Newsletter ADFAS NEWCASTLE. Contents. Winter CHAIRMAN S MESSAGE 2 CHURCH RECORDING 3 YOUNG ARTS 5 ADFAS IN ACTION 5 ADFAS IN THE COMMUNITY

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1 ADFAS NEWCASTLE Newsletter Winter 2016 Ice Breaker Photo by Michael Howard Welcome to the ADFAS winter edition newsletter. To new members, we are so pleased you are now able to enjoy the benefits of the ADFAS lectures and to members of long standing we hope this edition brings some reading interest, knowledge and enjoyment. Dear Members, Welcome to edition 2. Winter woollies are definitely needed since our first newsletter. We have been pleased to see good attendances to our lecturers this year and are amazed to be nearly half way through the ADFAS year. The committee has been hard at work reading carefully all the lecture possibilities for 2017 and deciding on a balanced and interesting program for you. I certainly want to attend and see the selection made in your stead. I hope you will agree as the lectures for 2017 are experienced. The National Lecturers committee are already working on 2018 and 2019 to ensure a bright future for our lecture series. The national body too have worked hard to rationalise the 3 circuits of lectures that run throughout much of the Nation. Hume, which is our circuit, covers some 13 different towns throughout Tasmania, Victoria and NSW. Next year Newcastle will be the last port of call for the Hume Circuit. At this stage Tamworth has been added to this circuit very recently. This is a mammoth feat and I wish to congratulate the people of Tamworth who have achieved this in such a short space of time. The Cook circuit goes all the way to Cairns covering Queensland and the Flinders circuit covers southern NSW and Victoria to Adelaide. All these can be viewed on the National website at There are 35 centres where lectures are currently held. The lecture series for the three different circuits are therefore all different with different lectures and lecturers. What Flinders have one year we may well have the following year. As chairman and committee member I have found it very interesting and privileged to see the organisation behind this amazing society. Looking forward to seeing you at the lectures Jane Smith Contents 1 CHAIRMAN S MESSAGE 2 CHURCH RECORDING The Mysterious A.H. Andrew Artha 3 YOUNG ARTS For talented young artists 5 ADFAS IN ACTION A member s impression of past events. 5 ADFAS IN THE COMMUNITY Recording our history 6 OUR SOCIETY ADFAS NEWCASTLE INFO A GROUP ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF NADFAS ADFAS NEWCASTLE INCORPORATED PO Box 531 Newcastle NSW 2300 ABN: newcastle@adfas.org.au ADFAS NEWCASTLE COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN - Jane Smith VICE-CHAIRMAN - Lindy Henderson SECRETARY - Judy Wotton TREASURER - Cathy Tate MEMBERSHIP - Elizabeth Turner SECRETARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS Greg Hansen John Hendriks Paul Johnson Lyn McSweeney Anne Morris Rae Richards 1

2 Tales of Church Recording Your 2016 Programme The ongoing Church Recording of St John s Cooks Hill has revealed many historic items of interest and the odd mystery, one of the most intriguing of which concerns the altar in the sanctuary. The Mysterious A.H. Andrew Artha. This altar is not the original one, but a more recent 1926 addition to the church. The dedication plaque reads as follows; A. M. D. G. AND IN MEMORY OF WALTER SWAN & ELIZABETH CROCKER AND THEIR FAMILY WHO WERE FOR A LONG PERIOD WORSHIPPERS IN THIS CHURCH THE GIFT OF SUSANNAH CROKER The altar itself is a beautiful example of design and cabinet making, as is to be expected for such an important church furnishing. It features fine decorations, including delicately cut Gothic tracery and tracery friezes. The external panelling is made of solid oak sections and European oak veneer panels. These veneer panels are stamped; Nagoya Japan, finished standard quality ASANO patent veneer. Made in Japan. The altar frame is made of Douglas Fir (Oregon) A detailed examination of the altar revealed a pencil inscription underneath which reads as follows; construction of a church altar. However, all our attempts to trace Mr A.H. Andrew Artha have drawn a complete blank. There are no Andrew Arthas listed in the Hunter region. Enquiries within the Newcastle cabinet making fraternity have likewise yielded nothing. An extensive search on the Trove website has yielded one item. On 03 February 1940 The Advertiser in Adelaide SA reported that a farewell to Mr. James McIntosh (joining the RAAF) included A.H. Andrew-artha Despite his mystery status, A.H. Andrew Artha still tells us interesting stories from the period. His selection of the imported oak veneer panels reveals that there was trade in timber products between Australia and Japan in the 1920s. Indeed, research on the ASANO patents shows it dates to the 1890s and Japan was a leader in veneer technology. Likewise, the use of European oak in the panels shows there was also timber trade between Europe (the UK?) and Japan in this period. The Douglas fir used in the frame was in common use in the Newcastle area at that time because it was back-loaded on ships trading with the West coast of the United States (hence the Australia name Oregon based on the primary source: Oregon state). On behalf of the committee a very warm welcome to any new members. We are delighted to have you. Join us as this exciting year unfolds. 7th March - Ms Pauline Chakmakjian The City of Kyoto and the Cult of Beauty 11th April - Mr Michael Turner Sir Charles Nicholson: Who Do You Think You Are? 16th May - Ms Lucia Gahlin Nefertiti: Images of Egypt s most intriguing Queen 6th June - Dr Christopher Allan & Mr Peter Guy Pomp and Circumstance: English Art Music of the early 20th Century 11th July - Mr Michael Howard Murder, Mayhem, Mystery and Paint - the extraordinary story of Walter Sickert 15th August - Prof James Allan Isfahan and the history of Persian tilework 12th September - Mr Stephen Richardson English Period Styles in Art: A Fascination with the Antique 17th October - Ms Sarah Cove Conservation and Restoration: A day in the life of a Picture Restorer Designed and made by A.H. Andrew Artha October 1926 Newcastle NSW There is no doubt that only a cabinet maker of some high regard would be engaged for the design and But as to A.H. Andrew Artha, he remains a mystery. Can any reader enlighten us? Paul Johnson 7th November - Dr Karen Pearlman Australian Film: Defining moments in the National Cinema St John s Church - Altar 2

3 The Young Arts Report Scholarship Newcastle ADFAS is proud to support talented young people in the Arts area. Our members generously donate funds each year with their subscriptions for this purpose. Applications of very high quality were submitted and recipients notified and congratulated. At our last lecture in July three projects were awarded their funding with the fourth to attend the August lecture to speak about their work. Alex Riordan a talented vocalist entertained us before the lecture last week. This was a real treat. Alex completed eight years of schooling at Hunter Performing Arts High School and is competing for a highly prized position at Berklee Music to continue with her passion for music. Alex was nominated by her school. Our Hunter Youth Orchestra was also successful in applying for funding. The orchestra is a Newcastle institution entertaining audiences in many venues. Jack Machin from the Youth Orchestra Board described the work of the orchestra to our members. Funding was also made available to the inaugural Newcastle Music Festival Young Strings. We look forward to hearing them ADFAS Newcastle in Action; Art and Music Pomp and Circumstance: English Art Music of the Early Twentieth Century. Alex Riordan - Young Artist at the festival The Young People s Theatre representative will be speaking at our next lecture about their work. We awarded four scholarships for young students to follow their dreams. Lyn McSweeney century old and some reflecting the wartime experiences of the composers. Our experience was enhanced by the vignettes provided by the performers regarding the antecedents of each composition with some biographical detail about each composer. The program was a well-chosen blend of familiar and less known pieces, and transported us agreeably from an Australian winter night to an English summer day. ADFAS Newcastle members enjoyed a delightful change of presentation and of venue in June for a commentated concert by Newcastle maestros Christopher Allan and Peter Guy in the beautiful (if not entirely comfortable) Christ Church Cathedral. As usual supper ended the evening bread and wine as befitted the location but with rather more gourmet fillings than described in the gospels, and with the opportunity for conversation with the performers. Newcastle ADFAS Special Interest Meeting Michael Howard: Gaugin, Gaugin...Gone This SIM was well-attended and with good reason as the speaker was entertaining, engaging, most knowledgeable and the topic enthralling. Despite the setting, the music performed was not of a religious theme but rather a series of short organ compositions and accompanied songs by English composers, mostly about a Michael Howard is an artist, art historian, teacher, curator, lecturer and author based in Derbyshire. He spoke with enthusiasm and humour about Gauguin s life and times, works, personality and motivations. He set the scene of the Parisian and rural French art world of the era and spoke at 3

4 length about the influence and interactions between Gauguin and his contemporaries. Michael pulled no punches in his characterisation of Gauguin and his relationship with Van Gogh. He explained the circumstances and consequences of his expatriation to Tahiti. Michael s skills as a raconteur came to the fore in the tale of his own role in authentication of two privately owned Gauguins, including an underworld encounter! Michael also encouraged his audience to use personal art as a vehicle for viewing one s surroundings in unhurried contemplation. I imagine several of us were inspired to acquire a Winsor & Newton compact set rather than another digital camera! Philippa Hodgins The Lecturer enjoys a tour of the Newcastle Art Gallery ADFAS in the community ADFAS is undertaking a new project similar to the current Church Recordings; the recording of the Schools of Arts buildings and Mechanics Institutes. These public places, sometimes humble timber structures, sometimes grand statement buildings, have served communities well, some for almost 150 years, and survive to tell a story of ambition, aspiration and the best of the human spirit. The event successfully hosted 44 members and Newcastle citizens including our local MP Tim Crakanthorp, Mike Scanlon from the Newcastle Herald, the University Archivist Gionni Di Gravio and local history authors Greg Preston and Mary Rabbitt. I was very excited to see John Broadley in the audience and am most grateful he attended along with Sarah Howie from ADFAS Scone and Judy Wearne from ADFAS Pokolbin. We were very well supported indeed. We extend our thanks to them all. We have eleven names who expressed interest as volunteers for this recording project. In preparation for the event we were fortunate to gain a rare interview for Marlena Jeffery with Ben Millington from our local ABC station. This interview promoted some very beneficial responses that continue to unfold. Our next coup following the event was to be given a very well written article by Mike Scanlon in the Newcastle Herald on Saturday 28th May. This article has also subsequently aroused much interest. school-of-arts-lives-on/ I believe we have begun a journey here in the city writing these precious histories which will serve this community into the future and leave a lasting legacy of real value. My thanks must go to Gwen Hamilton for her gentle persuasion on my already very busy committee and my congratulations go to the national body of ADFAS for supporting and promoting this worthwhile project. I would like to underscore the importance of having the launching event and the value of having people of the calibre of Marlena Jeffery and Helen Creagh as the ambassadors and forerunners. This extraordinary personal generosity of this wonderful partnership of Marlena and Helen must not be taken for granted. Future provision for their travel and/or accommodation has been approved so they can continue to spearhead this important project with AADFAS financial assistance. We are aware that many Societies have already reported on local Schools of Arts without a special launch, but this particular initiative seemed to have worked for us. Our experience here in Newcastle with church recording and now this SoA project has shown clearly that for such a thing to succeed in a large city such as ours, we need the prominent figureheads to launch the idea. Jane Smith ADFAS S Schools of Arts / Mechanics Institutes It is with real delight that I write to let you all know about the success of our Schools of Arts Special Interest Morning held with Marlena Jeffery and Helen Creagh at The Newcastle Club on the 16th May. Besides our members, the Newcastle committee invited local citizens whom we knew had a vested interest in many of the SoA buildings in our area, and also in the history and politics of Newcastle. The East Maitland Literary Institute 4

5 Our Society ADFAS Newcastle has embarked on a programme to create an entirely Newcastle identity. This identity will be part of all our future publications. Rae Richards and the New Look. In 2016 our Society launched a new look and new ways of communicating with our membership, thanks to a couple of dedicated committee Hill Town - Rae Richards members. The pivot of the new brand is the work by our own Rae Richards which has become the core image. ADFAS is grateful to Rae for allowing us to use this image, which you will see The ADFAS Newcastle Website on this newsletter, on our brochure, on our website, banner and letterhead. The beginnings of this were early in 2015 when a feeling developed, that ADFAS Rae is a current committee member Newcastle needed a presence on the internet. It was felt that our Society needed and has been an active member of their own local website that while maintaining the AADFAS spirit and values, would ADFAS Newcastle for over 25 years. focus on the unique local culture and programme of ADFAS Newcastle Rae studied at the Newcastle Branch The rationale behind this is to allow a more local development and targeting of the of the National Art School, has been information and promotions that the Newcastle Society has. By being Newcastle included in important national centric it will be more easily identified in searches by prospective members and the exhibitions such as the Wynne and information that the website contains will be more relevant to the local membership. Sulman Prizes, in London, and in Information regarding local events and happenings that affect the Society will be Newcastle. more easily accessible to members. A website is more likely to be the medium by Rae s painting Hill Town, comes to us which younger members are attracted to ADFAS and its programme. courtesy of Rae and the collection of The website utilises the new banner designed by Rae Richards The Hill to emphasise Julie and David Rich. Rae intended her the Newcastle, and provides a menu to guide the viewer to the main focus of ADFAS: painting to be a vision of Newcastle in the Lectures and the Special Interest Mornings. The design focused on simplicity the context of the hill towns of Tuscany, of use and ease of navigation. And for those who are technically savvy, it is even where private and commercial spaces smartphone friendly. Basílica i Temple gradually give waythe to the towers and spires of secular and ecclesiastical John Hendriks (Publicity Coordinator) Expiatori de la Sagrada authority as we ascend. Newcastle, Família is a large with the harbour at its base, and the RomantheCatholic line of the hill drawing eye upwardchurch to ChristchurchinCathedral via terrace Barcelona, designed houses, shops, offices and landmarks by Spanish architect such as the Customs House, Obelisk and Navigation Antoni tower, is,gaudí to Rae, (1852 reminiscent of such a hill town. The 1926). vibrant colours and strong contrasts might recall a Tuscan summer, or reflect the vitality and energy of Newcastle as Rae envisaged it. We at ADFAS Newcastle are grateful to Rae for her generosity in allowing us to use her work and parts of it, and for her guidance and careful attention to the particulars of design in transforming ADFAS Newcastle s communications. Lindy Henderson and Jane Smith The ADFAS Newcastle website Home page 5