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Issue 47 Aurora Magazine April 2022

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FREE<br />

<strong>Aurora</strong><br />

<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>47</strong><br />

GREAT SOUTHERN Lifestyle, People, Happenings <strong>April</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

TASTE GREAT<br />

SOUTHERN<br />

STEVEN PIACUN<br />

THE GRANGE<br />

ON KALGAN<br />

SOUTHERN SESSIONS<br />

PLUS<br />

HENRY EDMONDSON,<br />

SNOWBOARDING<br />

FREERIDER<br />

DENMARK FM<br />

ALBANY SINFONIA<br />

CINEFESTOZ<br />

10,000 DISTRIBUTED FREE<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

www.auroramagazine.com.au


<strong>Aurora</strong><br />

Great Southern Lifestyle, People, Happenings<br />

Manager and Editor<br />

Amanda Cruse<br />

0438 212 979<br />

amanda@auroramagazine.com.au<br />

Advertising Sales<br />

Amanda Cruse<br />

0438 212 979<br />

sales@auroramagazine.com.au<br />

Production and Layout<br />

Vanessa Pribil<br />

vanessa@auroramagazine.com.au<br />

Photography<br />

editorial@auroramagazine.com.au<br />

www.auroramagazine.com.au<br />

Our cover<br />

On our cover this month is Albany<br />

Farmers Markets fixture and this year’s<br />

Taste Great Southern Fresh Produce<br />

Ambassador, Steven Piacun. Steven<br />

and his family are familiar faces to<br />

anyone who frequents the Albany<br />

Farmers Markets, and their locally<br />

grown produce has been feeding local<br />

families for many years. For the full<br />

story, turn to page 24.<br />

PHOTO: LATA WRIGHT.<br />

FREE<br />

<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>47</strong><br />

<strong>Aurora</strong><br />

GREAT SOUTHERN Lifestyle, People, Happenings <strong>April</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

PLUS<br />

HENRY EDMONDSON,<br />

SNOWBOARDING<br />

FREERIDER<br />

DENMARK FM<br />

ALBANY SINFONIA<br />

CINEFESTOZ<br />

TASTE GREAT<br />

SOUTHERN<br />

STEVEN PIACUN<br />

THE GRANGE<br />

ON KALGAN<br />

SOUTHERN SESSIONS<br />

Editorial<br />

editorial@auroramagazine.com.au<br />

10,000 DISTRIBUTED FREE<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

www.auroramagazine.com.au<br />

Our Contributors<br />

Amanda Cruse<br />

Deanna Davenport<br />

Serena Kirby<br />

Jacob Morgan-de Laine<br />

Adam Morris<br />

Allen Newton<br />

Anne Skinner<br />

Distribution<br />

Tim Cruse<br />

0438 004 408<br />

distribution@auroramagazine.com.au<br />

Published by Greybird Media<br />

Printed by Ive Group, Mandurah Print Centre<br />

7 Rafferty Close, Mandurah, WA 6210<br />

<strong>Aurora</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is subject to Copyright and may not<br />

be reproduced in any form without permission from the<br />

Publisher. Any material supplied for publication is the<br />

responsibility of the supplier. All information is believed<br />

to be true by the Publisher at the time of printing.<br />

<strong>Aurora</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is 100% locally<br />

and independently owned.<br />

<strong>Aurora</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is printed on uncoated<br />

paper, and is therefore 100% recyclable.<br />

Please dispose of thoughtfully.<br />

Distribution<br />

10,000 copies of <strong>Aurora</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> are distributed free each month.<br />

We distribute our paper strategically to ensure we are well placed for strong readership amongst<br />

both locals and visitors to the Great Southern region.<br />

You can pick up a copy from the Albany, Mount Barker and Walpole-Nornalup visitors centres, as<br />

well as the Albany ANZAC Centre. We are also available from the Albany, Denmark, Katanning,<br />

Mount Barker and Walpole public libraries. Almost 1000 copies are put directly into the rooms of<br />

accommodation venues throughout the Great Southern.<br />

We also have the following major distribution points:<br />

Albany: Clarks News Agency, Coles (Albany Plaza and Orana), Dome Cafe, Plaza Lotteries, Puma<br />

Service Station, Royale Patisserie, Spencer Park IGA, The Naked Bean, Woolworths (Chester Pass<br />

Mall and Bayonet Head), and York Street IGA.<br />

Denmark: Raven’s Coffee. We are also available at The General Store at Youngs Siding and the<br />

Elleker General Store.<br />

Mount Barker: Supa IGA and the Plantagenet Wines Cellar Door.<br />

Walpole: Pioneer Store IGA and the Treetop Walk Gift Shop.<br />

We have over 100 smaller distribution points, so there’s a good chance your favourite local cafe,<br />

vineyard, boutique, hotel, gallery or corner store will have some copies on hand.<br />

Concerned about poor returns on your cash?<br />

“Historically no other single, easily accessible traditional asset has delivered higher<br />

returns than GOLD in environments where real cash interest rates have been low.“<br />

- The Perth Mint Blog<br />

With over 20 years financial services experience gained in Kalgoorlie, Tim Cruse,<br />

Senior Wealth Adviser can help you develop an appropriate investment strategy.<br />

P: 08 9842 <strong>47</strong>80 | E: TCruse@cgf.com<br />

Canaccord Genuity Financial Limited AFSL No. 239 052 ABN 69 008 896 311<br />

2 LOVE LOCAL


contents<br />

4 FOCUS HENRY EDMONDSON<br />

The Freerider<br />

8 SAFEKEEP BERNADETTE DUELL<br />

Sydney Harbour to King George Sound<br />

10 SPOTLIGHT DENMARK FM<br />

Community on the Airwaves<br />

12 ENGAGE KATHRYN MACNEIL<br />

Musical Director – Albany Sinfonia<br />

14 ENCHANT DISCOVERER IAN RORKE<br />

Denmark River Fairy Doors<br />

4 FOCUS 8 SAFEKEEP<br />

16 VOGUE KEEPING IT CLASSY<br />

Local Fashion Feature<br />

20 REFLECT THE FIRST ANZAC DAY<br />

‘Thrills of pride and regret’<br />

22 TASTE GREAT OUR PREMIER FESTIVAL<br />

SOUTHERN<br />

Fantastic Foodie Line-up<br />

23 ALBANY FARMERS MARKETS<br />

Celebrating 20 Years<br />

24 STEVEN PIACUN<br />

A Voice for the Small Producer<br />

10 SPOTLIGHT 14 ENCHANT<br />

26 THE GRANGE ON KALGAN<br />

The French Menang Connection<br />

28 SOUTHERN SESSIONS<br />

Tunes and Tastes at the Boastshed<br />

29 WHAT’S ON CINEFESTOZ ALBANY<br />

Centre Stage for Local Film Makers<br />

32 BAZAARIUM<br />

Youth Markets at Town Hall<br />

35 GIG GUIDE GIGS, MARKETS AND EXHIBITIONS<br />

16 VOGUE 29 WHAT’S ON<br />

Design by Marco Dabala<br />

South Coast Graphic Designer global experience<br />

marco@designbymarco.com.au 0417 962 194<br />

ARCHITECTURE<br />

WITH HEART<br />

08 9848 3894<br />

info@ptxarchitects.com.au<br />

ptxarchitects.com.au<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

3


focus<br />

HENRY EDMONDSON<br />

The Freerider<br />

STORY SERENA KIRBY | PHOTOS SERENA KIRBY<br />

When Henry Edmondson rocked up to his very first snowboarding lesson no one could<br />

have imagined that two years later he’d be standing on the podium at an international<br />

snowboarding competition.<br />

Amazing, yes, and even more so considering that Henry comes from a place without snow.<br />

Before that first lesson Henry, then aged 14, considered snow as something elusive and<br />

exotic and he’d decided that if he was going to see it he wanted it to be the best snow<br />

in the world. Its location? A very long way from Denmark, Western Australia, in Niseko<br />

on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.<br />

With a dream in his head and a plan in the making, Henry saved hard, developed an<br />

itinerary, calculated a budget and convinced his parents and some friends to travel to<br />

Japan. It was January 2020 and news of a deadly virus in China was starting to filter into<br />

the Japanese media reports but to the Denmark holiday-makers it was merely a distant<br />

distraction.<br />

Within a few hours of Henry starting his beginners snowboarding lessons in Niseko the<br />

instructor had moved him up to the advanced group, which was full of kids who’d been<br />

snowboarding for years. By the end of the day it was obvious this kid from a snowless<br />

town didn’t need any lessons. He was an outright natural.<br />

“I’ve been surfing since I was a little kid and snowboarding is a lot like surfing,” says<br />

Henry. “You need balance, control, air awareness and spatial awareness, all with a<br />

board connected to your feet. You also need to be really fit if you want to be really<br />

good.”<br />

But the style of snowboarding Henry, now 16, has chosen to pursue is a far cry from<br />

floating down smoothly groomed, carefully controlled ski runs. Henry is a freerider.<br />

“Freeriding is an extreme, high speed, aggressive sport. It’s all about big mountains<br />

and steep slopes,” Henry explains. “To me, it’s far more interesting than snowboarding<br />

down the same run over and over again. Where’s the challenge in that? In freeriding<br />

you go to places others don’t go. The natural features on a mountain – the ones skiers<br />

strive to avoid like boulders, trees and drop offs – are the things that freeriders aim<br />

their boards at. We use them as props for performing tricks, showing skill and scoring<br />

points when competing.”<br />

And competing is exactly what Henry is now doing. Three months ago, amidst closed<br />

borders and travel restrictions, he travelled to France to compete in a series of events<br />

as part of the international Freeride Junior Tour and was competing against some of the<br />

best teenage riders in the world.<br />

These wild rides saw him hurtle down some very mean mountains including a vertical<br />

face with a 200 metre drop. The starting position for these events was often at an<br />

altitude of between 2,000 to 3,000 metres above sea level which is more than twice the<br />

height of Bluff Knoll.<br />

4 LOVE LOCAL


focus<br />

Henry gets plenty of air practising in the backyard on his trampoline.<br />

Henry came an outstanding seventh in his first ever event and a gobsmacking third in<br />

another. After collating points from all his events Henry was in sixth position on the<br />

Oceania Freeride ranking which covers Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. He’s<br />

also ranked amongst the top 40 in the world for junior Freeride.<br />

At the time of writing this, Henry is rugged up in Europe waiting to compete in three<br />

events over three weekends being held in Austria, Switzerland and Norway. The aim is<br />

to gain enough points to qualify for the Freeride Junior World Championships to be held<br />

in Austria in January next year.<br />

Of course, the obvious question is how does Henry train for these competitions when<br />

he lives in a place with no snow.<br />

“I stay fit and we have an old trampoline in the backyard and I practise manoeuvres on<br />

that. But I’ve also spent the last 18 months mentally preparing; visualising jumps, turns<br />

and drops and how to control a tight carve through deep snow. I’ve watched a lot of<br />

YouTube clips too.”<br />

Visualisation has been a vital tool because, before Henry headed to France to compete,<br />

he’d only had six days on the snow in Hotham since leaving Japan 18 months before. It<br />

was not for lack of wanting; that virus that he’d seen on Japanese news in 2020 had well<br />

and truly clipped his snow-tipped travel-wings.<br />

There’s no doubt that Henry is a bit of a freak of nature and his story is certainly one<br />

that will inspire others. You could also consider a film script about a gusty kid from<br />

regional Australia carving up the snow in far flung places and parallels to movies like<br />

Cool Runnings (about a Jamaican bobsled team) and Eddie the Eagle (about a British<br />

Olympic ski jumper that never gave up) are bound to tweak the interest of marketingsavvy<br />

companies. Henry is already a brand ambassador for snowboard maker, Mammut,<br />

and during the course of this interview a call came in from well known clothing<br />

company, The North Face, wanting to start discussions.<br />

Closer to home, Henry’s parents, Chris and Deb, are equally in awe of their teenage son.<br />

“He’s incredibly passionate about snowboarding and has worked hard in a weekend<br />

job to buy his own gear,” says Deb, before adding that this included the scary need for<br />

avalanche gear which every competitive rider must carry.<br />

“He has been the driver of this, not me. He researches everything in great detail, hands<br />

me the plan and says, ‘this is what I want to do and this is how we can do it’. We’re by<br />

no means rich and we’re very frugal but we’re lucky enough to be able to support him<br />

and that’s very cool. Anyone with an adolescent knows that if that child is dedicated to<br />

their dream you’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen.”<br />

Deb adds that her son now has a network of freeriding friends all over the world and<br />

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LOVE LOCAL<br />

5


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focus<br />

laughs when she recounts their prominent topic of conversation.<br />

“The friends talk about how the snow is where they are and Henry, well, he talks about<br />

how the snow isn’t.”<br />

Deb laughs again when she recalls the competition confusion caused by her son’s<br />

country of origin.<br />

“When officials announced him over the PA system they’d call him ‘Henri from Austria’.<br />

They just couldn’t fathom that he came from Australia let alone from a place that’s<br />

3,500 km away from the nearest snow. The confusion was hilarious. Of course, every<br />

time we said Denmark people instantly thought of Scandinavia.”<br />

But Deb is certainly not smiling when she talks about the extreme nature of what her<br />

son does. It’s more of a grimace that crosses her face.<br />

“When I first agreed to help him follow his dream I didn’t fully appreciate how extreme<br />

that dream was. At the first comp in France, he looked like a tiny ant against the<br />

backdrop of the massive mountain. I was so nervous and scared; I just wanted him to<br />

be alive at the end of it. It’s not a controlled environment like at the Olympics and I saw<br />

plenty of bodies, with boards attached, cartwheeling down the mountain. They call it<br />

tomahawking; people get hurt, bones get broken.”<br />

Henry prefers not to think about those things. He does get nervous before he rides but<br />

not scared and at the moment he has just one thing in mind.<br />

“I’m purely focussed on getting to the World Champs in Austria next year,” Henry says.<br />

“And I’ll have to wash a lot of dishes at the local tavern to make that happen.”<br />

Where this current round of competitions will lead Henry is yet to be seen and you’d<br />

have to say that, podium or not, this kid from the country is already a winner. He’s<br />

followed his snowboarding passion and reached a level of achievement that totally<br />

defies his snowless circumstances.<br />

detail oil on canvas 94x94cm Nell Symonds<br />

Anything beyond today is purely icing on a mountain of cake.<br />

BELOW: Collecting his third place trophy in La Rosiere, France in January <strong>2022</strong><br />

RIGHT: Henry’s number one supporter is his mum, Deb.<br />

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㐀 ㈀㈀ 㜀 㔀 㠀 㔀 <br />

猀 琀 愀 猀 栀 挀 漀 û 攀 攀 ⸀ 挀 漀 洀 ⸀ 愀 甀<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

7


safekeep<br />

BERNADETTE DUELL<br />

From Sydney Harbour to King George Sound<br />

STORY ADAM MORRIS | PHOTO LATA WRIGHT<br />

Bernadette sits across from me in the small but cosy conference room, her big broad<br />

smile lighting up the space as she welcomes me to her office where herself and her<br />

small team help families across the Great Southern plan their estates and organise their<br />

affairs should the unthinkable happen unexpectedly.<br />

Behind Bernadette is a lamp shade with a Frida Kahlo detail and to my left a cushion<br />

with the same brightly coloured cover sporting the famous Mexican painter. Bernadette<br />

tells me she keeps Frida in the office as a daily reminder that her work is a creative<br />

process and that every family that walks through the door has their own unique set of<br />

circumstances that need her careful and creative attention.<br />

Bernadette started her legal career far away from the south coast of Western Australia.<br />

She was in fact one of the most sought-after lawyers in the Greater Sydney area where<br />

she would spend her days looking after the financial affairs of the ultra-rich, sporting<br />

personalities and high ranking federal politicians. Every bit the successful Sydney<br />

lawyer, Bernadette could be found regularly putting in twelve hour days, driving her jet<br />

black Audi convertible and fielding late night emergency phone calls from the men and<br />

women that ran the country.<br />

She remembers seeing John Howard daily as he took his morning stroll past her two<br />

bedroom unit in the leafy Sydney suburb of Wollstonecraft – the ex prime minister in<br />

his infamous green and gold tracksuit, Bernadette in her pyjamas eating vegemite on<br />

toast, a wave and a smile shared as he passed each morning. Bernadette recalls her<br />

previous life in detail, “I worked in various offices in the Sydney CBD. Level 44 at 2 Park<br />

Street was my favourite as I had harbour views and the largest office in the law firm. I<br />

was promoted from Junior Lawyer to Senior Associate and part of my promotion was<br />

the big office. I lived in Wollstonecraft, a suburb just north of the bridge. I’d catch the<br />

train from Wollstonecraft station to Town Hall station which was about a twenty minute<br />

Bernadette Duell, Principal Lawyer for Great Southern Wills with her husband and business manager Paul Terry.<br />

8 LOVE LOCAL


safekeep<br />

commute. When the days were sunny, I’d get off at Milsons Point and walk across the<br />

Harbour Bridge to work.”<br />

But Bernadette wasn’t satisfied with the life she had built for herself and yearned for<br />

what she describes as more meaningful work. She longed to be amongst more down to<br />

earth people and help families, particularly farming families as they attempt to navigate<br />

the often complex and ever changing journey of estate planning.<br />

This is when her journey took her to Albany as her Sydney agent informed her of a<br />

position opening in the small coastal town on the other side of the country. Bernadette,<br />

ever the adventurer, jumped at the opportunity and took the first flight west to<br />

investigate the possible life changing move.<br />

“It was 14 December 2011 and I flew into Albany and hired a car. I wanted to explore<br />

my potential new home. I walked down York Street, drove to the top of Mount Clarence<br />

and on the way to Middleton Beach I stopped the car on Marine Drive. I stepped out<br />

and breathed in the fresh air. The expanse of King George Sound and Michaelmas and<br />

Breaksea Islands in the distance. And it dawned on me. I had been here before. I didn’t<br />

know when, but I had been here before. And the sun peeped from the clouds as it was<br />

a sunny and balmy day. I felt it was a calling – from somewhere – to return to Albany<br />

and make it my home. It just felt right.”<br />

Bernadette then flew back to Sydney and on Christmas day announced to her mum<br />

and dad that she was definitely moving to Albany. A place where she knew no-one, but<br />

where she felt her soul belonged.<br />

Bernadette has since spent the last ten years in Albany helping families and only<br />

recently made yet another courageous leap to open her own law firm specialising in<br />

her passion. In the two short years Great Southern Wills has been operating, the firm’s<br />

excellent reputation and returning client base has meant that Bernadette and her team<br />

will need to find a larger office space as the team will soon be expanding. Bernadette<br />

credits the close relationships with both clients and staff as the key to their growth and<br />

success. A blend of passion, professionalism and creativity.<br />

Bernadette has just launched her latest creation in the estate planning world with her<br />

innovative ‘Giftbox and Workbook’ which each client is given to fill out for the surviving<br />

family. The Workbook is where information such as computer passwords, funeral<br />

playlists, lists of friends to notify as well as banking and insurance details, all designed<br />

to make the surviving family’s time after the passing of their loved ones, as peaceful as<br />

possible. And it is this peace of mind that drives Bernadette and her team and gives her<br />

the meaning that she was looking for all those years ago on the top floor of the Park<br />

Street highrise overlooking the harbour from her corner office.<br />

“Now I enjoy meeting people from all walks of life and hearing their stories and wishes<br />

and when listening to this, together with the client, preparing a bespoke strategy for<br />

them. So that if they are unwilling or unable to make decisions, or incapacitated, or<br />

they pass away, we know that their family will be looked after. No disputes, no court<br />

interference, no further lawyers, no extra costs. Many clients say we give them peace of<br />

mind. And then they tell all their friends and family about us. We receive the majority<br />

of our work this way, through word of mouth and to us this gives us the greatest<br />

satisfaction.”<br />

LOVE LOCAL 9


spotlight<br />

DENMARK FM<br />

Community on the airwaves<br />

STORY SERENA KIRBY | PHOTO SERENA KIRBY<br />

What do you need to create a community radio station? You need an enthusiastic and<br />

entrepreneurial tech geek and a radio whizz who knows about program scheduling, onair<br />

training and how to mentor a team.<br />

To that you need to add a range of worthwhile content, personable presenters, some<br />

high tech audio equipment, a whole lot of cash and a large serving of support. You’ll<br />

then need to add lashings of patience before mixing all the ingredients in a small studio<br />

and testing before serving to hungry locals.<br />

The end result is one of Australia’s newest community radio stations, Denmark FM and<br />

it’s certainly not something created in a rush as the station has been more than ten<br />

years in the making.<br />

Station Manager, Matt Sivyer, said he first started looking into the idea in 2011 when he<br />

moved to Denmark to take up a position at the local Community Resource Centre (CRC).<br />

“The idea to start a radio station in Denmark had been around for a while but no one<br />

had been able to make any progress with it,” Matt says. “I’m a bit of a nerd so I knew I<br />

could handle a lot of the tech stuff and audio equipment. I also knew it was something<br />

the local community really needed.”<br />

But Matt had no experience in radio so he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it on<br />

his own. As luck would have it there was one of Australia’s most experienced radio<br />

directors right under his nose. Enter Sue Howard, ex national Director of Radio with<br />

the ABC. Sue had moved to Denmark a few years before Matt and when she joined the<br />

board of the CRC he couldn’t believe his luck. Sue had been with the ABC for nearly 30<br />

years and to say she knows a lot about radio is an understatement.<br />

“In 2018 things started in earnest. Sue and I began chipping away at the process of<br />

applying for funding and a radio licence and the paperwork was intense. Things looked<br />

good until our Lotterywest grant got knocked back. Thankfully the CRC really believed in<br />

this project and wanted it to happen so they provided us with the money we needed. It<br />

would never have happened without their support.”<br />

Things started slotting into place and Matt set the launch date for late 2020 but due<br />

to the pandemic things kept stalling. While hiccups when starting a new venture are<br />

normal, what wasn’t normal was what happened to the station’s much needed antenna.<br />

“The antenna was on a truck coming from over east. Trouble was that also on that<br />

truck was $3.8 million dollars of drug money being smuggled across the border. A<br />

police intercept led to the truck, and all its contents being impounded. When the truck<br />

was finally released no one could find our antenna. It was weeks of waiting until it<br />

eventually turned up but it meant we couldn’t meet our launch date.”<br />

<br />

James Halliday 5 Red Star Winery<br />

for 7 consecutive years<br />

Rockcliffe cellar door is open every day and offers a selection of some<br />

of the region’s best award-wining wines for tasting and available to<br />

purchase. Customers are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy at our beautiful<br />

vineyard and pair with their favourite Rockcliffe wine. Visitors also come from<br />

near and far to taste our famous Rockcliffe gelatos and sorbets – all made on<br />

the premises to traditional artisan Italian recipes. Our cellar door is regularly<br />

voted by our customers as not only the best cellar door in Denmark, but the<br />

best cellar door experience they have ever had!<br />

Rockcliffe wines are also available at the best restaurants,<br />

bars and liquor stores throughout the Great Southern.<br />

www.rockcliffe.com.au<br />

CELLAR DOOR 18 Hamilton Road, Denmark, WA, 6333 | PHONE: 0419 848 195<br />

OPENING HOURS 11am to 5pm, 7 days a week. At all other times by appointment, please phone.<br />

10 LOVE LOCAL


Matt Sivyer and Sue Howard in the Denmark FM studio.<br />

Finally on October 4, 2021 Matt flicked the switch and Sue’s voice travelled across the<br />

airwaves to the ears of local listeners.<br />

“Sue does the breakfast program and it was our first program to go to air. We had a<br />

drum roll and recorded applause before she announced we were now live on air. It was<br />

pretty exciting and there was certainly some celebrating.”<br />

There’s been more celebration recently as the station’s second attempt at securing a<br />

Lotterywest grant resulted in $<strong>47</strong>,000 worth of funds to purchase generators and solar<br />

batteries so they can transmit when the power is out. The money also enabled them to<br />

buy mobile podcast desks so that local school children can create on air content for the<br />

station.<br />

Producing and delivering content for a community radio station is a never ending job<br />

but quality training has meant that all of the station’s volunteer presenters are highly<br />

professional in what they do.<br />

“We run 16 locally-produced programs across the week and we focus on local people,<br />

local events and local news,” Matt explains. “Our music selection is predominantly<br />

local and WA based artists. We’ve also taken the decision to be the provider of positive<br />

content rather than be divisive and negative. We do supplement our content with<br />

stories pulled from other community stations but they’re always ones that relate to<br />

themes of interest to our town.”<br />

The Denmark community has certainly embraced this homegrown radio station and<br />

even though the production team doesn’t know exactly how many people are listening<br />

(as they aren’t part of any audience surveys) Matt and Sue know the station has been<br />

well received.<br />

“We have people listening, not just on our 99.7 radio frequency, but also via our website<br />

where you can listen live or re-stream any previous on-air content. We have Denmark<br />

expats listening from all over the world and we get loads of positive comments from<br />

people telling us they feel better connected.”<br />

When asked if there has been one piece of feedback that has stood out, Matt is quick to<br />

respond.<br />

“We recently had a lady tell us that listening to Denmark FM had made her feel less<br />

lonely. That comment touched us deeply and was quite a profound thing to hear.”<br />

And in a time of global turmoil a local voice, that lives where you live, can represent a safe<br />

harbour. Community, connection, collaboration and care; this radio station may be 99.7 on<br />

the dial but it’s 100 percent like a neighbourhood hug delivered across the airwaves.<br />

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LOVE LOCAL 11


engage<br />

KATHRYN MACNEIL<br />

Musical Director and Conductor for Albany Sinfonia<br />

STORY ADAM MORRIS<br />

We catch up with Kathryn MacNeil from Albany Sinfonia to chat about life changes, self<br />

sufficiency and her lifelong love of all things musical.<br />

You’re relatively new to the Great Southern Kathryn and have been on quite a musical<br />

journey to get here, what has brought you our way?<br />

I moved from Perth to Mount Barker in 2018 with my Scottish husband Steve and<br />

our two daughters to enjoy the space and simplicity of a rural lifestyle. We bought<br />

a beautiful property which we have named Thistlebank Estate, where we are slowly<br />

becoming self-sufficient. Previous to this, I worked as a music teacher, performer and<br />

community leader in Perth and Scotland. I studied music education at the University<br />

of Western Australia, specialising in the oboe, and went on to develop a strong desire<br />

to inspire people to learn and love music in all its forms. My most fulfilling musical<br />

experiences have been directing a ceilidh band and gaelic choir on the Isle of Barra in<br />

the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and building a fantastic jazz band at a respected catholic<br />

college in Perth’s northern suburbs.<br />

The Albany Sinfonia has been a local community institution for a number of years<br />

now, how did you come to be involved?<br />

Yes Albany Sinfonia is a community music organisation, which was formed in 1997<br />

and offers orchestral rehearsing and performing opportunities to community<br />

musicians of all ages, living in Albany, Denmark and the Shire of Plantagenet. Players<br />

come together once a week to rehearse and we perform three concert series a year.<br />

The orchestra is governed by a volunteer committee and has a large number of<br />

members. Musicians of a high standard are always welcome to join. When I arrived<br />

in the Great Southern Region, I connected with Albany Sinfonia quickly and took on<br />

the role of oboe player for a year. Following that in 2020, I was contracted as the<br />

Music Director and Conductor and have enjoyed this role since then. It has been a<br />

tumultuous couple of years, having to deal with lockdowns, public health restrictions<br />

and the like, all of which have had a big impact on our organisation. However, the<br />

strength of our orchestra lies in the passion for music that is shared by our players<br />

and we continue to perform to enthusiastic crowds.<br />

LEFT: Kathryn MacNeil ready for a concert at Albany Town Hall.<br />

Picnic hampers ready to go or made to order.<br />

Delicious, fresh gourmet food cooked daily to take away.<br />

Gift baskets made to order.<br />

A gorgeous range of local produce, homewares,<br />

cosmetics, clothes and jewellery.<br />

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Ph: 08 9899 4486<br />

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Denmark<br />

Opening Hours: Monday to<br />

Friday 10.00am to 4.30pm,<br />

Saturday 10.00am to 2.00pm,<br />

Sunday closed<br />

12 LOVE LOCAL


engage<br />

WELCOME TO<br />

Playing in a community group like the Sinfonia must be very different from the larger<br />

organisations in Perth, what has been the highlight of the Sinfonia so far?<br />

Directing a community orchestra is both challenging and extremely fulfilling. The<br />

highlight of my experience in the role would be the ongoing privilege of being the<br />

conduit which brings together beautiful musicians and beautiful music – performing<br />

Beethoven’s famous 5th Symphony at the newly refurbished Albany Town Hall,<br />

presenting an engaging musical story to young audiences and sharing the talents of<br />

some of the Great Southern Region’s finest classical musicians.<br />

JEWELLERY • ART • CERAMIC<br />

Did you grow up in a musical family, where do you think your love of music came from?<br />

I do not belong to a family of musicians - rather a family who share a strong love and<br />

appreciation of music and who have supported me on my musical journey. I have<br />

worked hard throughout my life to become a good musician and have been inspired by<br />

many great musical leaders as well as amazing students over the years. Opportunities<br />

to perform as a classical oboist, sing with West Australian Orchestra Chorus, play in a<br />

number of pit orchestras around Perth, enjoying ‘round table’ traditional music sessions<br />

in Scotland and Ireland and direct talented musicians and students, have helped fuel<br />

my love and understanding of music. I was recently accepted into the Perth Symphony<br />

Orchestra’s Women on the Podium program, which offers a series of conducting<br />

workshops with respected conductors such as Jessica Gethin and Alice Farnham. This<br />

was an amazing opportunity for me to develop my understanding of being an orchestra<br />

conductor and has definitely fuelled my ambition as a leader in the local arts industry.<br />

There are not many opportunities to listen to Baroque chamber music or Beethoven’s<br />

pastoral scores here in Albany, how has the response been to such an eclectic and<br />

varied program and how do you decide which pieces to tackle?<br />

As the Musical Director of Albany Sinfonia, it is my role to work with a committee to<br />

put together a series of programs that not only engage and inspire our players but also<br />

appeal to local audiences. We generally perform to full venues, and we always receive<br />

great feedback from those that come to our concerts. When planning our concerts, we<br />

try to cater for a range of different audiences, from the seasoned classical music lovers<br />

to the young music students and their families.<br />

• SCARVES • CUSHIONS •<br />

BOOKS • CARDS • CANDLES<br />

• SCULPTURE • WOOD •<br />

There have been some cancellations due to the pandemic but what is on the horizon<br />

for the Sinfonia now that restrictions are starting to ease?<br />

In May, we are hoping to perform a brilliant concert featuring local musician, Alan<br />

Burnfield as we premiere an instrumental arrangement of Elgar’s Sea Pictures (originally<br />

written for a female vocalist), the haunting Hebrides Overture and Beethoven’s stunning<br />

Pastoral Symphony. More information about our upcoming concerts can be found on<br />

our Facebook page or around town as we finalise the details.<br />

It is a very dramatic change moving from the big city to Mount Barker, what has been<br />

your impression of your new hometown?<br />

Life in the Great Southern region is wonderful, and I am so glad that my husband and<br />

I made the decision to move here. Not only have I had the opportunity to continue<br />

my musical journey with Albany Sinfonia, I have also had the chance to lead the<br />

development of tourism in the Shire of Plantagenet as the chairperson of Mount Barker<br />

Tourism and engross myself in the local community as a free-lance music teacher<br />

in schools. The Great Southern region has so much to offer both new residents and<br />

visitors alike opportunities to live a ‘city life’ while enjoying the natural bounties of the<br />

spectacular coastline to the south, the breathtaking mountains to the north and all the<br />

special places in between. Maybe that’s why our region is called the ‘Great’ Southern.<br />

Gallery Aura is quirky and stylish, featuring a diverse and colourful<br />

range of art works created by leading Western Australian artists.<br />

Drop in, explore and be inspired.<br />

Open over Easter except for Easter Sunday.<br />

100 Albany Highway<br />

There’s an interesting opportunity coming up for local buglers, could you tell us about<br />

what’s on offer?<br />

The Albany Sinfonia team is about to launch a Horn Scholarship to help build our horn<br />

player numbers in the orchestra. The successful applicant will receive funding for<br />

professional lessons and the opportunity to play with Sinfonia for a year. Details of the<br />

application process will be available from albanysinfonia@gmail.com or contact us<br />

through our Facebook Page. Our organisation is always looking for additional financial<br />

support through partnerships, sponsorships and donations. We are grateful to our<br />

current supporters and encourage Great Southern businesses to consider connecting<br />

with us to help continue the work that we do in our local community. Music is vital<br />

in vibrant, healthy and harmonious communities and I urge community and business<br />

leaders to look for ways to fully support our regional arts organisations.<br />

Kojonup, Western Australia, 6395<br />

Tel: + 61 8 9831 0480<br />

Email: jill@galleryaura.com.au<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

13


enchant<br />

DISCOVERER IAN RORKE<br />

The Secrets Behind the Denmark River Fairy Doors<br />

STORY DEANNA DAVENPORT | PHOTOS DEANNA DAVENPORT<br />

If you take a walk along the Denmark River and listen carefully, you may hear the tiny<br />

sounds of wing flutters and chitter-chatter. Or perhaps at night you might see the<br />

faint glow of fire light along the riverbank in the distance. However you discover their<br />

presence, all it takes is a little faith, trust and imagination to see the Denmark River<br />

Fairies.<br />

The calm waters of the river and surrounding bush along the Mokare Heritage Trail are<br />

said to be home to a group of the mystical creatures, and their residence in the area is<br />

evident by small wooden doors nestled amongst the bush.<br />

The fairy doors first started popping up in May 2021, with only a small number of fairies<br />

choosing the Denmark River to be their home. Almost a year later, more fairies have<br />

moved in and the river is now home to twenty tiny doors, each with their own unique<br />

design. The doors are mainly crafted from wood with a brightly painted coloured door<br />

to help fairy seekers match the door to its owner, and are commonly found at the<br />

base of trees or higher up the trunk. Newer dwellings might be made from small logs,<br />

complete with tiny windows and a chimney.<br />

Denmark resident and first discoverer of the Denmark River Fairies Ian Rorke was<br />

named the ‘foundation human’ by the fairies after he stumbled across them on a<br />

morning walk.<br />

“I’m a photographer and I was trying to capture a photo of a white egret along the river<br />

on a foggy morning in May,” he recounted.<br />

“And as I was walking around, I heard this tapping noise. I went to investigate and found<br />

these tiny little fairy craftspeople and they were building dwellings for other fairies<br />

because they really liked Denmark and wanted to move in.<br />

“So I got chatting with them.”<br />

Mr Rorke said he was given special permission by the fairies to make doors.<br />

“I look after the maintenance and communication for the fairies,” he said.<br />

The way he described it, the Elder fairies Foo and Dym bestowed upon him the gift of a<br />

hammer to carry out duties of maintenance on the doors and communication between<br />

humans and fairies. Since then, fairy doors have been popping up along both sides of<br />

OPPOSITE PAGE: Fairy door craftsperson Ian Rorke beside fairy Ginny’s door.<br />

14 LOVE LOCAL


enchant<br />

the Denmark River in a rainbow of colours, sizes and designs.<br />

OPEN 7<br />

DAYS<br />

Mr Rorke said the Elder fairies Foo and Dym have not moved in just yet but their<br />

dwelling should be installed very soon. The doors also come with an ancient inscription<br />

called ‘Ogham’ on the frames, which Mr Rorke described as well-wishes to those who<br />

read it.<br />

“The fairies, back in the third century, had a secret language which is called Ogham and<br />

they shared that with the Druids and that became known as the earliest Irish written<br />

language,” Mr Rorke said.<br />

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“Some of the doors have Ogham written on them - just one word that bestows on the<br />

fairy seeker a well-wish like love, peace, hope, luck. And so, even though people can’t<br />

read the Ogham because it’s an ancient language, it’s there and it gives that wish to<br />

whoever is looking upon it.”<br />

The Denmark River Fairy Doors trail stretches all along the easter side of the river from<br />

South Coast Highway, down to the bridge near the caravan park then up again along<br />

the western side. The trail has become popular with families and people of all ages,<br />

particularly over the holiday period and Mr Rorke was pleased to see the fun and magic<br />

the fairy doors were bringing to people.<br />

“I’ve seen 80 and 90-year olds come and look for the doors,” he laughed.<br />

“It’s a beautiful walk and it’s for all ages. I see a lot of grandparents and parents bring<br />

the kids along and they just go looking for them and get all excited. They really enjoy<br />

being out in the open and looking for the fairy doors and they usually leave a little gift,<br />

like a flower or a small pile of sticks for firewood.”<br />

Mr Rorke says the gifts are always warmly welcomed, but he adds a reminder to only<br />

leave the fairies organic gifts as anything plastic can end up in the river.<br />

light<br />

towers<br />

As the trail grows with a new door each time a fairy moves in, Mr Rorke said he hopes<br />

to bring something special to the Denmark community involving the fairies in the<br />

coming months.<br />

So next time you take a stroll down the river, pause a moment to turn your eyes – and<br />

your imagination – to look for the tiny, mythical creatures flying about, making the<br />

Denmark River their home.<br />

BELOW CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Dwelling belonging to fairies Stuart and Jan. Fairy Holly’s<br />

yellow door. Fairy St John’s wooden door. Fairy Ron’s blue door.<br />

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LOVE LOCAL<br />

15


vogue<br />

KEEPING IT CLASSY<br />

MODEL LORRAINE STEVENSON | HAIR ANNE-MARIE, OLIVE FOR HAIR | PHOTOS LATA WRIGHT | LOCATION PRIVATE GARDEN OF LORRAINE AND JEREMY STEVENSON<br />

LEFT TO RIGHT: Desigual top, $229 from Featherstonehaugh Boutique. Layerd high waist pant, $330 from Featherstonehaugh Boutique. Mo Mosh shirt dress, $310 from Infinito. Sunglasses, $99 from Infinito.<br />

Desigual sheer print blouse, $189 from Featherstonehaugh Boutique. Joseph Ribkoff shirt, $329 from Featherstonehaugh Boutique. Joseph Ribkoff high waist pant, $249 from Featherstonehaugh Boutique.<br />

OUR MODEL: Our supremely elegant model this month is Lorraine Stevenson, a well-known local lady who has lived in Albany for more than 30 years. Together with her husband Jeremy, Lorraine is a Real<br />

Estate Advisor for @realty. Many know Lorraine and Jeremy because of the extraordinary Christmas lights event they host each year, inviting the community into their private garden to enjoy a magical<br />

walk-though display and raise funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis WA. A special thanks must go to Jeremy for his efforts in the lead up to our shoot, as well as to Anne-Marie from Olive for Hair for<br />

making the time to colour and style Lorraine’s very gorgeous hair.<br />

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16 LOVE LOCAL


vogue<br />

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LOVE LOCAL<br />

17


vogue<br />

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Corfu floral print dress, $155 from The Hub on York. Formation dress, $100 from The Hub on York. Joseph Ribkoff dress, $359 from Featherstonehaugh Boutique. Joseph<br />

Ribkoff jacket, $329 from Featherstonehaugh Boutique. Joseph Ribkoff jumpsuit, $369 form Featherstonehaugh Boutique. Foil top, $130 from The Hub on York. Jump cord pant, $155 from The Hub on York.<br />

OPPPOSITE PAGE: NU Denmark blouse, $155 from Infinito. Mos Mosh skirt, $189 from Infinito. Pearl drop necklace from Infinito.<br />

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18 LOVE LOCAL


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LOVE LOCAL<br />

19


eflect<br />

THE FIRST ANZAC DAY<br />

‘It caused thrills of pride and regret that<br />

our fallen comrades were not with us’<br />

STORY ANNE SKINNER<br />

The long column of soldiers marched through London to the beat of stirring band music,<br />

crossing Waterloo Bridge four abreast as huge crowds cheered them on. These were the<br />

Anzacs, the soldiers from Australia and New Zealand who had, exactly one year before,<br />

forged a legacy of courage and heroism that has lasted for more than a century.<br />

On that first Anzac Day commemoration in 1916, Londoners turned out in their tens of<br />

thousands to celebrate these soldiers from the lands Down Under. They lined the streets<br />

from Waterloo Station to Westminster Abbey, where the Anzacs were honoured at a service<br />

attended by Royalty as well as then-Prime Minister Herbert Asquith and top military leaders.<br />

One West Australian soldier wrote home describing the march: “The crowds cheered<br />

and cheered. Cigarettes and chocolates and other things were thrown at us, but not<br />

a man attempted to stop or even to look sideways – they were simply grand. As we<br />

passed into The Strand there was a big sign stretched right across, with the words in<br />

huge letters: ‘Western Australia welcomes you’. It caused our feelings to surge up, and<br />

the water was in our eyes. When one looked back, 12 months before that day, and<br />

thought of the dead heroes for whom this grand pageant was being held, it caused<br />

thrills of pride and regret that our fallen comrades were not with us to share in the<br />

reception given to us by the Motherland.”<br />

From every window and balcony along the parade’s path hung gaily-coloured bunting,<br />

and people cheered and waved flags as the soldiers marched past. The bearing of<br />

the Anzac soldiers so impressed the journalist of one leading London newspaper that<br />

he wrote: “Here among us in the searching sunlight were men who had come out of<br />

something greater than victory… They were tall, lean and fine-drawn to such a pitch<br />

that some of them looked more like spectres than men. Finer soldiers or men more<br />

resolute in their bearing have surely never been seen.”<br />

Meanwhile, across the English Channel, out in the trenches of the Western Front,<br />

soldiers paused for a moment – if they could – to remember their fallen mates. “We<br />

are not even where we can get a drink of beer,” wrote one soldier to his brother back<br />

home. “We will have to remember to drink to Anzac Day when we get the chance.” He<br />

finished on a note of optimism: “Anyway, we may be home in time next year if Fritzy<br />

gets tired of being knocked back all the time.”<br />

At Etaples, the major Australian military base on the coast of France, the Anzac Day<br />

service was a stately occasion attended by at least 5000 soldiers, dignitaries and<br />

townspeople, as well as nurses and patients from No. 26 General Hospital. “It was held<br />

in a large, green sloping field surrounded by hillocks which were dotted with hundreds<br />

of blue-coated patients from the hospitals, khaki-clad and grey and red sisters,” the<br />

hospital’s Staff Nurse Nellie Saw wrote to her parents in Albany. “It looked grand in the<br />

bright sunlight.”<br />

The first anniversary of the 1915 landing at Gallipoli was commemorated not only with<br />

parades and solemn services, but also by fancy dress fun and hard-fought sporting events<br />

wherever Anzac soldiers were to be found in France, Belgium, England and the Middle East.<br />

In Egypt, where units from Australia and New Zealand were stationed to protect the<br />

Suez Canal, the troops made a splash with a major water sports carnival. Thousands<br />

of soldiers lined the sand dunes to cheer on their favourite swimming teams as they<br />

freestyled across the canal. Swimmers dodged ships slowly navigating the waterway,<br />

while novelty racing boats – made from anything to hand – bobbed and sank, to much<br />

hilarity.<br />

“Some of them were constructed from oiled sheets or old tents stretched over a<br />

framework of wood,” wrote one soldier. “Others were built on rafts and one, a sort<br />

BELOW LEFT: Australian and New Zealand troops marching down Whitehall to Westminster Abbey in London on Anzac Day, 1916. (Courtesy Australian War Memorial P04497.004) BELOW RIGHT: Staff<br />

Nurse Nellie Saw of Albany. (Courtesy Ancestry.com.au)<br />

20 LOVE LOCAL


eflect<br />

of burlesque battleship, was very good. These boats caused endless fun the whole<br />

afternoon. Some were seaworthy, but the crews of a couple were more often in the<br />

canal than in the boats.”<br />

Back home in Albany, Nellie Saw’s parents may have attended one of the packed<br />

morning church services, later finding a place among the crowds cheering the<br />

procession organised by the Returned Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Association. The parade was<br />

followed by afternoon sporting events, while a combined church service was held in the<br />

Albany Town Hall that evening.<br />

Before Anzac Day, Nellie and her fellow nurses had made sure every grave in the Etaples<br />

Military Cemetery was strewn with flowers. They all contributed their own money to<br />

buy the blooms and rose at 4.30am to walk to the little graveyard amid the sand dunes.<br />

In 1916, <strong>April</strong> 25 fell on Easter Monday. Hoping the flowers would still be fresh for the<br />

first Anzac Day ceremony, the sisters at No. 26 General Hospital placed their flowers<br />

early on the morning of Easter Sunday to create a special double tribute to “their boys”.<br />

Nellie wrote sadly to her parents: “It looked very pathetic. Every grave was strewn with<br />

flowers over the mounds with their little wooden crosses at the heads. It is only a small<br />

place, out among the sand dunes between the road and the river.” It may have been<br />

“only a small place” in 1916, but by war’s end, Etaples Military Cemetery had more than<br />

11,000 graves. Figures vary for the total number of combatants who were killed or died<br />

of wounds on both sides during the First World War, but it has been estimated at more<br />

than eight and a half million lives.<br />

Lest We Forget.<br />

Sources: Australian War Memorial, National Archives of Australia, Commonwealth War<br />

Graves Commission, West Australian newspaper, Encyclopaedia Britannica, trove.nla.<br />

gov.au, ancestry.com.au.<br />

BELOW: Nurses at No 26 General Hospital in Etaples, France, laid flowers on the graves of the<br />

Australian Military Cemetery for Anzac Day 1916. (Courtesy Australian War Memorial P12503.002)<br />

ABOVE RIGHT: Australian troops line the banks of the Suez Canal to enjoy the Anzac Day sports<br />

events. (Courtesy Australian War Memorial P11419.001)<br />

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• Pre contract advice;<br />

Email: • Leases albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au<br />

and Share We know Farming<br />

•<br />

and Pre Agreements;<br />

understand contract Level 1, advice 184 the Aberdeen rural Street, sectorAlbany • Telephone: (08) 9841 5<br />

• Personal Wills and Estate Planning; www.wapropertylawyers.com.au<br />

• Succession Planning;<br />

Email: albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au<br />

• Leases and • Personal Share Farming Wills Agreements; and Estate Planning<br />

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other Administration<br />

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properties; agricultural business assets and residential<br />

Level 1, • 184 Leases Aberdeen and Street, Share Albany • Farming Pre • contract Telephone: Agreements; advice; properties; (08) 9841 5634<br />

• Succession Email: albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au<br />

Planning; • Personal Wills<br />

•• and<br />

Pre contract Estate advice; Planning;<br />

• Personal Wills and Estate Planning;<br />

• www.wapropertylawyers.com.au •<br />

Sale and Purchase • of Probate farming and properties, Estate Administration; other and<br />

••<br />

Probate and Estate Administration; and<br />

agricultural business • assets General and Property residential Law<br />

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properties;<br />

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• Pre contract advice; Level 1, 184 Aberdeen Level 1, 184 Street, Aberdeen Albany Street, • Email: Telephone: Albany albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au<br />

• Telephone: (08) 9841 (08) 5634 9841 5634<br />

• Leases and Share • Personal Farming Wills Agreements; and Estate Planning; Email: Level 1, 184 Email: Aberdeen albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au<br />

Street, Albany • Telephone: (08) 9841 5634<br />

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• Succession Planning; • Probate and Estate Administration; and<br />

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LOVE LOCAL<br />

21<br />

properties;<br />

Level 1, 184 Aberdeen Street, Albany • Telephone: (08) 9841 5634<br />

• Pre contract advice;<br />

Email: albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au<br />

Advising the Great Southern since


taste great southern<br />

TASTE GREAT SOUTHERN <strong>2022</strong><br />

Our Premier Food and Wine Festival<br />

There is nothing quite like Taste Great Southern, and <strong>2022</strong>’s event is shaping up to be one<br />

of the best foodie line-ups the region has seen. Locals and visitors to the Great Southern<br />

will be treated to 30-plus culinary events from 20-plus chefs over 11 days from 5 to 15<br />

May. The festival celebrates fresh local food, boutique wines and the amazing flavours of<br />

the Great Southern and will include long lunches, unique dinners, degustations, premium<br />

pairing events, community markets, music events, wine sessions and more.<br />

The unique and award-winning wine and breweries of the Great Southern will feature<br />

across the amazing program. You can expect to sip wine varietals such as Shiraz, Pinot<br />

Noir and Riesling or maybe something a little different as well as local craft beer. Then<br />

taste and savour amazing fresh and local produce including oysters, seafood, chicken,<br />

beef and lamb, heirloom vegetables and cheeses.<br />

One of the most popular events is the Albany Food & Wine Festival, this year presented<br />

by Mount Barker Chickens, which is to be held at the Centenial Park Exhibition Centre<br />

on Saturday 14 May.<br />

The festival will feature over 35 brands from across the Great Southern – you’ll be<br />

able to sip and savour wines from Great Southern wineries, then buy a glass of your<br />

favourite to match the delicious tapas offered by the local foodies. Grab your friends<br />

and head to the festival to discover new wines, taste great food and watch a cooking<br />

demo or wine session while enjoying live music from local artists. Then top up your<br />

cellar by supporting the local makers and buy a bottle or two!<br />

Tickets are $20 per person pre-purchased, or $25 at the gate on the day. Children under<br />

18 are free with a guardian and a bus service running from and to Denmark is available<br />

at an additional cost. To book your tickets go to https://www.wineandfood.com.au/<br />

event/albany-food-wine-festival/ or contact ticketing@tastegreatsouthern.com.au<br />

22 LOVE LOCAL


taste great southern<br />

ALBANY FARMERS MARKETS<br />

Celebrating 20 Years<br />

STORY RUTH SPELDEWINDE<br />

This month Albany Farmers Market celebrates 20 years of continuous operation. That’s<br />

20 years of Great Southern farmers bringing their fresh produce direct to consumers at<br />

Albany’s best known weekly market.<br />

20 years ago there was a growing awareness of the benefits of eating locally grown<br />

produce. It was healthy because the produce was super fresh and it was good for the<br />

environment as it could be grown sustainably and hadn’t travelled long distances. There<br />

were economic benefits too as buying local sustained small farms and kept money in<br />

the local economy.<br />

But back then, even for the most avid supporter of local produce, the problem was that<br />

local produce was difficult to source as it often trucked out of the regions in which it<br />

was grown, bound for supermarket shelves in the city. Some of it was even trucked all<br />

the way back again to local supermarkets!<br />

However the farmers market movement was beginning to grow in Australia, and it wasn’t<br />

long before a group was formed in Albany to progress the idea. Thanks to their hard work<br />

the first market was held on Saturday 20 <strong>April</strong> 2002 with a small but committed group of<br />

farmers. The market was enthusiastically embraced by locals who were excited to be able<br />

to buy their weekly fresh food direct from local farmers, and it is that support that has<br />

seen the market grow and continue to open rain, hail or shine, every week since.<br />

A heartfelt thankyou to the community of Albany for your support of the market,<br />

especially to those customers who have been there since the beginning!<br />

TASTE GREAT SOUTHERN SPECIAL EVENTS<br />

CHEFS IN THE MARKET<br />

Saturday 7 and 14 May <strong>2022</strong><br />

8.00am to 12.00pm<br />

VENUE: Albany Farmers Market<br />

Come and be inspired by this free event hosted by the markets as local chefs<br />

demonstrate cooking techniques to make the most of our wonderful locally<br />

grown produce.<br />

FARMERS MARKET LONG TABLE DINNER<br />

Saturday 7 May <strong>2022</strong><br />

7.00pm - 10.00pm<br />

VENUE: White Star Hotel<br />

A celebration of food and the commitment to quality that our Great Southern<br />

farmers have continued to strive for over the last 20 years. Over the evening you will<br />

be served five courses of the finest that the Great Southern has to offer, paired with<br />

Great Southern wines and prepared by Sam Dawson. This is a true representation of<br />

our region! Tickets available by contacting admin@bredco.com.au<br />

Albany Farmers Market<br />

Fresh and delicious seasonal produce directly from the farmers to you.<br />

The joys of seasonal eating!<br />

What you’ll find at Albany Farmers Market:<br />

• Vegetables<br />

• Fruit<br />

• Farmed meats<br />

• Seafood<br />

• Dairy<br />

• Bakery<br />

• Jams and Sauces<br />

• Seedlings<br />

• Honey<br />

• Eggs<br />

• Specialty<br />

gourmet products<br />

• Coffee<br />

• Hot Food<br />

• Live music<br />

BUY<br />

THE BEST FOR<br />

YOUR FAMILY AND<br />

SUPPORT YOUR<br />

LOCAL COMMUNITY<br />

AT THE SAME<br />

TIME.<br />

www.albanyfarmersmarket.com.au | Every Saturday, 8am-12 noon, Collie Street, Albany<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

23


taste great southern<br />

FRESH PRODUCE AMBASSADOR<br />

STEVEN PIACUN<br />

A Voice for The Small Producer<br />

STORY ALLEN NEWTON | PHOTO LATA WRIGHT<br />

The Great Southern is blessed with an abundance of fresh produce, often attributed to<br />

the region’s microclimates, but many of these producers are small and struggle to make<br />

the connections they need to get their produce into the hands of consumers.<br />

As part of its brief to promote the produce of the region, organisers of the annual<br />

food and wine festival, Taste Great Southern, have asked young Albany farmer, Steven<br />

Piacun, to take on a role as ambassador for the producers. Steven represents the next<br />

generation of farmers in the region and will be part of the Albany Farmers Market 20-<br />

year celebrations and will be out waving the flag for the region’s fresh produce at the<br />

Farmers Market. The aim is to create greater awareness of the stunning Great Southern<br />

produce among locals and visitors.<br />

Steven, who operates Piacun Farm with his mum and dad Anne and Steven senior at<br />

Elleker says the region is rightly proud of its produce.<br />

“There’s some amazing produce around, you’ve sometimes just got to look a bit to find<br />

it,” he says.<br />

Growing up on his parents’ merino farm until he was 10 years old, Steven always<br />

wanted to be a farmer and the importance of food producers has become even more<br />

evident during the coronavirus pandemic.<br />

As well as selling their produce at the Albany Farmers Market the family is opening<br />

a retail outlet at the farm from 7am every day except Sunday selling their honey,<br />

extra virgin olive oil, free range eggs and fruit and vegetables in season. They are also<br />

experimenting with cut flowers and looking to try some crops on a larger scale to<br />

expand sales into Perth.<br />

In his role as a fresh produce ambassador for Taste Great Southern, which will feature<br />

more than 30 individual events from 5 to 15 May, Steven will talk about the fresh<br />

produce from the region, helping to forge links between producers and more than 20<br />

chefs from across the State and region who will be showing off their talents.<br />

5 -15<br />

MAY<br />

<strong>2022</strong><br />

THE HEART OF<br />

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN<br />

FOOD & WINE<br />

TASTEGREATSOUTHERN.COM.AU<br />

24 LOVE LOCAL


taste great southern<br />

The region is renowned for its excellent produce and microclimates that allow some of<br />

the best fruit and vegetables in the State to be grown.<br />

“We do a fair few different things. We don’t get the heat to grow some crops, but the<br />

cooler weather also means fresh produce that struggles in the summer heat, like snow<br />

peas, we can do for a longer season,” Steven says.<br />

He says many of the producers in the region are quite small which presents some<br />

difficulties. At Piacun Farm he says they are transitioning from being a very small<br />

operator catering for the farmers market and a few restaurants, to producing on a<br />

slightly larger scale.<br />

Like many small-scale producers, and unlike the big conventional broadacre farms<br />

which have big companies like CBH to take the produce off their hands, they have to<br />

find their own outlets and negotiate prices as well as growing produce.<br />

“The challenge is finding markets for everything and that’s a lot of work we have to do<br />

ourselves.”<br />

Steven says at their current scale they struggle to supply all their existing customers.<br />

“There’s definitely room for growth, but it’s a bit of a fine line sometimes in not<br />

planting too much at once and spreading things out.”<br />

Over summer Piacun produces a range of summer crops such as zucchini squash,<br />

tomatoes, eggplant, beans, capsicum and chillies. Then in autumn the brassicas like<br />

kohlrabi and salad greens like rocket and peas kick in.<br />

Steven says that like every property Piacun Farm has its positives and negatives.<br />

“We have a lot of very sandy ground which is great in winter, but it also means it’s very<br />

hungry and in summer it requires a lot of water.<br />

“We do have some other soil, but our biggest problem is that our property is just one<br />

hill, so we struggle to get enough flat land to cultivate easily, but we have to work with<br />

what we’ve got at the moment.”<br />

Piacun has around two acres under cultivation for vegetable production with 10 acres<br />

of olive trees. On top of that they produce eggs and honey.<br />

Steve says they are one of many other farmers with small holdings looking for niche<br />

markets.<br />

“Especially the size we are, we really need to find those niche markets and then it’s a<br />

bit of a struggle as well with the weather. You’ll have certain crops in and you’ll get a<br />

flurry of hail come through and then you have a massive gap in production, or for some<br />

reason a crop doesn’t come up or bugs get it, so having a consistent supply of products<br />

even for a niche market can be tricky.”<br />

Piacun is having good success with supplying local restaurants including Due South,<br />

Bredco, catering vans like Market Grill and also sells its eggs through the Denmark IGA.<br />

“Chefs are really excited to have good fresh produce and they can move through a<br />

decent quantity of it which helps make it worthwhile,” Steven says.<br />

BELOW: Fresh Produce Ambassador Steven Piacun shows off some of the fabulous Piacun Farm<br />

produce and fresh flowers at the Albany Farmers Markets.<br />

LEFT: Quality control is everything, especially for small producers supplying niche markets.<br />

BELOW LEFT: Piacun’s brand extra virgin olive oil is fresh and delicious.<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

25


taste great southern<br />

THE FRENCH MENANG CONNECTION<br />

Tour de France a La Grange sur Kalgan<br />

STORY ALLEN NEWTON<br />

There are more than 260 French name places along the coast of Western Australia<br />

and it seems Australia became a British colony rather than French by luck as much as<br />

anything. History devotee and local tourism guide Wayne Monks has been exploring<br />

the French connection to the Great Southern and plans to share his discoveries with an<br />

event as part of Taste Great Southern.<br />

The Tour de France à La Grange sur Kalgan (Tour of France at the Grange on Kalgan)<br />

will combine French cuisine under the southern stars, with the culture of the Menang<br />

people and a tour of Albany’s historic sites to look back at the early 18th and 19th<br />

century French navigators like Baudin, Hamelin and D’Entrecasteaux.<br />

The French and British were competing fiercely for trade opportunities in the<br />

region during the 1700s and 1800s and France sent many scientific and commercial<br />

expeditions to the Indian and Pacific Oceans in that time. But with the outbreak of<br />

the French Revolution in 1789 and the turmoil it created, the French lost interest in<br />

Australia.<br />

The French even named, what we now know as the Kalgan River, Riviere des Francais<br />

and where the mid-week event on Wednesday, 11 May will celebrate with a sundowner<br />

at The Grange on Kalgan.<br />

According to Menang Elder, Vernice Gillies, the relationship between the early French<br />

explorers and the local Noongar people was good.<br />

“The French treated Noongar people quite well and were very interested in their<br />

BELOW: The view from The Grange on Kalgan will provide the sundowner setting.<br />

LEFT: Larry Blight from Kurrah Mia at the Indigenous fish traps.<br />

26 LOVE LOCAL


taste great southern<br />

customs including food and medicine,” she says.<br />

“I suspect also that they made it clear they were not going to colonise as well and<br />

obviously that suited the Menang Noongar people.”<br />

Larry Blight from tour group Kurrah Mia will provide a Welcome to Country at The<br />

Grange and explain something of the history and culture of the Menang people.<br />

Great Southern Outback Tours and Accommodation along with its partners – Sabrina<br />

and Nicolas from Marian’s Catering, Larry Blight from Kurrah Mia, Sarah Clancy from<br />

West Cape Howe Wines along with Wilson’s Brewing and Southern Bus Charters are<br />

combining for the unique event.<br />

The event includes a pickup of guests from outside the Albany Visitor Centre in York<br />

Street, an escorted tour with commentary of iconic sites like Mount Clarence and the<br />

Convoy lookout overlooking King George Sound, past Middleton Beach and Emu Point<br />

along with a visit to the Indigenous fish traps in Oyster Harbour.<br />

On arrival at The Grange and following the Welcome to Country, will be an introduction<br />

to the property and the first pairing of a West Cape Howe Porongurup Riesling with a<br />

regional selection of French canapés prepared by Marian’s Catering.<br />

A walking tour of the sustainable lifestyle farming property with its extensive<br />

landscaped gardens will take place before dusk sets in and guests will participate in a<br />

sundowner taking in the breathtaking views overlooking the ‘Riviere des Francais’.<br />

Sabrina and Nicolas will provide locally produced French regional cuisine along with<br />

local West Cape Howe fine wines around the fire pit and under the stars. Growing up in<br />

France, Sabrina and Nicolas say they learned from their families that there’s no better<br />

way to celebrate than around the table together with good food and wine. They have<br />

pursued their passion for food in restaurants all over the world. With Nicolas in the<br />

kitchen and Sabrina on the floor, their culinary journey has taken them from Paris to<br />

England, on the Silversea cruise lines to Perth, learning along the way.<br />

The French treated Noongar<br />

people quite well and were very<br />

interested in their customs including<br />

food and medicine.<br />

Menang Elder, Vernice Gillies<br />

“Sometime, a smell or a flavour will take me back all these years ago and help me<br />

realise how lucky we were to learn from so many experienced and interesting chefs,”<br />

says Sabrina.<br />

They moved to Albany a year ago with their three children, and Sabrina and Nicolas say<br />

they are excited to share their French traditional cooking with an Australian twist, using<br />

Albany’s fantastic local products, seafood and wine.<br />

Larry and Vernice from Albany-based Kurrah Mia (‘Culturally Noongar’), offer a range<br />

of local Noongar art and works by Aboriginal artists from around Australia. Kurrah<br />

Mia also offers walking tours, featuring bush tucker, language, archaeological and<br />

anthropological history around the Menang Noongar people who have been custodians<br />

of the local area for thousands of years.<br />

The Grange on Kalgan is a boutique farming and lifestyle 12.5 acre property overlooking<br />

the Kalgan River, 22 km from Albany. Guests will be treated to a guided tour of the<br />

property and discover how The Grange has successfully adopted eco-responsible<br />

sustainable practices involving recycling, organically grown produce, solar energy and<br />

how the owner actively supports the conservation of native fauna and flora.<br />

To find out more about the event go to https://www.wineandfood.com.au/event/tourde-france-a-la-grange-sur-kalgan/<br />

SPECIAL TASTE GREAT SOUTHERN EVENT !<br />

SATURDAY 14 May <strong>2022</strong><br />

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for details<br />

Kendenup<br />

Town Hall<br />

Markets<br />

Upcoming markets: Saturdays 9 <strong>April</strong> and 14 May<br />

• fresh produce • local olive oil<br />

• plants galore • hot food<br />

• cakes & slices • jams & preserves<br />

• local handcrafted gifts<br />

9-1pm<br />

Call Alice on 0421 637 710 for details<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

27


taste great southern<br />

SOUTHERN SESSIONS<br />

Albany Boatshed Taste Great Southern Event<br />

STORY ALLEN NEWTON<br />

Walpole musician Robbie Vermeulen will get the ball rolling when Taste Great Southern<br />

brings Southern Sessions to the Albany Boatshed on 13 May <strong>2022</strong>.<br />

A professional musician for more than 20 years, Rob has recorded five studio albums<br />

and toured Australia and has performed alongside Jimmy Barnes, Mental As Anything,<br />

You Am I, Ian Moss, John Butler and Sleepy Jackson.<br />

He’ll be followed by the blues of Perth band Matty T Wall.<br />

The Matty T Wall Band has seven nominations in the prestigious Independent Blues<br />

Awards in the USA, a Western Australian Music Award win and three back-to-back<br />

Number One Australian Blues albums.<br />

The band features Ric Whittle on drums and Leigh Miller on bass guitar and has<br />

received worldwide acclaim forTranspacific Blues Vol. 1, a collaborative album that saw<br />

Wall duetting with blues guitar greats such as Kid Ramos, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Kirk<br />

Fletcher and fellow West Australian, Dave Hole.<br />

Patrons will be able to enjoy the music with Great Southern wine, beer and food at<br />

the Albany Boatshed, sitting around a table with friends and family, or dancing to great<br />

tunes. Families are welcome with discounted rates for children and under 12s free.<br />

Wine, beer and food are available for purchase.<br />

The music starts at 6pm with Rob V and Matty T Wall playing from 8pm to 9pm.<br />

Adult tickets are $50 pre purchase or $55 at the gate and includes Plumm stemless<br />

acrylic glass. Tickets for children, aged 12 to 17 are $20 pre purchase or $25 at the gate,<br />

under 12s are free. All children must be accompanied by a guardian.<br />

Tickets are available from https://www.wineandfood.com.au/event/southern-sessions/<br />

LEFT: Rob V will be performing for Taste Great Southern at Southern Sessions at the<br />

Albany Boatshed.<br />

magazines<br />

annual reports<br />

infographics<br />

brochures<br />

corporate<br />

28 LOVE LOCAL


what’s on<br />

CINEFESTOZ ALBANY<br />

Celebrating the Local Film Industry<br />

STORY JACOB MORGAN-DE LAINE<br />

This year CinefestOZ invites you to a huge four day festival in Albany, celebrating the<br />

diversity and creativity of our very own local film industry. The festival will run from<br />

28 <strong>April</strong> to 1 May, and include films and filmmakers from across the state.<br />

The WA film industry is an eclectic and passionate community of creatives who love to<br />

share their stories, their triumphs and their pain with us on the silver screen. This year<br />

is the second time CinefestOZ will be coming to Albany to share the diverse stories of<br />

incredible people from across WA and the world. This follows on from the success of<br />

major productions in the Great southern region such as H is for Happiness, Breathe and<br />

Rams which have spotlighted the region’s cinematic potential.<br />

With the success of last year’s event and after consultation with the local community,<br />

CinefestOZ identified the need for a space dedicated to local Albany and Great Southern<br />

filmmakers and creative community. The new Kinjarling Koort event, which will run on<br />

Saturday 30 <strong>April</strong> is an exciting new initiative supported by Lottery West.<br />

Kinjarling Koort comprises screenings in the Albany Town Hall and cultural activities in a<br />

marquee in the Town Square. The event will showcase a selection of films about Albany<br />

and the Great Southern produced by local indigenous and non-indigenous filmmakers.<br />

It aims to foster local talent, encouraging the telling of local stories through film in the<br />

lead up to Albany’s bicentenary.<br />

The event name, Koort is the Menang Noongar word for heart.<br />

Menang Noongar Elder, Vernice Gillies said “for us Menang Noongars, koort means<br />

heart, and I’m pleased that CinefestOZ Albany is calling its celebration of Albany films<br />

and film-makers Koort. It is about being at the heart of Menang country.”<br />

Recently announced CinefestOZ ambassador and indigenous filmmaker Karla Hart, will<br />

screen her film Tooly followed by an ‘in conversation’ giving locals the chance to interact<br />

with other creatives in the region and gain inspiration for their own projects.<br />

Another of her projects Virtual Whadjuk, will also be shown in the town square. The work<br />

is a virtual reality experience which places audiences into a thriving Aboriginal Australian<br />

culture as it once existed in the moments leading up to first contact with Europeans.<br />

“There’s no lack of creative film-makers in Albany and we thought the Festival was an<br />

ideal opportunity to bring some of their films together,” said CinefestOZ Albany event<br />

coordinator Annette Davis.<br />

The day will end with a screening of the multiple award winning, Edward and Isabella,<br />

by Albany writer and director Adam Morris and starring actor of Hollywood fame Chloe<br />

Hurst.<br />

Morris’ film was the recipient of last year’s award for Best Narrative Feature Film with<br />

a Budget Under $1 Million at the WA Screen Culture Awards. This achievement further<br />

highlights the amazing talent being nurtured in the Great Southern region.<br />

Morris, who is an author turned filmmaker, wrote Edward and Isabella while travelling<br />

through Europe in early 2020. This film is Morris’ debut feature and was shot in Albany<br />

over 18 days at the end of last year. It features locations recognisable to residents of the<br />

Great Southern such as the Porongurup, Bluff Knoll and some Albany wineries.<br />

In an interview with Inside Film magazine, Morris said it was an honour to have<br />

CinefestOZ backing his film.<br />

“Filmmaking is such a collaborative enterprise so it’s really fitting that everyone who<br />

was so generous with their time, effort and energy in helping to make the film happen<br />

POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER<br />

art IN THE PORONGURUP<br />

ART IN THE PORONGURUP | Sculpture<br />

ART IN THE HALL BAZAAR | Art/craft<br />

NEW TIMES<br />

24 September to 2 October <strong>2022</strong><br />

For more information contact<br />

Judy 0428 282 016<br />

Sayah porongurupianchild@gmail.com<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

29


what’s on<br />

Filmmaking is such a<br />

collaborative enterprise so it’s really<br />

fitting that everyone who was so<br />

generous with their time,<br />

effort and energy in helping to<br />

make the film happen here<br />

in Albany, can now see it on the<br />

big screen in their hometown.<br />

Adam Morris<br />

here in Albany, can now see it on the big screen in their hometown,” he said.<br />

Large scale TV and film shows bring with them economic benefits to a region as well<br />

as helping to elevate the profile of Albany. A big film production moving through town<br />

brings with it an influx of business. Out of town crew need to be accommodated,<br />

usually in motels or caravan parks. Productions also hire local crew to fill roles such as<br />

runners, location scouts, construction crew, prop buyers and much more. These crews<br />

can spend months in the region boosting tourism and business for Albany’s many pubs,<br />

restaurants and cafés.<br />

ABOVE: Location tours for locally produced movies are popular with CinefestOZ visitors and locals alike.<br />

BELOW: An iconic scene from the critically acclaimed and locally made film Edward and Isabella<br />

was shot on Bluff Knoll and is a perfect example of local film-makers showcasing the region to an<br />

international audience.<br />

ScreenWest also has incentives, through their Royalties for Regions program, for large<br />

production companies to spend their budget regionally and make internships available<br />

so local filmmakers can gain valuable on set experience.<br />

Not to mention that the stunning locations of the Great Southern are given a national<br />

or even international platform on which to shine; sharing the natural beauty and<br />

community pride which we all know is strong in our Great Southern.<br />

30 LOVE LOCAL


ALBANY I WESTERN AUSTRALIA<br />

4<br />

FOUR HUGE DAYS CELEBRATING FILM AND COMMUNITY!<br />

OPENING NIGHT<br />

SCREENING<br />

+ RED CARPET EVENT<br />

HOW TO PLEASE A WOMAN<br />

Thurs 28 <strong>April</strong> | 6.30pm | Orana Cinemas<br />

Celebrate the very best of CinefestOZ<br />

with films, entertainment and<br />

pre-screening hospitality at this red<br />

carpet event!<br />

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE<br />

SCHEDULE<br />

Thursday 28th <strong>April</strong><br />

6.30pm CinefestOZ Opening Night - How to Please a Woman A1<br />

Friday 29th <strong>April</strong><br />

8.30am In-Conversation Breakfast A3<br />

9.30am Around the World in 80 Days A1<br />

10am Industry Program - Hilton Garden Inn<br />

12pm The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay A1<br />

12.15pm Carbon: The Unauthorised Biography A1<br />

3pm Off Country A1<br />

6pm Bosch & Rockit A1<br />

6.15pm I Met a Girl A1<br />

6.30pm Spectacular Short Film Set A2<br />

8.15pm Ithaka A1<br />

8.30pm Wyrmwood: Apocolypse A1<br />

Saturday 30th <strong>April</strong><br />

9am Kinjarling Koort A2<br />

10am Ablaze A1<br />

10am Stage Changers A1<br />

12pm The Kitchen Brigade A1<br />

12pm The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay A1<br />

1pm In-Conversation Lunch - Monty’s Leap<br />

2pm Edward and Isabella A2<br />

3.30pm Loveland A1<br />

4pm Juniper A1<br />

6.30pm Gala Night A3<br />

- Featuring Deadly Indigenous Short Film Set<br />

Sunday 1st May<br />

10am Around the World in 80 Days A1<br />

10am How to Please a Woman A1<br />

12.30pm Alick and Albert A1<br />

12.45pm Bosch & Rockit A1<br />

3pm Waiting for Bojangles A1<br />

3pm Here Out West A1<br />

VENUES<br />

A1 - Orana Cinemas Albany<br />

A2 - Albany Town Hall<br />

A3 - Albany Entertainment Centre<br />

KINJARLING KOORT FREE<br />

COMMUNITY DAY WITH<br />

INDIGIFESTOZ!<br />

Sat 30 <strong>April</strong> | 9am-2pm<br />

Albany Town Hall & Town Square<br />

The heart of Albany welcomes you to a<br />

community celebration featuring<br />

locally-grown films and filmmakers,<br />

activities and cultural displays.<br />

IN-CONVERSATION LUNCH<br />

FOOD, WINE + Q&A WITH<br />

VIP GUEST<br />

Sat 30 <strong>April</strong> I 1pm I Monty’s Leap Winery<br />

A relaxed hosted conversation is sure to<br />

intrigue anyone who likes to get behind the<br />

scenes of film. Lunch is a shared platter<br />

entree, feasting plate and dessert with a<br />

welcome drink on arrival.<br />

GALA NIGHT + DEADLY INDIGENOUS SHORTS<br />

FULL PROGRAM<br />

Pick up your Full Program<br />

of events and screenings,<br />

download the App or visit us<br />

at cinefestoz.com<br />

RED CARPET EVENT,<br />

FOOD, MUSIC & MORE!<br />

Sat 30 <strong>April</strong> | 6.30pm<br />

Albany Entertainment Centre<br />

Come dressed for the occasion as<br />

filmmakers and guests gather to<br />

celebrate Indigenous filmmakers at<br />

this night of nights!<br />

ALBANY CINEPASS<br />

To fully immerse yourself in the<br />

CinefestOZ Albany experience,<br />

secure your seat to all events and<br />

screenings through the Albany<br />

Cinepass!<br />

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! CINEFESTOZ.COM<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

31


what’s on<br />

MILL ART GROUP INC.<br />

Annual Autumn Exhibition<br />

The Mill Art Group will hold their Annual Autumn Exhibition from 2 to 24 <strong>April</strong> <strong>2022</strong>.<br />

The exhibition showcases works by 15 Denmark artists and will be open daily from<br />

10am to 4pm in The Gallery of the Denmark Community Resource Centre.<br />

The annual Autumn Exhibition is a major event on the group’s calendar and always<br />

features new works that have never been shown before. Local artists such as Helen<br />

Okamoto, Ian Rorke, Beverly Ford and Meryl Oversby (to name but a few) work across a<br />

variety of mediums including sculptures, oils, watercolour, acrylic, printmaking, textiles,<br />

origami, encaustic, photography and more. Each artist brings a unique medium and<br />

genre to the exhibition, weaving together a rich and colourful tapestry so there is a<br />

satisfying blend of new art in the exhibition.<br />

Artworks are available for purchase, so if you are looking for interior decoration, a<br />

feature work of art or a special gift The Gallery is a well worth a look. Or you can<br />

simply drop in to enjoy the beautiful collection – one of the featured artists is always in<br />

attendance to show visitors around or let them browse in peace.<br />

YOUTH WEEK GOES<br />

BAZAAR<br />

The Bazaarium Youth Markets will headline a packed program of events for Youth Week<br />

in Albany this month with skate workshops, a pool party and much more planned to<br />

celebrate the week.<br />

Supported by Rio Tinto, the Bazaarium Youth Markets will be held in Albany Town Hall<br />

on 12 and 13 <strong>April</strong> from 10am to 5pm each day. The fun and unique thing about these<br />

particular markets is that all the stall holders are aged between 10 and 25 and they will<br />

be selling items they themselves have created, cooked or cultivated such as jewellery,<br />

artwork, baked goods, candles, cards, woodwork, sculptures and plants.<br />

The City of Albany’s Manager of Community Relations, Louise Paterson said the youth<br />

had come up with the idea for the Bazaarium, and it was more than just a market.<br />

“Leading up to the markets the City will be providing free business development<br />

workshops for stallholders to help them develop their business acumen, marketing and<br />

design skills,” Mrs Paterson said.<br />

“It’s an excellent way to showcase the skills and talents of our young people and<br />

to celebrate all that our youth have to offer our community, whole providing an<br />

opportunity for them to develop new skills.”<br />

So if you love a bit of market shopping, the Bazaarium Youth Markets are a fun option<br />

for the entire family to enjoy. Pick yourself up a bargain or something truly fresh and<br />

unique. Entry is free with cash and card payments accepted.<br />

Deep Waters by Ian Rorke<br />

Alexander Bay by Beverley Ford<br />

Some of the stallholders, from LEFT to RIGHT:<br />

Grace Beatty, Age 11, selling coasters, wall art and face masks.<br />

Emily Baines, Age 16, selling paintings, sculptures and drawings.<br />

Ashlin Douglass, Age 21, selling paintings and pressed flowers.<br />

Erika Demarteau, Age 23, selling art prints and other art projects.<br />

MUSIC BY<br />

RACHAEL COLMER<br />

AND DAVID RASTRICK<br />

HOSTED BAR<br />

FREE EVENT<br />

Celebrating<br />

Noongar language<br />

through stories<br />

Inspired by the current exhibition “In Cahoots” at the Albany<br />

Town Hall we invite you to listen to stories of indigenous and<br />

other community members as they explore the connection<br />

between language, place and identity.<br />

THURSDAY 7 TH APRIL 5:30 PM AT THE TOWN HALL<br />

Bookings essential | RSVP to arts@albany.wa.gov.au or call 6820 3850<br />

32 LOVE LOCAL


12–13 <strong>April</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

10am–5pm<br />

Albany Town Hall<br />

Hand-made & thrifted items<br />

Coffee & food vans<br />

All stalls run by young local<br />

creatives & business owners<br />

Free entry<br />

Cash & card payment accepted<br />

For more info go to www.albany.wa.gov.au/events/<br />

or contact the Community Development Team<br />

6820 3008 / email commdevel@albany.wa.gov.au<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

33


WHAT’S ON APRIL/MAY<br />

CATCH!<br />

Sat 2 <strong>April</strong> 3pm<br />

Sunday 3 <strong>April</strong> 3pm<br />

what’s on<br />

ALBANY<br />

ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE<br />

The Great Un-Wondering<br />

of Wilbur Whittaker<br />

‘All grown-ups were children once. Although few of them remember it…’<br />

Barking Gecko Theatre’s brand-new Australian play about creativity, growing up<br />

and living outside of the box, is here to remind us how to wonder, imagine and<br />

have fun. Written by playwright Dan Giovannoni and directed by Luke Kerridge,<br />

The Great Un-Wondering of Wilbur Whittaker has its world premiere season in the<br />

Heath Ledger Theatre at the State Theatre Centre of WA then rockets directly down<br />

to Albany in May <strong>2022</strong>.<br />

Director Luke Kerridge said, “The Great Un-Wondering of Wilbur Whittaker was<br />

originally conceived as a kind of love letter to the classic French story Le Petit<br />

Prince. Working with my long-time collaborator Dan Giovannoni, Wilbur’s story was<br />

soon morphed through the lens of our own childhoods – the classic symbols from<br />

The Little Prince smashing up against icons from our own childhood favourites.<br />

“The work is also a reflection on my many years spent teaching drama workshops<br />

for children – being floored by their wild imaginations and creativity, and watching<br />

on as those innate gifts were challenged by the systems and structures they<br />

encountered through the process of growing up.<br />

Friday 6 May at 7.30pm<br />

Joy for the spirit! Perth's own concert pianist,<br />

Mark Coughlan, plays all Chopin's Waltzes in<br />

a stunning candle-lit atmosphere!<br />

“We’ve brought together a creative dream team. We often talk about creating worlds<br />

on stage, but for this play we’re creating a universe! Working with one of Australia’s<br />

pre-eminent designers Jonathon Oxlade, sound designer Tim Collins and lighting<br />

designer Lucy Birkinshaw, we are also joined by some extraordinary artists new to the<br />

theatre world. Celebrated animator Tee Ken Ng will be creating the animation and<br />

video design and local rock-star CLAUDIO is composing a stunning original score. This<br />

incredible team are well equipped to capture the wild imaginative spirit at the heart<br />

of this story, to delight both children and adults alike.”<br />

This 80s inspired electric dream is a heartfelt and irreverent escapade for the whole<br />

family. Showing at the Albany Entertainment Centre on 18 May <strong>2022</strong> at 4.30pm,<br />

tickets are only $15 each and are available from albanyentertainment.com.au or by<br />

calling 9844 5005.<br />

Weds 18 May at 4.30pm<br />

“World of Wonder”<br />

WORKSHOP!<br />

Get creative with Barking<br />

Gecko Theatre!<br />

13-14 <strong>April</strong> | Ages 8-12<br />

EVERYBODY’S BEEN ON<br />

ALBANY’S RIVERBOAT!<br />

PLUS<br />

Natural Raw<br />

Honey Tasting<br />

HAPPY EASTER FROM THE AEC!<br />

www.albanyaustralia.com<br />

9am Full 36k, 4 hour “SHELTERED WATER CRUISE”<br />

Billy tea, coffee, wildlife &<br />

Captain Kalgan’s famous HOT damper.<br />

Aussie seniors $95 - we reckon you’ve earned the discount<br />

BUT IT REALLY PAYS TO BOOK<br />

9844 3166<br />

Not so rough,<br />

it’s only<br />

34 LOVE LOCAL


gig guide<br />

Everything we put in the Gig Guide is correct at the time of printing, to the best of everyone’s knowledge.<br />

But be warned, things can and do change.<br />

WHO + WHAT WHERE WHEN<br />

ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE<br />

CATCH! Albany Entertainment Centre 1 and 2 <strong>April</strong>, 3pm<br />

Concert for Ukraine Albany Entertainment Centre Sunday 3 <strong>April</strong>, 3pm<br />

World of Musicals Albany Entertainment Centre Wed 6 <strong>April</strong>, 4.45pm and 7.30pm<br />

EXHIBITIONS<br />

It’s FREE to promote your event in the<br />

AURORA MAGAZINE Gig Guide!<br />

If you would like to be included for the May edition, contact<br />

us at gigguide@auroramagazine.com.au before the 5pm<br />

Sunday 24 <strong>April</strong> deadline.<br />

Mill Art Group Exhibition Denmark CRC 2 to 24 <strong>April</strong><br />

The Story of Anne Frank Museum of the Great Southern to 15 <strong>April</strong><br />

In Cahoots Albany Town Hall to 21 <strong>April</strong><br />

GREAT SOUTHERN<br />

Hammer & Honey Albany Town Hall from 28 <strong>April</strong><br />

Brickwrecks: In Lego Museum of the Great Southern All of <strong>April</strong><br />

The Rats of Tobruk Barrack Building, Princess Royal Fortress All of <strong>April</strong><br />

Warbirds: Aircraft of WW2 Married Quarters, Princess Royal Fortress All of <strong>April</strong><br />

Maritime & Miniatures Trail Museum of the Great Southern All of <strong>April</strong><br />

Strike A Pose Museum of the Great Southern All of <strong>April</strong><br />

FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS<br />

10<br />

7 9<br />

RSPCA Community Action Day Albany Town Square Saturday 2 <strong>April</strong>, 10am to 3pm<br />

In Cahoots Special Event Albany Town Hall Thursday 7 <strong>April</strong>, 5.30pm<br />

Bazaarium Youth Markets Albany Town Hall 12 to 13 <strong>April</strong>, 10am-5pm<br />

Southern Ocean Classic Mile Ocean Beach, Denmark Sunday 17 <strong>April</strong>, 10am<br />

Skate Jam Youth Challenge Park, Albany Friday 22 <strong>April</strong>, 4.30-6.30pm<br />

WEDNESDAY BINGO<br />

Doors open 6pm, eyes down 7pm.<br />

At the Beryl Grant Community Centre<br />

15 Townsend Street, Lockyer<br />

Ages from 12 and over. Enquiries 0438 841 663.<br />

Queer Film Festival Albany Town Hall Friday 22 <strong>April</strong>, 7-9pm<br />

CINEFESTOZ ALBANY Various locations, Albany 28 <strong>April</strong> to 1 May<br />

MARKETS<br />

Make a Scene Pop-up Gallery Patterson’s Arcade, York Street Each Mon to Sat, 10am-4pm<br />

Albany Farmers Market Collie Street, Albany Every Saturday 8am to noon<br />

Stirling Terrace Indoor Markets Old Auction Room Every Sat and Sun 9am to 3pm<br />

Centennial Markets Centennial Park, Albany Every Sat and Sun 9am to 1pm<br />

Albany Boatshed Markets The Boatshed, Princess Royal Drive Every Sunday, 9am to 1pm<br />

Kwoorabup Community Markets Steiner School Hall, Denmark Every Sunday, 10am to 2pm<br />

Kendenup Town Hall Markets Kendenup Town Hall Saturday 9 <strong>April</strong>, 9am-1pm<br />

Cellar Door open<br />

11am - 5pm Sat & Sun<br />

& daily for school holidays<br />

OTHER<br />

Film Harvest – Independent<br />

and Arthouse Films<br />

Orana Cinemas Albany<br />

Every Wednesday 6.15pm<br />

Lego Club Albany Public Library Wednesday 27 <strong>April</strong>, 4-5pm<br />

46 Redman Road (08) 9848 1626 www.risingstarwines.com.au<br />

LOVE LOCAL<br />

35


ESSENTIALS FOR AN ECO FRIENDLY<br />

HOME AND LOW WASTE LIFESTYLE<br />

LOCAL.<br />

LOW WASTE.<br />

SUSTAINABLE.<br />

Join the refill<br />

revolution!<br />

Minimise single-use plastics in your home by switching over to<br />

refillable products. We stock a variety of Australian made eco<br />

products with effective plant-based formulas.<br />

Bring in your own containers, buy new from our glass amber<br />

bottle range or utilise the free recycled jars instore.<br />

Laundry refills // laundry powder and presoaker • borax<br />

eucalypt and lemon myrtle laundry liquid • washing soda<br />

lavender and ylang ylang laundry liquid • fabric softener<br />

front loader laundry liquid • oxygen bleach • soap nuts<br />

Kitchen and cleaning refills // dish liquid • disinfectant<br />

dishwasher powder • rinse aid • vinegar • bicarb • hand wash<br />

all purpose concentrate citric acid • epsom salts • tea tree oil<br />

mould remover and tile cleaner • liquid castile soap<br />

Skincare and bathroom refills // shampoo • conditioner<br />

body wash • deodorant creme • moisturising lotion • face creams<br />

MON-FRI. 8.30AM-5PM // SAT. 9AM- 1PM<br />

9 MINNA ST, ALBANY // 08 9841 6171<br />

ALBANYECOHOUSE.COM.AU<br />

Shop our products online or instore

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