISTER FOR PLANNING &
ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE) AND

museum recollections of the Museum.

MALCOLM KING (PRESIDENT OF
TRUSTEES).

When I was a boy in Matraville, plastic secrets lit by mysterious

the trams that rumbled into
town along Anzac Parade drew
their electricity from a plant in
Ultimo. Its boilers generated
most of the power for the trams
that served Sydney’s eastern
and southern suburbs.
Then Sydney switched to buses
at the beginning of the ‘60s and
the tram sheds at Bennelong
Point made way for the Opera
bulbs and coils of fluorescent
piping.
Then Neville Wran decided that
the crumbling, over-crowded
museum should move into the
huge empty power house
where the boilers and turbines
had been. New structures were
added; and, as Minister for
Heritage, I watched over the
final stages of construction ƒ THE ULTIMO POWER STATION ABOUT 1920 (TOP) AND A VIEW OF THE ENGINE HOUSE
ABOUT 1900. THIS SPACE NOW HOUSES THE STEAM REVOLUTION EXHIBITION.

House. There wasn’t much use before the Museum’s re-

for the old power station in
Harris Street. Its vast girders,
hoppers and roof-beams
mouldered away for 20 years
under layers of dust and
pigeon-droppings while, across
the road, the Museum of
Applied Arts and Sciences —
as we called it then — guarded
its treasures in a baroque old
barley-sugar structure
belonging to the Sydney
Technical College. I used to
climb its polished cedar
staircases to inspect its
jumbled wares — the famous
Strasburg clock model and,
most modern of marvels, the
transparent woman, her internal
opening in 1988. It was
designed by Lionel
Glendenning, one of many
great talents who worked in the
Government Architect’s Branch
of the old Department of Public
Works. So today, whenever I
visit the Powerhouse, I think
how much our life owes to
Sydney’s old trams. With the
passing of the tramway era we
gained a beautiful opera house
and a new museum. No
heritage minister, no arts
minister could ask for more
from public transport.
Bob Carr
Premier of NSW and
Minister for the Arts
Our 125th celebrations kick off
with a free weekend festival on
25-26 September with activities
for all the family.
celebrate Stroll through a recreated
with us 1870s garden promenade
which celebrates the Garden
Palace, the proposed site of
the original Museum. Part
installation and part
performance, this living
installation, which is on display
for two weeks only,
incorporates magnificent
plants, flowers and evocative
sounds.
You can also see an eclectic
collection of curators’ favourite
objects from the stores
including treasures and
innovations from our past in
the Brought to light display.
Find out what goes on ‘behind
the scenes’ with tours to areas
normally off limits to the public.
Hear ghost stories and
legends and visit ‘haunted
sites’ in the Museum’s vast
buildings. Our special
discovery trail will take kids on
a hunt through the Museum for
the elephant that survived the
Garden Palace fire. For more
information, go to our website
www.powerhousemuseum.com

Turn to page 22 to read more recollections of our past.

+ 04 powerline spring 04

QUONG TART OUTSIDE HIS TEAROOMS. PHOTO COURTESY OF TART-MCEVOY

PAPERS PR 6/26/14, SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIAN GENEALOGISTS.

Quong Quong Tart was the best known Chinese-

Tart’s life born entrepreneur in NSW, a man who
and times lived ‘comfortably in two worlds’.
The Quong Tart Centenary famous tea rooms were the
Conference, held at the Elite Hall and Tea Rooms in the
Powerhouse Museum in July, Queen Victoria Market. He was
ended a year-long celebration of a respected member of
the life and work of Quong Tart Sydney society. The
(1850-1903). conference also explored
Quong Tart’s time on the
An eccentric, a philanthropist, a
goldfields and in Sydney and
fine cricketer, and successful
his role as a social
tea merchant, Quong Tart’s most
campaigner.

sport on the road

After a successful showing at This tour is one of the biggest

the Powerhouse Museum, the
exhibition Sport: more than
heroes and legends has been
‘packed up’ ready for an
extensive national tour to
Melbourne, Perth and
Brisbane. Sport returns to
Melbourne in 2006 where it
will be installed in the newly
refurbished MCG Museum as
part of the Commonwealth
Games cultural program.
undertaken by the
Powerhouse Museum. The
travelling exhibition contains
250 objects and 13
interactives, which will fill three
semi-trailers. Highlights
include Olympic memorabilia,
from Betty Cuthbert’s medals
and Murray Rose’s swimsuit to
Cathy Freeman’s Sydney 2000
running suit.

CANNON FIRING BY THE 71ST REGIMENT OF FOOT AT IRONFEST

IN LITHGOW. PHOTO BY ANDREW WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY.

our
Pipe bands, art displays,
industrial street theatre, marching
heritage colonial soldiers, cannon fire
and the roar of the crowd as
galloping horses connect at
speed, were just some of the
attractions of Ironfest — a
celebration of industrial
heritage held in Lithgow for
the past five years.
Ironfest, which attracts over
5000 people from across the
state, promotes Lithgow’s
leading role in the early
production of iron and steel in
Australia and showcases the
array of heritage sites around
the town, including the Blast
Furnace site, the State Mine
Heritage Park and Eskbank
House, built by the owner of
the first coal mine.
BETTY CUTHBERT AT THE 1956
MELBOURNE OLYMPICS.
PHOTO COURTESY NEWSPIX.
This year the Powerhouse
Museum joined the festival
and presented a display of
model steam engines and
ironwork relating to the early
days of the Technological
Museum. The models included
factory and marine engines of
different types, a finely
detailed beam engine
powering a mine winch,
traction engines, a steam
hammer and a steamroller. To
provide some action, three of
the engines were running on
compressed air. A selection of
toy steam engines added
colour to the display.
Examples of blacksmiths' work
included a banksia
painstakingly made by Alfred
Amos, and a waratah, both
purchased by the Museum in
1893; and a group of full-size
and miniature tools donated
by their maker, Albert Arnold,
in 1929.
 TRANSIT OF VENUS.
K PHOTO BY GEOFF WYATT.

transit
of venus
8 june 2004

This is one of the first ever Sydney Observatory it was

Hydrogen Alpha photos of the
Transit of Venus, taken by
Sydney Observatory
Education Officer, Geoff Wyatt.
It shows Venus just after
‘second contact’, when the
planet is fully inside the disk
of the sun. It also shows the
‘black drop effect’, which
many observers talked about
seeing, including James Cook
in 1769 from Tahiti and H C
Russell in 1874 from Sydney
Observatory.
‘This optical effect makes the
Sun's surface seem to bend in
slightly towards Venus, giving
it a tear-drop appearance,’
says Geoff. ‘For all the team at
exciting to observe, not just a
spectacular event, but one
seen by our most famous
astronomer H C Russell 130
years ago.
‘The photo was taken with a
Nikon Coolpix 4500 donated
by Maxwell Optical Industries
and was connected to our
Coronado Sky Max 60 Solar
telescope. Sadly I did not
record the “f” number or
exposure as I was too excited
and enjoying the event to
make notes!’ Geoff recently
won the David Malin award for
photography with this shot.

smoking
ceremony

A traditional Indigenous the Benaki Museum in Athens.

FROM THE ECO’TUDE
WEBSITE. IMAGE COURTESY
OF MASSMEDIA STUDIOS.
Smoking Ceremony was
performed at the Museum on 4
June 2004 to farewell the
objects for the exhibition Our
place: Indigenous Australia now,
headed for the Greek Cultural
Olympiad in the newly
constructed Cultural Centre at
Powerhouse staff travelling to
Athens to install the exhibition
were also smoked. Pictured
below is Indigenous Elder Max
Eulo, performing this ancient
ceremony. The exhibition is
pictured on page 20.

tracking footprints

eco’tude: changing your
ecological attitude is a new
website for schools which
examines their use of
resources. Ecological
sustainability is an issue that
affects everyone in Australia.
Schools are being encouraged
to look more closely at how
they use their resources and
the Museum is proud to
contribute to this effort with
the launch of eco’tude.
The heart of eco’tude is a
calculator that poses a series
of questions and then makes
an estimate of the school’s
ecological footprint — the total
amount of land disturbed by
activities at the school. The
eco’tude calculator is an
influential tool that can help
students think about the
impact their school has both
inside and beyond. eco’tude
includes an auditing tool kit
which helps students identify,
measure and understand what
is happening within their
school. Students are
encouraged to take action to
reduce the size of their
school’s footprint and to revisit
the website to track progress.
The eco'tude website was
funded through the Australian
Government's Environmental
Education Grants Program
administered by the Australian
Government Department of
the Environment and Heritage.
Visit eco’tude at
www.powerhousemuseum.com
/ecotude
Michael van Tiel
 NEW RELEASES FROM POWERHOUSE PUBLISHING
Remember! Members receive 10% discount on all titles from the Powerhouse Shop and mailorder
Bright Flowers: textiles and
ceramics of Central Asia
(SEE STORY PAGE 8)
Christina Sumner
and Guy Petherbridge
160 PAGES;
ILLUSTRATED IN COLOUR
RRP PAPERBACK $39.95/ MEMBERS $35.95;
HARDCOVER $55.00/ MEMBERS $49.50
[AVAILABLE MID SEPTEMBER]

D FACTORY IS A HUB FOR CONTEMPORARY DESIGN DEBATE

AND AN EXCITING NEW AFTER-HOURS DESTINATION.
Pathways through paradise:
oriental rugs from
Australian collections
(SEE STORY OPPOSITE PAGE)
Oriental Rug Society
72 PAGES; ILLUSTRATED
IN COLOUR AND B&W
RRP $24.95/ MEMBERS $22.45
discover the d factor
[AVAILABLE MID SEPTEMBER]

British author and trend
forecaster Martin Raymond
describes the d-factor as ‘the
taste, smell, shape or even an
intangible quality embedded
in a design that makes you
smile, sigh or think, yes, that’s
for me! These designs are
sure winners because the d-
factor is the very thing that
makes us talk about it or
connect to it — in other
words, it makes it sticky!’*
Thinking about what makes
Our Place: design ‘sticky’ is one thing —
Indigenous Australia now
having a place to talk about it
Steve Miller (ed)
is another. Enter d factory. We
Published in conjunction with the Our
place exhibition for the Cultural
wanted to create a forum
Olympiad of the Athens 2004 Olympic where cross-disciplinary
Games, this book celebrates the conversations could take
continuity and innovation in Indigenous
place: architects talking to
art and culture. A co-production from
the Powerhouse Museum and Museum fashion designers talking to
Victoria. interior designers, talking to
112 PAGES WITH OVER 100 ILLUSTRATIONS;
product designers and so on.
BI-LINGUAL ENGLISH AND GREEK
RRP $32.95/SPECIAL MEMBERS PRICE
We wanted to hear
$26.95 conversations that were
engaging, stimulating, and
challenging.
Powerhouse books are available
Modelled on a similar event
from the Powerhouse Shop, good
bookstores and by mailorder. For more
held at the Victoria & Albert
information or to order contact Museum in London, d factory
Powerhouse Publishing on (02) 92170129 is an alternative to the
or email phpub@phm.gov.au
traditional theatre-style
www.powerhousemuseum.com/publish
lecture. Using the talents of
raconteur Nell Schofield,
d factory invited three
designers to chat about
design in a relaxed club-like
environment. This way, people
are able to enjoy a drink after
work or uni, listen to the
sounds of local DJs and
spend time with other people
who are passionate about
design.
d factory is nurtured and
supported by a team of
people including the
University of New South Wales’
Rina Bernabei and Berto
Pandolfo and Space
Furniture’s Heidi Dokulil. These
design professionals have
injected enormous creative
energy and enthusiasm into
the event.
The first d factory evening
celebrated the Museum's
major Sydney Design Week
exhibition Contemporary
silver: made in Italy. Host Nell
Schofield was joined by retail
fashion phenomenon, Belinda
Seper and design dynamos,
Berto Pandolfo and Marco
Volpato. They discussed the
influence of Italian design on
fashion, architecture, interior
and product design. DJ ‘Sir
Robbo’ filled the air with the
sounds of ‘60s and ‘70s funky
lounge music and the evening
included special presentations
by students including Museum
of the ordinary by graphic
design students from Hornsby
TAFE Design Centre and the
results of the Sydney Design
Week Masterclass with Tom
Kovac.
d factory will be a monthly
event combining music,
entertainment, audiovisual
displays, installations and
debate. We hope that this new
event will invigorate Sydney’s
design calendar and engage
young design audiences.
Lily Katakouzinos,
Education Officer
For more details go to:
www.powerhousemuseum.com
/dfactory/
*The tomorrow people: future consumers
and how to read them, Martin Raymond,
2003, London: Financial Times Prentice
Hall.
+ 07 powerline spring 04
PRIZED BY COLLECTORS FROM PLATO TO WILLIAM MORRIS,
THE RUGS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL ASIA ARE ONE OF
THE WORLD’S GREAT CULTURAL TREASURES.
pathways of design
Pathways through paradise:
oriental rugs from Australian
collections is a visually
stunning exhibition that
comprises about 60 rugs and
nomadic trappings, from the
traditional rug-weaving areas
of Central and Western Asia.
The exhibition explores the
social context of these rugs,
which are mostly from the 19th
century, by grouping them
according to geography and
how they were made. It also
illustrates the ‘pathways’ of
design and colour that link
them. A beautiful full-colour
book will accompany the
exhibition with over 40
illustrations plus several
informative essays.
The exhibition appeals to both
the general visitor, whose
knowledge of oriental rugs
may be limited, and rug
enthusiasts from Australia and
overseas who will be visiting
Sydney for ICOC Down Under,
the Regional International
Conference on Oriental
Carpets (Powerhouse Museum
16-19 September 2004).
Jointly curated by the Oriental
Rug Society of NSW and the
Powerhouse Museum,
Pathways through paradise
features rugs from mostly
private collections, several
little-known rugs from the
Queensland Art Gallery, The
Art Gallery of South Australia
and The National Gallery of
Victoria as well as the
Powerhouse Museum’s better
known collection. The ORS,
which was established in 1980,
was the first organisation to
become an associate of the
Powerhouse. It has
collaborated on many projects
since then, including the
successful 1983 exhibition
Unravelling the rug puzzle.
‘BORJALU KAZAK’ RUG (200 X 183 CM) FROM THE SOUTHERN CAUCASUS ABOUT
1850, PRIVATE COLLECTION. MARASALI PRAYER RUG (150 X 122 CM) FROM THE
NORTHERN CAUCASUS ABOUT 1870, PRIVATE COLLECTION.
Many of the rugs on display their creators lavished their
have extraordinary histories. finest and most exquisite
The ‘Trinitarias’ carpet, on loan work.
from the National Gallery of
Spectacular and unusual
Victoria, is of monumental
objects from the Powerhouse
proportions (1044 x 336 cm).
collection include the ‘Eagle’
Apparently north Indian in
Kazak rug from the Karabagh
origin, it resided in the
area of the Caucasus.
Convent of the Trinitarias Del
Characterised by bold
Calzas of the Calle Lope de
geometric patterns and
Vega in Madrid from the 17th
vibrant colour, Caucasian rugs
century. It was later sold to the
have long been collected
Spanish Gallery in London
because of their great artistic
after being exhibited at the
qualities. The Victoria and
World Fair in Seville in 1928.
Albert Museum (V&A) in
After a sojourn in Canada
London acquired the greater
during World War II, it was
part of its Caucasian
acquired by Templeton and
collection in the 1880s and
Co, Glasgow, which
Caucasian rugs gave
reproduced the design in its
inspiration to much 20th
chenille carpets.
century abstract art. Henri
The ‘Polonaise carpet’ (267 x Matisse was greatly influenced
164 cm), from the Art Gallery by such rugs and William
of South Australia’s William Morris advised the V&A on its
Bowmore collection, came acquisitions.
from a private collection in
The ‘Borjalu Kazak’ rug, from a
France. It was subsequently
private collection, is perhaps
acquired by a London art
the archetypal example of this
dealer who sold it to William
style. Dazzling latch-hooked
Bowmore. In two cloud-band
borders appear to slide
motifs, an inscription bearing
beneath a central field
the name ‘Yacob’ appears in
containing two monumental
classical Armenian lettering.
medallions. The composition
These previously undetected
can be seen as ‘a rug floating
inscriptions came to light
within a rug’. The effect is
when the rug was cleaned in
accentuated by the weaver’s
the 1980s. They add weight to
mastery of space and
the suggestion that it was
proportion and a rich palette
woven in New Julfa, an
of aubergine, yellow, green,
Armenian settlement created
red, blue and ivory.
by Shah Abbas near Esfahan
(in what is now Iran), during The exhibition book Pathways
the early 1600s. through paradise: oriental rugs
from Australian collections is
The exhibition includes two
available from mid September.
examples of Turkmen women’s
See opposite page for details.
great weaving skills in the
form of tent storage bags Ross Langlands
known as torbas or jovals. Oriental Rug Society of NSW
These items are extremely fine Ross Langlands is co-curator of the
exhibition with Ian Perryman.
in their weave and exhibit the
rich, saturated madder reds
For more information about ICOC Down
typical of the best of all Under contact conference coordinator
Turkmen weavings. These Rachel Miller at miller@phm.gov.au. Day
tickets will be available if the conference is
domestic bags were treasured not fully subscribed.
family heirlooms upon which
+ 08 powerline spring 04
A NEW EXHIBITION PROVIDES A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPERIENCE THE TEXTILES AND CERAMICS OF CENTRAL ASIA.
story_CHRISTINA SUMNER, CURATOR DECORATIVE ARTS AND DESIGN
garden of delight
Bright flowers is, as its name suggests, a garden of
colour and delight. The objects on display are
dazzling: vivid embroidered textiles and glazed
ceramics decorated with a fabulous array of flowers
and blossoms, buds, sprays and leafy garlands. A
representative selection of costume, jewellery and
decorative metalwork adds breadth and context. The
beauty, strength and vitality of these traditional arts,
selected from state museum collections in three of
the Central Asian ‘stans’ — Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and
Kazakhstan — constitute a rare treat. Hardly ever do
these newly independent nations allow their precious
cultural heritage to leave Central Asia.
Traditionally produced by the urban people of the
region, as opposed to pastoral nomads, the textiles
and ceramics on display in Bright flowers are the
products of communites that have coalesced around
the water sources of the oases. The embroideries are
made from silk and cotton, for which settled
agriculture is necessary, while glazed ceramics
depend on the high heat of established kilns.
Generally referred to as suzanis, from the Persian
word suzan meaning needle, the embroideries
chosen for Bright flowers are large, colourful and
exquisitely worked dowry textiles. They were
traditionally made at home by women in preparation
for their daughters’ weddings. Girls, who married in
their mid teens, learned to sew as children and were
expected to take a collection of these special textiles
to their new husband’s home. The embroideries had
many purposes, decorative, functional and symbolic.
As interior decoration, the impact of suzanis is self-
evident. They served as bed covers, niche curtains,
prayer mats, pillow covers and tablecloths, as well as
demonstrating the bride’s needlework skills and her
economic value to her new family. Through the
flowers and other motifs embroidered on them and
their function as coverings and canopies, suzanis
were symbols of protection and fertility.
Glazed ceramics comprise the other ‘half’ of Bright
flowers. The soft and hard materials are linked by
their use of flowering ornament, but while suzanis
were made by women, glazed ceramics were the
work of men. The technology of glazing ceramics was
introduced into western Central Asia in the eighth
century by Arab traders moving eastwards from what
is now Iran, about the same time as the Islamic
religion. Like Islam, the technology spread rapidly
and, by the tenth century, glazed ceramics in a style
similar to those from ancient Samarkand (Afrasiab)
were being produced far to the northeast, in what is
now Kazakhstan. It is a measure of the strength and
durability of the glazed-ceramic tradition that,
although seriously eroded by the introduction of
factory-made chinaware during 70 years of Soviet
rule, it endures today. The production of suzanis and
other traditional crafts, such as decorative metalwork,
ganch (plaster carving) and wood carving, also
survives and is, in fact, enjoying a government-
sponsored resurgence.
Central Asia is situated north of India and east of Iran,
south of Russia and west of China, in the midst of the
great Eurasian landmass. In the past the region was
host to the great east-west Silk Roads trading
network, to massive nomadic incursions, to changing
hegemonies, to great architectural, artistic and
scientific achievements. The Central Asian people are
the inheritors of this rich history and the myriad
ideologies and aesthetic influences brought by it.
Generally understood as the five independent states
of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan, which were liberated from Soviet rule
by the dissolution of the USSR in the early 1990s,
Central Asia and its ethnically diverse peoples are
now demonstrating a heightened commitment to
nationalism and firmly establishing their autonomy.
Bright flowers is the fruit of nearly five years research
and development, the result of the Powerhouse
Museum’s commitment to Asia-related programs and
the Asia-Pacific region. Just after the opening of
Beyond the Silk Road: arts of Central Asia, which
showcased the Museum’s Central Asian collection, I
travelled to Central Asia. The aim of that first journey
was to establish relationships with museum
colleagues, see their collections, and evaluate the
possibility of a collaborative exhibition project. As a
textile specialist, I particularly wanted to see their
textile holdings, having long ago fallen in love with
the fabulous embroideries, ikat silks, rugs and
trappings of the region.
+ 09 powerline spring 04
My travel around the region was facilitated by
Australia’s cultural heritage management organisation
AusHeritage, the UNESCO offices in Tashkent and
Almaty and the National Commissions for UNESCO in
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Between them they provided indispensable backup,
advice and logistic support. I was able to visit a wide
range of state museums and see displays and stored
collections in Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand and
Nukus, Almaty, Dushanbe and Bishkek.
Subsequent visits to the region enabled us to build
on those early contacts, establish a level of trust and
begin to see what kind of collaborative project might
be possible. Dialogue was, more often than not,
carried out through interpreters, although English as
the language of international diplomacy is more and
more commonly spoken in Central Asia. The meeting
ground with Central Asian museum colleagues was
often the collections themselves, as we
communicated (frequently through mime) a mutual
understanding and appreciation of the great charm
and idiosyncracies of objects and the challenges
inherent in their management and interpretation.
I returned to Central Asia for the second time in 2001
with Kevin Sumption, Associate Director of Information
Technology at the Museum, at the invitation of
AusHeritage, to carry out a UNESCO contract. The
purpose was to support the establishment of an
online public access catalogue (OPAC) of objects
from Central Asian collections and the fine-tuning of
a new collection management database developed in
Europe. Our involvement in this project helped forge
stronger relationships for the Museum with Central
Asian institutions, especially in Kazakhstan.
In 2002, the Oriental Rug Society of NSW sponsored
my third visit to Central Asia, this time with the
intention of identifying and photographing selected
objects from state museum collections for a loan
exhibition in Sydney in 2004. The exhibition was to be
part of a coordinated Central Asian program at the
Museum which would include the regional
International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC)
and an exhibition of oriental rugs in Australian
collections (Pathways through paradise). Late last
year, through the Gordon Darling Foundation Travel
Grant awarded to the Museum, I returned to
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan to confirm the
content and to ensure that the necessary contacts
and relationships were in place to manage the
complex logistics of an international loan exhibition.
Guy Petherbridge, Director of AusHeritage and
Chairman of Heritage Central Asia, a non-government
body established in Tashkent to provide expertise in
projects such as this, has worked closely with me as
adviser and consultant curator on the ceramics. His
specific expertise and dedication to the project, the
progress of which has often depended on complex
and sometimes delicate negotiations, has made the
exhibition and accompanying exhibition book a
reality. Serendipity has also played a part in the
OPPOSITE PAGE: DETAIL OF EMBROIDERED SUZANI (WALL
HANGING), LATE 1800S, COLLECTION BUKHARA STATE ART AND
ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUM; DETAIL OF EMBROIDERED SUZANI FROM
SHAKHRISABZ, LATE 1800S, COLLECTION BUKHARA STATE ART AND
ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUM, UZBEKISTAN; DETAIL OF EMBROIDERED
SUZANI FROM SAMARKAND, 1890S, COLLECTION SAMARKAND STATE
MUSEUM OF HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND ART, UZBEKISTAN.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CARVED, PAINTED AND TILED FOYER
OF THE STATE MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS, TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN;
GLAZED EARTHENWARE DISH, 10TH CENTURY, COLLECTION
SAMARKAND STATE MUSEUM OF HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND ART;
POTTER AT HIS WHEEL NEAR KHIVA, UZBEKISTAN, 2001; MRS
GULNORA ODILOVA FINISHING AN EMBROIDERED BAG,
SHAKHRISABZ, UZBEKISTAN, 2003; DETAIL OF EMBROIDERED
TAKIAPUSH (PILLOW COVER), LATE 1800S, COLLECTION BUKHARA
STATE ART AND ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUM.
establishment of diplomatic relations between
Australia and Uzbekistan, from whose museums the
majority of objects have been borrowed. Mining and
cultural cooperation having been determined as the
preferred meeting grounds between the two
countries, presidential patronage was assured.
The Powerhouse Museum’s commitment to this
project has been both far-sighted and productive. My
wish for today is that Australian visitors to this
exhibition will gain an appreciation of the rich history
and culture of the people of Central Asia and that, in
Central Asia, our Uzbek, Tajik and Kazakh museum
colleagues may have gained a fraction of what we
have through the experience, and that Australia is
more than just a name on the map. My wish for
tomorrow is that the professional relationships
established by the Museum in Central Asia will
provide a firm foundation for future projects.
The exhibition opens on 18 September. The book
Bright flowers: textiles and ceramics of Central Asia
will be available from mid September. See details on
page 6.
+ 10 powerline spring 04

19TH-CENTURY SCIENTIST AND ECONOMIST WILLIAM STANLEY

JEVONS CONCEIVED MOST OF HIS IDEAS IN COLONIAL SYDNEY.
story_LINDSAY BARRETT* AND MATTHEW CONNELL, EXHIBITION CURATORS

the curious economist

ABOVE: THE VIEW FROM THE MINT IN MACQUARIE STREET, OVERLOOKING HYDE PARK, IN THE 1850S. OPPOSITE PAGE: VIEW OF THE CITY FROM THE
NORTH SHORE. INSET: PORTRAIT OF THE ECONOMIST AS A YOUNG MAN, TAKEN DURING HIS TIME IN SYDNEY. PHOTOS FROM THE JOHN RYLANDS
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY OF MANCHESTER.
+ 11 powerline spring 04
Born in Liverpool, England, William Stanley Jevons
arrived in New South Wales in 1854 at the age of 19
to work at the Sydney Mint. The gold rush was in full
swing and his job was to assess the quality and
purity of the precious metal from the diggings.
This work put him in a unique position at the
intersection of geology, chemistry, economics and
industry. But Jevons didn’t just confine his interests to
these fields. He enthusiastically embraced the
potential for a whole range of studies that the colony
of New South Wales provided. These included his
study and collection of local plants; documenting the
geology of the Sydney basin; writing the first study of
Australian and New Zealand weather patterns and
researching cloud formation. He also tackled political
economy through his groundbreaking ‘social surveys’
of Sydney and Goulburn and speculations on the
economics of railway construction. At the same time,
he also used the new medium of photography to
make hundreds of pictures of the life and landscape
around him.
The new city certainly gave him the time, the money
and the intellectual freedom to work across a range
of disciplines as well as the opportunity to document
the city itself. During his five years in Sydney Jevons
kept a detailed journal and diaries, and sent regular
letters to members of his family describing the
environment, his activities, his ideas, and innermost
thoughts. Jevons later said that nearly all his ideas
came to him during the period he spent in Sydney.
A new exhibition to mark the 150th anniversary of
Jevons’ arrival in Sydney will consider how this young
man, in this newly developing city, came to formulate
the initial conceptions of a number of today’s
prominent social and scientific discourses. In
essence, Jevons’ theories about value reflect a
change in the dominant industrial forms of the 19th
century — from the stationary technologies of the
steam engine and factory production to the mobile
technologies of the railways and the telegraph.
While his name is not well known today, Jevons is
credited with having made economics a
mathematical discipline, and he is regarded as one
of the founders of the form of neo-classical
economics that dominates our current economic
thinking and political discourse. Additionally, in 1869
he invented what is conceivably the world’s first
machine for doing logical inference, anticipating the
contemporary computer by 100 years.
The exhibition includes Jevons’ telescope, along with
assaying equipment from the Mint (including
balances) and examples of the coins that were
produced there. A substantial collection of his
photographs, most of which have never been shown
before, will be on display together with photographic
equipment of the kind used by Jevons. Produced at a
time when photography was in its infancy, they
include extensive views of Sydney, the Macquarie
Street Mint, Middle Harbour, Double Bay and Bondi,
the goldfields near Braidwood, as well as some of the
earliest interior photographs of work practice and
domestic life taken in Australia.
One of the most exciting objects is Jevons’ original
logic machine or ‘Logic Piano’. This will be a rare
opportunity for Australian audiences to view this
extraordinary 19th century proto-computer, on loan
from the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford.
A symposium at the Powerhouse Museum on 29-30
October 2004 will examine Jevons’ work in Sydney
and other aspects of colonial life in New South Wales.
Speakers include historians of economics, Jevons
scholars and colonial history experts. The symposium
will appeal to anyone with an interest in economics,
photography, history, social sciences or logic. For
more information, contact Matthew Connell on (02)
9217 0135.
* Dr Lindsay Barrett is a Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at the University
of Western Sydney and is guest curator of the exhibition.
The curious economist: William Stanley Jevons in Sydney is supported by
the Reserve Bank of Australia, NSW Treasury, Arab Bank Australia, Monash
University and the NSW Department of Lands.
+ 012 powerline spring 04
COMING SOON: A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE
FANTASTIC CINEMATIC WORLD OF MIDDLE-EARTH.
visit a magical world
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy — The
Exhibition is a bold and innovative museum
experience that has attracted record crowds
internationally with a beguiling mix of film footage,
props, costumes, artefacts and special effects from
the hugely successful movies.
Developed over two years by the Museum of New
Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in conjunction with New
Line Cinema, the producers of the film trilogy, the
exhibition has since travelled to London, Singapore,
Boston and will soon arrive in Sydney.
‘Te Papa is thrilled to bring to international audiences
the wonderful, ground-breaking creativity of director
Peter Jackson and his team,’ says Te Papa’s Chief
Executive Dr Seddon Bennington. ‘It’s a fascinating
story on so many levels and says much about the
great talent in this country.’
The exhibition explores both the thematic and
technological aspects of the films. Visitors are
transported to the world of Middle-earth where they
are met by the films’ main characters including Frodo
and his hobbit companions, the wizards and other
magical creatures, the Black Riders, and the
monstrous creations of evil, all dressed in the actual
costumes used in the films. An immersive encounter
with the One Ring, the central icon of the films, takes
place in a dark, atmospheric space where the faces CAVE TROLL, PART OF THE LORD OF
and voices of the story’s main characters appear THE RINGS MOTION PICTURE
TRILOGY — THE EXHIBITION AT TE
urging Frodo to use or destroy the One Ring or return PAPA, NEW ZEALAND.
it to its master.
Visitors can also experience the film trilogy’s cutting-
edge technology and special effects through
interactive demonstrations. One section explains how
the filmmakers made actors appear to be hobbit or
wizard-sized using an ingenious mix of trick
photography, forced perspective sets and props
made at different scales. Find out for yourself by
being photographed hobbit-sized in a set from the
film. In another section the prosthetics which
transformed the actors into character, including
hobbit hands and feet, are on display.
Costumes on display include Arwen’s riding outfit,
Galadriel’s stunning dress and Gandalf’s robes plus
weaponry and armour belonging to Arwen, Gandalf,
Frodo and Aragorn. There are also interviews with the
cast, crew and director Peter Jackson.
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy — The
Exhibition opens at the Powerhouse Museum in late
Developed and presented by the Museum of New Zealand
December 2004. Te Papa Tongarewa in partnership with New Line Cinema.
This exhibition was made possible through the support of
the New Zealand Government. ©NLP, Inc

+ 13 powerline spring 04
CELEBRATE 125 YEARS OF THE POWERHOUSE WITH
OUR COMMEMORATIVE MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE.
G SCIENCES IN HARRIS STREET, ULTIMO. PHOTO FROM MUSEUM ARCHIVES.
a toast
to our
history
IT’S OUR ANNIVERSARY SO
CELEBRATE WITH US AT AN
EXCLUSIVE WINE TASTING HOSTED
BY BIMBADGEN ESTATE.
THE METALWORK COURT OF THE OLD MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND
To mark the 125th anniversary
of the Powerhouse Museum,
we are offering a special
commemorative membership
package. For $125 you can
purchase a family membership
plus two bottles of the limited-
edition Powerhouse Museum
125th Anniversary 2003
Bimbadgen Estate
Chardonnay and 2002
Bimbadgen Estate Shiraz, and
an invitation for you and your
friends to attend a private
wine tasting at Bimbadgen’s
Hunter Valley Estate, anytime
within the next year.
+
from the
members
manager
Join us on 25-26 September
for a free weekend full of
activities to celebrate our
anniversary. There will be
talks, tours, workshops
performances and an
exclusive Bimbadgen Estate
wine tasting in the Members
Lounge on Saturday 25
September from 3.30 pm. So
come along and try the
commemorative wines, as
well as the rest of the
Bimbadgen range. Indulge in
this special offer either for
yourself or as a unique
Christmas present.
Spring at the Powerhouse
Museum is looking to be lots
of fun this year. We’ve got
something for everyone in our
events calendar, from the
opening of the exquisite new
Central Asian exhibition Bright
flowers, to another great
Soundhouse course, this time
on digital photography. Be sure
to check the events calendar
and our website to stay up-to-
date on what’s on offer.
I’m sure all who attended will
agree that our Annual
Members Dinner in August was
the best we’ve ever had. It was
certainly one of the most
+
members
+ news and photos
+ prizes to be won
+ exclusive events
+ family activities
+ special offers
DON’T MISS OUR SPRING
WEEKEND FESTIVAL.
stylish, featuring the beautiful I am happy to announce our
Contemporary silver exhibition new reciprocal benefit
and a superb Italian menu. We arrangement with the National
have also received some great Trust: all Powerhouse Members
feedback from members on with current membership are
the fabulous events at Sydney entitled to a 10% discount on
Observatory. Members were all new National Trust
particularly thrilled to be a memberships. And remember
part of history during the many other cultural institutions
recent Transit of Venus (see offer reciprocal benefits to
Members Scene). Powerhouse Members. If you
would like to receive a copy of
We’re all very excited to be
the list please contact the
celebrating the Powerhouse
Members office on (02) 9217
Museum’s 125th anniversary
0600, or download it from our
with a weekend full of
website at:
activities plus our 125th
www.powerhousemuseum.com/
anniversary membership
members
package (details above).
+ 14 powerline spring 04
+ Be among the first in Sydney to see a splendid collection
of textiles and ceramics from state museums in Central
Asia at the launch of Bright flowers on 16 September.

+ Saturday 11 September
Sydney Observatory: Time, measurement, exploration
Discover why timekeeping was vital to Australia's
history. Dr Nick Lomb, curator of astronomy, takes you
on a journey of famous explorers, including James
september Cook and Mathew Flinders, and their clocks. Entry
includes telescope tour/viewing and 3-D Theatre
session. Bookings essential on (02) 9217 0485
10.00 am and 12 noon sessions
Cost: $8 members
Thursday 16 September
Exhibition launch: Bright flowers
Central Asia has a rich and colourful history matched
by exquisite traditional crafts. Join us at the launch of
Bright flowers for a rare opportunity to experience the
region’s spectacular embroidered textiles and glazed
ceramics.
6.00 – 9.00 pm, includes refreshments
Cost: $35 adult (members only)

+ Tuesday 5 October
Sydney Observatory: Time detectives
Develop your investigation abilities and solve a 100-
Saturday 9 October
Workshop: secrets of movie makeup
Be a horror movie star for a day with this gruesome
year-old mystery. Learn new skills in chemistry, biology workshop for 10-15 year olds. Learn the tricks of the
and electronics. Explore the once-hidden history of the trade for creating special effects makeup and props.
october Observatory. Cost includes all materials, lunch and 1.00 – 4.00 pm, includes refreshments
snacks. Bookings essential on (02) 9217 0485
Cost: $20 member child
9.30 am – 4.30 pm. Suitable for 8-12 year olds
Cost: $90 members/$100 guests

+ Tuesdays 2 + 9 November
SoundHouse™ course: digital photography
Join SoundHouse™ educator Mike Jones for a two-
day course that explores the breadth of digital
photography from composition, framing and getting
november the most from your camera; to digital image
manipulation and Photoshop. Bring your own digital
camera. For more information michaelj@phm.gov.au
6.00 – 9.00pm
Cost: $100 members /$130 guests
Saturday 6 November
Meet the young scientists
The Intel Young Scientist program is an annual award
program that aims to encourage an interest in science
among primary and secondary school students across
New South Wales. Each year the winning entries are
displayed at the Museum. View the 2004 entries, chat
with past winners and meet the judges.
1.00 – 3.00 pm
Cost: members free/ guests $10

spring 04
+
+ 015 powerline spring 04
Don’t miss the spectacular garden promenade installation, for two
weeks only from 25 September, part of our 125th celebrations.
Saturday 18 September
Evening in the Hunter Valley: Bimbadgen Estate Ball
Celebrate ‘Spring in Saville’ at the annual Bimbadgen
Estate Ball, under a Spanish bell tower, overlooking
spectacular wine country, with a Spanish-influenced
menu and Bimbadgen wines. For enquiries and
bookings phone Angela Smith (02) 4998 4615 or email
club@bimbadgen.com.au. Please quote your
Powerhouse Members number when booking.
Venue: Bimbadgen Estate Winery, 790 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, NSW
Cost : $140 (members only)
Saturday 16 October
Tour: Sustainable house
Join Michael Mobbs on a tour of his sustainable terrace
house in inner-city Chippendale. See the materials and
products he used, find out his successes and the
mistakes, the cost, and what you can do to make your
house sustainable. Cameras welcome.
10.30 – 11.30 am
Cost: $15 members (payable one month in advance)
Sunday 14 November
The Doctor Who Club of Australia presents: The Maestros
An audience with Doctor Who composers. Appearing
together for the first time, Tristram Cary, electronic
music pioneer, and Dudley Simpson, prolific composer
of music for Doctor Who and Blake's 7, discuss their
work. Special guest is Matthew Kopelke from Back to
Reality Productions. Special screenings on the day.
10.30 am - 4.30 pm
Cost: $15 members/$20 guests
Saturday 25 September
Wine tasting: Bimbadgen Estate
Join us as the Museum throws open its doors for a free
weekend of festivities to celebrate our 125th anniversary.
Bimbadgen Estate will host an exclusive members’ wine
tasting in the Members Lounge. Try the special 125th
Anniversary 2003 Chardonnay and 2002 Shiraz.
2.00 – 4.00 pm
Cost: free (members only)
Thursday 28 October
d-factory
Delve into design at d-factory, Sydney’s coolest new
design destination. Hook up with others who are
passionate about design, have a drink and listen to
creative industry professionals from fashion, interiors
and architecture talk cutting-edge design.
6.00 – 9.00 pm
Cost: free
Friday 19th November
Sydney Observatory: Apollo 12 pizza night
It’s been 35 years since the Apollo 12 mission to the
moon (see article page 26). Join us for a celebratory
viewing and night rocket launch.
7.30 – 9.30 pm
Cost: members $18 adult/ $12 child/concession/ $50 family (2A & 2C)
guests $22 adult/ $16 child/concession/ $65 family (2A & 2C)
members+
how to book for
members events
Due to limited places, bookings are essential for
every event. Please ring the Members hotline on
(02) 9217 0600 to make your booking before you
send in payment. For events at Sydney
Observatory, please ring (02) 9217 0485. Please
leave a message quoting your membership
number, what event you are booking for and the
number of members and guests. We will confirm
your booking.
Payment for members events
We accept: credit card payments by phone, fax or
mail; cheques; money orders; or cash at the level 4
entrance to the Museum. We pay for all events
once bookings are confirmed, so if you are unable
to attend your event, please let us know ASAP or
we will charge you to cover costs.
All events are held at the Powerhouse Museum
unless otherwise stated. All dates, times and
venues are correct at time of publication.
Members e-newsletter
If you would like to receive the regular Members
e-newsletter with updates on all new members
events please call (02) 9217 0600 or email
members@phm.gov.au with you membership
number and e-newsletter in the subject line.
EMBROIDERED NIMSUZANI (SMALL WALL HANGING) FROM
GIJDUVAN NEAR BUKHARA, LATE 1800S, COLLECTION BUKHARA
STATE ART AND ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUM, UZBEKISTAN; APOLLO
12 ON THE LAUNCH PAD, PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA; THE
KITCHEN OF MICHAEL MOBBS SUSTAINABLE HOUSE, PHOTO
COURTESY MICHAEL MOBBS; THE SPANISH BELL TOWER AT
BIMBADGEN ESTATE; PHOTO COURTESY BIMBADGEN ESTATE; A
VIEW OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM ABOUT 1890. PHOTO
FROM THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM ARCHIVES.
+ 16 powerline spring 04

members
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS. OBSERVATORY GUIDES EXPLAIN
scene PHOTO BY GEOFF WYATT. THE ASTRONOMICAL EVENT.

NIGHT GUIDE ANGELA MABEE.

Members were among the crowd that flocked to Sydney
Observatory on 8 June 2004 to witness a rare astronomical
event, the Transit of Venus.
PHOTOS BY SOUTHA BOURN

SYDNEY OBSERVATORY MANAGER

TONER STEVENSON (CENTRE)
AND SPONSOR BRUCE REID
(LEFT) TALK TO THE MEDIA.

THE MEDIA CONVERGE ON THE

OBSERVATORY FOR THE BIG
EVENT.

ENJOYING THE TRANSIT WERE

FROM LEFT: CARL SCULLY, NSW
MINISTER FOR ROADS AND
HOUSING, PROFESSOR MARIE
BASHIR AC, THE GOVERNOR OF DR NICK LOMB, CURATOR OF
NSW, AND JENNIFER SANDERS, ASTRONOMY AT SYDNEY
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY, WITNESSING FIRST
POWERHOUSE MUSEUM. CONTACT.

To celebrate the Lord of the And congratulations to

Rings Motion Picture Trilogy — Powerhouse member Maria

coming soon the Exhibition, Powerhouse

members are offering the
Carey and family who were the
lucky winners of a fabulous
opportunity for one lucky Sharp home entertainment
member to win a holiday to system valued at more than
New Zealand, with flights $4000 in our Sport: more than
generously provided by Air heroes and legends
New Zealand. competition.
See your summer issue of
Powerline for more details or
email members@phm.gov.au
and register for the
Powerhouse Members monthly
e-bulletin to receive the latest
news on this and other great
Powerhouse Members
promotions.
+ 17 powerline spring 04

IT WAS CONCEIVED FROM A ‘TRADE FAIR’ AND BECAME A PLACE

WHERE WORKING PEOPLE COULD DISCOVER THE ‘SCIENCE OF
EVERYDAY LIFE’. 125 YEARS LATER WE LOOK BACK.
story_KIMBERLEY WEBBER, SENIOR CURATOR AUSTRALIAN HISTORY

‘The working
man’s museum’ THIS IS A RARE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE INTERIOR OF
THE BROKEN HILL MUSEUM, ONE OF SEVERAL
REGIONAL BRANCHES OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL
MUSEUM. IT WAS ALSO AN ART GALLERY AND THIS
PHOTOGRAPH MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN WHEN THE
GOVERNOR GENERAL, LORD NORTHCOTE, OPENED
THE EXHIBITION ON 11 OCTOBER 1904.
COURTESY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC RECOLLECTIONS,
BROKEN HILL

celebrating 125 years

+ 18 powerline spring 04

THE MAGNIFICENT GARDEN PALACE

IN SYDNEY’S BOTANIC GARDENS
ABOUT 1880. IT LATER BURNT TO THE
GROUND ALONG WITH MOST OF THE
NEW MUSEUM’S EXHIBITS.

THIS ENGRAVING OF THE RED

HONEYSUCKLE, BANKSIA SERRATA, IS
FROM THE MUSEUM’S PUBLICATION
FLOWERING PLANTS, WHICH WAS
BEAUTIFULLY PRINTED WITH FINE
BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS. MAIDEN
DESCRIBED THIS PLANT AS BEING ‘A
GOOD WORKING TIMBER … ALSO
USED FOR WINDOW FRAMES.’

THE NEW MUSEUM’S EMPHASIS ON

As the Museum was nearing
completion, a fire raged
through the Garden Palace
and thousands of objects
were lost. Under the direction
of the Museum’s Curator (the
equivalent of today’s Director),
Joseph Henry Maiden, a new
collection was assembled and
on 15 December 1883 the
Technological, Industrial and
Sanitary Museum opened in
the former Agricultural Hall in
the Domain. Two of the
Museum’s most significant
objects, NSW’s first
Locomotive (No 1) and the
Boulton and Watt steam
engine built in 1785, were
acquired during the 1880s.
THE ‘REAL OBJECT’ AROSE FROM THE
BELIEF THAT WORKING MEN AND
WOMEN LEARNT MORE BY
OBSERVATION THAN BY READING
TEXTS. TO THIS END IT WAS BUILT
IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE
TECHNICAL COLLEGE AND OPENED
ON 4 AUGUST 1893.
The Museum published
Flowering plants of New South
Wales, written by Maiden.
Research and publication
remained a priority of the
Museum for over half a
century. In 1900, Maiden’s
successor R T Baker said the
Museum’s aim was to
‘increase the knowledge of
some given subject, and to
diffuse this knowledge
amongst the general
population’. In the early
decades research proceeded
along the three streams of
economic geology, botany
and zoology.
In 1890 branch museums
opened in Bathurst, Goulburn,
West Maitland and Newcastle
with Albury in 1896 and Broken
Hill following in 1901. Goulburn
and Broken Hill thrived, while
others suffered from neglect
by Sydney and disinterest at
home. In 1932 the Newcastle
branch museum had the
dubious honour of being
described as ‘the worst
museum in the British Empire’.

1879 1883 1889 1893 1895 1901 1914

The success of Australia’s first
international exhibition in
Sydney’s ‘Garden Palace’
inspired the founding of a new
Museum intended to show
how available resources —
animal, vegetable and mineral
— were manufactured to
produce the necessities of
everyday life.
The government decided that
‘the educational interests of
the community’ would be
served best by transferring
management to the Technical
College. This decision would
have far reaching
consequences: four years
later the Museum left the city
to join the college in Ultimo
and for the next half century it
would be seen primarily as a
museum for working people.
One of the first purpose-built
technology museums in the
world, it was organised into a
strict hierarchy of objects with
minerals on the ground floor,
vegetables on the first floor
and animals on the second
floor. It reflected the ideas of
Maiden’s mentor, the English
philanthropist Thomas Twining,
who argued that the museum
of science and industry was
an essential tool for the
education of working people
in the ‘science of everyday
life’. One of the new Museum’s
most popular exhibits was the
Strasburg Clock model, made
by R B Smith and purchased
in 1890 for £700.
International exhibitions
continued to occupy the
Museum. In 1914 it organised
the New South Wales court for
the Panama Pacific Exposition
in San Francisco. The Museum
sent exhibits of essential oils,
timbers, building and
ornamental stones, fish
models and sheep, a
collection Baker described as
‘a natty little lot and should
make a good show.’
THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE NEW
MUSEUM WAS GIVEN OVER TO
‘ANIMAL’ PRODUCTS. BY 1895, ALFRED
HAWKESWORTH, WHO ALSO TAUGHT
WOOL CLASSING AT SYDNEY
TECHNICAL COLLEGE, HAD
ACCUMULATED OVER 7000 DEMONSTRATIONS OF WORKING
SPECIMENS WITH THE HOPE OF MACHINERY CHARACTERISED THE
ENCOURAGING THE FURTHER MUSEUM FROM ITS INCEPTION.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE WOOL ALTHOUGH LOOM DEMONSTRATIONS
INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA. HAD TO BE SUSPENDED IN 1888
BECAUSE OF OVERCROWDING IN THE
MUSEUM, THEY RESUMED IN 1891
WITH VICARS TEXTILE MILLS SENDING
ALONG A MAN FOR THIS PURPOSE
TWICE A WEEK.

A VIEW OF THE 1879 SYDNEY

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION HOUSED
IN THE GARDEN PALACE. THESE
EXHIBITIONS WERE PRINCIPALLY
TRADE FAIRS, AND THE NEW SOUTH
WALES COURT, SHOWN HERE, WAS
TYPICAL WITH ITS LAVISH DISPLAYS
OF RAW MATERIALS AND
MANUFACTURED GOODS.

celebrating 125 years

+ 19 powerline spring 04

AFTER SUCCESSFULLY RAISING

MONEY FROM THE LIQUOR TRADES
INDUSTRY, PENFOLD INSTALLED A
SPITZ PLANETARIUM ON THE FIRST
FLOOR OF THE MUSEUM. THE FIRST
TO BE BROUGHT TO AUSTRALIA, IT
BECAME A POPULAR MUSEUM
ATTRACTION FROM THE 1950S.

During the war, the Museum’s

Baker was keen to promote a
‘school of Australian design’
using Australian motifs and
added extensively to the
collection. In 1915 he
published The waratah, a
book that not only analysed
the botanical properties of
this unique Australian plant
but demonstrated its broad
range of design applications.
The Museum’s interest in
applied arts was strengthened
in 1921 when shoemaker T H
Lennard donated his
extensive collection of
ceramics. Curator George
Hooper commented: ‘To my
mind it is truly amazing that a
man in such humble
circumstances in life should
have been able to get
together so magnificent a
collection.’
role as ‘information bureau’
came to the fore. Museum
scientists focused on finding
alternatives for chemicals and
other materials previously
imported from Germany and
Japan. They also addressed
problems such as mildew in
parachutes and the rot
proofing of sandbags. The
Museum’s most precious
exhibits were packed into
crates and sent out to the
country to be stored. Despite
the reduced displays and the
shortage of staff to upgrade
exhibits, museum attendances
increased substantially: from
70,000 in 1940 to 128,000 four
years later. In 1942 the
Museum purchased the
extraordinary collection of
London shoemaker Joseph
Box, with shoes from around
the world dating from the 16th
to the 20th centuries.
JACK WILLIS, THE MUSEUM’S SENIOR
RESEARCH OFFICER (AND LATER
DIRECTOR) INSPECTING EUCALYPTS
AT CASTLE HILL. DIFFERENT SPECIES
WERE PLANTED TO TEST THE
RELIABILITY OF THEIR YIELDS AND
EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT AS TO
THE MOST SUITABLE EUCALYPTS FOR
COMMERCIAL CULTIVATION.
ALTHOUGH TODAY OBJECT STORES
COVER MUCH OF THE SITE, THE
REMNANTS OF THE COMMERCIAL
PLANTINGS CAN STILL BE SEEN.
After the war, the direction of
the Museum’s research into
Australian eucalyptus oil
changed. Instead of collecting
leaves from the ‘wild’,
producers needed plantations
of eucalypts to ‘farm’. The
Museum therefore established
experimental plantations in a
number of sites, including the
then outer Sydney area of
Castle Hill.
After over a half century of
disputed claims followed by
extensive negotiations, the
Deutsches Museum in Munich
transferred its collection of
aviation pioneer, Lawrence
Hargrave’s models, plans and
drawings to the Museum.
Hargrave always claimed his
offer of this collection to the
Sydney Museum had been
refused. In response the then
Curator, Baker, claimed they
had never been properly
offered and accused Hargrave
of ‘gross disloyalty, nothing
short of ingratitude to his
native land and showing a
want of patriotism almost
unbelievable in an Australian. I
told him so before he died.’

1921 1934 1940 1945 1947 1954 1967

Inspired by the new wonder
manufacturing material —
plastic — the Museum
mounted the first
comprehensive display of its
applications. Curator Arthur de
Ramon Penfold believed there
was a great future for the
plastics industry in Australia
and in 1945 was sent on a
study tour of the United
States, Canada and Great
Britain. He returned with a
vision for a new ‘plastics age’
or what he called ‘the organic
chemistry age … there is no
limit to the wizardry’.
The Museum’s links with the
Technical College were finally
severed when parliament
passes the bill establishing
the Museum of Technology
and Applied Science. The Act
was proclaimed on 1 July 1946.
The Museum was now a
separate national institution
with a Board of Trustees and a
Director.
IN LONDON PENFOLD WITNESSED AN
EARLY TELEVISION BROADCAST AND
BEGAN TALKING TO
MANUFACTURERS ABOUT A DISPLAY
OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR THE
MUSEUM. BY THE 1950S THE MUSEUM
WAS MAKING A SERIES OF
TELEVISION LECTURES ABOUT THE
COLLECTION, INCLUDING THE
STRASBURG CLOCK MODEL. PHOTO
BY GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,
COURTESY STATE LIBRARY OF NSW.
Penfold made serious
attempts to modernise the
Harris Street building. He
introduced such innovations
as internally lit showcases,
linoleum on the floors and a
water cooler for visitors. More
significantly, he brought back
new ideas for exhibits from his
two overseas trips including a
display on the new technology
of television, the ‘plastic’
woman and a planetarium.

THE PLASTICS EXHIBITION OF 1934

WAS HELD IN TURNER HALL.
SHOWCASES CONTAINED EXAMPLES
OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
PLASTICS, THEIR METHOD OF
MANUFACTURE AND THEIR
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS. MUCH
OF THE MATERIAL WAS
SUBSEQUENTLY ACQUIRED BY THE
MUSEUM AND FORMED A PERMANENT
DISPLAY ON NEW MATERIALS.

JACK WILLIS REGARDED THE RETURN

OF THE HARGRAVE MODELS AND THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE HARGRAVE
COURT AS THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS
CAREER. THE EXHIBITION WAS
OPENED IN 1967 BY THE MINISTER
FOR LABOUR AND INDUSTRY, THE
HON E A WILLIS, WHO IS SEEN HERE
BEHIND THE PRESIDENT OF THE
MUSEUM’S TRUST, SIR NORMAN
RYDGE.
+ 020 powerline spring 04

NEW RELEASES FROM POWERHOUSE PUBLISHING

Remember! Members receive 10% discount on all titles from the Powerhouse Shop and mailorder
On the move: a history of
transport in Australia
Margaret Simpson
SEE STORY OPPOSITE PAGE
160 PAGES; OVER 170 ILLUSTRATIONS IN
THE NEW POWERHOUSE MUSEUM
COLOUR AND B&W
ROSE FROM THE SHELL OF THE OLD
RRP $35.95/MEMBERS $32.35 ULTIMO POWER HOUSE DURING THE
[AVAILABLE OCTOBER] 1980S. IN ITS HEYDAY EARLY LAST
CENTURY THE POWER HOUSE HAD
PROVIDED THE POWER SUPPLY FOR
SYDNEY’S TRAMWAY SYSTEM

The former Tram Depot

opened to the public on 4 The Museum’s first
September 1981 giving a taste international exhibition
of the treasures that would be opened in London at the
later revealed in the Victoria & Albert Museum in
Powerhouse. An exhibition 1989. Since then exhibitions
gallery filled one end of the have gone to Tokyo, Beijing,
building while stores, New York and, most recently,
workshops, conservation Our place: Indigenous
laboratories and offices Australia now opened in
occupied the rest. On 10 Athens as Australia’s
March 1988 the Powerhouse contribution to the 2004
Museum was officially opened. Cultural Olympiad.

Transit of Venus: the scientific

event that led Captain Cook
to Australia
1979 1988
Dr Nick Lomb
Explains the science behind this rare
In the 1970s museum
event. It looks at the 1769 transit
observed by Cook from Tahiti, and the management was once again
1874 transit observed by Sydney considering a new site and
Observatory. 24 pages with over 20 new museum building, this
colour illustrations and diagrams.
RRP: $5.95/MEMBERS $5.35
time next to Macquarie
University in Ryde. This option
was abandoned and on 13
August 1979, NSW Premier
Neville Wran announced that
the Ultimo Power House and
Tram Depot would be the
Museum’s new home. As he
ambitiously declared, it would
‘illustrate the whole scope of
human achievement … [and]
be one of the greatest
attractions in the southern
hemisphere.’
1997 2004
The Museum’s interests in
astronomy were strengthened
in July 1982 when it took on
responsibility for Sydney
Observatory. A refurbishment
of the buildings was
undertaken in the 1990s and
in 1997 a new permanent A VIEW OF THE OUR PLACE
EXHIBITION, WHICH OPENED AT THE
exhibition By the light of the BENAKI CULTURAL CENTRE IN
ATHENS ON 1 JULY AS PART OF THE
southern stars opened. Today 2004 CULTURAL OLYMPIAD. PHOTO BY
stargazers can observe the MALCOLM MCKERNAN.
night sky and astronomical
events through the
Observatory’s telescopes.

Golden threads: the Chinese in

regional NSW 1850-1950
Janis Wilton
Richly illustrated and with compelling
stories on Chinese people who came
to Australia in the period 1850-1950.
Published by the New England
Regional Museum in association with
Powerhouse Publishing and supported ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS FEATURE
by Migration Heritage Centre and NSW ARE FROM THE POWERHOUSE
Heritage Office. MUSEUM ARCHIVES, UNLESS
OTHERWISE STATED.
132 PAGES WITH 200 ILLUSTRATIONS
RRP $34.95/ MEMBERS $31.45

Powerhouse books are available AN ENTHUSIASTIC VISITOR LEARNS

from the Powerhouse Shop, good MORE ABOUT LOCO NO 1 WHEN
STAGE ONE OF THE NEW MUSEUM
bookstores and by mailorder. For more
OPENED IN 1981. THIS WAS THE FIRST
information or to order contact TIME THE ENGINE HAD BEEN ON
Powerhouse Publishing on (02) 9217 0129 PUBLIC DISPLAY IN THE MUSEUM
or email phpub@phm.gov.au SINCE 1893 (SEE FRONT COVER).
www.powerhousemuseum.com/publish

celebrating 125 years

+ 21 powerline spring 04
THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM’S IMPRESSIVE TRANSPORT
COLLECTION DATES BACK TO OUR BEGINNINGS IN THE 1880s.
story_MARGARET SIMPSON, TRANSPORT CURATOR
trains, boats and planes
For many years the Museum’s transport collection was
hidden away in store rooms. There simply wasn’t
enough space in the old Museum to properly display
such magnificent exhibits. With the opening of the
Museum’s new home in 1988, some of our most
impressive transport treasures, including our largest
object, the Catalina flying boat, and Locomotive No 1,
the first engine to travel on the Sydney to Parramatta
line in 1855, were given pride of place.
Transport remains one of our most popular exhibitions
and visitors’ enthusiasm for it is as strong as ever. With
the publication of On the move: a history of transport
in Australia, the story and significance of our transport
collection is revealed, set against the panorama of
transport history in Australia.
Two objects, which typify the diversity of the transport
collection and are featured in the new book, are a
Sydney hansom cab of the early 20th century and a
1920 Aveling & Porter steam wagon.
Australia’s first hansom cab appeared in Melbourne in
1849 but it was not until the 1870s that this form of
transport became popular. Named after its English
inventor, Joseph Aloysius Hansom in 1834, hansoms
were much more readily accepted in Sydney when
introduced here during the 1860s, possibly because of
Sydney’s less conservative attitudes. Two passengers
rode snugly enclosed in the cab, with little room for
luggage. They were popular with young, unchaperoned
couples and as a result gained a ‘shady’ reputation.
The cab driver sat high at the back with the reins
passing through a support on the front of the roof.
From the driver’s position the cab’s front-opening
MR CONNOR DELIVERING HIS HANSOM CAB TO THE MUSEUM IN 1937. PHOTO COURTESY THE SUN, 2 DECEMBER 1937. THE STEAM WAGON
SHOWN SHORTLY AFTER RESTORATION TO STEAMING CONDITION. GIFT OF W DUGUID 1962. THE MUSEUM ALSO ACQUIRED ITS LARGEST
OBJECT, THE CATALINA FLYING BOAT, FRIGATE BIRD II, IN 1962. IT IS NOW SUSPENDED FROM THE ROOF OF THE BOILER HALL. GIFT OF SIR
PATRICK GORDON TAYLOR, 1962.
doors could be controlled, preventing passengers
getting out before they had paid their fare. The driver
could talk to passengers through two small windows in
the rear of the cab.
Typically, cab drivers wore three-piece suits, with a
gold watch-chain, smoked pipes and tilted their bowler
hats at a jaunty angle. The better hansoms had large
rubber-tyred wheels, stained-glass side windows,
diamond-patterned leather upholstery, thick carpet
inside, lacework, tasselled window blinds and even a
vase of flowers inside.
By 1894 there were 1215 licensed hansom cabs in
Sydney. One of Sydney’s last working hansom cabs
was acquired by the Museum in 1937. It is typical of the
cabs built in Sydney from the 1880s to about 1915,
featuring a curved front with full doors and windows.
The cab was delivered to the Museum’s front door by
the owner, J Connor of Redfern, pulled by his horse,
Darkwing. The hansom cab remained in storage until
the mid 1980s when it was restored for Transport.
From the late 19th century to the first decade of the
20th, steam-powered road haulage was preferred to
the internal combustion engine because of its greater
load-carrying capacity. Although not widespread in
Australia, steam wagons were popular in urban areas,
especially with local councils, which had access to
coal or coke and water.
The Museum’s 1920 overtype steam tip wagon was one
of only 292 built by the English company famous for
their road rollers, Aveling & Porter Limited of Rochester
in Kent. A special feature of the wagon was its
hydraulically operated two-way tipping mechanism
introduced by the firm in 1915. The steam wagon, works
No 9247, was dispatched to Rockdale Council in
Sydney and worked in conjunction with horse-drawn
wagons hauling road materials such as rock, blue
metal and blocks of stone kerbing.
Steam wagons declined in popularity after the British
Army during World War I decided to use mostly internal
combustion-engine motor lorries. In Australia, the move
from steam to internal-combustion trucks and wagons
took longer as outdated British steam technology
found a ready market here. In 1924 Rockdale Council
ordered two Sentinel undertype steam wagons with
vertical boilers, which had the advantage of using less
coke and operating at faster speeds. In 1926 the
Aveling & Porter wagon was sold to a farmer at
Thirlmere, south of Sydney. For 20 years it was used to
haul timber, pull out tree stumps and drive machinery
on the farm until discarded on a hillside and replaced
by a conventional tractor in 1946.
The Museum discovered the steam wagon in 1962 and
the owners agreed to donate it. The problem for
Museum staff was retrieving the wagon from its
isolated spot at the top of the hill and unapproachable
by a low loader due to a narrow unmade road.
Eventually the wagon was sufficiently repaired so that it
could steam down the hill under its own power. For
about ten years it was displayed in the Transport
exhibition but now it travels to steam rallies, including
the annual Steamfest at Maitland.
On the move: a history of transport in Australia is
available from October. See opposite page for details.
+ 22 powerline spring 04

MOST OF US CAN REMEMBER OUR FIRST VISIT TO THE MUSEUM.

FOUR PROMINENT SYDNEYSIDERS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES.

looking back
Neville Wran AC QC,
FORMER PREMIER OF NSW

Until my early teens we lived in the east end of

Sydneysiders have grown up with the Powerhouse, or its
Balmain. The east end was a veritable wonderland for
predecessor the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, young boys. There were backyard fruit trees to be
and have fond memories of visits there. Everyone has a raided. The docks and wharves of maritime engineers
and repair yards to be explored and the noisy toast
favourite object or exhibition. The plastic woman fascinated rack trams to be scaled.
NSW Premier Bob Carr (see page 3), while former premier Even though I was an avid reader, devouring school
Neville Wran was inspired by the Hargrave kites. Many of boy classics like R M Ballantyne’s Gorilla hunters and
P C Wren’s Beau Geste as well as The Triumph and
those who loved the Museum in their youth have become The Champion magazines, somehow especially
involved with the institution in later years and have during the cooler months, there was little or nothing
to do on Sunday afternoons. My boredom was often
contributed to its success. Over the next few issues of
solved by my mother. If I had behaved myself to her
Powerline, a number of people who have played a satisfaction that week she would give me threepence
prominent role in our history will share their recollections of on Sunday afternoon. That was enough to pay the
tram fare to the city and back with a penny left over
the Museum and its impact on their lives. for indulgence.
My favourite excursion was to the Museum of Applied
Arts and Sciences, which drew me to it like a magnet
(a close second preference was the skeleton of the
sperm whale which hung from the ceiling of the
Australian Museum). Whatever else I did on my
Sunday excursion, the Museum was my favourite
place and I never failed to go there. It was full of
exciting exhibits, large and small, but it was the
Hargrave kites that most captured my imagination
and held my attention.
Bear in mind that this was the age of Kingsford Smith
and Amy Johnson and the very notion of an air flight
was somewhat bedazzling to a boy whose mode of
conveyance was a toast rack tram.
Years later when Director Lindsay Sharp took me for
MODEL MADE BY LAWRENCE HARGRAVE IN 1887 TO EXPLORE THE CONCEPT OF FLIGHT, BASED ON BIRD WING the first time to the Powerhouse I imagined the kites
MOTION, GIFT OF LAWRENCE HARGRAVE 1891. PHOTO BY JANE TOWNSEND. WATERCOLOUR PAINTING ‘BANKSIA
MARGINATA’ BY MARIAN ELLIS ROWAN. ‘DANTE’ PORCELAIN VASE BY DOULTON, HAND-PAINTED BY LESLIE JOHNSON,
— all of them in the space of the Museum. And so
WAS DISPLAYED AT THE 1906 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION IN NEW ZEALAND. PHOTO BY JANE TOWNSEND. they are today, a reminder of the ingenuity of
AUSTRALIAN ‘BUSH PANTRY’ HOMEMADE IN ABOUT 1925 FROM A GALVANISED IRON 44-GALLON DRUM. PURCHASED
FROM THE MCALPINE COLLECTION 1992. PHOTO BY PENELOPE CLAY. humankind and the seamless tie between the old and
the new Museum.’

celebrating 125 years Do you have special memories of the Museum that you would
 + 23 powerline spring 04
Jenny Kee
FASHION DESIGNER
AND MUSEUM BENEFACTOR
My first memory of the Museum of Applied Arts and
Sciences is looking at the Ellis Rowan paintings with
Linda Jackson and Jennifer Sanders who was then
curator of textiles and costumes. It was the 1970s and
I was so inspired by these early Australian paintings
of wildflowers as I was using Australia’s unique flora
and fauna in my own knitwear designs.
My work first entered the collection in 1980 when the
Museum bought my Opera House cotton knit dress
and coat from the Art clothes exhibition at the Art
Gallery of NSW. Since then there has been an intimate
and ongoing rapport with the Museum and my work.
Over a career spanning 20 years I had accumulated a
large archive of my clothing, textiles, artwork,
newspaper and magazine clippings and business
records. When the Jenny Kee shop in the Strand
Arcade closed in 1995, I decided it was time to
simplify my life and pursue other interests. I was
therefore delighted and honoured when the
Powerhouse Museum wanted to acquire this
collection.
Curator Glynis Jones and many other museum staff
spent over a year at my home and shop going
through my personal clothing, fabric collection and
other archival material selecting items and
documenting my stories. Designing the costumes for
the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic
Games was the highlight of my life, and I was
overjoyed when I heard the Olympic Games collection
was going to the Powerhouse Museum too.
In 2004 as I immerse myself in writing my
autobiography, the museum has become my major
resource for research. The archivists are brilliant —
they have taken the creative chaos of my life and
ordered it. Now I learn about myself from the archives
of Jenny Kee. They know more about me than I do. I
am part of this Museum and this Museum is part of
me!
like to share with us? Please write to Museum Memories, Powerline, PO Box K346 Haymarket, NSW 1238 and we will publish a selection.
Leo Schofield AM Alison Page
FORMER MUSEUM TRUSTEE AND INTERIOR DESIGNER
MUSEUM BENEFACTOR AND EXHIBITION DESIGNER
I first discovered the Powerhouse Museum when I
I grew up at the Museum of Applied Arts and
was studying design at the University of Technology
Sciences or, more familiarly, the Tech. On Sundays in
and we were asked to design a make-believe
culture-starved Sydney of my youth I’d take the train
exhibition on ‘everyday things’. I would go there
from Summer Hill to Central and walk down to Harris
whenever I had a break and check out design —
Street to marvel at the Strasburg clock model and the
fashion, interior, industrial and graphic design were all
cases stuffed with Doulton rouge flambé vases. I’d
in one place. I found the stories about Australian
trawl through the musty, dusty galleries, unchanged
innovation inspiring and I liked the way they were
for decades looking and learning. No wonder I grew
placed in their historical context. It was the first time I
up acquisitive. The marvels at the Museum were more
realised that space and objects could tell a story.
exotic, more beautiful than the furnishings in our
humble residence above the ham and beef shop in Later on I was working for the Aboriginal architectural
Grosvenor Crescent. group Merrima and I ended up designing the Bayagul
exhibition. I was thrown in at the deep end and I owe
When I returned home after these visits I’d have tea
the Powerhouse design department a lot because
(it wasn’t called dinner in those days, at least not in
they mentored me. I helped interpret the cultural
our household) and retire to bed to dream of distant
perspective. The exhibition has many layers, just like
China where they bound women’s feet (it was all
our culture, so you can get an impression of
explained on the label next to a miniscule pair of
Indigenous culture with a quick walk through or you
embroidered silk slippers), imagining I’d steam there
can stay longer and the deeper meanings are
in one of the white liners, miniature versions of which
revealed to you. Working on the travelling exhibition
were on view in long rectangular cases at Harris
Our place [which opened at the Benaki Museum in
Street.
Athens on 1 July] was another challenge. I developed
Decades later I became involved with the the concept of a traditional Aboriginal camp with
Powerhouse. For nine years I sat on its Board of structures built around a campfire.
Trustees and enthusiastically trumpeted the vision of
One of the best times I’ve had at the Museum was
the new museum that evolved in the old building
when I visited the Special effects exhibition on a
opposite. I watched glorious new objects emerge
Saturday afternoon with my mum and we made a
from the dark and dangerous sheds at Alexandria
video tape. It’s one of the most played videos in our
where much of the collection was housed. In a
house — my mum has 12 grandkids and they love
previous life the large wooden buildings had been
seeing their grandmother really tiny inside a fridge!
used to store wool — imagine what might have
happened to the treasures there had a match been 125 years: it’s amazing to think the Museum has been
dropped on the lanolin-soaked boards! around for so long. The Powerhouse is an
extraordinary resource for me, as a teacher, as a
How marvellous that this great and eclectic collection
designer and as an Australian. We are an incredibly
finally found a sleek new home and that Sydney now
small, incredibly young country, but we are incredibly
has a 21st century version of the old Tech, to which
talented. We face huge environmental challenges and
my grandsons can hie themselves and experience
that drives our innovation. The Museum is a living
the same magic as I did. And love the place as much
memento of that.
as I still do.
+ 24 powerline spring 04
SCIENTIST AND ART CONNOISSEUR, ANTARCTIC ADVENTURER
AND GALLIPOLI VETERAN, CHARLES LASERON WAS PROBABLY
THE MUSEUM’S MOST COLOURFUL ‘COLLECTOR’.
story_JILL CHAPMAN, ARCHIVIST
Laseron: the collector
Throughout his life, Charles Laseron specialised as a
geologist, biologist, malacologist, conchologist and
stamp auctioneer, as well as becoming a collector
and dealer in oriental art. He loved to share his
knowledge and experiences through informative,
often entertaining accounts of his exploits and had
the ability to make otherwise dry subjects accessible
to the layman. Laseron’s career with the
Technological Museum lasted 24 years.
Born in 1887, Charles Laseron had an early interest in
geology. At the age of 9, he had set up his own
museum of geological specimens in the loft of his
house at Lithgow, charging a penny entrance fee. He
enrolled at the Technical College as a 15-year-old
and, taught by the noted geologist Carl Sussmilch,
studied geology and mineralogy at night and worked
at the Bank of NSW by day.
Laseron was appointed Collector at the Technological
Museum in July 1906. Much of his time was spent
travelling by second-class rail and bicycle through
NSW, Tasmania and southern Queensland searching
for botanical or geological specimens. One letter sent
to Museum clerk George Beyer paints a colourful
picture: ‘Had hard work getting from Nimmitabel
here on the bike, as I had a southerly gale in my
teeth the whole way, and the roads were heavy after
rain… when I arrived I was mud from head to foot…
Send me a few official envelopes will you.’ Anything
from huge blocks of marble and granite, a variety of
timber logs to bags of leaves (for testing by the
Museum’s scientists) were transported by ship or rail
stories from the archives
back to Sydney. Laseron’s field notes provided and gneisses (some of which he donated to the
reference material for the Museum’s publications. Museum) with geologist Frank Stillwell. On Christmas
Day 1912 he had a near brush with death which he
In 1911 Dr Douglas Mawson started recruiting
recorded in his diary: ‘I went bang into a crevasse
scientists for the first Australasian Expedition to the
about 5 feet across. It was quite hidden, and the first
Antarctic. Thanks to some previous experience in
sensation was the horrible one of going through into
marine biology, and the support of Museum Curator
nothingness… I managed to get one arm over the far
R T Baker, Laseron managed to secure a prized
edge and one toe caught on a piece of ice sticking
interview, impressing Mawson sufficiently to be
out… Here I hung for a few seconds, my head about
appointed assistant biologist. Granted 18 months’
level with the ground and one toe dangling in space.
leave from the Museum and the use of its Victor half-
I cooeed, but Frank was out of earshot… However by
plate camera, Laseron set off for Hobart to load the
careful wriggling, I managed to slowly hoist myself
vessel Aurora with other expedition members.
onto solid ground and am feeling very thankful at my
Almost as soon as the voyage began they fairly narrow escape.’ Laseron wrote several accounts
encountered fearful weather conditions. Seasickness of the expedition over the years. The most notable,
is a recurring theme in Laseron’s diary (now held with South with Mawson, was published in 1947.
other personal papers by the Mitchell Library, State
Laseron’s return to the Museum was brief because in
Library of NSW) but periods of discomfort alternate
late 1914 he was one of the first to sign up for the war
with moments of exhilaration: ‘29th Dec 1911… Great
against Germany. He entered the AIF 13th Battalion
excitement, first berg… suddenly out of the fog
and after a sojourn in Egypt landed at ANZAC Cove
loomed a big white shape… the fog rose a little and
late in the afternoon of 25 April 1915. Laseron was
we were able to view the most beautiful sight of our
wounded within 48 hours — ‘I was very disappointed
lives. The berg was full of cracks, which owing to the
to get hit when I did, for we had been patiently
refracted light seemed full of bright sapphire…’ Long
waiting under a heavy fire for a bayonet charge’ —
periods confined to the winter camp were eased by
but the notes he wrote were published in the Sunday
the entertainment provided by several of the men,
Times on 11 July 1915. It was a graphic, moving
notably Laseron, who wrote comic verse, and
account of the Gallipoli landing, possibly the earliest
photographer Frank Hurley, a great practical joker.
first-hand account to be read by Sydneysiders.
During the 18-month expedition, Laseron took part in
While recuperating in London in late 1915, Laseron
two sledging journeys. On the second trip, along the
wrote to Baker that he had visited most of the
Adelie Land coast to the east of the base, he
museums and art galleries. What he saw must have
conducted biological research and collected granites

+ 25 powerline spring 04
THIS PAGE: LASERON (RIGHT) WITH FELLOW ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION MEMBER PERCY CORRELL ON FLOE ICE AT THE WESTERN BASE. LASERON WAS AWARDED THE POLAR MEDAL, NOW IN THE MUSEUM’S
COLLECTION, FOR HIS PART IN THE EXPEDITION. PHOTO BY FRANK HURLEY, FROM THE HOOD COLLECTION, COURTESY STATE LIBRARY OF NSW. OPPOSITE PAGE FROM LEFT: LASERON AND FRIEND ON AN EARLY
COLLECTING TRIP. PHOTO COURTESY MRS J RICHTER. INK DRAWING OF A SHELL, BY LASERON. COURTESY OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. CHINESE AND JAPANESE CERAMICS, PART OF LASERON’S DONATION TO
THE NSW APPLIED ART TRUST AND THE TECHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM. PHOTO BY SOTHA BOURN.
been a revelation because the next time he wrote to
Baker, he was talking about his new hobby. With
money he made selling postcards of the Front, he
was buying pieces of old oriental porcelain from the
city’s secondhand shops. Three weeks later, he
confessed he had acquired a boxload of the stuff
and was ready to ship it back to Australia and —
convinced this was a potential new direction for the
Museum — he would give them ‘first pick’.
Still recovering from a bullet wound to his foot,
Laseron was back at the Museum in September 1916
and resumed limited field work. His time was divided
between reorganising and relabelling the collections
of the country branch museums (in Broken Hill,
Goulburn, Bathurst, Broken Hill, Newcastle and Albury)
and taking charge of the Museum’s geological and
ornamental building stones collection. He also took
up the study of Chinese porcelain and bronze and
penned articles for the Sunday Times and the Sunday
News under the pseudonym ‘Fossil’. When in 1921,
Thomas Lennard donated his significant collection of
English ceramics to the Museum, Laseron classified
the pieces and wrote the descriptive guide to the
collection. He then rearranged the Museum’s entire
ceramic collection, disposing of many worthless
pieces the Museum had acquired in its early days.
Laseron was fast gaining a reputation as an authority
in the area of ceramics and oriental antiquities. In
March 1926 he was appointed Officer in Charge of
the Museum's Applied Art Section. The same year he
was invited to broadcast a series of radio chats on
old china and bronze.
Laseron had founded the Collectors and
Connoisseur’s Society in 1922 and in May 1926 he
secured the support of a number of prominent
Sydney citizens, including Sir John Sulman, Sydney
Ure Smith and Sir Benjamin Fuller, to form The NSW
Applied Art Trust. The work of the Applied Art Trust
became Laseron’s passion. The trust acquired a
number of valuable antiques and these were housed
for safe-keeping at the Technological Museum.
In May 1927 Laseron’s Applied Art Trust activities
culminated in the highly publicised ‘First Exhibition of
the NSW Collection of Applied Art’. It was held in the
Exhibition Hall of Farmer’s Market Street store with a
catalogue written by Laseron. The success of this
exhibition was possibly the last straw for the newly
appointed Curator, Arthur Penfold. Unlike Baker, who
had nurtured Laseron’s talent, Penfold (who had
joined the Museum in 1919 as Assistant Economic
Chemist) had made no secret of his dislike for
Laseron. Finding his working life increasingly
uncomfortable, Laseron felt a separate museum,
possibly attached to the Art Gallery of NSW, should
be built to house the growing collection of Applied
Art Trust donations. He had written to one potential
benefactor, ‘I am writing to get your assistance… in
the effort to build up an adequate Art Collection,
belonging to the people of Sydney… This I am
making my own lifework, and can ask for assistance
more freely, inasmuch as already I have given the
whole of my Collection to the Trust.’ Penfold, no
doubt threatened by the possibility of Laseron
removing applied art from the collecting sphere of his
+
The institution we now know as the
Powerhouse Museum celebrates its
125th anniversary this month. ‘From the
archives’ presents significant events,
people, collections and projects from
our long and distinguished history. This
is the fourth article in the series.
Museum, reported Laseron’s doings to the
Superintendent of Public Education. In 1928 Laseron
was officially reprimanded and told to cease his
Applied Art Trust activities in Museum time. The case
ended up in the Arbitration Court with the result that
the position of Officer, Applied Arts Section was
abolished and Laseron was forced to retire.
Laseron moved on. He spent the 1930s running his
own fine arts and stamp auctioneering businesses,
giving them up at the outbreak of World War II to sign
up as a map-reading instructor with the AIF. Posted to
country camps at Greta, Tamworth and Dubbo, he
used his spare time to invent a pocket sun-compass
for the use of troops. From 1948 he conducted
studies of minute shells, many of which had been
collected by his son, John. Laseron’s findings, in
which he described hundreds of new species, are
considered to be of great taxonomic importance.
Made an honorary correspondent of the Australian
Museum, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal
Zoological Society of NSW in 1952. He wrote his best
known book The face of Australia in 1953, a popular
account of our changing geography and geology.
Laseron’s life was remarkable. Before he died in 1959,
he had this to say about it, ‘Looking back, a mixed
sort of life, lots of mistakes, lots of failures, some
successes, heaps of friends, just a few enemies
(nasty chaps) to give spice, lots of fun, plenty to do to
the end, hope it comes quickly.’

+ 26 powerline spring 04
REVISIT THE HISTORIC MOON LANDINGS
OF THE APOLLO MISSIONS 35 YEARS ON.
walking on
the moon
On 14 November 1969 a Saturn
V rocket launched the Apollo
12 spacecraft carrying three
astronauts. Shortly after launch
the giant rocket was struck
twice by lightning causing
sudden power losses. The
second lightning strike caused
the navigation system in the
command module to fail;
luckily the navigation system
for the Saturn V rocket was not
affected, allowing the
astronauts to reach Earth orbit
safely.
Charles Conrad (mission
commander) and Alan Bean
landed on the moon on 19
November, only 160 metres
from the unmanned Surveyor
III spacecraft, which had
landed two years earlier.
Television coverage of the
landing was cut short when
the astronauts accidentally
pointed the video camera at
APOLLO 12 LUNAR MODULE ON THE MOON’S SURFACE.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of
Apollo 12, the second manned mission
to land on the moon.
the Sun. The two astronauts
spent seven hours 45 minutes
collecting rock samples and
setting up experiments. They
also examined the Surveyor III
and collected some of its
instruments for return to Earth.
When they returned to Earth,
the crew remained in
quarantine for 21 days in case
they had picked up alien
germs from the moon.
Apollo 12 was followed a few
months later by the ill-fated
Apollo 13 mission. In total six
Apollo missions were
successful in landing 12
people on the moon’s surface.
In celebration of the 35th
anniversary Sydney
Observatory is holding an
Apollo 12 pizza night on Friday
19 November which includes
viewing, information about the
Apollo missions, an evening
rocket launch and pizza. For
more information, costs and
bookings phone (02) 9217
0485
Dr Martin Anderson
‘ALIEN’ STAFF WILL GUIDE YOU
THROUGH THE SCIENCE OF
EXPLODING STARS IN THE NEW 3-D
SPACE THEATRE ADVENTURE.

giant stars
explode
Black holes, pulsars and aliens
are three of the hottest topics
at every observatory around
the world and the latest 3-D
Space Theatre adventure from
Sydney Observatory explores
all three.
Join expert ‘alien’ staff Margus
and Dr Zalin in After stars to
witness the explosive death of
a massive star, WLR-309. Find
out what WLR-309 will do after
its spectacular end. Will it
collapse; stopping in time to
form a rapidly spinning
neutron star called a pulsar?
Or will it continue, crushing
itself and forming a black
hole?
+
observe
Visually stunning with a great
combination of science and
humour, this program was
produced by the Centre for
Astrophysics and
Supercomputing, Swinburne
University of Technology in
Melbourne.
Be among the first to see our
new 3-D movie and start the
school holidays with a great
family night on Monday 27
September at 6.30 pm. See
calendar for details and
booking information.
+ 27 powerline spring 04

THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES

THE SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS

+principal partners

DICK SMITH

SPORT: MORE THAN HEROES & LEGENDS THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOTION DICK SMITH AUSTRALIAN EXPLORER BELL INTEL YOUNG SCIENTIST 2004, COLES THEATRE, TARGET THEATRE,
PICTURE TRILOGY — THE EXHIBITION 206B JETRANGER III HELICOPTER SOUNDHOUSE™ AND ONLINE PROJECTS GRACE BROS COURTYARD, K MART
STUDIOS

+senior partners

ECOLOGIC: CREATING A SUSTAINABLE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 3830 POWERHOUSE WIZARD THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOTION OUR PLACE: INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA NOW
FUTURE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 3265 PICTURE TRILOGY — THE EXHIBITION

THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOTION 125 ANNIVERSARY THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOTION POWERHOUSE MUSEUM @ CASTLE HILL
PICTURE TRILOGY — THE EXHIBITION PICTURE TRILOGY — THE EXHIBITION
THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOTION
PICTURE TRILOGY — THE EXHIBITION

+partners +supporters

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE BLUE ROOM
ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY DIVISION
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE 2003
INDESIGN MAGAZINE
D FACTORY
MINCOM LIMITED SBS RADIO TRANSGRID ARAB BANK AUSTRALIA
LIFE FELLOWS DINNER 2004 BEIRUT TO BAGHDAD PACIFIC SOLAR PROJECT THE CURIOUS ECONOMIST:
WILLIAM STANLEY JEVONS IN SYDNEY
CONTEMPORARY SILVER: MADE IN ITALY
NIKON YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA
NOVOTEL SYDNEY ON DARLING HARBOUR
SYDNEY OBSERVATORY SOUNDHOUSE™ MUSIC ALLIANCE YAMAHA DISKLAVIER GRAND PIANO
OFFICIAL SYDNEY HOTEL
SOUNDHOUSE™ MUSIC AND MULTI MEDIA
LABORATORY
SBS
SYDNEY AIRPORT
GAMBLING IN AUSTRALIA: THRILLS, SPILLS
AND SOCIAL ILLS LAWRENCE HARGRAVE: AUSTRALIA’S
PIONEER AVIATOR

+founding corporate members +landmark corporate members +foundations

BOEING AUSTRALIA 2DESIGN TAFE NSW: SYDNEY INSTITUTE VINCENT FAIRFAX FAMILY FOUNDATION
CAPITAL TECHNIC GROUP ARAB BANK AUSTRALIA THE RACI INC, NSW BRANCH
INTEL AUSTRALIA BIMBADGEN ESTATE THOMSON TELECOM AUSTRALIA
LOGICA CMG DUNLOP FLOORING AUSTRALIA WEIR WARMAN LTD
NSW DEPARTMENT OF LANDS SCHENKER AUSTRALIA WORMALD
TASCO SWAROVSKI INTERNATIONAL (AUST)

+ state government partners +australian government partners

THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM IS A
STATUTORY AUTHORITY OF, AND
PRINCIPALLY FUNDED BY,
THE NSW STATE GOVERNMENT.
CASINO COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND NSW AUSTRALIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND
HERITAGE

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND GIVING TO THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM PLEASE CONTACT MIRANDA PURNELL ON (02) 9217 0577.
new exhibitions at a glance
SEPTEMBER_OCTOBER_NOVEMBER 2004
Bright flowers: textiles and ceramics
of Central Asia
LEVEL 4, FROM 17 SEPTEMBER 2004
Central Asia has a rich and colourful
history matched by exquisite traditional
crafts. This is a rare opportunity to see
the region’s spectacular embroidered
textiles and glazed ceramics, drawn
from museum collections in Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.
Pathways through paradise: Oriental
rugs from Australian collections
LEVEL 5, ASIAN GALLERY UNTIL
30 JANUARY 2005
Prized by collectors from Plato to
William Morris, the rugs of Western and
Central Asia are one of the world’s
great cultural treasures.
Brought to light
LEVEL 2, 25 SEPTEMBER
_31 OCTOBER 2004
A selection of the curators’ favourite
objects from the Museum’s vast store
to celebrate our 125th anniversary.
The curious economist:
Willian Stanley Jevons in Sydney
LEVEL 4, FROM 29 OCTOBER 2004
Discover the remarkable story of
William Stanley Jevons, the founder of
modern economics, who lived in
Sydney from 1854 to 1859.
Beirut to Baghdad: communities,
collecting and culture
LEVEL 3, UNTIL 30 JANUARY 2005
This exhibition reflects changing
attitudes to the Museum’s Western
Asian collection. Beautiful objects are
presented with the stories of Arabic-
speaking Australians.
Intel Young Scientist 2004
LEVEL 3, FROM 23 OCTOBER 2004 – 28
NOVEMBER 2004
An exhibition of models, photographs
and multi-media presentations created
by the top NSW student scientists.
(FROM LEFT) BROUGHT TO LIGHT: HOUSE OF MERIVALE PLATFORM SHOE, 1970S.
CONTEMPORARY SILVER: ‘SOLE’ (SUN) VASE IN STERLING SILVER BY GABRIELE DE
VECCHI, 1992, MUSEO PER GLI ARGENTI CONTEMPORANEI. BRIGHT FLOWERS:
DETAIL FROM A SMALL EMBROIDERED WALL HANGING, MADE IN UZBEKISTAN, LATE
1800S. BUKHARA STATE ART AND ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUM.
exhibitions at
Sydney Observatory
Transit of Venus: the scientific event
that led Captain Cook to Australia
UNTIL JUNE 2005
Looks at the astronomical and
historical significance of the Transit of
Venus and features material from
James Cook’s pacific voyages,
including the Shelton regulator clock
(on display until mid December 2004).
+
Give a gift membership
www.powerhousemuseum.com
Gambling in Australia: thrills, spills and
social ills
LEVEL 3, UNTIL 10 OCTOBER 2004
Gambling in Australia looks at the past
and present of gambling in all its major
forms – the lotteries, racetracks, the
Tote and TAB, hotels, licensed clubs
and casinos.
Closing soon — don’t miss out!
Contemporary silver: made in Italy
LEVEL 3, UNTIL 13 FEBRUARY 2005
This exhibition showcases the best
silverware made in Italy over the last
three decades of the 20th century.
Featuring the work of renowned Italian
designers and silversmithing studios as
well as objects designed by
international architects and designers.
Australian Design Awards
LEVEL 4, SUCCESS AND INNOVATION
GALLERY
See the new Powerhouse Museum
Selection from the Australian Design
Awards 2004.
Bombay Sapphire Blue Room
BOILER HALL, MEZZANINE, UNTIL 7
NOVEMBER 2004
The Blue Room showcases innovative
works in glass by international
architects, artists and designers from
vases to interiors. Martini Culture
presents the best in contemporary
martini glass design.
Engineering Excellence
LEVEL 4, SUCCESS AND INNOVATION
GALLERY, UNTIL 7 NOVEMBER 2004
Outstanding engineering projects from
the Engineers Australia, Sydney
Division, Engineering Excellence
awards.
travelling exhibitions
Sport: more than heroes and legends
Scienceworks, Melbourne
25 AUGUST 2004 – 30 JANUARY 2005
Intel Young Scientist 2003
Newcastle Regional Museum
UNTIL 26 SEPTEMBER 2004
Works wonders: stories about home
remedies
Northern Regional Library, Moree
21 AUGUST – 10 OCTOBER 2004
Museum Dungog
16 OCTOBER – 28 NOVEMBER 2004
Fruits: Tokyo street style –
photographs by Shoichi Aoki
At selected venues in New Zealand
TURN OVER FOR DETAILS
Powerhouse Membership
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Country/concession $50 $90 $127
** A household is up to two adults and all students under 18 years at the same address. Country
households must be more than 150 km from Sydney GPO. Concession applies to full-time students,
seniors, pensioners, unemployed and all adults in the household must be eligible for concession.

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from the
collection

Museum legend has it that this

Indian elephant, carved from a
block of graphite, fell five
metres through a collapsing
floor in a fire that destroyed the
Museum’s original collection in
1882 and was one of the few
survivors.
Australia’s first international
exhibition was held in 1879 in
the specially built Garden
Palace in Sydney’s Botanic
Gardens. This display of the
‘wonders of manufacture’ —
more than a million people
visited over eight months —
was so successful that it
inspired the founding of a new
museum, but as it was nearing
completion a huge fire raged
through the building and
thousands of exhibits were lost.
The elephant is on display
again as part of the Museum’s
125th celebrations. See it on
level 4.

ISSN 1030-5750
03

9 771030 575004

www.powerhousemuseum.com