MONTHLY OPEN DAY
Getting around: Modes of Transport in the Powerhouse Collection
Saturday 13 March 2010 | 10.00am—4.00pm
Join us on Saturday 13th March when the Powerhouse Discovery Centre explores different modes of transport in the Museum’s collection. From animal-powered transport to inventions which radicalised travel, visitors can hear the stories behind special objects including celebrated aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s airplane undercarriage and the legendary Cobb & Co coach. Also participate in a unique behind-the-scenes tour of horse-drawn vehicles and bicycles or enjoy a demonstration and display of model ship building and Lego Robots courtesy of the FIRST LEGO League.

OPEN DAY PROGRAM

BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR
By Hoof or By Foot: Animal and Human-Powered Transport in the Collection
12.30pm (60 minutes)
$16 adult / $10 concession (includes general admission). As spaces are strictly limited to a maximum of 20 participants per tour, pre-booking is essential. Limited to visitors aged 12 years and over. Conditions apply.
Go behind-the-scenes to explore the hidden treasures in the Powerhouse Museum's transport collection, focusing predominantly on early horse-drawn vehicles and bicycles in the Museum’s Collection. Highlights include a barouche from the 1840s; a governess cart constructed by the famous Angus & Son coach building company, and given as a birthday present from Mr Ernest Hillier, of Ernest Hillier chocolates fame, to his wife May in 1918; a beautifully restored, locally built Vial and Sons park drag, which is a significant example of a traditional English horse-drawn passenger vehicle and a bicycle owned by Sydney eccentric, Harry Grace, which was used on his outdoor treks as he recorded and listened to bird calls.

OBJECT SHORT TALKS
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and the Mystery of the Lady Southern Cross
12.00pm
Join Powerhouse Discovery volunteer, Terry Blanch, as he explores the story of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Australia’s most renowned pioneer aviator. Find out more about the discovery of the Lady Southern Cross undercarriage, on exhibition at the Discovery Centre, which is one of the few surviving components of the Lockheed Altair aircraft retrieved after the disappearance of the aircraft used by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Tom Pethybridge from their ill-fated trip from the United Kingdom to Australia. FREE with general admission.

Harry’s Café de Wheels
11.00am
With the world on the brink of World War II, an enterprising Sydneysider named Harry Edwards opened a mobile café at the Woolloomooloo naval dockyard in Sydney. Word spread quickly, with Harry’s ‘Pie n’ Peas’  soon becoming a popular part of the city’s nightlife which saw the café frequented by sailors, soldiers, cabbies, and starlets. Join Powerhouse Discovery Centre volunteer Dr Helen McGregor for an insightful talk tracing the history of this converted caravan that became a Sydney icon. FREE with general admission.

HIGHLIGHTS TOURS
Transport Collection: The Display Store
10.30am and 1.00pm (Duration: 30 minutes)
Enjoy a highlight tour exploring the diverse modes of transport, from animal and human powered, to rail, ocean and air. FREE with general admission.

 DISPLAYS AND DEMONSTRATIONS
Model Ship Building with Richard Keyes 10.00am—2.00pm
Join Richard Keyes, a volunteer at the Australian National Maritime Museum, as he demonstrates the intricate techniques and processes of creating a variety of ship models. Richard belongs to the Australian Society of Marine Artists and the Canberra Model Shipwrights Society. He is also a honorary member of the Ship Modellers’ Association of Southern California and has been building ship models for many years. His models have been displayed in Canberra, Port Macquarie, the Australian National Maritime Museum and on the Queen Mary in Los Angeles. FREE with general admission.

Lego Robots and the FIRST LEGO League 10.30am—2.30pm
From fuel cell cars to data on the internet, the way we move things around has become one of the fastest growing technologies of the 21st century.  This year, FIRST LEGO League teams have been busy designing and building LEGO robots that can move people, places, goods and services in the safest, most efficient way possible. Join members of a FIRST LEGO League team as they demonstrate their winning robot design as it attempts a series of challenges on its obstacle course. FREE with general admission.

FUN FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES
How We Get Around: Transport Fun
10.30am—2.30pm
Choose from a range of transport-related activities for kids, including our gypsy caravan colouring-in page, or our Wacky Wheels and Clancy Skybaby make-and-do activities. Suitable for 4+ years. FREE with general admission.

Make Your Own Model Train: Locomotive No. 1 with Tender and Carriage 10.30am—2.30pm
For family enjoyment, the passionate trainspotter, collector or just-for-fun and a challenge, this A3 punch-out and paste 3D model card is a1:50 scale replica of Locomotive No. 1 on display in the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo. $12.00 per model. (Models can also be purchased to assemble at home. Pictures, assembly instructions and historic information about Locomotive No. 1, the first NSW locomotive that revolutionised travel in the developing colony are included.)

Souvenir Storybook and Discovery Trails 10.00am—4.00pm
Young visitors can create their own personalised souvenir storybook of their visit to the Powerhouse Discovery Centre or enjoy our self-completion activity trails that take young visitors on a journey of discovery, focused on critters and creatures, wheels or wings. Suitable for visitors 4–10 years. Bookings not required. FREE with general admission.

MUSEUM STORAGE GLIMPSE
Highlights of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Furniture and Music Collections 1.30pm (30 minutes)
Led by Discovery Centre volunteer guides, go behind-the-scenes for a sneak peek into collection storage areas not normally accessible to the public. Marvel at Sydney 2000 Olympic Games ceremony costumes created by celebrated Australian fashion designers, Jenny Kee and Lisa Ho and view a selection of objects from both the Museum’s furniture and music collections. FREE with general admission. As spaces are strictly limited to a maximum of 20 participants per glimpse, pre-booking is essential. Conditions apply.

FOOD & DRINK: HILLS KELLYVILLE ROTARY CLUB
The Hills Kellyville Rotary Club will host a fundraising barbeque food stall (10.00am—1.30pm).

Open Day Hours
10.00am—4.00pm

General Admission
$8 adult / $5 concession/ child / seniors and pensioners, $25 family (2 adults + 2 children). Free entry to PHM Members and children under 4.

Parking and Access
On-site parking available. Vehicle and pedestrian entry via 172 Showground Road, Castle Hill.

For further information or to make a booking please contact us on 02 9762 1300.