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MAY 14 2021 - 12:00PM
Dan Ryan steps into the City of Launceston acting
general manager role for QVMAG
The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery have found an acting general manager to step into the role after the previous general manager of creative arts and cultural services, Tracy Puklowski, stepped down.
Dan Ryan, who commenced with the City of Launceston in February 2020, as manager of community relations, will take on an acting general manager role temporarily.
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"I'm excited about the opportunity to work with the dedicated and talented team at QVMAG as the acting general manager," Mr Ryan said.
"Over the coming months, it will be a focus of mine to carry on the momentum outgoing general manager [Ms] Puklowski has built."
Prior to his appointment, Mr Ryan had spent nearly two decades working in the media sector, holding senior positions in Tasmania and Australia.
MAY 5 2021 - 11:27AM
State government to work with Burnie City Council
after 'courageous' cost-cutting decisions
The state government has promised to help Burnie's cultural scene to get back on its feet after a shock announcement on Monday.
The council announced it would be reforming and cutting its services in an effort to combat a rising deficit.
Premier Peter Gutwein on Wednesday morning applauded the council for its "courageous" move.
"Quite obviously the Burnie City Council is taking the courageous decision to set themselves up for the future," he said.
"This morning I reached out to the mayor of Burnie ... I've offered that the government would work with Burnie City Councilin terms of some of the challenging decisions that they have underway."
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He said Burnie mayor Steve Kons had requested financial support for the Burnie Arts and Function Centre to open "as soon as possible" after it was upgraded with a $5 million federal grant.
The Premier said he would meet with Cr Kons "once the election is settled".
"If we can work with them in a transitional way to ensure that they can open up facilities earlier than what might have otherwise been envisaged, then we will do so," he said.
"(Burnie) is well lead, and they have made some difficult but challenging decisions and we will work with them to ensure the impact on the community is less."
When Mr Gutwein was questioned on potential council amalgamations, he said the parliament would need to determine whether it wanted reform, and that any reforms would be done in "full consultation" with councils.
"The one thing that we don't want to see is the state government at war with the local government," he said.
Underlying deficit for the state's 29 councils plunged to $19.27 million in the last financial year, after years of surplus.
According to the state Auditor-General, this was due in large part to rising employee costs.
The Advocate asked Minister for Local Government Mark Shelton if the financial situation of Burnie and many other councils around the state reinforced a need for greater efficiencies.
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Mr Shelton was also asked if this pointed to a need for amalgamations or resource sharing models, and if the state would take more decisive action.
A government spokesperson responded.
"The state government has previously undertaken work with LGAT to provide support for resource sharing arrangements between Councils," they said.
"The government's position on local government reform is unchanged and it does not support any forced amalgamations.
"A majority Liberal government would be seeking to work through the parliament according to the recommendations of the Premier's Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council in full consultation with the local government sector."
Full of stars, planets and other celestial events, no one would ever get bored looking at the night sky. Launceston's Dr Martin George has built his career on his love for astronomy. Now, after a major life decision, he has opened up about his life as an astronomer.
Background
Dr George would often look out of his window when he was only a few years old and dream of what was in the sky. He had a natural curiosity about the stars, especially in the way the stars appeared to move. He created star charts and was encouraged by his parents to develop his interest through his education.
"I remember one day my mother saying the stars were a very long way away. I was so little at the time and that inspired me to learn about the distances and how light took a long time to get here from the stars," Dr George said.
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The moon landing was also a turning point for the keen astronomer, who grew up in the 60s and remembered watching the event on television at school. In primary school, Dr George was always the most interested in the subjects of maths and science, even specialising in physics during his third and fourth years at high school. At just 14-years-old, the young Dr George joined the Astronomical Society. When he was about 17, he became president.
"It was becoming pretty obvious to me that I was going to pursue a career in science. I just had to do it," he said.
At university, Dr George completed a degree in physics and continued on with his honours degree, specialising in astronomy. However, his real passion was communicating astronomy to the public. He completed his first radio interview on the subject at 17-years-old.
When Dr George was working part time on his PhD in his 20s, a job became available at the Launceston Planetarium at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. He joined in 1983, and was with them for 38 years before he resigned.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities [QVMAG] has given me to communicate astronomy through the planetarium," Dr George said.
Career
Working with QVMAG allowed Dr George to further his career, such as when he joined the International Planetarium Society in 1990 and was elected president for a two year service in the early 2000s.
"I was very honoured but I felt that was a feather in the cap for Launceston as well," he said.
Since then, Dr George has remained the head of several committees and has also completed historical research in his field, including work on low radio frequency radio astronomy in Tasmania. His close relationship with his ex-colleague and fellow astronomer Chris Arkless is something he cherishes greatly.
"Tasmania has a great astronomical history, and through working with QVMAG and having the importance of maintaining a knowledge of the history astronomy in Tasmania ... it's been really fascinating to speak to people and gather information about what has happened in Tasmania over the years," he said.
Dr George advised QVMAG of his resignation on March 19, formally finishing on March 26. He said the decision was a difficult one, and he had weighed up many factors.
"One of the real problems I had to face was I would no longer be working with my very good college Chris Arkless ... that was probably the most difficult part of the decision," he said. Although it's been wonderful to be working for so long for the one organisation ... I never expected it to be a job for life either."
Total solar eclipse seen from Turkey in 2006.
The astronomer had previously considered taking positions both interstate and overseas but his love of Tasmania and the Launceston planetarium kept him here.
"[However], QVMAG is probably not the same place that I joined all those years ago, as with any organisations, things change and move .. and I felt it wasn't quite the same any more."
Another career highlight that stood out for Dr George included becoming a member of the International Astronomical Union - a world body of professional astronomers. In 2006, Dr George was there for the demotion of Pluto from its planet status, even participating in the vote (to which he voted to exclude Pluto).
Dr George said the most spectacular astronomical event in his opinion was total solar eclipses - when the moon moves in front of the sun and blocks out its disc completely.
"The few minutes that you have when you see the sun's outer atmosphere ... is absolutely magic. Once you've seen one you want to see more," he said. "Tasmania is also a wonderful place to see the Aurora Australis."
Over the years, Dr George has increased his media presence in astronomy in the hopes of informing and enthusing the community on astronomy.
"People need to be interested in our planet and how it works," he said. "One of the more rewarding things is when people leave a planetarium show and the child says to the parent, 'can we get the binoculars out tonight', then I feel we have really done something."
Future
Dr George said the future of planetariums was "very bright", with attendance numbers on the rise. However, he said though the primary purpose of planetariums would always stay the same, they could also be used for other things with their projection surfaces.
"It's important to remember there is a lot of enthusiasm all over the country and all over the world for astronomy, so planetariums are very important to the community," he said.
Other exciting astronomical advances Dr George cited was the space station development from China, and the first landing of a helicopter on Mars.
Dr George is also involved with TastroFest - a Tasmanian science festival - to help excite the community about astronomy and spread the word. However, we will have to wait to find out what else the astronomer has in store for us.
"There's going to be plenty of astronomy to come and people are going to be excited."
Launceston's resident astronomer has gazed up at the stars for the last time at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.
Dr Martin George, ex-planetarium coordinator of QVMAG, tendered his resignation last month.
A QVMAG spokesperson confirmed Dr George had advised QVMAG of his resignation on March 19, and formally finished at the museum on March 26.
Dr George said he resigned due to wanting to move on and look at other career possibilities.
"I decided it was simply time to go, 38 years is a long time," he said.
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"I stayed there because of the planetarium primarily. Astronomy has been my love all my life.
"Though, I have certainly loved the work [at QVMAG], and the people at the museum too."
A starry future is still on the cards for the astronomer, who insisted he wasn't formally retiring from his field.
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