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AS OF 102913 THE FUTURO HOUSE PROJECT HAS ITS OWN DOMAIN AND ALL UPDATES ARE NOW FOUND ON THEFUTUROHOUSE.COM

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 UPDATED 122312 | ADDED 091211 | CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA | RETURN TO THE MAIN FUTURO HOUSE ARTICLE | RETURN HOME

 Previously located at 8 Hawdon Street, Dickson, ACT, 2602, Australia - Moved 2011

University of Canberra, University Dr, Bruce ACT 2617, Australia [Approximate] | 35°14'15.84"S 149°5'5.96"E

Featured Image By minhtam.nguyen | CC 2.0 | Image Date 032311

 
Google Maps | Satellite Imagery Date Unknown

Futuro, Canberra University, Canberra, Australia  
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Additional Images & Videos

 
Notes, History & Resources

Update 122312

The photo below accompanies another Tim The Yowie Man blog post on canberratimes.com.au. The post, dated 122112, and titled "Truth Is Out There" reports on a possible early 1970's location for this Futuro and the photo shows the Futuro during this time period.

Futuro 14 Currie Crescent, Kingston, ACT - Early 70's

Futuro Dickson - Yolande NorrisTo the right is a photo of the Futuro taken during its time at the Canberra Planetarium. Though I do not know the exact date the photo was taken I do know it was around 18 months before the fire that took place at the now closed Planetarium.

The photo was sent to me by Yolande Norris who tells me that the photo was a publicity shot for a friend's band. Yolande also told me about the latest Tim The Yowie Man blog post so - on two counts - thank you Yolande.



Update 091312

An 090712 blog post titled "Beam me up, UC" by Tim The Yowie Man on canberratimes.com.au includes the three photos displayed below courtesy of Tim The Yowie Man.

Futuro, Canberra University, Canberra, Australia - Photo By Tim The Yowie Man - 1

Futuro, Canberra University, Canberra, Australia - Photo By Tim The Yowie Man - 2  Futuro, Canberra University, Canberra, Australia - Photo By Tim The Yowie Man - 3

This image by The Shopping Sherpa [reproduced here under CC 2.0 license] shows the Furturo as it appeared 012112.

Futuro, Canberra University, Canberra, Australia - Shopping Sherpa 012112



Original Video & Image 091211

This video includes footage of and interviews related to the University Of Canberra's restoration of the Futuro previously located at the Canberra Planetarium - the Dickson Futuro.



Additional Images:
 
Update 122312

A second Tim The Yowie Man blog post on canberratimes.com.au, this one dated 122112, recounts a little additional history relating to this Futuro. My thanks to Yolande Norris who told me about the post.

The post is titled "Truth Is Out There" and in it John "Cooka" Campbell tells of a Futuro that could be found at 14 Currie Crescent, Kingston, ACT in the early 1970's. Campbell is quoted in the article as follows:

"The white flying saucer was there when I moved into 14 Currie Crescent, Kingston, in the early 1970s and still there when I left some six years or so later ..."

Campbell continues:

"Just before I moved in it was used as a real estate office to help sell new developments in the area ..."

The article has this to say about the possible relationship between this unit and the one now located at Canberra University:

"Cooka and fellow housemate Walter Shafron believe "their" flying saucer is the very same futuro that ended up at the Dickson Planetarium and ultimately on the University of Canberra campus ..."

This is not inconsistent with the somewhat spotty history we have of this unit and actually very likely given the geographic proximity of the various locations. We know is was in Fyshwick around 1972 and that it later spent time in Sutton and at the Macquarie Slide Swimming Center but we do not have any dates to go with those locations so it is entirely possible, and in my view probable, that this unit was indeed the one that spent several years on Currie Crescent most likely during the period between Fyshwick and later locations.

You can find a photo of the Futuro on Currie in the early 1970's at left.

If anyone can fill in any of the many gaps that still remain in the history of this unit I would love to hear from you.



Update 091312

I have updated the embedded Google Map for this Futuro since the Futuro now shows in Google Maps. Interestingly that imagery does not appear to show yet in Google Earth so I do not know the imagery date and Google has obviously not yet done another pass by with the camera van for "Street View" since the Futuro does not yet show up there either.

An 090712 blog post titled "Beam me up, UC" by Tim The Yowie Man on canberratimes.com.au that includes a couple of cool photos also includes some additional history on the Futuro based on research conducted by UC student Erika Ceeney.

Erica's research places the Futuro initially at the Building Materials Exhibition Center in Maryborough Street, Fyshwick around 1972. It seems that the unit subsequently spent time on a private farm in Sutton and later moved to the Macquarie Slide Swimming Center [possibly painted red at that time].

It seems the whereabouts of the unit between 1991 and 1997 are unknown. In 1997 it arrived at the Dickson Canberra Planetarium site.

Sadly it seems clear from the post and the photos that my assumption that the Futuro would be restored was in error as its condition does not appear that good. perhaps a refurbishment is still in the plans - we can only hope so. It would be a shame if it were "rescued" only to then be abandoned.

If anyone has any photos of the Futuro pre 1991 I would love to see them and also if anyone can shed any light on the 1991 to 1997 period during which the Futuro was "MIA" that would be great.



Original Information 091211

Ok - so the observant ones among you will note that the Google Map does NOT show the Futuro - what's the deal - is this project not supposed to be providing accurate data? Well I am unfortunately limited by the date of satellite imagery available in Google which currently shows this Futuro at its old location at the Canberra Planetarium - the Dickson Futuro. The date of imagery returned when looking up either location is 022908 - since the Futuro was relocated early 2011 the Google Map data shows no Futuro here even though there is one [and conversely it still shows a Futuro in Dickson that is actually no longer there].

If you look at the image of the reconstruction in progress top left you will see that it does indeed reflect the location marked in Google Maps. I will revisit Google Maps from time to time and the expectation is that at the next update of the satellite imagery the Futuro will appear. As a further confirmation that I have the correct location in Google Maps you will note the building behind the Futuro in the same image shows the number 10 - a University of Canberra Media Center article indicates that the Futuro will be located "adjacent to buildings 10 and 11".

The same Media Center article quoted the University Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker discussing the Futuro restoration project:

"The University of Canberra has expertise in teaching and research in cultural heritage and heritage conservation through its Donald Horne Institute ... The arrival of the Futuro building enables us to offer a unique practical conservation exercise for our students and staff in conservation. It provides a wonderful case study for our students in architecture, design and planning ... It also enables us to use our expertise in the heritage field to benefit the wider community by ensuring continued access to an iconic piece of design ... Plus I believe we are now the only university in the world to have its own flying saucer.

Parker also blogged about the Futuro.

There appears to be a spirit of camaraderie and co-operation between individuals and institutions interested in the preservation of Suuronen's legacy; this is of course a positive for all those who are fascinated by Futuro. A great example of that is this email from Lydia Beerkens, Senior conservator of Modern Art who oversaw the Prototype 000 restoration in the Netherlands to the Canberra University team offering support, assistance and information.

The closure of the Canberra Planetarium and the subsequent move of the Futuro to the university campus was the subject of an interesting radio segment April 20th 2011; the audio from 666 ABC Canberra's "Mornings with Alex Sloan" can be downloaded from here [4.54 MB MP3].

Sources & Reference:
Got new, updated or corrected information or an image I could use?

I am always looking for additional information, history, details, images, videos; just about anything Futuro I guess - if you would like to contribute please use the Futuro Contact Form at the bottom of the main article or email me.

As far as images go I am particularly interested in those that are either significantly better than the ones already on this page or show a different aspect or detail. If you own an image meeting one or both of those criteria I would love to be able to use it on this page but I will simply provide a link if that is your preference. Where permission is granted to use an image on the page appropriate attribution will be provided by means of a link to the original image, a link to a website of your choosing or both.