Heritage Weekend - Perth

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Exhibition of important artifacts on display at the Australian Sailing Museum

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Date: TBA (Early 2010)

To celebrate the release of the unique journals by Rose de Freycinet, one of the first female travelers to cross the oceans, Friends of Woodside Valley Foundation will hold a cocktail reception at Fremantle Maritime Museum

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Woodside Valley Foundation is pleased to announce an exclusive function for all Woodside Valley Foundation and WASO Patrons and Friends at the WA Maritime Museum, Fremantle.

As special guests, the evening will provide you with the exclusive opportunity to view and learn about the ‘Journeys of Enlightenment’ exhibition, whilst been delightfully entertained by WASO musicians and experiencing the tastes like no other from the Woodside Valley Estate wines.

For more information about the Woodside Valley Foundation and WASO Patrons and Friends Special Function please call 9345 4064 or email: mail@woodsidevalleyfoundation.com.au

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Journeys of Enlightenment – French exploration of Terres Australes is a new exhibition developed by the Western Australian Museum that celebrates the dramatic and often tragic journeys of the 18th and 19th century explorers and scientists who ventured to unknown lands to extend man’s knowledge of the world.

These scientists undertook the first expansive studies of the flora and fauna of Terres Australes and the exhibition brings together drawings, paintings and specimens associated with these journeys.

Journeys of Enlightenment follows the stories and discoveries of French explorers such as de Bougainville, de Saint Aloüarn, de Lapérouse, d’Entrecasteaux, Baudin, de Freycinet and d’Urville as well as the first women explorers, Jeanne Barèt and Rose de Freycinet.

Featured in the exhibition is the work and related objects from the collections of the Western Australian Museum whose scientists continue to discover and document the biodiversity of WA, first described by French explorers over 240 years ago.

It also brings together rare maps, journals, artefacts and drawings from the Woodside Valley Foundation collection, private collections of Kerry Stokes AC, Jock Clough, Peter Woods and Marie Louise Wordsworth, and artefacts recovered from the de Lapérouse shipwrecks from the Musèe de l’histoire maritime de Nouvelle- Calèdonie, (Noumèa).

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Mr Peter Woods, Founder of Woodside Valley Foundation has bought Henry de Saulces de Freycinet back for his third visit to Perth!

Henry de Saulces de Freycinet, is the only male living descendant between Australia and his famous great-great-great grandfather Louis-Henri de Saulces de Freycinet, the French explorer responsible for charting much of the Western Australian coastline in the 1800s. The first complete map of Australia was believed to derive from this visit.

Mr de Freycinet has long been fascinated by his family’s history and their involvement with early WA. and The Woodside Valley Foundation shares this interest. Woodside Valley Foundation’s acquisitions to date include original manuscripts, journals, charts, letters, maps and illustrations, many of which originated during exploratory voyages around the WA coast in the early 19th century and have a direct link with the de Freycinet family.

The Journeys of Enlightenment – French Exploration of Terres Australes exhibition will be held at the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle from Friday, October 17 2008.

G'day and Bonjour
In September, for the very first time, Busselton played host to CinéfestOZ08, where the Festival took the opportunity to introduce gourmet, music, art and performance of both cultures in a meeting of the minds.

CinéfestOZ is a celebration of French & Australian Film surrounded by cultural events which help enhance the link between our two nations. A festival where the art of French and Australian film becomes the bridge between the historic events of the past!

It was inspired by the lack of cultural events in the south west of Western Australia and is motivated by the impact of the French exploration, which is where Woodside Valley Foundation's involvement grew.

Woodside Valley Foundation has a long standing connection with the South West region, through the Foundation's Founder, Mr Peter Woods.

Woodside Valley Estate wines are named in tribute to the remarkable French explorers and the Woodside Valley Foundations mission is always dedicated towards securing , for the benefit of current and future generations, significant maps, documents and artefacts which capture the spirit, lives and vision of the great maritime explorers and scientists whose achievements are the heritage on which life in Western Australia is founded, particularly within the South West region.

With this, the CinéfestOZ board (Geographe French Australian Festivals Inc.) were compelled to ask Mr Peter Woods, to participate in the inaugural event.

In mid July, the partnership was made official and we became the exclusive Gold Partner, in conjunction with Woodside Valley Estate.

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Woodside Valley Estate is pleased to announce 'Celebrating Violas'. This delightful event will give Patrons and Friends of WASO and Woodside Valley Foundation the opportunity to meet violists of the orchestra and learn more about the instrument and the role it plays in the Orchestra.

Event Date: 21 September 2008 at the Perth Mint

Woodside Valley Foundation together with the generous support of Satterley Property Group are delighted to showcase historic artefacts of brothers and maritime explorers Louis-Claude and Henri de Saulces de Freycinet.

This fascinating display […]

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When Louis-Claude de Saulces de Freycinet and his brother Louis-Henri undertook an expedition to the south and south-west coasts of Western Australia in the early 1800’s a permanent maritime link was forged between France and Australia.

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The Woodside Valley Foundation were pleased to host, A Tristan by the Sea, an event for the Patrons and Friends of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra along with special invitations to the Friends of the Woodside Valley Foundation. This exciting event was filled with many activities including a special performance by Marshall Maguire, a world renowned harpist, Professor Tom Stannage spoke on the importance of documenting and retaining the State's maritime artifacts plus guests had the opportunity to view the magnificent treasures of The Voyages of Grand Discovery.

Held at the Maritime Museum in Fremantle, the event attracted 160 guests.

Voyages of Grand Discovery will launch its spectacular exhibition that brings together rare maps, paintings and objects that trace the dramatic history of French, Dutch and English explorers of the Western Australian Coast. The launch night (19th July) will be officially opened by the Hon. Shelia McHale MLA, Minister for Culture and the Arts. Peter Woods, Woodside Valley Foundation’s founder, has contributed to the exhibition by kindly providing the ‘Jean-Francois de Galaup de LA PEROUSE’, Jacques Nicolas Bellin charts and the journals of William Dampier. Held at the Maritime Museum in Fremantle, don’t miss out on this opportunity to re-discover Western Australia’s history. Please be aware, Museum admission fees will apply.

The partnership between Woodside Valley Foundation and the University of Western Australia’s ‘Network for Early European Research’ was identified in 2005. It became apparent, that an initiative between both parties was complementary to its own ambitions and agreed to become an industry partner in an application for Commonwealth Government funding. A proposal was then formulated to establish an agreement involving NEER, Woodside Valley Foundation and others, to provide an opportunity for a doctoral student to work on France’s role in early Western Australia. The recipient of this scholarship, now known as the ‘Voyage Post Graduate Research Award’ was awarded to Mr Joseph Christiansen.

What a night! Over 100 guests gathered at the Novotel Langley Perth to celebrate the launch of the 2007 French Rendezvous. Woodside Valley Foundation was given a special mention by Dr Peter Nattrass, Lord Mayor of Perth, highlighting its association with the discovery of Western Australia by the French explorers. Other guests include Jean-Louis Latour, Senior French Trade Commissioner for Australia and the South Pacific–French Trade Commission in Australia, Mr Michael Wood and various industry leaders including Mr Eric de Merville, Deputy General Manager & Development Director from Total E&P Australia.

Guests were also entertained with Elle Macpherson’s latest French Collection ‘Boudoir’ whilst enjoying premium wines, kindly sponsored by Woodside Valley Estate and French themed canapés.

Funding opportunity for PhD student at the University of Western Australia beginning 2007 as part of our commitment to the Network for Early European Research.

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