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IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES
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Books and Writing
Just Out May KSP News Reviews The Idler Reviews Business
Front Page Photograph: Katisha, Ko-Ko and Yum-Yum of The Mikado Photograph by Max Page courtesy of Gilbert & Sullivan Society of WA See review on page 31.
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Business Card Board 49 Finance with Steve 42 Networking 43 Community Annie’s Collective Wonderland 18 Federal Notes 9 Helping Coral Reefs Cope 7 Notes From Parliament 11 SAFE 46 Standing Up For Swan Hills 10 SVRN Arboretum Gets a Re-Vamp 45 $5000 Grant 44 Fire Ban Extended 44 Stirling Square Guns Restored 45 The Compassionate Friends 47 What’s On 12
Special Offer
PAGE Leisure
Chiefs Hockey House and Garden
Entertainment
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Douglas’ Wineries and Dineries 20 Film All Is True 24 2040 23 Celeste 22 Gloria Bell 23 Me and My Left Brain 26 Peterloo 26 The Chaperone 25 The Night Eats The World 27 The Trouble With You 24 Food 21 Footnote People in History 16 Theatre Death Throes 30 Hairspray Jr - Musical 29 Mimma 32 Star Quality 28 Star Quality 35 The Mikado 31 TV With Chris 38 DISCLAIMER The information in this publication is of a general nature. The articles contained herein are not intended to provide a complete discussion on each subject and or issues canvassed. Swan Magazine does not accept any liability for any statements or any opinion, or for any errors or omissions contained herein.
to Swan Magazine Readers! If you enjoyed Death in the Sea of Grass you can have a hard-print copy of the same author’s best selling contemporary mystery Long Bones for $22 including postage. Enquiries and orders to quendabooks@iinet.net.au
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BOOKS AND WRITING REVIEWS Title: Author: Reviewer:
The final line of this entertaining read sums up Glynn’s outlook on life perfectly. “I’ve believed in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ for my entire life. The least you could do is believe in yourself”. This Team Is Ruining My Life…But I Love Them is available from all good online book retailers and available on iBooks and Amazon. Steve ‘Dangle’ Glynn’s LFR Videos can be found on his YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/SteveDangle
This Team Is Ruining My Life…But I Love Them Steve ‘Dangle’ Glynn Chris McRae
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ny sports fan knows that the giddy highs and disappointing lows associated with any sporting franchise is not just reserved for the players or members of the coaching team or staff. Fans ride every wave of agony and ecstasy right alongside them. Quite possibly the longest suffering fan base in the history of sports would be that of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. Their last Stanley Cup came in 1967. 52 years of disappointment and being the butt of many jokes across the league. For thirty year old Steve Glynn, a Toronto native and die-hard Leafs fan, that disappointment has been with him for his entire life. However, this has been accompanied by a love of the team and the franchise for as long as he can remember. Glynn, who’s nickname ‘Dangle’ now goes part and parcel with his full name is a sports media personality from Toronto who has made an incredible name for himself through hard work and his passion for all things hockey. A lifelong Maple Leafs fan, Glynn studied sports journalism and gradually worked his way up through the ranks, moving through various organisations such as CBS, Sportsnet and radio stations, bringing his passion for hockey along for the ride. However it is Glynn’s YouTube channel and now famous ‘Leaf Fan Reaction’ (LFR) Videos that have gained him a cult following and opened doors and opportunities he only dreamed of growing up watching his favourite Leafs players. In his humourous and highly relatable book This Team Is Ruining My Life…But I Love Them, Glynn takes readers on a laugh a minute journey through his experiences of hockey, sports journalism and life and provides many amusing and cringeworthy anecdotes along the way. From being mistakenly arrested at the Vancouver Winter Olympics to a road trip to a toga party the night before his wedding, Glynn’s storytelling ability is casual, relatable and very funny. He recounts his times as a struggling student looking for any work he could get and never loses sight of the important things in life such as his relationship with his wife and his love/ hate relationship with his beloved Leafs. The great thing about This Team Is Ruining My Life…But I Love Them is that it will without a doubt have international appeal. Yes hockey fans will love every minute with specific references to names, inside jokes and anecdotes relating to the sport and NHL. However, all sports fans will appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that goes hand in hand with passionate sports fandoms. The joy, the anguish, thrills and disappointment. It’s all here as Steve ‘Dangle’ Glynn presents a real world look at just how you can love and hate a team all at the same time.
JUST OUT Title: Now You See Them Author: Elly Griffiths Publisher: Quercus
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he fifth gripping Brighton-based mystery from the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway series, due out this October – a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, cosy crime and TV series such as Grantchester and Midsomer Murders. One after another, young women go missing in Brighton, but who’s to say they didn’t leave of their own free choice? Ten years have passed since the events described in The Vanishing Box. Edgar Stephens is now a Superintendent and married to former DS Emma Holmes. Edgar’s wartime partner in arms, magician Max Mephisto, is a movie star in Hollywood, while his daughter Ruby has her own TV show, Ruby Magic. The funeral of Stan Parks, aka Diablo, actor and wartime comrade to Edgar and Max, throws the gang back together. The reunion sparks all sorts of feelings. Bob Willis, now a DI, is dealing with the disappearance of local schoolgirl Rhonda Miles. Emma, frustrated by living the life of a housewife and mother, keeps thinking how much better she would run the case. She is helped by Sam Collins, a woman reporter also hampered by sexism at work. Sam notices a pattern with other missing girls. Edgar listens to the theory but doesn’t give it much credence.
He is preoccupied with the threatened invasion of Brighton by Mods and Rockers on the May Bank Holiday. The case takes a more sinister turn when one of the missing girls is found dead. Then Ruby fails to turn up for a rendezvous and it becomes clear that she too has disappeared. Emma takes 3
risks to track down the killer herself while Edgar is working flat out dealing with violent clashes between rival gangs on Brighton’s seafront. With tension and anger hitting him on all sides, Edgar must keep the coolest of heads to track down the killer.
extreme risk to himself, tracks down his old friend and will protect her as far as he can. But he is powerless to crush her enemies on his own. And for Lisbeth Salander, the personal is always political – and deadly.
About the author: Elly Griffiths was born in London. The inspiration for her books about forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway came from her husband who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist. Elly lives near Brighton but often spends holidays on the wild Norfolk coast. She has two children and a cat. ~oOo~
About the author: David Lagercrantz is an acclaimed author and journalist. As well as numerous biographies (including the internationally bestselling I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, for which he was the ghostwriter) he has written four novels, of which The Fall of Man in Wilmslow was the first to be translated into English. ~oOo~ Title: The Hidden Wife Author: Amanda Reynolds Publisher: Headline
Title: The Girl Who Lived Twice Author: David Lagercrantz Publisher: Quercus
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brilliant new psychological drama, from the ebook-bestselling author of Close to Me and Lying to You. What happened to Julia Blake? She was young and beautiful, married to a famous author. They were celebrating their anniversary at their stunning country estate. So why did Julia Blake walk out of her perfect life, apparently leaving no trace? Seren, a junior reporter for the local paper, can’t believe her luck when she lands an exclusive with Julia’s husband, Max. But as Seren spends more time at the couple’s remote mansion, probing ever deeper into the case, dark questions await. What was Julia really like, behind closed doors? Was her marriage to this brooding, secretive man as perfect as it seemed? And did she really mean to disappear that night – or was she murdered?
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n December 2013 it was announced that David Lagercrantz would write a continuation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series. The fourth Millennium title, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, was published in 2015. This August the sixth Dragon Tattoo story – the crime fiction phenomenon featuring Lisbeth Salander will be published. “What will you do now?” “I shall be the hunter and not the hunted” Lisabeth, the girl with the dragon tattoo is finally ready to confront her nemesis, the only woman who is evidently and in many ways her match. Salander will not wait to be hunted. When she strikes it will be a double blow: vengeance for recent atrocities, and the settling of lifelong scores. For months now Salander has been closing in on her target. She has moved from Stockholm, her hair is newly styled, her piercings are gone. She could pass for any other businesswoman. But not all businesswomen have a Beretta Cheetah beneath their jacket. They do not wield the lethal power of a hacker’s genius. They do not carry scars and tattoos to remind them that they have survived the unsurvivable. The new episode in David Lagercrantz’s acclaimed, internationally bestselling continuation of Stieg Larsson’s Dragon Tattoo series is a thrilling ride that scales the heights of Everest and plunges the depths of Russian troll factories. It begins with the discovery of Mikael Blomkvist’s number at Millennium magazine in the pocket of an unidentified homeless man who died with the name of a government minister on his lips. Blomkvist, at
About the author: Amanda Reynolds teaches Creative Writing in Cheltenham, UK, where she lives with her family. Close To Me was her debut novel. ~oOo~ Title: Author: Publisher:
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Sleeping in the Ground Peter Robinson Hodder & Stoughton
shocking mass murder occurs at a wedding in a small Dales church and a huge manhunt follows. Eventually, the shooter is run to ground and things take their inevitable course. Detective Superintendent Banks (following his recent promotion) has been the hero of now twenty-four police procedurals. In Sleeping in the Ground Banks is plagued with doubts as to exactly what happened outside the church that day, 4
and why. Struggling with the death of his first serious girlfriend and the return of profiler Jenny Fuller into his life, Banks feels the need to dig deeper into the murders, and as he does so, he uncovers forensic and psychological puzzles that lead him to the past secrets that might just provide the answers he is looking for. When the surprising truth becomes clear, it is almost too late. About the author: Peter Robinson’s DCI Banks is now a major TV drama starring Stephen Tompkinson (Wild at Heart, Ballykissangel) as Inspector Banks. The show consistently pulls in ratings of over five million. Peter’s recent standalone novel Before the Poison won the IMBA’s 2013 Dilys Award as well as the 2012 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel by the Crime Writers of Canada. This was Peter’s sixth Arthur Ellis award. His critically acclaimed DCI Banks novels have won numerous awards in Britain, the United States, Canada and Europe, and are published in translation all over the world. Peter grew up in Yorkshire, and now divides his time between Richmond and Canada. ~oOo~ Title: Author: Publisher:
become the setting for the Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy novels. His writing is heavily influenced by the court cases he covered: the defeatist and jaded police officers; the incompetent investigators; the inertia of the justice system and the sheer raw grief of those touched by savagery and tragedy.
MAY KSP NEWS SHANNON COYLE
AUTUMN ACTIVITIES AT THE KSP WRITERS’ CENTRE
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his May we have an intensive poetry workshop, free Open Day community event, and our final Autumn Authors sundowner session. KSP OPEN DAY Sunday 19th May 11.00am - 3.00pm KSP’s free annual open day offers guided tours, sausage sizzle, treasure hunt, KSP café, pop-up bookstore with local author signings, heritage cuttings, prose and poetry performances and plenty of information about KSP’s services and upcoming events. Free.
The Zealot’s Bones D. M. Mark Hodder & Stoughton
From Hell, Hull and Halifax, may the Good Lord deliver us. n 1849, Hull is a city forgotten and abandoned; in the grip of a cholera outbreak that sees its poorest citizens cut down by the cartload. Into this world of flame and grief comes Mesach Stone, a former soldier, lost upon his way. He’s been hired as bodyguard by a Canadian academic hunting for the bones of the apostle Simon the Zealot, rumoured to lie somewhere in Lincolnshire. Stone can’t see why ancient bones are of interest in a world full of them…but then a woman he briefly loved is killed. As he investigates he realises that she is just one of many… and that some deaths cry out for vengeance. From the twisted imagination of David Mark, author of the McAvoy series, The Zealot’s Bones is historical crime with a difference.
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SUNDOWNER SESSION Friday 31st May 6.30 - 8.30pm May’s feature author, Lisa Walker, has been published in Griffith Review, Review of Australian Fiction and The Age. Melt, published by Lacuna, is her fourth adult novel. Dr Karl Kruszelnicki called it, ‘a lovely romp of a RomCom, involving Climate Change, Mistaken Identities and Antarctica!’ At this event, Lisa will talk about why she decided to write a comedy on a topic that has been described as ‘the most boring subject humanity has ever confronted’. Tickets just $5 at the door for KSP members ($10 others). Complimentary wine on arrival thanks to Lion Mill Winery. KSP WRITING COMPETITION DEADLINES In 2019, KSP's is offering three writing competitions in the categories of Spooky Stories, Short Fiction, and Poetry. Entry costs for adults start at $10; youth can enter for free thanks to sponsorship from the Shire of Mundaring. Cash prizes and certificates on offer. To book or for more details on any of these activities please visit the KSP website www.kspwriterscentre.com or phone the office on 9294 1872.
About the author: David spent more than fifteen years as a journalist, including seven years as a crime reporter with The Yorkshire Post – walking the Hull streets that would later 5
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COMMUNITY HELPING CORAL REEFS COPE EMMA CHADWICK
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he answer to protecting coral reefs from climate change, may be found in the genes of the first ever tiny hybrid coral babies to be rehomed on the Great Barrier Reef. This research is part of a larger approach led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) into reef restoration and adaptation science to help coral reefs adapt, recover and survive warming ocean conditions. The three-monthold corals were raised in Australia’s National Sea Simulator, at AIMS, and were last week settled at a reef in North Queensland. Professor Madeleine van Oppen, an ecological geneticist and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Melbourne, is leading a project which utilises in-vitro fertilisation techniques to help reef-building corals adapt to rising sea temperatures. “Most corals in the wild are now living at the very top of their survival limit in terms of temperature,” Professor van Oppen said. “But these corals are showing promise; we have seen some coral hybrids grow and survive better under elevated temperature and acidity levels, compared to their parents. “They have shown resilience in the lab so now we have placed them back on reef where their parents were originally collected, to see how they survive in their natural environment. “Controlled field testing is an important next step when assessing the benefits and risks of intervention methods aimed at increasing resilience, and for future coral reef restoration,” van Oppen said. Prof van Oppen said hybridisation is the fertilisation of organisms of different varieties or species to create a hybrid, which does sometimes occur in the wild. This five-year project has been undertaken in Australia and Hawaii, with a $4-million funding grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and additional funding from AIMS. Prof van Oppen was a key speaker at the World Science Festival Brisbane on a panel discussion entitled Our Jewelled Seas: Future-proofing the Great Barrier Reef.
AIMS marine ecologist Dr Frederieke Kroon said 94 per cent of the items were a mix of semi-synthetic and naturally-derived materials, while only six per cent was synthetic. “Marine debris was visually separated from the gut contents and examined in our laboratories at AIMS, with scientists looking for materials with a polymer composition, using the latest in spectroscopy technology. “We examined potential ingestion of man-made debris in one-year old coral trout of two species, Plectropomus leopardus and P. maculatus, which comprise high-value commercial and recreational fisheries species on the Great Barrier Reef,” Dr Kroon said. As part of the study, AIMS researchers developed a system to clearly identify and classify ingested marine microdebris into three groups; synthetic, semi-synthetic and naturally-derived items. The study did not examine the potential risk to human consumers, as the items were detected in the fishes’ guts which is traditionally removed before consumption. “Applying this classification in our study showed man-made items such as rayon, which is a semi-synthetic, were much more common in the fish gut than plastic items such as polyester,” Dr Kroon said. “This new classification will improve our understanding of ingestion of microplastics versus other man-made debris. “In the future, we hope this system of classification will help in assessing the risk of such ingestion to the health of the fish, as well as of potential human consumers.” “In our study, the condition of the coral trout did not appear to be affected by the abundance of ingested microdebris. “However, we do not know whether there could be any longer-term effects on coral trout reproduction or mortality.” The source of the microfibres detected in juvenile coral trout is currently unclear and could range from domestic, land-based and/or shipping-based sewage discharges, or international sources that may be delivering fibres to the Great Barrier Reef through oceanic or atmospheric transport. AIMS researchers are currently examining other seafood species for microplastic contamination.
MARINE DEBRIS IN REEF FISH
Microplastics and other man-made fibres have been found in a popular fish species on the Great Barrier Reef. This is the first study to report the presence of microdebris in wild-caught commercial fish in the World Heritage Area. Researchers from the AIMS in Townsville, found 115 items of man-made debris in the gastro-intestinal tracts of nineteen out of twenty juvenile coral trout collected on coral reefs at Lizard, Orpheus, Heron and One Tree Islands. 7
KEN WYATT AND THE MORRISON GOVERNMENT
INVESTING IN THE HEALTH OF HASLUCK FAMILIES Secured a full licence for the MRI machine at Midland Hospital to make scans cheaper. Investment in a Curtin Medical School for Midland to train doctors locally. $28 million for Urgent Care Clinics, including in Midland and Cannington. $6 million for a Mental Health Emergency Department at Midland
KEN WYATT MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HASLUCK WESTERN AUSTRALIA
ken.wyatt.mp@aph.gov.au
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Authorised by KenWyatt MP, Liberal Party, Shop 10-12 Hawaiian’s Forrestfield, 80 Hale Road, ForrestfieldWA 6058.
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FEDERAL NOTES 1.4 MILLION FOR CHILD ABUSE CENTRE
HON KEN WYATT AM, MP Member for Hasluck , Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health
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he Morrison Government will provide $1.4 million toward WA’s second Child Advocacy Centre, built in Midland by Parkerville Children and Youth Care. Over 90% of the funds required for this centre for children who have suffered physical and/or sexual abuse has been raised philanthropically, and I am so very proud to have been a part of getting the final funding required over the line. Basil Hanna, CEO Parkerville Children and Youth Care, has welcomed the Commonwealth contribution and explained that the Child Advocacy Centre is a community based, family-friendly organisation where professionals from different agencies and disciplines come together to provide specialist services to children, young people and families who have experienced abuse. Police, child protection workers, psychologists, child and family advocates & other allied health form a team to reduce the harmful impacts of trauma from abuse. The advocacy centre provides a safe environment enabling victims to recover. Mr Hanna said : “Parkerville Children and Youth Care is taking the lead and building Australia’s second Child Advocacy Centre in Midland, Western Australia, called the Stan & Jean Perron Child Advocacy Centre; a four-story, purpose-built, philanthropy-funded $25 million Centre that co-locates child abuse professionals from different Government and not-for-profit organisations.” Since opening in March 2011, the first Child Advocacy Centre in Armadale has provided secondary and tertiary services to over 19,818 children, young people and parents, with ongoing operations being funded through community philanthropy and fundraising by Parkerville Children and Youth Care. The Centre now leads the way in the sector by providing a comprehensive model of specialist service delivery, evidencedbased trauma treatment, advocacy, forensic responses, research, community engagement and prevention, training, workforce development and consultancy. The new Midland centre will allow for more children, young people and their families to access services in the treatment of trauma from abuse. The Morrison Government is committed to ensuring that the Hasluck community and those most vulnerable members of our society are protected, and we now have serious runs on the board here in our local community of Hasluck. I have a strong commitment to providing support to the youth of Hasluck. When visiting Esther Foundation to announce the funding, the Prime Minister Scott Morrison MP was deeply moved by the stories of young women whose lives had been changed by Esther. He shared a personal connect to one of the young girls - her name Abigail was the name of his first daughter, meaning a father’s joy. We have delivered $4 million for the Esther Foundation to protect vulnerable young women and teenagers, in additional to close to half a million in funding for an Aboriginal Support Worker
and Mental Health Worker at Midland’s Swan City Youth Service, as well as over half a million dollars for a new headspace Midland Individual Placement and Support trial site. We have provided nearly a quarter of a million to Midland PCYC to conduct a youth diversionary program in Midland, and the has just this last weekend announced our $503.1 million Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan which is focussed on protecting the lives and mental wellbeing of young Australians. Headlining this investment in Hasluck is a $6 million investment in a Mental Health Emergency Department to be located at St John of God Midland, announced initially by my colleague and electorate neighbour, The Hon Christian Porter MP, Federal Member for Pearce, whose constituents also benefit from Midland Hospital. It is now simply impossible for our opponents to credibly assert that theirs is the only party of compassion for vulnerable people, when the facts and figures clearly show a cohesive, comprehensive and well-funded Liberal-National Party plan to protect and nurture the vulnerable in Hasluck, with a special needs-based emphasis on Midland. When we plan well, and manage the economy well, we are able to lower people’s taxes whilst at the same time protecting the most vulnerable in our society - a philosophy and governing capacity that completely eludes our opponents, but is our proven capability every time we come to office.
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KEN WYATT MP Federal Member for Hasluck
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The information in this publication is of a general nature. The articles contained herein are not intended to provide a complete discussion on each subject and/or issues canvassed. Swan Magazine does not accept any liability for any statements or any opinion, or for any errors or omissions contained herein.
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Authorised by K.Wyatt MP, Shop 10-12 Forrestfield Marketplace, 80 Hale Road, Forrestfield WA 6058. 9
STANDING UP FOR SWAN HILLS HELPING THE ANIMALS JESSICA SHAW MLA - MEMBER FOR SWAN HILLS
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ne of the best things about living in the electorate of Swan Hills is our natural environment and the unique wildlife and other animals that we share this special place with. We are very lucky to have an amazing animal sanctuary, located right here in beautiful Mount Helena. Chris and Mark, and their team of volunteers at Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary Inc. dedicate their lives to rescuing and rehabilitating native, domestic and farm animals. Some of their rescued menagerie include sheep (who follow you around like dogs!), lambs, donkeys, possums, goats, birds, roosters and even deer! Possum Valley are a licensed charitable
organisation, with an aim to prevent or relieve the suffering of native and farm animals. A great deal of Chris and Mark’s time is spent fundraising for vet bills, animal feed and shelters for the animals. I recently had the privilege of presenting Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary with a grant from the WA Government for $25,664. This Lotterywest grant will help with the purchase of a generator and ablution amenities for their team of volunteers. The generator will be used to help defend the animals from bushfires, or provide water if power is lost on hot summer days. We are so fortunate to have Chris and Mark looking after our furred and feathered friends. I am proud to be part of a State Government, supporting community projects like this, helping us build a better WA. Lotterywest is truly unique – it is the only lottery in Australia which is owned by the State Government with the majority of money spent on tickets going back to the WA community through prizes and grants, such as this one. In 201718 alone, Lotterywest raised $260 million to support our WA community. Possum Valley are always on the look-out for volunteers for their regular busy bees, provide tours for the public (by appointment) and even offer Goat and Lamb Yoga! For further information on Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary Inc. check out their website www. possumvalleysanctuary.blogspot.com/ or find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/possumvalleyanimalsanctuary/
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Jessica Shaw MLA LOCAL MEMBER FOR SWAN HILLS
@JessicaShawMLA Jessica.Shaw@mp.wa.gov.au 9296 7688 HERE TO HELP Aveley, Bailup, Belhus, Brigadoon, Bullsbrook, Chidlow, Ellenbrook, Gidgegannup, Melaleuca, Mount Helena, Sawyers Valley, The Vines, Upper Swan, and Wooroloo. Office Address 13/31 Egerton Drive Aveley WA 6069
Postal Address PO Box 2265 Ellenbrook WA 6069
Standing up for Swan Hills Authorised by Jessica Shaw, 13/31 Egerton Drive, Aveley, WA 6069
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NOTES FROM PARLIAMENT BIKE RESCUE AND OTHERS Hon Donna Faragher JP MLC Member for East Metropolitan Region
“When you go Home, tell them of us and say, For your Tomorrow, we gave our Today”
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NZAC Day is a time of quiet reflection and remembrance. On this day, all across our vast country, from small towns to city centres, and overseas, Australians gather to honour our servicemen and women who have given selfless service in defence of Australia and our allied countries. It is also a time where we acknowledge members of the Australian Defence Force who are currently serving or who have recently served in operations and peacekeeping missions around the world. This year, I have been privileged to attend many services across the East Metropolitan Region with thousands of other Western Australians. Throughout the day, I attended moving services organised by the Kalamunda, Mundaring and Mount Lawley-Inglewood RSL Sub-Branches. I have also attended many school services across the electorate including Carmel School, Ballajura Community College and the Combined Hills Schools’ Service hosted by Greenmount Primary School, the Bellevue RSL and the Shire of Mundaring. The latter service involves a number of local schools including Greenmount, St Anthony’s and Maida Vale Primary Schools and Swan View Senior High School. It is also particularly significant given the service takes place on Blackboy Hill. Now a heritage listed site, Blackboy Hill was Western Australia's biggest World War One training camp. I was also very pleased to attend a service conducted by students at Gidgegannup Primary School. In addition to the march and service, students and visitors had the wonderful opportunity to see the KelmscottADVERTISEMENT
Pinjarra 10th Light Horse Memorial Troop in action. This Memorial Troop aims to honour and perpetuate the name and history of the 10th Light Horse Regiment and to preserve uniforms, weapons and equipment used by the men of the Light Horse. The Kelmscott-Pinjarra 10th Light Metropolitan Region Horse Memorial Troop have a travelling presentation of World War One information and memorabilia including horse and troopers dressed in regalia. The Troop are available to visit schools, community groups and community fairs and if you would like further information I would encourage you to contact Phil Dennis at president@10thlhkp.com. If you would like assistance on any State related issue, please do not Contact Donna hesitate to contact my office on 9379 9379 0840 | faragher.eastmetro@mp.wa.gov.au 0840. donnafaragher.com.au DonnaFaragherMLC
Donna Faragher JP MLC Member for East
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Here to help!
Ground Floor 108 Swan Street, Guildford WA 6055
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Authorised by S.Calabrese, Liberal Party, 2/12 Parliament Place, West Perth WA 6005.
WHAT’S ON IF YOU WOULD LIKE AN EVENT LISTED IN THIS COLUMN RING our office on 0418 934 850 Entries for non-profit entities are free. SWAN WOODTURNERS GROUP
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - Glen Forrest Group Every Monday evening We meet at 7.00pm at the Glen Forrest Uniting Church, Mc Glew Rd, Glen Forrest. Call Dermot 0488 905 211 or John 0448 074 536 or the Perth Office (all hours) 9325 3566.
The group meets in the rear hall of The Senior Citizens’ Centre, The Avenue, Midland, at 1-00pm. on 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Tuesday, and at 7-00pm. on 2nd Tuesday of each month. A demonstration and cuppa are the norm. Men and Women are welcome. Enquiries to Ted 9295 4438.
AUSTRALIAN BREASTFEEDING ASSOC. Discussion groups, guest speakers, morning tea. Free breastfeeding counselling. Expectant mothers, mothers, babies and children welcome. National Breastfeeding Helpline 1800 686 2686 is a 24 hour 7 days a week service.
SWAN VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTRE
Monday Mornings The Art Group meets at Baskerville Hall from 9am – 12pm for just $5.00 per session. Group leader Gilly can help and advise with most media. Feel free to come and have a look and meet our local artists – they are a very friendly lot, new members welcome! For more information call 9296 1976 or enquiries@swanvalleycommunitycentre.com www.swanvalleycommunitycentre.com
Swan/Mundaring Group meets every Monday, 9:30-11:30am at the Gumnuts Family Centre, 8 Mudalla Way, Koongamia. A qualified ABA counsellor is present at each meeting to give confidential information and support on breastfeeding issues. Contact Natalie 9572 4971.
EASTERN DISTRICTS MACHINE KNITTERS
Kalamunda Group meets fortnighly on a Thursday, 9:3011:30am at the Maida Vale Baptist Church, Edney Road, High Wycombe. Contact Jenny 9252 1996.
Friday - second and fourth We meet from 9:00am to noon at 10 Brockman Road, Midland. Feel welcome to join us for morning tea and see how easy it is to make your own garments. For more information contact Pat 9309 3260; Liz 9572 7074 or Pat 9295 2793.
Northam Group meets each second Tuesday of the month at the Bridgeley Community Centre, Wellington Street, Northam 10am to Noon. Fourth Tuesday each month at Toodyay Playgroup, Stirling Terrace, Toodyay. Noon to 2pm. Please phone Louisa 9574 0229.
SWAN HARMONY SINGERS
Wednesdays Come and sing with us! Swan Harmony Singers is a community choir that meets, 7-9pm, to sing music ranging from jazz to pop, plus the occasional classic. No auditions. Join us at the Salvation Army Church Hall, 371 Morrison Rd, (opposite Swan View Primary School), Swan View. Enquiries: call Anna on 9299 7249, or Chris on 9298 9529 or 0435 062 728.
THE HILLS CHOIR
Monday Evenings Do you enjoy singing and joining with others to make beautiful music? Come and join the Hills Choir. We meet from 7.30 to 9.30pm at the Uniting Church on Stoneville Road, Mundaring. Contact Margie on 9295 6103 for further information.
THE ZONTA CLUB OF SWAN HILLS
Wedneswday, March 20th at the Mallard Duck. Zonta, an International Service organization works to improve the lives of Women and Girls locally and internationally. Projects include Studies Assistance Grant to two girls at Cyril Jackson and Let Us Learn Madagascar a program that encourages girls to attend school, ensuring there are suitable toilets and girls have access to sanitary items. Teacher training is provided. Guests are welcome. To find out more about these and other projects or if you wish to be a guest please contact Ruth (08) 9272 9442 or email ruth@amsaustralia.com. Find us on facebook on www. zonta.org
ELLENBROOK COMMUNITY WEIGHT LOSS CLUB
Every Tuesday evening We meet from 6.45pm to 8.00pm at the Woodlake Community Hall, Meeting room 1 Highpoint Blvd, Ellenbrook. Friendly support group at low cost. Male and females of all ages welcome. Contact Shirley 9276 7938 shirleysardelich@aapt.net.au.
HILLS CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT GROUP
1st Wednesday of each month Hilltop Grove Estate, 1645 Jacoby Street, Mahogany Creek. Morning tea provided, between 10.30 - 12.00 noon. Enquiries Terina 9572 1655.
MORRIS DANCING
ELLENBROOK AND DISTRICT MENS SHED INC.
All welcome. It’s like bush dancing, with sticks and bells. It’s aerobic exercise and great fun! Tuesdays 7-9pm practice, Guildford Town Hall, cnr James St and Meadow St, Guildford. And drinks later at the Woodbridge Hotel with live Irish music For more information please contact: Christine Hogan: 9279 8778 Email: madtattersmorris@iinet.Net.Au Website: madtattersmorris.myclub.org.au
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday We are open at 4 Transit Way Ellenbrook from 10.00am to 3.00pm. Potential members can turn up on those days and there will be someone to explain what we do and give membership details. Annual fees are low and members can do their own thing, participate in projects for the community or simply just come in for a chat and a cuppa. We are considering extending our days to include Saturdays or evenings if there is enough interest. 12
WHAT’S ON MUSTARD SEED - DISCOVERING COMPUTERS
Mustard Seed is a nineteen year old non-profit organisation and teaches all aspects of everyday computing. Ability levels from beginners onwards. Want help with Windows 10? In need of instruction with your Mac computer? Have an iPad or Android tablet and don’t know what it will do? We can help. Cost is $2 per session. Classes are held at 56 McGlew Road, Glen Forrest. To gain a place enrol now by phoning 0491 044 805 or emailing: mustardcomputers@gmail.com W: noodlebytes.com
TALKING HORSES
Wednesday evenings 6:00pm The WA Horse Council equestrian radio program is now in its seventh year. The programme is broadcast on the Community Radio Station 91.3 SportFM. To ensure that your club, event, breed or business gets coverage, call Diane Bennit 0409 083 617.
SWAN VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTRE SWAN VALLEY HOMESCHOOL FAMILY PLAYGROUP
Thursday mornings 9:15am to 11:15am Older siblings welcome to join playgroup in a rural setting in the Swan Valley. Normal playgroup guidelines apply for children zero to five years old. Baskerville Hall, 129 Memorial Drive, Baskerville. For more information ring 0419 922 792 or email enquiries@ swanvalleycommunitycentre.com
MIDLAND MEN’S SHED
Every Tuesday morning We meet socially every Tuesday morning from 9.30am to 11.30am in the Bellevue Baptist Church Hall and our usual attendance is around fifty-five. At least once a month we have a guest speaker on a range of topics. We also go on excursions to various places of interest (e.g. HMAS Stirling, Aviation Museum, Fremantle Ports, ALCOA, etc.). Our workshop with wood working and metal working is in Midvale and for the opening hours and further details please contact Rob Cutter on 0419 967 873. Also in operation is our music group – the Rockin’ Shedders which is going from strength to strength and their repertoire of songs increases each week. For more information on the Shed please contact Kevin Buckland on 0417 961 971 or email: kebinsv@tpg.com.au. THE HILLS CHOIR Mondays We practice on Mondays from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the Uniting Church in Stoneville Road, Mundaring. We are looking for Sopranos, Altos, Tenors and Basses over the age of sixteen to join us. We sing a range of sacred and secular music in four parts. Please phone Margie on 9295 6103, email the thehillschoir@ gmail.com or visit their website www. hillschoir.org.au.
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HOUSE AND GARDEN OLIVE TREES
ARE YOU UP FOR A CHALLENGE THAT IS EXTRAORDINARILY REWARDING? GROW OLIVE TREES!
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here are about nine million hectares of olives in the world, with the largest areas in Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia. In Western Australia they are found between Northampton in the north to Albany in the south. The cultivated olive (Olea europea) was introduced to Australia around 1805. At first, there was little commercial interest due to the predominantly English population, who used animal fats. However, following World War II, the large number of immigrants from Mediterranean countries resulted in an increased interest in olives and olive oil. Plantings in Western Australia peaked at 29,000 trees in 1968. The olive grows best, with less disease, in regions with a Mediterranean type climate, which have cool winters with a warm dry summer and autumn. Rain in autumn lowers the oil yield. The optimum temperatures for growth are 15 to 34°C. The
most unfavourable temperatures are above 40°C and below 5°C. However, young and established trees will withstand the light winter frosts experienced in Western Australia. The olive can be grown on a wide range of soils, but it favours well drained, slightly alkaline loams. Most varieties are propagated from cuttings of one year old wood struck in potting mixture. Propagation from cuttings is less labour intensive than grafting so tree costs are lower, but some varieties such as Kalamata must be grafted. Trees can be purchased from local or Eastern States nurseries. Plant the trees the same depth as the mark on the trunk shows it was planted in the nursery. Remove any seriously damaged portion of roots, but disturb the roots as little as possible. Pots can be dipped in a bucket of water before planting to remove any air around the roots. Work the soil around the tree roots. Do not totally fill the hole, and leave a depression for watering. Fill this with water and tamp in the soil. A little more soil may be needed if there is considerable subsidence. It is usually advisable to stake the young trees, such that the tree can move with the wind to some degree. Support the trees with a 1.2 m stake and tie the plant with a cloth tie that does not cut the trunk or branches close to it. Mulching around the young trees with a coarse compost is beneficial, especially on sandy soils and for the first two years after planting. The best time to plant is in the cooler months, especially April and May, and September. Do not shade the trees. The stem can be painted with a water based or plastic paint to protect from sun-burn. Where trees are used as windbreaks, the spacing between trees can be reduced to three metres, but this can reduce individual tree yields.
VARETIES
Different olive varieties are grown for oil and table use (pickling). Some varieties can be used for both purposes. Varieties such as Arbequina, Barnea, Coratina, Corregiola, Frantoio, Mission, Koroneiki, Leccino and Picual are commonly planted in modern commercial olive groves in Australia. Mission: Most Mission trees in Western Australia are from
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a local selection from the olive grove at the New Norcia Monastery, Western Australia. This variety is similar to Frantoio. The fruit are small and have an extended harvesting period, which can be beneficial. Only a small proportion of the fruit become fully black, the colouration varying from light green to pinkish yellow through to purple. A good table olive variety needs firm good textured flesh and a high flesh to pit ratio. Consistent yields and good fruit size are considered important but some small olives with small pits sell well as pickled olives. Manzanillo fruits at three stages of maturity. Varieties such as Barouni, Kalamata, Manzanillo, Picholine, UC13A6 and Volos are known for their excellent textures and flavours when processed – see www.apvma.gov.au mentioned above. Fluffy polyester as table olives. bands on the trunks of trees have proven effective as a barrier to Kalamata: A Greek cultivar, which is one of the best black weevils getting into the tree canopy. pickling varieties and highly regarded by Australian consumers. The olive lace bug (Froggattia olivinia) is about 3 mm long and It is also used for oil production, produces medium yields and the damages the leaves. Symptoms are numerous light green spots oil has a distinctive flavour. on the leaves. The olive lace bug is native to the Eastern States. A A late ripening olive, the fruit is medium to large with a number of incursions into Western Australia have been sighted pointed end. Trees produce heavier crops when cross pollinated in recent years. with Pendolino. Frantoio and Koroneiki are also suggested to be Birds such as 28 parrots, lorikeets, ravens, black and white good pollinators. cockatoos can cause major losses by damaging tips of young Manzanillo: This is the main variety grown in Spain. The trees and twigs and fruits on older trees. tree is a low vigour variety with a spreading medium density Rabbits can ring-bark the trees and trees may need tree canopy. It matures its fruit early and is one of the highest yielding guards. Kangaroos can eat the leaves and must be repelled with varieties. It is used mostly for green pickling, but can also be an electric fence. Mice can eat the fruit. black pickled and pitted and stuffed with capsicums.
PESTS
Olive trees are not big feeders, but will respond well to a balanced fertiliser program. If necessary, on sandy soils, well rotted animal manure, applied in August to supply organic matter and nutrients. Do not allow manure near the stem. All fertilisers should be applied to the soil, which is more efficient than spraying soluble fertilisers onto the leaves. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient, but do not overfertilise, as this encourages vegetative growth and suppresses flowering and fruit set. In Western Australia, the major pest problems with olives are scale insects (black scale − Saissetia oleae and olive scale − Parlatoria oleae) and apple weevil − Otiorhynchus cribricollis. In some groves, African black beetle (Heteronychus arator) and wingless grasshopper (Phaulacridium vittatum) have been a problem at establishment. Rutherglen bug (Nysius sp.) has invaded groves during early summer affecting vigour of young trees; and olive bud mite (Oxycenus maxwelli) has caused minor levels of bud deformation in a very low number of groves. Of the scale insects, black scale is the more important. Black sooty mould is a fungus that is associated with the scales and feeds on the sugary exudates produced by them. Sooty mould blocks sunlight from the leaves and should not be a problem if there is good control of scales. Spraying may be necessary to achieve control. If horticultural spray oils are used, they should be timed to coincide with the presence of crawlers. This can be gauged by placing scale infested stems collected in late spring in transparent containers and checking for hatching of eggs. At least two applications of oil would be required. Some growers are releasing beneficial wasps into their groves to control scales. Apple weevil is mainly a pest in the South West. Adults can damage young trees and if uncontrolled may affect the vigour of older trees. For control, use registered insecticides only
PRUNING
In general, olive trees should be pruned and shaped to maintain as much cropping as possible, consistent with ease of access to the trees’ structure for picking and spraying. Table varieties need a vase shape with three to five fairly rigid branches and no central leader. Each year, remove water shoots at the base of the tree, dead wood, lower branches and excessive internal growth.
POLLINATION
Flowers can be self and cross pollinated by wind from other varieties. Hot windy conditions at flowering and lack of soil moisture can reduce fruit set.
HARVESTING
Trees commence to bear commercial quantities of fruit after three to five years. They are ready for harvesting from March to July, with a peak from May to June. The earlier you harvest, the more bitter the taste. As the olives mature, the flavor mellows. Decide if you are going to press the olives for oil or brine to preserve them. There is a clock going here. You must utilize the olives within three days of harvest. If they sit any longer, the olives will oxidize and “sour.” Larger olives have more oil, but the oil content drops as the olives ripen. Green olives have a longer shelf life but tend to be bitter and will take several months to mellow in flavor. If picking olives for oil, pick olives with a light yellow color. First, place tarps under the tree or trees. Using a rake, gently dislodge the olives. Gather the olives from the tarp. If you are picking for oil, harvest all the olives in this manner and gather up any strays on the ground. Olives left on the ground will rot and can foster disease and olive fruit flies. You may also use a ladder and handpick the olives. While this is more time consuming, it avoids bruising of the fruit. 15
FOOTNOTE PEOPLE IN HISTORY HARRIET TUBMAN (1822 - 1913)
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arriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross in 1822. She was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some thirteen missions to rescue approximately seventy enslaved people, family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. During the American Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the United States Army. In her later years, Tubman was an activist in the struggle for women's suffrage. Tubman was born Araminta "Minty" Ross to slave parents, Harriet ‘Rit’ Green and Ben Ross on a large plantation in Maryland. Modesty, Tubman's maternal grandmother, had arrived in the United States on a slave ship from Africa; no information is available about her other ancestors. Her mother was a cook and her father Ben was a skilled woodsman they had nine children together: Linah, Mariah Ritty, Soph, Robert, Minty (Harriet), Ben, Rachel, Henry, and Moses. Rit struggled to keep her family together as their owner sold three of her daughters separating them from the family forever. When a trader wanted to buy Rit's youngest son, Moses, she hid him for a month. At one point she confronted her owner about the sale. He came to the slave quarters to seize the child, where Rit told them, "You are after my son; but the first man that comes into my house, I will split his head open." They backed away and abandoned the sale. Tubman's biographers agree that stories told about this event within the family influenced her belief in the possibilities of resistance. When she was five or six years old, Harriet was hired out as a nursemaid. She was ordered to keep watch on the baby as it slept; when it woke up and cried, she was whipped. She later recounted a particular day when she was lashed five times before breakfast. She carried the scars for the rest of her life. As she grew older and stronger, she was assigned to field and forest work, driving oxen, plowing, and hauling logs. She suffered mightily from her owners and those who she was hired out to, including a head would that left her with epilepsy, headaches and visions throughout her life. As an illiterate child, she had been told Bible stories by her mother. Harriet was devout, and when she began experiencing visions and vivid dreams, she interpreted them as revelations from God. Around 1844, she married a free black man named John Tubman. Tubman changed her name from Araminta to Harriet soon after her marriage. In 1849 Edward Brodess, her owner, tried to sell her, but died before he could. As in many estate settlements, Brodess's widow, Eliza, began working to sell the family's slaves. Tubman refused to wait for the Brodess family to decide her fate and fled as she explained later: "There was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other." A one hundred dollar reward (the equivalent of $3,000 in 2016 currency) was offered for capture of each of the three escaped slaves "Minty" (Harriet Tubman) and her brothers Henry and Ben. Once they had left, Tubman's brothers had second thoughts and went back, forcing Tubman to return with them.
Harriet Tubman by Squyer, c1885 Soon afterward, Tubman escaped again, this time without her brothers. While her exact route is unknown, Tubman made use of the network known as the Underground Railroad. This informal but well-organized system was composed of free and enslaved blacks, white abolitionists, and other activists. Tubman had to travel by night, guided by the North Star, and trying to avoid slave catchers eager to collect rewards for fugitive slaves. Particulars of her first journey remain shrouded in secrecy. She crossed into Pennsylvania with a feeling of relief and awe, and recalled the experience years later: “When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.” After reaching Philadelphia, Tubman thought of her family. "I was a stranger in a strange land. My father, my mother, my brothers, and sisters, and friends were [in Maryland]. But I was free, and they should be free." 16
She worked odd jobs and saved money. In December 1850, Tubman was warned that her niece and her two children, a six-year-old and a baby would soon be sold. Tubman went to Baltimore, where her brother-in-law Tom Tubman hid her until the sale. Kessiah's husband, a free black man named John Bowley, made the winning bid for his wife. Then, while the auctioneer stepped away to have lunch, John, Kessiah and their children escaped to a nearby safe house. When night fell, Bowley sailed the family on a log canoe 97 kilometres to where they met with Tubman, who took the family to Philadelphia. The next spring she returned to Maryland to help guide away other family members. During her second trip, she recovered her brother Moses. Word of her exploits encouraged her family, and biographers agree that with each trip to Maryland, she became more confident. In the autumn of 1851, Tubman returned to Dorchester County for the first time since her escape, this time to find her husband, John. She had once again saved money from various jobs and made her way south. John, meanwhile, had married another woman and insisted that he was happy where he was, so she found some slaves who wanted to escape and led them to Philadelphia. Over eleven years, Tubman returned repeatedly to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, rescuing some seventy slaves in about thirteen expeditions, including her three other brothers, Henry, Ben, and Robert, their wives and some of their children. Tubman's dangerous work required tremendous ingenuity; she usually worked during winter months, to minimize the likelihood that the group would be seen. Her journeys into the land of slavery put her at tremendous risk, and she used a variety of disguises and subterfuges to avoid detection. Slaveholders in the region, meanwhile, never knew that "Minty", the petite, five-foot-tall, disabled slave who had run away years before and never come back, was behind so many slave escapes in their community. Despite the best efforts of the slaveholders, Tubman was never captured, and neither were the fugitives she guided. Tubman conducted her last rescue mission in November 1860. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, Tubman saw a Union victory as a key step toward the abolition of slavery. Tubman hoped to offer her own expertise and skills to the Union cause, too, and soon she joined a group of Boston and Philadelphia abolitionists heading to the Hilton Head District in South Carolina. She became a fixture in the camps, particularly in South Carolina, assisting fugitives. When President Lincoln finally issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, Tubman considered it an important step toward the goal of liberating all black men, women, and children from slavery. She renewed her support for a defeat of the Confederacy, and before long she was leading a band of scouts through the land around Port Royal. The marshes and rivers in South Carolina were similar to those of the Eastern Shore of Maryland; thus her knowledge of
covert travel and subterfuge among potential enemies were put to good use. In 1863, Tubman became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Civil War. When troops conducted an assault on a collection of plantations along the Combahee River, More than 750 slaves were rescued in the Combahee River Raid. Newspapers heralded Tubman's "patriotism, sagacity, energy, [and] ability", and she was praised for her recruiting efforts – most of the newly liberated men went on to join the Union army. For two more years, Tubman worked for the Union forces, tending to newly liberated slaves, scouting into Confederate territory, and nursing wounded soldiers in Virginia. Despite her years of service, she had never received a regular salary and was for years denied compensation. Her unofficial status and the unequal payments offered to black soldiers caused great difficulty in documenting her service, and the U.S. government was slow in recognizing its debt to her. Tubman did not receive a pension for her service in the Civil War until 1899. Her constant humanitarian work for her family and former slaves, meanwhile, kept her in a state of constant poverty, and her difficulties in obtaining a government pension were especially taxing for her. Tubman spent her remaining years in Auburn, tending to her family and other people in need. She worked various jobs to support her elderly parents, and took in boarders to help pay the bills. Tubman's friends and supporters from the days of abolition, meanwhile, raised funds to support her. One admirer, Sarah Hopkins Bradford, wrote an authorized biography entitled Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. The 132-page volume was published in 1869, and brought Tubman some US$1,200 in revenue. In 1874 Representatives Clinton D. MacDougall of New York and Gerry W. Hazelton of Wisconsin introduced a bill providing that Tubman be paid "the sum of $2,000 for services rendered by her to the Union Army as scout, nurse, and spy".It was defeated. By 1899, after receiving numerous documents and letters to support Tubman's claims, the U.S. Congress passed a law which "authorized an increase of Tubman's pension to twenty dollars per month for her service as a nurse." In her later years, Tubman worked to promote the cause of women's suffrage. This wave of activism kindled a new wave of admiration for Tubman among the press in the United States. As Tubman aged, the seizures, headaches, and suffering from her childhood head trauma continued to plague her. By 1911, her body was so frail that she had to be admitted into a rest home named in her honour. A New York newspaper described her as "ill and penniless", prompting supporters to offer a new round of donations. Surrounded by friends and family members, Harriet Tubman died of pneumonia in 1913. Just before she died, she told those in the room: "I go to prepare a place for you." When she died, Tubman was buried with semi-military honours at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. 17
COMMUNITY ANNIE’S COLLECTIVE WONDERLAND DOUGLAS SUTHERLAND-BRUCE
you drive around the UK, if you’re at all interested in old, ACentresantique and vintage you will see just about everywhere ‘Antique - 60 Dealers. Places like Leominster (pronounced ‘Lem-stir’)
seem to have huge buildings convered into collective antique stores with the dealers taking turns to man the counters or even hiring a manager. This means that you can see specialist collections and dealers, rents are shared, and dealers have time to source new (old) material while business continues. We don’t seem to have the same concept here in Australia yet. Or we didn’t until Annie had a very bright idea when Swan Settlers Markets was floated as a concept. If you love vintage, retro, antique, flea markets, shabby chic and just plain quirky, I expect you already know about Annie’s shop at Taylor’s Art House - Annie’s Vintage Wonderland. If you don’t, immediately put it on your ‘To Visit’ list. But the shop at Taylor’s, even with knocking into the next building is too small for Annie’s wonderland of wonders, so she has joined up with Swan Settlers Markets and rented a huge area in it, acting as a collective with a number of other dealers and suppliers. She even has her eye on an expansion within the markets, which would double the area and dealers’ spaces available. Annie has moved some of the more portable items from Taylor’s, raiding her large stock from the warehouse and buying in new old stock. ‘New’ seems like an odd word to use, but ‘old’ seems less accurate - perhaps ‘odds and ends’ might be better. A sampling of her goods might include, vintage jewellery and clothing, collectable stamps, matchbooks and boxes, suitcases, tins, Australiana, toys, books, walking sticks, 50’s furniture and she is one of only five Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint stockists in Western Australia. Annie is a real person, unlike Betty Crocker, and is on hand to talk, deal and her happy cheerfulness is a huge asset to her shop. The collective is open from Thursday to Sunday, plus Public Holidays from 10:00am to 3:30pm, but if you ‘like’ her on Facebook facebook.com/AnniesVintageWonderland/ you can shop on her ‘Annie’s Vintage Wonderland Online Wonders’ pretty much all the time as treasures are photographed and posted in batches. Prices are open to negotiation, so now’s the time to call in and have a browse, make an offer and collect something you’ve been
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COMMUNITY
seeking for ages - be it a 1963 Beano comic, a matchbook from the Playboy Club, a plastic soldier originally found in a Cornflakes packet, a street name or a dresser in peppermint green with orange trim. Whatever it might be - Annie may well have it, will get it, or knows where there is one. And while you’re there, you can browse the vast range of other stallholders at Swan Settlers Market - the newest addition to tourism in the Swan Valley. If you’re a dealer looking to open a low-rent shop-front, talk to Annie - she can probably help.
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DOUGLAS’ WINERIES AND DINERIES
These are the restaurants and eateries, casual and formal, and wineries that I personally reccommend and eat at for pleasure.
The hidden gem of a bar in Bassendean 77 Old Perth Road
OPEN Wednesday - Thursday 5-10ish Friday 5 - 10:30ish Saturday - Sunday 12 - 10:30ish HAVING A FUNCTION? - FULLY CATERED & NO HIRE FEE
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FOOD SLOW-COOKED ITALIAN BEEF STEW WITH CHEESY GARLIC BREAD BOMBS S M COLES
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e are rapidly entering autumn, season of stews and nourishing soups. This easy beef brisket stew, topped with cheesy bread dumplings, is the ultimate hearty dish for chilly evenings. It's also a great meal preparation option when you've got a busy week ahead. Serves six. Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: Stew - 2 and a half hours Dumplings - 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS Stew Extra virgin olive oil 1kg beef brisket, cut into 5cm pieces 1 large brown onion, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 90g (1/3 cup) tomato paste 125ml (1/2 cup) red wine 2 x 400g cans finely chopped tomatoes 1.75L (7 cups) salt-reduced chicken stock 3 fresh bay leaves 5 sprigs fresh rosemary Finely chopped parsley leaves to serve Bread Bombs 300g (2 cups) self-raising flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 120g unsalted butter, chilled 185ml (3/4 cup) buttermilk 150g mozzarella, cut into fifteen pieces 3 garlic cloves, crushed METHOD Step 1 Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish over high heat. In batches, add the beef and cook, turning halfway, for five minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef. Set aside.
the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the buttermilk. Use a flat-bladed knife to stir until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Shape the dough into a 2cm-thick square. Cut into fifteen pieces. Flatten a piece of dough on the palm of your hand. Place a piece of mozzarella in the middle. Bring the edges up to enclose and press to seal. Roll into a ball. Place, seam-side down, on a plate. Continue with the remaining dough and mozzarella until you have fifteen bread bombs. Step 4 Preheat oven to 200C (180C if fan-forced). Place the garlic and remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Arrange the bread bombs on top of the soup. Brush the bread bombs with the garlic butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with parsley to serve. Serve with fresh crusty bread.
Step 2 Add the onion, carrot and garlic to the dish. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, for five minutes or until soft. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat. Add the wine and cook, stirring, for two minutes or until reduced. Add the beef, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves and rosemary. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for ninety minutes or until starting to become tender. Uncover and cook for a further thirty minutes or until the beef is very tender. Set aside to cool slightly. Step 3 While that is cooling, make the bread bombs. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Coarsely grate 80g of the butter and add to the bowl. Use your fingertips to rub 21
REVIEWS Film: Director: Reviewer:
FILM
Celeste Ben Hackworth Ruby Westral
Operatic comeback his Australian movie follows the story of Celeste Shaw, a once promising operatic soprano who is attempting a comeback, some years after retiring to the far north of Queensland with her husband and her step son, Jack. Celeste puts her career on hold while she lives out her domestic dream with a loving husband. But that husband dies under tragic circumstances and Celeste’s life takes a dramatic, unlooked for turn. Filmed in the Innisfail area of far north Queensland, the beautiful scenery drips with the verdant, lush decay of, for example Angkor Wat the temple complex in Cambodia. And there is the sense of that decaying temple around everything Celeste embodies. The paint is peeling from the walls, the stone work appears ancient and crumbling, the atmosphere is heavy with degeneration and decomposition while at the same time, tall trees lend the appearance of a cathedral, like Salisbury or Westminster.
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The somewhat “Indiana Jones” bridge that links the estate that Celeste occupies with the outside world is obviously fraught with danger, and serves as another visual clue that all is not well in Celeste’s world. Some years after the death of her husband, Celeste, aided and encouraged by her friend Grace, is mounting a long awaited “come back” concert on her estate. Who is this concert being mounted for? Celeste herself seems paralysed by the intimidating nature of such a concert, and it seems to be her friend Grace that will benefit the most from it, in reflected glory. But is that really the case? In the long accepted Australian movie tradition of the slow burn, it takes till the last twenty minutes or so of the movie to find out what is really going on here…..and no spoilers…..it will take you by surprise. Radha Mitchell as the titular Celeste embodies her character with much longing, but her reliance on drugs and alcohol bodes ill for her big comeback concert. As her stepson Jack, Thomas Cocquerel helps flesh out her past story and acts as a foil for her present one. The side story of his owing some goons money is neither needed, important, nor interesting, and is an unwelcome distraction to the main story. Nadine Garner as Celeste’s best friend (and minder) Grace gives us a strong character. At first we are unsure of her motives or her relationship to Celeste, but at this becomes clearer we understand Grace’s movements much better. Celeste Lazarenko sings beautifully in the Schubert lied featured in the movie, full of longing and yearning. Three stars. 22
Film: Director: Reviewer:
Gloria Bell Sebastian Lelio Ming Johanson
Go out dancing Gloria Bell, played by a Julianne Moore is the stereotype middle-aged divorcée in surround sound. Her adult children are off having their own lives; her son has a new baby with an absent mother. Gloria’s daughter runs a yoga studio and is following the romance we all probably wanted to follow in our mid-20s, despite the fact it has ‘mistake’ written all over it. Gloria works in insurance, has friends, smokes in secret, sings and dances and much like the first line of the lyrics of the song Gloria she’s headed for a breakdown. John Turturro (otherwise known as the typically funny
move on, trapped in a toxic, dependency filed relationship with his characters’ children in the movie. Gloria, shortly after the story opens, begins an affair with John Turturro’s character Arnold, a man with a tiny slice of desperation in his eyes and a girdle around his waist holding him together. Recently divorced, Arnold has turned his life on its head (he had gastric bypass surgery, hence the girdle), and when he and Gloria see each other across the dance floor he weaves his way to her and they soon couple up. There is something to be said about watching normal life roll onto the screen. The director Sebastian Lelio portrays relationships and beauty in a benign way. In a movie world we’re often offered an escape from our lives but this movie offers so much more in terms of a direct escape back to our lives. We get to peel back and see the beauty in the ordinary. There is a humour in the hairless cat constantly invading Gloria’s space. There is an absurdity in everyday life. Julianne Moore shows restraint in carefully piecing together the character that makes up Gloria, a woman determined to ‘go out dancing’. Three and a half stars. Film: Director: Reviewer:
2040 Damon Gameau James Forte
Green Documentary Award winning Australian Damon Gameau has written, directed and fronted this documentary on what the world could look like in 2040 – if we make the right decisions and embrace currently Gloria (Julianne Moore) and Arnold (John Turturro) in Gloria Bell available technology. It is a praiseworthy project and is a useful counter to those politicians who break from explosions in many of the Transformers movies) gave seem to believe that we have no need to take action on climate a wonderful performance more dramatic than the norm for him. change. Future science will somehow produce a piece of magic John fills the scenes of a man struggling to let go and truly technology and save us.
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The technique he has adopted is to travel and view many parts of the planet through the eyes of children living there. It is an effective approach. It is not as confronting as (now) sixteenyear-old Swede Greta Thunberg who reflected the betrayal of her generation by the lack of leadership of our generation and went on to set up the school strikes. However Gameau does give his small daughter a leading role in continually asking: “What sort of situation will she face in twenty years time?” Gameau is a man with a mission. He manages to stay reasonably objective without too much subjective hand-waving that comes from most people who are passionate about their subject. That is the film’s strength. Some of the technologies do not have their limitations fully explored in the time available. For example, electric cars are here to stay. Linked to (selfdriving) autonomous control, they will change the way we do urban travel. The problem will not be ‘How far can we travel on one recharging?’ It will be ‘How do we manage mixes of humandriven and self-driven vehicles on our roads?” Both types have risks – but personally I cannot wait to get rid of drunk drivers, hoons and road rage. Inevitably this film will be labeled green propaganda. Appallingly, science is being eroded by those with financial interests in resisting change. And by politicians who only wish to look like they are doing something. No matter which side you are on, go and see this film. It will open your eyes to the positive messages of what is possible. 2040 is an Australian film on a vital subject. Recommended. It opens at Luna Cinemas on the 23rd May. Four stars. ~oOo~ Film: Director: Reviewer:
Fortnight. In French with English subtitles, it opened this year’s Alliance Française Film Festival and is now getting a second outing at Luna cinemas. It has a simple premise. Yvonne is a police detective on the French Riviera. Her husband was the local police chief who died in action against local gangsters. A statue of him is erected in the town square. It shows him ‘Dirty Harry’ style with gun in hand dispensing rough justice against drug dealers, etc. Each night Yvonne puts her young son to sleep with stories of the bravery of his father. Then one day she discovers that her husband was corrupt. That the luxuries she enjoys were paid for by criminals. And worse, as a part of his crooked dealings he sent an innocent man to prison for eight years. Yvonne sets out to right the wrongs. Sadly when the innocent man, Antoine (Pio Marmaï) is released he has considerable issues readjusting to freedom. His wife (a major supporting role by Audrey Tautou – famous for her title role in Amélie) has her own problems. Meanwhile the local police strive to keep the corruption secret. Yvonne sets out to help everyone - with hilarious results. Director Pierre Salvadori has made a film which races from one outlandish vignette to another. A minor quibble. To me the title simply did not represent the essence of the film. I never did work out who the one was who was addressing the ‘you’ who was making the trouble. The French title (En Liberte! - roughly translated as ‘Set Free’) was much more appropriate. The Trouble with You is a hoot. After its close in early May at Luna cinemas (be quick!), watch out for other access on DVD, downloads or SBS television. Recommended. Four stars. ~oOo~
The Trouble with You Pierre Salvadori James Forte
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French Craziness The star of The Trouble with You is Adèle Haenel – an actress with an expressive face which lights up the screen as she stumbles from one impossible situation to another. The film has been labeled the best Gallic comedy of the year. It was a centerpiece of the Cannes 2018 Directors’
All Is True Sir Kenneth Brannagh James Forte
Picturing England All is True captures William Shakespeare’s final years (1613 to 1616) from the burning of his Globe theatre in London, through his retirement to his home in Stratford, to his death on the 23rd April.
Adéle Haenel in The Trouble With You 24
For those who love Upstart Crow on the ABC comedy channel, Ben Elton has adapted his extensive research from farce to a serious screenplay about family relationships. Directed by the best-known Shakespeare interpreter of our time, Kenneth Branagh, it has a stellar cast: Branagh himself as William Shakespeare; Judi Dench as his wife Anne Hathaway; Ian McKellen as the Earl of Southampton. Two knights and a dame. Costumes, customs and Elizabethan architecture are as well researched as we would expect. But the aspect I enjoyed the most was the photography of the English countryside around the River Avon. The insights are joyful. William is acknowledged as the foremost playwright of the age and is now reasonably wealthy – although not without jealous enemies. The area around the grand house that William has bought is a wonderful wilderness which he tries to convert to a garden. The language is subtly adjusted for our modern ears. We do not have to put up with too much of the ‘thou’ and ‘thee’. And we discover why he famously bequeathed his ‘second-best bed’ to Anne. The soundtrack is perfectly suited with music by Patrick Doyle - who worked closely with Branagh on his previous Henry V. I doubt that Ben Elton would claim to be as gifted as Shakespeare, but he has produced an intriguing story. One of discovery of the family secrets which have been accumulating while the bard was away in London. The tale moves at a Shakespearean pace towards a satisfying denouement. All is True opens at The Windsor and other Luna cinemas on the 9th May. Strongly recommended for classical theatre lovers and all who enjoy period dramas in rural England. Four stars. ~oOo~ Film: Director: Reviewer:
The Chaperone Michael Engler James Forte
spirited girl in the depraved Manhattan of the 1920s. McGovern jumps at the opportunity. As one can guess, keeping any sort of reins on Brooks is going to be extremely difficult. Getting information from the nuns will be even harder. Mission Impossible. The settings, costumes and manners are fine matches for what I imagine the world was like then. In real life, Louise Brooks went on to become one of the great film stars of the silent era. It was pleasant to spot Australian star Miranda Otto in a supporting role as the owner of the Dance Academy. Less pleasing was the sight of an apparently British train taking the two ladies between Kansas and New York (also visible in the trailer). A prop left over from Downton Abbey? This is a film for those who love costume dramas and the lives of early movie celebrities. The Chaperone opened in Luna Cinemas on April 25th. Recommended. Three stars.
Steamy 1920s New York Based on a novel, which was based on a true story, The Chaperone is a classy tale of a talented dancer and her minder (a lady with secrets) in the show-biz world of New York in the jazz and prohibition era. The film was put together by a well-established team. PBS-Masterpiece has reunited the Downton Abbey team: screenwriter Julian Fellowes, director Michael Engler and star Elizabeth McGovern. McGovern plays the part of a woman raised in a New York orphanage but now married into a wealthy Kansas family. She is obsessed with discovering her birth parents – which means extracting information from the nuns at the children’s home. Louise Brooks (played by fresh faced and amazing look-alike Haley Lu Richardson) is a fifteen-year-old dancer who has won a position at a prestigious New York dance Academy. Her family needs to find a chaperone to look after the free25
Hayey Lu Richardson as Louise Brooks in The Chaperone
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Me and My Left Brain Alex Lykos James Forte
A long night In 2012, Alex Lykos wrote a one-act comedy called A Long Night. The forty-five minute extended skit had a young man trawling over and over again (Woody Allen like) through his neuroses about life, love, work, etc… Now Alex has rewritten the material for the screen and, in his directorial debut, given himself the central role as Arthur - the young man. It is a fairly lightweight romantic comedy with a number of amusing twists. A key feature is that both Arthur and Vivienne (his life-long best friend and neighbour played brilliantly by Rachael Beck) have problems resolving their emotional and rational instincts. Arthur (Alex Lykos) and his Left Brain (Malcolm Kennard) Their oh-so-logical left-brains are represented by brilliant historical studies. Topsy-Turvy covered the partnership characters only the audience can see. But the banter between of Gilbert and Sullivan. Mr Turner was about the career of the two hemispheres is funny, engrossing and a winner. There are obvious references to Woody Allen – not least the arguably England’s greatest artist, with Timothy Spall playing J. M. W. Turner. Secrets and Lies and Vera Drake won major awards image from Manhattan of the two lovers sitting on a park-bench for exposing serious social issues. late at night looking at the city skyline across the river. With such a reputation, he was able to get a large budget Actually I was more reminded of the British TV comedy for his writing and directing of Peterloo. He did meticulous series Coupling by Steven Moffat which had the characters research on the event itself and the background living working their way through many combinations and conditions in the world’s earliest large industrial towns such as permutations of sexual adventures – including some situations Manchester. Research which as far as I can tell is accurate in which may have you cringing with embarrassment and feeling every detail. glad this has not happened to you. Which leads us to the major question. How could he get The plot is simple. Arthur is trying to get to sleep – he has it so wrong? My guess is that he became so enamored of the an important audition as an actor in the morning. He confesses subject and research that he skipped some of the basic rules to Vivienne that he is in love with (lusting after) Helen. But she of film-making. It is boring! (The Rotten Tomatoes rating for is not returning his phone calls or text messages. Does she Leigh’s dozen previous films averages 93% - for Peterloo it is want a long-term relationship with him? Flashbacks and dream 63%.) sequences illustrate his wild swings from one extreme belief to It is certainly not entertaining. Yes, it is informing and another. It is going to be a long night. enlightening – but only if you are prepared to sit through two The film was shot in and around Sydney. It delightfully and a half hours of a diabolical history lecture. captures the style of inner-city living. Recommended as a great The first law of teaching is to gain and hold the students’ film for a relaxing afternoon/evening. attention. In this case, the audience waits, for the final horror Me and My Left Brain will have an opening screening of men, women and children being put to the sword by an followed by a Q and A session with Alex Lykos at the Luna unruly drunken militia, by dozing through two hours of nothing Cinema, Leederville on the 28th May. happening. If you like Woody Allen AND Steven Moffat you are going to There is much talking, political discourse and rhetoric. love this. Three and a half stars. ~oOo~ Film: Director: Reviewer:
Peterloo Mike Leigh James Forte
Over-long history lecture The massacre of peaceful, unarmed civilians protesting about voting rights and oppressive laws at St Peter’s Field in Manchester in 1819 is one of the turning points of British political history. After the Battle of Waterloo, just four years earlier, it became known as Peterloo. Eminent director Mike Leigh asserts that there has never been a feature length film made about the event and has set out to rectify the matter. (As an aside, the massacre was small – fifteen people died compared with hundreds at the Paris barricades or even twentyseven at Australia’s own Eureka Stockade.) Books have been written about Leigh and his many
Speeches are delivered at a glacial pace. The protest leaders argue over status. There are a dozen fearful magistrates and the screenplay ensures that all of them are given time to explain their concerns. Mr Hunt (the orator imported from London for the rally) spends his time waving his hat at the crowd. I learnt more about the causes of the protest rally and the 26
massacre with a ten-minute read of a history book. What I hoped for was an explanation of how Peterloo changed the British political system. In fact the establishment closed ranks and there was very little progress for years – but it remained a rallying cry for the working class until those in the new industrial towns gained equal representation in parliament. But none of that is covered in the film. It ends straight after the battle with two journalists agreeing to call it the Peterloo Massacre. As already noted, the research covers all the important issues in excruciating detail. I have no doubt the costumes of soldiers, gentlefolk and workers are correct. The cinematography is wonderful as groups of workers tramp through the countryside under their banners. The casting and acting is excellent (Tim McInnerny makes a foppish Prince Regent, Rory Kinnear is an arrogant Mr Hunt, Martin Savage is one of the fearful magistrates who reads the riot act and demands that the crowd of 60,000 be dispersed. Please Mr Leigh, could you re-edit the film down to seventy minutes? This is a view of England not covered by the films of Jane Austen novels. This one is for history students who wish to put pictures to the words in their textbooks. It is an important film on an important subject. Watching it is an exercise in endurance. Peterloo opens at Luna Cinemas on 16th May. Two stars. ~oOo~ Film: Director: Reviewer:
The Night Eats the World Dominique Rocher Lisa Skrypichayko
The Night Eats the World (ou, en français, La Nuit a Dévoré le Monde) is one of the latest offerings (2018) in the zombie genre. Screenwriters Jérémie Guez, Guillaume Lemans, and Dominique Rocher based their story on Pit Agarman’s novel of the same name, and under the direction of Rocher the film delivers plenty of suspense and a few fun perspectives on a familiar theme. Benefitting from considered use of sound, scoring and camera work, plus a very affecting, understated performance by lead actor Anders Danielsen Lie, it tells the tale with only as much gore as is necessary. It certainly entertains but unfortunately covers no new ground. The film is all in French, with English subtitles, but as dialogue is sparse this does not hinder non-francophone enjoyment or attention to the plot. With a runtime of 93 minutes, it moves along at a good pace. The story begins as our protagonist Sam visits the high rise apartment where his ex and her new partner now live, to gather some of his belongings. Dismayed to find a party in progress, Sam maneuvers through the crowd to the seclusion of an upstairs room, where he falls asleep while going through some of his old cassettes of his music. Sam awakens to sounds of mayhem. He eventually and fearfully emerges from the room to discover blood and other evidence of violence throughout the apartment. Sam has to fend of an attack by his crazed and ravenous ex, managing to lock her in a room. After mustering the courage to look outside to the streets below, Sam sees teeming hordes of deranged people attacking anyone who crosses their paths. He realises he must be the sole survivor of some great catastrophe, in the first of several scenes reminiscent of The Quiet Earth and the more recent I am Legend (which serves the viewers as a bit of shorthand for what Sam is
experiencing). We do not learn whether Sam knows about zombies, either from news of other attacks around the world or simply through pop culture and movies like the rest of us, so it’s unclear how much he understands about his situation. As there are no scenes showing Sam learning how to survive a zombie apocalypse, we must assume he has prior knowledge of zombies. Luckily for Sam, he turns out to be quite a clever Boy Scout, but we get no clues as to how he acquired his diverse survival skills. Luck or practice? It doesn’t really matter, as this story is much less about vanquishing scary monsters than it is about Sam’s struggle to maintain a sense of meaning and humanity in the face of impending annihilation. As time progresses Sam develops a daily routine, and finds ways to fill his days in hiding. Becoming increasingly frustrated with his loneliness and solitude, he devises music with abandoned instruments and found objects, and searches from his rooftop refuge for other survivors. Craving human connection, Sam befriends Alfred (sympathetically played by Denis Lavant), an elderly former-doctor-turned-zombie, who is trapped in his elevator shaft. Their interactions provide the tiniest bit of background and allow Sam to share his thoughts and feelings with another being (and with us, the audience). Later in the film Sam ends up walking in Alfred’s shoes, and ends up showing him the compassion he would wish for himself. In an unexpected and unfortunate chain of events, Sam meets Sarah, another survivor who urges him to flee the diminishing safety of his current sanctuary and find a new haven, fresh supplies and possibly other uninfected humans. The two exchange thoughts and strategies, and even collaborate artistically in a refreshing musical centrepiece to the film (but fear not - even with this lighthearted moment, this is not a Broadway musical). Golshifteh Farahani does a good job with a limited role, fulfilling Sarah’s destiny as a pragmatic catalyst for action. Sam’s time with Sarah convinces him that he must finally cast off and seek other shores, leaving the safety of his apartment building for an unsure future. Although the storyline and character interactions were captivating, the film’s conclusion was a letdown for me and my companions. “You bastards!!” was an opinion expressed more than once. It felt like the writers were either hoping for a sequel / franchise, or simply ran out of ideas and bailed immediately. Denouement excepted, there is a lot to recommend this film. Jordane Chouzenoux’s evocative cinematography includes some fabulous aerial shots of a Paris few have seen or could imagine (it looks like drones are becoming a great new tool in cinema). Director Dominique Rocher made an excellent choice to build suspense through silence, punctuating only where absolutely required with sound, dialogue, and David Gubitsch’s nicely understated score. I in particular appreciated that this was not at all a schlocky, formulaic, jump-scary zombie film (and I have seen several), but in fact quite introspective and thoughtprovoking. In researching The Night Eats the World for my review (after viewing it), I learned of a short film inspired by this one, shot in 360° virtual reality - Passenger, written by Romain Chassaing and Laurent Sarfati and directed by Chassaing, covers events immediately preceding the Parisian zombie outbreak, as seen from the perspective of four people trapped in a taxi. This might have satisfied my curiosity about how it all came about, while serving as an interesting mini-prequel. I hope it gets out there as a companion piece someday. Overall, a zombie film for those who don’t generally like zombie films - give it a go! 27
THEATRE REVIEWS Production: Producer: Reviewer:
London theatre. The rear walls and two doors are powder blue, with the side flats black. As the play progressed various ‘invisible’ panels opened to give us a foldout bed, a writing desk, a country vista (artist – Celeste Lopez) and a set of footlights. Geoff Holt’s lighting and sound design was of his usual high standard, with the operation by a rota of Garrick members. I think that Coward had a soft spot and admiration for most of the theatres’ crews and so on this occasion the stage hands are written into the script, so all the scene changes are by actors in costume. The real stage manager is Grainne Friel and her assistant Kathleen Nyland.
Star Quality Garrick Theatre Club Inc Gordon the Optom
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tar Quality is Coward’s 1951 mischievous revenge and perceptive short biographical story about aging actors. This is NOT one of his classic comedies, but it IS a finely observed look back at some of the characters that he met on his journey through the theatre. Written when the flamboyant English playwright Sir Noël was in his fifties, after decades of success. Sadly, when he adapted the book into his final play, he was in his late sixties and the show never took off. This was because he had hardening of the arteries and Alzheimer’s was starting. His original production of this play had eighteen actors and dozens of locations – totally impractical. Luckily, in 1967 Christopher Luscombe spotted the potential and re-adapted it into today’s show. He did however manage to retain Coward’s suave, elegant style with the wicked humour. This view of the dirt and cattiness in theatre life can be seen at the Garrick Theatre, 16 Meadow Street, Guildford. The two-hour performances are each Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 8.00 until the 18th May. There are two matinées.
Author, Bryan Snow (Alan Gill) has written a couple of plays, so is thrilled when an amicable theatrical director, Ray Malcolm (Alan Morris) approaches him wanting to present his latest. Out of the blue, they are surprised to receive an invitation from a fading Diva, who in her own mind is still a ‘Star’, this Lorraine Barrie (Kath Jones, magnificent). Lorraine moves in rapidly on poor naïve Bryan for the part of leading lady, but director Ray has other ideas which are carefully noted down by his young Personal Assistant, Tony (Chris Kennedy). As the interested parties discuss the play, the theatre’s dresser Nora (Marsha Holt) returns from a walk with Lorraine’s pampered pooch, Bothwell (Daisy or Monty – Bichon Frise). With Nora is Lorraine’s co-star and major competitor, attractive but loud and ingratiating Marion (Susan Meikle).
The Scene: Summer 1951 in London The Set: The clever set with many hidden panels was designed by James Nailen and Fred Petersen. It was also built by them, aided by James Scott and Caileb Hombergen-Crute. When the curtain was raised, we saw an empty area backstage in a
The scene ends and the stage goes dim, as the stage manager of Bryan’s play, Harry (Caileb HombergenCrute) and his assistant stage managers, Beryl (Christine Offringa) and Laura (Kathleen Nyland) set up the next scene clearly in view of the audience. The rehearsal of Bryan’s play begins with Marion and the two leading men, Eric (Ben Lowther) and Gerald (Alan Shaw). By the end of Act One’s first rehearsal, the jealousy and tension between all the cast is palpable, as they seek to further their own interests instead of that of the play and production.
Alan Gill (Bryan), Marsha Holt (Norah) and Kath Jones (Lorraine) in Star Quality 28
The choice of costumes by Grainne Friel was perfect in style and flamboyance. Lynda Stubbs added the crowning glory hairdos. Directed by theatre veteran Lynne Devenish, thankfully nothing like Ray, with a genuine all-star cast, all of whom can really act. This show was a little slow to start as Coward set the scene and introduced his wonderful characters; but if you know anything about the theatre life, then you will smile and even laugh aloud as you recognise various similar actors from local shows. Coward has picked his worst personal memories and melded them into a fine show as a rich character study. The cast completely
captured the depth of personalities and their mannerisms. Very well directed and acted, but this is a fun light-hearted drama about personalities, not a straight comedy. ~oOo~ Production: Producer: Reviewer:
Hairspray Jr – Musical Luminary Entertainment Gordon the Optom
Hairspray Jr – Musical is an American musical, based on a mainly factual book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan. The musical score was added by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc. The first American production almost started riots in 2002, but still ran for 2,642 performances and won eight Tony Awards including one for ‘Best Musical’.
There is a lifelike TV camera and a surprise prop in the final scene that will bring a smile. With a cast of thirty – I am including poor Olivia whose arm at the last minute found another meaning for ‘cast’ and will be missing – at times the stage was crowded, so the director wisely had catwalks at the side leading down into the audience and the pit area where the orchestra (of fifteen musicians) could have been, but the show used the sparkling quality music CD supplied by the musical’s copyright agent. With such a large cast Production and Stage Manager, Guy Jackson, had to work at breakneck speed controlling the costume changes and the numerous mass entrances and exits. Amazingly everyone did very well. The lighting and sound design was a little limited, but Lighting Operator – Jayde Cason and the Sound Operator – Bailey Fellows (on his first show) made the show flow smoothly. Attractive programme from Nicholas West and Jarrad Sharman. Slightly plump Tracy Turnblad (Laura Foster – very well done) dreams of fame on the socially progressive but shallow Corny Collins Show (Jacob Clayton – smooth) as a replacement for pregnant Brenda (Ataahua Flesher). Tracy’s dozy Dad, Wilbur (Kody Fellows) lovingly encourages her. Tracy meets her dream boy, Link Larkin (Archer Larwood), however her desire to have racial integration is causing problems as he is not too sure. Even when Tracy’s ‘well-rounded’ mother, Edna (Zac Musarra – a drag role, again unacceptable in the 60s) who runs a laundry business out of her home, hears Tracy mention ‘black and white’ TV warns her that she may be thought to be racist. With other comments like ‘from the other side of the track’ (which refers to the slums on the other side of the railway line that separates the rich from the poor), there is obviously a lot of mountain to climb.
The cast of Hairspray Jr. In 2008 the UK television channel Sky 1 broadcast a series that showed every step of a tough London school as, with help of famous musical personalities, they produced their version of Hairspray: The School Musical. The show ran for 1,000 performances in London. This ninety-minute adaptation for schools is being performed by an enthusiastic cast of eight to eighteen-year-olds and is Luminary Entertainment’s first production. Unfortunately, the theatre did not have many technical facilities for use by external production companies; so being a new theatre company with no money in the kitty, but backed by a wonderful team of parents and friends in other theatres, Jayde and Guy have managed to borrow and assemble a good collection of lighting, sound and headset equipment. The curtain goes up at 8.00 pm on this ambitious and vibrant ninety minute production runs from the 3rd to the 18th May in the Phoenix Memorial Hall, 435 Carrington Street, Hamilton Hill. The welcoming entrance hall again followed the show’s musical’s theme, thanks to Peta, Victoria, Shaani, Simone, Jodie and Emma.
Tracy’s slightly geeky best friend Penny (Darcey McDonald – magnetic performer) is also disturbed by racism, but her manipulating mother Prudy Pingleton (Lexi Baggaley) is a total bigot and even complains about black music. Another girl in Tracy’s class is a loud and talentless spoiled brat, Amber Von Tussle (Ebony Uetake – great) who is willing to grovel and crawl to win the Miss Teenage Hairspray title; but because her conniving mother Velma (Olivia Fellows) is producer of The Corny Collins Show, the winner looks like a foregone conclusion. A local record shop owner is the beautiful iron-willed Motormouth Maybelle (Kika Van Wilde – fabulous voice) who brings her two black children to school. Even though the kids are friendly, her son Seaweed J. Stubbs (Rea Selepe – great mover) being a talented dancer and his little sister, Inez (Halle Selepe) is a delightful singer, most children still reject them.
The scene: Patterson Park High School Baltimore, Maryland in 1962 – just after Rosa Parks’ Detroit black revolution. Many of her experiences are reflected in (white) Tracy’s character in this play. Luke Miller’s set, due to lack of funds, is quite basic; however, it is a colourful flat covering the full width and height of the rear stage (art work by Silvana & Samantha Ferguson). 29
perform their best. Vocal Director Samantha Ferguson has to be admired for tackling such a large cast and age group. The results ranged from generally very good to outstanding. Naturally this was a first show for many youngsters, so there was the odd nervous tremor and missed key, but for their age who could complain? No one! Just admiration. The colourful and very 60’s costumes were supervised by Rachel Vonk with major support from Shelly Miller and Emma Foster. The aim of this fun musical is to encourage individuality, acceptance of colour, sexuality and shape difference; but most of all it gives us a great night’s entertainment by many names to look for in the future. ~oOo~
When asking about the audition, ‘Fat’ Tracy and ‘black’ Inez are rejected by prejudiced Velma. However, when local fashion shop owner, Mr Pinky (Harrison Ricci) wants to have Tracy as his advertising model, the school Matron (Luna Har Paz) and the Principal (James Leber) have a change of attitudes and forgive Tracy. The various backing vocals and delightful dancers, many of whom had brief speaking parts include Oscar Uetake, Victoria Outten, David Bell, Heidi Pesich, Zoe Bartle, Sienna Law, Keiaani Richards, Charlotte Sampson, Sarah Cosgriff, Ella John, Elijah Liu, Faith Cary and Sophie Hennighan. Many songs have been modified over the years as they were thought to be politically incorrect, but I thought that the song of the show was probably ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’ by Motormouth and the Ensemble. The choreography (Rachel Vonk) was tricky yet exceptional. EVERY single performer from the very youngest to the most experienced never missed a beat. The co-ordination was perfect, and they all smiled! Director Jayde Cason (Clark) has been connected with numerous shows over the years and has never let an audience down. Her pleasant nature always ensures that her cast will
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Death Throes Blue Room Gordon the Optom
Death Throes is the latest exciting co-creation of Harriet Gillies, Joe Lui and Julia Croft. This seventy-minute adult show is produced by Samantha Nerida and can be seen in the Blue Room Studio at 53 James Street, Northbridge each evening at 8.30 until Saturday 11th May, and then at the earlier time of 7.00 from Tuesday 14th until Saturday 18th May. The lighting and sound design are by Joe Lui at his very best. The actors even carry large old-style flood and spotlights using them like large torches. Overworked Chelsea Gibson had lights, microphones, sound effects, music, projector, smoke and wind machines to operate – faultless. There was a clever microphone manipulation that took the speaker’s voice down an octave or two without slowing the dialogue. The scene: Present day and the future The set: Is a pink, two-metre circular shag pile rug. Folding table and chairs. A girl (Harriet Gillies) in a green, highly sequined dress illuminates the ground at her feet and fully acknowledges the Traditional Landowners; this is also the play’s reference to the past. The next scene is the present. A public meeting with three very different speakers – possibly politicians, perhaps idealists, or are they anarchists demanding common sense of the Government? The interpretation is up to you. One thing that we will all agree on, there is a great deal of common sense in the rhetoric as many topical and controversial themes are raised; with Keynesian theories (Julia Croft), the quality of life (Harriet Gillies) and the waste of food (Joe Lui) all mentioned. Some points are accurate, some are what the politicians think you want to hear, and the rest is bullshit. It soon become obvious that greed and poor management has wrecked the average man’s world and ‘we might a well be walking on the sun’. Perhaps the answer is just that, in death throes they try and
Cast of Death Throes 30
find another planet – a safe haven, or even a new Avalon ‘baby’. Like most of the trio’s shows, this is a little weird, fascinating, intriguing, mind provoking and yet satisfying. The storyline, lighting and stunning sound may seem strange but possibly hours later the full depth of the thought behind the production will become clear. From the obnoxious speakers to the space travel, there is a huge amount of thought gone into this show. The cast certainly give it every bit of energy. Take your Fitbit and join the fun. ~oOo~ Production: Producer: Reviewer:
The Mikado Gilbert & Sullivan Society of WA Douglas Sutherland-Bruce
A Titi-Pu triumph Although not the first written of the fourteen joint operatic collaborations of Sir Arthur Sullivan and Sir William Gilbert (in fact ninth) The Mikado is certainly first in the public’s affections. From its opening in 1885 it has never been out of the theatre-goers hearts. It ran
for nearly two years in its initial run in London and was revived scarcely a year later. And it’s not hard to understand why. It is a joyous, delightful piece, full of humour and incredibly beautiful music and singing. In turns touching and funny, tuneful and uplifting, the score moves through all the moods. I have seen The Mikado almost as many times as I have seen The Importance of Being Earnest, it is, after all, one of any company’s stock repertoire. I have seen good, great and appalling productions. The very best was Dr Jonathan Miller’s in 1986 with the English National Opera and an unlimited budget. In my view the second best is the current production mounted by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society at the Dolphin Theatre, University of WA. Directed by well-known Perth community theatre identity, Paul Treasure, it is pure joy. It was, I think, Dr Miller who first said about The Mikado ‘It has nothing to do with Japan, it’s the English being silly’. So he set his version in an English 1920’s seaside resort, with everyone in impeccable English formal wear of the time. Paul has done much the same – the costumes (of which more later) are certainly Japanese, but the hair and make up are contemporary. At least one lady of the chorus was sporting large pastel-framed glasses …. and it makes no difference at all. It is simply one of those things we accept. Paul has chosen his cast perfectly – altogether very much younger than is usually the case, their energy was phenomenal – their voices far better than one is accustomed to in community musical theatre and their professionalism unquestioned. Music was provided by an orchestra of about thirty under the baton of Dr Georg Corall and such was their musicality that they Mark Thompson (Ko-Ko) (Photograph by Max Page) received a separate huge round of applause 31
for completing the overture. I won’t go into the plot which is convoluted and really not that important, although very funny in its own right, concerning death, love, marriage, wards (not in Chancery for once) an elderly ugly spinsters and absolutely fabulous tongue-twisting dialogue and lyrics. The costumes, by Wardrobe Mistress Veronica Hudson, assisted by Gail Reading, Tanya and Laurel Hill, were sheer perfection. Ko-ko’s gown was just breath-taking, so useful, so decorative, so swirly when he turned that it showed exactly how a character can be improved and helped by the right costume. I covet that costume in the worst way to be candid. And so to the cast. Goodness, it’s hard to know where to start – they were uniformly excellent, each working with the others to achieve a pinnacle of art that is very rare. Purely arbitrarily I’d have to say that Mark Thompson (Ko-Ko) was so purely physically challenging as he threw himself all over the stage, so smooth in delivery of the many, many jokes, so unfalteringly on note that he was the stand-out. Except that Marli van der Bijl (YumYum) was so delicious, so funny in her expressions and reaction, so tuneful in her ballads and songs that she must have been the stand-out. Except that Theodore Murphy-Jelly (Pooh-Bah) was so thoroughly in his part, so grand, made so much of the humour his part affords … or that Brigette Heuser (Katisha) was so lovely in that unattractive part. … or that Belinda Cox Brigitte Heuser and Marli van der Bijl (Photograph by Max Page) (Pitti-Sing) brought humour to the part I’m sure even Gilbert hadn’t seen .. or Very, Very, Highly Recommended Indeed. Chad Henderson (Nanki-Poo) or Steve Sherwood (the Mikado) … Oh, I give up. Perhaps we’ll just say this was pretty much the perfect cast, Production: Mimma Producer: Orana Productions getting the absolute best out of each and any every role that Reviewer: Ruby Westral was possible to get, superbly directed and the epitome of what ensemble work should be, including the large choruses of the A new music theatrical piece premiered in Ladies and Gentlemen of Japan. Perth and primarily written by, performed This production makes manifest what I always say when by and funded by Perth based artists and I’m directing ‘If you’re on stage, you’re acting.’ At every moment entrepreneurs is a reason to celebrate all every person on stage was acting, reacting and involved in sorts of things! the action. Not an easy thing to achieve, but seemingly made The fact that this particular production has been produced effortlessly here. to the most exacting professional standards in casting, set and I would single the choreographer out for special mention, costume design, lighting, direction and performance standards as the dancing and crowd work was impressive, but the is a wonderful, exciting step forward and a step which cannot be programme doesn’t list one. I suspect Paul, but whoever it was underestimated or downplayed. deserves a special round of applause all to themselves. Ron Siemiginowski, the composer and producer of Mimma Overall, an outstanding production of a timeless classic. has literally put his money where his heart is, and more strength At this point I would urge you to go and see it – but the season to him! His music is lush, inventive, beautifully played by the is completely sold out, so rush now and get on the waiting list, Perth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sean O’Boyle, hoping someone will be taken ill. and a delight to the ear. His inventiveness though needed to be My sincere congratulations and admiration to all reined in a little, as the story line was somewhat weighted down associated with this production and my thanks for a glorious by a surfeit of musical ideas. evening’s entertainment. 32
Most of the publicity material for Mimma has centred around the casting of Mirusia Louwerse, famous for her appearances as part of André Rieu’s worldwide stadium performances, and one could be forgiven for viewing her as a kind of “show pony” or draw card name only. She proved, however, to be a sensitive actress and a beautiful performer, with a charming, easy to listen to voice, that endeared itself to the listener. In the key role of Sarah Parker we were fortunate to have experienced WAAPA graduate Holly Meegan, who brought great truth to her portrayal. The fact that she was given many more songs than required for the development of the character and storyline was not her fault. Both she and Ms. Louwerse suffered from lack of articulation of text at times, which did make the story telling at times difficult to follow successfully. Opera singer Jason Barry-Smith brought great empathy to his role of Aldo, Mimma’s brother. It is always wonderful to hear a voice like Mr Barry-Smith’s in it’s natural state; free flowing and unfettered. Occasionally strain could be heard in the voice, which was a shame, as most of his singing was exemplary. Diction was very clear and his characterisation of the quietly heroic brother was well drawn. Brendon Hanson as Gino suffused this unsympathetic role with as much gravitas as possible under the circumstances. As Mimma and Aldo’s mother Ada Marini, Suzanne Kompass looked every inch the Italian mamma, and sang beautifully too. Igor Sas as Mimma’s Zio Lorenzo brought his experience to the table and was a convincing older Italian man. Ian Toyne was underutilised in the caricature role of Senior Constable Talbot, bringing reminiscences of the Sergeant of Police from Pirates of Penzance into mind. WAAPA graduates Bryan Woltjen (set and costume design) Trent Suidgeest (lighting design) and Ben Collins (sound design) brought real innovation and excellence to this production. It was impossible to fault their contributions, being of the highest standard, and credit must go to Orana Productions for engaging these wonderful designers. Likewise, Christabel Ellis (choreographer) brought her usual flair to the dance elements of the performance, while the ever reliable Andy Fraser (fight choreographer) gave his touch of authenticity to the physical fight scenes. Michael Carmody’s
video designs enhanced the excellent set designs and Luzita Fereday ( Dialect/Accent Coach) helped the cast negotiate a plethora of different accents and helped nail the Italian accent used for many of the characters. The ensemble was made up of a number of WAAPA graduates, whose work continues to demonstrate the excellence of tuition at that institution. Wonderful contributions by Amy Fortnum, Christina Odam, Joel Horwood, Mia Donatelli, Cameron Steens, Giuseppe
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PRESENTS
Sunday 26th May 2019 at 2.30pm Eastern Hills Senior High School Music Auditorium Keane Street, Mt Helena Choral Director: Storme Reeves Accompanist: Libby Patrizi Guest Accompanist: Margaret Jones Featuring The Hills Choir and Guest Artists Tickets Adults : $20.00 Children (under 12) $5.00 Tickets available from Choir members or at the door
Call Bob 9574 6626 for further information www.hillschoir.org.au email: thehillschoir@gmail.com Trybooking : https://www.trybooking.com/BBZQH
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Rotondella, Nathan Stark, Jarrod Draper and Jess Clancy were enjoyed, with the voices of Mr Steens, Mr Stark and Mr Draper in particular being noteworthy. Other ensemble members Ingle Knight and Nick Maclaine were equally excellent. Special mention must be made of Geoff Kelso and Caroline McKenzie, whose experience and accent work made their “Greek Chorus” scenes meaningful and engaging. Alinta Carroll was a less successful contributor. Adam Mitchell (director) has made the most out of every scene, and the seamless transitions between scenes were much admired and appreciated. Giles Watson’s libretto was adequate. I wish I could say this incredibly well meaning, heartfelt production was a triumph. It wasn’t. It was too self indulgent. It was somewhat derivative. Some characters descended into caricature, through no fault of the artists but of the writing. As an “off Broadway” tryout, I hope the composer and librettist take the opportunity to rewrite this show; lose at least six musical numbers, tighten the story line and reduce the self indulgent flab exhibited in the second act. There is so much about this production that is nothing short of excellent, but all that is let down by bloat, which made the evening seem almost interminable as the characters eventually made their way to the finale, a rousing concert in the Perth Town Hall. ~oOo~
Kath Jones (Lorraine), Monty (Bothwell) and Alan Gill (Bryan) in Star Quality
Production: Star Quality Producer: The Garrick Theatre Club Inc Reviewer: Sharron Attwood For a production filled with such rich dialogue, scene changes and a cast sizeable in number and personality, there was sense of ease in watching Star Quality. I was never left wondering or waiting, which allowed me to enjoy the many fine performances and a storyline that is as relevant now as it would have been in the 50’s when it was both written and set. Star Quality started out as a short story in 1951, and was later turned into a play by original author Sir Noël Coward, with the play itself being set in the Summer of 1951 and moving between, London, Kent and Manchester. Having been heard during only a couple of readings at the outset, Star Quality enjoyed two television adaptations, one in America and another for the BBC. Some thirty years after the death of Coward, in late 2001, it was further adapted by actor/director Christopher Luscombe from the original works, published and unpublished, to produce the version we enjoyed this evening. I can appreciate the challenges they must have had to overcome accommodating the required scene changes and a rather large cast in the space afforded – but the characters never seems to lack the space they needed. Having the stage crew as a part of the overall storyline made the inevitable resetting of the stage – moving furniture and changing walls – part of the experience. It all just flowed and you felt they all belonged there – and were most certainly backstage chatting in character. As a play about putting on a play – we expect to see
conflict amongst actors and directors, but these characters offer us so much more. We open to meet Bryan Snow (Alan Gill), a relatively new and inexperienced playwrite, charged with the responsibility of securing the services of experienced actress Lorraine Barrie (Cath Jones) – as well known for her off stage demands as she is for he onstage brilliance. Whilst we never get to experience her ‘onstage’ it’s not missed. All the characters soon show us their favourite way manipulate others, to stay relevant. The director putting his leading lady in her place. The actress ‘suggesting script changes’ and the assistant who whilst ‘flamboyant’ certainly has an agenda. Billed as a comedy, there is a solid balance of drama and storytelling. The Garrick’s website offers this quote - “Movies will make you famous; Television will make you rich; But theatre will make you good.” by Terrence Mann - and I couldn’t agree more. I cannot help but appreciate the work involved and the impression it makes upon the audience. The Garrick Theatre is situated in the historic town of Guildford, Western Australia. The club was named after the famous English actor and dramatist, David Garrick. Founded in 1932, Garrick is the longest-running community theatre in the Perth metropolitan area. Garrick Theatre celebrates 87 years entertaining audiences in May, 2019. Happy Birthday to The Garrick and thank you to the cast and crew of Star Quality, directed by Lynne Devenish, for a lovely evening. The show runs until the 18th May and tickets are available for most performances. Book on TryBooking.com. ~oOo~ 35
SWAN VALLEY
SWEET TEMPTATIONS
TRAIL
handcrafted artisan produce
1121
swanval
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ley.COM.A
U/sweet
SPORT AND LEISURE CHIEFS HOCKEY CHRIS MCRAE
P
art of the Northern Ice Hockey Association based out of Xtreme Ice Arena in Mirrabooka and established in 2017, the Chiefs Hockey Club have gone from strength to strength over the past several seasons. They have not only played some exciting and fast paced hockey but have also secured some big name sponsors including Outback Jacks Northbridge, Agile Security, Riverstone Custom Homes and ATS Airline Terminal Services. The Chiefs also recently travelled to Adelaide to compete in the 2019 Adelaide Challenge Cup and will look at taking two teams to the competition in 2020. The Chiefs possess Division 1 and Premier League teams in the Perth State Winter League, a competitive league between the Northern Ice Hockey Association (Xtreme Ice Arena Mirrabooka), Cockburn Hawks Hockey Club (Cockburn Ice Arena) and the West Coast Ice Hockey Association (Perth Ice Arena, Malaga). Each month we will be bringing you updates as to how the Chiefs have been travelling in Season 2019.
APRIL 2019
April saw the start of the winter season and the return of Chiefs Hockey for 2019. The start of the 2019 winter season has seen the Chiefs return to the ice with a new and improved line up headed up by new full time coaches Rodney Arnold and Janos Kasvala. They also welcomed new squad members Josh Healey, Jaymie McDonnell, Yoann Levesque and Corey Boutin to the line up. Making the step up from Juniors for this season have been players Valentine Kasvala and Harvey Jackson. The Premier Division team, captained by James Elliott have enjoyed a strong start to the season in 2019. Coming off a record of 5-14-1 in Season 2018, they have been seeking to improve and provide a big scoring, big hitting game. The season opener opened with much anticipation and the team in good shape. The Chiefs triumphed over cross town rivals the Cockburn
Blackhawks with a 5-0 shutout victory in their season opener before following this up with a 6-2 win over fellow Mirrabooka premier team the Vikings to move to a 2-0 record to start the season. The Division 1 team, captained by Dan DeGraaf will look to grab their first win of the season in the coming weeks, making a 0-3 start to the season with plenty of time to find their rhythm. The Premier league team will look to welcome back Skyler Luo in July. Perth Thunder and New Zealand national representative Andrew Cox will also join the squad on a part time basis at the completion of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships. The inclusion of these players will no doubt bolster the stocks of the squad as the season gets rolling. The Chiefs will play their next game against the Sharks at Xtreme Ice Arena, Mirrabooka on 12th May with puck drop at 7pm. Stay tuned each month for updates on how the Chiefs Hockey Club are travelling in Season 2019. 37
TV WITH CHRIS MAY 2019
iconic roles. But as the first half of this new series went on, they grew on me, as did the storyline which twists and turns and adds a little bit of danger to the standard familial comedy storyline. The young cast provide some good performances and although the acting is a touch cringeworthy at times, it is easy to watch. There are moments of drama which are played well with Jeremy (Epstein) becoming suspicious of Nick’s true motivations and a scene in which he confronts her is particularly effective. Netflix, in similar fashion to other comedies such as Fuller House and The Ranch have opted to only release the first ten episodes of the first season, setting up a decent cliffhanger for Part 2, which is set to release later this year. This is a clever strategy which hooks you in and keeps you watching. No Good Nick is nothing groundbreaking but it is fun, lighthearted viewing with a good heart and family friendly nature. No Good Nick Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix
M
ay is set to be a huge month for television and it will be Netflix and Foxtel who will be dominating the small screen this month. In the meantime, check out these new releases from Netflix and Stan. Title: NO GOOD NICK Network: Netflix
This latest family-friendly offering from Netflix is very marketable. Not just for the fact that it is a light hearted tween comedy but also the fact that it is headlined by Melissa Joan Hart (of Sabrina the Teenage Witch fame) and Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) which is enough to peak the interest of adults alike. No Good Nick is centred around the Thompson family, Liz (Joan Hart) and Ed (Astin) live with their two teenage children Molly (Lauren Lindsey Donzis) and Jeremy (Kalama Epstein) who provide enough headaches with their teenage angst and attitude. Enter Nick (Siena Agudong), a ‘rough around the edges’ teen who claims to be a distant relative. It appears she is there to stay after her foster situation falls through and the Thompson family must adapt to life with a third teenager in the house. However, not all is as it seems as the real motives of Nick’s presence becomes clear and the lies and cons begin. In the case of this light hearted series, what you see is what you get. The show’s quick and often cheesy one liners, canned laughter and predictable and often far fetched scenarios are nothing new but the show has a distinct charm. At first I found the pairing of Astin and Joan Hart as husband and wife a little mismatched. Having been a fan of both Sabrina and Lord of the Rings, it was a little strange to see them in the roles of normal, everyday parents, years on from their
Title: LUNATICS Network: Netflix Aussie comedy icon Chris Lilley is back and he has now been exposed to the streaming masses on Netflix with the launch of his latest mockumentary series Lunatics. Lilley has been hailed in the past for his comedic work on Aussie favourites We Can Be Heroes (2005), Summer Heights High (2007) and Angry Boys (2011). There have been moments of sheer brilliance and moments of controversy with Lilley not shying away from borderline content and challenging stereotypes which is what the ‘mockumentary style is all about. Eight years after Angry Boys, Lilley returns with Lunatics, a ten episode series which follows six highly unusual and eccentric individuals, each with their own quirks, obsessions and traits. There is Keith, the fashion retailer with ‘objectaphilia’ (sexual attraction to objects); Becky, the 7”3 student settling into an American college with her twin sister; Gavin, a foul mouthed twelve year old boy set to inherit an English estate; Jana the
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Keith Dick naming his new department store ‘My Dick’ is just not funny, Becky the 7”3 college student is stuck in the 90’s and there is only so many laughs you can get from her hitting her head on the door frame or getting her hair stuck in the ceiling fan. Gavin dropping the ‘c bomb’ in every sentence does not shock but rather is a sad inditement of youth. As for Dana, her pet psychic scenarios barely raise a smile. Jonah from Tonga, J’Amie the Private School Girl and Mr G from Summer Heights High remain some of the most clever characters in Australian comedy. The stereotype was spot on and the exaggeration was perfectly handled. The characters in Lunatics are one dimensional and the crude humour is just that, crude and without purpose. A disappointing follow up for Chris Lilley. If he has another mockumentary series in him, he needs to make it more relevant and identifiable. This just does not hit the level of his past hits. Lunatics is now streaming on Netflix.
Chris Lilley South African lesbian pet psychic, Quentin the egotistical real estate agent and DJ with a huge backside and Joyce, an ex porn star turned hoarder facing eviction. The premise, like all of Lilley’s past work, is clever, with the comedy relying on the exaggeration of stereotypes and the pushing of boundaries. This time, Lilley is tackling stereotypes associated with workplace identities, taking on the fashion industry, retail, the real estate game and the adult film industry. However, unlike gems such as We Can Be Heroes and Summer Heights High, Lunatics feels forced and outdated. In a digital age in which parodies and mockumentaries are in every corner of the internet, this series has a lot of potential to be a sharply scripted comedic gem. However, it misses the mark and on relies too much on vulgarity and shock value to get laughs.
Chris Lilley’s characters in Lunatics 39
TV WITH CHRIS GAME OVER CHRIS MCRAE
question “Who is Jon Snow’s mother”? The pilot was confirmed by HBO and Game of Thrones was born. 2011 saw the premiere of the medieval drama and right
The End is Nigh for Television’s Biggest Juggernaut
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ame of Thrones is not just a TV series. It is an event. The episodes are talking points on Tuesday mornings in the office. They are the reason generations from those in their late teens through to mature adults stay away from social media for hours at a time to avoid spoilers. From its origins in 2011 as the ‘new medieval drama on the block’ through to worldwide entertainment and cultural powerhouse, Game of Thrones has not only been supreme entertainment, it has changed the way we view television. With the series’ highly anticipated (again an understatement) finale just mere weeks away, we look at the phenomenon that has been Game of Thrones. Medieval and Period Drama has always been popular. There have been countless film and television adaptations and reinterpretations of classics such as Robin Hood and King Arthur. In more recent times we have been gripped by series’ such as Rome, Vikings, The Tudors and Reign, all which explore different perspectives, points of view and parts of the world. The medieval time period is fascinating. It is filled with intrigue, betrayal, sex, murder and all those things that make great drama. Then, along came Game of Thrones. In 1996, American fantasy, science fiction and horror novelist George RR Martin published the first in his Songs of Ice and Fire series entitled A Game of Thrones. Known only to medieval fiction fans, it wasn’t until 2006 that television producers and screenwriters David Benioff and D.B Weiss approached Martin with a pitch to secure the rights to a television adaptation of the series. They reportedly won Martin over with their answer to the
from the outset it was clear this was not going to be for the faint hearted. The first series established characters that would soon become household names as would house names such as Stark, Lannister and Targaryen. Although criticised by some in its early days (and at times in following seasons) for too much emphasis on gratuitous violence, sex, nudity and sexual violence, Martin and the show runners have maintained that they wished to remain faithful to the horrific nature of acts of the time period. Martin was quoted as saying “I feel obliged to be truthful about history and human nature, and that rape and sexual violence are common in war; and that omitting them from the narrative would have rung false and undermined one of the novels' themes, its historical realism”. Despite some early criticism, the reception for the series was overwhelmingly positive with many labelling it one of the greatest shows of its time, if not of all time due to its complexity, depth, character development, performances and attention to detail. The series has raked in a plethora of awards including a Golden Globe win in 2012 for Peter Dinklage who plays Tyrion Lannister and numerous Emmy Award wins. Viewership has climbed at a rate unlike anything seen before with an average of 2.52 million in the US for Season 1 leaping to an astonishing 10.26 million by Season 7. Concluded on page 48 ... 40
THE IDLER The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Mind
the sandpaper effect as it grates off half your face should you find yourself in an overheated clinch with its owner. Still, on the odd occasion when it comes attached to the man of your dreams it can be worth it. If you’re lucky, you can get away with telling people that you’ve been on the receiving end of the latest dermabrasion technique. The glow from your soul will help pull this off, just don’t smile too widely or one of the micro cuts might become a chasm, rendering you in need of hospitalisation. Considering this I decree that the owners of these beards, pay for their partners monthly skin rejuvenation treatments.
SEVEN BEARD RULES
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The Bushranger In 2014 the Ned Kelly beard was named ‘word of the month’ in the Australian National Dictionary Centre, a tad delayed perhaps considering the beard began its life in the 1800’s. Consisting of a longer beard and shorter hairstyle they are said to be hard to maintain. While it’s softer feel is a bonus on female skin, there has been at least one reported incident of it causing breathing issues when trapped inside a makeshift suit of armour. Hence this style should be confined to men with rockstar Ned Kelly looks, a bow-legged swagger and an aversion to tinned helmets.
GLENNYS MARSDON
ately a strange facial hair dichotomy has been occupying my thoughts, perhaps some of you have been inflicted with similar distractions. Throughout my adult life I’ve spent way too many hours focused on the eradication of any hair-like apparition daring to materialise on my chinny chin chin. Yet at the same time my appreciation for the male beard has grown to envious proportions. It all began with the barbers’ shop. In my eyes, over the years these caverns of cool with their swaggering staff and secret seedy discussions, have morphed into exclusive clubs. Clubs that I will never be a member of since certain elements of my anatomy cannot be denied. Instead I’m left to languish in the pristine white sterile enclaves where, let’s be honest, most of the chatter centres on patrons of the aforementioned caverns. Beyond the caverns my envy has now extended to the growing number of facial hair options available to men. Sure, women have a vast array of makeup paraphernalia, but no amount of toner can match the camouflage properties of a full beard. Sadly, when it comes to facial hair women only have two options, the socially acceptable look of a hairless Egyptian cat, or the wicked witch come grandma tendrils usually confined to nursing homes and Disney movies. Mind you the increasing number of octogenarian bloggers turning up to events in their oversized circular glasses, and five layers of beads, does give me hope for a future that accepts the recalcitrant female facial hair or two. But I digress. Back to all those hirsute male chins. Beginning in Ancient Rome, when Anglo-Saxon men starched their facial hair into a pointed shape called the Vandyke, beards have become the epitome of manhood. Today they can be symbols of dominance, sexual virility, prestige and cool. With the trend now firmly entrenched I think there need to be some rules. I mean if we’re contemplating a future where there’s a rule dictating that drivers must avoid speed humps while transporting a dog, then surely there should be something in place to protect the unsuspecting eye from the visual pollution that is a misplaced beard. Here are seven to start with.
The Lumberjack First impressions of the lumberjack beard can raise concerns about laziness and personal hygiene. Nowadays however there’s a lumberjack beard oil that softens the whiskers and conjures up a woodsy forest hue, evidently. This style looks best when combined with a flannel, red and black checked shirt, and a set of shoulders honed at the gym, if not chopping piles of wood. Only then can its owner jump the queue of any hip club. The Cakehole One of the trendiest options in years gone by was the goatee, although it must be said that lately fewer have been encountered in the wild. On some men, the forgetful perhaps, it appears to serve as a reminder about which orifice the food goes into. When opting for this style there is one rule that must be followed. Concluded on page 48 ...
The Five O’clock Shadow First seen in 1986, the five o’clock shadow is a look that can be carried off by most men. Less appealing though is 41
FINANCE WHY SMS FUNDS ARE POPULAR STEVE BLIZARD
Y
ounger investors are helping to drive the self-managed super fund sector's growth, with the Australian Taxation Office's latest figures showing a rise in SMSF trustees aged 25 to 34. The swing is in line with changing working patterns for Millennials, who expect to have a number of different employers during their working lives. Melinda Howes, general manager superannuation, BT Financial Group, says this has major ramifications for their approach to SMSFs. "Gone are the days when a young person would start work in the mailroom and spend several decades with one employer,” says Howes. “Millennials generally have a more fluid working life and a growing number are using an SMSF to keep track of their super, irrespective of where it comes from over the course of their career." Research conducted by BT indicates there is a growing level of financial literacy among Millennials, which means they are more active investors and have more of a desire to take control of their super savings. The latest BT Australian Financial Health Index shows 25 to 34-year-olds are more likely than those aged 55 to 74 to use a formal, documented budget. This pro-active approach is likely to change the shape of the SMSF sector over years. "Younger SMSF trustees will drive demand for greater digital innovation in the sector, as they expect to manage their super in the same way as their everyday banking, social media and household management," says Howes. ATO figures show there were 596,516 SMSFs at June 30th 2017, with total assets of $696 billion, a 12 percent increase yearon-year.
satisfied. Roy Morgan noted that this was because SMSFs have very few members with balances of less than $100,000, the segment with the lowest satisfaction. Roy Morgan industry communications director, Norman Morris, said “The biggest segment of the market according to Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is in fact the self-managed super fund group with current balances of $726.5 billion or 27.4 per cent of the market.” However, with the Banking Royal Commission completed, retail funds are making a renewed push to hold their ground by substantially reducing their administration fees, and offering really competitive deals for potential fund members. SMSFs also have highly competitive administration fees against industry funds, particularly for members with large fund balances. HUNT FOR YIELD Investing in property, as part of an SMSF investment strategy, is increasingly popular. Investing in a business property rented to your own SMSF, or via direct commercial property syndicates, then sold during retirement in pension phase, capital gains tax free, may outperform most public offer funds. An easy way to get your foot into direct property is opting to invest in a commercial, industrial or retail property syndicate. Australian Tax Office (ATO) figures from March 2017 suggest having a commercial property in an SMSF is nearly three times as popular, with 11 percent of funds holding commercial assets, while only 4 percent was in residential property assets. The love affair with real estate is ingrained into the Australian psyche. But with home prices falling, political threats of removal of tax incentives and less availability of credit, it seems the love affair with residential property investment maybe well be over. Real estate is commonly represented as a homogenous asset class that offers investors the same kind of returns. However, there are crucial differences between commercial and residential that mean what happens in one sector doesn’t necessarily ring true for the other. Knowing these differences provides investors with opportunities to exploit at different points in the cycle.
SMSF SATISFACTION INCREASES SMSFs continue to lead member satisfaction despite industry funds faring better for balances below $700,000 and trumping retail funds for satisfaction across all balances. The latest Roy Morgan satisfaction report, a survey of 30,000 superannuation fund members, to the six months to February 2019, found that industry funds satisfaction rated at 62.1 percent, at a time when the total market fell 0.4 percentage points to 60.3 percent. SMSFs continued to lead all sectors in satisfaction despite dropping 0.1 percent, with 73.4 percent of their members
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VALUATIONS The residential sector appears to have entered a prolonged downturn in pricing as tighter lending standards and elevated apartment supply levels continue to bite. By contrast, the commercial sectors of retail, office and industrial are continuing to trade at strong valuations, as domestic and global investors extend allocation of more capital. Recently, a number of Roxburgh SMSF clients received a 100 percent return capital gain over three years, on a single office building, plus an eight percent per annum rental income return. Concluded on page 48 ...
BUSINESS - NETWORKING YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALL! SHARRON ATTWOOD
(but you do need to understand what it all is)
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here is so much training on offer for business owners – from start up to succession planning – you can learn to do it all. But do you have the time, the inclination or the ability? I am a firm believer that you need to have a broad understanding of business fundamentals to be successful. Depending on your business and business structure you will need a more in depth understanding of specific areas. You also need to know what those areas are. We have all heard stories of business owners paying too much for too little because they don’t understand what they are outsourcing or employing someone to do. This is where coaching, having a good advisor and undertaking the right training will help you. Attending a course doesn’t mean you then must do the task – but it does mean you are more likely to have the understanding required to outsource or have staff do the thing. Even being across how to define a great outcome is a win. I’ve met business owners who have staff performing tasks they don’t understand at all. It makes it a challenge to set KPIs or know what sort of outcome you can expect. You may also see people take advantage of the opportunity to look busier than they are or to mask their inexperience or inability to do the job. Similarly, I have colleagues who share tales of outsourcing a task only to find out later it took way less time that they were lead to believe. Social Media has also made it less of a challenge to frame our expectations. In the online groups I am a part of there’s a constant stream of, ‘what can I expect to pay for this?’ or ‘what is actually involved in getting this done?’
It’s the same for face to face networking groups, mastermind groups and development forums. I’d classify this all under training and education. In this current business environment, it’s never been easier to educate yourself. So we wonder why so many don’t. Time is often given as an excuse, sorry, reason – but as I’ve shown, so much is available online and people are willing to tailor an answer to your exact circumstance. Social Media can be time consuming, if you allow it to be. You will also need to be set up for participating online by building a great profile and paying a little bit of attention. For the outcome if offers though, it’s well worth the time. Similarly, there is a range of more formal training opportunities available, many in specific bite sized offerings to suit your needs. I’m not referencing entire University Degrees here – though you may find that useful. My business now offers lunch time webinars as a departure from two day workshops, weeklong retreats and those twelvehour day marathons that purport to break us down to then build us up. At times these experiences may be warranted – but when you are looking to fill a gap in your skills or increase a specific area of understanding you can get specific assistance in more timely manner. Cost is also put forward as an issue. As if investing a few hundred dollars before employing a staff member does not make fiscal sense? Employing the wrong staff can cost you thousands! Getting expert support and/or education is better investment in the short and long term. I’ve read many biographies and interviews with entrepreneurial millionaires and billionaires who always say you need to sign your own cheques. It’s not intended as a literal instruction by the majority. I take it as meaning you need to be informed and a part of the process. Don’t outsource what you don’t understand. Don’t abdicate. You don’t have to do it all but you need to understand and invest. Invest in a great team and educate yourself. Social media is an area where I see some of the greatest disparities between understanding and a willingness to outsource. So many business owners don’t understand the social media landscape – so they rush to outsource. They can say they ‘do it’ and get back to what they understand. The ROI they get is often very poor, but they lack the understanding to know any better. Paying someone to post for you and not harnessing the power of engaging content is just a tick in the box. A little bit of knowledge could really change your outcome. You don’t have to do it – even if you can – but you need to understand it. Otherwise, it’s like paying someone to go to the gym using your membership card. Exercise is done, box ticked, but you are in the same place as before. 43
SWAN VALLEY AND REGIONAL NETWORK FIRE BAN EXTENDED $5,000 GRANT SUE HURT
R
esidents of the City of Swan are advised that due to seasonal conditions, the Prohibited Burning Period has been extended until midnight May 31, inclusive.
GRETA JASIAK
T
he City of Swan is delighted to award $5,000 to the Kiara Girls Academy for its Yokayi Art project. Girls Academy is an Australia-wide not-for-profit organisation that provides mentoring and engagement programs for school-aged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls. The local Academy, hosted by Kiara College, provides a safe space for students to learn about their culture. The Yokayi project encourages students to explore their creative expression through visual art, media, drama and dance. The Kiara Girls Academy Program Manager, Lisa Semmens, said the Kiara Girls Academy is grateful for the support of the City of Swan.
You are NOT permitted to burn during this time. During the restricted burning period you may be able to burn one square metre of garden refuse provided you meet all of the requirements listed below: · the Fire Danger Rating (FDR) is not above Low-Moderate or High ·
a Total Fire Ban, or a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban has not been declared
·
Your property is larger than 2000m2
·
The pile is only lit between 6pm and 11pm
·
It is fully extinguished by midnight
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The pile is less than 1 cubic metre
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Only one pile alight at any time
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A five metre wide area clear of flammable material completely surrounds the pile
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The material you burn is only dry vegetative matter
·
A person capable of and appropriately equipped to control the fire is in attendance at all times
·
You notify your neighbours of your intention to burn
·
The smoke does not cause nuisance to neighbours or present a hazard to road users.
“This project is a big part of our cultural connections program for the year and the weekly art sessions facilitate creativity, a sense of pride and achievement,” she said. City of Swan Mayor David Lucas said that the City’s Swan Community grants are designed to make a real difference to people’s lives. “We are proud to support the Kiara Girls Academy and the important role it plays in supporting local indigenous young women and their families,” he said. “The City offers community grants valued up to $15,000, with the next round opening in August 2019.” Altone Ward Councillor Jennifer Catalano said that the project, which has been developed in collaboration with a range of stakeholders, is critical to improving student wellbeing and outcomes. “I look forward to seeing the completed works displayed in a professionally curated exhibition later this year,” she said. For more information about available grants and funding under the City of Swan’s Community Funding Scheme, visit www.swan.wa.gov.au/ availablegrants.
Further information is available at www.swan.wa.gov.au or contact the City of Swan Customer Services on 9267 9267. Permits to burn will not be available until further notice
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SWAN VALLEY AND REGIONAL NETWORK STIRLING SQUARE GUNS RESTORED GRETA JASIAK
T
he City of Swan has restored the historic guns at Stirling Square in Guildford to their former glory for Anzac Day. The City worked in consultation with the Royal Artillery Association of WA to remove rust from the two 25 pound guns and give them a new lease on life. City of Swan Mayor David Lucas said the guns are a central part of the war memorial at Stirling Square, which was unveiled on November 6, 1920. "This memorial is a place of pride for our community, and it stands as a reminder of the service and sacrifice Australians have made for our freedom," he said. The placement of guns at Stirling Square traces back to 1921, when the Guildford community was gifted with a Howitzer trophy gun which was captured at Hamel in France in WWI. This original gun was melted down for scrap metal as part of the war effort in WW2 and later replaced in 1962 with two 25 pound guns donated by the Guildford branch of the RSL. The guns were removed after deteriorating in the weather, and were replaced with the present 25 pounders in 1974 by the 3rd Field Regiment Royal Australian Artillery. A self-guided walk trail goes through Stirling Square outlining the pioneering and historical past as part of the Guildford Heritage Trails.
ARBORETUM GETS A RE-VAMP GRETA JASIAK
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Midland/Guildford Ward Councillor Claire Scanlan said the project was instigated by local resident Lewis Shugar. “Lewis is a keen BMX rider himself and saw a chance to create a place where our community can come and socialise, develop new skills and make new friends,” she said. “If you have an idea to improve your community, I would strongly encourage you to get in touch with the City to see what can be done.” Lewis said after riding at the park he got in touch with the City to see how it could be improved. “I’ve noticed an increase in people using the park, and the jumps are easily seen from Great Eastern Highway and Kalamunda Road, so hopefully even more people to start to use the space as they see more things happening,” he said. “Thank you to Councillors Claire Scanlan and Ian Johnson for putting me in touch with some passionate staff at the City who were a pleasure to deal with.” Queens Road Arboretum is a large park in South Guildford which also features a playground shaded by trees. The BMX track was originally designed by young people, with local businessman, Destry Schrock playing a large role in organising the development of the track and getting a qualifying round of the Xtreme Games held in November 2000. Lewis Shugar, Councillors Ian Johnson and Clair Scanlan
he City of Swan has wrapped up work to improve a local park in South Guildford and expand the BMX jumps for local riders. The works at Queens Road Arboretum in South Guildford included constructing some smaller jumps for less experienced riders and installing a gazebo and a water fountain. City of Swan Mayor David Lucas said the improvements were perfect for young families moving into the area. “With more people moving in and calling the City of Swan home, this was a great opportunity to improve our public open space for our growing community,” he said.
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#AdoptLove PHOTOGRAPHS: MICHELLE MORGAN, SHUTTER PAWS
WILL WORK FOR FOOD!
Six month old Rani is a sweet young girl. Her carers say she’s very relaxed around the house and quite calm for a puppy. She’s highly food motivated and really wants to please her humans. She has excellent house manners and is almost confident enough now to use the dog door. This girl loves her toys and never chews things she shouldn’t. She’ll dig to bury bones, but never out of boredom. Until coming into foster care, Rani didn’t have much formal training and no experience of leashes. Consequently, she was “leash reactive” towards other dogs when out on walks, but she’s made great progress in a head “halti” with her foster carers. Any potential adopter will need to be experienced with dogs and willing to continue this training. Rani is a medium sized mixed breed dog and currently weighs 19kg. She is desexed, microchipped and up to date with vaccination, all included in her adoption fee of $490. She’s in a foster home in Perth, all ready to meet potential adopters. To share your life with gorgeous Rani, contact SAFE Metro on 0475 346 545 or metro@safe.org.au Saving Animals From Euthanasia Inc (SAFE) is an animal rescue organisation that has saved and rehomed more than 23,000 homeless animals since its beginnings in 2003. It has grown to be WA’s largest volunteer-based animal rehoming organisation using foster care instead of cages. SAFE has 12 branches state-wide. In 2018 it was the national winner “Outstanding Rescue Group” in the Jetpets Companion Animal Rescue Awards. SAFE is the Western Australian arm of Animal Welfare League Australia (AWLA). FOSTER CARE means animals live the lives of normal pets, with no time limits, enjoying love in their place of care, and socialisation in the home and community. Their carers’ knowledge of how they respond to different situations means SAFE can make a great match. Would you like to help animals on their journey to a new life? To become a foster carer, the first step is to contact our SAFE Avon Valley branch on 0409 000 259 or our Perth-based branch, SAFE Metro on 0475 346 545 or 0448 893 033. VOLUNTEER: https://safe.org.au/volunteer/
DONATE: https://safe.org.au/donate 46
ADOPT: https://safe.org.au/find-a-pet/
COMMUNITY he Compassionate Friends of Western Australia Tregardless strives to support families who have lost a child, of that child’s age throughout WA.
We are a non-profit, non-government funded charity that provide peer call support, group meetings, a drop in centre, sending out quarterly newsletters, Anniversary Cards, we hold Walk of remembrance and a candlelight service (non-religious) at Christmas. We are run by volunteers and bereaved parents that are further along in their grief and wish to help others who have suffered this tragedy. Although everybody’s grief is different it helps to talk to someone who has actually had this tragedy happen to them. They WON”T say “I know how you feel” as no one can, but they will say “I don’t know exactly what you are feeling but this is how I felt when my child died”.
WALK OF REMEMBRANCE HELD IN MARCH EACH YEAR Events like these above give the bereaved some hope of a life after the death of their child. They connect with others that have been through the same tragic experience. In doing so its helps them to feel that they are not alone in their grief, that there is a worldwide connection to other suffering the same. DONATIONS Donations allow us to purchase stamps so we can send our booklets and other information to the newly bereaved, community groups, doctors surgeries and hospital throughout Western Australia. They help us cover advertising cost in newspapers throughout Western Australia, pay for our office and utilities allowing us to have Peer Support Workers come in and contact to bereaved that wish to have contact. The Compassionate Friends of WA Inc. receives no Government funding in any way.
We raise funds by holding events, charity drives and donation from our members and outside bodies. Although this is fantastic, we still struggle with the cost of keeping our doors open so any suggestion on fundraising or donations are gratefully accepted. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We are always looking for volunteers to help man Sausage Sizzles, Charity Shopping Centre Drives and other events along with peer support volunteers (bereaved parents) for telephone support and group meeting facilitation.
54 Simpson Street, Ardross 6107 6257
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Concluded from page 42 ... The other significant difference between residential and commercial property is income yields. Globally, there is high investor demand for real estate assets that deliver more than 5 percent income yields. Commercial real estate in core office, industrial and retail markets is typically averaging 5-7 percent income yields over a cycle, which puts cashflow immediately into the hands of selfmanaged fund retirees. This compares to less than 3 percent income yields, typically generated on residential, where investors are forced to seek more capital growth. Income yield is a strong driver of investment from pension funds, which are looking at ways to d eliver higher, steady income to members. Commercial leases for five years or more are very appealing to investors, whereas residential tenancies are much shorter. Commercial property offers SMSF investors significantly more tax deferral of income than rented houses, due to the higher level of depreciable improvements and capital items eligible for long term tax allowances. Courtesy of Roxburgh Securities
Concluded from page 38 ... As for the series itself, the storyline revolves around the fictional kingdoms of Westeros and the families (or houses) that make up the lands and seas of the kingdoms. House Stark residing in Winterfell in the snowy North is contrasted by House Lannister in Kings Landing, a city of greed, lust and debauchery. There sits the titular Iron Throne. The characters work their way through bloodshed, treason, betrayal in a quest to control the seven kingdoms and sit on the Iron Throne. Now, into its final season (the eighth), the dead have returned and the Night King has risen an army of White Walkers and destroyed the wall. Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) are seeking alliances as they work to fight the biggest force of evil Westeros has ever seen. As proven during pivotal moments in previous seasons, no character is safe and Game of Thrones sat at second (just behind Spartacus) in a 2012 study into the most deaths per episode in a drama series. The show has brought us harrowing moments that can simply be referred to by names such as ‘The Red Wedding’, ‘The Hound and The Viper’ and (to date) the biggest battle in television history, ‘The Battle of the Bastards’ which saw Kit Harrington’s Jon Snow and Iwan Rheon’s Ramsay Bolton go toe to toe in one of the most epic sequences ever put to television. The cultural phenomenon behind Game of Thrones is just as incredible as the show itself with not only merchandise lines but themed events (the AFL recently held a Game of Thrones round to coincide with the latest season), a spike in the popularity of fantasy fiction, the rise and acceptance of big budget television as a marketable medium and has even seen references in the US Healthcare and Political systems. The name ‘Khaleesi’ even became a popular girls baby name (despite it being used in the series as a title rather than a name). Even recently, on a rainy and cold Perth day, my radio screen flashed ‘Winter Is Coming…don’t Game of Thrones and drive. The show’s influence in popular society cannot be underestimated. With the series coming to a close, many will be asking, what next? For Benioff and Weiss, they have been quoted as saying “when it comes to the series finale, we plan to be very drunk and far away from the internet”. The gateway is well and truly open for more big budget television events such as this and with TV accessibility easier than ever before, expect to see more big budget adaptations such as this in the near future. In the meantime…Winter Is Here! Enjoy the ride. Game of Thrones The Final Season airs weekly on Foxtel Showcase.
Concluded from page 39 ... If you find yourself sitting still for any lengthy period, do not, I repeat do not, open your mouth and turn your head slowly from side to side. If you don’t heed this advice you may find a ping pong ball being dropped into the crevice. The Accountant Worst of all though is the accountant. All too often we see one of the aforementioned facial furniture styles residing on a face that it shouldn’t. The kind of mummies-boy soft features never seen in a police line-up or villainous rap sheet. The owner is not fooling anyone, they just look like a try hard, and no one wants that. Should you still want to go ahead with this style, avoid carrying a briefcase. The Reveal There is of course one rule that applies across all bear styles. All beards have the ability to hide a lack of chin, neck or personality, which can be quite disconcerting when the owner decided to shave it off. Any thoughts of going sans beard must come with a warning. The last thing a woman wants is to find out that her uber cool badboy husband has suddenly morphed into an angelic prepubescent lad. This can be jarring to say the least, particularly if the new look could render the woman in danger of being locked up for the things she’s done with said lad. The Father My final rule for consideration is that any fathers-to-be take a moment to ponder the sanity of their offspring, particularly their sons. Imagine for a moment that you’re a baby boy entering the world. Having survived the most terrifying roller coaster ride ever designed, you arrive. The first thing you see is a pair of slightly terrified eyes positioned above a thick infestation of matted hair. After a moment the face, your fathers, beams with delight at the little mini-me he’s been granted to mould into a better version of himself. But instead of a welcoming smile all you see is a slight nervous twitch amongst the follicles. As you get lifted high to cries of “my boy”, only one thought occupies your brain “oh no … I’m a yeti.” 48
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