catch kylie fever - Powerhouse Museum

POWERLINE
+ the magazine of the powerhouse museum summer 05/06
catch
kylie
fever
+
contents
issue 80
december 05 january february 06
O2
From the director
03
Power picks
06
Behind the scenes volunteers
07
Interview: Karim Rashid
08
New exhibition: Kylie: an exhibition
10
New acquisitions: Relenza bird flu drug
11
Members news
12
Members calendar
14
Members scene
15
Christmas shopping guide
16
Tokyo Recycle Project #15
18
Boulton & Watt steam engine
20
New exhibition: Inspired! Design across time
22
Observatory news
23
Corporate partners
24
Exhibitions at a glance
Trustees
Dr Nicholas G Pappas,
President
Dr Anne Summers AO,
Deputy President
powerline summer 05/06
leading design groups collaborate to make
sydney design 05 the best yet.
Mr Mark Bouris
Ms Trisha Dixon
Mr Andrew Denton
Ms Susan Gray
Ms Margaret Seale
Mr Anthony Sukari
Ms Judith Wheeldon
SD05 international keynote speaker Paul Simmons of uk-based textile design duo timorous beasties.
Senior Management
Dr Kevin Fewster AM, Director
Jennifer Sanders, Deputy Director,
Collections and Outreach
Mark Goggin, Associate Director,
Operations and Services
Kevin Sumption, Associate Director,
Exhibitions, Projects and Planning
Dominic Curtin, Associate Director,
Finance and Systems
sd05 opening celebrations at the powerhouse museum.
+
£
from the
director
Presentation of Sydney Swans President’s order of business to Dr Kevin Fewster. From left: Dr Meredith Burgmann,
President of the Legislative Council, Ms Lynn Lovelock,
Deputy Clerk, Legislative Council, Mr John Evans, Clerk of the Parliament and dr kevin fewster.
As director of such a broadbased museum I am always
on the look out for interesting
material that might be added
to our collection, or ideas that
could become exhibitions or
programs. One of the joys of
my job is that I never know
when the next object or idea is
‘just around the corner’.
A wonderful example of this
serendipity occurred recently
while I was at Sydney Airport
awaiting a flight to Melbourne.
Being an ex-Melbourne boy,
I was flying south to see the
Sydney Swans try to break
their 72-year premiership
drought in the AFL Grand Final.
I bumped into Dr Meredith
Burgmann, President of the
NSW Legislative Council,
wearing her Sydney Swans
scarf. Dr Burgmann has been a
good friend of the Museum for
many years. And she has been
a passionate Swans supporter
since they relocated from
Melbourne over 20 years ago.
www.powerhousemuseum.com
Front Cover Detail of visor by dolce & gabbana,
kyliefever2002 tour, from kylie: an exhibition, a touring exhibition from the arts centre, melbourne. opens 26
december 2005.
Where to find us
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney Opening hours 10.00 am – 5.00 pm every day (except Christmas
Day). School holiday opening hours 9.30 am – 5.00 pm
Contact details
Postal address: PO Box K346, Haymarket NSW 1238 Telephone (02) 9217 0111 Infoline (02) 9217 0444, Education (02) 9217 0222
The Powerhouse Museum, part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences also incorporating Sydney Observatory, is a NSW government cultural institution.
During our conversation
she told me how staff and
Legislative Council members
had surprised her on the last
sitting day before the match
by arranging for the President’s
daily program to be printed
in red with the Swans logo
replacing the usual Legislative
Council crest. The day’s
proceedings had concluded
with members of the Council
joining in a spirited rendition of
the club’s theme song.
What a wonderful example
of the place sport plays in
Australian life, I thought. It’s the
sort of informal celebration
that normally gets lost in the
mists of time. Not wanting this
to happen, we agreed that if
the Swans won, she should
donate the unique program to
the Powerhouse collection.
As history now records,
the Swans duly won what I
can personally attest was a
heart-stopping Grand Final,
awarding the AFL Premiership
to a NSW-based team
for the first time. On the
Friday after the win, I visited
Meredith at Parliament House
where she and the Clerk
of Parliament, John Evans,
presented me with a collection
of items: the President’s
personally annotated
program for Thursday
22 September, a copy of
the day’s Hansard, a DVD
containing the adjournment
debate, a photograph of the
parliamentary choristers in full
voice, a copy of the Legislative
Council newsletter House
Matters and a photo of me
at the handover event on the
floor of the chamber.
Some of these items will be
displayed soon in our Recent
Acquisitions case. Like every
object in our collection, they
tell a story about the people,
places, issues and events of
our society and our times.
Dr Kevin Fewster AM
Director
Powerline is produced by the Print Media Department
of the Powerhouse Museum
PO Box K346, Haymarket NSW 1238
Editor: Nicole Bearman
Editorial coordinator: Deborah Renaud
Design: Triggerdesign
Photography: Powerhouse Museum unless otherwise stated.
Every effort has been made to locate owners of copyright for the images
in this publication. Any inquiries should be directed to the Rights and
Permissions Officer, Powerhouse Museum.
ISSN 1030-5750 © Trustees of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
SD05 hits a
new high
Record crowds of around
310,000 people participated
in this year’s Sydney Design
festival. Presented over 16 days
was a program that included
50 events, talks, exhibitions
and walks at 24 venues all over
Sydney, from Paddington to
Parramatta.
The Powerhouse Museum led
the way with great exhibitions,
from a showcase of local
industrial designers in Sydney
designers unplugged, to the
shape of things to come in
Electrolux Global Design
Lab, and a flourish from the
past with Morris & Co. The
Powerhouse also presented
a knock-out lecture by UK
textile designer Paul Simmons
of Timorous Beasties; the first
anniversary d factory; and the
hypothetical ‘Would Sydney
take a Guggenheim to it’s
heart?’, which tackled issues
of urban design and planning
in Sydney’s growing west. The
stand-out success for the
Museum was the inaugural
‘Young blood: designers
market’, where around 3000
Sydney Design drew record
crowds in August making 2005
the most successful year to date.
Music curator Michael lea and photographer marinco kojdanovski making museum history with the new h1
hasselblad digital camera.
people flocked to buy new
design from local designers.
The city was abuzz with
SD05 banners, posters and
programs. Almost every event
on the program booked out
early and all venues remarked
on an increase in attendance.
Once again, the collaboration
of Sydney’s leading
organisations contributed to
the success of the festival,
and ultimately helped bring
us closer to establishing
the eastern seaboard as an
international destination for
design innovation.
To name just a few highlights,
there were the beautiful
algorithms of Daniel Brown
and the pleated delights of
Ruth McDermott’s Coralscapes
at Object Gallery; the
sheer brilliance of the team
at workshopped 05 and
exquisitely crafted vessels at
Pyrmont Studios. The AAA and
Sydney Architecture Walks
were a hit and promise to be
bigger and better for SD06.
Robert Swieca,
SD05 Coordinator
powerpicks
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Y
the future
is digital
In the 31 years since the
Powerhouse Museum
photography department
was formed, the Museum’s
vast collection has been
documented on photographic
film and housed in a photo
library that now comprises
over 500,000 images.
On 30 June 2005,
photographer Marinco
Kojdanovski (pictured right)
and music curator Michael Lea
(pictured left) made Museum
history when they shot the
Hardcourt and Armstrong
flutes for the collection
using a new H1 Hasselblad
camera and Imacon digital
back. This notable step
forward for the Powerhouse
Museum means that high
quality digital photography
is now superseding film
quality and has replaced film
photography in the Museum.
If you want to know more, see
the events calendar (pp1213) for information about our
special members-only digital
photography behind-thescenes tour.
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Z
and ‘Is there an Australian
gambling aesthetic? The
gambling design industry’, by
Dr Charles Pickett, curator of
Australian history and society.
As Australia approaches
50 years of television
broadcasting, the Museum
is preparing a spectacular
exhibition to commemorate.
On the box: great moments in
Australian television 1956–2006
examines our nation’s vast
achievements in developing
and presenting television
programs. The exhibition will
recall highlights that have
become enshrined in the
public memory, and look at
the impact of television on the
everyday lives of Australians
since 1956. It will pay tribute
to our favourite stars, explain
changing technology, examine
how programs are made, ask
how audiences use TV, and
explore the role of television in
the community.
Recordings play directly on
your computer, so there’s no
need to download the file onto
an MP3 player or iPod first.
If you have an idea for an
audio recording you think
would enhance the Museum
website, such as an audio
tour of some favourite objects,
email the web services
team on webservices@
phm.gov.au Recordings
are now on the website at
powerhousemuseum.com/
whatson/event_archive.asp
Maggie Dence as Mavis Bramston. In the mid-1960s The Mavis Bramston Show’s irreverent, revue-style sketch comedy used social and political satire to bring humour to topical subjects. Image provided courtesy of Seven Network.
On the box showcases over
600 objects, including original
props and costumes, sets,
technical equipment, awards,
scripts and promotional items. Among the costumes will be
the wedding dress worn by
Kylie Minogue on Neighbours,
Ruth Cracknell’s Mother and
Son outfit and a uniform from
the classic soap Prisoner. From the Museum’s collection,
studio television cameras
donated by TCN9 and ATN7,
and used at the birth of
Australian TV broadcasting, will
be displayed for the first time.
Participate in aspects of TV
production, in front of the
camera and behind-thescenes, and view a large
selection of classic Australian
clips that show how TV has
kept us entertained for five
decades.
On the box: great moments in
Australian television 1956–2006
opens 6 April 2006.
Life Fellow is the highest
honorific title awarded by the
Museum, and the annual Life
Fellows Dinner celebrates
the many individuals and
organisations who have
contributed to its development. Since 2002 the dinner has
been sponsored by the
Museum’s corporate partner
Mincom Limited.
I remember when I was nine,
and coming to the Powerhouse
Museum for the first time. It
was amazing. I remember
racing around to touch all
the screens, to stare at the
scientific experiments, to
marvel at the exhibits.
^
sustainability
talks
this satellite image shows the locations of permanent lights around the world, most of which are generated from burning fossil fuels.
Sunday afternoons have been
heating up in the Museum at
‘Free radicals’, a new monthly
series of sustainability talks
designed to ignite fresh
debate on issues that will
affect our future. Aimed
at anyone who enjoys an
argument, is worried about
the sustainability of their
lifestyle, or who is new to the
sustainability arena and loaded
with questions, ‘Free Radicals’
takes on all the big issues in
an intelligent and entertaining
way.
The debate about sustainability
explores human, economic,
social and biological forces, all
coexisting and competing for
limited resources, particularly
in large metropolitan areas.
Humans once held the view
we live in a boundless world,
where anything is possible,
now it is apparent that when
2005
life fellows
2005
powerhouse
wizard
n
coming
soon:
on the box
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π
hear this
Since its recent inception in
2004, ‘podcasting’ has paved
the way for an increase in
audio material on the web. On
the Museum’s website you can
hear talks recorded during
Sydney Design 05, including
‘Music industry aesthetics:
sound versus image’ by Ruby
Grennan and Tom Ellard;
‘Podcasting – the end of
radio?’ by Vaughan Healey and
Angus Kingston; ‘The art of
logo design and visual identity’
by graphic designer Mark
Gowing; plus there’s an audio
tour of the exhibition Paradise,
Purgatory and Hellhole: a
history of Pyrmont and Ultimo
by the curator, Anni Turnbull;
powerline summer 05/06
populations compete for
limited resources, something
has to give; be it species,
water supply, air quality or
civilisation. So far in the series some of
the country’s great thinkers,
led by popular ABC science
broadcaster Bernie Hobbs,
have searched for the soul
of this great city, and asked
‘is desalination worth its
salt?’ In the coming months
we look at climate change,
power supply, sea levels,
pandemic flu, radical activists,
and riots, through a range of
formats, from a hypothetical
to a court case, debates and
symposia. Talks are free with
Museum entry. For details
about what’s coming up
next at ‘Free radicals’ visit
powerhousemuseum.com/free
radicals
I loved it. What I loved
most about the Museum,
however, was that it allowed
me to immerse myself in
another world, to connect
to experiences and places
that I’d never been to before.
For those few hours I was
a scientist, an inventor, an
explorer. I was no longer a
nine year old kid from Sydney’s
west who wore his brother’s
sticky-taped, hand-me-down
shoes. It was great.
That year was 1988, and during
the year a photographer came
to our primary school to take
photos of school kids. He told
us it was for an exhibition at
the Powerhouse Museum.
Immediately, I put my hand
up, and he snapped a photo
of me, with an enormous grin.
For the next ten years it was
my one claim to fame – that
a photo of me was once
exhibited in the Powerhouse.
Well, here we are almost two
decades later and it’s so
wonderful to be back, and to
receive this award.
I’ve spent the last few years
working as a filmmaker,
working with people from all
different backgrounds, but
especially with those most ‘at
risk’ and marginalised. To me,
film-making is an opportunity
to immerse the audience in a
world that they’ve never been
to before, much like what the
Museum did for me when I first
came here as a child.
To me, film-making is an
opportunity to ultimately try
and make a difference to
people’s lives. We’re currently
living in times of increasing
cultural, social and economic
gaps and barriers. Through
film, I hope to bridge these
gaps and break down these
barriers. I believe that no
matter what field we work in,
and what background we’re
from, we can all make a
difference.
I am truly honoured to receive
this award. I want to thank
the Powerhouse Museum and
Wizard Home Loans, and I very
much look forward to working
with the Museum on a project
next year. I can’t wait to have
my photo in the Museum once
again.
Khoa Do, 2005 Powerhouse
Wizard, speaking at the Life
Fellows Dinner.
khoa do at nine years old photographed for the powerhouse. khoa do,
2005 powerhouse wizard with his name on the museum honour board.
2005 life fellows from left:
mr alan landis, Mr Terence measham am & mr lionel glendenning.
At the 2005 dinner held in
September four new Life
Fellows were announced
for their major contributions
to the Museum. Mr Terence
Measham AM, Director of
the Museum from 1988 to
1999; Mr David Roche, a
devoted collector of 18th and
19th century antiques and
cultural heritage benefactor;
Mr Alan Landis, a prominent
and long established Sydney
antique dealer, Powerhouse
Honorary Associate, donor
and advocate; and Mr Lionel
Glendenning, chief architect
of the Powerhouse Museum,
which won the Sulman Award
for architecture in 1988.
The second recipient of the
Powerhouse Wizard award was
also announced. The award,
sponsored by Wizard Home
Loans, was established in 2004
to recognise emerging leaders
in Australian innovation and
achievement. Three award finalists were
showcased during the
evening. Genevieve Lacey,
acclaimed recorder virtuoso,
who delighted the dinner
guests with a performace of
Nightingale by Van Eyck; Zoe
MacDonell, a textile designer;
and the 2005 Powerhouse
Wizard, Khoa Do, a filmmaker,
writer, director and actor
whose 2004 film The finished
people was widely acclaimed.
Khoa Do received the award
from Wizard Chairman and
Museum Trustee, Mark Bouris
and the inaugural Powerhouse
Wizard James Bradfield Moody. Khoa Do then treated the
audience to a preview of his
new film Footy legends which
will be released in 2006.
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Karim Rashid is a New York-based designer who has designed it all.
story_anne watson_curator, architecture and design
designer of
our time
From an award-winning rubbish bin to jewellery,
mobile phones, furniture and futuristic concept
environments, Canadian-born designer Karim
Rashid lives and breathes design. In Australia to
present the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery
Award, Rashid enthralled his audience when he
presented a talk at the Powerhouse in October.
On the eve of his first visit to Australia Powerline
interviewed Rashid about his influences, work
and interests.
You grew up in the 1960s. Do you think this
has had an impact on your love of plastics,
colour and quirky shapes? Are there any
60s/70s designers who have been particularly
influential? Behind the scenes at the Powerhouse Museum a team of volunteers generously donate their time and skill to help get many of the little jobs done.
story_rory murphy_administration, operations and services division
the quiet achievers
Often working on tasks away from the public gaze,
volunteers make a huge contribution to the success
of a museum. In the Decorative Arts and Design
curatorial department a group of special women have
been contributing more than their fair share. In fact,
between them, this group of five has contributed
more than 64 years of volunteer service to the
Museum.
Every Thursday Dorothy McLean, Beryl Dwyer, Dorothy
Green, Kathleen Mist and Beverly Prescott arrive
at the Powerhouse to lend a hand. Walking by the
curatorial offices you would hardly know they are
there, but their work does not go unnoticed. ‘It’s great
to know we can rely on them so much,’ says Lindie
Ward, Assistant Curator, Decorative Arts and Design.
At a sprightly 85 years of age Dorothy McLean
is something of a phenomenon. She has been
volunteering at the Powerhouse since 1985. Almost
every Thursday for 20 years Dorothy has travelled
from Maroubra, in Sydney’s east, to the Powerhouse
to lend her particular talent.
As an apprentice ladies tailor at David Jones in the
1930s Dorothy learnt how to sew. Seventy years later
those skills still come in handy when she sits down
to create yet another deluxe padded coathanger,
each one helping to care for the Museum’s valuable
costume and textile collection.
Dorothy estimates that over the years she has
created hundreds, if not thousands of the special
coathangers that line the racks in the Museum’s
collection store. Her all time favourite garment in the
collection is a white dress, encrusted with Swarovski
crystal, famously worn by Lady Sonia McMahon while
dining with President Nixon at the White House in 1971. ‘It’s so important that the garments we have are
treated carefully. Hanging in storage for such long
periods could really deteriorate the items if it weren’t
for Dorothy’s hangers,’ says Lindie Ward.
Dorothy has no intentions of calling it a day any time
soon. ‘I remember when I was 68 telling a friend that I
was only going to stay until I was 80, and here I am at
85,’ she says with a laugh. clockwise from left: Kathleen mist (front), beverly prescott, dorothy green, beryl dwyer and dorothy mclean. photo by sue stafford.
I am usually excited by new projects. I am
presently working on a restaurant in Long Island
that will open in October; a future house in
Toronto for January 2006; a jewellery collection
for Georg Jensen; some LCD televisions and
hard drives for La Cie in France; a mobile
phone; cleaning products; vacuum cleaners
for Dirt Devil; and many furniture projects. I am
also writing a book called Design your self:
rethinking the way you live, love, work, and play
for Harper Collins / Regan Books for January
2006 release. Sorry that is more than five! So
much to do and so little time.
I always loved plastic, since I was a child. I can
remember the objects in my bedroom that
played a significant and formative role in my
life. I treasured an orange oversized clock radio
by Howard Miller; a light grey plastic desk fan
by Braun; a white plastic Claritone stereo; and a
yellow Kartell mushroom lamp. Plastic was the
material that I naively knew was the material of
our contemporary world – even at the age of 10.
You are incredibly busy – what do you do to
relax?
Yes we were born in a creative context. My
father was so inspiring; he designed everything
possible, from movie sets to furniture to clothes.
He was an artist and set designer for film and
television. I realised my life's mission at the
age of five when I went sketching with my
father, drawing churches in London. He taught
me to see – he taught me perspective at that
age – and he taught me that I could design
anything and touch all aspects of our physical
landscape.
karim rashid reclining in one of his own chairs. photo by ilan rubin.
Describe five of your designs you are most
satisfied with and why?
Yes, in fact I was born in 1960 and today as
I write it is my birthday. I am 45 but feel 25.
When I was young I imagined a world that was
robotic. I was probably inspired by the ‘utopic’
visions of the time, of a world that would be
seamless with technology. I went to Expo 1967
in Montreal almost every day with my father and
brother, and the world I saw being shaped, by
people like Buckminster Fuller, George Nelson,
Marshall McCluhan, Isaac Asimov, Philip K Dick,
and so many others, was a world that I was
hoping I would grow up in. AND THAT WORLD
IS HERE. Your brother Hani is a well known architect.
Did you grow up in a creative environment?
The other women in the group seem similarly intent
on continuing their support. Clearly enamoured with
the time they spend at the Museum they all agree
that they get out what they put in. Being around the
curatorial staff lets us see all the hard work that goes
into the exhibitions,’ says Beryl Dwyer.
Today the largest growth potential is
everywhere, in every context, due to the
renaissance of design as a popular subject and
not a marginal one. Every product needs to be
thoughtfully designed, and this is happening
now – every banal product is getting a
‘makeover’. I have been designing water
bottles, shampoo bottles, soap dishes and
garbage cans – objects that were previously
not considered to be in need of design. Design
must deal with the modus of our time, of human
behaviour, of contemporary technologies, new
materials, and smart design.
How do you explain the current global design
‘explosion’? Is it here to stay or is the current
level of interest in design just a passing
fashion? My country house – I try to go as often as I can.
It is my hermetic divide. I never thought I would
buy a house in the country because I have so
many allergies to grass, trees, pollen, etc. And
the city fumes; the urban stench works well with
my system. It is hard for me to imagine doing
nothing for a day but I am keen to witness the
guilty pleasures of hedonism.
Have you been to Australia before? Do you
have any r+r plans while you are here? What
do you want to see/do in Sydney?
I don’t believe in r+r. I believe in using the mind
always, exercising it. I exercise the body six
days a week, and the soul. With perfect balance
and harmony you automatically have r+r always
and a stress-free existence.
I hope to learn and see and engage with
everything I can. I have never been to Australia
but I know that Australians have produced
some of the best films in the world, and great
music. The beauty of the country is omnipresent
in the world and in our minds.
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See the extraordinary collection of costumes that have contributed to the performance, style and changing image of pop diva Kylie Minogue.
story_Margot Anderson, Assistant Curator, the Arts Centre, Melbourne
kylie: an exhibition
Kylie Minogue has scaled the heights of
international stardom to become one of
Australia’s most famous exports. Since the
late 1980s we have watched her remarkable
transformation from the ‘girl next door’ to
the ‘princess of pop’. Her story is now being
told through Kylie: an exhibition, a travelling
exhibition from the Arts Centre, Melbourne,
opening at the Powerhouse on Boxing Day.
The exhibition grew from Kylie’s gift of
over 300 costumes to the Arts Centre in
2003 and explores the pivotal moments of
a career spanning 20 years, through the
themes of ‘Music and video’, ‘Tours’, ‘Special
performances’, ‘Style’, and ‘Icon’. A sixth theme,
‘Image’, looks at Kylie through the lenses of
well-known photographers from around the
world.
Kylie continues to evolve as a performer and
this exhibition highlights her ability to reinvent
herself through costume. Her journey from the
small screen to the international stage can be
clearly traced through the designers with whom
she has collaborated. With outfits by world
famous designers such as Stella McCartney,
Dolce & Gabbana, and Alexander McQueen,
Kylie gives us rare access to the glamorous
tools of a living legend’s trade.
Kylie won the hearts of audiences both in
Australia and overseas in the 1980s as Charlene,
the tomboy mechanic in Neighbours, and she
held on to elements of this character in early
videos like ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ (1989). The
video for ‘Better the Devil You Know’ (1990) set
Kylie on a new course and introduced us to the
hot pants that have since become one of her
signature looks. Kylie’s decision to join independent English
recording label deConstruction in 1993 signalled
a new direction both musically and stylistically.
The costumes worn in videos from this period,
such as ‘Did It Again’ (1997), exemplify Kylie’s
flair for theatrics and add a bit of humour to the
mix. Here we see four different ‘Kylies’, styled
to reflect the labels given to her by the media;
‘Cute Kylie’, ‘Sexy Kylie’, ‘Indie Kylie’ and ‘Dance
Kylie’ are exaggerated versions of costumes
she appeared in throughout the 1990s.
The costumes worn on tour give us an insight
into the rigour of live performance. Kylie’s
costumes are truly ‘working’ garments and by
the end of a tour the wear and tear of multiple
costume changes, microphone packs and
make-up is evident. As well as showing the
decorative techniques employed to enhance
the impact of a performance, through trims
such as sequins, crystals and fringing, the
costumes also reveal more rugged measures,
like industrial strength zips fitted to withstand
the demands of highly physical choreography
and rapid costume changes.
The wardrobe for the KylieFever2002 tour
was designed by Italian duo Domenico Dolce
and Stefano Gabbana (Dolce & Gabbana)
and involved eight costume changes. They
incorporated cutting-edge fashion statements,
such as the combination of stiletto heels and
bulky combat trousers, with references to the
cult film A clockwork orange. Kylie launched the album Body Language with
a special one-off performance at London’s
Carling Apollo Theatre. With extravagant
staging and a hand-picked audience the
concert unveiled a brand new image for Kylie
and featured costumes designed by leading
international names Helmut Lang, Chanel and
Balenciaga. The gold hot pants worn in the video for
‘Spinning Around’ form the centrepiece of the
exhibition’s ‘Icon’ theme. Like so many of Kylie’s
costumes they mark an important moment
in her career and are instantly recognisable
outside the dedicated circle of Kylie fans.
Found in a flee market for 50p, the hot pants
have gone on to become a legend in their own
right as has the famous white, hooded jumpsuit
worn in the video for ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My
Head’. After drawing record crowds to the Arts Centre
during its three-month-run in Melbourne,
Kylie began touring the country in May
2005. The exhibition has been shown at the
National Portrait Gallery in Canberra and the
Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
Kylie: an exhibition opens at the Powerhouse
Museum on 26 December.
See the exhibition and get the full Kylie experience with a special program that includes choreography, karaoke, tours and talks about costume design.
star struck summer holiday program
Powerhouse SingStar
TM
4-28 January, 11.00 am, 1.00 pm and 3.00 pm
Sing live on stage to some of your favourite pop tunes with SingStarTM by Sony PlayStation®2. Free with Museum entry.
Play space
Join Museum mascots Zoe and Cogs in the play space for lots of fun Kylie activities. For children
under 8 years old.
4-28 January, 11.00 am – 3.00 pm
Free with Museum entry.
Do the Locomotion
See and hear the Fotoplayer, a mechanical music-maker from the silent film era, accompany Kylie
singing her first number one hit ‘Locomotion’.
4-28 January, 3.30 pm, Kings Cinema
Free with Museum entry.
Make your own music-video
Kylie is famous for her captivating music-videos. Have a go at creating your own music-video in this
one-day workshop. Recommended for children aged 11-16 years.
10 January, 10.00 am – 3.30 pm
$100/$70 members.
From Charlene to showgirl
Join the exhibition curator from the Arts Centre, Melbourne for an exclusive insight into the Kylie
Minogue costume collection.
4 February, 1.00 pm
Free with Museum entry.
d factory
From Velcro to duct tape, this special d factory reveals some of the tricks used for live stage
performance and their impact on costume, prop and set design.
23 February, 6.00 – 8.30 pm
Free.
Kylie ultimate dance
Express yourself on the dance floor for this celebration of Kylie performances and participate in
sessions with Kylie choreographers and dancers. Suitable for all ages.
18-19 March, 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Free with Museum entry.
For program updates visit powerhousemuseum.com/kylie
photo © Darenote Ltd 2004
clockwise from left: KylieFever2002 tour, ‘Silvanemesis’, bra, mini skirt and choker by Dolce & Gabbana, arm bands by Johnny Rocket, boots by Jimmy Choo. photo by Ken McKay; Intimate and Live tour, 1998, detail of showgirl costume by michael wilkinson for the sydney 2000 olympic games, collection of the powerhouse museum; ‘Spinning Around’, from the album Light Years, 2000,
directed by Dawn Shadforth, halter neck top with choker by Alexander McQueen, shorts by Stella McCartney for Chloé; ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ from the album Fever, 2001, directed by Dawn Shadforth, jumpsuit by Fee Doran for Mrs Jones. photo Copyright EMI records Ltd, courtesy Parlophone Records.
powerline summer 05/06
members enjoy rare, behind the scenes access to the museum collection.
A drug called Relenza joins the Museum’s collection.
story_sandra mcewen, Curator, biotechnology
’
taking on bird flu
An Australian drug called
Relenza (pictured above),
which can be used to treat
influenza, has recently joined
the Museum’s collection of
drugs that mark medical
milestones. By way of
comparison, the development
of this type of drug is as
significant to the treatment
of viruses as Penicillin was in
the battle against bacterial
disease.
It’s been 88 years since the
Spanish Flu swept the world,
killing more than 40 million
people. Today another
unusually virulent strain of
flu is brewing among the
wild bird populations of Asia.
The flu virus spreads easily
to domestic birds and it
devastates poultry industries. Humans aren’t normally
affected by bird flu, and
vice versa, but every so
often a virus mutates and
jumps the species barrier.
Just over 100 people in Asia
have caught the new bird flu.
More than half of them have
died. So far the virus isn’t
contagious among humans
but, if it mutates enough
to be easily transmitted
from person to person, the
pandemic will begin. Some
experts fear the worst. High
population densities, tourism
and international air travel
will ensure its rapid spread. It
will take about six months to
make a vaccine after the virus
emerges in its final form. Antiviral drugs like Relenza
will be the first line of defence
against such a new virus.
Relenza works by immobilising
the virus, making it unable
to leave infected cells. The
scientists who designed
Relenza identified one site
that never changes on a flu
virus, no matter how many
times the virus mutates. They
determined the shape of that
site, then designed a molecule
to target and bind to it. It
effectively stops virus particles
from spreading throughout
your body, thus reducing the
intensity of symptoms and the
risk of secondary infection.
In 1996 the scientists shared
the Australia Prize for Science
for their outstanding efforts.
Their research was supported
financially by CSIRO and by
a small Melbourne-based
company called Biota
Holdings which had, in 1986,
acquired the intellectual rights
related to the discovery of the
drug. In 1990 Biota Holdings
reached an agreement
with the giant UK-based
pharmaceutical company
Glaxo to develop, test and
market the drug. Relenza was
launched in 1999 after five
years of clinical trials.
Two months after Relenza was
launched, another anti-viral
drug was released worldwide.
Its design is extremely
similar to that of Relenza and
was based on the original
Australian research. It was
developed by the Californian
company, Gilead, together
the
inside
story
with the Swiss company,
Hoffman-La Roche. That drug
is marketed as Tamiflu and
is administered as a tablet
rather than as an aerosol like
Relenza.
terry mooney leads the october members tour. photo by marinco kojdanovski.
We are delighted to announce
a new program of curatorled tours starting in 2006.
The tours will be held on the
first Thursday of the month
and provide members with
privileged access to the
Museum’s stored collection.
Each month a different curator
will take participants into the
object store to view some of
the Museum’s most fascinating
objects and hear their stories.
Tours are of the basement
store in Harris Street and
are followed by morning
tea and further discussion
A legal dispute between Biota
Holdings and GlaxoSmithKline
over the marketing of the
drug followed. Until May 2005
Relenza had only 3 per cent
of the anti-flu market but
following a favourable report
in The Lancet, countries
have subsequently started
stockpiling millions of doses
of Relenza.
with the curator. We regret
Museum policy means that
children under 12 cannot be
admitted. However, children
can see selected dolls from
the collection when they are
brought out for viewing in
the Museum at our inaugural
‘mothers and daughters’ event.
Another new initiative in
2006 is a series of curatorled walking tours. The first in
the series, a walking tour of
Pyrmont and Ultimo, with Anni
Turnbull, curator of Australian
History & Society, is on
Thursday 9 February.
+
news and photos
+
prizes to be won
+
exclusive events
+
family activities
+
special offers
members
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Members e-newsletter
If you would like to receive the regular Members
e-newsletter with updates on all members events
please call (02) 9217 0600 or email members@
phm.gov.au with your membership number and
e-newsletter in the subject line.
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from the
members
manager
With its story of brilliant
research, corporate intrigue,
and legal wrangling, Relenza
has already earned its place
in the Museum’s collection.
If world health experts’ worst
fears are realised, Relenza,
together with Tamiflu, might
save millions of lives.
Disclosure: The author and
her family own shares in
Biota Holdings.
the members lounge on level 5 is a great place to relax
and enjoy complimentary refreshments while the kids play.
This summer we’re very
excited to introduce a new
look Powerhouse events
calendar. In response to your
requests, we have expanded
the members calendar to a
Museum-wide events listing,
so you can choose the
events that take your fancy.
Of course, we will continue
to offer exclusive, membersonly events – marked for easy
reference.
The Powerhouse and Sydney
Observatory are brimming
with an array of tours, parties,
workshops and talks for
the whole family to attend
this summer. As well as a
new suite of curator-led,
behind-the-scenes tours,
we have also organised a
very special members-only
tour of the Museum’s digital
photography department.
This is a rare chance to see
Museum photographers at
work capturing images of the
collection (see article on page
3) and to see what happens
to these images in post
production.
So make sure you browse
the events listing and book in
for a fun-filled summer at the
Powerhouse Museum. Finally,
we would like to wish you and
your families a very safe and
happy holiday season and
we hope to see you in the
Members Lounge this summer.
Leonie Crane, Members
Manager
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december
Sunday 4 December
Thursday 8 December
Free radicals – Desalination: is it worth its salt?
First quarter moon viewing
The debate Sydneysiders want to have! With a long
history of soiling our water sources – from tank
stream to Centennial Park – will this solution to a
changing climate simply make for a drier future?
View the moon through Sydney Observatory’s
telescopes and find out about the lunar phases and
lunar landings in our 3-D Space Theatre.
Coles Theatre, 2.00 pm
powerline summer 05/06
Expand your creativity this summer at one of our digital media courses in the SoundHouse VectorLab.
(opposite page) The Museum’s new mascots, Zoe & Cogs, bring Museum objects and stories to life during the summer school holidays. kylie minogue, On a Night Like This
tour, 2000, tailcoat, trousers and waistcoat by Pamela Blundell, mini top hat by Stephen Jones, leather brogue with kitten heel by manolo blahnik.
8.30 – 10.00 pm
Cost: usual night cost, no bookings
Free monthle event, no bookings. For more information visit
powerhousemuseum.com/freeradicals
Tuesday 6 December
Introduction to Photoshop and digital imaging
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january
1840s doll given to eliza wilkins by her godmother.
8 December & Sunday 11
* Thursday
December
Boost your Photoshop skills and expand your
creativity. This course introduces all the fundamental
elements of working with digital images in
Photoshop.
An extravaganza of songs, carols and stories with
The Song Company at a discounted price. Call 02 9251 1600 or visit songcompany.com.au
SoundHouse VectorLab
8 December 8.00 pm & 11 December 3.00 pm
10.00 am – 3.30 pm
Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Macquarie Street
Cost: $150 (20% discount for members), bookings essential 02 9217 0392.
Powerhouse Members: adults $43/conc $39/under 30 $22/groups $35.
1-29 January
4-28 January
Spinning in space – a spectacular summer program
Powerhouse SingStar™
Explore Space these summer holidays at Sydney
Observatory. Dress up for a party day, take a 3-D
Space Theatre adventure and particpate in night
viewings. Sing live on stage to some of your favourite pop
tunes, including a selection of Kylie Minogue songs.
The Powerhouse teams up with Sony Playstation® to
bring you the ultimate performance experience.
Visit our website sydneyobservatory.com for the full holiday program.
11.00 am, 1.00 pm & 3.00 pm
4-28 January
Star Struck
february
Introduction to 3-D graphics
A free range Christmas with The Song Company
Free with Museum entry, no bookings.
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Wednesday 14 December
This intensive workshop takes you through the key
elements for creating and working with 3-D, vectorbased graphics.
SoundHouse VectorLab
10.00 am – 3.30 pm
Cost: $150 (20% discount for members), bookings essential 02 9217 0392.
* Tuesday 10 January
Music-video workshop for teenagers
Mix up some loops into a cool music track, create a
video clip and take it home on disk.
For ages 11-16 years.
SoundHouse VectorLab
10.00am – 3.30pm
* Friday 20 or Saturday 21 January
Suitable for ages 16+
10.30 – 12.00 pm
Cost: members $10; guests $15.
Thursday 19 January
11.00 am – 3.00 pm, weekends and school holidays
SoundHouse VectorLab
Free with Museum entry.
10.00 pm – 3.30 pm
Dr Kimberley Webber,
senior curator, Australian
history & society, shows a
selection of the Museum’s
doll and soft toy collection.
An exclusive viewing of Kylie: an exhibition, followed
by a conversation about the Kylie Minogue Costume
Collection with the curator, Janine Barrand, from the
Arts Centre, Melbourne.
6.00 – 8.00 pm
Cost: $25, members only.
summer 05/06
members calendar
*
indicates members events
The Powerhouse Shop is your perfect Christmas
shopping destination. Show your membership
card to receive 20% discount on most items and
complimentary gift wrapping.
10.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: free
Sunday 22 January
Coles Theatre, 2.00 pm
* Tuesday 24 January
After hours curator-led tour of Kylie: an exhibition
Museum curator Peter Cox hosts an exclusive afterhours, members-only tour of Kylie: an exhibition,
without the crowds!
6.00 – 8.00 pm
Cost: $20
Cost: adult $15; child $10.
* Thursday 9 February
Thursday 23 February
Walking tour of Pyrmont and Ultimo
d factory
Take a short walking tour of Pyrmont and Ultimo with
curator Anni Turnbull and discover the fascinating
history and stories associated with the area.
Host Nell Schofield and special guests talk design.
Chill out to the sound of DJs and join in the
discussion as our panel explores the creative
process and current issues in design.
10.30am – 12.30pm
6.00pm – 8.30pm
Cost: members $10, guests $15
Free monthly event, no bookings. For more information visit
powerhousemuseum.com/dfactory
Cost: $15 adults.
From Charlene to Showgirl: behind the scenes of
Kylie: an exhibition
Members Christmas shopping day
11.00 am – 12.30 pm
11.00 am –12.30 pm
* Friday 3 February
* Saturday 17 December
Free monthle event, no bookings. For more information visit
powerhousemuseum.com/freeradicals
Old-school animation in the digital age, learn all the
steps and effects and make your own original short
animated movie. For ages 11-16 years.
Health and medicine curator Megan Hicks reveals
mysterious surgical instruments, scary anatomical
models and unmentionable ladies’ things in a
basement tour of some of her favourite objects.
Suitable for ages 12+.
Cost: adult $20, child $10, family $50.
When Sydney switches on its airconditioners more
greenhouse gases are produced, raising global
temperatures and draining our power infrastructure.
Where is the line we dare not cross before personal
choices give way to the need for regulation?
Join the Museum’s new mascots Zoe and Cogs
in our new play space for a range of Kylie-related
activities just for kids under 8 years old.
Medical curiosities tour
10.30 am – 12.30 pm
Free radicals – Are we dying for a cold one?
Dollies and friends
* Tuesday 2 February
Celebrate the festive season with Powerhouse
Members. At this year’s party we’ll introduce young
members to our new Museum mascots at a sneak
preview performance of their school holiday show.
Take a tour of the Museum’s photography studio,
and see our professional photographers at work.
Stop-motion animation workshop for teenagers
Cost: Powerhouse members $70; non-members $100
(includes $30 annual student membership)
Members Christmas party
Powerhouse digital photography – behind-the-scenes
Cost: Powerhouse members $70; non-members $100
(includes $30 annual student membership)
* Thursday 12 January
* Saturday 17 December
* Saturday 25 February
Tuesday 14 February
Saturday 18 February
Valentine’s Day on Observatory Hill
Intro to Photoshop and the digital darkroom
A romantic evening of art and stars with the National
Trust S H Ervin Gallery. View the exhibition Donald
Friend and Margaret Olley followed by a night visit
to Sydney Observatory.
Ready to expand your creative possibilities? This
course introduces the fundamental elements of
working with images in the Photoshop environment.
Learn to edit digital images in Photoshop and get
tips on how to improve your photgraphy skills. No
need to bring a camera. For ages 11-16 years.
SoundHouse VectorLab
SoundHouse VectorLab
10.00am – 3.30pm
10.00am – 3.30pm
$150 (20% discount available for members), bookings essential 02 9217
0392
Cost: Powerhouse members $70; non-members $100
(includes $30 annual student membership)
6.30pm – 9.30pm
Cost: $60 per person, includes drinks, supper and parking/$50 Powerhouse
& National Trust members. Bookings 02 9217 0485.
how to book for members events
Unless othewise stated, bookings and pre-payment
are essential for all events. You can book online at
www.powerhousemusuem.com/members or by phone
on (02) 9217 0600 for events at the Powerhouse
Museum. For bookings for Sydney Obervatory phone (02) 9217 0485.
Three full working days (Monday – Friday) are required
for a refund for Powerhouse events. Unfortunately
we can’t refund or transfer bookings for SoundHouse VectorLab workshops.
All events are held at the Powerhouse Museum unless otherwise stated. All
dates, times and venues are correct at time of publication.
Digital darkroom for teenagers
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powerline summer 05/06
powerline summer 05/06
Locomotive No 1
detailed model
Director of the Kyoto costume institute akiko fukai with local designer Akira isogawa. designer jenny kee,
with the exhibition curator louise mitchell, akiko fukai and judith wheeldon,
powerhouse museum board member.
members
scene
Sure to be the most original
and creative gift to give or
receive this Christmas, this
highly detailed model of the
famous Locomotive No 1 will
provide enjoyment in the making
(detailed instructions provided)
and much pleasure in admiring. Great results and no experience
required! RRP $12.95
Powerhouse members were
among the fashionista who
flocked to the Museum for the
opening of The cutting edge:
fashion from Japan.
photos by Marinco kojdanovski.
Name a star
marion von alderstein with jennifer sanders, deputy director of the museum.
Powerhouse publicist jo dunlop with masahiro nakagawa.
jane de teliga and daughter emma.
mieke leppens (left) with carla zampatti (right) and daughter Bianca.
nakagawa sochi designers (tokyo recycle project #15)
masahiro nakagawa, elli takahashi, shawn and lica azechi with powerhouse museum associate director mark goggin.
mary shackman and friends.
This unique gift from Sydney
Observatory will last for more
than a lifetime — the chance
to name a star for a special
person or special occasion.
The Name-a-Star pack includes
certificate, catalogue listing, star
chart and passes to Sydney
Observatory. Our members preChristmas price is $200. For
inquiries phone (02) 9217 0485.
Genevieve scarf
Artychoke necklace
Bohemian style is a dominant
theme in fashion collections this
summer, combining elements
of ethnic and vintage with a
modern sensibility. Personalise
and complete your look with
gorgeous, one-off Genevieve
scarves, and Artychoke
jewellery. Each piece features
carefully selected materials,
pieced together to reflect the
hand of the maker.
the powerhouse shop is your one-stop christmas shopping destination. try these items for starters.
christmas gift guide
scarf RRP $220
necklace RRP $550
Solar LED spotlight
win this gollum banner (right) from the lord of the rings motion picture trilogy - the exhibition.
D
members
prizes
If your membership is valid at
30 April 2006 you will qualify
to go into a draw to win one of
the following fabulous prizes.
Keep an eye out for your
membership renewal in the
mail, call the Members Office
on 02 9217 0600 or renew
online at powerhousemuseum.
com/members
Original promotional banner
from The Lord of the Rings
Motion Picture Trilogy – The
Exhibition (pictured)
Congratulations to Cyna Strachan,
winner of the members prize to participate in Tokyo Recycle Project #15 (see story on pages 16-17).
Tell us in 25 words or less
why you enjoyed your visit
to The Lord of the Rings
Motion Picture Trilogy – The
Exhibition, to win this original
banner and be the envy of
collectors worldwide. To enter
visit powerhousemuseum.
com/members/competition
Hasbro Toys family fun packs
valued at $500 each
Each pack includes classic
favourites like Play-Doh,
Monopoly, My Little Pony
and Star Wars collector
packs. Simply ensure your
membership is valid at
30 April 2006 and you will
automatically go into the draw.
The Everlite combines a solar
panel, NiMH batteries and
a 50 lumen LED lamp in a
neat package that’s great for
camping. The batteries can be
recharged about a thousand
times without losing capacity
and can store enough energy to
keep the lamp running for up to
24 hours.
(12 hours) RRP $139.95
(24 hours) RRP $169.95
Inspired! notebook
A beautifully designed notebook
to commemorate the Museum’s
new permanent decorative arts
and design gallery Inspired!
Design across time. Feturing
full colour reproductions of 26
objects from the exhibition, this notebook is an ideal stocking
filler and a gorgeous gift in its
own right. RRP $19.95
Star Struck showbag
Bag includes: tiara, feather ring,
lip gloss, bracelet and Total Girl
magazine. RRP $12.95
(feather boa sold separately)
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powerline winter 05
Japanese designers breathe new life into fashion cast-offs and sentimental favourites in their Museum workshop.
story_helen whitty and maki taguchi, education and visitor services
tokyo recycle project #15
‘I am sending you this garment that I have treasured
these past years,’ says Mother to her son Hyoma,
a tailor. Hyoma and his mother are characters in
the Hyoma recycle story, written and illustrated by
Masahiro Nakagawa, leader of the group of fashion
recyclers known as Nakagawa Sochi.
The Hyoma recycle story explains the philosophy
underpinning this complex and exciting project,
recently seen in its entirety at the Powerhouse
Museum. From 24 September to 9 October 2005 the
Nakagawa Sochi team – Masahiro Nakagawa, Rika
Koiwa, Jun Koiwa and Eri Takahashi, supported by
volunteer students from the Sydney Institute of TAFE’s
fashion design school – created a unique design
studio called Tokyo Recycle Project #15. The project aimed to break the fashion cycle by
taking old clothes and textiles – along with the
stories and sentiments attached to them by their
owners – and transforming them into something new.
Visitors could also take part in this unique creative
experience by watching the team at work and
chatting with them during special daily sessions. The project culminated in a spectacular fashion parade
showcasing the outcome of two weeks of intense
design work.
The Museum was especially interested in the project
because it brings to life the exhibition The cutting
edge: fashion from Japan (on show until 29 January
2006) and also tackles an issue very close to the
Museum’s heart and history – that of sustainable
design.
The project had already been a huge hit in New
York, Hong Kong and Japan, before coming to
the Powerhouse. Participants came from Sydney,
Melbourne and Canberra to claim 50 places,
available at three levels of transformation:
Level 1: a minor transformation in the form of a
screen-print or other topical application.
Level 2: cutting, shaping, and reassembling, into
something suitable for everyday wear.
powerline spring 05
Story one: Simon Schwab
and Claudia Brueheim
A designer at the Museum, Claudia was
involved with the project from the beginning
supervising Katherine Dicker (design intern)
in the creation of the temporary workshop.
Claudia and Simon decided to participate
together, so the challenge was to make one
garment that would fit them both.
=
After: From pants and a dress comes a hooded shirt for both Claudia and Simon.
Story two: Cyna Strachan
Cyna, aged 13 years, was the winner of
the Members special draw and one of the
youngest participants. Cyna’s mother Beth
read the Members bulletin and with Cyna’s
love of unusual clothes and interest in
Japanese culture in mind, signed her up.
Before: Cyna selected these garments she had purchased from an op shop.
After: Cyna’s new skirt with a bold Union Jack motif.
images clockwise from left: Masahiro fine tunes Jenny Kee’s dress. Jenny had a box full of garments transformed into a spectacular haute couture dress, which has been donated to the Museum collection; jeans and a shirt are become a stylish dress; masahiro’s sketches for jenny kee’s dress; the team use a draping process to shape clothing directly onto a mannequin.
here jun adjusts and pins a garment, ready for sewing; jenny kee’s dress starts to take shape; several garments combine to make a dress that can be worn in different ways; masahiro in his purpose-built production workshop in the museum’s turbine hall; jenny kee’s dress on the catwalk; jun makes final adjustments to a garment. photos by marinco kojdanovksi.
+
after
before: Simon was wearing these pants when he first met Claudia. On the other hand Claudia had hardly worn the dress but she loved its cut and cloth and couldn’t throw it away.
Level 3: a haute-couture garment.
To begin the project, participants came to the
Museum for a one-on-one consultation with Masahiro
Nakagawa. The conversation, forms, letters and a
Polaroid shot served as a reminder to the designer
throughout the process. Here are some of the stories.
before
before
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after
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A refreshed Boulton and Watt steam engine is back in action. how did this industrial marvel help to shape the modern world?
gathering steam
Imagine travelling back in
time to 1785 to view Samuel
Whitbread’s marvellous new
steam engine, one of the
first rotative engines in the
world. While the form of the
engine is familiar, you notice
some essential differences.
The most obvious is that the
rocking beam and the tank
are made of timber rather
than cast iron. The tank holds
James Watt’s most significant
innovation, the ‘separate
condenser’, to which steam
is vented and then cooled
on each stroke; it made his
engines much more efficient
than earlier ones by allowing
the cylinder to be kept hot
rather than alternately heated
and cooled.
The flyball governor, which
controls engine speed by
reducing steam flow, is
missing. The sun and planet
gears, which convert upand-down to rotative motion,
and the parallel motion
mechanism, which connects
the piston rod to the beam,
are both simpler in form. And
the rim of the huge flywheel,
which maintains momentum
and smoothes the motion, is
only about half as thick.
The hidden difference lies
in the steam supply to the
cylinder and the valves that
control it. The engine is singleacting: steam pushes the
piston down on each stroke
and momentum carries it
up. (The change to doubleacting, with steam pushing
in both directions, occurred
in 1795 and increased the
engine’s output from 10 to 15
horsepower.)
The engine has put a team
of horses out of work, but the
huge horizontal wheel they
were harnessed to is still in
place, ready to take over if
the engine breaks down. Via
sets of gears and wooden
shafts, the engine drives the
rollers that crush malt, an
Archimedes screw that lifts
the crushed malt, a hoist that
lifts bags of malt from the
yard, a three-cylinder pump,
and apparatus to stir the vat.
In addition, a pump hanging
from the beam lifts water from
a well in the yard to a rooftop
tank. Not bad for an engine of
10 horsepower, or 7.5 kilowatts,
about the same power as a
golf buggy!
The engine’s piston, at work
inside the cylinder, is not
visible. One of similar type,
probably made in 1839 and
still in the engine in 1887 when
it was retired from service in
the brewery, will be placed on
display shortly.
But how did the engine come
to be in Sydney? One of
the founding trustees of the
Museum, Professor Archibald
Liversidge, was in London
in 1887 and heard that the
engine was being dismantled.
He asked the brewery’s
owners to donate it to the
Museum. They agreed on
condition that it be ‘erected,
exhibited and kept in good
order for the benefit of the
public.’
When the engine arrived there
was no place for it in the
Museum. It was several years
before an engine house was
erected for it to share with
Locomotive No 1. An electric
motor was later attached
to turn the engine over for
interested visitors; however,
few of them asked to see
it. The planetarium, plastic
woman and Strasburg Clock
model were much bigger
drawcards.
So the decision to return the
engine to steaming order
was significant; Liversidge’s
acquisition, and the Museum’s
most valuable object, would
finally be seen by a majority
of visitors. Since 1988 visitors
have come from all parts of
the world to see it, the oldest
rotative engine in existence.
The engine recently had a
thorough clean and is now
back in action. Great new
views of the engine have been
created from the decorative
arts and design gallery
Inspired!
Why is an old steam engine
of interest in the information
age? One reason is that,
while the mechanical age
might have passed, we still
depend on mechanism. In the
areas of agriculture, transport,
manufacturing, and water and
energy supply, mechanism
keeps things chugging or
zipping along, but most of it is
hidden from view. The beauty
of a steam engine is that
much of the mechanism is
visible and easily understood;
and the basic principle of
a piston working inside a
cylinder is also at work in
modern engines.
The other reason why this
old engine is still of interest
is that it represents the
great changes brought
about by the advent of the
rotative steam engine to turn
existing machinery – and
new machines such as those
for spinning and weaving
invented from the 1760s.
Industry no longer relied
on wind, water and animal
power; workers left the land as
engines helped work it more
efficiently; towns became
cities and cities expanded;
and our present dependence
on fossil fuels began. And
Boulton and Watt’s preeminence in the field helped
Britain maintain its economic
might – and thus helped to
shape the modern world.
Debbie Rudder
Curator, Engineering
and Design
detail of the Boulton & Watt steam engine. photo by jean-francois lanzarone.
The Powerhouse Foundation Anniversary
Appeal was launched on 1 September 2005
with the aim to raise $50,000 by the end
of the month. We are delighted to report
that target was tripled and the Foundation
raised over $155,000 during September.
The Anniversary was celebrated at the Life
Fellows Dinner on 23 September, where the
Foundation was launched one year earlier.
The Life Fellows Dinner was attended by key
Museum stakeholders, including the Foundation
Ambassadors [pictured].
The second President’s Circle luncheon also
took place with guest speaker Justice Geoffrey
Robertson QC, who delivered a fascinating
speech covering topics ranging from the Ashes
to child slavery and the trial of Sudam Hussein,
to the value of museums to humanity. The Hon
Bob Carr was guest speaker for the November
luncheon.
On behalf of the Powerhouse Foundation I
would like to thank all those who have given
their support in the first year and look forward
to welcoming new and renewed donors in the
year ahead.
Melissa Smith, Foundation Executive
61 2 9217 0564 or [email protected]
Recent Donors
Ross McNair
Anne Nelson
Dr Gene & Mr Brian Sherman AM
Trust Co of Australia Ltd
Richard Flynn
Ian & Joanne Ritchie
Stephen & Johann Gray
The Stockler Family
Murray Doyle
Anonymous
Dr Marion Freedman-Lobel
Marco & Angela Belgiorno-Zegna
Dr Kevin Fewster AM & Ms Carol Scott
Mr Brian Sherman AM & Dr Gene Sherman
Drs David & Wendy Thoreau
Christopher Vassall
Jennifer Stuckey-Clarke
Kevin Parker
Judith Campbell
Graham & Helen Wilson
Angela Carter
Stephen & Johann Gray
Anonymous
Dr John Gambrill
Joy Marchant
Miles Armstrong
Lucy Bantermalis
Margaret Stevenson
Geraldine Bull
Stephen McNamara
Mr & Mrs David Calmyre
Barbara Rogers
Mary Ryland
Simon Pagett
Ian & Vicki Londish
Alan Olsen
Barry Casey
Jack & Diana Ritch
William L. Chapman
Mrs Prudence Board
John F. B. Egan
Celebrating the success of the Foundation Appeal at the Life Fellows Dinner, from left: Jack Ritch,
Foundation Ambassador; Melissa Smith, Foundation executive; Christina Sumner, Curator, International Decorative Arts & Design; Diana Ritch, Ian Ritchie, and Joanne Ritchie, Foundation Ambassador.
photo marinco kojdanovski.
21
+ 021
summer
powerline spring
0505/06
Buy one of these fabulous recent titles
and get up to three books from the list
below for half price and no extra postage!
The cutting edge: fashion from Japan
MEMBERS PRICE $31.45
these behind-the-scenes photos show a glimpse of the biggest exhibition installation since the Powerhouse opened in 1988.
Inspired!
brought to you by...
The Museum’s new permanent decorative arts
and design gallery Inspired! Design across
time opened on 6 October 2005 and occupies
pride of place leading from the Grand Foyer
of the Museum. As well as showcasing around
800 objects from the Museum’s world-class
decorative arts and design collection, the gallery
also integrates a new vista for the treasured
Boulton & Watt steam engine and Strasburg
Clock model.
Following many years of planning and
development, the construction of showcases
and grand architectural structures commenced
in June 2005. Staff from all museum
departments were drawn together, including
curators, designers, editors and print production,
marketing and media, conservators, registrars,
audio-visual and interactive production and the
workshop, as well as numerous outside contractors.
On the move: a history of transport
in Australia
MEMBERS PRICE $32.95
Greek treasures: from the Benaki
Museums in Athens
MEMBERS PRICE $35.95
The 800 objects on display were brought in
three weeks prior to opening. The need to
sequence the installation of these objects
was vital, and making sure the right people
were available at the right time was one of the
biggest challenges.
The most satisfying moment in a project of
this scale is being ready for opening night.
A museum’s strength is in the combined
knowledge and experience of its staff. On
this project everyone truly delivered and the
most satisfying outcome for all has been
the overwhelmingly positive response to the
exhibition. True to its title, the exhibition will
continue to inspire!
Ross Clendinning,
Exhibition Coordinator
Yesterday’s tomorrows:
the Powerhouse Museum and its
precursors 1880-2005
MEMBERS PRICE $44.95
1000 years of the Olympic Games $26.95 / members $14.83
Australian gold & silver 1851-1900
$24.70 / members $12.35
Bayagul: contemporary indigenous
communication
$17.95 / members $8.98
Cars and culture: our driving passions
$26.95 / members $14.83
Contemporary silver: made in Italy
$35.95 / membesr $17.98
Pathways through paradise: oriental rugs from
Australian collections
$22.45 / members $11.23
Visions of a republic: the work of Lucien Henry
$40.50 / members $20.25
Women with wings
$22.45 / members $11.23
See the mailorder insert in this issue.
opposite PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: Einar Docker and Julius Medgyessy from the Museum’s Registration department position the Moraine sofa by Zaha Hadid (see back cover); Assistant Registrar Sarah Pointon places a glass bowl, ‘Violet Macchia’, by Dale Chihuly, USA; Conservator Keith Potter and the Strasburg clock model;
Curator Eva Czernis-Ryl ensures a group of 1950s Italian glass is in the right position; Conservator Keith Potter and Graham Coughlan from Workshop moving the Rowe Street graphic panel; Conservator Kate Chidlow dresses a mannequin. THIS PAGE: Conservator Tim Morris and Julius Medgyessy install the ‘Lockheed Lounge’ by Australian designer Mark Newson. photos by jean-francois lanzerone.
Powerhouse books are available
from the Powerhouse Shop, bookstores
and mailorder. For more information
or to order contact Powerhouse
Publishing on (02) 9217 0129
or email [email protected] www.
powerhousemuseum.com/
publications
Remember, members receive 10% discount on all titles from the Powerhouse Shop and mailorder
summer
powerline spring
0505/06
hot summer offer from powerhouse publishing
20
+ 020
+
powerline spring 05
observe
+ 022
marvel at galaxies and imagine the possibilities of life beyond earth.
7
starry
spirals
Spread across the vast
emptiness of space are
big families of stars we call
galaxies. Some galaxies look
like fuzzy balls, others have a
beautiful spiral shape like the
shell of a snail. Astronomers
estimate the number of
galaxies visible through a
large telescope is about
100,000 million galaxies, each
containing about 200,000
million stars, plus vast clouds
of gas and dust that are the
building blocks of new stars.
All the stars, dust and gas
move around the centre of a
galaxy, like planets moving
around the sun.
In 1924 astronomers
demonstrated we live in a
galaxy called the Milky Way. In
the 1950s, using radio waves
emitted by hydrogen gas,
astronomers mapped the
location of all the hydrogen
gas in our galaxy and
discovered we live in a spiral
galaxy. At night you can see
our galaxy as a glowing band
of light among the stars.
Spiral galaxy. image coutesy NASA/HST.
RIGHT: stonehenge. PHOTO BY NICK LOMB.
powerline spring 05
The powerhouse museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the following organisations
+principal partners
DICK SMITH
sport: more than heroes & legends
Dick Smith Australian Explorer Bell 206B Jetranger III helicopter
Greek treasures: from the benaki museum in athens
powerhouse museum @ castle hill
powerhouse wizard
GREEK TREASURES: FROM THE
BENAKI MUSEUM IN ATHENS
+partners

The expanse of our galaxy
is about one million, million,
million kilometres. Astronomers
measure distance in light years
– the distance light travels in
one year. Our galaxy is about
100,000 light years wide. The
sun and nine planets that
make up our solar system
travel through space at a
speed of 240km every second.
This means the sun travels
one light year every 1400
years, taking about 250 million
years to orbit once around the
centre of the galaxy.
the moon at
a standstill
2006 is a year of major lunar
standstill. This does not mean
the moon will suddenly stop
moving; rather it means that
the moon’s monthly swings
towards the north and south
in the sky will reach their
maximum possible values
during the year.
A famous astronomer once
said, ‘If you count every single
grain of sand on every beach
on Earth, there are still more
stars in the night sky spread
through all the galaxies across
the universe.’ The possibilities
for life beyond the Earth are
truly mind boggling.
From 1 January 2006 see
our new 3-D show ‘Spinning
in space’ with astronaut Tom
aboard the International Space
Station.
the moon’s surface.
photo by nick lomb.
During each month the rising
point of the moon on the
horizon changes from being
south of east to being north
of east, and then back again.
The setting point changes
similarly. Astronomers working
on ancient monuments coined
the term ‘standstill’ to refer
to times when the moon’s
monthly motion along the
horizon is at an extreme value.
On Friday evening 27 January
2006 Professor Ray Norris,
deputy director of the Australia
Telescope National Facility, will
talk about his past research
on ancient European sites,
such as Stonehenge and
Callanish, and his current
research into the astronomy
of the Australian Aboriginal
people, who have been
watching the southern sky for
tens of thousands of years.
Professor Norris’s lecture
will be Sydney Observatory’s
prestigious annual ‘By the
light of the southern stars’
lecture and will be in the S H
Ervin Gallery, adjacent to the
Observatory.
Nick Lomb, Curator of
Astronomy
Coles Theatre, Target Theatre,
Grace Bros Courtyard, K Mart studios
+senior partners
EcoLogic: creating a sustainable future
Our new 3-D show
‘Spinning in Space’
explores spiral galaxies.
Martin Anderson,
Astronomy Educator
+ 023
kylie: an exhibition
museum mascots: zoe and cogs
+supporters
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
Mincom Limited
SBS RADIO
Arab Bank Australia
NSW Treasury
d factory
Life Fellows Dinner 2005
the cutting edge:
fashion from japan
THE CURIOUS ECONOMIST:
WILLIAM STANLEY JEVONS in sydney
THE CURIOUS ECONOMIST:
WILLIAM STANLEY JEVONS in sydney
engineers australia, sydney division
Poloxygen
engineering excellence 2005
inspired! design across time
indesign magazine
nova 96.9
d factory
kylie: an exhibition
marie claire
Railcorp
the cutting edge:
fashion from japan
Locomotive no 1
+platinum corporate members
+gold corporate members +silver corporate members
boeing australia
adobe
Arab Bank Australia
PDC Creative
jcdecaux
capital technic group
TAFE NSW: SYDNEY INSTITUTE
thomson playford
lilyfield printing
Dunlop Flooring Australia
THOMSON TELECOM AUSTRALIA
massmedia studios
hasbro
Weir Warman Ltd
multiplex
MACQUARIE BANK FOUNDATION
NHK technical services
nsw department of lands
sinclair knight merz
pettaras press
transgrid
street vision
SoundHouse™ Music Alliance
SoundHouse™ music & multimedia laboratory
sydney designers unplugged:
people, process, product
Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour
the powerhouse museum is a statutory authority of,
and principally funded by, the nsw state government.
THE CURIOUS ECONOMIST:
WILLIAM STANLEY JEVONS in sydney
Official Sydney Hotel
electrolux
electrolux global design laboratory
tabcorp
+foundations
+australian government partners
+ state government partners
reserve bank of australia
australia council for the arts
australian research council
department of foreign affairs
and trade
casino community benefit fund nsw
for more information on sponsorship opportunities and giving to the powerhouse museum please contact miranda purnell on (02) 9217 0577.
GORDON DARLING FOUNDATION
japan foundation
SUNTORY FOUNDATION
VINCENT FAIRFAX FAMILY FOUNDATION
exhibitions at a glance
december 2005_january_february 2006
The cutting edge: fashion from Japan
Engineering Excellence
Level 5, until 29 January 2006
Level 4, Success and Innovation gallery From 17 December 2005
Showcases the work of 19 Japanese
designers including pioneers Rei
Kawakubo, Issey Miyake and Yohji
Yamamoto, and the work of a new
generation who continue to challenge
Western notions of fashion, such as
Junya Watanabe, Jun Takahashi and
Hiroake Ohya.
Inspired! Design across time
Level 4, Decorative Arts and Design Gallery
Featuring fashion, furniture, textiles,
glass, graphics, ceramics and
metalwork. Inspired! surveys 300
years of decorative arts and design. Discover the power of objects and
the pleasure of people who use and
treasure them.
Kylie: an exhibition
Level 3, from 26 December 2005
Spanning the 17-year music career of
Kylie Minogue, this exhibition features
a collection of Kylie’s fabulous stage
costumes by top international fashion
designers. The exhibition, which was
developed with the co-operation of
Kylie, her team and family, also includes
photographs, accessories, artwork,
awards, sound and video.
Outstanding engineering projects
from the Engineers Australia, Sydney
Division, Engineering Excellence
awards.
Australian Design Awards
Level 4, from 17 december
The Powerhouse selection from the
Australian Design Awards features
outstanding achievements in design.
DesignTech 2005
Level 3, from 6 December 2005
DesignTech showcases outstanding
major design projects by 2005 Higher
School Certificate students of Design
and Technology. This annual exhibition
features furniture, fashion, graphic
design, architecture and industrial
design.
Strasburg Clock
Powerhouse Membership
It makes a great gift!
I wish to join Powerhouse Members
I wish to renew my membership
Membership number (if renewing):
INDIVIDUAL
1 year2 years3 years
Standard
Concession/country*
$77
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$54
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*Concession applies to full-time students, seniors, pensioners, unemployed.
Country members must live more than 150 km from Sydney GPO.
HOUSEHOLD**
1 year2 years3 years
Standard
Country/concession
$127
$85
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$153
$90
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** 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.
Name to go on first card
Name to go on second card
Level 4
Following a long period of preservation
work the treasured ‘Strasburg’ model,
based on Strasbourg Cathedral’s
famous astronomical clock, returns
to a new location next to the new
decorative arts and design gallery,
Inspired! Design across time.
Card number (for concession memberships)
I wish to give a gift membership
GIFT MEMBERSHIP RECIPIENT
Paradise, Purgatory and Hellhole:
a history of Pyrmont and Ultimo
Name
Level 3 – Australian Communities Gallery Until July 2006
Address
Experience some of the many human
stories from a community that hasn’t
stopped shifting and changing from
rural estate to industrial suburb and
today’s highly developed urban
environment.
Postcode
Phone number (BH)
Email
Please send the membership to
The giver
Directly to the recipient
Future renewal notices to be sent to:
The giver The recipient
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From left: neck ruff by JUNYA WATANABE, FROM THE CUTTING EDGE:
FASHION FROM JAPAN. Photo by taishi hirokana. courtesy kyoto costume institute. MARILYN SOFA by studio65 FROM THE EXHIBITION
INSPIRED! DESIGN ACROSS TIME. vintage gold hot pants, ‘spinning around’, 2000, from kylie: an exhibition, a touring exhibition from the arts centre, melbourne.
exhibitions at
Sydney Observatory
Works wonders: stories about home
remedies
Nyngan and District Museum
Until 11 December 2005
By the light of the southern stars
Look behind the Southern Cross, hear
Aboriginal stories about the sky and
see instruments from Australia’s first
major observatory.
Geocenter, Broken Hill
travelling exhibitions
Southland Museum, Invercargil,
New Zealand
17 December 2005 – 12 February 2006
Fruits: Tokyo street style
3 February 2006 – 27 March 2006
Until 12 February 2006
Email
Number in household
Greek Treasures: from the Benaki
Museum in Athens
adults
children
PAYMENT DETAILS
Total cost of membership: $
I would also like to make a donation to the Powerhouse Foundation of $
to help build our collection (donations over $2.00 are tax deductible).
Total amount to be paid $
I enclose a cheque/money order for this amount made payable to
Powerhouse Members.
Please charge this amount to my credit card:
Visa Sport: more than heroes and legends
Queensland Museum, Brisbane
Fax
Amex Card number
M/card Diners B/card
Expiry /
Immigration Museum, Melbourne
Gambling in Australia: thrills, spills
and social ills
Until 28 May 2006
Wollongong City Gallery
Cardholder name
Signature
Until 29 January 2006
Date that gift should be received by
+
While all effort will be made to meet deadline, please allow 14 days processing.
Give a gift membership
www.powerhousemuseum.com
TURN OVER FOR DETAILS
Please complete all relevant sections and return to the members department:
+ By fax on 9217 0140 + By post to: Powerhouse Members
PO Box K346, Haymarket, NSW 1238 or phone the Members hotline on 9217 0600.
from the
collection
Iraqi-born, London-based
Zaha Hadid is one of the
most innovative architects
of her generation. Hadid’s
radical design concepts have
created a new architectural
language that has extended
the boundaries of both
design and construction
technology. Like her buildings,
the Moraine sofa – part of a
suite of furniture inspired by
glacial forms called ‘Z-scape’
– breaks new ground in its
abstract, asymmetrical shape
and reflects the role of digital
design technology in Hadid’s
creative process. Hadid was
awarded the highly prestigious
Pritzker Prize for Architecture
in 2004. The sofa is on display
in the exhibition Inspired!
Design across time.
Zaha Hadid, Moraine sofa,
polyurethane foam, dyed and treated cow-hide, designed 2000,
made by Sawaya & Moroni, Italy, 2004.
Purchased with the assistance of Sawaya & Moroni and Hub,
Melbourne
ISSN 1030-5750
03
9
771030
575004
www.powerhousemuseum.com