News – Forthcoming Events
Pedder Dreaming: Olegas Truchanas and a Lost Tasmanian Wilderness by Dr Natasha Cica, the Director of the Inglis Clark Centre for Civil Society at the University of Tasmania, was launched nationally on 17 September at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. The book was launched by Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. You can read the Governor-General's speech here and Dr Cica's speech here. For details of Dr Cica's book, click here.
The national launch followed events in Hobart with Sir Guy Green, Chair of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and the Ten Days on The Island arts Festival (speech here); in Launceston with Professor David Rich, the Provost of UTAS; and in Melbourne with political analyst George Megalogenis from The Australian.
Futher events were held in Sydney with broadcaster and commentator Rebecca Huntley, on Bruny Island with Dr Graham Bury, Mayor of Kingborough Council and in Burnie with Professor Janelle Allison, the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Regional Development at the University of Tasmania.
For Tasmanians, the name of Olegas Truchanas is synonymous with the loss of Lake Pedder. Slide shows of his haunting photographs of the lake before its inundation by the Hydro Electric Commission played to standing-room-only audiences in the late 1960s. Truchanas, for some time a clerk at the Hydro, was prevented by his employer from speaking out about the destruction of what he saw as one of the jewels of the Tasmanian landscape. Instead, he let his pictures speak for him. So powerful were the images that a campaign to save the lake sprang up; while it did not succeed, it formed the foundation of a robust environmental movement.
Olegas had spent many years exploring and photographing the wilds of Tasmania and was the first non-indigenous person to traverse many parts of the rugged interior of the island. The 1967 bushfires destroyed his home and with it virtually his entire collection of images. He set out to retrace his exploration and recording of the wilderness, but in 1972, while photographing the Gordon River as part of his mission to replace his lost slides, he was tragically drowned (Text courtesy of Tasmanian Times).
2012 – The Lake Pedder story is to be re-told and interpreted in writer and director Scott Milwood's forthcoming television documentary series Arcadia: a history of environmentalism.
The series will consist of four one-hour episodes, one of which is to be named Lake. This episode will explore the possibility of environmental reconciliation through the prism of the restoration of Lake Pedder, the global movement to address climate change and the absorption of environmentalism into the international politic.
Scott remains deeply committed to the restoration of Lake Pedder, believing that to undo the mistakes of the past will provide a great inspiration to the world.
The series is being developed with a BBC, ABC (Australia) and CBC (Canada) audience in mind. Professor Peter Singer and Professor Roderick Nash have agreed to be script consultants and to collaborate on the series.
Screen Australia is supporting the project, and is committed to matching dollar for dollar (up to $40,000) whatever development funding Scott is able to raise privately. Scott has therefore set up a structure whereby 100% tax-deductible donations may be made at the project's page at the Documentary Australia Foundation.
News – Recent Events
21 August – 31 October 2010 – At a Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) exhibition In the Balance in Sydney, the work of Olegas Truchanas featured in a newly digitised and remastered version of his legendary audio visual presentation on Lake Pedder. This presentation is justly famous, having done so much to raise awareness about this exquisite and precious Australian landscape in the years immediately before it was flooded.
June 2010 – Singer/songwriter Bruce Watson's recent song Lake Pedder Again released on his new CD Balance. Download Lake Pedder Again.
13-15 November 2009 – Bruce Watson, in Launceston for the launch of Helen Gee's latest book Tasmanian Songman Ronnie, performed his new song Lake Pedder Again at Launceston's bohemian venue Chalmers over the weekend 13–15 November. The David Neilson poster of Lake Pedder featured prominently in the backdrop, which linked the demise of the Tasmanian Aborigines, the end of convict transportation, federation, reconciliation and the environment, with Pedder being the great symbol for the transition to a restored society. The message being, If we can reclaim Pedder we can undo other great wrongs.
12 February 2009 – Event to celebrate publication of the book Pedder: The Story. The Paintings by Max Angus, at gleebooks, Sydney. Over 200 people attended this event at which Peter Thompson chaired a panel featuring Geoffrey Cousins, Tom Uren and Helen Gee in a discussion of Lake Pedder and other Tasmanian environmental struggles.
Peter Fagan (NSW Representative) spoke on behalf of the Lake Pedder Restoration Committee. For his speech, click here.
For details of the book click here. Many thanks to Fullers for their wholehearted support of the Max Angus book project.
2 November 2008 – Launch of Pedder: The Story. The Paintings by Max Angus at Fullers Bookshop, Hobart.
The keynote speaker was the Honourable William Cox AC, former Governor of Tasmania; for his speech, click here.
Courtney Wise spoke on behalf of Tasmania's youth. For Courtney's speech, click here. Author and artist Max Angus was present and also spoke.
25 September 2008 – Tasmanian premiere of Scott Millwood's documentary film "Whatever happened to Brenda Hean?" at the State Cinema Hobart.
The documentary tells of the Tiger Moth plane which was lost off Tasmania's East coast on its way to Canberra in 1972, with pilot Max Price and passenger Brenda Hean on board. An inexplicably brief official search off Tasmania's East Coast between Hobart and Flinders Island revealed no trace of the plane or its occupants. Mystery surrounding the disappearance was intensified by the discovery that the hangar in which the plane was kept had been broken into the night before the flight. The mystery of the crash and the total disappearance of the plane and its occupants has never been explained.
Purchase DVD of the documentary.
Click here to read the review in Hobart's daily newspaper The Mercury of 25/9/08.
Scott Millwood has also developed his research into the Brenda Hean mystery as a fascinating book.
3 August 2008 – Premiere of Whatever happened to Brenda Hean? at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
News – Events Archive
28 – 29 September 2007 – Extracts from an opera inspired by the life of Olegas Truchanas were performed at the Playhouse Theatre in Hobart. The libretto, written by Natasha Cica examines Olegas' life in Lithuania and Tasmania and his involvement in the campaign to save Lake Pedder. The music was composed by Constantine Koukias whose company IHOS Music Theatre & Opera produced the opera.
9 September 2007 – $100,000 reward offered by filmmaker Scott Millwood for information that solves the mystery of the disappearance of Brenda Hean and Max Price (see newspaper clippings about the disappearance of Max Price and Brenda Hean and the reward in Resources).
8 September 2007 – a Memorial Service for Brenda Hean and Max Price was held at 11 AM at Scots Church, Bathurst Street Hobart. The service marked 35 years since the disapperance of Max Price and Brenda Hean There were speeches by Senator Bob Brown and others – Order of Service.
October 2006 – Wildflower Spectacular featuring installation by the Lake Pedder Restoration Committee celebrating the famous Pedder beach and flora from the surrounds, Hobart City Hall
September 2006 – Geoff Parr's solo exhibition Persicope: a view from the original Lake Pedder Beach at Hobart's Carnegie Gallery. The exhibition covered 25 years of work on issues of conflict and conservation. It is mixed media with computer generated images, photos and light box installations.
25 August 2006 – Pedder Cards Released. Melva Truchanas and Bob Brown launched two greeting cards featuring previously unreleased images of Lake Pedder captured by Olegas Truchanas. The cards (see images below) are published as a tribute to Olega's memory and to his pioneering work in raising consciousness of Tasmania's threatened natural beauty. The cards also serve to promote awareness of the possibility of restoring Lake Pedder to its original state. The cards can be purchased from the Green Shop, 83 Harrington St, Hobart – Phone (03) 6236 9334.
December 2004 – Reflections 10, the 10th edition of the Lake Pedder Restoration Committee newsletter Reflections was released. This was the final issue in this format, the Committee having since moved to a less formal newsletter format to keep members informed. Read Reflections 10.
December 2003 – The Pedder 2000 (Victorian Branch) AGM was held. It was decided that another walk along the old Pedder track from the Strathgordon Road to the north should be organised for 2004.
October 2003 – Australian Geographic No 72, Oct-Dec 2003 featured the story of the 30th anniversary commemorative walk (see below) and the placing of a time capsule onto the submerged shores of Lake Pedder. This article includes some superb photographs, including a view of Lake Pedder from the Frankland Ranges taken by Peter Dombrovskis.
2003 – Release of the documentary film Wildness written and directed by Scott Millwood, produced by Michael McMahon for Film Australia, which examines the legacy of Olegas Truchanas and Peter Dombrovskis, two of Australia's greatest wilderness photographers. For more on the film click here.
Late 2002 – Dimensions on the ABC featured a documentary about Lake Pedder prepared for the 30th anniversary of the flooding of the lake.
April 2002 – The 30th anniversary of Pedder's flooding was commemorated in Tasmania. After an emotional ceremony at Maydena, young and young-at-heart Pedder supporters followed the original route into Lake Pedder with journalists and photographers. A time capsule containing 'messages to the future' was lowered into the waters of the Huon-Serpentine impoundment, awaiting rediscovery when the dam is drained. Included in these messages was that of botanist David Bellamy:
"Lake Pedder will rise again, pink dawn of the Green Renaissance."
May 2000 – Reflections of Pedder: a night of celebration was held in Melbourne. More than 300 people attended to raise more than $3000. Dr Geoff Mosley, Karen Alexander, Brian Walters and Rob Sitch shared thoughts of hope. An excellent slide and film presentation featured.
