Darlington History Group

Guest Speaker Evening 12 April Summary

Val Shiell and Laurens West

“The Significance of the Light Horse Statue and the Stirling Square Memorial Gardens”

Guildford was settled in1829 and the town plan for Guildford included Stirling Square then known as the Church Square and Village Green, was developed. Stirling Square is believed to be one of the oldest Parks in Australia. Over the years many memorials have been put in the square that are related to the two world wars. Some being the Memorial Obelisk surrounded by beautiful gardens designed by Pietro Porcelli and unveiled by the Governor in November 1920. In 1929, the States Centenary celebrations, the City of Swan focussed on Stirling Square and plans emerged to erect commemorative gates. A schedule of works included $150 for Commemorative gates, bridges and trellis and shade and tool house for Stirling Square. Additionally, Charles Rhodes (ex-Mayor and Nurseryman and father to Cecil Rhodes) offered to donate 100 roses bushes. Prior to WWII there were 1,100 roses of over 400 varieties planted in Stirling Square. By 2006 most of the roses were gone.

To commemorate the Centenary of ANZAC in 2014, Heritage Roses in Australia worked with the City of Swan to recreate the ANZAC Rose Beds which were sourced and propagated from old stock still available in the area and from interstate.

Ornamental Cast Iron Memory Gates 1932.

On the 12th March a new memorial was unveiled in Stirling Square to commemorate and honour the 10th Light Horse Regiment from WWI and WWII up to present day. A pamphlet written by Barbara Dundas in conjunction with Paul Bridges and Chris Horvath was given to the DHG with all the details about the commissioning of the statue and the careful attention to all the correct military details that went into producing this statue. Laurens West spoke to the group and explained these details as well as the details of the statue’s placement in the square and the launch day.

Darlington had one WWI soldier serve in the 10th Light Horse which was Reg Cockshott who was from one of the early families to settle at Darlington in the 1890’s.

Guest Speaker Lorraine Clarke

"The East Perth Cemetries - A Social History"

Wednesday 10 May 2023 @ 7.30pm sharp

Darlington Lesser Hall, Owen Road Gold coin donation appreciated

Lorraine Clarke (Swan Genealogy) will be giving a talk detailing her involvement in producing the free online data base of the burials in the East Perth Cemeteries. She will cover the research hurdles, and the insights gained of WA’s Colonial History through these individuals buried in the cemeteries. Darlington luminaries buried in the East Perth Cemetery include John Frederick Stone (Hillsden Estate) in 1909.

In 1932 the ornamental cast iron Memory Gates were erected as a memorial to the army units that had been raised and trained in Guildford during 1914-1918 and at the same time the annual Gunners Day memorial service, in close association with St Matthews Church, was also inaugurated. St Matthews Garrison Church is the only church in Australia with a continuing regimental link with WW1. The 8th Battery Field Artillery presented the church with their banner in 1919 and the church displays honour rolls from that time. In 2013 the Hobbs Memorial Gates were unveiled at the Centenary of the Artillery. They are dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant General Sir Joseph John Talbot Hobbs and the artillery men who served under him. He was the Commander of the First Australian Division Artillery in WW1. The gates were based on Hobbs own gateway to his house, incorporating timbers from the old roof structure.

Light refreshments will be served after the talk. You do not have to register for guest speaker evenings - you can just turn up, but registering assists us with catering numbers. Register your interest in attending this talk by emailing publicity@dhg.org.au OR phone Lyn Myles 9298 8604.

Lesser Hall Centenary 2023

The first meeting was held on the 15th April to discuss and plan for this day in August 2023. Only two other community groups had a member at the meeting so it was hard to make any decisions around a suitable time frame for the day, activities, displays, catering or funding via donations. It was decided to send some further information to the various groups who regularly use the hall to see if they could give some input of ideas even if they don’t have a person able to attend any of the meetings. The DHG would like to see the day being a community led event.

Join us for just $5 a year! Details dhg.org.au

By the time you read this SI Helena will be making final event preparations for “Creating Conversations” around Domestic and Family Violence on May 20th at The Crooked Spire Café in Midland.

You are possibly thinking Saturday Morning is not a great time for conversations around this subject but when is a good time?

May is Domestic Violence Prevention Month and given recent horrific events in our state, we feel May is perfect to invest some time to really become aware of how much we are all impacted and how we can help drive change! See the flyer on the back page of this issue.

April 14-21 was Youth Week and at our dinner meeting on Wednesday we welcomed Ray Tanielu, General Manager of the Swan City Youth Service. The club has been involved with the service since our charter in 1984. This was a fantastic opportunity to see how far the service has come in the nearly 40 years of service to the Swan region. We were able to pass on some donations of male underwear, baby goods, toilet bags and toiletries for Ray to distribute.

We are still meeting at the DOME Café in Forrestfield 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month.

Serving the community for 39 years.

We are on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SoroptimistHelena

Robyn Cain | SI Helena Publicity Convenor sihelena@siswp.org

iPad Pro Devices for Persons with a Disability for in-Library Use

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is celebrated worldwide on 3 December each year. This day aims to recognise the achievements and contributions of people with disability. To celebrate at a local level, the Shire of Mundaring budgets to purchase a piece of equipment that will enhance community experiences for people with a disability. The Shire’s Inclusion and Disability Access Advisory Group members determine this equipment and recently chose to purchase an iPad Pro for each library. We’re pleased to announce they are now available for in-library use.

The iPad Pros can be booked for use in the libraries in a similar

Hoopla Music Streaming Spotlight

Have you check out hoopla digital yet? It’s a free digital resource that allows library members to borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, movies, TV shows and music to enjoy on a computer or mobile device with no holds or waiting. Hoopla will often collate music or other collections and highlight them. One collection they’re highlighting this month is Jazz. Check out the music on hoopla at https://www.hoopladigital.com.au/browse/music.

May Events

The Silence of Water with Sharron Booth Boya Community Centre, Monday 1 May, 6pm-7.15pm

Join author Sharron Booth as she discusses her debut novel, The Silence of Water. A work of historical fiction, it is set in Western Australia and partly based on real events and people. In this work, Sharron explores themes of dislocation, exile and family secrets. Bookings are essential at https://010523b.eventbrite.com.au.

Scam Awareness: A Be Connected Workshop Mundaring Library, Tuesday 2 May, 1pm-2.15pm

In this small group session you will learn about:

• common scams, including the latest ATO and Medicare scams

• tips on how to spot them

• what to do and what not to do

• where to go for help.

Bookings are essential at https://020523m.eventbrite.com.au.

Fish of the Perth Coast and a Life in Marine Science with Dr Glen Whisson

Boya Community Centre, Monday 22 May, 10.30am11.45am way to the public computers. These devices have a 12.9-inch screen and include accessibility settings for vision and hearing and even some physical and motor settings. We have loaded some useful and fun apps, including the libraries’ digital resources.

Shire of Mundaring Libraries is very pleased to present Dr Glen Whisson in this fascinating talk about his work in the wonderful world of aquatic science.

Some people find tablets easier to use than a personal computer, and these devices may be an option to try, particularly for people who are new to using digital devices. One-to-one Tech Help appointments at the libraries are available for people needing help with using mobile phones, tablets or computers.

Dr Whisson will discuss fish diversity around Perth, biodiversity monitoring, and the two wonderful books he co-authored with Alexandra Hoschke: The Rottnest Island Fish Book (2017) and The Perth Coast Fish Book (2021). You will also learn about the role of citizen science and get an insight into Dr Whisson's future publication and research plans. Bookings essential at https://220523b.eventbrite.com.au.

Declutter Your House and Your Mind with Sara Hall

Boya Community Centre, Monday 8 May, 10.30am11.30am

Does clutter affect the way you work and live? Clutter has a huge impact on our lives and the environment.

Join professional organiser Sara Hall in this fun and interactive workshop and learn the key steps in decluttering and organising your home to turn an overwhelming task into an easily manageable project. Bookings essential at https://080523b. eventbrite.com.au

Midland Head to Health Information Kiosk

Boya Library, Monday 22 May, 9am to 12pm

Life can leave anybody feeling distressed, anxious or overwhelmed. Midland Head to Health provides free, walk-in, community-based mental health support for adults without referrals or appointments required. Boya Library is hosting an information kiosk from 9am to 12pm where you can chat in an informal setting to Midland Head to Health staff about what they offer and the resources available.

Games Club for Children

Term Two

Boya Library Wednesdays 3.30pm-4.45pm

Games Club is a table-top board games club for children aged 10 to 14 years. The program runs during the school term. Bookings are essential. Children are registered for the whole of the term. Contact Boya Library on 9290 6755 or email gills@mundaring.wa.gov.au for information and to book. (Children aged under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult.)