Sir Samuel Moggs

A Moggs Foundation grant was made to MAP documentary photographers. They have had notable successes. Some dozen of their photos, showing the drought throughout Australia, have been purchased by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and their 80 print exhibition will be on show in galleries throughout Australia over the next 3 to 6 years.

We have been invited to the opening of the exhibition at Old Parliament House in Canberra on 8 July '08. Cheers to you MAP and thanks also for your offer of one of your impressive prints.

Below, is the MAP story - remember you can look at their photos on www.mapgroup.org.au

“Many Australian Photographers Group,” known as MAP Group, is a non-profit association of around 40 photographers who share a passion and commitment to high quality, independent documentary image making. Our photographers range from emerging to well established, many of whom are recipients of national and international awards.

The photographers of MAP Group are currently completing a nation-wide philanthropic project documenting the drought and its impact on Australia’s water resources. We have called this project “Beyond Reasonable Drought”. This ambitious project aims to record the impact of the eleven-year drought on the land, the people and the psyche of the nation.

Participating photographers have made hundreds of road trips throughout Australia to document what they see and to record the stories they hear. To date, the photographers have travelled many thousands of kilometres and worked thousands of hours, in their own time and at their own expense.

Another Moggs Foundation awardee, Mystee Unwin, is in the US. Mystee has recorded her impressions of the Australian drought in a series of small paintings which at present are being curated by Foundation chair, John Stanley.

At present Mystee is working on illustrations for a US television mini series - the title of which must be kept secret. Oh mysterious Mystee!

The committee has an attractive website which keeps you up to date on many matters concerning Moggs and all those other lovely places along this most wonderful of roads.

Support has been requested to develop a special type of emergency housing. Called the MOGGS, meaning, Material for Onsite Generally Grave Situations, the plan is to mould waste plastic containers into a 5 metre diameter saucer shaped disaster home.Tens of thousands MOGGS are proposed to be moulded in Australia and shipped to disaster prone countries where they can be flown by army helicopters to badly affected areas.

The lightness of the polythene (milk bottles) base of the 'saucer' and the clear top (coke bottles) is a great attraction. Another assett is the fact that the compact shape allows for 10 complete emergency home units to be carried in a single 3 tonne package.

Patrick Dangerfield, drafted by Adelaide Crows ...Vince Maskell reports:

Patrick Dangerfield has been drafted by the Adelaide Crows even though he won't be be available till 2009. He is playing with the Geelong Falcons, in the Under 18 TAC Cup this year while he completes Year 12 at Oberon High in Geelong. Sir Samuel Moggs would be very proud that a coastal haven with not
a football ground in cooee, has produced a budding AFL player.

Following reports that a member of the glorious Moggs family had been honoured with a significant valley being named after him, the Foundation sent its chairman to explore almost unknown areas of Northern New South Wales.

Setting out from Armidale, on the icy New England Plateau, and at an elevation of some 1000 metres the possibility of discovering a deep warm valley, a sort of Shangri-La, seemed remote.

After being lost for days and sidetracked through minute towns with the unlikely names of Backwater, and Wards Mistake, we discovered an old house with knowledgeable local occupants.

Photo shows the local farming family giving advice about how to find the beautiful Moggs Valley.They do not wish to be named. People in the area are few and do not want to reveal the hiden riches of the Moggs Valley.

After many hours of effort we discovered this old decrepit sign. Clearly designed to discourage public interest in the Shangri-La nearby. It should be noted that the sign is slightly misspelt - there should be no apostrophe in Moggs.

A larger investigative expedition to uncover the hidden riches of the Moggs Valley is planned. As you can see in the distance, the land is beautiful and probably holds significant historical value.

The Foundation has awarded a grant to the MAP group. This collection of first-class Australian photographers are, at their own expense, recording the damage which the drought has done to the Australian landscape and those who rely on farming for their livelihood.

It is great for the inheritors of the Moggs photo tradition to once again be working with a group of top-notch Australian documentary photographers.

The Foundation has also awarded a grant to painter Mytstee Unwin. Mystee has just completed her Creative Arts degree, with honours, at Melbourne University.

Mystee has made a series of miniature paintings which express the dramatic and at times sorrowful landscapes so characteristic of drought-ridden Australia.

Mystee's friend David adjusts the Sam Moggs cap while she displays the Award notification.

Concern with the social consequences of the drought was emphasized in November 2007 when environmental groups organised the Walk Against Warming, in Melbourne. About 15,000 people joined the march, including many children who were encouraged by their parents and their school to become involved.

In front of the Victorian State Library, many thousands of March supporters loudly voiced their approval of the proposal that Australia ratify the Kyoto Protocols.

CAN YOU HELP !
Cooks and Clarkes Needed.

The Foundation is looking for Graeme Cook. If you know where he is, we would greatly appreciate that information - contact the president.

Graeme was a professional photographer who, in the 1950's and 1960's, had his studio in Glenhuntly Road Elwood. He became involved with the Clickers in the 1960's and helped build the red brick cairn to the pioneers, which is next to the mouth of the creek near the walkway to the beach. Graeme built his own reel to reel tape recorder. This was used in about 1962 to record the history of Moggs Creek when John Crook conducted quite long interviews at the Neuk with William Boyd and a male relative who might have been a Sutherland. William Boyd was also interviewed at his home in Camberwell while his daughter was present.

The Foundation is also hoping to find a member of the Clarke family from Eastern View.

The Clarkes were the original family at Eastern View - they cleared the land and developed a dairy farm which can be easily seen on the top of the hill. At holiday times during the 1950's to 1970's Ray Clarke supplied milk and cream to those at Moggs Creek. His white holden utility was a welcome sight as he was a most pleasant man.

Mr & Mrs Clarke's elder children caught the bus to Geelong High School in the 1960's and around then Ray's mother was formally interviewed about the history of Eastern View. It appears that Ray's grandparents rowed from Point Roadknight to Eastern View in order to develop the farm. Ray subsequently helped publicize the Ocean Road, but died perhaps 20 years ago.

Corrie Bussem is researching the history of the Valentine Nott Mogg family who lived in the St Arnaud area of Victoria from the mid 1800's to the early 1900's.

It is possible that during times of drought in the Western District this Mogg family grazed sheep in the area now known as Moggs Creek.

As Early as the 1890's writers to the 'Geelong Advertiser' referred to the area west of Aireys Inlet as Moggs Creek.

For the moment, we invite you to open 'Sporting' to discover the other side of Vince Maskell - his cricketing prowess.

Chairman:

Dr John Stanley,

c/o Vince Maskell,

48 Boyd Ave,

Moggs Creek,Vic, 3231

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