Vanessa Proctor from Sydney and Gregory Piko from Yass have collaborated in writing a book of haiku that celebrate the joys of parenthood from the creation of a new life through to early childhood. The book is titled Blowing Up Balloons: baby poems for parents and is published by Red Moon Press. Vanessa and Gregory will be launching Blowing Up Balloons (BUB) in both Sydney and Yass over the coming weeks with everyone invited to attend. The Sydney launch will take place at 2pm on Saturday 25th March at The Children’s Bookshop, 6 Hannah Street, Beecroft. The Yass launch will take place at 2pm the following Saturday, 1st April, at Tootsie’s café and gallery which can be found at 289 Comur Street, Yass.Catherine Yass - Aeolian Piano A unique opportunity to experience the artist Catherine Yass’ latest film work ‘Aeolian Piano’ at the RIBA The film screening within the Florence Hall is free of charge and the film will be looped throughout the evening.
The panel discussion at 7pm in the Bistro Space is ticketed. For one special evening the Florence Hall in the RIBA will host Catherine Yass’ latest work ‘Aeolian Piano’. Yass, who was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2002, works primarily with film and photography. She describes her films as temporal drawings, often capturing architectural sites from unusual vantage points. In 2002 her film ‘Flight’ documented BBC Broadcasting House from a remote-controlled helicopter and she has also filmed locations such as building sites at Canary Wharf in her film ‘Descent’ (2002) by lowering a camera upside down through the morning mist. ‘Aeolian Piano’ was developed with architectural producer Francesca Hughes. Alongside the screening in the Florence Hall, a selection of RIBA and BBC archive collection photographs will be on display showing the BBC Television Centre in construction and later in use by BBC staff. A panel discussion between Catherine Yass;
Robert Seatter, Head of BBC History; Francesca Hughes, partner of Hughes Meyer Studio and author; and Alice Cicolini, White Noise will take place in the space opposite the Florence Hall. The discussion will be chaired by architect and academic, Mark Campbell. ‘Aeolian Piano’ is one of a series of 8 works commissioned by White Noise, signalling the departure of the BBC from its iconic site in west London which is now under redevelopment. The film, showing a grand piano suspended by a crane and floating in a circle high above the BBC Television Centre, pays homage to this visionary building. The circular structure of the TV Centre embraced the world and reached out to it, with the BBC aspiring to be a global voice. It also looked inward, suggesting the BBC as 'the living room of the nation'. 'The piano in some way stands for the Arts which the BBC does so much to promote, and for the freedom of expression which is so fundamental to the BBC and needs to be defended at all costs.
His younger brother H. Inigo Triggs became a well-known architect and garden designer; the architect Inigo Jones was a family connexion. Educated at Chiswick College, London, and Dr Harris's school at Worthing, Sussex, Arthur arrived in Sydney in 1887. In May he joined the Bank of New South Wales; following a number of temporary appointments, in November 1888 he became accountant at the Yass branch. On 29 June 1892 Triggs married Maria Sophia Ritchie (d.1897) at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Yass. In July 1896 he took six months leave and, with Abraham Wade, bought 8000 wethers; acquiring Wade's interest, he sold them at a profit and in February 1897 resigned from the bank. On 6 March 1901 in the same church he married Mary Maria McBean (d.1945). Operating on a definite plan, Triggs realized that stock could always be bought at profitable rates as long as he had the land to receive them. He bought and leased a string of stations from Bourke to Kiandra—including Fort Bourke, Wirchilleba, Tara, Merri Merrigal, Wollogorang, Douro, Willie Ploma, Wee Jasper and Talbingo—so that his travelling stock were never far from his next property.
He gave close attention to subdivision and rabbit destruction, and usually ran from 250,000 to 500,000 sheep, as well as some cattle. Using an elaborate system of book-keeping, Triggs operated from bank-like premises in Cooma Street, Yass, before moving his office to Sydney in 1915. Attributing his success to loyal staff, he recruited good men (like his chief inspector Hugh Stewart and secretary John Fraser), paid them well and trusted them implicitly. He often bought without inspection and was able to sell large mobs solely on his own report, or that of his staff, thereby building up a trusted clientele. He started many men on the land through financial assistance. His scale of operations was important in maintaining sheep values in parts of New South Wales through his ready purchase of surplus stock. It was said that 'when Mr Triggs was prosperous, Yass was prosperous'. Drought, financial stringency and the outbreak of World War I forced him into bankruptcy in 1915 with debts of about £1.5 million.
After wool prices rose, he was marketing 12,000 bales; by 1921 he had paid off all his creditors with 5 per cent interest which earned him a public testimonial from the citizens of Yass. A Greek, Biblical and Shakespearian student, Triggs had an informed appreciation of literature and art. On visits to London he took advice at the British Museum and frequented William Spencer's bookshop. He collected valuable medieval manuscripts, Bibles, incunabula, autographs, Dickensiana, ancient coins, pictures and other objets d'art, mainly in Britain and Europe. His wife collected laces made for royalty. Triggs published a Catalogue of the Collection of Historical Documents and Autograph Letters (1924), but his cherished intention to establish a small Dickens museum at Yass went unrealized. Reading and numismatics were his main recreations; he belonged to the Australian and Warrigal clubs (Sydney) and the Junior Carlton (London); despite his friendship with Sir George Reid, he took little interest in politics.
Slightly built and of middle height, with a receding hairline from his thirties, Triggs was very much the cultivated and courteous Englishman, beloved by many for his quiet and genial nature. He was especially generous to the Yass hospital (of which he was president), to various local social works and to sporting bodies. He provided a holiday house at Manly for his managers and their families, and each Christmas entertained state wards and their guardians. Triggs died of a coronary occlusion on 9 September 1936 at his residence, Linton, Yass, survived by a daughter of his first marriage, by his wife and by their two sons and two daughters. He was buried in the local cemetery. Probate of his estate was sworn at £21,460. In 1938 his rare collection of about 2500 coins was given by his widow to the Nicholson Museum of Antiquities, University of Sydney. An impressive gateway, paid for by public subscription, was erected in his memory at the entrance to Victoria Park, Yass, in August 1939.