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Canberra Today 25°/29° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Canberra Confidential: Hard(hat) love

 

Hardhat models, from left, sod-turner Sport Minister Andrew Barr, Brumbies GM Andrew Fagan and UC’s vice-chancellor Prof Stephen Parker.
Hardhat models, from left, sod-turner Sport Minister Andrew Barr, Brumbies GM Andrew Fagan and UC’s vice-chancellor Prof Stephen Parker.
CC loves the flash, Brumbies-style hardhats, but we think the models at the turning of the first sod at the University of Canberra’s new Sporting Commons shouldn’t give up their day jobs.

Sport Minister Andrew Barr says the Government has committed $5 million toward the development, which will merge high-performance sport, community sport and educational opportunities.

The Commons will include an ACT Sports Hall of Fame, a new headquarters for the Brumbies, sports studies teaching and research facilities, a bocce court and new student sports facilities. Special Olympics and ACTSPORT will also call the new building home.

Up the pole

ONE Forrest resident with a flagpole is bemused at taking a call from the security gate from a television production company wandering the sumptuous streets of the inner-south looking for a suitable property for outside shots of an imagined Pakistani high commission. Apparently, it’s for an upcoming series being filmed for the ABC (“The Chaser”). Has no-one told them the Pakistan High Commission is actually in Timbarra Crescent, O’Malley?

Free, at last

CC’s Cooleman Courtier alerts us that Liberal MLA Giulia Jones’ election (October) bannery plastered in the window of a deserted restaurant in Weston Creek has finally been removed.

Dance mystery

THE Irish dance spectacular “Rhythm of the Dance”, the September 12 show they say was one of the most anticipated events of the year, has been cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances”, which is usually code for poor ticket sales. The announcement rather dramatically revealed that “at the eleventh hour” the organisers “met and brainstormed but unfortunately no solution could be found”. Oh, no! That’s terrible. Er, solution to what? They don’t say. Nor did Viv Hill at the Canberra Centre when CC tickled her up for the reason.

Super Catherine

THERE’S no stopping ACT Property Council executive director Catherine Carter, just back from a sabbatical in France and, clearly, raring to go, go, go! The caterers must have still been washing dishes up at Parliament House from the council’s glittering gala ball when she sends out a save-the-date alert for next year! Great Hall, August 1, 2014, at 6.30pm, if you’re interested.

Radio daze

IT seems everyone but the cleaner at Radio Canberra (2CC and 2CA) has reached the finals of the Australian Commercial Radio Awards, to be held in October in Brisbane. The two stations have achieved a record nine nominations: Mark Parton, Best Current Affairs Presenter; Mike Welsh, Best Current Affairs Presenter; David Sharaz, Best Show Producer (Talk & Current Affairs); Sarah Bannerman, Best Show Producer (Talk & Current Affairs); Peter Davidson, Best Multi-Media Execution (Sales); Mark Parton, Best Talk Presenter; Mike Welsh, Best Talk Presenter; Nathan Harrison, Best Direct Salesperson and Kirsten Lim-How, Best Newcomer Off Air.

Operatic cabaret

Fleur Millar.
Fleur Millar.
HAS opera had its day? Is it too elitist? Singer Fleur Millar doesn’t think so and will prove it in “Opera and Me” her personal cabaret, to run on the tiny stage at Smiths Alternative, August 23 and 24. CC hears Smiths has been searching high and low for a Madame Butterfly-style sword. Bookings to 6247 4459 or books@smithsbooks.com.au

Have a heart

THE ACT Heart Foundation is looking for 3500 volunteers “from across the state” to take part in its annual Big Heart Appeal next month. The big hearted ones are needed to doorknock 20 houses apiece in aid of the $225,000 target to help the fight against heart disease, the number one killer of Australian men and women. Sign up at heartfoundation.org.au/bigheart or call 1800 552255.

Happy and glorious…

GATHER round, chaps, as Philip Benwell, chair of the Australian Monarchist League, offers the dribbling droogs of the Fourth Estate a delicate lesson in Royal protocol, to wit: “It is not correct to refer to The Queen as ‘Queen of England’. In fact, there has been no such monarch since 1707 when Queen Anne signed into law the Act of Union between England and Scotland and thus created Great Britain.

“Therefore, Her Majesty should be referred to as ‘The Queen of the United Kingdom’ or in Australia: ‘Queen of Australia’ or ‘Her Majesty’ – not ‘Her Royal Highness’ as some reporters have used.

“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are ‘Their Royal Highnesses’, not ‘Majesty’ as some Australian reporters have mentioned. The baby boy will also be known as ‘His Royal Highness’.”

The wandering M

WE’RE not sure what the proof-reading department was looking at when it was checking its self-promotional advertising in the hardy “Bungendore Mirror” recently. Lucky it was being paid for only in reputation.

 

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