Gang-gang. How to give the dear departed a 'vote' on July 2

But now reader "Sue", of Stirling, has sent us an inspirational press clipping, inspirational for those who would like to still exert some political influence after they have gone to their Great Reward.

She writes that "I read the death notices regularly in The Canberra Times and am often entertained by humorous comment therein. Whilst visiting family in USA recently I pursued my habit in The New York Times. For those feeling poorly and with elections forthcoming the attached notice may offer inspiration."

And what she saw and has sent us is an obituary for the recently deceased Rosemary that includes the message that "As a final wish Rosemary would request you vote for Hillary."

If Rosemary was as popular in life as her obituary suggests, and if those who knew and loved her respect her last wish, then she may play a considerable role in defeating The Donald. The obituary notices that as well as leaving a vast family, Rosemary had careers "in advertising, political consulting and was later an advisor/guru/metaphysician to far too many to mention here".

Meanwhile and as reported here on Wednesday, living voters in electorates where there are koalas are being urged by the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) http://www.bing.com/search?q=Australian+Koala+Foundation&src=IE-TopResult&FORM=IE10TR to think how their votes on July 2 might assist those dear creatures. If the AKF's estimates of koala numbers are correct (and they do differ, dramatically, from sanguine government figures that the AKF scoffs at) then the koala's extinction is a nightmarish possibility.

The AKF, perhaps in the hope of influencing government bean counters who have no compassionate koala room in their hearts, points to what it says will be the economic consequences of the creatures' demise. Tourists are funny, aren't they? The AKF says that 75 per cent of inbound tourists report that when making the decision to come to Australia their hopes of seeing a koala play a part in that decision to come here. The AKF says it has done a study that shows that "Australia currently earns approximately $3.2 billion per annum through koala tourism".

Can all this be true?

It may be that artist Ken Done has played some part in the high koala-meeting expectations of tourists. Koalas have loomed large (and furry) in his popular ultra-Australian works, including that design (on a zillion placemats) in which a welcoming koala waves an Australian flag.

Photographer-artist Camille Serisier addresses some of this in her work Ken Done It! currently playing its part in the stimulating Obnoxious Ladies In The Australian Landscape exhibition in the Canberra Community Art Space's gallery at Gorman House. Her creature, part koala/perhaps part woman, is looking very anxious about whatever it is that it/she believes Ken Done has done.

Camille Serisier explains to us from her home in Brisbane that while she loves Ken Done's brightly coloured work, she does find his approach to representations of Australia's bush and bush creatures a bit male and simplistic.

So for her koala and its surroundings she was searching for something a little more nuanced and true to life. And so her bush colours are muted and where Ken Done's koalas are bold, gregarious, blokey and nonchalant, she wanted her koala to be showing some of the complexity of the species' existence. Her koala (it has heard a noise and is worrying about what it is) is showing the shyness, apprehensiveness and vulnerability of actual koalas.

And while we are outdoors with our wildlife we muse that tourists thinking of coming to Australia might more realistically look forward to seeing Australia's black swans.

The swans (a kind of visual oxymoron for non-Australians and so as strange in their way as platypuses) loom attractively in Margaret Kalms' photographic montage of waterfowls of Lake Ginninderra.

She's been moved to send it to us after a recent column's photographic montage by Geoffrey Dabb of 12 portraits of what the Canberra Ornithologists Group (COG) has just found to be the dozen bird species most commonly seen in our bird-blessed suburbs.

"I enjoyed that photo composite of birds," Margaret Kalms trills to us, "but I notice they are all land birds."

"So here is a photomontage of my photos of waterbirds that inhabit Lake Ginninderra. It's called Treasure for Birds and it was exhibited in the Hidden Treasures exhibition at Belconnen Arts Centre. Lake Ginninderra is not well known, outside of Canberra, by humans. Tourists do not often see its magnificence, but local people love Lake Ginninderra.

"But many waterbirds come here from far and wide to enjoy the good environment. Migratory birds come to refresh after their long flights and many inland waterbirds visit during droughts to enjoy the rich riparian habitat. Many birds know Lake Ginninderra is indeed a local treasure."

Dimly, in the far distance of her montage, Black Mountain's tower peeks above the trees. Let's hope it is in the right place. A keen-eyed observer noticed in a recent Gang-gang column's use of a supplied Geocon illustration of the view from its Wayfarer apartments' top-floor infinity swimming pool, how the setting sun and Black Mountain's tower are juxtaposed in geographically impossible ways.

Unless of course, as the letter to the editor speculated, powerful Geocon even has the power "to realign Earth's axis".

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