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Last weekends display, Conflict and Consequences.

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I just wanted to share with you the background to some of the display Conflict and Consequences and how we (Friends of Willow Court) were able to put it together last weekend. It was easy to get information about wars and times of conflict and it was easy to access documents that told us of the Hospital’s history but the challenge was to see where these two subjects intersected and the people who were involved. The research was done over a reasonable length of time and we had access to a Historian, the Archives Office of Tasmania, the Tasmanian Military Museum and private collector and also we had connections with families. These family connection were what was the most humbling because we were being told of family stories of pride, sorrow and pain. To be able to listen to each of these stories and come to an understanding of that place, that time, and that horror was educational and highly emotive for us, the researchers. A simple thanks doesn’t seem to suffice sometimes. We were able to show the completed stories to some of those families and that was a delight. For a short time we were able to understand the journey that they had to have and some continue to travel.

The history of mental health issues post war is well documented and now days is recognised as post traumatic stress disorder but previously throughout the history of this condition, could have been known as “shell shock”, “melancholy” or simply being “depressed”. It is a condition that some live with and for others it was too much to endure on the human spirit. The hospital’s admission rate increased during these time of world conflict as found in the graph below.img001 Matron Morey and others returned from areas of conflict themselves and either joined or rejoined the hospital staff. It was these people who supported those that came back only to find life too hard, especially after time spent in camps as a prisoner of war.

Some other interesting things we discovered during our research was that a lot of records were used as paper pulp because of the paper shortage experience at the time. Most of the paper was imported from Britain, even the Mercury and Examiner both wrote to the Hospital regretfully informing the administration that they could not longer supply free newspapers. Times were tough when you consider that was the main means of communication with events from abroad and locally. Some files were written on coloured paper as staff were asked to use and reused what ever paper they could including the carbon copies that were often different in colour than the original documents. Some records were also lost during the second world war in particular because of the need to make more paper and this was frustrating when Dr Crabbe came to write the history of Lachlan Park Hospital after his own war service and return after being a prisoner of war. He saw the files before he departed for war and on his return lots had gone. His book was on display last weekend and we had a voice over of the introduction (below).

Here is a small selections of photos of the display.

 

 

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Willow Court For Sale or Lease

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for sale WC
The Derwent Valley Council are about to discuss and ratify an expression of interest for the sale or lease of the Willow Court Heritage Precinct.

On Thursday the 26th of February I attended a public workshop with the Derwent Valley Council. This workshop didn’t have an agenda, but I assumed rightly so that it was about the future of Willow Court. From the public gallery where I sat the Councillors were to my right, Cr. Damian Bester who has been a long-time supporter of Willow Court and was elected after a few years of non-action at the site and after a public meeting he stood for Council, next to him was Cr. Lathey who at one stage voiced that he was on the Council in 2000 when the site was disposed of by the State Government. Alongside Barry Lathey are two of the newly elected Councillor’s, Frank Pearce and Paul Belcher. In the middle was the Mayor, Martyn Evans and to my left were the remaining Councillors Ben Shaw, Julie Triffett and James Graham.

We waited for any members of the public to come in and ask any questions of their elected Leaders during an open section of the Council meeting, but no-one took that opportunity. Later a representative, from the Friends of Frascatti sat in the back row behind me, next to the only other interested group representative, Aiden Sullivan from the Paranormal Investigation Unit.

The Mayor opened the session up with thoughts of the Councillors, one after the other they expressed their collective view of the future of Willow Court. There had clearly been much thought that had gone into what was being presented. We all listened as Barry Lathey started with his history from 2000, the “transaction good and bad” and we had “used up all the money for the site” and his disappointment of where we are at now. Damian Bester was “frustrated by the delay” with the now estimated new handover time of April\May 2015. Paul Belcher called it an “absolute eye sore” but it was Frank Peace who started to alert the Friends Committees to the Council’s direction when he stated that it would be opened up for “international expressions of interest”. This became a clear and a repeated theme as each Councillor expressed where they were at. It was the Council’s general opinion that all State and Federal funding resources had been totally exhausted and that the Port Arthur Authority are not interested in taking on the site.

Cr. James Graham had the idea of raising the collective rates by 8% and the Mayor quickly calculated the return, while a good idea it would be a brave Council that lifts the rates during a time of hardship and high unemployment, it would be what Sir Humphrey Applebee (Yes Prime Minister BBC Television) would call a “courageous decision”. It has shown that this Council had exhausted all ideas and funding options except for a generous donor who would have big pockets. At least $10 million dollars is needed to finish the conservation work to the desired standard as described in the conservation plan. The donor would then be able to run the site as a fully conserved tourist attraction.

The Mayor then opened up the floor to comments from the interested parties and there were a number of questions and responses. The APIU want a full plan to operate the site and this will be ready in 5 month, the Friends of Willow Court also will have a plan nearing completion soon to also operate the site. The Councillors all agreed that this was an unsafe site and that only a small number of rooms have had work and the remaining site is in a poor condition.

We all left subdued and somewhat reluctant to except the future plans that the DVC had expressed but not before asking what time frame this would take? The response would be at least 12 month to present the option before the council meeting in March and get together a proposal\synopsis funding document and advertise internationally. One more question was asked and that was, what happens if there isn’t any worthwhile replies? The Council then would offer the site back to the State Government.

I have had time to mull over the conversations and the position that was put to us and I now present my own response: I have visited the Port Arthur site and the Cascades Female Factory in preparation for the Friends of Willow Court to display the Willow Court site. I have been put through Thematic training so we present a professional tour and experience as good as any other site in Tasmania. Personally I have visited world heritage sites around the world and taken tours at as many as I could to gain a bigger international picture of where Willow Court sits in an international market. I have attended meetings of the Council’s own Committee, charged with the responsibility to create, run and market events at Willow Court. I am disappointed that an expression of interest is even being considered and disappointed that all I saw from the Derwent Valley Council was a joint “throwing up of arms” in frustration.

The Mayor told the gathered people how  Associate Professor Heather Burke had opened his eyes to the potential of the site in the subject of archaeology as Flinders University plan on using the site for the next 10-20 years. During the visits, supported by the Derwent Valley Council to study and see Port Arthur and the Cascades Female Factory I have a full realisation that Willow Court has an outstanding Tourist potential. Port Arthur lacks a building that has been preserved to the standard that Willow Court has and the Cascades Female Factory has an open yard which doesn’t even have any building structure contained within it’s boundary walls and yet both of these wonderful places have a wonderful thematic interpretation that, like Heather Burke’s comment should open the eyes of the Councillors to the real opportunity. If one was to become a cynic this early into the four year election cycle you could be forgiven for believing that to get re-elected the Councillors will need to get rid of the “elephant in the room”, that being Willow Court and yet I also understand their frustration of Governments that choose not to keep Australia’s heritage assets, physically and socially, in the condition they deserve.

At a recent meeting with the Friends of Willow Court the Mayor and Friends of Willow Court Council Representative Frank Peace met with the Committee and explained the proposal. During this time one of the Committee asked what ethical/social basis would be maintained as a community standard for any owner or lease holder. The answer was this was completely open. One could assume that there may not be any standard to comply with at all and any social memory or important architecture design may not be maintained . Another question was about the sitting tenant, being the “nearly ready to move in, Community House”. What provision had the council made for having a sitting tenant? Again there appear to be no answer to this.

My belief is that the Community needs to stand up and state it’s beliefs and purposed intentions and expectations of the Heritage site and task the Derwent Valley Council with that agenda as they have already done so in the past. The expression of interest process is believed to take another 12 months, which could mean that the site sits idle for another 12 months waiting for future vandalism. This is still a “Troubled Asylum”. The only thing we know is that there won’t be a KFC in the Barracks! Click here to read the DVC’s March Agenda Item.

for lease

 

 

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Draft Logo’s for Willow Court Tasmania

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black1The possible logo for Willow Court Tasmania was designed by Zefiart of New Norfolk and was created from a joint idea from Cr. James Graham at a past working bee at the front gates of Willow Court and myself. James suggested a t-shirt design with the spikes of the fence that surround parts of Willow Court which was a great idea, the remaining stylised image and simple name was added and discussed at a meeting with the designer. After a couple of drafts a number of designs appeared and were presented to the Friends of Willow Court for consideration last week. The well known image of the Barrack building capitalises on the invalid heritage of the site which started in the early 1820’s in a wooden structure and paved the way for the barracks as we know it today. The fence design reminds us of the convict heritage and to the locked and enclosed nature of the site.

There are a number of options for use with the images, this t-shirt is just one and could be worn by staff at the site or sold as a locally produced item to the visiting tourist market. Marketing of goods like this will be part of the business plan that is almost finished and will be presented to the owners of the site, the Derwent Valley Council. The polo top below is another example of a garment that can be sold or for staff identification at the site. This was locally designed and printed in the valley.

WC shirt 009   WC shirt 010

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Friends of Willow Court on another educational behind the scene tour

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female factory 200

Another training and information gathering day last Monday, this time at the Cascades Female Factory.

First we had a tour of the site which took over 50 minutes and explored all three yards that have been interpreted. Two further yards are in private ownership and are not accessible. The lessons learnt here are, how can you offer value for money when the only things that are still in some yards are the four walls? This has been done to amazing effect and a tour without the guide would be hard to imagine. The life that the place takes on with stories and pictures from Convict Illustrator and leading authority, Simon Barnard is factual and superb. The yards are well set out according to the archaeology and are now signed and illustrated beautifully with part walls and pathways. The importance of archaeology was clear at this site. The main difference for most of the Willow Court site is that it is still standing, all but smaller, but still standing.

We then had a catch up meeting for the behind the scenes workings of the site and the training systems that are involved for each of the guides. We also explored the education and commercial side of the tours here and the activities that the site has tied to the State curriculum for grades 5 and 9.

There has been a lot of training for this group over the last couple of weeks and a brain storming sessions and meeting of the Friends of Willow Court will be held tomorrow night. There is expected to be a considerable amount of research and further work for the volunteers, who give their time and energy to seeing the vision for the Derwent Valley to own, operate and be proud of the long history of Willow Court as an international tourist attraction fully realized.

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Friends of Willow Court Chairwoman’s report.

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page 1The Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Willow Court special committee was held last Wednesday night. Guest speaker was David Llewellyn the Chairman of the Willow Court Conservation Special Committee. Mrs Anne Salt gave the committee and visiting members of the pubic a rundown of the years events and issues that the committee had been involved in. While the year has been slower than other years, it is beginning to ramp up as the immanent opening of the heritage precinct opens its doors to the public.

 

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Friends of Willow Court AGM

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Neville Rushworth WCThis Wednesday, 22nd October 2014 will be the Annual General Meeting AGM for the Friends of Willow Court Special Committee. Guest Speaker will be the Chair of the Willow Court Conservation Special Committee Mr. David Llewellyn.

The meeting will take place at the Derwent Valley Community House, The Avenue, New Norfolk at 7 pm.

There may also be some issues with parking as the Kettering Incident KTI film crew will be using the old Administration Building next door, but they hope to conclude by the time the meeting is going to get underway.

All members of the public are welcome to attend and people who are interested in joining the Friends of Willow Court are also invited. Nomination forms will be available on the day or by request. A light supper will be provided.

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Thematic Interpretation Workshop

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001Rebecca Tudor talking to Phil Fitzpatrick.

The Friends of Willow Court committee and guests attended a Thematic Interpretation workshop this week to help understand and plan for professional themed tours when the site opens in the coming months. Facilitator Phil Fitzpatrick took us through a process of understanding Thematic Interpritation and offered many examples. It wasn’t long before we started to get down to business with the interpretation overview of Willow Court. The Committee worked in small groups to discuss themes and the planned visitor experience that would align with the theories behind Thematic interpretation. Tourism Tasmania recommend that a full Thematic plan be in place with all tourist experiences and it is considered as best practice. It was also great to have Derwent Valley Council representation there to join us, Councillor Tony Nicholson has an immense personal knowledge and a passion for the Willow Court Site and how it can contribute to the Derwent Valley as a whole. A plan was created in 2006 by the Derwent Valley Council and offers a lot of insight to the contents of what a new plan would contain. Thematic Interpretation Plan 2006

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Phil going through some basic theory.

Thematic interpretation is an approach to heritage interpretation originally advocated by professor William J. Lewis (University of Vermont)[1] and subsequently developed by professor Sam H. Ham (University of Idaho). In the thematic approach, an interpreter relies on a central theme (i.e., a major point or message) to guide development of a communication activity or device. In presenting the activity or device, the thematic interpreter develops the theme in such a way that it will be highly relevant to an audience. According to studies, presenting a strongly relevant theme greatly increases the likelihood an interpreter will succeed in provoking an audience to think about theme-related issues. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thematic_interpretation009

Conservation Committee Member Anne McKinstray learning about “Convincing the Accountant”

About the facilitator:

 Phil Fitzpatrick brings 20 years of tourism industry experience to his work as an interpretative strategy consultant, and brand specialist. Phil is also the Manager of Redlands Estate in the Derwent Valley.

Description
Phil is a highly skilled and extensively trained strategic communicator and thematic interpretation specialist, combining many years of developing, presenting, training and management experience in the industry with solid teaching in the principles of thematic interpretation. His comprehensive understanding of creative methods, combined with clear processes, result in a strong focus on conveying powerful messages and meaning to target audiences. The ultimate long range value is in stregthening the brand of the client and using these methods to inform brand and market planning.

Phil’s many projects include his leading role in interpretation and design for Tasmania’s West Coast Wilderness Railway. He worked closely with staff and stakeholders on the design, development and implementation of signage and the production of an award-winning guidebook for the Railway. This project covered every aspect of the product’s interpretive content, design and delivery and was used as a case study for Tourism Tasmania’s pilot program Building Visitor Experience.

In early 2008, Phil Fitzpatrick and Maura Bedloe of Working Words joined with consultant David Inches of Inspired by Marketing to develop a major heritage interpretation strategy for a region of northern Tasmania. This project covered a wide geographical area and encompassed a diverse community, united by a section of main road stretching between the towns of Hadspen and Westbury. The team engaged deeply in research and community consultation, including an exhaustive interpretive inventory process and series of interpretive workshops involving local community and stakeholders. The project team successfully delivered an interpretive strategy that is unique in the state. No record
currently exists within Tasmania of an entire region adopting a thematic approach for implementation across multiple towns and communities.

Hierophant Projects

Phil has consulted on the following interpretation development in 2009/10

Sarah Island: Interpretive strategy, design, development implementation planning and instalation design
Lifeline Hobart: Brand strategy development and communication strategy
Tourism Tasmania: interpretive strategy for World Heritage nominated convict sites of Tasmania.
TVIN: Brand application, logo identity, creative look and feel
Elmslie Wines Tasmania: Interpretive Elements, brand application, logo identity, creative look and feel
Saffire resort: Interpretive planning, product development, training and content research and development
Bay of Fires: Brand application, logo identity, creative look and feel
The Southern Lights Hotel: Core brand development, brand application, logo identity, creative look and feel
Clarence Valley Council: Communication strategy and brand application (NSW)
Meander Valley Council and Tourism Tas: Interpretive planning for the Northern Heritage Tourism Development Plan
Port Arthur Historic Site: Development of training program and delivery of interpretation training for frontline staff
Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park: Interpretive strategy design, development and implementation planning
Lenna of Hobart (hotel): Interpretive strategy design, development and implementation planning
Gordon River Cruises (Pure Tasmania): Creative, visual interpretation
Puffing Billy Railway (VIC): brand application, interpretive strategy development, implementation planning and training
Flagstaff Maritime Museum (Warrnambool): Interpretation planning and guide training
Navigators Cruise Company: Interpretive strategy design, development, implementation planning and training
West Coast Wilderness Railway: visual interpretation development, implementation and training
Tourism Tasmania: EROT, interpretation training to industry
The Federal Group: Three Capes Project interpretive concept development
Forestry Tasmania: Interpretation review, development, implementation planning and training
Signature Experience Pilot Program, Tourism Tas: Developing interpretive planning, toolkits, training and mentoring process for seven key tourism businesses in Tasmania

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Derwent Valley Council gag order proposed.

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gag

 

An interesting agenda item is on the Derwent Valley Councils agenda for tonight’s meeting and deserves a bit of public scrutiny. The item of concern is under the heading

1.4 Powers and functions of the special committee (page 15)

  1. The Chairperson or any representative of any committee is not authorised to undertake a press release or communicate any decision of the committee prior to approval being given by the Mayor.

All information discussed and actioned from any Special Committee will now have to gain approval from the Mayor to communicate outside of that meeting.  A couple of comments are worthy here; the Mayor has been very slow in responding to requests for information from the Friends of Willow Court Special Committee. The other point to be made is how good a job is the Derwent Valley Council doing in getting the word out about happenings at Willow Court and its preservation? The last media release was in JUNE 2013, yes that is right, JUNE 2013 over a year ago, so not a record that you would be proud of.

It would appear that this is more to do with a political agenda than it is about letting the rate payers of the Derwent Valley know how their rates are being spent. Also if committee members were unable to attend a meeting, but rang the next day to ask what transpired, the Chairperson or any other committee member would have to first contact the Mayor to get permission to divulge the information. Does this rule apply to Councillors who provide information to the community via blog spots or a personal news website?

There are a great number of Special Committee’s formed by the Derwent Valley Council made up of many people freely giving up their time volunteering to progress the Derwent Valley Council’s agenda and not to deal with gag bylaws that have a political agenda.

There are normal committee processes that decisions can stay “in committee” until it is decided that it can be released, this is normal professional practice and would apply when the information is of a sensitive nature or related to ongoing inquiries or has some commercial sensitivity. Having this extra burden on Special Committees means that their work will now be locked up. In some cases for years to come.

Read the Agenda in full.

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