Culture Buff
Captain James Cook. Wedgwood and Bentley, c.1779
Donald McDonald
From The Australiana Fund Collection. Portrait medallion, Captain James Cook. Wedgwood and Bentley, c.1779 blue jasper ware in original gilt frame (12x9 cm)
Three speakers: one is Director of The Royal Collection comprising over a million objects in 13 royal residences across the UK; one is Gardens Advisor to Historic Royal Palaces and President of the London Parks and Gardens Trust; and one is Curator of Maritime Art and History at Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts. This remarkable trio is coming here at the invitation of The Australiana Fund to participate in a symposium – Narratives of Nations – at the Australian National Maritime Museum on Saturday 15 June.
Tim Knox is Director of The Royal Collection which is held in trust by The Queen for Her successors and the Nation; he will talk about the trust, which cares for the collection and shares it with the wider public. Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, a landscape designer, will discuss his role in the conservation and re-presentation of the great parks and gardens at Hampton Court and Kensington Palaces. Daniel Finamore will talk about revelatory rediscoveries in an old museum maritime collection. These three guest 'stars' will be joined in this important day-long symposium by a distinguished panel of Australian experts to discuss aspects of discovery and draw out connections with the wonderful collection of The Australiana Fund which is housed and used in the nation's four official residences: Government House, The Lodge, Admiralty House and Kirribilli House. Non-members of The Fund are welcome; enquiries – austfund@bigpond.net.au
Ko wai Koe (Who Are You) 2005 from the series The Odyssey of Captain Cook by Marian Maguire
James Cook items, Treasures Gallery, NLA, Canberra
Portrait of Rear-Admiral William Bligh (detail) Alexander Huey, 1814
The Memory Pool