Swan Magazine November 2016

Unit 8 Vale Town Centre 31 Egerton Drive Aveley WA 6069 Phone: 9296 7688

Email: frank.alban@mp.wa.gov.au

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IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES

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Art & Leisure

Gardening MAC in November

Books and Writing

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Books 34 Editorial 2 Fiction A Weighty Problem 25 The Eyes Have It 36 The Idler 40 Visit the KSP Café 35 Winner - SWW Competition 35

Business

Business Card Board

Finance with Steve

44 33

Christmas in Elfenbrook Education Federal Notes Fracking Masquerade Notes From Parliament Recycle, Upcycle, Reuse Rod Henderson SAFE SVRN

10 32 5 39 12 5 6 7 39 6

Community

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SWAN MAGAZINE

PAGE Chittering Open Range Zoo 8 Test Your Fire Plan 8 Fire Safety 9 The Compassionate Friends 41 What’s On 11 Entertainment

Carols by Candlelight Film Reviews with James Get Festive with Swan Harmony Kookaburra’s Back Theatre Reviews with Gordon Touch and Go at Garrick

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Chef-Explorer Douglas’ Wineries & Dineries Food Trivia Slate Café

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Food & Wine

Style & Fashion

WEBSITE:

www.swanmagazine.com.au

Email: editor@swanmagazine.com.au Registered Address: 18 Tokay Lane, The Vines, Western Australia 6069 DECEMBER DEADLINES: Advertisements: 25th November Editorial: 1st December Copyright: Swan Magazine 2016

Beauty 13 Styled by Kirsty 16 Weddings 14

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Front Page Photograph: Memento Mori Photograph: 123Rtf See editorial on page 2..

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EDITORIAL ARMISTICE DAY

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NZAC Day is when we commemorate the service of those men and women who put duty and love of country over personal interest and fought for causes bigger than themselves. It is a day to be grateful and to show our appreciation for their service.

Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, is slightly different. It is the day we remember the dead who died for love. Love of country, love of freedom, love of their fellow man.

Remembrance Day commemorates the armistice which ended the fighting in the 1914-19 world war. It did not end the war, as is popularly supposed, but it ended the fighting, which was bitter even up to the last few seconds before the armistice came into effect at 11:00am on the eleventh of November - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

As 1918 recedes into the past we thought it might be worth while to speak a little about the armistice since so much flowed from it.

We live in troubled times when war and the threat of war is ever-present. Bad though any war might be, it can never be the kind of monstrous war the First World War was. Men fought and died for yards of land The front wavered back and forth, sometimes the Germans and British occupied the same trenches in turn and always, always the mud, the blood, the disease, the death and the constant howl of shells overhead and around.

After four years of trench warfare in a ‘war of attrition’ with leaders on both sides prepared to tolerate huge casualties for minimal advantage the war settled into a stalemate, with the allies, the Entente Cordiale, demanding nothing less than unconditional surrender.

On the 29th September 1918 the German Supreme Army Command informed Kaiser Wilhelm II that the military situation facing Germany was hopeless. General Erich Ludendorff claimed that he could not guarantee that the front would hold for another two hours and demanded a request be given to the Entente for an immediate ceasefire.

Nine months earlier the idealistic American President Woodrow Wilson had laid out in a speech what he felt were the ‘Fourteen Points’ required for world peace.

In the speech, Wilson directly addressed what he perceived as the causes for the world war by calling for the abolition of secret treaties, a reduction in armaments, an adjustment in colonial claims and freedom of the seas.

Wilson also made proposals that would ensure world peace in the future. For example, he proposed the removal of economic barriers between nations, the promise of selfdetermination for national minorities and a world 2

organization that would guarantee the “political independence and territorial integrity [of] great and small states alike”— a League of Nations.

The speech was generally well-accepted by the Allies, although less so at home in America: “If the League of Nations is built on a document as high-sounding and as meaningless as the speech in which Mr. Wilson laid down his fourteen points, it will simply add one more scrap to the diplomatic waste paper basket. Most of these fourteen points … would be interpreted … to mean anything or nothing.”

[Theodore Roosevelt] The speech was well-known in Germany where it had been widely disseminated by the Allies as propaganda for an end to the war, although both Georges Clemenceu and Lloyd George had reservations about some of the points.

The German High Command and the Kaiser were disposed to accept the points as the basis for surrender before they realised that a precondition was the abdication of the Kaiser.

Late in October of 1918 the German sailors at Wilhemshaven revolted and the revolt spread rapidly, leading to the Kaiser’s abdication on the 9th November, the proclamation of a republic and the installation of Freidrich Ebert as Chancellor, who immediately sued for peace.

Wilson pushed for the fourteen points to be the basis for the peace treaty, but Italy, France and Britain had concerns - some articles were too vague, popular opinion demanded that the Germans accept ‘War Guilt’ and pay heavy reparations, and some items were simply misunderstood. For example, Wilson’s call for ‘de-militarisation’ was taken to mean only Germany and their allies (the ‘Central Powers’) not all combatants as Wilson intended.

The German delegation travelled to France, arriving at Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch’s private railway train on the 8th November where they were presented with a list of demands and told to sign, which at 5:12am on the morning of the 11th November, they did.

The armistice was to take effect at 11:00am Paris time, which it duly did. The armistice was for just over a month, until the 13th December 1918 and there was considerable fear that fighting might re-commence then, but the armistice was extended three times more.

Firstly to the 16th January 1919, then February 16th, 1919 and lastly until the 10th January 1920 when peace was finally ratified with the Treaty of Versailles.

The terms demanded by Foch were seen by the Allies as being too much in France’s favour (he wanted France to annex the Rhineland) and were modified, much to Foch’s disgust. He said: This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years”.

His words proved prophetic: the Second World War started twenty years and sixty-four days later.

Whatever the technicalities of the peace

process may have been, the guns fell silent at 11:00 on the eleventh and that’s the moment we think of during the two minute silence at 11:00am.

During the first minute, convention has it, we think of the war dead and in the second those left behind, - wives, children and families deeply affected by the war.

The two minute silence was proposed by South African politician and author Sir Percy FitzPatrick (Jock of the Bushveld) and came into effect at the first formal Armistice Day events at Buckingham Palace on the 11th November 1919.

The wearing of the red poppy came about as a result of Canadian John McCrea’s poem and was first worn by the American Legion to commemorate the fallen American soldiers, but quickly spread throughout the Commonwealth and were worn formally at the 1921 Armistice Day. Poppies are sold each year all over the world by the million, the funds going to military charities for veterans and their dependants.

Armistice Day is in no way a glorification of war, it is a time for remembering and for being grateful to the dead and those touched by war: Military deaths and MIA: British Empire: 953,104 British Allies: 3,880,300 Central Powers: 3,208,785 Total casualties, civilian and military, in excess of 38,000,000.

Wear your poppy with pride and remember.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS JOHN MCCRAE

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

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NOTES FROM PARLIAMENT HON DONNA FARAGHER JP, MLC Member for East Metropolitan R egion Minister for Planning; Disability Services

INDEPENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXPAND AGAIN

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chool communities across Western Australia continue to embrace the Liberal-National Government’s Independent Public Schools (IPS) initiative with an additional seventy-nine schools commencing their transition in time for the start of the 2017 school year.

Along with six brand new schools opening for the first time in Western Australia next year, there will be 524 Independent Public Schools in 2017, with more than eighty-three percent of public school students.

The Independent Public School initiative commenced in 2009 and is now being adopted nationally.

Through the initiative, independent public school communities are determined through a detailed development and selection process.

Successful schools are empowered to shape the

priorities for their school as well as its direction for the benefit of their students.

Importantly, principals are given greater flexibility and authority at the local school-level to select staff, run budgets and decide how their schools operate.

Successful schools in the East Metropolitan Region to obtain independent status from next year include:

Mirrabooka Senior High School

Morley Primary School

Lesmurdie Primary School

High Wycombe Primary School

Parkerville Primary School

Serpentine Primary School

Upper Swan Primary School

Mount Lawley Primary School

Caversham Primary School

The Minister for Education, Hon Peter Collier MLC, has also announced that from next year Independent Public Schools will have more control over minor maintenance and repairs, making it quicker and easier to get work done.

This includes an increase in the limit for schools to repair breakdowns and faults and the removal of the requirement to get a quote and source a supplier for every job under $10,000.

Through this change, IPS principals will be able to work directly with contractors from a pre-qualified panel. Schools will receive funding for any works through their budgets, and savings principals make will be available to be directed to education programmes.

The IPS initiative has been incredibly successful across our State. If I can be of any assistance, please contact my office.

FEDERAL NOTES HON KEN WYATT AM, MP

Member for Hasluck, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care

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CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION

here is a large, unspoken silence in our Constitution. It has been there since 1901, and now, after 115 years of Federation it is deafening.

For the past 115 years Australia’s founding document, the Constitution, the birth certificate of our nation has been silent on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Excluded from voting and from helping to shape our constitution, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were for many years considered to be fauna of the land.

When the constitution was drafted, the exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was unremarkable for the time, as these peoples were not considered citizens and had minimal rights and protections.

However, in 2016, the continued constitutional exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is remarkable.

That, the single most important document in our nation’s history allows a state to ban a race from voting is remarkable.

That, in our Constitution there are more references to lighthouses than to the first peoples of this nation is remarkable.

That constitutional recognition has not occurred already is - unbelievable.

Last year, I tabled the final report of the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

As chair of the committee it was a long and emotive journey. We conducted fifteen public hearings, spoke with constitutional law experts and held many community forums.

The message to us was loud and clear – now is the time to recognise our first Australian’s in

the constitution.

We explored a number of proposals for recognition including a Declaration of Recognition and an Indigenous Advisory Body.

The committee made 10 recommendations including:

make them racist. Just because someone has a differing point of view does not mean they should be isolated from the discussion.

There is a place for all voices and all opinions – however, we must be respectful in the discussions that are to come.

This is a time to walk together, towards • A referendum on constitutional recognition a common goal of an inclusive, vibrant and be held when it has the highest chance of contemporary Australia. success The challenge that we face now is that • Remove section 25 – which says states can recognition must be real, it must be substantive ban people from voting based on race and a referendum must succeed.

• Remove section 51(xxvi) – which can be used to pass laws that discriminate against ADVERTISEMENT people based on race • Insert a new section 51A- to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to preserve the government’s ability pass laws to benefit these peoples • Insert a new section 116A – banning discrimination by government on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin This is not about singling out Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, or affording them extra rights above other Australians.

This is about correcting the silence that is so deafening in our Constitution.

Indigenous Australians have been here, in terms of human history, essentially forever. It is the oldest continuing culture in the world, we Federal Member for Hasluck should all be proud of that.

We must not be afraid to have open and 9359 0322 ken.wyatt.mp@aph.gov.au mature debate about constitutional recognition. kenwyatt.com.au kenwyattmp And, equally we should not rush to pass judgement.

Authorised by K.Wyatt MP, Shop 10-12 Forrestfield Marketplace, Just because someone does not support 80 Hale Road, Forrestfield WA 6058. constitutional recognition – that does not

KEN WYATT MP

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COMMUNITY RECYCLE, UPCYLE, REUSE CAARLI ALEN

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hire of Mundaring residents will now be able to recycle suitable household items following the installation of a reuse shop.

A purpose-built sea container was recently opened at Mathieson Road Waste Transfer Station in Chidlow. Called Grab n Go @ Mathieson, this is the first shop of its kind in the Shire.

Shire President David Lavell said the reuse shop would stop usable household items going over the edge.

“Grab n Go @ Mathiseon is a sea container with a hydraulic front which opens up to provide a space where items can be viewed,” he said.

“Residents can browse the items on show and take anything for free that they may have a use for.

“This is a fantastic initiative that encourages recycling and repurposing of items, which is great for the environment.”

Grab n Go @ Mathieson cost around $30,000 to build and install. It is open during normal Waste Transfer Station opening hours.

Only residents with a valid transfer station pass can gain entry to Grab n Go @ Mathieson.

Residents are encouraged to speak to employees about items which may be suitable.

Kitchenware, bicycles, furniture, tools, equipment, toys and games are among items which may be accepted. Computers, mattresses, carpet or tyres are not accepted.

For more information call 9290 6716 or visit www.mundaring.wa.gov.au

Co-ordinator Waste and Fleet John Gault with Shire President David Lavell at Grab n Go @ Mathieson, the new reuse shop.

REVITALISE MUNDARING

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JOHN

DAY

MLA

Liberal Member for Kalamunda

Your Strong, Local Voice in Parliament.

John.Day@mp.wa.gov.au JohnDayMLA

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Authorised By J.Day, 16 Mead Street, Kalamunda WA 6076.

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ALISON MARTYN

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raft plans to create an even more vibrant and diverse Mundaring town centre were adopted at a council meeting on Tuesday night.

The Mundaring Town Initiative Masterplan provides a long term blueprint for the town centre and is intended to enhance the experience for people living, shopping, working and visiting the area.

Highlights of the draft include: · A potential new road link from Mann Street through to Jacoby Street with traffic lights at Great Eastern Highway; · Increased residential densities in and adjoining the town centre area; · Dedicated pedestrian ‘at grade’ crossing at Nichol Street and Great Eastern Highway; · A focus on streetscape improvements towards Nichol and Jacoby Street and building upon the success of the Mundaring Community Sculpture Park upgrades.

A key component of the draft is to achieve greater connectivity, particularly across Great Eastern Highway.

To respond to changing demographics, the draft proposes a variety of different housing options, such as multiple residential and mixed use developments.

The plan acknowledges that retaining trees, underground powerlines and creating a street

tree canopy will be critical to preserve the hill’s character and country-feel.

Shire President David Lavell said the council had been keen to adopt the draft plan given the strong community aspirations for renewal of the town centre.

“Ultimately, the goal of the masterplan is to deliver a thriving village lifestyle with a strong town centre,” he said.

“This centre is the cultural and retail heart of the Shire and now’s the chance for interested residents to help shape its future.”

Cr Lavell said the masterplan would incorporate ways to attract more tourists to the area which will ultimately bring more economic activity and vitality to the centre.

“The masterplan will ensure our town centre will become an enviable place to live, shop, work and visit not just in the short-term but sustained into the future,” he said.

The comment period is open until Friday 23 December 2016. Submissions will be considered and will influence the final town centre masterplan. It will be presented to council in early 2017. Submissions can be emailed to shire@ mundaring.wa.gov.au You can find more detailed information on the Draft Mundaring Town Centre Masterplan via the Shire’s website www.mundaring.wa.gov.au.

COMMUNITY ROD HENDERSON MARION LOGIE

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ity of Swan Councillor Rod Henderson is standing for the State seat of West Swan in the March 2017 State election so I guess it would be a good idea to find out a bit more about him.

Tell us a bit about your early life I was born and raised in a small wheat-belt country town and from an early age I became interested in electronics building my first radio crystal set when I was eight, lying in bed at night listening to 6WA Wagin without any power. It was amazing and can still be done today as long as AM broadcasting continues.

I worked a full Christmas school holidays to earn £15.00, enough money to buy an electronics engineering kit. This taught me a lot about transistors from the twenty projects that could be built.

Collecting old radios, pulling them apart to see what made them tick and building electronic things with the parts was a great fascination.

Much later I was trained by the federal government in radio, television and microwave infrastructure and worked throughout the state.

My career in the Post Master General’s department ended when I was offered a job working for ABC television on Adelaide Terrace.

What other interests did you have?

Like most young men I loved cars and bought an XA 351 Falcon when I was twenty-one, the colour was wild violet and it was my pride and joy - besides the girls loved it!

My first house was a two bedroom ex State Housing Commission fibro which in those days was affordable, it concerns me that my children will find it difficult to get into their own home. I think this has to be addressed.

Girls, eh?

I met the love of my life, we married, and both worked hard to save enough money to buy a few acres to keep a horse.

When we moved to Beechboro it was all open paddocks and bush north of Benara Road. She could ride the horse in bushland and I was able to grow my vegie patch. Later we moved into West Swan in the Swan Valley.

Did you stay in telecommunication your whole career?

In the 80’s I decided to go into a video business. This was very successful because of the VHS video boom and my former government training in video.

In the 90’s I decided to change direction.

With so much industry knowledge I could see the need for specialised electronics used in the video production business sector.

I designed and manufactured video and audio amplifiers with better performance than imports at a lower cost.

Today we export specialised products into the international market and employ great people who are passionate about their work.

In the mid 90’s the then government proposed to excise parts of Whiteman Park for the Ellenbrook development. I became actively engaged against this and stood for a four year term on the then Shire of Swan (now the City of Swan).

In 2005 the Labor government wanted to urbanise nearly a third of Whiteman Park, our park. This had to be stopped and following a strong community outcry we saw it killed off in the upper house of parliament.

As a result I became actively involved in environmental issues as a Councillor and this flowed through to becoming a member of the Perth Natural Resource Management (NRM) Board

are sufficient residents to make these viable. I am very proud to have played a part in getting this project started.

You’ve obviously had a busy public life. Have you considered slowing down or retiring?

No, not really! With my company now being run by a CEO I decided to run for Swan council again and was successful.

I am concerned that the Swan Valley as a grape growing, wine making and tourism destination is struggling – it needs help and solid representation.

The equestrian community forms a significant financial base to the Valley and has its own special needs which I understand.

Environment is obviously close to your heart. What else motivates you?

Small Business advocacy has always been important. Mum and dad businesses struggle under the heavy hand of bureaucracy and need help.

For nine years I was president of the Malaga Business Association actively promoting business growth which in turn employs thousands. As part of this role I was appointed a member of the Ballajura Community College board.

Students need an avenue to undertake vocational education training (VET) and to integrate with the local business community, particularly in the Ballajura area.

Working for the community on the BCC board has been a great experience and at every graduation it is wonderful to see proud parents watching their kids going the next step in life.

In 2005 I decided that the Swan Valley needed a collective voice to represent key issues so I established the Swan Valley Progress Association so that issues impacting all aspects of the Valley were given a voice.

This included grape growers, wine makers, tourism operators, the equestrian community and key matters such as water, expansion, growth and the urban/rural mix to be addressed. The SVPA board has key board members across these diverse activities and brings them together as a united voice.

In 2010 a committee was formed to work on major infrastructure requirements for the North East corridor. As chairman I was pleased when the federal member for Pearce Christian Porter was able to announce that he has secured funding for the Perth to Darwin Highway works or what is now commonly known as Northlink.

These works will see overpasses on all roads from Kewdale to Ellenbrook and then onto Muchea. Six lanes up to Reid Highway and four lanes to Ellenbrook as a 100kph freeway, no stopping for traffic lights.

Provision has also been made for rail and bicycle lanes to be constructed when there

What’s your vision for the Swan valley?

I see a vibrant Swan Valley and surrounding areas. Residents have our iconic Whiteman Park to visit and tourism is growing. What is needed is a local voice that understands the issues and can represent them to get the right outcomes for both rural and urban communities.

If I am elected to the seat of West Swan people will have a local voice and someone that knows about the issues facing their families and the broader community.

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Rod HENDERSON Liberal for West Swan

Rod is a proud local who will be a strong voice for West Swan

Fighting for family and community 0428 944 781 Rod4WestSwan rod.henderson@wa.liberal.org.au rodhenderson.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Authorised A Cox, 2/12 Parliament Place, West Perth WA 6005.

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SWAN VALLEY AND REGIONAL NETWORK CHITTERING OPEN RANGE ZOO

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The Hon ALYSSA HAYDEN MLC

he beautiful Chittering Valley will become a home for African savannah animals and become Perth’s new bucket list for a must see place to visit.

For we locals, the natural beauty and tranquil setting has been enjoyed for many years and now with the announcement of the Liberal Government’s plans for an open range zoo, this spectacular site within the Avon Valley National Park will become a destination for local families to enjoy and a massive attraction for visitors to WA. The conservation and recreation reserve is vested in the Department of Parks and Wildlife and comprises 700 hectares of which 280 hectares is already cleared as result of its farming history.

The site, on the Avon River near Lower Chittering, is about an hour’s drive north-east of Perth and about thirty minutes from Joondalup. The site boasts spectacular scenery and will be perfect for viewing animals in an environment where they can roam freely.

The landscape and vistas are striking and I am told exceed those of other open range zoos in Australia and even globally. Australia has four open range zoos – Werribee Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Taronga Western Plains Zoo in NSW and Monarto Zoo in South

Australia. Our own Perth Zoo opened in 1898 and is one of the most visited zoos on a per capita basis.

The open range zoo will not only host African savannah animals, it will support Perth Zoo’s international wildlife conservation breeding programs allowing the State greater involvement in vital breeding programs.

In the longer term, it could become an important centre for threatened exotic species such as; white rhinoceros, giraffes, African painted dogs, hamadryas baboons, plains zebras, African tawny lions and Asian elephants. The establishment of the open range zoo is expected to take between five to ten years, with investigation into the soil, water and site examinations starting now.

Please note, the much loved Perth Zoo will not be closed, this is an addition and will complement our existing zoo.

TEST YOUR FIRE PLAN

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he Shire of Mundaring is urging all residents to prepare their emergency plans and put them to the test when the annual Test Your Bush Fire Survival Plan Day event returns on Tuesday 29 November. Shire President David Lavell says the event is run online and helped people prepare themselves for bush fire season.

“Test Your Bush Fire Survival Day is a thirty minute event run through Facebook,” he said. “Every five minutes during the event participants are presented with a different scenario, which is designed to get you and your family thinking about how you would respond to the situation in real life.

“This is a fantastic time to test in real life if your plan considers everything needed to keep you and your family safe.”

Cr Lavell said people were encouraged to have a draft plan prepared before the event, which runs from 7pm. “It’s important everyone in your household knows what to do in case of an emergency. It’s also important that your property is prepared,” he said “We’ve previously run this event on a weekend when families are more likely to be at home together however fires don’t always just occur on weekends - people need to be prepared for any situation.”

People are encouraged to sign up for the event page on the Shire’s Facebook page and sit down with your family on the night to participate. Alternatively, the questions will be available to download as a PDF after the event so you can think about the scenarios in your own time.

A number of information sheets are available on the Shire website at www. mundaring.wa.gov.au, or you can call our officers for a free property inspection and tips on reducing fuel loads and maintaining protection zones.

Shire President David Lavell is encouraging residents to take part in Test Your Bush Fire Survival Plan Day on Tuesday 29 November 8

SWAN VALLEY AND REGIONAL NETWORK FIRE SAFETY

RURAL VERGE MANAGEMENT - CITY OF SWAN

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he City of Swan is committed to keeping residents, facilities and the environment safe from the threat of bushfire.

Within the City there are thousands of kilometres of rural verges, a significant verge maintenance program operates to manage unwanted vegetation on these verges.

Grassed verges that are accessible are mowed on an annual program, additionally the City conducts a significant road tree pruning and verge clearing program to improve the safety for all road users and reduce identified fire hazards.

The prioritisation of hazard reduction work takes into consideration wellbeing and safety for all road users, the actual fire risk from a verge, not just the visual amenity and considers the valuable environmental habitats which exist, some rural verges contain populations of rare flora and fauna which the City is required to protect. · The threat from fire to private property can be greatly minimised by maintaining a low fuel area between the verge and property. · Landowners are encouraged to consider the verge adjoining their property as a part of their land’s overall fuel management plan. · Removal of non-native vegetation and non-permanent works such as slashing, reducing leaf litter and removing fallen branches are acceptable methods to address the fuel load. ** Burning of verges, clearing or thinning existing native vegetation is not allowed without appropriate approvals from the Department of Environment and Regulation and the City of Swan.

If you wish to discuss the management of a rural verge please call the City of Swan on 9267 9267.

FIRE SAFETY

Verge Maintenance in Rural areas The City of Swan is committed to keeping residents, facilities and the environment safe from the threat of bushfire. Within the City there are thousands of kilometres of rural verges, a significant verge maintenance program operates to manage unwanted vegetation on these verges.

Grassed verges that are accessible are mowed on an annual program, additionally the City conducts a significant road tree pruning and verge clearing program to improve the safety for all road users and reduce identified fire hazards.

www.swan.wa.gov.au

The threat from fire to private property can be greatly minimised by maintaining a low fuel area between the verge and property. Landowners are encouraged to consider the verge adjoining their property as a part of their land’s overall fuel management plan.

Removal of non-native vegetation and non-permanent works such as slashing, reducing leaf litter and removing fallen branches are acceptable methods to address the fuel load.

Burning of verges, clearing or thinning existing native vegetation is not allowed without appropriate approvals from the Department of Environment and Regulation and the City of Swan.

CoS_03243

The prioritisation of hazard reduction work takes into consideration wellbeing and safety for all road users, the actual fire risk from a verge, not just the visual amenity and considers the valuable environmental habitats which exist, some rural verges contain populations of rare flora and fauna which the City is required to protect.

If you wish to discuss the management of a rural verge please call the City of Swan on 9267 9267.

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COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS IN ELFENBROOK Get behind the community in the Christmas celebrations

Christmas can be an expensive season for people across our communities... events that focus on providing a very low cost and enjoyable day out for families at this time of year can only add to building positive social investment!

The Ellenbrook Christmas Festival coyly called 'Christmas in Elfenbrook' includes market stalls, community group stalls (that will inform, promote and educate) rides, entertainment, the majority being local community groups and local artists such as The Fisher Boys who did so well in X-Factor last year, as well as displays, cooking demonstrations, cultural presentations and more.

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very year since 2013 the community of Ellenbrook and surrounds has got together to celebrate Christmas with a series of events, beginning with an open day and pageant.

This year is significant in that the event is entirely run by local community volunteers from the newly established 'Ellenbrook Community Collective', who operate under the motto 'For the Community, by the Community'.

This means that the monies raised within the event can be invested in this event and other events for the local community in coming months. It also enables the event to utilise local stallholders, local artists and assist in activating local business and eateries within the event precinct on the day.

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These will be on-going from noon although the Christmas Pageant proper will begin at 4:00pm and will include approximately forty different participant groups walking the procession route through town. Entry is free.

WHAT’S ON IF YOU WOULD LIKE AN EVENT LISTED IN THIS COLUMN RING OUR OFFICE ON 6296 5161 Entries for non-profit entities are free, commercial entries are welcome at $10 per fifty words.

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.

MORRIS DANCING 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: AUSTRALIAN BREASTFEEDING ASSOC. Christine Hogan: 9279 8778 Discussion groups, guest speakers, morning Email: madtattersmorris@iinet.Net.Au tea. Free breastfeeding counselling. Expectant Website: madtattersmorris.Myclub.Org.Au mothers, mothers, babies and children welcome.

National Breastfeeding Helpline 1800 686 2686 MUSTARD SEED - DISCOVERING COMPUTERS is a 24 hour 7 days a week service.

Mustard Seed is a fifteen year old non-profit organisation and teaches all aspects of everyday Swan/Mundaring Group meets every Monday, 9:30- computing. Ability levels from beginners 11:30am at the Gumnuts Family Centre, 8 Mudalla onwards. Want help with Windows 10? In need Way, Koongamia. A qualified ABA counsellor of instruction with your Mac computer? Have an is present at each meeting to give confidential iPad or Android tablet and don’t know what it will information and support on breastfeeding issues. do? We can help. Cost is $3 per session. Classes Contact Natalie 9572 4971. are heldat 56 McGlew Road, Glen Forrest. To gain a place enrol now.

Kalamunda Group meets fortnighly on a Thursday, Phone 9299 7236 or 0478 604 163 or 9:30-11:30am at the Maida Vale Baptist Church, E: mustardcomputers@gmail.com Edney Road, High Wycombe.

W: noodlebytes.com Contact Jenny 9252 1996.

SWAN WOODTURNERS GROUP Northam Group meets each second Tuesday of The group meets in the rear hall of The Senior the month at the Bridgeley Community Centre, Citizens’ Centre, The Avenue, Midland, at 1-00pm.

Wellington Street, Northam 10am to Noon. on 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Tuesday, and at 7-00pm.

Fourth Tuesday each month at Toodyay Playgroup, on 2nd Tuesday of each month. A demonstration Stirling Terrace, Toodyay. Noon to 2pm. Please and cuppa are the norm. Men and Women are phone Louisa 9574 0229. welcome. Enquiries to Ted 9295 4438.

TUESDAY BADMINTON CLUB Tuesdays Join us for Social Badminton from 9am - 11am at Brown Park Recreation Centre. Beginners Welcome. Contact Miriam 9274 5058.

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.

SWAN VALLEY SQUARES – ELLENBROOK Every Friday Night Modern Australian Square Dancing from 8.00 pm – 10.00 pm Woodlake Community Hall, 1 Highpoint Blvd, Ellenbrook. Friendly, fun and low cost. No previous experience necessary. All Welcome. Contact Greg Fawell 0417 912 241 or www.swanvalleysquares.weebly.com ELLENBROOK COMMUNITY WEIGHT LOSS CLUB Every Wednesday evening We meet from 6.45pm to 8.00pm at the Woodlake Community Hall, Meeting room 1.

Highpoint Blvd, Ellenbrook. Friendly support group and low cost. Male and females of all ages welcome. Contact Shirley 9276 7938 shirleysardelich@aapt.net.au.

ELLENBROOK AND DISTRICT MENS SHED INC. 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.

SWAN VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTRE MUSIC CLASSES Tuesday mornings Learn to play tunes on piano or keyboard immediately – the SIMPLY MUSIC method. Play songs, chords, blues and classical in small groups at a reasonable price.

Call Heather 9296 4181 for more details.

GET FESTIVE WITH SWAN HARMONY Sunday December 11 Swan Harmony Singers perform songs ranging from jazz evergreens to pop and folk classics at a fesive season concert beginning at 2:00pm followed by afternoon tea at the Salvation Army Church, 371 Morrison Road (opp.

Swan View Primary School), Swan View.

Tickets (incl. afternoon tea): Adults $20, Concessions $15, groups 10 or more $150. Children under 10 free. Enquiries: Anna Wright 9299 7249; TALKING HORSES advance bookings: Mundaring Community Bank Wednesday evenings 6:00pm The WA Horse Council equestrian radio 9295 6411. program is now in its seventh year. The programme is broadcast on the Community Radio HILLS CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT GROUP Station 91.3 SportFM. To ensure that your club, 1st Wednesday of each month event, breed or business gets coverage, call Hilltop Grove Estate, 1645 Jacoby Street, Mahogany Creek. Morning tea provided, between Diane Bennit 0409 083 617.

10.30 - 12.00 noon.

Enquiries Terina 9572 1655.

SWAN VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTRE Monday Mornings The Art Group meets at Baskerville Hall from 9am MIDLAND MEN’S SHED Every Tuesday morning – 12pm for just $5.00 per session.

The group leader is Gilly, she can help and We meet socially every Tuesday morning from advise with most media. Feel free to come and 9.30am to 11.30am in the Bellevue Baptist Church have a look and meet our local artists – they are a Hall and each month we have a guest speaker on a wide range of topics. very friendly lot, new members welcome!

We also go on excursions to various places For more information call 9296 1976 or E: enquiries@swanvalleycommunitycentre.com of interest (e.g. HMAS Stirling, Aviation Museum, ALCOA, etc.). There is the chance to also do some W: www.swanvalleycommunitycentre.com. woodworking or metal work at external sites.

Our music and art groups are functioning SWAN HARMONY SINGERS extremely well and welcome new members. For Wednesdays Come and sing with us! Swan Harmony Singers more information please contact Kevin Buckland is a community choir that meets, 7-9pm, to on 0417 961 971 or by email: sing music ranging from jazz to pop, plus the kebinsv@tpg.com.au 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.

11

COMMUNITY MASQUERADE

DOUGLAS SUTHERLAND-BRUCE

A

ll actors know the pleasure of putting on a costume, some make-up and two other places in Perth that carry theatrical being someone else for a few hours - and even getting applauded for it. slap neither in the northern suburbs.

But it’s a pleasure that most people enjoy. “Oh dear, another party The range is called Mehron and Jan will invitation and it’s fancy dress this time” we say in a world-weary tone, at the carry a basic range plus access to the entire same time ”, we say in a world-weary tone, while rapidly thinking range, which is huge - have a look here: ‘what can I wear?’ www.mehron.com.

We’ve all been invited at one time or another to a So if you need a costume for any ‘Tarts and Vicars’ party, or a ‘Come as the letter reason, slip into Masquerade ‘J’ party’, or ‘Your best character from fiction’ and have a chat to Jan. If party. she hasn’t got it in the But even the best wardrobes have only a shop, she’ll check the offfinite amount of space in them, so that means site stock, order it in or off to the Hire Shop for a bit of a browse. have it made in your size Which brings me to Jan Oliver and her newly-opened for you. costume hire shop in Ellenbrook. Jan came to costume in a fairly round- The perfect accomplice in about sort of way. her daughter, Bryony, is a talented actress, performing your endeavour to slip into another in the local community theatre group and consequently coming home with persona and hide for a few hours. the request ‘Mum, I need a costume as the cat in Puss in Boots’.

Masquerade’s rates are And so on ... Jan found she liked it and got involved and when Memory reasonable (but variable depending on Lane closed down she bought a goodly amount of their stock, added it to the costume, of course) and include dry what she’d accumulated and opened Masquerade, a costume hire shop cleaning, which she’ll arrange on return catering for a wide range of interests and tastes. so you know everything you get is fresh She has an excellent range of military uniforms, for example, that would and clean. Have fun. be of interest for theatre groups, an excellent range of period costumes running from what Michael Green called ‘Coarse Elizabethan Peasant’ to some rather elegant Victorian and fringed flappers from the 20s.

As for simply fun parties Jan has a very wide range of Character costumes, movie costumes, mascots for events, pirates, zombies, trolls, fairies, French aristocrats and popular culture icons.

Swan Magazine’s Style Editor, Kirsty Noakes, has been heard to mutter ‘Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise!’ and she is, of course, quite right.

Masquerade has all the extra bits you need wigs, a fantastic array of hats, kepis, helmets, caps, sombreros, pith helmets, bonnets, berets, crowns, fillets, fascinators, tiaras, turbans, hoods, snoods and veils await your avid gaze.

She also has a range of impressive jewellery for hire and some spectacular actual masks from Commedia dell’arte to the one worn by Jim Carrey in The Mask that are mostly for sale.

Masquerade can order in crepé hair for you and will very shortly have a range of stage makeup, which is very good news since there are only Bryony and Jan Oliver at Masquerade

12

BEAUTY LIPSENSE MEGAN ZIERSCH

I

f you’re anything like me, you probably LOVE your bold red (or pink, or purple) lipsticks (I think I was a 1940s diva in a previous life!) ... and especially when you’re at a big event, or a work function, or (heaven forbid) on a date, you’re constantly worried about your lippie smudging, or getting on your teeth!

That constant desire to subtly check your reflection in your soup spoon looms over you like a cloud. Every time you pass the glass cabinet of cakes, you have to fight the urge to lean in close to check your makeup...

But that’s no way to live your life!

Ta Da! enter LipSense; the original, long-lasting, waterproof, smudgeproof, lead-free lip colour that actually delivers on its promise, lasting at least 4-18 hours! You won’t be diving for that soup spoon ever again!

WHAT IS LIPSENSE? LipSense is a product from SeneGence. Available exclusively through individual distributors, it’s a patented formula originally launched in 1999, with a starting range of only six colours!

Over the years, the company has expanded the range to include over 75 colours (plus limited edition releases, including the current Christmas Collection), and a huge array of long-lasting makeup, skincare and anti-aging products.

It’s unlike any other product, because it’s not a stain, and is: · Gluten-free · Wheat-free · Vegan-friendly · Kosher · Waterproof · Has no nasties · NOT tested on animals.

IS IT DRYING? The skin on the lips is especially delicate, and needs to be treated with care. LipSense colours are specially formulated to be non-drying, containing an abundance of moisture-rich and natural ingredients, such as Isodonis japonicus leaf/stalk extract, St. John’s Wort, and Tilia cordata.

The LipSense Glosses also contain high amounts of Shea Butter and Vitamin E, for extra nourishment. Most people find that after even a week of using LipSense, their lips are softer, healthier and even plumper.

HOW DOES IT WORK? The LipSense patended formula is designed to be applied in three thin layers; 1. The first layer acts as a barrier against the pH in your skin (which works to break down foreign substances, such as cosmetics).

2. The second layer is the bulk of your lip colour.

3. The final layer provides the elemental-protection,

weathering the sun, wind, water, saliva, food, and everyday wear.

Finally, you apply a LipSense gloss for extra colour protection, and moisture. All of these are specially designed to permeate through the colour, without breaking down the product or affecting the staying-power.

Your lips will love the moisture-rich, nonsticky gloss, in a range of over ten different choices, from Matte to Glossy, from Rose to Silver Glitter!

When the colour and gloss work as a team, your lips are protected from sun damage WHAT’S THE COST? If you love the sound of LipSense, there are three options available for you: 1. Purchase products from a local distributor!

If you haven’t used LipSense before, SeneGence recommends a Starter Collection, which includes any colour of your choice, plus a Glossy Gloss and Ooops!

Remover (for those ‘oops’ moments!). The entire Collection is $74.

If you already have a Collection, individual colours are only $34. When used every day, one LipSense colour tube can easily outlast four sticks of normal lipsticks.

2. Sign up for a wholesale membership.

Membership is $65 (including postage), you instantly get 20-50% discount off all products.

Whether as a personal investment, or a business opportunity for extra cash before Christmas, a SeneGence membership is one of the best options for lipstick-addicts!

3. Book a Lip Sesh with a local distributor! Get some girlfriends together to have a play with all the colours. That always makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon! (Ask your distributor about hostess rewards!)

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE SeneGence is so confident in this product that they offer a 100% Money-Back Guarantee if you’re not completely in love with your LipSense... so you’re assured of finding a product you will love, or get your money back. How great is that?

Support a local small business and contact a distributor today to chat about your options!

13

WEDDINGS WEDDING TIMETABLE MEGAN ZIERCH

A

modern wedding is a complcated operation, involving a number of elements that all have to come together at exactly the same time seamlessly.

It has the logistics of a small military operation and requires, above everything else, organisation - and a careful order of events.

You may find this rough order of events useful, depending on the size of your wedding.

Remember, the better your planning, the less stressful the Big Day.

As Soon As Possible • Announce Your Engagement!

• Go shopping for the ring and look into

having an Engagement Party.

• •

•

• • •

•

•

•

14

•

• •

• • •

•

for ceremony & reception.

Start looking at Photographers and Videographers – Shortlist your favourites and arrange meetings.

Decide on Sit-Down vs Buffet Dinner.

If you want to lose weight for the Big Day, now is the time to start planning and integrating the weightloss plan into daily life.

Start looking at wedding dress styles.

Discuss themes and colour schemes.

Start compiling information in a Wedding File – swatches, ideas, and samples.

Choose who will be in your Bridal Party.

• Start thinking about honeymoon destinations.

• Book holiday time off work.

10-12 MONTHS • Finalise your vendors • Pay all deposits:

Photographer

Videography

Ceremony Venue

Reception Venue

Cake

Florist

Celebrant

Caterers

Decorators.

• Discuss having Pre-Marital Counselling.

• Finalise the guest list.

• Send out Save-The Date Cards.

Set a provisional date for your wedding.

Discuss and decide on the type of ceremony you want (civil or religious).

Check the legal requirements for your type of wedding ceremony - your celebrant will be able to help).

Residency requirements.

Religious requirements.

Establish who will be paying for what sections of the wedding and agree on a budget for each area.

Compile a provisional guest list (which will help you budget for the venue, food and beverages).

Decide: Plan yourself, or use Wedding 6-9 MONTHS Planner?

• Start trying on Wedding Dresses Begin looking into venues and shortlist (Email me for Tips on selecting your

• •

•

• •

•

perfect Wedding Dress!)

Look into pricing for The Honeymoon.

Book accommodation for the Wedding Night.

Start looking at Floral designs (that fit into the budget) – discuss with your florist.

Book your DJ / Band.

Finalise décor ideas (decorations, colour scheme, chair coverings etc).

Order Wedding Dress, Veil, Shoes and Accessories.

• •

•

Purchase Bridal Lingerie.

Take the girls shopping for Bridesmaids dresses (or look online).

Meet with your officiant and discuss ceremony ideas.

12 WEEKS •

• •

•

• •

Finalise guest list and send out invitations.

Order bonbonniere.

Purchase all other wedding accessories (cake toppers, candles, baskets, ring pillow etc).

Look into dance classes for your First Dance.

Finalise the menu.

Look for gifts for bridesmaids, groomsmen, and parents.

WEDDINGS •

•

•

•

•

Book and finalise all honeymoon arrangements (and make sure your passports are up to date) Select music for the ceremony and reception.

Check that there are enough options left on your bridal registry.

Finalise wedding transport.

4-5 MONTHS • Start thinking about what you want to

incorporate into your ceremony

(cultural, religious and family

traditions etc).

• Decide on invitation style.

• Discuss and finalise cake designs.

• Have a tasting, and choose wedding

cake flavour(s).

• Discuss menu with catering manager.

• Shop for wedding rings.

• Book suit hire for Groom and Groomsmen.

• Purchase Bridesmaid dresses and accessories.

• Start your gift registry (or book

wishing well).

• Get ideas for bonbonniere.

• Have hair and makeup Trials • Notify any family or friends who you

want to give readings, sing, or serve as

ushers or attendants.

• Book dates for hens and bucks parties

and the bridal shower.

• Send out invitations for bridal shower,

hen’s and buck’s parties.

• Decide on the style of flowers

(including all bouquets, buttonholes,

corsages, and decorative flowers).

• •

• •

•

•

Collect wedding rings and have the engagement ring polished.

1-2 WEEKS • Have final wedding gown fitting.

• Finalise schedule for the Wedding Day,

and share this with everyone involved.

• Collect wedding dress nd accessories.

• Pick up Groom’s Suit and Groomsmens’

attire. Make sure it all fits, and gather

accessories together.

• Finalise your vows.

• Have your hair coloured and trimmed.

• Confirm final guest numbers.

• Pack for wedding night and honeymoon.

• Finalise seating arrangement.

• Compile emergency contacts and

forward to all your suppliers.

• Give supplier contact details to your

parents and Maid of Honour.

• Treat yourself to a relaxing spa session

- Have a massage and facial.

• Take care of waxing, manicures,

pedicures, exfoliating, and tanning • Take some time out with your fiancé.

Correct bra Jewellery Mum / Friend Order liquor / beverages.

Meet with celebrant to finalise ceremony.

Start writing your vows (if necessary).

Prepare a photography ‘Family Formals’ shot list and send to your photographer.

Look into whitening your teeth for the Big Day. Finalise outstanding balance with suppliers.

3-4 WEEKS • Finalise jewellery and accessories.

• Look into having something Old, New,

Borrowed, and Blue!

• Finalise your music.

• Design and order wedding programme.

• Confirm honeymoon and travel arrangements.

• Practice your First Dance wearing your

wedding shoes.

• Call guests who haven’t sent RSVP.

THE DAY BEFORE • Drink plenty of water.

• Don’t use any new product on your

body or face, in case of a break-out.

• Get all your accessories and goodies

ready for the Big Day. • Make sure you get an early night.

• Relax…..

THE BIG DAY • Get up in plenty of time.

• Have a good breakfast.

• Have a relaxing bath, and a massage if

you have time.

• Get ready early, so you’re not rushing.

• Have a wonderful day!

Courtesy of Verge Studios (Photographs from the Sutherland-Bruce/Ford wedding)

8 WEEKS • Have your bridal gown fitting.

Don’t forget to bring:

Stockings Shoes All photographs courtesy of Verge Studio.

15

Bohemian C O L L E C T I V E

16

With summer almost upon us, and the beach beckoning in the breeze, it’s time to honour our inner gypsy.

‘Boho’ is no longer a style for our hippie girlfriends who love walking barefoot and wearing crystals. It’s a fashion statement that says you’re feminine and spirited.

With a versatility that can take you from days on the beach to the perfect travel wardrobe, and can even be styled up for spring racing carnival, this look should be on every girl’s shopping list.

I sat down with Natasha Hinett, founder and designer of Perth label ‘House of Skye’ to find out all of her boho style secrets…

Kirsty: What inspires each new collection?

Tash: … inspiration comes from so many places, travelling, reading or watching old movies. It also comes from lots and lots of vintage shopping.

Each new collection starts with an idea or a vision. Mine often come through dreams. I usually write them down in my visual book as soon as I wake up. I then start creating storyboards and visuals that eventually become new collection prints and colours.

K: What is the ‘must have’ piece for this summer?

T: The Aloha Wrap dress or the Aloha Wrap skirt. The classic wrap has been a staple piece in every women's wardrobe as it is an easy to wear style for all shapes and sizes.

It can be dressed up for that special occasion or worn casually when just hanging out with your girlfriends for lunch.

I wear mine with my ‘Gypsy at Heart’ t‐shirt. It’s a staple in my wardrobe every summer!

K: What’s your best tip for styling a beautiful, summery, boho look?

T: The best tip is to always feel comfortable in what you are wearing. Have fun with your boho look. Layers are so much fun and you can achieve a layered look with accessories like jewelry and hats. Prints and colours are also an expression of who you are and how you feel. I think you can tell a different story every day by the way you style yourself, but most importantly don't take fashion too seriously and have fun.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Aloha Wrap Dress. 2. Holiday Dress.

3.Paradise Top, Aloha Wrap Skirt. 4.

Aloha Wrap Dress.

Shop these looks and more online at www.houseofskye.com.au or in store at Method Clothing. Full stockists list on website.

K: Are accessories important to complete the look?

T: I love accessories and I believe that they can transform a look by just adding a bold statement necklace, ring or earrings.

I say you can never have enough layers.

What I absolutely love about our Inner Gypsy Accessories Collection is that we have so many amazing styles. There is something for everyone, and it compliments every girl’s unique bohemian look.

Wrap skirts and wrap dresses really are some of the most versatile pieces that are wearable by just about every woman’s body.

For a more subtle look, mix these pieces with simple basics and separates that either give your outfit an edge or flare.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with pattern clashes. Keeping your patterns the same size is the key to stylish mixing.

Most of all follow Tash’s advice and have fun!

STYLED BY KIRSTY

www.shopandstylespecialists.com

17

ARTS MAC IN NOVEMBER

T

here has been a huge swell of excitement building over the last couple of months for the upcoming Christmas exhibition Tied Up With String.

There are only a few of the fifty ‘blind’ boxes remaining, so if you would like to be the proud owner of one of these coveted artworks, created by one of an exceptional list of West Australian artists, don't miss out and purchase your box here: http://tinyurl.com/o9puqqf.

Our Gifted artists in focus are adding to the excitement with some great opportunities to get creative in workshops this month. Why not come and create your own unique gift for someone special in your life?

Keep your eyes peeled for the new Mundaring Environmental Art Project Banners that will be launched on the 10th November.

Artist Louise Cook has been busy assisting the talented primary school students to finish painting their unique designs so be sure to look up next time you're at the Mundaring Memorial Rose Garden - just before you pop across the road to visit the Arts Centre - look forward to seeing you at MAC then!

ANNA HADWIN’s delightfully quirky crocheted critters pay MAC a visit. She will be in residence on Wednesday 16th and Sunday 20 November from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

ANNEMIEKE MULDERS presents her whimsical ceramic teapots and beakers. She will be in residence on Thursday 17th and Thursday 24th November from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

AMANDA ALDERSON shares her ‘Curious and Rare Article’ boxes. She will be in residence on Friday 18th and Friday 25th November from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

HOLLY and JILL O'MEEHAN aka 'Golden Wattle Hookers' crochet the gallery into a gloriously colourful installation. They will be in residence on Tuesday 13th and Friday 16th December from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

EXHIBITIONS

DENISE and PATRICK BROWN - the VIBE Ceramic Studio creators share their latest hues in tableware plus mixed media works. They will be in residence on Tuesday the 6th; Thursday 8th; Tuesday 13th and Thursday the 15th December from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

GALLERY 1 TIED UP WITH STRING On from 11th November to 21st December MAC celebrates the festive season with a cornucopia of contemporary craft secreted in fifty identical wooden boxes.

This covert exhibition happens before the official opening in a twist of fate where buyers can purchase a secret artwork, sight unseen, and will only know who's artwork they have at the 'Opening of the Boxes' on the 11th November.

There are only fifty clandestine works of art, contributed by an impressive list of WA artists, to be ‘raffled’ off to the first fifty buyers - for just $200 be swept away on a blind date with art - click the link below to let fate, luck or the alignment of the stars set your destiny.

Denise Brown, Legion (detail), (ceramic and mixed media)

Shibori textiles

from 10:00am to 12.30pm. Venue to be confirmed.

Cost $40 ($36 MAC Members) Free for people on Disability & Support.

The workshop is suitable for ages sixteen years and upwards.

FELT BEAD NECKLACES FOR GROUPS with Amanda Alderson MAC welcomes groups from disability service organisations and individuals to book a two hour hands-on workshop led by a local artist. Try your hand at the techniques the exhibiting artists are exploring.

Artist, designer and lecturer Amanda Alderson is offering a workshop for individuals with disability and groups from disability service organisations during her upcoming artist in residency.

Join Amanda as she discusses the diverse way she creates three dimensional forms, whilst showcasing some of her pieces. Amanda will guide participants through the process of creating their own hand-made felt 'beads' and then string them onto a cord to create an eye-catching necklace to wear during the festive season or give as a gift.

Materials supplied.

The workshop runs on Friday the 18th November from 10:00am to 12:00 noon in MAC Gallery 2. The workshop is free for people on Disability & Support and is suitable for all ages.

WORKSHOPS & EVENTS SHIBORI TEXTILES WORKSHOPS with Sarah Zel Chescoe As part of our FUSION workshop series, designer, artist and visual arts educator, Sarah Zel Chescoe is holding dynamic and creative hands-on ‘whole of community’ workshops to explore the magical, traditional Japanese clothmanipulation technique of Shibori.

Participants will learn a range of methods GALLERY 2 to create unique patterns and designs on cloth GIFTED by binding, wrapping, smocking, stitching and On from 11th November to 21st December folding natural fibres. At the end of the series West Australian artists create installations they will have created handmade Shibori cloth to to display their 'gift' through residency and invite take home and have contributed to a collaborative people to take part in workshops to create gifts Community artwork. Materials supplied. for Christmas.

The workshop runs on Tuesdays 15th, 22nd, 29th November and 6th December (four weeks) 18

Felt Bead Necklaces for groups with Amanda Alderson

TIME FOR TEA - BELOVED BOWLS with Bernard Kerr Learn basic clay construction techniques to create your own Japanese inspired pinch pot tea bowl or chawan. Decorate your beautiful form based on Hills wildflowers using slip, sgraffito and stencils.

“If someone has no tea in them, they are incapable of understanding truth and beauty” (Japanese proverb) Your beautiful tea bowl will be fired and returned to the Mundaring Arts Centre for collection. Perfect as a gift for yourself or someone special. Materials supplied.

The workshop runs on Sunday the 27th November from 12:30pm to 3:00pm.

The workshop costs $33 ($30 MAC Members) and is suitable for all ages.

CROCHET A BOWL FOR CHRISTMAS with Holly and Jill O’Meehan GIFTED artists Holly and Jill O’Meehan will be working in residence at the Mundaring Arts Centre from the 13th to 16th December showcasing their crochet skills and sharing their stories.

Children aged nine to fifteen years are invited to join them for a school holiday workshop to create a tactile crocheted and woven bowl.

Holly and Jill will show participants how to experiment with the materials and methods to create their own unique vessel out of t-shirt yarn and a variety of recycled fabrics. Materials supplied.

The workshop runs on Friday 16th December from 12.30pm to 3:00pm at MAC Gallery 2.

Cost $33 ($30 MAC members)

RECREATIONAL VISIT FOR GROUPS with AnnemIeke Mulders MAC welcomes groups from disability service organisations and individuals to book a two hour hands-on workshop led by a local artist.

Try your hand at the techniques the exhibiting artists are exploring.

Renowned ceramist Annemeike Mulders is offering a workshop during her artist in residency for individuals with disability and groups from disability service organisations.

She will talk about her arts practice and demonstrate how to make a pinch pot bowl or cup with personality. Participants will create their own pinch pot, adding handles, legs or ears, as well as coloured slips to complete their creation.

After the workshop Annemieke will bisque fire and glaze the wonderful creations so they are fully functional and ready to take home.

Materials supplied The workshop runs on Thursday the 17th November from 10:00am to 12:00 noon at MAC Gallery 2.

Suitable for all ages. Free for people on Disability & Support.

SITUATION VACANT Are you interested in joining the dynamic team here at MAC? We are currently accepting applications for an administrative officer.

The Administrative Officer plays an essential role in the Mundaring Arts Centre’s interaction

with the public. The Administrative Officer is in charge of overseeing the annual exhibition program, promotion and volunteer support.

Applications close 4:00pm, Wednesday 16th November 2016.

SHOP NEWS Treat yourself or someone special this Christmas with a truely unique gift from our Shop created by exceptional Western Australian artists and craftspeople. Arriving between now and Christmas are fantastic new objects from textiles, photography, jewellery, glass, ceramics, paintings and art books.

Ian Williams Dead Meat (detail) $580, Andrea Osses earrings $120 and ring $110, Ian Williams Slap Fight (detail) $280, Bernard Kerr oval Rhythm Landscape Jazz stoneware vessel $320.

MAC MEMBERSHIP MAC Memberships are now due for renewal.

As a not-for-profit organisation, MAC relies on Memberships to help us continue to bring arts workshops, exhibitions and projects to the community.

For as little as $48 per annum, members not only help local artists but they get 10% off Shop purchases and Workshops at MAC, 15% off at Jacksons Drawing Supplies, invitations to all exhibitions and workshops.

MUNDARING ARTS CENTRE Come in to discover the latest exhibitions and a wide range of locally made, hand crafted pieces, many of which are exclusive to the Mundaring Arts Centre Viewing Hours

10am - 5pm Tues – Fri 11am - 3pm Sat & Sun Closed Mon & P/Holidays + 25 Dec-13 Feb

7190 Great Eastern Highway (corner Nichol Street) Mundaring WA 6073 | T: +61 8 9295 3991 www.mundaringartscentre.com.au 19

The 'OLD SCHOOL' Difference WHY IS COASTLINE SHEDS SO UNIQUE? We have fabricated shed in WA for over 20 years. Old School Shed Frames that withstand the test of time. We still make them the old school way using welded angle iron or RHS. Over engineered and robust.

C-SECTION SHEDS

Columns into concrete footings.

Then the concrete floor will lock everything in.

Roll-formed C-section columns are bolted on top of the concrete, allowing for possible movement by the wind and cracking of the concrete.

Sturdy Angle or SHS Columns.

Columns are roll-formed C-section channel that can flex and twist. The shed is not secure till the last sheet is on.

TRUSSES

FOOTINGS

VS

COLUMNS

COASTLINE SHEDS OLD SCHOOL SHEDS

BRACING CONNECTONS

PURLIN CLEATS

Fully welded Angle or RHS Trusses

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Roof members are roll-formed C-section channel that can flex and twist. The roof structure needs to be assembled on site.

Installation can take up to 3 times longer.

Our purlins are bolted onto the truss and columns, tek-screws to fix the sheeting are hidden.

Roof battens for roof and walls are tek-screwed to the columns and roof. Tek-screws can be seen sticking out from inside of the shed. This allows for possible movement by the wind and tek-screws can snap.

Our trusses are bolted to the columns with 2 x M12 bolts.

Column to truss connections either with M8 or M10 bolts or even pop-riveted or tek-screwed.

Our wind bracing is made of solid 3mm flatbar. As soon as you have these installed the shed cannot fall over.

Flexible builder strap like 25x1mm is used, tek-screwed to the frame. No rigidity of the shed frame can be achieved this way.

08 9497 8832 | info@coastlinesheds.com.au | www.coastlinesheds.com.au

GARDENING EVERY AUSSIE BOY NEEDS A SHED LESLIE HERBERT

Hey, did you ever wake up in the morning On the wrong side of the bed A bit confused and yawning You go straight out the back to your shed Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed A place where he can go, somewhere to clear his head To think about the things his woman said Yeah, all Australian boys need a shed

John Williamson - The Shed

of a safe, friendly and welcoming environment where men are able to work on meaningful projects at their own pace in their own time in the company of other men.

A major objective is to advance the health and wellbeing of their male members and to encourage social inclusion.

WHAT IS A MEN’S SHED? A Men’s Shed is a place where men can work on projects, learn new skills, unwind and talk

A

s John Williamson so rightly sings, all men need a place to be ourselves, to think, to potter, to make stuff in wood, while listening to the cricket on long Saturday afternoons.

A place to keep that collection of slightly used screws in an empty coffee tin that may well come in handy and for that odd job for which you just need two 50mm 10g woodscrews.

There is hardly a shed in the country that doesn’t have a dusty glass ball jar with a collection of keys from past houses, a non-working cell phone, several dead batteries and a collection of Allen keys.

A place to work on the toaster that needs rewiring, the chair with the wobbly leg that will just take a lick of glue and a ‘c’ clamp for a couple of hours.

A place to have a quiet undisturbed beer while thinking about the big issues - what the government should do about climate change, who Americans should vote for in the next election, what Australia’s foreign policy should be, whether to have steak or sausages at the next BBQ and the like.

Its also a place for storage as well as a place to make repairs. Bits and pieces left from past jobs that may well be needed for future projects when only tat piece will do since manufacture ceased in 1948.

Old tools seem somehow to accumulate too, only slightly rusty tools handed down from fathers and uncles - a hand drill too good to throw away, but not used since 1972 when we bought the Black and Dekker.

But whatever actual use to which you put your shed it is an established part of the Australian psyche.

So much so that when a self-help group for men were looking for an inclusive and easily identifiable name, they chose ‘Men’s Shed’.

What is a Men’s Shed?

The Western Australian Men’s Shed Association (WAMSA) recognises a men’s shed as any community-based, non-profit, noncommercial organisation that is accessible to all men and whose primary activity is the provision

with mates. Sheds are community based clubs.

They can be found in many suburbs and towns throughout Australia. Activities vary widely from shed to shed, as groups pursue their members’ interests.

The Men’s Shed movement is restoring some of the balance that has been lost through modern living, by creating communal shed spaces that support all of the traditional shed activities that used to happen in back yards.

What’s new is how strongly men of all ages and backgrounds have embraced this new concept. Sheds are helping men become involved and to be valuable members of their community.

There’s strong evidence of a powerful impact on physical and mental health And it’s not just the men in sheds who are feeling better about themselves; the benefits extend to their relationships, families and even extended family.

craft activities, cooking, gardening, IT training, building equipment for third world and strife riddled countries, small boat restoration, playing board or card games – and much more.

And of course there will be a relaxing place to sit around and yarn. Because what really happens in a shed – that a fly can’t see – is men getting the chance to be themselves, to share with and support their mates, and balance out their lives.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS Men’s Sheds are not only about men’s health. Sheds across the country are performing valuable services that are benefiting their communities in many ways.

Some Sheds are conducting programmes for schools; some are providing mentoring with youth ; there are Sheds that take on the handyman duties for aged or disabled people; some adopt a local park while others make toys or fix broken bikes to pass on to underprivileged kids.

FIND A SHED You will find a map with the location and contact details of all WA Sheds at: www.wamsa.org.au/mapofwaSheds. html CONTACT WAMSA Website: www.wamsa.org.au Membership details are available at: www.wamsa.org.au/membership.html WAMSA is a charitable not-for-profit association and is registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient

WHAT HAPPENS IN A SHED? A fly on the wall would observe men making and fixing things, working in groups and individually.

They’d see men discussing the challenges of projects, sharing tips and perhaps getting some hands-on advice from a more experienced member.

Wood-work and wood-turning projects are popular but there’s a wide range such as restoring furniture, refurbishing used computers, repairing bicycles, making rocking horses, fixing lawn mowers, making kids’ cubby houses for a local charity, metalwork, small motor repairs, restoration of old cars, art and 21

DINING OUT

The Thoughts of an Ageing, Balding Foodie

SLATE CAFE

DOUGLAS SUTHERLAND-BRUCE

I

f you’re going to open a cafe in this financial climate, you’d better damn well have an original idea to make it work.

Slate Cafe in West Swan has come up with such an original and innovative approach that it’s staggering in its conception and superb in its realisation. They are aiming firmly for the Mum trade with a brilliantly conceived building made largely of Seatainers.

They cater for mums, children, dogs, bachelors, pensioners, business people and anyone who likes good food.

The building has a distressed frontage in a Mediterranean style backed by a neat kitchen, simple reception area and then several Seatainers cast artfully at angles, surrounded by securely fenced areas for children to play in and be watched by their guardians while enjoying some very superior food indeed.

The furniture is mostly up-cycled pallets pressed into service as comfy benches and tables.

The kitchen is open from 7:30am to 3:00pm of weekdays and 8:00am to 4:00pm weekends and public holidays.

The same menu runs all day, so you can enjoy breakfast at any time, while having the option of light lunches.

For example, you could have a simple two eggs on sourdough toast for $12 or French toast ($17) with an assortment of spiced Muscat poached pear, seasonal berries, with honey roasted oats and nuts with cream - which just sounds so yummy.

Or for the solid trencherman (and I mean me) there is the ‘Big Feast’ of two poached eggs, crispy bacon, chipolatas, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomato, Thai basil pesto and sourdough bread ($18).

A friend and I dropped in soon after the official opening for luncheon, and the place was jumping - a happy buzz of diners, family laughter and 22

that indefinable something we call ‘ambiance’.

I ordered the Pulled Pork Burger ($17) which is served in a bun that is neither quite bread nor brioche but seemingly an agreeable mix of both with a home-made coleslaw in a sweetish BBQ sauce and served with magnificent beer-battered chips - some of the best chips, I have to say, that I’ve eaten in many a long year.

My companion’s steak sandwich came with steak, obviously, crispy bacon, blue cheese aioli, caramalised onion jam, salad in sourdough bread and more of those superb chips.

I had a very superior flat white coffee($4) and Rod had a nice pot of tea ($4). The prices are very moderate, given the superior quality and the range, given the limitations of the menu very wide - from Bo Kho (a Vietnamese beef

stew) at $17, Wagyu Pho ($16) and Sieu Mai ($17) to their version of Eggs Benedict (called the Slate Benedict) and the controversial Avocado Smash ($17).

There are plenty of dishes for the vegan, vegetarian or the gluten intolerant.

There is a Kid’s Menu of Chicken Nuggets, Fish and Chips or Chicken Wings (all $8) and a excellent variety of drinks.

I strongly support the approach Slate Cafe have taken serving truly excellent food at moderate prices in a family and dog-friendly atmosphere, recycling and up-cycling materials.

Do give them a try, it’ a worthwhile venture that deserves our support.

Very Highly Recommended Indeed.

DOUGLAS’ WINERIES AND DINERIES

I cook in your kitchen

I will prepare seasonal, wholesome, personalised meals from scratch in your own kitchen for around $10 per serve

0449 002 037

www.icookinyourkitchen.com.au www.facebook.com/nofusstastymeals/

FOOD TRIVIA R Wasabi, that spicy green paste that acts as the perfect accompaniment to your Tuna Sashimi is not, in fact, always what you think. More often than not, it’s actually flavoured horse radish.

but less people know that eating them can actually help fight depression.

The fruit contains high levels of tryptophan, which converts into serotonin - a type of chemical in our brain that influences mood.

R You’ve heard of shellac being used to create an anti-chip manicure and as a shiny furniture R Ever wondered why chillies are hot? It’s finish but did you know it’s what’s used to make because of capsaicin, a chemical compound, that tricks your sensory nerves causing you to feel jelly beans nice and shiny too? like your mouth is being burned. Ouch!

R Back in the 1800s, people believed tomatoes had a powerful healing property for curing the R One of the most hydrating foods to eat is cucumber, made up of 96% water. It contains likes of diarrhea, jaundice and indigestion.

People took both ketchup and tomato pills in electrolytes, which are minerals that include the hope of feeling better but the medicinal value calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, of tomato based medicine collapse in 1840 after potassium, and sodium, which helps your many tomato pills were found to be fraudulent. body restore what it may have lost through dehydration.

A shame really...

R It’s no secret that bananas are an excellent source of dietary fiber, that they protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and keep blood sugars steady

R There are over 7,500 varieties of apples grown in the world. Each can vary wildly in size - from a small cherry to the size of a large grapefruit.

The Guinness Book of Records states that the heaviest apple weighed 1.849 kg and was grown and picked a Japanese farmer in 2005 R Usually coffee gets a lot of flak. It can dehydrate you, it can encourage you to drink more alcohol and it can potentially lead you to consume more cigarettes but it also happens to be the biggest source of antioxidants in an average Western diet.

This means that early morning cup of Joe is, in fact, helping you to fight free radicals. Yipee.

R Almonds are actually a seed not a nut as we know it. They’re the seeds of a flower and they’re directly related to the botanical families of orchids and roses. (As are apples).

R Peanuts are an ingredient in dynamite: they contain an oil that is used in the process of making glycerol. Glycerol is one of the main ingredient in nitroglycerin and nitroglycerin is the main part of dynamite.

23

CHEF EXPLORER A TASTE OF CHRISTMAS

pie filling with a ‘Rum Twist’, which you can get done this month.

RUM & RAISIN MINCEMEAT FILLING The traditional mincemeat for Mince pies includes suet, but I have missed that out for health reasons and it also makes this mix vegetarian.

BRENDAN MURPHY

B

oth as a Chef and Cookery Teacher, I just love the festive season.

Despite modern over-commercialization, to me it is still a time to relax, catch your breath and most importantly “Eat, Drink and Be Merry!”

Mind you, to be honest, Murphy does try to use that old Christmas saying every week of the year!

Any excuse to sit down around the table with family or friends after preparing much fresh and tasty food, and then indeed: Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

Of course as a Chef for over thirty years it has always been a busy time of year when I cooked commercially, but even then it was still a time to party after service.

And originating from the British Isles, my childhood memories are happy.

I remember waking up in the early hours with some presents scattered over my bed, then creeping downstairs, ignoring the bitter cold, as the coal fire had gone out, to open more presents under the glittering tree.

Then indulge in a Chocolate ‘Selection Box’ whilst reading my new annual Beano book.

Even now, I can still feel the warm happy glow of breaking up for Christmas school holidays and enjoying every minute of the build up to the great event.

Add in playing out in the snow, with soggy gloves from building a snowman, sledging down the once green slopes of our local park and indulging in many a snowball fight. It was Fun! And I miss those times with my own now grown up kids desperately!

I suppose there will be grandkids one day to enjoy the fun with, (though I do hope that the fun will be out in the real world, and not in a virtual world of the computer. Who knows?)

So I have decided to write my next book on a little Taste of Christmas, bringing together all the old customs of the festive season and indeed recipes to compliment them.

I have divided this book into twelve parts or chapters based on the traditional twelve days of Christmas, and in each chapter I will serve up to you old and new stories about Christmas from its true meaning and all its legendary traditions as well as including a true Chef Explorer stories thrown in for good measure.

There are lots of festive recipes for you to start preparing even now in advance and I will start with this month’s recipe of a great Mince

24

Ingredients (makes about 1.5 kg)

500g raisins 250g sultanas 250g currants 120g glace cherries, halved 150ml dark rum 2 medium dessert (eating) apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped 2 tsp mixed spice ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg 125g chopped hazelnuts 250g dark brown sugar 100ml hot water crust is less stodgy than a Christmas pudding and 60g butter its modest size is far more inviting. I prefer the ordinary size that allows a couple of bites but Method sometimes a mini pie pops into the mouth very Put the raisins, sultanas, currants, glacé nicely. cherries and into a large bowl. Mix together Even the best machine-made pies cannot thoroughly, then cover and leave in a cool place, compare with a well-filled hand-made one. It’s stirring occasionally, for twenty-four hours. a different animal. The pastry in a home-made Put the dark sugar, hot water and mince pie should be crunchy with a tempting, butter into a saucepan. Heat very mottled lid. Taking a couple on board is quite gently, stirring frequently, until feasible but, as with cocktails, you should stop at sugar has melted. Add the two. Well, maybe three if they’re sensational. chopped apple and gently fry for Mrs Pepys’ pies must have been good just a minute and then cool. or Samuel would not have recorded them so Add this mixture to the assiduously. The long-suffering Elizabeth was soaked dried fruit mixture with back on the job by Christmas 1663. On 24 the mixed spice, nutmeg and December, her husband wrote, “Thence straight hazelnuts, stirring thoroughly. home being very cold, but yet well, I thank God,

Pack into sterilized jars, seal and at home found my wife making mince pies.” and label.

In the 17th century, the filling contained real Use for your mince pie filling. meat – quite a lot of it. Sadly, Pepys did not leave us a recipe though we can get a good idea from the Receipt Book written in 1609.

Elinor Fettiplace’s filling was made of equal parts of minced cooked mutton, beef suet, currants and raisins with ginger, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange rind, salt and a tiny quantity of sugar.

Spicy meat pies have been relished in England ever since the Crusaders brought spices back from the Middle East in the 12th century.

For the medieval Christmas, such pies would have been studded with expensive dried fruit THE MINCE PIE IN HISTORY transported the length of Europe. Since the shape On 25 December 1662, Samuel Pepys of these pies was often rectangular, they were described his Christmas feast: “A mess of brave referred to as coffins (the word merely meant plum-porridge and a roasted pullet for dinner, box until the 1500s when it gained a morbid and I sent for a mince pie abroad, my wife not specificity). being well to make any herself yet.”

The mince pie began to get sweeter in the Three-and-a-half centuries later, we are 18th century when, in a bitter irony, cheap sugar still sending abroad for these seasonal treats. arrived from slave plantations in the West Indies.

It is hard to estimate the size of the market, In Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery (1747), a but Marks & Spencer, which has had them on its recipe “to make mince pies the best way” utilises shelves since September, expects to sell forty a modest pound (500g) of sugar, along with million this year. fifty apples, four pounds of dried fruit and three For my part, I’m firmly in favour, The dollop pounds of suet. of liquor-plumped fruits in a crisp buttery pastry Concluded on the next page ...

WRITING A WEIGHTY PROBLEM

“I

SUE MORLEY

After having the blood taken, she wandered home via the High Street, she’d missed breakfast and was feeling deprived. “I need a coffee.” she thought, opening the door of the Blue Kettle Cafe, her favourite source of sustenance when she needed a sugar fix.

“Hiya Gladys, you alright love, you look quite peaky?” Marge behind the counter asked.

“Just been to the doctors Marge, he reckons I’ve got thyroid problems.”

“Oh no! My mum had that, can make you feel rotten, that can.”

“Yeah, that’s why I can’t lose this weight Marge; I used to be like a twig when I was younger.”

“Oh, you poor thing. What you having then?

“A flat white, large, and a chocolate muffin warmed up please. I didn’t have time to eat today.”

“Sugar?”

“Yes please, put two in, it’s been a shock.”

Gladys felt better and decided to call in at the local sweet shop on her way home; she felt she deserved a treat after having all that blood taken.

“How did you go on with old Doc Thompson Ma?” “I told you I had something wrong with me Sharon, he’s sure it’s all to do with my thyroid.

It prevents you losing weight; your metabolism slows right down. I told him I didn’t eat much, he’s worried.”

“So sorry Mum, sit down, put your feet up.

Have you eaten today?”

“No, I’ve no appetite, a cuppa tea would be nice though love.”

As Sharon went to put the kettle on, Gladys pies disappear more quickly than usual.” had a thought. ‘If I always eat in private; if noone ever sees me eat, I can always blame it on my Mrs Beeton’s Mincemeat This adaptation halves the quantities of the thyroid!’ original and excludes the raisins but is still enough for around forty average-sized pies. If you want to make meat-free mince pies, exclude the steak and add a few more currants and candied peel.

can’t understand it!” Gladys stared at the numbers displayed on the bathroom scale.

“I’ve actually gained a kilo.” She shook her head in denial.

“What’s up Mum?” Sharon looked at her mother’s cloudy expression, as Gladys wandered into the kitchen.

“There must be something medically wrong with me, I just can’t shift this weight no matter what I try, y’ know I hardly ate anything this week, it’s not fair!”

Sharon glanced over at the portly figure absent mindedly finishing off the toast that Sharon had left on her plate.

“Yes Mum, of course eating standing up doesn’t count does it, or if it’s finishing off other people’s scraps?” she said, looking pointedly at her Mother who was obviously unaware of what she was doing.

“No, I definitely have something wrong with me. I’ve got today off so I’m going to the doctors today.”

Sharon left to go to work, her slim toned body in sharp contrast to that of Gladys, who was now gazing into the fridge.

“Okay Mum, have a nice day, good luck with the doc.”

Gladys lived in a picturesque village in Dorset, her house only a few kilometres from the doctor’s surgery, and decided to walk to her appointment.

This was an unusual activity for her; she usually drove her little old Morris car everywhere,

but wanted to be able to make a good impression today, when she told the doctor she walked everywhere.

Later sitting in front of old Dr Thompson, Gladys asked for tests to prove it was some medical condition that was preventing her losing the weight she so desperately wanted to be rid of.

“I’ve tried Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Light and Easy, the Five Two diet, High fibre, Low Carbs, Doctor I’m desperate.”

Doctor Thompson was getting ready to retire, he’d known Gladys for many years, he could remember her as a slim vibrant young bride, and had watched as she’d gradually got heavier and fatter over the years. He’d heard that her husband had left recently; the rumour was for a younger, slimmer model!

“Exercise?” he enquired, raising his bushy eyebrows.

“I never stop running around; I don’t sit down from morning till night.” Gladys complained. “I hardly eat a thing Doc, it’s a wonder I’m not a shadow.”

“Okay Gladys we’ll do a blood test, it might be your thyroid.”

This is what she needed to hear and nodded.

“Yes that’s a good idea, my grandmother had thyroid problems, it’s probably in my genes.”

Dr. Thompson glanced at the jeans that Gladys was squeezed into, rolls of fat bulging over the top. “You could be right; we’ll wait until we get the results.”

Continued from the previous page...

Meat had become optional, though Glasse advises: “If you chuse meat in your pies, parboil a neat’s tongue [ox tongue], peel it, and chop the meat as fine as possible, and mix with the rest; or two pounds of the inside of a sirloin of beef boiled.”

By the 19th century, the mince pie had acquired its modern taste. Cooks used a lot of beef suet to bolster the flavour and juiciness of their pies, though many recipes dropped the meat entirely.

The two greatest food writers of the era gave recipes for mincemeat alternatively with and without meat. In Household Management (1861), Isabella Beeton seems to be heading in the vegetarian direction. A recipe called “excellent mincemeat” is meat-free.

In Modern Cookery for Private Families (1845), Eliza Acton maintained the traditional style in her “Author’s Receipt” for mincemeat, which contained one pound of minced ox tongue along with fruit, sugar, spices and brandy.

The two most important British food writers of the 20th century held diverse views concerning meat in mincemeat.

Elizabeth David included no meat in her recipe (unless you count beef suet), but Jane Grigson advocates Mrs Beeton’s meaty recipe in her 1974 classic English Food: “I have noticed that when I make this mincemeat for Christmas, the mince

375g currants 200g minced rump steak 375g beef suet 250g dark muscovado sugar 45g candied peel grated nutmeg 375g peeled, grated apple Zest of 1 lemon Juice of lemon 75ml brandy Mix all ingredients up to the apple in a large bowl. Then add the apple, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix again. Add the brandy and give it a really good stir so it coats everything.

Fill jars as full as possible, pressing down to exclude air. Cover and leave to mature, preferably at least two weeks, before encasing in shortcrust pastry to make mince pies.

25

ENTERTAINMENT TOUCH AND GO AT GARRICK SARAH BROOKS

H

igh Wycombe teacher Joseph Isaia will play middle-age philanderer Brian when he hits the stage for the Garrick Theatre’s adulterous, suburban comedy Touch and Go. Mr Isaia said every great farce started with a lie and audiences could expect plenty of them for the Guildford theatre’s final show of the year.

“When Brian takes up jogging, his wife Hilary is not surprised,” he said.

“She has often told him he should exercise more after all the business lunches he consumes.

“But when Brian is ostensibly running round the park, he is in fact with his attractive girlfriend Wendy in his good friend George's flat.

“And while Brian is visiting Wendy, helpful George is having his own dalliance with Brian’s wife Hilary.”

Mr Isaia said it was all plain sailing until George's wife Jessica arrived home early from a business trip.

“Jessica returns from a business trip to America a day early and thinks Wendy is the cleaning lady, but Brian tells her she’s a Red Cross nurse,” she said.

“This is the start of a confusion that continues throughout this side-splittingly funny play.

26

“It is a madcap role that requires comic timing, and is a foil to the antics of the others who are trying madly to escape the discovery of their infidelities.”

Mr Isaia said one of the biggest challenges for him in his role as Brian, was that his real-life wife Kylie Isaia was cast as Hilary.

“While I am trying to convince the audience that I am a two-timing sneaky husband I am also trying to convince my real-life wife, who appears as my character’s wife, I am not really like this at all,” he quipped.

However Mr Isaia said it was a rare chance to work with accomplished director Alice Dale.

“This was my initial attraction, added to the fact that I had the opportunity of being directed by Alice in the Garrick Theatre’s award-winning production of Deathtrap in 2012,” he said.

“I have a huge admiration for Alice’s work.”

Ms Dale has spent her professional life in theatre and TV in the UK and Perth and her television appearances include The Gift and Lockie Leonard and Thunderstruck.

She said the script for Touch and Go was the first time she found herself laughing out aloud on the first read.

“Having spent so much of my acting career in comedy, I tend to read a comedy with a very critical eye, deciding what will get laughs and what won’t,” she said. “I knew this show would give an audience such a fun night out.

“Derek Benfield is a master of comedy but I was more familiar with him as an actor, appearing in films and TV series such as his Walter Greenhalgh in Coronation Street, Mr Scrimshaw in First of the Summer Wine and the husband in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.

“Back then I had no idea he was he was also a brilliant playwright and that he has written more than thirty stage plays, every one of them a hit.”

Touch and Go iruns at the Garrick Theatre from November 24th to December 10th. Matinees on November 27 and December 4 at 2:00pm.

Tickets cost $20 (adults), $17 (concession).

To book call Elaine on 9378 1990 or email: bookings@garricktheatre.asn.au

ENTERTAINMENT CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT - GUILDFORD ALAN RAYCRAFT

G

uildford has a proud history as an important Western Australian community. When the Swan River Colony was established, Guildford was a primary location – one of the first three towns established by settlers.

At the centre of the town is Stirling Square- a gathering place for locals and visitors that plays a key role in many community events like the annual Guildford Carols by Candlelight.

Since the early 80s members from the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches have worked together to coordinate this Christmas celebration for the people of Guildford and surrounding areas.

What began as a small gathering of worshipers has grown to include performances from local schools, bands and choirs to delight and entertain a crowd of over 800 people.

Part of what makes this event such a success is the strong family friendly vibe. Many people choose to come early to get a good seat and enjoy a picnic in the lovely grounds before the show.

After dinner they can indulge with a coffee or ice-cream from the vans onsite and then settle in to sing and share some Christmas cheer.

The wonder of Christmas is often appreciated most by children, which is why they play a special part in the Guildford

GET FESTIVE WITH SWAN HARMONY!

carols. They are encouraged to sing, dance lready drawing up Christmas lists? Then it’s high time to pause, slow and play along with the down, and let Swan Harmony Singers ease you into a relaxed, upbeat band as well as joining mood at its festive season concert at the Salvation Army Church hall on in with story time to Sunday 11th December at 2:00pm. hear about the very first The program features a lovely selection of jazz, pop and classical songs spanning the decades, ranging from the 1937 evergreeen All the Things You Are to Bill Withers’ 70s hit Ain’t no Sunshine, written when he was working in a factory making toilets seats for jet aircraft.

Also on the program as the beautiful theme song from the Robert Redford/Barbara Streisand film The Way we Were, and the love song The Last Night of the World from Miss Saigon, which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The concert will be followed by a delicious afternoon tea served by choir members.

Tickets, including afternoon tea, $20 (adult), $15 (oncession), groups of 10 or more $150. Children under 10 free.

For more details ring Anna Wright on 9299 7249. Bookings: Mundaring Community Bank 9295 6411, or all Anna on 9299 7249.

Swan Harmony Singers look forward to welcoming new members at the beginning of 2017. So, if you enjoy singing, call Anna on 9299 7249.

A

Christmas.

Each year this event grows and the committee welcomes all families to join us to celebrate this special time of year.

The combined churches of Guildford present Carols by Candlelight on Sunday December the 18th, 2016 at 7pm, Stirling Square Guildford.

Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/guildfordcarolsbycandlelight Photographs courtesy of Jeerawan Mueller Photography

27

COMMUNITY THEATRE REVIEWS THEATRE WITH GORDON

from a castle battlement, several rooms, street Colon, the guard (Jim Chantry) lets it scene, zoo etc., each represented with minimal – slip, that nearby there is a sanctuary for but very well presented – scenery and props (Set injured dragons run by Lady Sybil Ramkin construction by Jim Chantry, adorned by scenic (Lis Hoffman) and her small team of helpers artists Kiri Vinsen, Sheila Wileman and Ashling (Tashie Baker, Michael Vinsen). Lady Sybil Townsend, with the cast helping). has a favourite dragon, an old, wise one with It was essential with so many scene changes damaged wings called Errol. that the stage team should be well focused and The local Patrician, Lord Vetinari (Andrew quick. Stage manager Janet Vinsen with her Smalley) is a nasty conman, trying to trick the assistants Callum Vinsen and Sean Schliwa were citizens with dire deeds, but bold Discworld magnificent. With an average of 5 – 8 seconds, carrier (Bronny Baker) and Ridcully (Sean the stage was transformed each time.

Schliwa) are fighting back.

Josh Shoebridge and Simon Walters skilfully Will the dragon return? Will the evil Lords operated Simon James’ lighting and sound design. of the city keep control? There are two love It was obvious that a great deal of thought and affairs in the air.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. precision was put into the complex plan and

- Helen K eller operation.

Director and multi-tasker, Simon James, has presented this play in the style of a pantomime, Young Footnote (Callum Vinsen), the aimed at nine years and up. It is quite dark in Guards! Guards! narrator of the story, sets the scene, popping places, and the script is rich with puns, doubleGuards! Guards! is a wild and fiendish, comedic plot in now and again to clarify the action. entendres and subtle jokes.

by Terry Pratchett. This continuing adventure of One day, when 6 ft 3 inches (1.9 m) The kids will miss at least half of the humour, dragons was Pratchett’s eighth Discworld novel. strong, fearless Carrot (Paul Davey) comes but will love the special effects, excellent Published in 1989, this was the first novel home from a day working in the mines, his costumes (Janet Vinsen and armourer Callum about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, and later 1 metre high father (Michael Moshos) takes Vinsen) and dragons. became the idea behind the first Discworld him aside and explains to Carrot that he is not There was a large cast, who were impressive computer game. really a tall dwarf, but was found abandoned and worked together with great chemistry. The Innovative ARENAarts have brought Stephen as a baby. Carrot, feeling the need to prove delivery of the lines, humour and build-up of Briggs’ amusing, stage adaptation of Pratchett’s himself, goes to the big city of Ankh-Morpork tension were all presented most proficiently. much-loved, fantasy book to the Latvian Centre to join the bold Guards.

The main actors were superb, but even the ‘bit’ Theatre, 60 Cleaver Terrace in Belmont – no you Guard Captain Vimes (Ron Arthurs) is drunk players gave it their best. aren’t in the wrong street! Plenty of free parking. when Carrot arrives. Vimes has been letting With so many players on stage, there can This progressive group are looking for things slip, and Carrot is a stickler for law easily be pandemonium, with actors bumping directors – if you are inexperienced, they will and order. into each other and fighting for exits – this team guide you – and ideas for some challenging plays It is a miserable, wet night and Fingers moved well, truly professional. for 2017-18 seasons, anything from farce to (Sarah Langridge) is knocking on doors, Josh Shoebridge and Kiri Vinsen created the heavy drama. trying to find where the underground magnificent robotic performers, Errol and other Suggestions so far include Jane Austen’s gathering of the Unique and Supreme Lodge dragons. They really were ‘alive’, practically Emma, George A. Romeo’s The Night of the Living of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night stealing the scene from the living actors.

Dead, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, is being held. Eventually Doorkeeper (Susie At the interval, I enjoyed one of the best cups Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (female version) and Stevenson) admits Fingers to the secret of community theatre coffee, yes, it was $2, but I Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange. meeting, where the Supreme Grand Master, would rather pay than have some of the anaemic, This is ARENAart’s sixth, dastardly, Pratchett Lupine Wonse – boo hiss (Brendan Ellis) free, flavourless offerings at some venues. play and they have really conquered this genre, explains that all of the Dragons are not really Even on a Wednesday night, the show had with each production getting better than the dead, and that according to legend, one is almost a full house. Not many shows left, but try last. Great fun for the family. due to become King of the area. to catch this slick, hilarious family show. Many There are a couple of dozen scenes, varying Lupine hopes congratulations. that the Dragon will select him Tartuffe – the hypocrite as his regal Tartuffe – the hypocrite is a classic, caustic satire representative and farce. It was written in 1664 by French on Earth. As playwright Molière, and the name Tartuffe means the meeting ‘hypocrite’ or ‘deceiver’. progresses, The play is written in alexandrines – a rhyming the coven – couplet of twelve-syllable lines – 1,962 of them.

Varneshi (Natalie Unlike Shakespeare’s shorter couplets, more than Djudjevic), one person often shares the same couplet.

Dunnykin (Tia The play premiered at the Versailles Palace Evers) and fête, but because of the Tartuffe’s attitude Watchtower to religion, the archbishop of Paris, Hardouin, (Rachael Leech) – threatened excommunication for anyone who dressed in green, watched, performed in or even read the play. crushed velvet Molière therefore asked his friend King Louis capes, receive a XIV for support. The play was rewritten and threatening visit called Panulph – a Sudanese word – but it was from the Body again banned, however the King allowed private of Death (Jeremy performances for the French aristocracy.

The rank and file (well, the rank, anyway) of the Smith).

Continued on page 31...

Ankh Morpork City Watch

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ENTERTAINMENT KOOKABURRA’S BACK - NOVEMBER PROGRAMME

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ell, after a well-earned rest over winter Kookaburra Outdoor Cinema is back, opening on Friday the 18th November which is the Hills’ icon’s twenty-first programme, both varied and interesting: The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (PG) US. Documentary Screens: Fri 18th November only Director: Ron Howard Academy Award winner Ron Howard’s authorised and highly anticipated documentary feature film about The Beatles’ phenomenal early career. Explores how John, Paul, George and Ringo came together to become this extraordinary phenomenon, The Beatles and focuses on the period from the early Beatles’ journey in the days of the Cavern Club in Liverpool to their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966.

length to keep his entitlements at the expense of all others.

With non-stop gags and pointed satire, it is no wonder that the film stands as the highestgrossing film in Italian cinema history, earning an extraordinary €65 million to date.

Café Society (M) US Comedy Screens: Friday 2nd December only Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carroll Director: Woody Allen The film follows Bronx-born Bobby from New York to Hollywood and back again as he falls in love and becomes swept up in the excitement and glamour of 1930s café society.

The Accountant (MA15) US Thriller Screens: Saturday 3rd December only Inferno Stars: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, (M) US Thriller/Drama

J.K. Simmons Screens: Saturday 19th; Sunday 20th November Director: Gavin O’Connor Stars: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones Christian Wolff (Affleck), a math savant, Director: Ron Howard is a freelance accountant for dangerous The latest bestseller in Dan Brown’s (Da Vinci criminal organisations. With a Treasury agent Code) billion-dollar (J.K. Simmons) hot on his heels, Robert Langdon Christian takes on a state-ofseries, which the-art robotics company as a finds the famous legitimate client. An accounting symbologist on a clerk (Kendrick) discovers a multi trail of clues tied million dollar discrepancy that has to the great Dante her and himself.

Wolff the targets of assassins.

When Langdon wakes up in an Julieta Italian hospital with (M) Spain (English Subtitles) Drama amnesia, he teams Screens: Sunday 4th up with Sienna December only Brooks (Felicity Stars: Adriana Ugarte, Rossy de Jones), a doctor Palma, he hopes will help Michelle Jenner him recover his Director: Pedro Almodovar memories. Together,

Emotional story of a woman’s they race across loves and regrets. Julieta (Ugarte) Europe and against is about to leave Madrid and live in the clock to stop Portugal when she runs into Bea a madman from unleashing a global virus that (Jenner) the childhood friend of her estranged would wipe out half of the world’s population. daughter, Antia.

She decides that she owes her daughter Where am I Going an explanation of the events that led to their (M) Italy (English Subtitles) Comedy separation and fills a journal with an account of Screens: Friday 25th; Saturday 26th and Sunday her life as a mother, spouse and daughter.

27th November Stars: Luca Medici, Eleanora Arrival Director: Gennaro Nunziante (M) US Drama Giovanardi Checco Zalone, 39 and still living Screens: Friday 9th; Saturday 10th and Sunday at home, loves his privileged lifestyle and cushy 11th December public service job-for-life.

Stars: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest When a new reformist government vows to Whitaker cut down on bureaucracy, Checco refuses to take Director: Denis Villeneuve a severance payout and is transferred to the When mysterious spacecraft touch down North Pole out of spite. across the globe, an elite team - lead by expert But as someone who refuses to relinquish linguist Louise Banks (Adams) - is brought such a privilege, this slacker will go to every together to investigate.

As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers - and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.

Please note: CLOSED CHRISTMAS EVE and CHRISTMAS DAY

29

FILM REVIEWS FILM WITH JAMES

Meditating on Art Title: Francofonia Director: Alexander Sokurov Reviewer: James Forte In Russian, French and German with English sub titles. Reviewed by James Forte.

he subject is the story of one of the world’s great art collections, that of the Louvre in Paris, during the German occupation 194044.

It came with a pair of high expectations.

First, in 2002 the director, Alexander Sokurov, produced one of the great pieces of modern cinema with Russian Ark – three hundred years of history filmed in the Hermitage museum / Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg (with 2000 actors) done with just one awesome ninety-six minute take.

Second, the story of Nazi attempts to steal the art treasures of France has been the subject of several fascinating but fictional films – here was a documentary on the actual events.

Sokurov believes that a country’s art represents the soul of the nation. Accordingly its museums are the repositories of that soul and are vulnerable - like the original ark, adrift on the ocean.

After the 2002 film, who better to tell the tale of France’s soul under the Germans? Sadly

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the answer is not Sokurov, who has produced a meditation on the value of the decorative arts that is as ponderous as a Dostoyevsky novel.

Further, the story has been diluted by much wandering down poorly related byways.

It starts in 2016 with Sokurov in his study trying to make a Skype call to a Captain Dirk (on a modern container ship), who is transporting art works through a storm and is terrified of losing them overboard.

This sets up the museum as ark metaphor.

The director then stays on microphone to give a running monologue for the remainder of the film – even at one point asking the audience “You aren’t tired of listening to me yet?”

A second byway has the ghosts of Marianne (the spirit of France) and Napoleon viewing the Mona Lisa and other prize pieces of the collection (as it is today).

This is to emphasise the irony that we might be deploring the attempts of Hitler to carry off the art to Germany, but that much of the collection came to France as plunder from Napoleon’s conquests.

A third is the inclusion of a large section of newsreel on the thousand-day siege of Leningrad in which millions died and the Hermitage became a manufacturing centre for coffins.

Sokurov seems to be saying to the French: “you think you had it tough?”

This does not leave much room for the main story. This is presented in film of the time expanded with sepia-coloured re-enactments.

At the outbreak of war much of the Louvre collection, including practically all the paintings, were trucked to secret locations in chateau basements around France to protect them from the expected bombing. (Similar precautions were taken in Britain and Germany.)

When the Germans marched in there was little left but some second level statuary. M. Jaujard, the Louvre’s director, was one of the few civil servants still at his post.

He received Count Wolff-Metternich with coffee and soon the two are working together

to reopen the galleries to German tourists. The Count is a cultured officer who sees no urgent need to bring the paintings back to Paris. They are safer where they are.

At the cost of his own career, he preserves a core collection of Ancient, Baroque and Classical art. (The Impressionists collection in the Jeu de Paume gallery is a much sadder story.)

Sokurov has chosen to relate the tale thus.

Is it reasonable to criticize his art-film on the grounds that there were better alternative approaches to describing the events? I think it is.

That is not to say that the film is unworthy of your time and admission money. It presents some wonderful insights. Just go prepared for a rather long and slow meditation on how easily the art of great civilizations can be lost and cultures erased.

Francofonia opened at Luna Cinemas on October 6th.

In Praise of Pilots Title: Sully Director: Clint Eastwood Reviewer: James Forte

S

ince watching this film six weeks ago, I have spoken to a number of aircrew and without exception they praised this as evidence that Hollywood can give a realistic view of a pilot’s work.

There was no need for the usual hyperbole – the story is incredible and we all know the ending.

On January 15th 2009, Captain Sullenberger (Sully) was the captain of US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus A320, taking off from La Guardia in New York.

With 155 people on board, three minutes into the flight it flew through a flock of Canadian Geese which disabled both engines.

After a further three minutes of gliding flight, the airliner was down in the freezing cold waters of the Hudson River. The passengers evacuated onto the wings to provide a beautiful photo opp for the New York newspapers. The world applauded.

If Sully and copilot Jeff Skiles were the dream team on flight 1549, Clint Eastwood as director and Tom Hanks as Sully were the perfect choice to make this movie.

Inevitably they have had to cut some details in order to concentrate on the central message: the cool clear thinking needed when you have just seconds in which to make correct decisions.

Did Eastwood go a little too far in his portrayal of everyone, from Air Traffic Control, cabin crew and co-pilot to Sully himself, reacting optimally to the crisis?

The first half of the film is about the events afterwards – with Sully having nightmares about what might have happened.

Continued on the next page.

ENTERTAINMENT Concluded from apge 28...

This delightful, bawdy and uproarious adaptation of the original satire is by Australian librettist and playwright, Justin Fleming.

Justin, who has been vice-president of the Australian Writers’ Guild and a board member of the Australian National Playwrights’ Centre, has produced a magnificently crafted script; still in the original couplet style, the completely new dialogue is contemporary, and with many fun up-to-the-minute references. Justin was also present at the opening night performance.

This play was Kate Cherry’s Perth swan song. In the past seven years with Black Swan, she has directed or co-directed, more than two dozen memorable productions, but this has to be the ultimate. When a play has the whole house standing in admiration and ovation of a play, then this shows that every aspect has succeeded. We wish Kate well for the future.

This show is a joint production between two old friends, the Black Swan State Theatre Company and the Queensland Theatre Company.

The scene is Orgon’s chic house in present day Australia – 400 years after the Paris home in Molière’s book. Richard Roberts’ sumptuous sets and haute couture costume design (costumière, Jenny Edwards) has retained the air of Parisian affluence.

The design has two sets built onto the largest revolve that one could envisage. It is actually wider than the stage, overlapping into the wings!

The opening scene is the exterior of a modern, white concrete building with a sandstone block, character wall and aluminium framed windows.

There is an exterior, upstairs balcony and a suntrap patio.

When the stage rotates, it reveals an amazing interior, reminiscent of Rose’s old Peppermint Grove palace! A curved staircase led down from the long internal balcony, to the white marble floor below. A white grand piano stood in the corner, a raised dining area was overlooked by a huge, upbeat, orange oil painting (Marek Szyler).

Centre stage were two armchairs and a bright orange, studded settee.

Lighting designer, David Murray employed a line of footlights to cast a nocturnal glow to the house exterior. Inside he used domestic downlights, enhanced with LEDs. The later gave subtle colour changes according to the mood of the play; clever designing.

The stage management was smoothly carried out by Peter Sutherland and his assistant, Georgia Landré-Ord. We enter the house to find wild revelries taking place. The adamant head of the household, the extremely wealthy Orgon (Steve Turner) is

Concluded from page 30...

The drama involves the investigation board which was not as negative as it is portrayed.

They use the term ‘crash’, Sully insists it was a controlled descent onto water. They believe he still had some power in one engine, Sully says no and the evidence later confirms that he is correct.

Worse, they argue that simulations show he could have made it back to La Guardia. When the simulations are run with the correct parameters, every flight crashes.

When we finally get to the flight itself, Sully is sitting back enjoying the view of Manhattan in the winter sun while Skiles does the flying.

Immediately after the impact, he takes control, ‘my aircraft’, lowers the nose to best gliding speed and correctly jumps several steps in the Airbus manual to deploy the Auxiliary Power Unit.

An appraisal of options.

ATC suggest La Guardia or Teterboro airports.

He assesses his lack of height: ‘We’re gonna be in the Hudson’. He flies the aircraft to that part of the river where there is the best chance of ferries quickly picking them up and then: ‘This is the captain, brace for impact’.

At least four books and three TV documentaries, plus hundreds of articles have been produced on that six-minute flight.

However, Clint Eastwood has gone beyond the story to portray the nature of the professional pilot. Whatever our occupation, this is how we hope we would behave when bad things happen.

As such it is a fine film – even for people who have no interest in the technology of flight.

Although it is no longer showing at a cinema near you, this is a film to watch. Particularly on an Airbus A320 the next time you fly.

Sully opened at the Windsor Cinema on September 8th.

out seeing a friend, and so his family are making the most of his absence. His whimsical, attractive daughter, Mariane (Tessa Lind) and her handsome fiancé, Valère (James Sweeny) are kissing on the couch. Mariane’s uncontrollable stepbrother, Damis (Alex Williams) is, as usual, living life to excess as he empties a champagne bottle.

The interfering, streetwise maid, Dorine (Emily Weir) with her multipurpose, fluffy dusting wand, pretends to clean, whilst listening intently to all of the household gossip. Suddenly, she spots the smartly dressed, austere yet gullible grandmother, Madame Pernelle (Jenny Davis), returning home, closely followed by Orgon. Panic ensues.

Orgon announces that his new spiritual leader is an aging, devout minister, Tartuffe (Darren Gilshenan). Like most Maharishi, he is celibate – unless God provides this unprincipled and duplicitous man with beautiful women.

Orgon’s loving wife, Elmire (Alison Van Reeken) warns her mother-in-law, Madame Pernelle of the dangers of her husband’s new friend Tartuffe. Even when Tartuffe cons Orgon into making generous donations to his ‘cause’, Orgon still decides that his daughter would be better off with Tartuffe as a husband, so postpones Mariane’s wedding; Mariane has several novel ways of dealing with the stress of the situation.

When Orgon gets a little too generous, a cunning plan is called for by the family.

Why does the ABC reporter (Hugh Parker) call at the house?

The play was racy, ranging from the girlish, crush-like love of Mariane, to the normally demur Elmire who turns on all her sex glands in an attempt to seduce Tartuffe into her trap. Tartuffe himself was perfectly depicted as an unctuous letch, with every subtle, facial expression displaying his true inner thoughts.

Every actor had a rich, well-observed character that they depicted with aplomb. The chemistry and inter-connection of all of the actors, many of whom are major award winners, was amazing.

Without meaning to be cruel, Jenny Davis has been around for decades, being probably one of WA’s most admired actors, and in this play she proves that not only has she still ‘got it’, but she is still improving; great to see you Jenny.

Emily Weir as the maid played the part with every cell of her body, uproarious performance.

Alison van Reeken as the demure wife, gave a brave and side splitting piece of acting as she was mercilessly hunted, whilst her husband, Steve Turner – always great value – retained his cool obstinacy.

Director Kate Cherry handled the delivery of the tricky couplets perfectly; they could easily have become dry in style and slowed the pace.

Instead the show rocked from beginning to end.

Sound Designer/Composer, Tony Brumpton, hit the mark perfectly by giving just the right amount of subtle background melody.

The crafting of this play was exemplary, from script through the technical production to the hilarious performances. One of the funniest bawdy plays ever.

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EDUCATION

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FINANCE AGE PENSION ASSET TEST TO HIT STEVE BLIZARD

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he belief of a large number of retired Australians was that the government aged pension would help supplement their superannuation incomes.

However, from January 1, that support is being lowered to a much reduced and narrower asset base for all retirees.

The Coalition government has passed legislation that perversely incentivises Australians in a certain target range of assets to take money out of superannuation, only to become even more reliant on the government pension, not less.

For a married couple, from 1 January 2017, once their assets rise above $816,000 there is no aged pension, yet you are allowed to have $375,000 in assets and still receive a full aged pension.

Once your assessable assets fall within the target range, to maintain income at the age pension level, you need to earn 7.8 percent on your money.

Many retirees are not fortunate enough to have an investment adviser who knows how to generate such a consistently high return, albeit with additional risk.

As a result, targeted retirees are being incentivised to exit superannuation, either gradually or quickly, in order to begin receiving a full or partial government aged pension.

From the government’s stand point, it expects an initial boost to revenues, as pensions are set to be slashed on the 313,000 people expected to be affected.

On questioning one Federal Minister on these changes, I was given the following reply, “The government can no longer afford the financial largess of Peter Costello, so we are going back to the asset test that existed under John Howard”.

While that answer may appeal to Treasury boffins chasing budget savings, it doesn’t cut the mustard with partially self-funded retirees facing net real interest rates today that are 50 percent lower than during the Howard era.

Social services minister, Christian Porter, is giving speeches outlining cuts to Centrelink benefits whereas “Human Services” Minister, Alan Tudge, is set to implement pension asset

test legislation that by default will do the exact opposite.

Centrelink requires an army of bureaucrats monitoring the assets of millions of retirees, who are compelled to report their portfolio each time their shares change by $1000 in value.

Research into the Department of Social Services Annual Report 2015-16, reveals that the agency paid out $325 million in salaries to 2,396 employees, including $23 million in personal remuneration entitlements to those at the senior management levels.

Of this, 1,990 are based in the department’s Canberra headquarters monitoring all retiree assets and income.

In dramatic contrast, New Zealand has far less wasteful inefficiency, as no income or asset tests for retirees exist across the Tasman.

Not only can Kiwi retirees have unlimited assets, it is even possible to have a full-time job and continue receiving the aged pension.

Australians can respond quickly to new incentives, so within a decade, future governments will regard the decision of the 2015 Abbott government, which passed the legislation, as a classic example of gross irresponsibility.

With rising health insurance and aged care costs, retiree income streams are even more reliant on a partial government age pension.

Therefore the incentive to re-arrange one’s financial affairs in order to receive an income topup is now far greater than in 2007.

The steely response from the government reflects a Cabinet that is totally out of touch with problems confronting self-funded retirees.

SENIORS CONCESSION CARDS Fortunately, the Coalition government wasn’t silly enough to extend the aged pension cutbacks to concession cards, thus minimising the risk to 313,000 retirees of losing their pharmacy discounts.

The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) helps with the cost of prescription medicines and other services, if you are of pension age, but don’t qualify for the age pension.

Eligibility is based on an income test of $52,796 if you are single; $84,472 for couples

combined, or $105,592 combined for couples separated by illness or respite care.

The separate Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) is available to people receiving a full or part pension, as well as for certain other social security recipients.

The PCC entitles you to concessions for medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

If also offers significant discounts, providing extra concessions from state and local government authorities, such as council rates, public transport and motor vehicle registration.

However, existing retirees who are set to lose the entire age pension due to the 1 Jan 2017 asset test will still not miss out on entitlement to government health concession cards.

While their PCC will be cancelled at the same time as their age pension, it will be replaced by a low-income health care card (LIHCC) plus a CSHC card.

The LIHCC, similar to the PCC, offers chemist prescriptions at a discounted $6.20, in addition to entitlements to the Medicare safety net that provides compensation for any out-of-pocket expenses associated with services provided through Medicare.

Where offered by different State governments, the LIHCC card will also entitle holders to discounts on water, gas and electricity bills, motor vehicle registrations and public transport concessions.

While the CSHC duplicates the chemist and medical concessions offered by the LIHCC, the difference between both card entitlements is an automatic lifetime exemption from the income test requirements.

This automatic exemption is a special concession that will only be available to those who retire before January 1, 2017.

Anyone retiring after this date needs to satisfy the income tests.

Courtesy of Roxburgh Securities

Human services Minister Alan Tudge has the unhappy task of sending out letters to about 313,500 pensioners telling them their part pension is about to be cancelled or cut. About 225,000 will be told to expect less money, and about 88,500 to expect cancellation.

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BOOKS REVIEWS Title: Author: Publisher: Reviewer:

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Murder at the 42nd Street Library Con Lehane Minotaur Books Karen R Treanor

f you love books, and books about books, you will enjoy this amusing and intriguing visit to the large, history-filled library on 42nd Street, New York City.

In the world’s fourth largest library, there’s room for all sorts of interesting and eccentric people, and author Lehane has imagined quite a few of them into existence.

Ray Ambler (named as an homage to two classic crime writers?) is the curator of the library’s Crime Fiction Collection, a job that you wouldn’t expect to have any real-life contact with murder.

However, when a killer walks into the library and shoots a respectable scholar in the office of Ray’s direct supervisor Harry Larkin, Ray decides to bring his considerable (theoretical) experience to solve the mystery of who and why.

Right away it’s apparent that Harry knows a lot more about the incident that he will admit. He claims he was hiding under his desk and knows nothing about anything—but Ray discovers this isn’t strictly true. Harry has a secret, and it may be tied into the murder.

Thanks to his vocation, Ray has more knowledge of the darker sides of humanity than many of his friends—other than NYPD detective Mike Cosgrove.

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34

Between them, the friends dig into the back story of the crime and discover a veritable viper’s nest of possible suspects and motives.

Central to the mystery is the collection of papers by writer Nelson Yates acquired by the library. It appears to Ray that if he could find Yates’s missing daughter Emily he might find more clues to the killing of James Donelly.

During his search, Ray finds a child who’s been having a rougher life than anyone that age should have to live. Ray’s friend Adele becomes involved in the boy’s situation, and when Cosgrove wants to hand the child over to the Child Protection department, Adele surprises everyone by her actions.

One thread of the story involves Brian McNulty, bartender extraordinaire, and protagonist of Lehane’s previous crime series.

Another thread brings in a character whose connection to Ray and to the final chapter of the mystery will give you a real jolt ; I’d be very surprised if you don’t have to re-read a few paragraphs as you say, “Wha-a-at? No way!”

This is an enjoyable and complex story which leaves you hoping that it’s not a stand-alone book, and that Lehane will think up another reason to bring Raymond Ambler back into print.

With thanks to NewMysteryReader.com

the gypsy story is part of my family history, most of Gypsy Lullaby is fiction,” she explains.

Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble About the Author Mazi Mcburnie earned a degree in social science. She has worked as a librarian, in senior care and as a teacher. Mcburnie enjoys cooking, doing patchwork, gardening and spending time with animals.

Title: Author: Publisher: ISBN:

A

Nothing Lasts Forever Althea Foster Xlibris 9781 5144 46652

lthea Foster has recently released an historical novel that recreates the volatile atmosphere of Australia’s Blackbirding Era. A brilliantly orchestrated tale of survival against seemingly impossible odds, Nothing Lasts Forever follows a young slave boy on a quest to reclaim the freedom and future that he lost.

Australia in the late 19th century was in the grip of blackbirding, the abduction of people for slave work. It was a time of unprecedented progress but also of unimaginable peril especially for the people sold into slavery.

At the center of it all is Mel Milo, the son of a Samoan King, whose life of privilege takes a tragic turn when he is taken aboard a slave ship bound for Australia.

In the strange, unfamiliar land, the young -oOoboy struggles to preserve his identity, survive unimaginable turmoil and, ultimately, reclaim the freedom that was stripped away from him.

First time author Foster has been writing for Title: Gypsy Lullaby many years and enjoys weaving the culture and Author: Mazi Mcburnie history of her home country into her stories.

Publisher: Balboa Press She hopes Nothing Lasts Forever will draw more ISBN: 9781 5043 02784 attention into little known events and topics in Australian history. et in Australia in 1893, Gypsy Lullaby tells Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble the story of Delli, a mother searching for her child after waking up in a strange bed in a About the Author boarding house with no memory of giving birth. Althea Foster has been writing short stories Through an arranged marriage and an affair and novels for her friends who encouraged her to that results in pregnancy, Delli shows strength publish a book. She is a member of the Helensvale and courage to survive.

Writers Group and the Queensland Writers Centre.

“It is a delightful Foster lives in the Gold Coast. story with courage, tragedy, love and forbearance and every page is exciting,” author Mazi Mcburnie says. “This book has been a delight to write and I felt empathy for the character of Delli, feeling what she felt. I was sad to say goodbye to this book.”

Mcburnie adds that she was inspired after doing family history to tell the story of Delli, who was her greatgrandmother. “Although

JUST OUT

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WRITING WINNER - SWW COMPETITION

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ighteen people attended the Marathon Writing Competition hosted by the Society of Women Writers WA in Saturday at Citiplace Community Centre. All produced raw stories or poems that they can use for future writing projects. The winners were:

Jude St Clair (57 points)

Vicki Norman (50 points)

Fawzia Frahmand (33 points) Jude St Clair of Mandurah has won a place in the last four marathons, having won the trophy in September last year and placed second and third in two others. Jude describes herself as a budding crime novelist who enjoys life to the fullest. In October she is heading to New Orleans, where she will spend two years researching and writing her stories.

Jude says, "I love to travel and experience new things - new places thrill me." She has previously parachuted, white-water rafted, ridden a mechanical bull, para-sailed, hitch-hiked around Australia, taken a ride on a Harley, owned a convertible and partied on Bourbon Street, New Orleans.

Winner Jude St Claire receiving her award from President Iles

VISIT THE KSP CAFÉ

T

he Katharine Susannah Prichard (KSP) Writers’ Centre in the Perth Hills is throwing open the doors of its charitable KSP Café as part of a free community event on Sunday 4th December from 10.30am.

This annual open day event, known as Katharine’s Birthday, invites guests to learn more about the Centre while commemorating the birth of Katharine.

First built in 1910, the Centre was formerly the home of successful novelist Katharine Susannah Prichard and her husband Captain Hugo Throssell VC, who was the first WA soldier to win a Victoria Cross in World War I. Prichard herself was the first Australian author to gain international recognition by winning the Hodder and Stoughton Literature Prize in 1915.

Over the next fifty years, her most successful works were completed at her Greenmount home, now known as the KSP Writers’ Centre, in a beautiful writing studio built by her ANZAC hero husband.

Today the Centre is maintained and run by a dedicated group of volunteers with the united vision to support writers of all ages and abilities, with long-term financial support from the Shire of Mundaring.

All income from food and drinks purchased at the KSP Café goes towards covering ongoing overhead costs.

‘Every cup of tea and home-made biscuit bought at this event will make a difference to our future,’ says KSP Director Shannon Coyle. ‘Since the state funding cuts at the beginning of this year, we have struggled to make ends meet.’

In addition to the warm feeling gained by supporting a non-profit

organisation, guests to this event can enjoy games on the lawn and jazz tunes on the verandah, join free guided tours of the historic property, embark on a treasure hunt, enjoy a sausage sizzle lunch, listen to poetry and short story readings, enter a fantastic raffle prize draw, grab a 2017 event calendar, browse local author books for sale and information stalls on KSP’s many services and activities, and attend the award ceremonies of KSP’s 2016 writing competitions.

A full schedule of the day’s events is listed on the KSP Writers’ Centre website. For more information please phone 08 9294 1872 or visit www. kspwriterscentre.com.

Tabetha Beggs and Shannon Coyle enjoying the Swan Magazine and a cuppa at the KSP Café 35

FICTION THE EYES HAVE IT R W TREANOR

"B

oth eyes?" exclaimed Geneva Bradford.

"Both eyes, clean as a whistle, shot out with a small caliber hand gun," said Hal Carmody.

"When Jack and I found him he looked peculiar, but it took a second for the fact to register that both his eyes were gone. I can't make any sense out of it."

"Maybe there isn't any sense to be found.

Some things are just plain old evil." Geneva poured a cup of coffee for the tall State Police trooper and removed a Burmese kitten from his shoulder. "You don't have to put up with my pesky kittens just because I'm Anthea's mother, you know."

"No, no, I like them." Hal removed another kitten which was climbing paw-over-paw up his trousers and handed it to Geneva. He'd have put up with a lot worse than an infestation of kittens to get on the right side of Mrs. Bradford.

"So she isn't home, then?" Hal asked very casually.

"No. I'm not sure where she is. You could always put out an APB on her car if you really want to track her down," Geneva said with a laugh, then took pity on the long-faced young man.

"Look, Hal, Anthea is first and foremost dedicated to getting her degree, and probably a Master's after that. I think you have to be grateful for the times you can get together and not fret about the rest. You've got a career too, and you don't want to put that in jeopardy mooning over Anthea."

"I know. It's just that she can find order in a pile of rubbish, and I was really counting on talking to her today. My fault for not calling first." He peered into his coffee mug as if into the Cup of Jamshid, but saw nothing but steam.

"Well, tell me about whatever it is. I've helped solve a few mysteries in my day, you know," offered Geneva, who had found the solution to several mysterious deaths in Byford.

"I'm not supposed to let out information to the public."

"I'm not the public, and I promise not to tell anyone else—but suit yourself." Geneva started to get up, but Hal stopped her.

"No, no, please. I'd like your opinion. It's just so weird. And I know it's not what it looks like."

"Alright, after that sort of a teaser, you have to tell. Come on, give!" Geneva topped up both cups of coffee and looked expectant.

"OK. We have a shooting that everyone figures is a mob hit or contract killing. The victim looks like a businessman; nice suit, clean hands.

He was dumped on a dark stretch of Route 495, which is why the State Police were called in.

“He was shot through both eyes and that's the odd thing. One eye I could take as either very good luck or excellent aim. But both eyes--that was purposeful. The Boss says it was obvious the shooter wanted to be sure the guy was dead, 'so he gives him two shots to the head and they both just happen to go through the eyes', as he put it."

"But you're not satisfied with that explanation," said Geneva.

36

"No. The usual coup-de-grace shot is in the temple or the back of the neck, depending on how the guy falls. This just doesn't strike me as that sort of thing. However, it's not up to me to sort it out, and the Captain will have my guts for a slingshot if he finds out I'm wasting time. I'm supposed to find out who the guy is. Sooner or later someone will report him missing, but by then a lot of leads may have grown cold."

"OK, so the only thing that stands out about this case so far is that the man was shot: in both eyes. You need to focus on why, I think."

"How can I focus on 'why' when I don't even know 'who'?" Hal asked.

"Well, let's consider the possible reasons for shooting someone in the eyes."

"I thought maybe it was to injure the face, to prevent recognition, but the damage really isn't that bad. If we had a grieving widow, she'd be able to identify him well enough."

"OK, so that's out. What other reasons could you have for shooting out someone's eyes?"

Geneva persisted.

"I don't know. That's why I wanted to talk to Anthea; she's awfully clever about puzzles."

"And where do you think she got that talent?" asked Geneva sharply. "It's just a case of identifying the possibilities. For instance, among certain societies there's a belief that the last thing people see before death is imprinted on their pupils.

“You could be chasing a killer who comes from a superstition-ridden background. He's afraid the police will see his picture in the dead man's eyes, so he shoots them out."

"Somehow I can't fit a superstitious person together with a crack shot. The first shot went through the right eye and killed him, according to Doc Stevens. That took some serious skill, because the victim was alive at the start. The second shot perhaps anyone could have done, because the victim was no longer a moving target. But that first one would have needed an expert."

Geneva also consulted the coffee oracle.

After staring into the dark liquid for a long minute she said, "I wonder if that's true? Suppose the first shot just happened to go through the right eye? Having done so, it gives the killer the idea to shoot out the other eye, to mislead the police.

“Maybe the killer remembered something he read about, oh, say, Croatian assassination customs, where the killer always shoots out the eyes. So he does it with an eye to putting the police on the wrong track, you should pardon the pun."

Hal considered this for a moment. "It's pretty far-fetched. It would do for a Tom Clancy book, but real life isn't often like that. But that's interesting about the Croatians, I didn't know that."

"Hal, I made it up. Never mind, back to square one: why would you want to destroy someone's eyes?"

"Hatred? Maybe he saw something you can't

forgive him for, like nude pictures of grandma. So you shoot out the eyes as punishment," said Hal. "I can't believe I said that."

"That's what brain-storming is all about, throwing out a whole bunch of ideas, no matter how bizarre. Let's pick up that thread and see where it leads." Geneva tapped her teeth with a pencil, then absentmindedly put it in her mouth and bit down on it.

Hal watched with some alarm as she methodically reduced it to splinters before she spoke again.

"Perhaps it is not the eyes as symbolic of anything. Perhaps it’s just what it seems: he destroyed the eyes to destroy the eyes. Now, what could be the motive for that? What do you use your eyes for, other than seeing?" Brushing flakes of pencil paint and cedar shards from her jersey, Geneva got up and paced the floor of the large farmhouse kitchen.

"Eyes…eyes. Hang on, there was something in the Sunday papers…wait…."Geneva disappeared into the laundry room and rummaged in the recycling box. "Aha!" Coming back to the table, she put a slightly crumpled and coffee-stained newspaper feature section down. " 'With the Veri-view system, a small camera near the doorway can recognize details of each person's iris, regardless of contact lenses or eye glasses,' " she read " 'The presence of a pulse is also established, making it impossible for anyone to deceive the Veri-view scanner by using a photograph…the system can monitor up to 250 doors at once, and completely does away with the old PIN or password security systems, which have often proven to be anything but secure.' There's more, but that's the gist of it."

"How does that help us?" asked Hal "It shows you one use for eyes that isn't the obvious one. Eyes as identification, see? Sorry, I seem to be slipping into bad vision puns all over the place. But that could be a reason for shooting out eyes, because they're in an eye scanner data bank somewhere."

"But so what? You read that these systems are so good because they take the pulse into account also, so people can't fox the scanner with a photograph. They'd have to have the live eyes, and shooting them out can't possibly help the killer, whatever the plot might be."

"I disagree. Not having the live eyes might be the point of it all."

"Eh? Drag that one past me again, I'm completely in the dark now. Damn, it must be contagious," said Hal. "Well, you said it was only a matter of time before the dead man is reported missing.

Whoever killed him has to know that in a day or three the victim will be identified. If he wanted to stop that ever happening, he'd have hidden the body permanently.

“He didn't, either because he couldn't, or because it didn't matter if the man was identified eventually."

Hal said "I don't see how you make that leap of logic."

"It's probably not logic. Call it a hunch. He, the killer, is buying time by delaying the identification of the victim. After a certain time, probably fairly soon, it won't matter. And it's all tied up with the eyes. What I'd do, Hal, is ring Veri-view and see if you can get in to see some senior person right now.

“Find out what companies use their system.

Ask if there have been any odd things happening at any of their clients' premises recently, glitches in the system of some sort. I'd concentrate on places that have something worth stealing, like banks and jewelers, but that really is a way-out hunch. Take a photo of the dead man with you, just in case you need it."

"Mrs. Bradford, I don't know how you get these ideas. I'd never have thought of any of that, and I'm sure my Captain wouldn't have either. I'm off duty now, so I guess I can follow your hunches and not get into too much trouble.

I hope."

"What have you got to lose?"

Geneva stood watching the tall young trooper walk down the driveway. He got into his car, then got out again and deposited a large brown cat on the ground well clear of the car, waved to Geneva and left.

"Toby, hitching rides again" Geneva said to herself. The patriarch of the Elm Hill Cattery was a source of constant worry over his habits of going for rides, often uninvited.

"Moo-raow" said Toby, sauntering up to the porch and rubbing his jaw on Geneva's boot-tops.

"I don't believe a word of it." She said, catching him up and draping him across her shoulders like a living stole. "Come on, Toby, we've got work to do."

In her den, she thought about what Hal had said, that real life wasn't like a Tom Clancy book.

Unfortunately it was, all too often. The WTC disaster showed that whatever imagination could dream up, reality could trump in spades.

She had no doubt that the solution to Hal's case would be as bizarre as anything any writer could have thought up and she was in a position to know. Under a pseudonym, she wrote bloodcurdling thrillers about biological warfare, featuring epidemiologist Tom Janssen.

The mind that invented plots and sub-plots for these books found no problem throwing up theories for Hal Carmody's peculiar homicide.

Which of course didn't mean that anything she had suggested was even remotely like the truth.

Toby snored away in the wire basket labeled "Place to keep stuff until you decide to throw it out," a gift from Anthea, whose orderly nature was affronted by her mother's disorderly desk.

Geneva considered what she could do to help Hal's investigation.

Almost with out conscious thought, she clicked her way to the Veri-view website. As expected, there was a place for potential customers to get information, with links to a page called "Satisfied Clients".

There were a number of companies with names like Acme and Zenith who expressed themselves delighted with Veri-view security systems. Geneva ignored those. What she needed was information about companies that used

Veri-view who had something of value on their premises. None of those seemed to be listed, probably because if you had something worth taking, you didn't want prospective thieves to know anything about your security system, even its name.

Reaching for the telephone, she rang Cambridge and got a sleepy-sounding voice at the other end.

"Peter, wake up, it's your mother. I need to know how I'd find out about a company's clients."

"I suppose there is no point in telling you I didn't get to bed until nearly six this morning and that I'm half-dead," mumbled Peter, the academic one of Geneva's twin sons.

"Absolutely no point at all," said Geneva briskly. If people only rang Peter when he had gotten eight hours' sleep, he'd get precious few calls.

It was hardly Geneva's fault if her son had chosen to devote his life to one of the more obscure branches of mathematics, which required him to put in endless hours in the dead of night with the big mainframe computer.

"All right, what do you want to know and when do you want to know it? And am I likely to end up in jail if I get you this information?"

"I don't think so," she said. "You could in fact be helping to prevent a crime."

"Great, that's what I need, a really good excuse for the arresting officer. OK, shoot."

Peter took down the information Geneva had and listened to her theories. He didn't seem much impressed by them.

"Anyway, regardless of what you think, I'm convinced the answer to the murder lies in the Veri-view system. Anything you can dig up might be useful," Geneva said.

"They may already have identified the dead man," Peter suggested. "Lots of companies have their employees' fingerprints on record with the FBI or the police these days, in case of kidnapping or hijacking or other horrors of modern life."

"Well, they hadn't as of two hours ago.

Thanks, Peter. You'll call me as soon as you have anything?" Geneva asked. She didn't waste time on effusive thanks; she'd take Peter out for a feed of pancakes as payment one day Reluctantly, Geneva turned to her own work, editing the current thriller. This was always the hardest part of writing.

By the third revision, Geneva usually came to hate her hero and all his works. It usually took about six months before she could look at the published book without gagging.

Her reward for virtuous application to duty was to have Peter call back quite soon with the information she wanted.

The Veri-view system, he said, was widely used on the West Coast, but was just beginning to get a foothold in the Boston area. He had managed to get a list of clients, but that was all.

After hanging up, Geneva looked at her hastily scribbled notes. There was no way to guess what Sunshine Industries might make or sell or process. Maxwell Medical Hardware, on the other hand, was pretty self-explanatory.

Geneva sat back and thought for a moment.

Certain assumptions had to be made. One was that the dead man was local. It was highly unlikely that someone had brought him in from

New York or Montpelier. Another assumption: he'd probably be reported missing fairly soon.

Even if he didn't have a wife or mother, he had to have an employer, a friend, or a landlord.

If her theory about his murder was correct, some company with a Veri-view system was about to discover they had a problem, probably before the end of the next working day.

Looking over her list, Geneva chose a company at random: Hillview Enterprises. Ringing the phone number she found in the white pages, she got through to the Human Resources manager.

"It's Ann Ford from the Customer Service division of Veri-view. I'm just making a followup call to see how your system is working, and if you have any comments I should pass on to our technical division," she announced to the man who answered the phone.

"It's pretty good, in fact, it's an excellent system. I have one suggestion, there should be a way to have an inactive 'proxy', if I could put it that way, someone you can have as a back-up for the system," he said, after introducing himself as George Hardin.

"Would you give me a bit of detail about that, Mr. Hardin?" Geneva asked, striving to keep the slight touch of British accent in her voice that she knew was very effective in convincing people you were legitimate.

"Well, about a week ago we couldn't get into our laboratory because two of our registered eyes were away and the one on site had come down with a bad allergy and had to use some greasy goo in his eyes.

“The Veri-view scanner refused to recognise Harry's iris pattern and we had to call in someone from the night shift. You can imagine how happy she was about that, having just gone to bed. You might not think it's very important, but when American's third-largest hemorrhoid cream manufacturer can't get into its own lab, people are inconvenienced. As we say here, 'Your pain in the ass is our business' " Mr. Hardin said this so seriously that Geneva had to bite her knuckle to stop the laughter that threatened to explode. After she regained control, she asked, "So why not just have a few more people registered?"

"We'd prefer to keep the number of people with access limited. You wouldn't believe the lengths to which industrial spies will go to steal trade secrets.

“But if we had a couple of "pinch hitters" who could be activated for a limited time by two other registered people, say by means of a pin number and code, then we wouldn't have had the problem we had last week.. Of course, the other solution would be to adjust your gadgets so they aren't bothered by eye ointments."

"Well, Mr. Hardin, that's just the sort of information Veri-view needs to keep on giving you better service. Thank you very much for your time." Geneva hung up. She was now more than ever convinced that the mystery of the dead man's eyes would turn out to involve an iris scanner identification system.

Say the dead man was a 'registered eye' for a company. If you had killed him, why would you be bothered to damage his eyes? Would it be to cover up something? If so, what?

Geneva put on a Bach CD to provide mental 37

wallpaper while she considered the problem again.

Presumably these iris scanner systems had a memory, so that you could see whose eye pattern had been used to gain access to the safe or door or whatever at any given time. Destroying the eye would not erase the record of who had been in and out of the secure area.

What about looking at things from the other side? Geneva kicked herself for another lousy pun and sat down to consider this angle. What about the problem Mr. Hardin had mentioned, the difficulty they had getting into their laboratory when several of their "registered eyes" were away?

Could the dead man have been killed just because he was the means for someone to gain access to something? Was his death intended to ensure that some safe or laboratory could not be entered? Would someone take a life for no better reason than that?

Geneva snorted to herself. What a stupid question to ask in a world where pensioners were regularly mugged for ten dollars or less. If there were a prize worth millions or even thousands, someone would think it enough to kill for.

Finding Hal's cell phone number, she rang and waited impatiently. The message bank eventually picked up and she said "It's a solid chance that the dead man works for some company which at this moment is unable to open its Veri-view protected safe or other secure room.

“I'm pretty sure that the dead man was killed to prevent his gaining access to the place where something valuable used to be.. I'd be looking for a company that has very few "registered eyes" and where one or more of those is away from work for a few days. I'll bet you a box of canolis that the murderer is one of the registered eyes who has stolen something and hopes to get well clear before the theft is discovered."

That was about all she could do for the moment. She tried to forget all about the mystery by attacking several long-postponed housekeeping tasks.

Hours later, when Geneva was stretched exhausted on the couch with a well-earned glass of Laphroaig there was a tap at the back door. Hal entered, bearing a large white box. "Don't get up, I'll bring these in to you," he called through to the family room.

"I take it you've cracked the case?" asked Geneva, looking at six cream-oozing canolis.

"Thanks to you. Just before the meeting with the man at Veri-view I checked my message bank. Your suggestion was the prod I needed for the assistant managing director. He emailed all the companies who use the Veri-view system, giving them the description of the dead man and asking if they had anyone missing, and if they were able to operate their Veri-view systems at that time. Two companies rang up within a few minutes of getting the message, and one of them was Monaco Diamond Dealers."

Geneva selected a canoli and nudged the box towards Hal. "Go on," she mumbled around a mouthful of boiled cream.

38

"The diamond dealer has only four people registered for their Veri-view scanner. Any one of them can open the Veri-view protected safe.

“Last week their vice-president was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery, and is out of the picture, you might say. The senior buyer is in Amsterdam, so only two people were available who could open the safe where all the stock is kept."

Hal stopped long enough to devour half a canoli before going on.

"As soon as the email from Veri-view arrived, the Monaco proprietor rang to say that both their retail sales supervisor and their designer were away from work. Momsen, the designer, had rung in saying he had dreadful gastric troubles from some spoiled shellfish, and nothing had

over somewhere.

“With the vice-president in hospital and the head buyer in Amsterdam, all Momsen had to do was keep Gillet out of action and he was safe.

Tying him up and hiding him was too chancy, so Momsen killed him. Also, if Gillet was found murdered, we might assume a criminal accomplice did it, and be misdirected on a wild goose chase."

"So the shooting through the eyes was really nothing to do with the case?"

"No, the reason for the murder was simply to keep Bob Gillet from going to work and opening the safe. The double eye stuff, that was just a macabre touch, perhaps meant to send us off looking for voodoo or vendettas or something. I think your theory about the first shot accidentally going through the eye and giving the killer the idea to shoot the other one was probably correct."

"Drat, and I had just about come up with another theory that would explain everything," said Geneva, deciding she had burned enough calories to justify eating another canoli.

"Never mind. You saw the light in the end," said Hal, barely making it to the safety of the kitchen as the hurled canoli flew after him. ~oOo~

been heard from the sales supervisor at all.

“No one at Monaco was able to open the safe and they had grave concerns. They've sent an urgent message to their man in Amsterdam to come home. The description of the dead man sounded like their sales supervisor, Bob Gillet."

"And so you galloped over to the designer's home address and arrested him with a shaving kit full of diamonds, just about to make a run for the Bahamas! " exclaimed Geneva.

"No, I galloped over to his apartment building in time to see his dead body being carried out by the ambulance guys. The building supervisor went into his apartment to check why a neighbour had reported hearing the sink run for hours nonstop.

“The man fractured his skull in his bathroom, apparently he slipped and cracked it on the toilet pedestal. Those statistics about most accidents happening in the home are just as true for murderers as they are for the rest of us," Hal said, adding, "You were right about the shaving kit. He had taken his electric toothbrush apart, hidden three million dollars of first-grade diamonds inside the charging unit, and plasticbonded it all back together. If we hadn't been looking for something like that, we'd never have suspected."

"All good diamonds are x-rayed and registered these days, aren't they?" asked Geneva. "How did he expect to get away with it?"

"That's why it was so important to prevent Gillet from being identified too soon. Momsen must have planned to go where he could sell the diamonds before they were listed as stolen, probably New York. It all hinged on no-one being able to get into the safe to discover the stones were missing before he was able to turn them

Karen R Treanor has been writing about animals since the age of six, when she first made the acquaintance of a chipmunk in her back yard in New England.

While working in Southern Africa, she wrote several reading books based on local folk tales for the Ministry of Education in Swaziland, and a number of radio scripts for the English Language program of the Ministry of Education in Lesotho.

Since settling in Western Australia and meeting the original Bounce and Pounce bandicoots in her own backyard, Karen has been dedicated to improving public awareness of these charming little native animals of Australia, which often suffer for their superficial resemblance to rats.

She thinks bandicoots would have been a more appropriate State Animal for Western Australia than numbats, “who got the job because of their flashy suits”. She started Quenda Books, which publishes the Scoot, Scoot, Bandicoot® series for children, in 2003. The website is www.bandicootbooks.com.

Karen writes books for older readers, including The Angelus Ghost, Death in the Sea of Grass, A Tree in Mundaring, and the ‘malice domestic’ series featuring amateur sleuth Geneva Bradford, Bitter Bones, Long Bones and Blessed Bones. Several of the books are available from www.fidopublishing.com in electronic formats.

She is much in demand as a reviewer of mystery and detective books, many of which are published in the Swan Magazine.

COMMUNITY FRACKING JANETTE HUSTON

T

he other day I spoke on talk back radio. Mark McGowan had said that if Labor got in he would ban fracking (hydraulic fracturing to remove gas) in the south-west. (This has since changed to include the Swan Valley and Perth region).

My response was “Great, but what about the Swan Valley and the Mid-west?” They then asked me why I was so passionate about this and this was my response.

“I have been involved in Landcare for the past thirty odd years. In Landcare things can get stopped or stabilized but with Fracking – once the earth is cracked, it is cracked forever - there is no fixing it.”

I know there are a lot of things going on in the world, and many campaigns that I could get my teeth stuck into, but after watching the US doco’s Gaslands, Gaslands II and the Australian doco Frackman, I was gob-smacked.

How could this be happening? How could any government not only let this happen but not have extremely strict environmental protection and regulation protocols?

As quoted by John Butler from The John Butler Trio in Perth Now “What could be more lax than the State Government allowing this industry exemption from obtaining Environment Protection Authority and Department of Environment Regulation pollution control licences to explore and frack?

Other industries have to get approvals, but somehow this highly volatile industry that drills through our aquifers and pumps chemical solutions at extremely high pressure to fracture coal seams, shale and tight reserves, is exempt.

That’s not robust regulations. That’s pure recklessness. This is our

water, not the gas industry’s or any other industries.”

What is frightening is that recent modelling by Department of Water scientists has indicated that over the next few years there will most likely be periods of NO FLOW in the upper reaches of the Lennard and Gingin Brooks during the peak of dryer summers. Yet fracking is allowed…

There is already conventional gas flowing from wells at Gingin, and a Gas and Condensate Onshore Processing Facility, shipped in from Texas, already present there. What’s going on?

Let’s paint a bit of a picture about Fracking WHAT IS FRACKING? Fracking is a mining process used to extract gas deposits from shale and tight sands rock formations deep underground. Fracking involves pumping large volumes of water, chemicals and sand into a gas well under extreme pressure to force the rock to fracture and release trapped gas.

Shale and tight gasfields also require the industrialisation of entire landscapes with hundreds or even thousands of gas wells, plus vast networks of roads and pipelines, compressor stations, processing plants, wastewater holding dams and treatment plants Fracking: • Uses chemicals that are hazardous substances, including carcinogens, neurotoxins, irritants/sensitisers, reproductive toxins and endocrine disruptors.

Many of the chemicals used in fracking have never been assessed for their long-term impacts on the environment and human health.

In the Whicher Range in the South West, an experimental frack used 1.2 million litres of diesel as the fracking fluid and more than 600,000 litres of diesel remains trapped down the fracked well.

• Requires 11 - 34 million litres of water in one frack. Wells are often fracked on multiple occasions, sometimes up to ten times, multiplying overall water use. The large amount of water used in fracking would put severe pressure on Western Australia's precious underground water resources, which are relied upon by communities and industries across the state.

• Produces large volumes of toxic waste water, with 15-80% of this waste usually disposed of through reinjection into aquifer formations, held in holding ponds for storage/evaporation, or partially ‘treated’ and reused or released into waterways. Leaking ponds, flood events or accidents during transportation can lead to contamination of local waterways and aquifers, threatening wildlife, agriculture and human health. This wastewater contains drilling and fracking chemicals and other substances present in the source rocks. These contaminants include heavy metals, radioactive materials, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and high concentrations of salts.

• Causes serious health consequences: Fracking operations pollute the air with a range of toxic gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's).

Communities living near gasfields in Australia and the US have reported serious health effects following the commencement of unconventional gas operations, including respiratory ailments, nose, throat and eye irritations, and neurological illnesses.

Unconventional fracking gasfields are proposed for areas of the Perth Basin, a geological formation that runs 1,300km along the west coast from Geraldton to Augusta.

This gas is so tightly held within the rock strata that it can only be extracted by smashing and fracturing the deep, gas-carrying rocks where they lie sandwiched in the Earth’s crust. Part of the Perth Basin underlies the Perth metropolitan area.

So let’s do the maths. It is a fact that 6% of all wells fail immediately.

46% of Perth’s water comes from groundwater. So there is a 6% chance of polluting nearly 50% of our drinking water – forever. Hmmm, that doesn’t go down well with me.

This affects all of us. We all drink and use water. We need to make our voices heard and put a stop to this. Come to our meetings, join local groups such as Gasfield Free Perth Hills, become a Knitting Nanna for a Frack Free WA or join Frack Free Future, Lock the Gate or No Fracking Way. Let’s raise our voices and be heard.

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THE IDLER The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Mind on a gorgeous Perth spring

SHORT STORY FESTIVAL glennys marsdon

O

day.

While I was unable to attend the Saturday program there was no way I was going to miss the In Conversation with Cate Kennedy. Many years ago I attended one of Cate’s workshops and to this day it remains amongst my top five most valuable educational experiences for writers.

Seven things I learnt from Cate this time around were: • Learning to write is an ongoing process; • There is nowhere to hide Field Day Burger (Photograph by G Marsden) in a short story whereas a just stop.’ Cate Kennedy novel can have flat spots; One of the last sessions was an interesting • It takes a while to learn about distillation; • In a short story the writer has to move from panel discussion with Richard Rossiter, Paul Mitchell and Michelle Michau-Crawford. They explained the the universal to the specific; • If there is no surprise for the writer, there is no process behind the Short Story Cycle and how they put together their closely linked stories. surprise for the reader; Along the way I learnt that: • A metaphor lifts ten times its weight; • If a story doesn’t work it just means it needs • Do something just for the love of it. more work; ‘No one has ever become an expert in • It’s easy to get all fancy about your writing something and then stops saying they’re finished. after the event and it’s all done; Even a golfer, when they reach the top, they don’t • Sometimes your characters can feel more real than your real-life friends; • The Short Story Cycle began in the 1940’s.

ctober saw the usual assortment of Western Australian writers venture out from behind their computers to soak up some new knowledge, inspiration and comradery.

This time the event was the inaugural Australian Short Story Festival held at the Centre For Stories in Northbridge.

The first of anything is always a bit of a mystery but I’m pleased to report that from what I experienced the festival is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Held over three-days the Festival included twenty-five events ranging from discussions about: Voice; Editing Short Stories; Gender; Experimenting with Form; Structure; Publishing Advice; Flash Fiction and Poetry to name a few.

There were chances to hear from emerging voices, plus a range of ‘In Conversations’. The Festival also included the launch of The Westerly Magazine: New Creative issue, and a celebration of the fifth Margaret River Short Story Competition.

Two of the more interesting initiatives during the Festival were the yarning from Warakurna artists and elders, and the Streetside Readings Walk Trail.

The Walking Trail was a free event that saw people join authors as they read extracts and short stories on a walk trail of local Northbridge outlets.

Streetside Reading outside the the Centre for Stories What a fantastic idea especially (Photograph by A Solding)

An added benefit of being in Northbridge was the number of lunch outlets nearby. I ventured out to Varsity Burgers, somewhere I’ve been trying to get to for months.

The Field Day burger – two huge marinated field mushrooms, semidried tomatoes, spinach, plus a red onion and blue cheese sauce was one of the best vegetarian burgers I’ve had in a while.

The two huge mushrooms easily took the place of a meat patty and meant I didn’t need any dinner. When I asked the Varsity staff about their coffees they directed me to the shop next door saying they had the best coffee.

It was as if the collaborative spirit from the Festival radiated down the street.

As I reflect on the weekend and look at the stack of new short story collections waiting on the corner of my desk, I can only say a big thank you to whoever thought of this idea, and immense congratulations to the organising committee for such an inspiring and educational festival. I can’t wait for the next one, which I believe will be held in Adelaide.

For more information about the festival go to www.australianshortstoryfestival.com/

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COMMUNITY

T

he Compassionate Friends of Western Australia strives to support families who have lost a child, regardless 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 A Walk of Remembrance and a Candlelight Service (nonreligious) 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”.

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.

The Place of Reflection, Kings Park

A PLACE OF REFLECTION, KINGS PARK The Compassionate Friends of WA were instrumental in the design and implimentation of this beautiful place where you can go to talk, think and reflect on your loss.

NEW to TCFWA

Starting the 1st February at 10:00am we will be holding coffee mornings in our lounge room at City West Lotteries House for any bereaved parent, grandparent and/or sibling who wish to join us Tea, Coffee, Cake will be supplied, gold coin donation appreciated but not essential.

1st Wednesday of each Month 10:00am – 12:00 noon Call 0439 991 277 for bookings Room 2 City West Lotteries House 2 Delhi Street, West Perth.

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.

CANDLE LIGHT SERVICE 2016

This year our Candle Light Service will be held on Sunday 11th December, 3.00pm start at St Georges Cathedral, St Georges Terrace, Perth.

We would love to see you and your families joining us to remember our angels, bring a photo, or remembrance item to place on the table.

The service is non-religious but gives us the opportunity to communicate with our loved ones if we wish.

We welcome any readings, so if you would like to do this, please let Leann know on 0439 991 277 so that we can allocate time.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We are always looking for volunteers to help run Sausage Sizzles, Charity Shopping Centre Drives and other events along with peer support volunteers (bereaved parents) for telephone support and group meeting facilitation.

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 bereaved that wish to have contact, help pay for meeting and coffee mornings.

SUPPORT AVAILABLE Meetings: Fremantle & Heathridge Please contact office for dates and times.

Call Support is also available Drop in Centre- 9486 8711 Mondays and Wednesdays 10am – 2pm WALK OF REMEMBRANCE HELD IN Please call first - 9486 8711 MARCH EACH YEAR

Events like these above give City West Lotteries House the bereaved some hope of a life 2 Delhi Street, West Perth 41

This i s the Swan Valle y Time to get cosy with a glass of Swan Valley Red

COS02019

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A PLETHORA OF PERFECT PET PUPS

A

t SAFE Karratha we have been rushed off our feet this month with puppies galore!

It’s unusual for us to get so many puppies all at once and we’re relying heavily on our network of very patient foster carers who are bottle feeding, cuddling and nurturing a total of twenty-eight of the little cuties.

There are the C, D, J, T, W and as yet unnamed puppy litters, all a variety of sizes and breeds and all in need of supportive care.

The W puppies’ mum, Woody, was brought in to SAFE by the local ranger, heavily pregnant.

Within days she’d given birth to six healthy pups (five boys and one girl), all under the watchful eye of her foster carer Daphne and the local Karratha vets.

Daphne took her new brood home, helping Woody to care for the youngsters in a safe environment. All the pups are thriving and developing their own personalities and Daphne has watched in interest as Woody, only one-yearold herself, laps up motherhood by teaching her pups to play and also ensuring the not-so-greedy ones get their fair share of dinner.

Once the pups are weaned and able to be adopted into their new permanent homes, Woody will be desexed and microchipped before returning to her own Roebourne home.

Microchipping and putting an end to the breeding cycle is a vital part of SAFE’s work towards achieving our goal of ending euthanasia of rehomeable pets. So all animals adopted through us are desexed, microchipped and vaccinated.

The C, D, T and W pups have all completed posing for the camera with our volunteer photographers and with their written profiles they’ll be uploaded onto the SAFE website safe. asn.au.

As well as our hordes of puppies we also have a number of other dogs, cats and kittens looking for homes. Contact SAFE Karratha on (08) 9185 4634 if you’d like to make a permanent addition to your family.

VOLUNTEER SAFE is a not for profit organisation that saves rehomeable animals from euthanasia. We have ten branches around the state and are always in

need of volunteers in many different roles to help our animals into foster and permanent homes.

Email and internet makes volunteering possible from anywhere. We have volunteers working effectively from all over the country performing an array of tasks.

Our overheads are kept small as we rely on our volunteers to care for the animals, take photographs, write profiles, coordinate photographers and profilers, do website content management, write stories for publications, do public relations and administrative work.

We’d also love to welcome more foster carers to our network in Perth and across the state.

Fostering provides rehabilitation, training, caring and loving of animals to prepare them for their new lives with permanent owners.

Volunteer fundraisers and marketers are needed to help raise much needed funds.

If you’d like to make a difference and join our team of volunteers and foster carers, please email karratha@safe.asn.au or phone us at SAFE Karratha at (08) 9185 4634.

We are always in need of donations to pay vet bills - every rescue animal has to be desexed, vaccinated and microchipped. If you’d like to donate, information can be found on safe.asn.au/ How_to_help/Donate.html

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