Key facts
- Event
- Hunters Hill Anglican Parish and Vienna Cottage Annual Heritage Lecture and Recital
- Date and time
- 2pm, Sunday, August 16
- Venue
- All Saints Anglican Church, Ambrose Street, Hunters Hill
- Guest speaker
- Theodore Ell, Honorary Lecturer in Literature at the Australian National University
- Organ recital
- Kian Chan, Director of Music and organist at the Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill
- Tickets
- $25, including light refreshments
Background
Hunters Hill has long cherished its history, but heritage is about far more than preserving old buildings. It is also about protecting the stories, language and culture that define who we are, according to organizers of this year's Hunters Hill Anglican Parish and Vienna Cottage Annual Heritage Lecture and Recital.
The event will celebrate the legacy of Australia's poet Les Murray (1938–2019), who championed the richness, humour and dignity of Australian English. Murray believed the nation's true character could be found in the everyday language of ordinary Australians, and his creativity contributed dozens of expressions to the Macquarie Dictionary.
The lecture will also place Murray alongside two world literary figures – Ireland's Seamus Heaney and the Caribbean's Derek Walcott – showing how each celebrated the unique language and identity of their own people while speaking to global audiences.
Current situation
The guest speaker, Theodore Ell, will explore Murray's fascination with what the poet described as 'prospecting on the property' – discovering new meanings and possibilities within Australian speech. Ell is an Honorary Lecturer in Literature at the Australian National University and is currently writing an authorised biography of Les Murray.
Ell's award-winning essay 'Facades of Lebanon' won the 2021 Calibre Essay Prize, while his memoir 'Lebanon Days' was highly commended in the 2025 ACT Book of the Year Awards. His poetry collection 'Beginning in Sight' shared the 2022 Anne Elder Award.
The event also highlights the continuing story of Vienna Cottage, a four-room stone cottage in Alexandra Street built in 1871 for German shoemaker Jacob Hillman, his Irish wife Ann O'Donnell and their five children. The cottage became a community museum after local residents purchased it in 1984, opened under National Trust management in 1988, and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | Annual Heritage Lecture and Recital |
| Date | Sunday, August 16 |
| Time | 2pm |
| Venue | All Saints Anglican Church, Ambrose Street, Hunters Hill |
| Tickets | $25 including light refreshments |
| Booking | trybooking.com/DJMVI |
| Enquiries | 9816 1794 or jabirch@bigpond.com |
Impacts
Vienna Cottage has been closed over the past year as the National Trust undertakes remediation work following a mould infestation. There is optimism it will soon reopen, allowing visitors to experience this part of Hunters Hill's history.
The event will also feature a recital on the historic Bevington Heritage Organ by Kian Chan, the newly appointed Director of Music and organist at the Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill. Chan, a graduate of the Conservatorium High School, has won major competitions in Australia and overseas.
The afternoon promises a celebration of words, places and traditions that continue to shape Australia's heritage, appealing to those interested in literature, music, or local history.
Future outlook
Scenario analysis: The possibilities below are not certain predictions.
If Vienna Cottage reopens as anticipated, visitors may once again experience this important heritage site. The National Trust's remediation work could conclude soon, but the exact reopening date remains unclear.
The lecture may deepen public appreciation of Les Murray's contribution to Australian English, potentially influencing how his work is studied. If Theodore Ell's authorised biography is published, it could offer new insights into Murray's life and creative process.
The event could strengthen community engagement with heritage, but its long-term impact will depend on attendance and continued support from local residents and heritage organisations.
Source: weeklytimes.com.au
