Viewmag_Feb17

AUSTRALIA #69 FEBRUARY 2017 

VIEWMAG.NET

VINTAGE COMICS: LITTLE NEMO 

WORDS AND ILLUSTRATION: WINSOR MCCAY 

Little Nemo is a fictional character created by American cartoonist Winsor McCay. The full-page weekly strip depicted Nemo having fantastic dreams 

that were interrupted by his awakening in the final panel. The strip is considered McCay's masterpiece for its experiments with the form of the comics 

page, its use of color, its timing and pacing, the size and shape of its panels, perspective, architectural and other detail. 

Little Nemo in Slumberland ran in the New York Herald from 1905, until 1911; the strip was renamed In the Land of Wonderful Dreams when McCay 

brought it to William Randolph Hearst's New York American, where it ran until July 1914. When McCay returned to the Herald in 1924, he revived the 

strip, and it ran under its original title until 1926, when McCay returned to Hearst. 

2 

VIEWMAG.NET February 2017

CONTENTS: FEBRUARY 2017 EDITION 

Publisher/Designer 

David Shapter 

Welcome to the online edition of the 

Australian magazine VIEW February 2017. 

viewmag@bigpond.com 

FEBRUARY 

04 Profile Akihiko Hoshide 

10 Hotel Hopping Hôtel des Trois Vallées 

18 Recipes Neil Perry’s Good Cooking 

22 Design Supersonic Business Jet 

28 Fashion Grace Crich 

34 From Above Las Vegas 

36 Travel OS Germany 

50 Concept Car Setsuna 

60 Landscaping Wagner Partnership 

66 Science Coral 

68 Innovation Affordable Housing 

76 Tiles Ceramic Wood 

80 Fashion The Handbag 

84 Disasters San Francisco 1906 

94 Transport Electric Bike 

98 Architecture Sweden 

104 The Bookshelf 

106 Opinion Climate Change Direction 

108 Regional History Cowra 1919 

The publisher accepts no responsibility for any statements or claims made by advertisers. The information contained 

within this publication was correct as at the time of publishing. This publication is copyright. “View Magazine” is 

registered as the name of this publication. No part may be reproduced by any process without written consent from 

the publisher. 

Contents of an Ostrich’s Stomach (ca. 1930) 

Taken by Frederick William Bond, photographer at 

the Zoological Society of London, this unusual 

image shows the contents of an ostrich’s stomach 

extracted after its death. While the bird is more 

commonly known to feast on a diet of roots, leaves, 

seeds, and flowers (with the occasional snake or 

lizard thrown in if needed), this ostrich seemed to 

have had a particular penchant for the high street 

fashion accessory. Amongst the items retrieved and 

noted down by Bond on the back of the photograph 

were two handkerchiefs (one lace) and a buttoned 

glove — presumably items expelled from the daily 

stream of visitors to the zoo, a sad consequence of 

the bird’s urban existence. Also found were a length 

of rope and various metal items, including assorted 

coins, tacks, staples and hooks, and a four-inch nail. 

It’s perhaps not too surprising to learn that this last 

item was the cause of death. 

VIEWMAG.NET February 2017 3

PROFILE: AKIHIKO HOSHIDE 

Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide takes a 

space selfie during extravehicular 

activity which goes viral 

STARMAN 

4 


February 1999 saw the very personable and International 

Baccalaureate Diploma recipient Akihiko Hoshide selected by 

NASDA (now JAXA) as one of three Japanese astronaut 

candidates for the International Space Station (ISS). 

Born in 1968 in Tokyo, Japan, he went on to achieve a bachelor's degree 

in Mechanical Engineering from Keio University in 1992, and a Master of 

Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Houston 

Cullen College of Engineering in 1997. 

He started the ISS Astronaut Basic Training program in 1999 and was 

certified as an astronaut in 2001. Since April 2001, he has participated in 

ISS Advanced Training, as well as supporting the development of the 

hardware and operation of the Japanese Experiment Module Kib and the 

H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). 

In 2004, he completed Soyuz-TMA Flight Engineer-1 training at the Yuri 

Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia and then 

transferred to the Johnson Space Center. He completed NASA Astronaut 

Candidate Training and was assigned to the crew of STS-124, the second 

of three flights that launched components to the International Space 

Station to complete the Japanese Kib laboratory in 2008. 

After successfully making it back to Earth after mission STS-124, Hoshide 

spent a good deal of time talking to enthusiastic students about his 

mission. He visited many schools such as Thomas Jefferson High School 

for Science and Technology. 

The following is an edited interview at a preflight press conference at 

NASA's Johnson Space Center. 

Aki, at different points in our lives we, we choose particular paths. Can 

you tell me about how you chose a path, that’s lead to space? 

When I was small, from age three to seven, I lived in New Jersey. My 

father worked in New York and he took me down to Kennedy Space Center 

one time. That had a huge impact. I also watched science fiction movies, 

animation cartoons and Star Trek, Star Wars. All that influenced me and by 

the time I was probably ten, you know, I was set for space. 

Once you made that decision to pursue a career in spaceflight, can you 

recount for us how you got to JAXA? 

Originally I was thinking about being an astronaut when our first JAXA 

astronauts were selected. But at that time I was in high school and 

thought, “Well, this is only a one-time thing for Japan.” After a while in a 

newspaper article it said that NASDA (at that time the Japanese Space 

Agency) is thinking about having a next selection. So I thought, "This could 

be a career.” And after that I just pursued it and when I was in college the 

next selection happened and I applied but I didn’t have the right 

certification so, instead of going to a different area, I decided to join the 

Japanese Space Agency and wait for my turn. 

What were you doing initially when you joined the space agency? 

Initially I was working for the H2 Launch Vehicle for two years and then I 

was transferred to the Astronaut Office, working as a support engineer 

and, as a matter of fact, I supported Koichi Wakata for his first mission. He 

was our first Japanese commander of the International Space Station. 

Can you give us an idea of what it was like growing up in your hometown 

and how that place influenced who you’ve become? 

Well, it’s kind of hard to say. As a kid, you know, you just play around with 

your friends and watch TV but always in the back of my mind it was there. 

I really wanted to go out into space. 

Can you tell us how you found out that you were going to be making your 

first spaceflight and what your reaction was? 

Well, that day I was in a simulation as part of my space station training. It 

was a whole day and then we were having a debrief. My cell phone rang 

and it was Steve Lindsey, our Astronaut Office chief. He called and said, 

“Hey, could you come down in 30 minutes because you’re getting 

assigned?” So it was like, from simulation to reality in 30 minutes. 


6 


Akihiko Hoshide, attired in a training version 

of his spacesuit, is submerged in the waters of 

the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory near 

NASA's Johnson Space Center 

So how long did it take for it all to sink in? 

A while, yeah. 

Do you have a favourite hobby or activity? 

Yes, I played rugby football in college and after I joined the space agency I 

played a little bit, but then I broke my leg. I still watch it whenever I have a 

chance. When I’m back in Japan I go to the stadium and watch it. 

It’s pretty big in Japan? 

Not really. It’s a minor sport. 

Could you summarise for us the, the main goals of STS-124? 

The main goal is to bring up the Japanese Pressurized Module, Kibo. 

That's the main module for our space agency and to install it and activate 

it. That is the prime goal and objective of our mission. 

Can you introduce us to the JEM module? What is it? What’s it for? 

Basically it’s the Japanese lab. We have the U.S. lab already on orbit so 

we’re installing the, the Japanese lab. We’re hoping to accomplish a lot of 

scientific experiments on board and that includes material science, life 

science and outside we will eventually get a exposed facility so that we 

can do like space, environment measurements, astronomy, astronomical 

experiments, and so on. 

In addition to being a science lab, Kibo has an airlock. What’s that going 

to be used for? 

When you say airlock you imagine a spacewalk, a crew member going out 

that airlock. The JEM airlock is a little smaller and it’s mainly used to 

exchange small devices inside and out. If you have a failure of equipment 

outside, you can use the JEM robotic arm to bring it over the airlock and 

then close the hatch, open the hatch on the inside and then bring it back 

in and bring a new piece of equipment outside. So that’s the main purpose 

of that airlock. 

Okay. Kind of a temporary storage. And the Logistics Pressurized Module, 

that’s also a part of the whole deal. What's its purpose? How will it be 

used? 

For the mission we will have some racks installed and there will be some 

system racks to power up one channel. The JEM has two strings of power 

channels. The JEM pressurized module itself is too heavy to have that 

installed and launched so STS-123 will bring up those racks inside the 

logistics module and we’ll transfer it into the pressurised module and get 

that string activated. But the module itself has a purpose of being like a 

storage module. 

Tell us about the arm. Could you describe its characteristics and how it 

compares to the station arm that’s there now? 

Well as you know, the station arm has seven joints. The JEM robotic arm 

has six, just like the robotic arm on the shuttle, and it’s attached to the 

port side of the JEM pressurized module. It’s not going to move around, 

not like the station arm. It’s going to sit there. It will be used to exchange 

payload equipment on the exposed facility. 

Do you know when JEM will do its first work and can you tell us what that 

will be? 

Unfortunately we won’t be doing any science on our flight but we will be 

getting ready and activate the JEM and then transfer some of the payload 

racks inside the JEM pressurised module. And then once we undock and 

then the station crew will take care of it and start checking out the payload 

equipment and hopefully will get some science soon. 

How would you characterise what it means for Japan to finally be a fullfledged 

contributor to ISS? 

I think this is a big mission in that we will have our own module up there. 

This is a big step for the Japanese community, the science community 

especially, because that means that they can start their own science. We 

also have the payload open to any other partners in the station program, 

so we’ll be conducting different experiments for everywhere. 


On August 30, 2012, Hoshide 

became the third Japanese 

astronaut to walk in space 

8 


It’s got to be pretty big for the education community too. 

It would be, yes, definitely and it’s a big milestone for Japan. 

Kibo, the nickname for the JEM module, means ‘hope.’ Once this 

mission’s completed what do you hope that it will be for the bigger 

mission of space exploration? 

Well, I hope the Japanese science community will further be engaged 

in space exploration and we can accomplish a lot of scientific 

activities. But more than that I think it would expand the possibility on 

orbit, especially for the Japanese community. So that is my hope. 

It could be said that the measure of fortitude is in how well we adapt 

to unforeseen situations and surprises. There have been a lot of 

opportunities to do that with some things happening up on the space 

station. How would you say that everybody’s done in that endeavour, 

in adapting, or in thinking of inventive ways to get around things? 

I think this will be a new experience for the Japanese flight control 

team. But I think in any case in the past we’ve been prepared and been 

inventive once something happens and we overcame that, that 

challenge. I think that’s the main advantage of human spaceflight. If it’s 

unmanned, then you have some limitations and if it’s manned human 

spaceflight then you do have some capability that no one really thought 

of but you can do that real time. 

Hoshide is still with NASA and has since his time in space he has 

had a spell as command of the NEEMO 18 undersea exploration 

mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory and works as 

capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for the ISS at the Johnson 

Space Center. 

During his stay in the ISS, he successfully recorded the first voice 

acting performance in space for a cameo appearance in the 31st 

episode of the anime television series, Space Brothers. A man of 

many talents. 


HOTEL HOPPING: HÔTEL DES TROIS VALLÉES 

Good Things 

Come in Threes 

The epitome of post-war modernist design, the renovated Hôtel des Trois 

Vallées is the ultimate gateway to some of the best skiing in the French Alps. 

10 


Perhaps the best archetypes of good 

design are those that don’t ignore the old 

in favour of the new. Such was the case 

in this first prototype of 1950s post war 

modernism - the Courchevel resort and 

its very first hotel, Hotel des Trois Vallées 

(meaning three valleys hotel). From the outside, 

this French Alps hotel is the very picture of 

traditional mountain architecture - a wooden 

chalet that subtly blends in with its breathtaking 

surroundings. While the natural materials 

continue inside, the furniture, which is worthy of 

a modern museum, creates a grand urban inn. 

The hotel is situated at the foot of the resort’s 

world-class ski slopes. At the time of its 

construction in the 1950s, post-war modernists 

contemplated a new way of mountain living - 

this landmark hotel came to epitomize just that. 

With its recent renovation, the spirit of Hotel des 

Trois Vallées has been carefully preserved, 

including most of the hotel’s original furniture 

by the likes of Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé, 

and Pierre Paulin. These iconic designs greet 

guests at a lobby that opens out to the bar and 

dining room that serves traditional cuisine. The 

spa, with sauna, Turkish bath and a large 

Jacuzzi, is awash in natural materials and is a 

great showcase of modernist mountain design. 

Valéry Grégo is the man behind three hotels in 

the French Alps, one in Pigalle and on the 

French Riviera, success lies in embracing 

whatever history and location give him. 

“When I buy a property, the first thing I want to 

know is its history. The place must fit the 

purpose.” 

Pushed to explain how this philosophy of his 

relates to his three hotels in the French Alps - 

Le Fitz Roy, Le Val Thorens, and Hôtel des Trois 

Vallées - or his Le Pigalle hotel in Paris or his 

Hôtel Les Roches Rouges in the South of 

France, he mentions the Incas of Peru. The 

reference might seem odd at first, but to hear 

Grégo discuss the connection is to understand 

why his properties are so special. 

“The Incas weren’t thinking about making 

something that looked nice, they were thinking, 

‘Where is the sun, the wind? What is the 

structure’s purpose within its environment?’ 

That’s why their buildings have remained over 

time. Likewise, with my hotels we start with the 

original purpose of the structure, the history of 

the neighbourhood, the personality of the place. 

The concept evolves from those things 

organically. We never have a concept before we 

start.” 

Take Hôtel des Trois Vallées as a example. It 

was built in the 1950s as an auberge, an inn, 

for the engineers working on the development 

of the Courchevel resort area. Grégo and his 

team tried to retain this unique genetic 

structure as they transformed it into a luxury 


12 VIEWMAG.NET February 2017



experience. The result is a stunning marriage of function, location, and 

history. 

The goal with Le Pigalle, Grégo explains, is to help people understand the 

neighbourhood. “We didn’t want to make a hotel that simply reflected 

what Pigalle is becoming, but what it was and still is. It still has the grit. 

The point is to bring the neighbourhood inside the hotel. All the people 

who interact with Le Pigalle, who contribute to it creatively, are from the 

neighbourhood. So as the customers experience the property they get to 

understand what Pigalle was 100 years ago and a few moments ago. 

Purpose-built specificity is certainly the harder road, but the only one 

Grégo would ever take. “We spent a full year buying furniture from the 

period,” he says of his Alps hotels. “But at the same time, I was very clear 

with the designers that I didn’t want mere concepts and decoration. There 

is no nostalgia. It is not about going back. I want the past to tell me what 

to do in the present and the future. We use design to make a link between 

past and present. We build on the past but are not confined by it.” 

If that sounds like a good rule of thumb not only for designing hotels but 

also for living, that’s because it is. As a university student in Paris, Grégo 

trained both in business and in the humanities, while also pursuing his 

passion for skateboarding. “I did both disciplines because I didn’t want to 

choose,” he says. “I wanted to go as far as I could with both.” 

Grégo is certainly going as far as he can in the hospitality world. What 

brings all of his places together – the Alps, Pigalle, the South of France – 

is, as he says, “the drive to help people understand where they are going. 

We want them to get the specific personality of a building or the sea or a 

quarter. We try to make sense with what we have. That is our recipe. 

www.designhotels.com/hotels/france/french-alps/courchevel/troisvallees 




RECIPES: NEIL PERRY’S GOOD COOKING 

For renowned Australian chef Neil Perry, cooking has always been 

about one thing: using the best-quality produce. This philosophy 

guides not only how he cooks in his restaurants, but also the meals he 

makes at home for family and friends. 

Good Cooking features over 110 simple yet sophisticated recipes that 

will entice you into the kitchen and inspire you to cook. They draw on 

culinary influences both global and local to create amazing flavours for 

every occasion, with seasonal produce always taking the starring role. 

Images and recipes from Neil Perry’s Good Cooking (Murdoch Books) RRP $49.99 

Photography: Earl Carter 

SEAFOOD ANTIPASTO Serves 4-8 

600g clams (vongole) 

330g whole octopus with 

tentacles, gutted and cleaned, 

thawed if frozen 

2 small squid with tentacles, 

about 330g, cleaned 

450g raw prawns, shells on 

80ml ( 1 ⁄3 cup) white wine 

30ml lemon oil, or to taste 

sea salt and freshly ground 

black pepper 

2 celery stalks, leaves reserved, 

finely chopped 

1 tablespoon finely chopped 

flat-leaf (Italian) parsley 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

Soak the clams in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse well. 

If you are using fresh octopus, beat it with a meat hammer to tenderise it (you don’t need to do this if you are using frozen octopus, 

as freezing has a tenderising effect). Rinse well under cold running water, wiping with a clean sponge to remove any excess 

saltiness. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil (do not add salt as this will toughen the octopus). Add the octopus, cover and 

reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer for 20–30 minutes or until tender. Drain well and cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces. 

Meanwhile, bring another saucepan of water to the boil. Add the squid and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, then remove with a 

slotted spoon. Allow to cool, then separate the tentacles from the squid and slice the squid bodies into strips. 

Add the prawns to the pan of squid water and simmer for two minutes or until they have changed colour and are just cooked. 

Remove with a slotted spoon. Allow to cool, then peel and devein. 

Place the clams and white wine in a large saucepan over high heat. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams 

have opened. Remove from the heat and strain, reserving the cooking liquid and discarding any clams that haven’t opened. 

Whisk 50ml of the strained clam cooking liquid with the lemon oil, sea salt and black pepper to taste. 

Put the octopus, squid, prawns, clams, chopped celery and celery leaves in a shallow serving dish. Drizzle the dressing over the 

seafood. Scatter with the parsley and garlic and serve immediately. 

Note: If the clams are packaged and prewashed there is no need to soak them – just remove them from the packet and rinse. 

18 


SLOW-ROASTED RACK 

OF LAMB WITH 

QUINOA SALAD AND 

TAHINI SAUCE 

Serves 4-6 

2 x 8-bone racks of lamb 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

20g thyme sprigs 

8 unpeeled garlic cloves 

1 teaspoon ground sumac 

135g ( 1 ⁄2 cup) tahini 

grated zest and juice of 1 ⁄2 lemon 

Quinoa salad 

200g (1 cup) red or white quinoa 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

grated zest and juice of 1 ⁄2 lemon 

80ml ( 1 ⁄3 cup) extra virgin olive oil 

100g pitted green olives, roughly chopped 

100g ( 2 ⁄3 cup) roasted pistachio nuts, 

roughly chopped 

1 handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, 

roughly chopped 

1 handful mint leaves, roughly chopped 

Preheat the oven to 90°C. Trim off the fat 

from the lamb and season the meat with 

sea salt. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 

frying pan over medium–high heat. Gently 

pan-fry the lamb racks until golden brown 

all over. 

Make a bed of thyme and garlic in a 

roasting tin and put the lamb racks on top. 

Sprinkle the sumac over the lamb. Roast 

for 45–50 minutes or until a meat 

thermometer registers a core temperature 

of 54°C. Remove from the oven and allow 

the lamb to rest somewhere warm for 10 

minutes. Check the garlic and return to the 

oven if needed to cook until very soft. 

Meanwhile, to make the salad, add the 

quinoa to a saucepan with plenty of water 

and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to the boil, 

then reduce the heat and simmer, 

covered, for about 15 minutes or until 

tender. Drain off any remaining liquid and 

allow to cool. Dress the quinoa with the 

lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt 

and black pepper. 

Squeeze the purée from two of the garlic 

cloves into a food processor and add the 

tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining 

olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. While 

the processor is running, add 125ml ( 1 ⁄2 

cup) warm water in a steady stream. Stop 

and scrape down the side of the bowl, 

then continue to blend, adding enough 

water to give the sauce a dolloping 

consistency. Check the seasoning. 

Just before serving, mix the quinoa with 

the olives, pistachios and herbs. Carve the 

lamb and serve it with the tahini sauce, 

quinoa salad and extra garlic cloves for 

those who love their roast garlic! 

Note: Sumac is a dark crimson, almost 

purple spice that comes from the outer 

flesh of berries from a tree found in the 

Middle East. 


BERRY, SAUTERNES AND MASCARPONE TRIFLE Serves 8-10 

185g (½ cups) fresh raspberries 

375g (½ cups) strawberries, hulled and quartered 

375g savoiardi (lady fingers) 

525ml Sauternes 

75g dark chocolate 

Mascarpone 

cream 

3 free-range egg yolks plus 4 free-range egg whites 

120g caster sugar 

375g mascarpone cheese 

150ml thin cream 

To make the mascarpone cream, use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whisk the egg yolks 

and half the sugar together until light and pale. Add the mascarpone and mix on low speed until just 

combined. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, then fold through the mascarpone mixture. 

Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and beat until foamy. Add the remaining sugar and beat until soft 

peaks form, then gently fold into the mascarpone mixture. 

Spoon half the mascarpone cream into a 3 litre trifle bowl. Mix the berries together and scatter over the 

mascarpone cream. Dip the savoiardi into the Sauternes, then arrange on top of the berries. Spoon the 

remaining mascarpone cream over the top, cover and refrigerate for several hours. 

Finely grate the chocolate over the trifle to serve. 

20 


Neil Perry 

Neil Perry AM is one of 

Australia's leading and most 

influential chefs. He has 

managed several awardwinning 

restaurants in 

Australia and today 

concentrates on his flagship 

brand, the Rockpool Group, 

which includes Rockpool Bar 

& Grill, Sydney, Melbourne 

and Perth; Eleven Bridge, 

Sydney; Spice Temple, 

Sydney and Melbourne; 

Rosetta Ristorante, 

Melbourne; and various 

Burger Project venues across 

Australia. Neil has been 

creating menus for Qantas 

since 1997, continually 

redefining their dining and 

service, and is the author of 

Rockpool, Simply Asian, 

Good Food, Balance & 

Harmony, Rockpool Bar & 

Grill, Easy Weekends, 

Simply Good Food,The 

Food I Love and Spice 

Temple. He has also been a 

major television presenter for 

a number of series on the 

LifeStyle Channel. 


DESIGN: SUPERSONIC BUSINESS JET 

22 

Future Flight 

Aerion is planning on the first flight of the 

AS2 in 2021 and entry into service in 2023 

Supersonic natural laminar flow (SNLF) is the 

enabling technology that makes the Aerion jet 

practical, efficient, environmentally responsible and 

flexible in terms of operational utility. It conserves fuel and reduces 

emissions versus other potential or proposed supersonic designs. It allows 

for efficient cruise just below the speed of sound and at supersonic speeds 

up to Mach 1.5. The technology is a breakthrough in supersonic design and 

is patented by Aerion. For all of these reasons, SNLF technology is the one 

solution that makes supersonic flight practical and efficient. 

The unique Aerion unswept wing has SNLF on a majority of its surface 

(where it offers a reduction in friction drag by 70 percent or more). Under 

laminar flow conditions, air flows smoothly across wing surfaces without 

creating turbulent layers, as do conventional swept or delta wing designs. 

Achieving the precise wing contours necessary to achieve supersonic 

laminar flow requires new materials such as carbon fibre and new 

VIEWMAG.NET February 2017 

analytical tools. In 2012, Aerion acquired Desktop Aeronautics (renaming it 

Aerion Technologies), a Silicon Valley high technology company that 

develops specialised codes for analysing supersonic airflows and 

optimising airframes for efficient operation in subsonic and supersonic 

realms. Performance predictions based on these computer tools have 

been verified in flight by NASA and in transonic wind tunnels. 

Aerion’s SNLF wing reduces total airframe drag by as much as 20 percent 

versus a delta wing configuration such as that used by the Concorde. Less 

power and fuel are therefore required to sustain supersonic flight, enabling 

a substantial reduction in gross weight for a given mission. 

Moreover, the SNLF wing has excellent low drag characteristics at 

subsonic speeds, allowing for efficient cruise on overland routes where 

supersonic flight is prohibited. 

With joint engineering efforts accelerating on the Aerion AS2 supersonic

usiness jet program, Aerion and Airbus Group, Inc. announced a new 

agreement that will expand North American-based Airbus Group, Inc. 

resources to the AS2 program. Support from Airbus Group operations in 

North America will include engineering, procurement and supply chain 

management, logistics planning, program management and 

government relations. These new resources will augment engineering 

support from Airbus Defence and Space (AIRBUS D&S) in Spain. 

“The collaboration between Aerion and Airbus Group has been extremely 

beneficial and productive,” said Allan McArtor, Chairman and CEO of 

Airbus Group, Inc. “The further we proceed along the development path 

with Aerion, the greater our enthusiasm for this program and the deeper 

our commitment. 

Under our new agreement, our two companies are working as one to bring 

Aerion’s supersonic AS2 to the business jet market,” he added. 

“This undertaking is completely in line with Airbus Group’s legacy of 

developing innovations in flight,” said McArtor, “such as our current work 

on the Perlan Mission II glider - the world’s first engineless aircraft 

designed to reach the edge of space - which made its successful flight 

recently, and the E-Fan technology demonstrator - which this summer 

became the first fully electric, twin-engine aircraft taking off under its own 

power to fly across the English Channel.” 

“Airbus Group has a long history of supporting innovation and Aerion’s 

innovative aerodynamic technology unquestionably offers long-term 

benefits to the industry in terms of performance and efficiency,” said Doug 

Nichols, Aerion CEO. 



This will be a supersonic jet that operates efficiently within today’s regulatory environment, 

including rules regarding supersonic flight over land. This takes advantage of the ability of the 

AS2 to operate efficiently just below the speed of sound at Mach 0.95 to 0.98 and at speeds up to 

Mach 1.5 over water and other areas where supersonic flight is permitted. 




FASHION: GRACE CRICH 

Pockets, 

the Difference 

Grace Crich is a Nottingham born menswear designer 

based in Manchester. A recent graduate of Manchester 

Metropolitan University with a BA(Hons) in Fashion 

Design and Technology, Crich pays particular attention 

to pattern design and fit when designing with the 

garment developed in 3D form. After spending time at 

both University in England as well as at Ryerson 

University in Toronto, Canada, she approached the 

market with an international mind-set. 

Japanese inspired design received a fresh approach 

in Grace Crich’s Autumn/ Winter 2016 Menswear 

Collection. Creating timeless pieces for men of all 

ages that can be styled across any other pieces in 

the range. 

Inspired by ancient Japanese design and in particular 

the rare book ‘History of Contemporary Japanese 

Photography’ the collection features an array of both 

simple and complex layered designs. All of which put a 

twist on tradition, fusing clean, contemporary 

aesthetics with clever interactive details. 

Unconventional fastenings such as magnets and nuts 

and bolts change and adapt original garments into 

something completely new as well as connect layers. 

Working in different shades of black to achieve designs 

with finer details in the form of double bartacks and 

unique pocket designs. Crich sees the wearer as 

integral to the garments worth, raising its importance 

as soon as it is worn and developing its aesthetic by 

both the wearer and each piece. 

28 







FROM ABOVE: LAS VEGAS 

34 


Persistent drought has contributed to the ongoing drawdown of Lake 

Mead—a large reservoir straddling the Nevada and Arizona border. The 

decline is visible in these images, acquired 15 years apart with 

instruments on Landsat satellites. 

The top image was acquired July 24, 2015 with the Operational Land 

Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite. The middle image was acquired 

July 6, 2000, with the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus on Landsat 7. 

During this period, the lake’s elevation (measured near the Hoover 

Dam), dropped by about 37 meters (120 feet). Turn on the image 

comparison tool to see how the drop in water level has changed the 

lake’s perimeter. 

Lake Mead formed in 1930s following construction of the Hoover Dam 

on the Colorado River. At maximum capacity, the reservoir would hold 

36 trillion litres; water in the vicinity of the dam would have an elevation 

of about 372 metres above sea level. In July 2000, the lake level was 

relatively high at 366 metres. By July 2015, however, the level had 

dropped to 329 metres. 

Most of the water comes from snowmelt, which travels from the 

mountains into Lake Powell, through the Grand Canyon and into Lake 

Mead. Arizona, Nevada, California and northern Mexico all rely on water 

from the reservoir. The Las Vegas Valley alone counts on the reservoir 

for about 90 percent of its water supply. 

This is not the first drought to cause a drawdown of Lake Mead’s water 

levels. The longer-term record shows drops in water elevation 

associated with a drought in the mid-1950s and again in the mid- 

1960s. The water level in 2015, however, is part of a decade-long 

decline and has reached lows not seen since the 1930s when the lake 

was first filling. 

(Source: NASA Earth Observatory) 

Las Vegas, to the left, and Lake Mead, to the right, as seen on July 21, 

2014 by the Landsat 8 satellite 


TRAVEL OS: GERMANY 

Eine kleine Nachtmusik 

Charlottenburg Palace is the largest palace in Berlin and is 

located in the Charlottenburg district. The large formal garden 

is surrounded by woodlands which include a belvedere, a 

mausoleum, a theatre and a pavilion. 

36 


Germany is well known for its 

diverse tourist routes, some of 

which are known as the Romantic 

Road, the Wine Route, the Castle Road and the 

Avenue Road. The German Timber-Frame Road 

(Deutsche Fachwerkstraße) connects towns 

with examples of these structures. 

There are as many as 41 UNESCO World 

Heritage Sites in Germany, including the old 

town cores of Regensburg, Bamberg, Lübeck, 

Quedlinburg, Weimar, Stralsund and Wismar. 

Germany's most-visited landmarks include 

Neuschwanstein Castle, Cologne Cathedral, 

Berlin Bundestag, Hofbräuhaus Munich, 

Heidelberg Castle, Dresden Zwinger, 

Fernsehturm Berlin and Aachen Cathedral. The 

Europa-Park near Freiburg is Europe's second 

most popular theme park resort. 

Germany was a founding member of the 

European Union in 1993 and became a cofounder 

of the Eurozone in 1999. Germany is 

also a member of the United Nations, NATO, the 

G8, the G20, and the OECD. 

With its rich cultural history, Germany has been 

the home of influential artists, philosophers, 

musicians, sportspeople, entrepreneurs, 

scientists, engineers and inventors. 

With its central position in Europe, it is a 

transport hub for the continent. Like its 

neighbours in Western Europe, Germany's road 

network is among the densest in the world. The 

motorway (Autobahn) network ranks as the 

third-largest worldwide in length and is known 

for its lack of a general speed limit. Germany 

has established a polycentric network of highspeed 

trains. The InterCityExpress or ICE 

network of the Deutsche Bahn serves major 

German cities as well as destinations in 

neighbouring countries with speeds up to 300 

km/h. The German railways are subsidised by 

the government. 

The largest German airports are Frankfurt 

Airport and Munich Airport, both hubs of 

Lufthansa, while Air Berlin has hubs at Berlin 

Tegel and Düsseldorf. Other major airports 

include Berlin Schönefeld, Hamburg, 

Cologne/Bonn and Leipzig/Halle. The Port of 

Hamburg is one of the top twenty largest 

container ports in the world. 

The German cuisine varies from region to region 

and often neighbouring regions share some 

culinary similarities. International varieties such 

as pizza, sushi, Chinese food, Greek food, Indian 

cuisine and doner kebab are also popular and 

available, thanks to diverse ethnic communities. 

Although wine is becoming more popular in 

many parts of Germany, especially in German 

wine regions, the national alcoholic drink is 

beer. German beer consumption per person 

stands at 110 litres in 2013 and remains 

among the highest in the world. German beer 

purity regulations date back to the 15th century. 

Also it can be said Germany is a leader in the 

fashion industry. The German textile industry 

consisted of about 1,300 companies with more 

than 130,000 employees, which generated a 

revenue of 28 billion Euro. Almost 44 per cent 

of the products are exported. The Berlin Fashion 

Week and the fashion trade fair Bread & Butter 

are held twice a year. 




40 


Architectural contributions from Germany include the Carolingian and 

Ottonian styles, which were precursors of Romanesque. Brick Gothic is a 

distinctive medieval style that evolved in Germany. Also in Renaissance and 

Baroque art, regional and typically German elements evolved (e.g. Weser 

Renaissance and Dresden Baroque). 

Among many renowned Baroque masters were Pöppelmann, Balthasar 

Neumann, Knobelsdorff and the Asam brothers. The Wessobrunner School 

exerted a decisive influence on, and at times even dominated, the art of 

stucco in southern Germany in the 18th century. The Upper Swabian Baroque 

Route offers a baroque-themed tourist route that highlights the contributions 

of such artists and craftsmen as the sculptor and plasterer Johann Michael 

Feuchtmayer, one of the foremost members of the Feuchtmayer family and 

the brothers Johann Baptist and Dominikus Zimmermann. Vernacular 

architecture in Germany is often identified by its timber framing (Fachwerk) 

traditions and varies across regions and among carpentry styles. 

When industrialisation spread across Europe, Classicism and a distinctive 

style of historism developed in Germany, sometimes referred to as 

Gründerzeit style, due to the economical boom years at the end of the 19th 

century. Regional historicist styles include the Hanover School, Nuremberg 

Style and Dresden's Semper-Nicolai School. Among the most famous of 

German buildings, the Schloss Neuschwanstein represents Romanesque 

Revival. Notable sub-styles that evolved since the 18th century are the 

German spa and seaside resort architecture. German artists, writers and 

gallerists like Siegfried Bing, Georg Hirth and Bruno Möhring also contributed 

to the development of Art Nouveau at the turn of the 20th century, known as 

Jugendstil in German. 

Expressionist architecture developed in the 1910s in Germany and influenced 

Art Deco and other modern styles, with,for example, Fritz Höger, Erich 

Mendelsohn, Dominikus Böhm and Fritz Schumacher being influential 

architects. Germany was particularly important in the early modernist 

movement: it is the home of Werkbund initiated by Hermann Muthesius (New 

Objectivity), and of the Bauhaus movement founded by Walter Gropius.







The Lutheran Reformation and its aftermath left their 

mark. Northern Germany is predominantly Protestant, 

the south more Catholic, yet the division is not clear cut. 

Staunchly Protestant towns alternate with devoutly 

Catholic ones, while in some places the two traditions 

share a single church. 




CONCEPT CAR: SETSUNA 

Isn’t it good? 

Last year Toyota made a fittingly stylish first appearance at 

Milan Design Week by debuting the Setsuna, an attractive new 

concept car made primarily of wood. 

The decision to use wood - a material that is durable yet prone 

to change over time - reflects Toyota’s efforts to give form to the 

developing relationships between people and their cars. The 

Setsuna symbolises how cars undergo a gradual transformation 

over the years, as if absorbing the aspirations, memories, and 

emotions of multiple generations of a family. With the Setsuna 

concept, Toyota is expressing the notion that, as a family 

accrues time and experiences together with their car, lovingly 

caring for it and passing it on to the next generation, that car 

will acquire a new type of value that only the members of that 

family can appreciate. 

The car’s name - Setsuna, meaning “moment” in Japanese - 

was chosen to reflect that people experience precious, fleeting 

moments together with their cars. Toyota believes that, over 

time, these collective moments make their cars irreplaceable to 

their owners. To embody this concept, Toyota picked a variety of 

distinctive types of wood for different parts of the car, including 

the exterior panels, frame, floor and seats. Wood provides 

uniquely appealing characteristics that are not offered in 

conventional cars: it can last for many generations if properly 

taken care of and it also changes in colouration and texture in 

response to its environment (particularly temperature and 

humidity) and conditions of use, taking on a unique character 

and depth. 

50 



52 


Kenji Tsuji, the Toyota engineer 

overseeing development of the Setsuna, 

said of his process: “We evaluated 

various ways to express the concept 

and selected different lumber materials 

for specific applications, such as 

Japanese cedar for the exterior panels 

and Japanese birch for the frame. We 

also paid particular attention to the 

sizes and arrangements of individual 

parts. For the assembly structure, we 

adopted a traditional Japanese joinery 

technique called okuriari which does 

not use any nails or screws. The 

completed body line of the Setsuna 

expresses a beautiful curve reminiscent 

of a boat. We would also like the viewer 

to imagine how the Setsuna will 

gradually develop a complex and unique 

character over the years. The car 

includes a 100-year meter that will 

keep time over generations and seats 

that combine functional beauty with the 

gentle hue of the wood.








LANDSCAPING: WAGNER PARTNERSHIP 

IMAGES: H. KEITH WAGNER PARTNERSHIP 

60 

Shelburne Farms was originally built in 1886 by William Seward and Lila 

Vanderbilt Webb. It was created as a model agricultural estate. With the 

help of architect Robert H. Robertson and landscape architect Frederick 

Law Olmsted, the Farm grew to a formidable 3,800 acres demonstrating 

innovative agricultural and land use practices. In 1972, the descendants of 

the Webb family formed an educational non-profit for the practice of 

sustainable farming and forestry and public education through 

sustainability and conservation programs. In order to fund the educational 

programs, a small number of parcels were sold within the estate as home 

sites. In the 1970’s a Webb family member built a home on this site. 

The existing house built over 40 years ago, was not energy efficient, 

awkwardly sited and turned its back on the dramatic views to Lake 

Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. The clients, an art collector and 

an entrepreneur, were attracted to this parcel for the outstanding 10 acre 

house site and the option to lease an additional five acres of adjacent land 

for their hobby, raising English Shire draft horses. 

The house site included many mature shade trees and a ten foot grade 

change gently sloping to the lake. The clients wished to create a 

compound including a main house, convert an existing barn into a guest 

house, an arrival court, entertainment terraces, an outdoor hearth, a small 

vegetable garden and a water feature. In addition, the clients were 

interested in becoming involved with the Farm and their mission. 

Design Intent 

After careful site investigation, the landscape architect created a master 

plan for the compound including the adjacent parcel for a separate horse 

barn and pasture. Working closely with the architect, builder and client, the 

landscape architect sited the house to take full advantage of the views of 

the lake and mountains beyond. Orchestrating the flow of indoor rooms 

with the outdoor spaces and creating a marriage between the house and 

the grade change offered by the promontory - the distinctions between the 

disciplines were blurred and the new elements integrated with the site. 

The outstanding views and the history of Shelburne Farms were a 

constant inspiration and focus for the entire design team. In order to 


accommodate the new house and outdoor areas, two mature sugar 

maples were moved during the first winter over the frozen ground and 

placed prominently out in the meadow, framing the views towards the 

lake and mountains. The architect took advantage of the natural slope of 

the site which resulted in two distinct house levels. The upper level 

contains the public spaces for entertaining and the master suite, while 

the lower level contains guest rooms, a spa and pool. The architect and 

builder are a Vermont design/build company which has many in-house 

craftsmen that work in metal, glass and wood. This collaborative process 

between builder, architect, landscape architect and interior designer was 

critical as they worked toward achieving the design intent. 

Materials and Installation 

The grand 19th century structures of Shelburne Farms were built with 

locally available materials, slate, stone and locally harvested wood, out 

of necessity. The owners wanted to continue the tradition of using local 

materials while introducing Corten steel. This material eludes to the farm 

equipment relics that are peppered throughout the site, a homage in 

material to the agricultural past, present and future of the Farms. 

Much attention was initially given to setting the finish floor elevation of 

the main house, establishing optimal solar orientation and creating a 

strong horizontal plinth. It was critical to get this relationship right in 

order to accentuate the horizontality of the view, site and architecture. 

The two plinth walls form an arc with a lawn ramp between them to 

access the lower level of the site and the meadow established as a 

foreground to the lake. 

The location of the existing barn foundation/guest house offered the 

opportunity for the arrival court to be the link between it and the main 

house. A stone dust auto court was created with a segmented bluestone 

walkway creating the link between the two structures. Local ledge stone 

was quarried in large slabs and used to delineate parking spaces for 

guests and to transition into the native landscape.





Rainwater falls off of the long horizontal roof of the house into a Corten 

steel basin and runnel filled with pebbles from Lake Champlain. A lilac 

bluestone slab forms a bridge to the front entry from the arrival court and 

is illuminated by linear LED lighting underneath. Native fern planting 

provides a field for the runnel as it flows north along the façade. A series 

of Corten steel & stone weirs/falls guide the water as it turns west toward 

the lake. The falls create a meditative calm for the adjacent master and 

guest suites, visible from the bathrooms. The water ends in a Corten basin 

with a ledge stone bridge linking the lower level terrace and a walking 

path to the woods. 

Photovoltaic panels were installed on the horse barn to significantly reduce 

the electricity required for the house. A pump was installed, powered by 

these panels to circulate the water and create a wonderful amenity of 

sight and sound. 

At the centre of the house on the west side is a stone dust sculpture court 

with a lone Honey Locust providing dappled shade. The sculpture court is 

visible upon entering the house, a foreground for the distant views. The 

concrete retaining wall that transitions to the lower level of the house has 

Corten steel panels floating off of the face. Stainless steel cables provide 

support for vines while at night internal lights make the steel appear to 

float off the wall. 


SCIENCE: CORAL 

SURVIVAL 

66 

Half of all coral species in the Caribbean went extinct between 1 and 2 

million years ago, probably due to drastic environmental changes. Which 

ones survived? Scientists working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research 

Institute (STRI) think one group of survivors, corals in the genus Orbicella, 

will continue to adapt to future climate changes because of their high 

genetic diversity. 

“Having a lot of genetic variants is like buying a lot of lottery tickets,” said 

Carlos Prada, lead author of the study and Earl S. Tupper Post-doctoral 

Fellow at STRI. “We discovered that even small numbers of individuals in 

three different species of the reef-building coral genus Orbicella have 

quite a bit of genetic variation and therefore, are likely to adapt to big 

changes in their environment.” 

“The implications of these findings go beyond basic science,” said Monica 

Medina, research associate at STRI and the Smithsonian’s National 

Museum of Natural History and associate professor at Pennsylvania State 

University. “We can look forward to using similar approaches to predict 

demographic models to better manage the climate change threatened 

Orbicella reefs of today.” 

To look back in time, the team of researchers working at the Smithsonian’s 

Bocas del Toro Research Station and Naos Molecular and Marine 

Laboratories collected fossils from ancient coral reefs and used highresolution 

geologic dating methods to determine their ages. They 

compared the numbers of fossilized coral species at different time points. 

One of the best-represented groups in the fossil collections were species 

in the genus Orbicella. In addition to the fossil collections, they also used 

whole genome sequencing to estimate current and past numbers of 

several Orbicella species. 

Within a single individual there are two copies of their genetic material, in 

some instances, one copy is different than the other and is called a 

genetic variant. The authors first assembled the full genomic sequence of 

an individual from Florida and then, using it as an anchor, reconstructed 

the genetic variation contained within single individuals. Depending on the 


amount of the genetic variation at certain intervals across the genome, the 

authors were able to recover the population sizes of each species at 

different times in the past. 

Between 3.5 to 2.5 million years ago, numbers of all coral species 

increased in the Caribbean. But from 2 to 1.5 million years ago, a time 

when glaciers moved down to cover much of the northern hemisphere and 

sea surface temperatures plunged, the number of coral species in the 

Caribbean also took a nosedive. Sea levels fell, eliminating much of the 

original shallow, near-shore habitat. 

“Apart from the species that exist today, all species of Orbicella that 

survived until 2 million years ago suddenly went extinct,” write the 

authors. When huge numbers of species die out, it makes room for other 

species to move in and for new species to develop to occupy the space 

the others held. 

Two species that grow best in shallow water doubled in number at about 

the same time that their sister species and competitor, the organ pipe 

Orbicella (O. nancyi) disappeared. 

When a species declines during an extinction event, it loses more and 

more genetic variation and sometimes does not have much to work with 

during the recovery period. Scientists call this a genetic bottleneck. 

Orbicella was able to recover after the bottleneck. “It’s incredible how 

predictions from genetic data correlated so well with observations from 

the fossil and environmental record,” said Michael DeGiorgio (assistant 

professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University). 

“We see hope in our results that Orbicella species survived a dramatic 

environmental variation event,” said Prada. “It is likely that surviving such 

difficult times made these coral populations more robust and able to 

persist under future climatic change.” 

“The in-depth analysis of population size in a now ESA-threatened coral, 

as well as the release of its genome and that of its close relatives (which 

are also threatened) would be of great interest to coral reef researchers 

addressing conservation issues,” said Nancy Knowlton, senior scientist 

emeritus at STRI, currently at the National Museum of Natural History. 

Authors are from STRI, the National Museum of Natural History, 

Pennsylvania State University, University of Iowa, U.S. National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration, Hudson Alpha Institute of Biotechnology, 

Universidad Nacional Autónoma, Australian Research Council Centre of 

Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and University of Queensland School of 

Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Natural History Museum, The 

Systems Biology Institute. 

Prada, C., Hanna, B., Budd, A.F., et al. 2016. Empty niches after 

extinctions increase population sizes of modern corals. Current Biology 

Pictured Carlos Prada, lead author and post-doctoral fellow at the 

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. 

Photo Credit: Diana Beltrán. 


INOVATION: AFFORDABLE HOUSING 

PHOTOGRAPHY: YVONNE WITTE 

Cardboard Cut-out 

Since Wikkelhouse is primarily a system for enclosing 

space, you can use the space however you like. It can be 

a home, office, workshop, showroom or vacation house 

68 


A cardboard house that doesn’t need a foundation, lasts 

at least 100 years and takes a single day to install. 

Sounds too good to be true? It does … but it’s true. 

Wikkelhouse is made by wrapping 24 layers of high 

quality cardboard and glue around a form. It’s made in 

sections and each module is 1.2 metres deep. By adding 

multiple modules together you get a longer/larger home. 

Inside you can finish it out however you like. The end 

walls can be solid or glass. The exterior is covered in a 

layer of aluminium and wood. 

Since Wikkelhouse is primarily a system for enclosing 

space, you can use the space however you like. It can be 

a home, office, workshop, showroom or vacation house. 

Wikkelhouse is the invention of the folks from Fiction 

Factory, a company of creative makers in Amsterdam. 







Named Wikkelhouse, which translates from Dutch as Wrap House, the 

completed prototype comprises a series of interlocking cardboard 

segments that each weigh 500 kilograms. 

Each of these tubular components is 1.2 metres deep, and can be 

connected and disconnected to extend or reduce the length of the 

building. They also make it easily transportable. 

Each section is made from 24 layers of cardboard. These layers are 

wrapped around a house-shaped mould to achieve a rounded gabled 

form, before being bonded together with "eco-friendly" superglue to 

create a robust and insulating shell. 

"Using cardboard as its main building material, Wikkelhouse is a cuttingedge 

sustainable house with a beautiful design and exceptional 

constructive strength." 

The cardboard is protected from weather by a waterproof but breathable 

film and finished with wooden cladding boards to create a weatherproof 

enclosure. 

As the structure does not require a foundation, it can be built on a chosen 

site in just one day. Slot-in sections include a kitchen, shower and 

bathroom and there are options for glazed or opaque facades. 

The structure is made only from recyclable material and designed to last 

for at least 50 years. 

Wikkelhouse by Fiction Factory 


TILES: CERAMIC WOOD 

BEST OF 

The similarity between ceramic 

wood and natural wood, which it 

reproduces, is so perfect that it is 

almost impossible to distinguish 

between them. 

Novoceram has five different wood 

effects from which to choose. 

BOTH WORLDS 

76 


Following the launch of 

Napami in 2016, with the gres 

porcelain stoneware series for 

outdoor Tablon, Novoceram 

once again broadens its range 

of ceramic woods for 2017. 

Tablon is inspired by wood whose original look 

has been totally transfigured by the long 

period of time exposed to the outdoors and the 

rigors caused by direct sunlight and adverse 

weather conditions. 

In the creation of the three colours of the 

Tablon collection we have tried to reproduce, 

in the most faithful and trusted way possible, 

all the marks and scars left by the passage of 

time on a live matter that is subject to the 

elements, changing itself and its look, until it 

reaches an ephemeral condition full of 

fascination: furrows, stains, cracks that replace 

the characteristic traits of the original 

essences, thus becoming distinctive elements 

and marks of a new nobleness. 

The realisation in full body porcelain stoneware 

in 20 mm thickness, that catapults Tablon into 

the Outdoor Plus range of Novoceram, means 

being able to combine the charm of this 

painstakingly achieved natural look and 

naturally unstable look, with excellent technical 

performance and exceptional durability and 

stability over time. 



Tablon comes in three colour hues: 

Clair: a warm white and extremely luminous oak-wood 

Naturel: a natural oak-wood, whose original colour has been tempered by 

the long exposure to the elements, creating some areas that are greyer 

and others that are brighter. 

Gris: originally a fully veered teak completely in a grey colour with silverlike 

reflections 

Each colour is available in two formats. As well as the classic 60×60 

format, which features across the entire Outdoor Plus range of Novoceram 

– 20 mm thickness outdoor floor-tiles that can be used for floating 

installation – laminated timber planks secured by three listels of the same 

width and which are slightly marked by a really thin dark grout-line, Tablon 

is also available in the innovative 30×120 size: this format can also be 

used for raised installation, using the Outdoor Plus adjustable supports. 

www.novoceram.com 


FASHION: THE HANDBAG 

BAGGED 

80 


100% brass metal, nickel or 

gold plated. Custom made 

hardware with black calf 

skin leather lining 

Egyptian design duo siblings Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf launched their 

brand Okhtein – meaning, appropriately, “sisters” in Arabic – because of 

their vision to bring true luxury back to their home country as well as 

drawing international attention to the inherent refinement of Egyptian 

artisanship, sensing a gap in the market for true luxury accessories 

produced in Egypt. Launched in 2013, Okhtein seeks to set new trends, 

promoting Egyptian artistry as well as presenting new designs to the world. 

Born and raised in Cairo, Aya and Mounaz’s fascination with fashion began 

at a young age with Aya studying communication and media arts along 

with digital arts and design at the American University of Cairo. Her sister 

Mounaz, studied marketing and art at the same institution. As well as this, 

Mounaz is a highly skilled painter and has exhibited her work in galleries in 

Egypt and Paris. 

As a brand, Okhtein is remarkable due to its hyperlocal manufacturing 

process. Each Okhtein product has a unique provenance with deep cultural 

associations. To manufacture their products, Aya and Mounaz felt 

compelled to take a philanthropic approach to their work out of a desire to 

incorporate more handmade embroidery and straw into their leatherwork. 

This led to a highly mutually rewarding collaboration with several local 

NGOs that work to provide assistance to skilled female workers who have 

faced considerable financial hardship. 

Okhtein stands apart as a luxury brand that is truly committed to 

supporting the cultural value of Egyptian craftsmanship and to giving back 

to those in need while promoting innovative, cutting-edge design on an 

international scale. 

www.okhtein.com 




DISARTERS: SAN FRANCISCO 1906 

THE 

FALL 

OF 

CITY 

HALL 

84 


Photographs of the 1906 San 

Francisco earthquake that struck 

the coast of Northern California at 5:12 

a.m. on April 18 with an estimated 

moment magnitude of 7.8 show the 

devastation nature can dish-up. 

Severe shaking was felt from Eureka on the 

North Coast to the Salinas Valley, an agricultural 

region to the south of the San Francisco Bay 

Area. Devastating fires soon broke out in the 

city and lasted for several days. As a result, 

about 3,000 people died and over 80% of the 

city of San Francisco was destroyed. The events 

are remembered as one of the worst and 

deadliest natural disasters in the history of the 

United States. The death toll remains the 

greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in 

California's history and high in the lists of 

American urban disasters. 

A strong foreshock preceded the main shock by 

about 20 to 25 seconds. The strong shaking of 

the main shock lasted about 42 seconds. There 

were decades of minor earthquakes – more 

than at any other time in the historical record 

for northern California – before the 1906 

quake. Widely interpreted previously as 

precursory activity to the 1906 earthquake, they 

have been found to have a strong seasonal 

pattern and have been postulated to be due to 

large seasonal sediment loads in coastal bays 

that overlie faults as a result of the erosion 

caused by hydraulic mining in the later years of 

the California Gold Rush. 

At the time, 375 deaths were reported, partly 

because hundreds of fatalities in Chinatown 

went ignored and unrecorded. The total number 

of deaths is still uncertain today, and is 

estimated to be roughly 3,000 at minimum. 

Most of the deaths occurred in San Francisco 

itself, but 189 were reported elsewhere in the 

Bay Area; nearby cities, such as Santa Rosa 

and San Jose, also suffered severe damage. 

The San Andreas Fault is a continental 

transform fault that forms part of the tectonic 

boundary between the Pacific Plate and the 

North American Plate. The strike-slip fault is 

characterised by mainly lateral motion in a 

dextral sense, where the western (Pacific) plate 

moves northward relative to the eastern (North 

American) plate. 

The 1906 San Francisco earth - 

quake toppled Agassiz's statue 

from the façade of Stanford's 

zoology building. 



Souvenir Hunters after 

the 1906 San Francisco 

Earthquake 



Union Street Car Line 


90 

Military camp on the fourth 

day after the quake 


During the first few days after news of the 

disaster reached the rest of the world, relief 

efforts reached over $5,000,000. London 

raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Individual citizens and businesses donated large 

sums of money for the relief effort: Standard Oil 

gave $100,000; Andrew Carnegie gave 

$100,000; the Dominion of Canada made a 

special appropriation of $100,000 and even the 

Bank of Canada in Toronto gave $25,000. 

The U.S. government quickly voted for one 

million dollars in relief supplies which were 

immediately rushed to the area, including 

supplies for food kitchens and many thousands 

of tents that city dwellers would occupy for the 

next several years. These relief efforts were not 

enough to get families on their feet again and 

consequently the burden was placed on 

wealthier members of the city, who were 

reluctant to assist in the rebuilding of homes 

they were not responsible for. All residents were 

eligible for daily meals served from a number of 

communal soup kitchens and citizens as far 

away as Idaho and Utah were known to send

daily loaves of bread to San Francisco as relief 

supplies were coordinated by the railroads. 

Insurance companies, faced with staggering 

claims of $250 million, paid out between $235 

million and $265 million on policyholders' 

claims, often for fire damage only, since shake 

damage from earthquakes was excluded from 

coverage under most policies. At least 137 

insurance companies were directly involved and 

another 17 as re-insurers. Twenty companies 

went bankrupt. Lloyd's of London reports having 

paid all claims in full, more than $50 million 

and the insurance companies in Hartford, 

Connecticut report also paying every claim in 

full, with the Hartford Fire Insurance Company 

paying over $11 million and Aetna Insurance 

Company almost $3 million. 

William Del Monte born January 22, 1906 - and 

died in January 2016 at age 109, was thought 

to be the last survivor. 

Camp in Golden Gate Park 

under military control 




TRANSPORT: ELECTRIC BIKE 

Extreme 

Performance 

ebike 

94 


Riders can reach top speeds of 100 km/h, a range of 50 to 100 km 

Neematic, a new player in the e-bike market made its first public appearance of their extreme 

performance electric bike - FR/1 - at Intermot 2016 in Germany. 

With its 20 kW peak power brushless motor, lightweight mid-drive aluminium frame and 

hardcore off-road suspension, the FR/1 is the perfect fusion of MTB and dirt bike. Riders 

can reach top speeds of 100 km/h, a range of 50 to 100 km and experience great 

handling whether they’re climbing uphill or shredding the trail. 

As Domas Zinkevicius, co-founder and chief engineer, explains: “We wanted to 

create a top performance e-bike for rough terrain. Most importantly, we’ve been 

able to integrate the motor in the frame and remove unsprung mass in the rear 

wheel. It is this weight distribution alongside the bike’s immense torque that 

puts Neematic at the frontier of high performance e-bikes.” 

FR/1 is also equipped with a 2.2 kWh Li-ion battery, and uses only topnotch 

bicycle components such as Fox 2017 shocks, Hope tech3 V4 

brakes, Pinion drive and DMR pedals. 

Initial design and engineering for the bike was commenced in 

early 2014, with Neematic then being established in 2015 with 

backing from Practica Capital, a venture capital fund. The 

engineers behind the bike, Domas and Linas, leverage 12 

years of experience in electric bicycle builds and race 

suspension engineering. 

Neematic is set to launch a pre-order campaign for 

FR/1 and start serial 

production in 2017. 

As Domas Zinkevicius, co-founder and chief engineer, explains: 

"We wanted to create a top performance e-bike for rough terrain. 

Most importantly, we've been able to integrate the motor in the frame and remove 

unsprung mass in the rear wheel. It is this weight distribution alongside the bike's 

immense torque that puts NEEMATIC at the frontier of high performance e-bikes." 




ARCHITECTURE: SWEDEN 

Stop in for a bite 

Color is used extensively in the design, outside 

and in. Shoppers are directed through the three 

story space in a “figure eight” pattern which 

can create a bit of disorientation 

98 


The developers of Emporia, a new 

mixed-used development in Malmö, 

Sweden, wanted to attract 

commuters from the local train station to the 

combination mall, supermarket, office tower, 

and apartment building they planned to create. 

Realising that a stunning design could be a way 

to attract pedestrians they commissioned 

Wingårdhs a 170 person architecture firm 

based in Göteborg, Sweden to use the 

$390,000,000 construction budget to create a 

landmark that would act like a beacon to 

pedestrians. The result is a colourful collection 

of interior spaces, wrapped in a sinuous, 

psychedelic surface that appears to be on fire 

when the sun strikes it right 

The structure’s most distinctive features are two 

colourful glass-clad entrances inspired by 

nature—an amber coloured entrance pays 

homage to Sweden’s trees and the semiprecious 

stones produced by their resin and a 

swirling blue entry that echoes a nearby strait. 

The serpentine surfaces of the building are 

jolting, but are also notable achievements in 

structural engineering. 

Glass walls and curved forms have become 

common features of modern architecture, but 

rarely do the two go together. Even on buildings 

where glass appears to curve, they’re often 

faceted and only appear curvaceous from a 

distance, but each of the Emporia’s 804 panes 

was individually designed and manufactured 

with a complex curvature to maintain smooth 

lines throughout the surface. 

In partnership with a forward-looking glass 

fabricator Crícursa, the individual panes were 

formed by placing glass sheets into molds that 

were heated to 540°C, allowing the glass to 

slump into its new shape under its own weight. 

Once cooled, 3-D data from the molds was 

compared to a digital scan of the finished glass 

part to ensure that the final form met all of the 

mechanical tolerances. 

Bold hues are a signature theme, but many of 

Wingårdhs’ decisions are less obvious. The 

designers adopted a motto “no intermediate 

scale,” which basically means, go big or go 

small, but “avoid the in-between scale, from 

one centimetre to one metre, to direct attention 

to the products behind the glass shopfronts,” 

says Wingårdhs. 

Practically, this meant replacing tiled floors with 

a terrazzo covering that allows for larger 

partitions and specifying handrails wrapped in 

fine grain leather. Elements in the Emporia will 

either command shopper’s attention or escape 

their notice entirely. 





In the US, malls are synonymous with sprawl and the situation is similar in 

Malmö. The growing city is expanding into some of northern Europe’s 

most fertile farming land and the designers decided to try and give some 

of that space back by constructing a 290,626 square-foot roof park. This 

green roof will help alleviate flooding, reduce noise and add thermal 

insulation to the building while providing a habitat for birds, plants and 

insects. It will also be used to host concerts and other events. 

The unconventional covering also gave the architects an opportunity to 

hide the ugly HVAC systems underneath man-made “hills,” creating a 

seamless environmental experience. Green space extends into the 

Emporia as well in the form of Plantwires, an innovative hanging garden 

system that suspends giant columns of jungle vines, flowers and verdant 

leaves. 

The Emporia is open to shoppers now, but represents only a quarter of the 

master plan for the site which will soon be filled with similarly ambitious 

structures. 


BOOKSHELF 

Winter Traffic Stephen Greenall Text $29.99 

Sutton doesn’t like the three a.m. phone calls. He 

should change his number - that way Rawson 

wouldn’t have it. Sutton’s best mate is a hero 

cop, but strife flows through him like a highway. 

He was supposed to die young. Maybe Millar will 

do it for him: she’s the hot young detective from 

Internal who still thinks intellect and integrity will 

take her places. If she doesn’t watch her step, 

she might find out what they are. 

This is the story of good dogs living in a badnews 

town - a fragrant harbour city where the 

judges are dead, the vendettas lively and every 

glittering fortune hides a sin. An epic novel of 

corruption, murder and the true nature of justice, Winter Traffic announces the 

arrival of a compelling new voice in literary crime. 

promises he has made. 

The Restorer Michael Sala Text $29.99 

After a year apart, Maryanne returns to her 

husband, Roy, bringing their eight-year-old son 

Daniel and his teenage sister Freya with her. 

The family move from Sydney to Newcastle, 

where Roy has bought a derelict house on the 

coast. As Roy painstakingly patches the holes in 

the floorboards and plasters over cracks in the 

walls, Maryanne believes, for a while, that they 

can rebuild a life together. 

But Freya doesn’t want a fresh start - she just 

wants out - and Daniel drifts around the 

sprawling, run-down house in a dream, 

infuriating his father, who soon forgets the 

Some cracks can never be smoothed over, and tension grows between Roy and 

Maryanne until their uneasy peace is ruptured - with devastating consequences. 

I didn’t say it was your fault, 

what I said is 

I’m just blaming you. 

Everybody's Fool Richard Russo 

Allen & Unwin UK $32.99 

The great American master Richard Russo, at 

the very top of his game, returns to the 

characters who made Nobody's Fool a 

contemporary classic. 

Richard Russo's new novel takes place in the 

decaying American town of North Bath over the 

course of a very busy weekend, ten years after 

the events of Nobody's Fool. Donald 'Sully' 

Sullivan is trying to ignore his cardiologist's 

estimate that he has only a year or two left. Ruth, 

his long-time lover, is still married to Zach and 

running Hattie's lunch counter, though she's 

increasingly distracted by her former son-in-law, fresh out of prison and intent on 

making trouble. Police chief Doug Raymer is obsessing over the identity of the 

man his wife might have been about to run off with before she died in a freak 

accident, while local wiseguy Carl Roebuck might finally be running out of luck. 

Add a funeral, an escaped cobra, a collapsed building and a lot of beer to the 

equation and you have a novel which is a pure pleasure to read - genuinely 

funny, enormously heartfelt and imbued with the warmth and wisdom that are 

Richard Russo's stock in trade. 

Norse Mythology Neil Gaiman 

Bloomsbury $27.99 

Bestselling and much loved author Neil Gaiman 

brings vividly to life the stories of Norse 

mythology that have inspired his own 

extraordinary writing 

The great Norse myths are woven into the fabric 

of our storytelling - from Tolkien, Alan Garner and 

Rosemary Sutcliff to Game of Thrones and 

Marvel Comics. They are also an inspiration for 

Neil Gaiman's own award-bedecked, bestselling 

fiction. Now he reaches back through time to the 

original source stories in a thrilling and vivid 

rendition of the great Norse tales. Gaiman's gods are thoroughly alive on the 

page - irascible, visceral, playful, passionate - and the tales carry us from the 

beginning of everything to Ragnarok and the twilight of the gods. Galvanised by 

Gaiman's prose, Thor, Loki, Odin and Freya are irresistible forces for modern 

readers and the crackling, brilliant writing demands to be read aloud around an 

open fire on a freezing, starlit night. 

Lincoln in the Bardo George Saunders 

Bloomsbury $29.99 

The extraordinary first novel by the bestselling, 

Folio Prize-winning, National Book Awardshortlisted 

George Saunders, about Abraham 

Lincoln and the death of his eleven year old son, 

Willie, at the dawn of the Civil War 

February 1862. The American Civil War rages 

while President Lincoln's beloved eleven-yearold 

son lies gravely ill. Days later, Willie dies and 

is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. 

Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln 

returns to the crypt several times alone to hold 

his boy's body. From this seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an 

unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of realism, entering 

a supernatural domain both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself 

trapped in a strange purgatory - called, in Tibetan tradition, the bardo - where 

ghosts mingle, squabble and commiserate and a monumental struggle erupts 

over his soul. 

Written with George Saunders' inimitable humour, pathos and grace, Lincoln in 

the Bardo invents a thrilling new form and confirms him as one of the most 

important writers of his generation. Deploying a theatrical, kaleidoscopic 

panoply of voices - living and dead, historical and fictional -Lincoln in the Bardo 

poses a timeless question: how do we live and love when we know that 

everything we hold dear must end? 


To Capture What We Cannot Keep Beatrice Colin 

Allen & Unwin $29.99 

Set against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, 

a marvel of steel and air and light, this novel 

charts the relationship between a young 

Scottish widow and a French engineer who, 

despite constraints of class and wealth, fall in 

love. 

In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace and Emile 

Nouguier meet in a hot air balloon, floating high 

above Paris - a moment of pure possibility. But 

back on firm ground their vastly different social 

strata become clear. Cait is a widow who, 

because of her precarious financial situation, is 

forced to chaperone two wealthy Scottish charges. Emile is expected to take on 

the bourgeois stability of his family's business and choose a suitable wife. With 

these constraints of class and wealth, Cait and Emile must decide what their 

love is worth. 

Seamlessly weaving historical detail and vivid invention, Beatrice Colin evokes 

the revolutionary time in which Cait and Emile live--one of corsets and secret 

trysts, duels and bohemian independence, strict tradition and Impressionist 

experimentation. To Capture What We Cannot Keep, stylish, provocative and 

shimmering, raises probing questions about a woman's place in that world, the 

overarching reach of class distinctions, and the sacrifices love requires of us all. 

One Leg Over: Having Fun - Mostly - in Peace 

and War Robin Dalton Text $29.99 

At the age of ninety-five, Robin Dalton looks 

back on her life, particularly on her love life. 

Married at nineteen, disastrously, Robin has a 

lucky escape - her ‘Society Divorce’ makes the 

front page of Sydney newspapers, bumping the 

war to page three. Then there are the American 

and British servicemen in Sydney - the dancing, 

the many trysts and a number of not-tooserious 

engagements - before Robin travels to 

England ostensibly to marry one of those 

fiancés. 

While most of Europe struggles with post-war austerity, Robin’s days and nights 

are filled with extravagant dinners, parties with royalty and romantic getaways, 

until she meets the man who will become, for a brief few years before his early 

death, her second husband. 

One Leg Over is a story of love and romance, of fun and glamour and of loss 

and great sadness. But above all it’s a celebration of a wonderful life. 

Perfect Little World Kevin Wilson 

Picador $29.99 

When Isabelle Poole meets Dr. Preston Grind, 

she's fresh out of high school, pregnant with 

her art teacher's baby and totally on her own. 

Izzy knows she can be a good mother but 

without any money or relatives to help, she's 

left searching. 

Dr. Grind, an awkwardly charming child 

psychologist, has spent his life studying family, 

even after tragedy struck his own. Now, with the 

help of an eccentric billionaire, he has the 

chance to create a "perfect little world"- to 

study what would happen when ten children are 

raised collectively, without knowing who their 

biological parents are. He calls it The Infinite Family Project and he wants Izzy 

and her son to join. 

This attempt at a utopian ideal starts off promising, but soon the gentle 

equilibrium among the families disintegrates: unspoken resentments between 

the couples begin to fester; the project's funding becomes tenuous; and Izzy's 

growing feelings for Dr. Grind make her question her participation in this 

strange experiment in the first place. 

Written with the same compassion and charm that won over legions of readers 

with The Family Fang, Kevin Wilson shows us with grace and humour that the 

best families are the ones we make for ourselves. 

The Shadow Land Elizabeth Kostova 

Text $32.99 

Alexandra Boyd has travelled to Bulgaria hoping 

to salve the wounds left by the loss of her 

beloved brother. But a luggage mix-up soon 

after she arrives finds her holding an urn filled 

with human ashes. 

As Alexandra sets out to return the precious 

item to its owners she finds ever more 

obstacles in her path, even as her 

determination grows greater - and the mystery 

behind the significance of the urn deepens. 

Soon she will realise that this object is tied to 

the very darkest moments in the nation’s 

history and that the stakes behind seeing it safely returned are higher than she 

could ever have imagined. 

The Violinist of Venice Alyssa Palombo 

Pan Australia $29.99 

A dramatic and beautiful novel about composer 

and priest Antonio Vivaldi's two great loves - his 

mistress and his music. 

Following her mother's death, the one source of 

joy for Adriana d'Amato is her music. Now 

eighteen, she refuses to let her strict father stop 

her from pursuing her dreams and begins to 

take secret violin lessons from virtuoso Antonio 

Vivaldi. Their relationship soon evolves into a 

passionate and forbidden, love affair - for 

Adriana's father is intent on her marrying a 

member of the patrician class and Vivaldi is a man of the Church. 

Their affair must end upon Adriana's marriage, but when Vivaldi is forced to 

choose between his lover and his music, the repercussions will haunt their lives 

in ways they never imagined. 

The Starlings Vivienne Kelly Text $29.99 

It’s March 1985 and Nicky Starling is turning 

eight, but it’s a sad day. Nicky’s grandmother 

Didie has just died. Almost worse - his father’s 

beloved football team has lost the first match of 

the season. 

Nicky will miss Didie but he still has Rose, Didie’s 

nurse. He wishes he could love footy, but what he 

really loves are the tales of King Arthur and 

stories from Shakespeare that his mother reads 

to him and that he acts out in his bedroom. But 

these stories often end badly, an alarming fact for 

a boy whose family life is starting to fracture. 

Funny, tender and savage, The Starlings is a wonderfully entertaining novel 

about secrets and defeat, about heroism and love, about what it might mean to 

lose everything. 

The Women of Baker Street Michelle Birkby 

Pan $19.99 

As Sherlock and Watson return from the famous 

Hound of the Baskervilles case, Mrs Hudson and 

Mary must face their own Hound, in the swirling 

fog of Victorian London. 

When Mrs Hudson falls ill, she is taken into a 

private ward at St Barts hospital. Perhaps it is 

her over-active imagination, or her penchant for 

sniffing out secrets, but as she lies in her bed, 

slowly recovering, she finds herself surrounded 

by patients who all seem to have some skeletons 

in their closets. A higher number of deaths than 

usual seem to occur on this ward. On her very first night, Mrs Hudson believes 

she witnesses a murder. But was it real, or just smoke and mirrors? 

Mary Watson meanwhile has heard about young boys disappearing across 

London, and is determined to find them and reunite them with their families. As 

the women's investigations collide in unexpected ways, a gruesome discovery 

in Regent's Park leads them on to a new, terrifying case. 


OPINION: CLIMATE CHANGE DIRECTION 

Not Everything 

You See Is Real 

Dr Timothy Ball can’t wait for the political climate to 

change in America. He tells us why, after many years of 

politically driven science, cooler heads must prevail. 

Many people, including my wife, ask why I continue to fight for the truth 

about the greatest deception in history, the claim that humans are causing 

global warming. The answer is simple; I don’t want any politician to be 

able to say they weren’t told. I have written a multitude of articles in every 

medium possible, published books, done countless radio and TV 

interviews, and given hundreds of public lectures. It is in the record and 

readily available with the simplest of Internet searches. If they didn’t know, 

they didn’t look very hard or were deliberately selective. 

Despite that, there were times when I questioned the efficacy of my 

actions. This was brought home recently when in one of the many Internet 

interviews I do with students around the world a young woman asked if, in 

retrospect, I would follow the same path. After very little contemplation I 

said no and quoted the old saying that if the world wants to be fooled, let it 

be fooled. However, I then added, that it is of no consequence because of 

the path already taken and so you must follow Winston Churchill’s dictum. 

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great 

or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour 

and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently 

overwhelming might of the enemy.” 

Nothing has happened to challenge my “honour or good sense.” Indeed, I 

steadfastly kept the idea in the front of my mind that if evidence of ‘good 

sense’ appeared that showed I was wrong, I had to be the first to 

announce it to the world. 

Over the last 40 years, I saw events come and go that I thought would 

expose the greatest deception in history: The claim that human CO2 is 

causing catastrophic global warming, known as anthropogenic global 

warming (AGW). I kept thinking and hoping that something or someone 

would appear to expose the entire thing. It needed an event or person who 

could go to the heart of the problem that was established and firmly 

protected within the realm of government. I watched the Chapter Eight 

debacle in which sections of a final report agreed on by the committee 

were drastically altered when it was released to the world. I thought the 

106 VIEWMAG.NET February 2017 

leaked emails, first 1,000, then 5,000 and finally 220,000 from the 

Climatic Research Unit (CRU) that became the control centre for the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would open people’s 

eyes. The exposure of malfeasance, collusion and manipulation of data, 

publications and even scientific journals should have stopped the 

corruption. It didn’t. 

The disclosures should have converted the valiant supporters of the IPCC 

and CRU. It didn’t. For the few of us who already knew, it was just 

confirmation. It is a measure of the tunnel vision of left-wing ideology that 

the Guardian reporter George Monbiot, a strong supporter of both 

agencies and their work wrote, 

It’s no use pretending that this isn’t a major blow. The emails extracted by 

a hacker from the climatic research unit at the University of East Anglia 

could scarcely be more damaging. I am now convinced that they are 

genuine, and I’m dismayed and deeply shaken by them. 

But this didn’t trigger a campaign by him to demand the truth as it would 

in a less doctrinaire person. As Clive Crook wrote in The Atlantic 

“I had hoped, not very confidently, that the various Climategate inquiries 

would be severe. This would have been a first step towards restoring 

confidence in the scientific consensus. But no, the reports make things 

worse. At best, they are mealy-mouthed apologies; at worst, they are 

patently incompetent and even willfully wrong. The climate-science 

establishment, of which these inquiries have chosen to make themselves 

a part, seems entirely incapable of understanding, let alone repairing, the 

harm it has done to its own cause.” 

I thought the leaked emails from the CRU that exposed the corrupt 

activities of the central scientists at the IPCC would stop the juggernaut. 

Instead, they hired PR people and set up controlled whitewash 

investigations as Crook noted. None of it stopped and only marginally 

slowed the AGW deception. 

The marginal delay occurred because the emails were leaked in November

2009, a month before the Conference of the Parties (COP) 15 meeting in 

Copenhagen that planned to agree on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. 

A year later COP 16 in Durban, South Africa, they approved the 

replacement for Kyoto, the great socialist transfer of wealth scheme 

based on use and abuse of CO2, with the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Too 

many people had too much invested, and most of the public didn’t 

understand what was happening. 

A major factor in perpetuating the deception was the claim that 97 

percent of scientists agreed. This was another falsehood deliberately 

created to perpetuate the myth. A Queensland University researcher 

claimed to have surveyed 11,944 papers and concluded 97.1% 

expressed an opinion supporting climate change. In fact, by their 

definition, only 41 agreed with their hypothesis or 0.3%. The only 97% 

figure of relevance is the 97% who have never looked at the IPCC science. 

The 3% who have, were shocked. For example, Emeritus Professor of 

physics, the late Hal Lewis wrote in his resignation letter to the American 

Physical Society (APS) in October 2010 

"the global warming scam, with the (literally) trillions of dollars driving it, 

that has corrupted so many scientists, and has carried APS before it like a 

rogue wave. It is the greatest and most successful pseudoscientific fraud I 

have seen in my long life as a physicist." 

German meteorologist and physicist Klaus -Eckart Puls had a similar 

experience as he explained. 

“Ten years ago I simply parroted what the IPCC told us. One day I started 

checking the facts and data – first I started with a sense of doubt but then 

I became outraged when I discovered that much of what the IPCC and the 

media were telling us was sheer nonsense and was not even supported 

by any scientific facts and measurements. To this day I still feel shame 

that as a scientist I made presentations of their science without first 

checking it.” 

For most, it is so bad they think they are misreading it, so they reach out 

to others for confirmation. This was the experience of people like Albert 

Jacobs who contacted me several years ago to speak to a small group of 

Albertans. Their concern about the proposed Kyoto Protocol led to 

examining the scientific justification and found it wanting. I met the group 

at the Calgary airport and after convincing them that the science was 

worse than they surmised the discussion turned to the real issue. Should 

they stick strictly to the science or be aware that the issue was science 

corrupted and used for a political agenda. The other issue was making the 

science understandable to the 80% of the public who are Arts students. To 

their credit, they stuck to the science and did it with great success. 

A few years later I got a call from Malcolm Roberts a recently retired 

Australian engineer and businessman who also looked at the climate 

science. I helped him work with others to create the Galileo Movement, 

an organization that has achieved the same impact as Friends of 

Science. Malcolm wanted to become proactive, and as we 

communicated, he became aware that the real problem was in the 

deliberate use of bureaucrats. 

He learned that Maurice Strong set up the IPCC through the World 

Meteorological Organization (WMO) and as Strong knew the politicians and 

public would not challenge the bureaucrats. This culminated in Roberts 

running for office under a new Australian Party banner – One Nation. 

Meanwhile, he also learned that everything presented to the public was 

computer generated; there was not a shred of empirical evidence to 

support the AGW hypothesis. His campaign as the Senator from 

Queensland was successful, and his maiden speech started the search for 

empirical evidence. To my knowledge, it is the first open challenge to the 

bureaucrats who control the global warming agenda by a politician. He 

asked the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization 

(CSIRO), the agency responsible for climate change, to produce empirical 

evidence for global warming. 

They produced a report that failed to provide any evidence. Instead, they 

countered with English TV celebrity Brian Cox showing a temperature 

graph from NASA GISS showing the temperature rising. Apparently, he 

didn’t know that a temperature graph is not empirical evidence of AGW. 

Worse, he didn’t know the graph was altered to exaggerate the gradient. If 

he had done even minimal research, he would have come across 

Tony Heller’s explanation of what and how the ‘adjustments’ were made to 

create exaggerated warming. 

Because of these events Senator Roberts arranged for Tony and me to 

appear with him at the Australian Parliament with a public presentation. 

The Senator spoke about the failure of CSIRO to provide empirical 

evidence. Tony explained the extent of the corruption of the temperature 

data, and I provided the entire development and objective of the AGW 

deception from the Club of Rome through Agenda 21 and the IPCC. 

Then, as the ancients would say, the stars aligned. While in Australia with 

Senator Roberts Donald Trump won the US Presidential election. It will 

change everything, but especially with the climate corruption. 

A measure of Trump’s acumen and developer’s sense was that he 

appointed various people to head transition teams before the election. He 

knew you need everything ready to go on the first day of construction. 

Myron Ebell of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), who both Tony 

and I knew, was appointed to lead the transition team dealing with the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and climate change. He invited the 

three of us to appear at a meeting on Capitol Hill to make similar 

presentation to those we made in Australia. 

We appeared on the Hill on December 12 before Senators, Congressmen, 

Aides, and members of the public. We then went to the CEI to participate 

in discussions with a group called “Cooler Heads” that included other 

members of the EPA transition team. Considerable discussion ensued with 

many questions related to positive actions. President-elect Trump wants 

clean air and water, so some form of EPA is required. What is not needed 

are bureaucrats creating regulations and enforcement without scientific 

evidence for a political agenda. 

It is likely Trump will advocate withdrawal from the Paris Climate 

Agreement. Ironically, because of Obama’s need to bypass the US Senate, it 

was an Agreement, not a Treaty. Then, to satisfy less committed nations 

and reach an agreement for the publicity it was made non-binding. This 

means the US can walk away and there is nothing any other nation can do. 

The exploitation of environmental concerns and global warming to push a 

political agenda is coming to an end. Control of bureaucracies is critical 

because they are the massive army of unaccountable control. As American 

author and social commentator, Mary McCarthy said, 

Bureaucracy, the rule of no one, has become the modern form of 

despotism. 

Two actions are required to drain the Washington environmental and 

climate change swamp; reduction of funding and changes to legislation. 

Both are scheduled for implementation by the Trump administration under 

the guidance of the transition teams. Nothing cleans out a swamp better 

and quicker than a tsunami. 

Dr Timothy F Ball 

Born: 1938 

Citizenship: Canadian 

B.A., (Honours), Gold Medal Winner, University of 

Winnipeg, 1970 

M.A., University of Manitoba, 1971 

Ph.D. (Doctor of Science), Queen Mary College, 

University of London (England), 1982 

Special Academic or Professional Honours 

Gold Medal, Honours Geography, University of Winnipeg 

Twice Runner-Up for the Clifford Robson Award for 

Teaching Excellence 

Clifford Robson Award for Teaching Excellence 

Atchison Award for Community Service 

Graduate Fellowship, University of Manitoba 

Humboldt Award, Geography Department, University of 

Winnipeg 

Research Fellow George Morris Centre 

Paul Harris Fellow Rotary Canada 


REGIONAL HISTORY: COWRA 1919 

Farm Training 

for Women 


These photographs were taken 

towards the end of World War I on an 

experimental farm in the Cowra 

district of New South wales. 

Cowra is located in the Central West region of 

New South Wales, on the banks of the Lachlan 

River in the Lachlan Valley. The township of 

"Coura Rocks" had its beginnings in 1844. 

Around 1847, the township site became known 

as Cowra and in 1849 was proclaimed a village. 

Rainfall is mild and distributed fairly evenly all 

year round, however it slightly peaks in summer 

with thunderstorms and again in winter with cold 

fronts. The average annual rainfall is 598.3mm. 

William Farrer is regarded as the Father of the 

Australian wheat industry. He had very strong 

views on how Research Farms could be best 

used to help farmers develop agriculture in NSW. 

He was instrumental in the formation of the new 

“Experiment Farm” at Cowra in 1903, where he 

could conduct his wheat breeding trials 

unencumbered by others. 

In 1905 George Sutton, agricultural scientist, 

took over and managed an experimental farm at 

Cowra to further the wheat-breeding work of the 

Department of Agriculture. 

The Department of Lands decided that the Pitt 

Town Farm 59 kilometres north-west of the 

Sydney, was a most suitable institution for returned 

soldiers to get experience in farming operations 

before-taking up land on their own account. 

The Cowra farm up until then had been used for 

training lads brought out from the United 

Kingdom under the auspices of the 

"Dreadnought" scheme. Since the outbreak of 

the war, however, there has been no immigration 

of this kind, and the lads who were in residence 

when the war commenced had either enlisted or 

have taken up farm work. 

It was some years later in 1917 that the 

Agricultural Department took over from the 

Department of Labor and Industry the training of 

20 women students who had been in residence 

at the Pitt Town Agricultural Training Farm and 

moved them to Cowra in NSW. 

Mr. Grahame, Minister for Agriculture considered 

the Cowra farm admirably suited for the purpose 

of training women students, as the operations 

embrace wheat growing, fruit growing, dairying, 

sheep and pig raising, poultry farming, bee 

keeping, and vegetable gardening. 

The Minister at the time hoped in the near future, 

to be able to provide accommodation for a much 

larger number of students. 

Timely notice would be given of the extension, so 

that applications may be received from women 

who desire this class of training. 





The following is a piece published in the Sydney 

Morning Herald on Saturday 4th May 1918 

MAKING GOOD AT COWRA. 

For eight months the experiment of training women to 

do farm work at Cowra Experiment Farm has been in 

progress, and the manager of the farm, when asked 

whether they were adapted for farm work, 

emphatically answered "Yes." He does not, however, 

think they will oust men from their place, though they 

will be helpmeets. 

During those eight months they have been engaged in 

the orchard, the vegetable garden, the piggery, the 

poultry yard, the milking byre and dalry, the apiary, and 

amongst the sheep, as well as in the general work of a 

mixed farm. This last Includes the handling of small 

and large ploughs, cultivators, reapers and binders, 

harvesting machlnery, driving oil engines, harnessing 

and driving horses, and in comparison with their 

strength they do quite as well as men. 

These women are not above the average physique, but 

they have given their minds to their work, are doing It 

quite as faithfully as their brothers, and as there are 

20 women there at work the experiment of training 

them shows that they are capable. A wornan is in 

charge of the sheep, looking after them altogether, 

others are in the milking pen and sore udders have 

disappeared from the cows. Moreover there Is not now 

a mishap amongst the cattle - the women handle 

them more gently than men. 

Another student has been sent to the apiary at 

Wauchope to leam the management of bees and at 

the conclusion of her term she will probably be placed 

in charge of an apiary, where other girls will be trained 

under her. Others do the orchard work by themselves; 

others take their turn in the fields. 

Their capacity for doing detail work makes them useful 

in the vegetable garden; indeed, they apply themselves 

to whatever they are asked with a determination to 

succeed. Two of them not long ago took charge of a 

waggon drawn by seven horses, drove it from the farm, 

through the town to the goods shed at the railway 

station, delivered their load there, and returned home. 

These women are all highly respected; the appearance 

of the two with a team excited no comment. Already 

some of the earlier students have gone out from the 

farm and secured good situations. Especially In the 

coastal districts, where labour on dairy farms is scarce 

and dear, these women students can fill a want that 

has been felt for a long time. The war has taken a 

good proportion of the manhood, and like their sisters 

In England, these women are taking their places for 

the time. 

On the Cowra farm they work as a rule by themselves, 

but a man is sent to do the heavy lifting. Within the 

limits of their strength and physique they do excellent 

work and the farm manager Is highly pleased with 

their capacity. During war time they are doing as good 

patriotic work as any of those In the city who interest 

themselves in Red Cross or War Chest concerns. An all 

round average of the work shows that three women 

can do rather more than two men.

Viewmag_Feb17

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