FREE /JULY 2026
02 - 11 : NEWS
Cleavers a sticky problem
12 - 16 : LIFESTYLE
Portrait Awards
“For all your tree related needs” Mobile:0447 792 200 ajts@westnet.com.au www.adamjenkinstreeservices.com.au
18 - 20 SPORT
Bulldogs’ hot form continues
Local hero’s long wait for citizenship
Tom Bolas is a hero, and he has the certificate and medal to prove it.
In August 2025 the now 79 year-old grandfather was at work tending the gardens at Ford House when he spotted a young woman jumping from the bridge before being swept downstream.
He ran to the office to raise the alarm before running back to the river and plunging waist-deep into the freezing water.
The woman was desperately clinging to branches against the fast-flowing water.
“I could see she was losing her grip because it was pulling her and I thought I’ve just got to keep following her,” Mr Bolas said.
He got out of the water and headed downstream as she lost her grip and floated away only to grab hold of a tree in the river before losing her grip again.
He plunged back in once more and grabbed her wrist with a firm grip as she floated towards him.
“My feet were off the ground because I was in the stream and we went down about two metres downstream, but fortunately I had my right
He’s one of the kindest, most considerate –he’s just a beautiful human being.
hand and I was just pulling grass and bushes and everything to pull us up onto the bank.”
He eventually got there but was exhausted and without the strength to lift her up from the bank.
Senior Constable Mike Smith then arrived to drag her out of the water while Tom got out and alerted the emergency crew.
For their efforts that day both men were awarded with certificates acknowledging their courage by Police Commissioner Col Blanch, while also receiving awards from Royal Life Saving Western Australia.
Well he may be a hero, but that hasn’t helped Mr Bolas gain the Australian citizenship he so desperately wants and needs despite living here, working, and paying his taxes for 12 years.
He first arrived in July 2014 from his native Zimbabwe to help his son, who’s lived here since 2008, to renovate his home.
He returned briefly to Zimbabwe in December that year because his wife was in intensive care before she sadly passed away. It’s a painful memory that still brings him to tears.
He has two sons and several grandchildren here and returned in February 2015 on a Bridging Visa before applying for Australian Citizenship under an Aged Parent visa subclass.
He’s been waiting now for 11 years and he could be waiting a good deal longer yet.
While 90 percent of applications for Australian Citizenship take eight months from the date of application to a decision, and 14 months from application to the Citizenship Ceremony, under the Aged Parent visa subclass the demand for visas is greater than the number of places available each year.
Tom Bolas with the Bravery Award he won for saving a young woman’s life.
PHOTO: MARK SCHNEIDER
DISTRIBUTION
2,000 COPIES OF THE BRIDGETOWN-GREENBUSHES STAR ARE DISTRIBUTED EACH MONTH.
THE BRIDGETOWN-GREENBUSHES STAR CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS :
• BRIDGETOWN NEWSAGENCY
• WATTLESEED CAFE
• GREENBUSHES CRC
• BRIDGETOWN CRC
• BRIDGETOWN STAR OFFICE: 2/84-86 HAMPTON ST
• GREENBUSHES ROADHOUSE.
• THE STABLES IGA
• POST NEWSPAPERS 270 ONSLOW RD SHENTON PARK
The Bridgetown Greenbushes Star is bound by the Standards of Practice of the Australian Press Council.
If you believe the Standards have been breached, you may approach the Bridgetown Greenbushes Star or make a complaint to the Australian Press Council in writing at www.presscouncil.org.au. The Council may also be contacted on 1800 025 712
SHINING BRIGHT OVER BRIDGETOWN AND GREENBUSHES ESTABLISHED 2021
THE STAR IS AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION PRODUCED IN BRIDGETOWN, WA
ADDRESS
2/84-86 HAMPTON STREET, BRIDGETOWN PO BOX 523 BRIDGETOWN 6255
MANAGER & EDITOR
MARK SCHNEIDER 0439 187 651
EDITOR@BRIDGETOWNSTAR.COM
ADVERTISING & SALES 0414 550 025 ADS@BRIDGETOWNSTAR.COM
LAYOUT DESIGN
BLANK SLATE CREATIVE 0450 593 061 HELLO@BLANKSLATECREATIVE.COM.AU
PHOTOGRAPHY
MARK SCHNEIDER
PUBLISHED ON THE LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH BY THE BRIDGETOWN-GREENBUSHES STAR.
COPY DEADLINE IS THE LAST MONDAY OF THE MONTH ADVERTISING DEADLINE IS THE THIRD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BRIDGETOWN-GREENBUSHES STAR DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLISHER.
THE BRIDGETOWN-GREENBUSHES STAR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT CONTRIBUTIONS.
PHOTO: MARK SCHNEIDER
Local hero’s long wait for citizenship
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
As a result applicants for these are placed in a queue, and the queue can stretch to anything up to 33 years for new visa applicants.
A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs said that it couldn’t comment on individual cases for privacy reasons.
Several factors can affect the processing time for citizenship applications including whether the applicant has included all the necessary supporting documents, and how promptly they respond when asked for further information or documents.
Other factors are the time it takes to check information given to them, and the time it takes for information from other agencies, usually for character and national security requirements.
The office of Federal Member for O’Connor, Rick Wilson, is liaising with him to support his application.
The long wait is costing Mr Bolas dearly, because despite working and paying taxes he’s not eligible for Medicare or other government benefits, so he pays the full cost of any medical treatment he needs.
His boss at Ford House, Jenny Rotman, thinks he’s a model citizen in every way, a proper gentleman despite an extremely tough early life in Zimbabwe.
“He’s one of the kindest, most considerate – he’s just a beautiful human being,” she said.
“He loves his family, he’s just something out of the box.”
“Anything I need doing he’ll do, he’s a brilliant handyman, flexible, never loses his cool.”
She adds that he’s been a great help to people struggling through bouts of cancer.
“He does all sorts of things for people just because he can.”
And she’s keenly aware of how much his current citizenship status is affecting him.
“The other day he had to have an X-ray and he had to pay $800 for an X-ray.”
She’s adamant that this local hero would make an excellent Australian citizen.
He does all sorts of things for people just because he can
The Blackwood River was flowing rapidly when Tom Bolas jumped in to rescue a young woman.
PHOTO: ADOBE IMAGES
CLEAVERS IS A STICKY PROBLEM
Bridgetown and its surrounds has one really sticky problem, and Blackwood Biosecurity wants your help to control it.
It’s Cleavers, (Galium aparine), and it’s firmly established in the region and threatening agriculture and the natural environment.
The plant is native to the northern hemisphere, where it’s widespread, and is found in South Australia, New South Wales, WA and Victoria.
According to Jason Dearle, Operations Manager of Blackwood Biosecurity, Bridgetown and Balingup is the epicentre of the Cleavers outbreak in WA which first appeared in the district in 2004, where it was discovered by a biosecurity officer.
It’s an annual herb with stems that run from 10-100cm across and climbs to 30cm, but its most noteworthy feature is the little hooks on the stems and seed that cling to clothing, machinery and the bodies of animals.
That’s earned it the unofficial moniker of the Velcro plant, and it’s that feature that causes all the problems, because it enables it to travel far and wide on the bodies of people and animals, spreading into the natural environment and agricultural areas.
It’s the main way of identifying the plant.
“It is very much like Velcro and that’s how we tell people how to identify it, so when they touch it and it feels like it’s Velcro it’s more than likely going to be Cleavers,” Mr Dearle said.
“It’s one of the fastest invading weeds we’ve got I’d say.”
He doubts that it can be eradicated, but managing it is vital because of the damage it can do.
“It can impact crops, it can cause problems with harvesting equipment, as well as contaminating things like canola.”
Then there’s the environmental impact.
“It creates a thick mat on forest floors, road reserves, things like that, and water ways, and in creating that thick ground cover it suppresses any other germination of plants.”
“It’s also a climber and a sprawler so it will climb up other plants too and suppress them.”
It’s not easy to control, but hand-pulling and solarisation by covering it with black plastic can be effective.
It can also be controlled by chemicals — by glyphosate in its early stages — though specialised chemicals are needed once it’s past that.
Cleavers is a winter weed, so now is the time to look out for it, though it can also germinate with summer rain.
Mr Dearle’s advice is to photograph it and contact Blackwood Biosecurity for advice on controlling it if it’s on your property.
Above all, he says, don’t bring it into the Bridgetown office because that could simply spread the problem, and it’s illegal to transport it in any case.
Disclosure: Editor Mark Schneider is a committee member of Blackwood Biosecurity.
It’s one of the fastest invading weeds we’ve got
Cleavers sticks like Velcro, making it a hazard to the environment and agriculture.
PEACE RUN TORCH RELAY INSPIRES KIDS
Peace Run promoted international friendship and understanding
Students at Bridgetown and Greenbushes Primary Schools had a memorable day when an international team of runners arrived at their schools on the 16th of June carrying the Peace Run torch — a symbol shared by millions of children around the world.
The visit was part of the global Peace Run, a torch relay that travels through more than 70 countries each year promoting friendship, harmony and understanding.
This year’s Australian leg began on the 15th of June, with the 12 member team featuring runners from China, India, Britain and across Australia making its way through the southwest.
At Bridgetown and Greenbushes schools, students lined up eagerly to take turns holding the torch, which represents the idea that peace begins with individuals and spreads through communities.
The moment sparked thoughtful conversations, with children sharing what peace means to them — kindness, fairness, looking after nature, and helping friends were among the most common themes.
Students also responded creatively, offering songs, drawings and messages of goodwill to the visiting runners.
Run participant Saranyu Pearson, a veterinarian from Geelong, said the experience had been deeply rewarding.
“I really wanted to see more of Western Australia,” she said. “The run has such a positive message, it’s a great way to meet people and be inspired. The natural surroundings here really add to that sense of peace.”
Run coordinator Grahak Cunningham highlighted the strong community response to the run in Australia.
Start-up small businesses in Bridgetown can benefit from Craig Holland’s business experience.
CRC PROVIDING FREE BUSINESS ADVICE
Starting a small business and the lure of being your own boss is a dream for many Australians, but it’s a sobering fact that half of all new businesses in Australia fail within the first four years.
Operating costs, falling consumer spending and slowing demand are just some of the causes of those failures.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, because with proper advice and sound business planning many of those pitfalls can be avoided.
Business consultant Craig Holland has over 25 years’ experience in business, government and planning and he’s keen to help small businesses in the Bridgetown and Greenbushes areas thrive.
Best of all his advice is free. He offers personalised business advice through the Bridgetown CRC, providing advice that’s tailored to your business’ needs.
“While I’m working with individuals they can come back and see me as many times as they like as long as we’re pushing forward in terms of their development as a businessperson,” he said.
Every second month he runs a two-hour workshop providing information on such things as Business Activity Statements (BAS), starting and growing a business and turning a hobby into a business.
He thinks Bridgetown businesses generally fall into four categories: hobbyists, agriculture, general businesses like plumbers and coffee shops, and finally, professionals who’ve moved to the area seeking a lifestyle change with online businesses or businesses suited to the southwest.
“What I find interesting about Bridgetown is that of all the places that I go I get the best reaction from the Bridgetown business community.
“They’re very supportive of the service and they readily take up the opportunity to have a chat and they really appreciate me coming into Bridgetown.
In fact he always looks forward to coming here.
“I find that there’s a good community feel in Bridgetown that supports people supporting one another in the town.”
To make an appointment with him or to attend one of his workshops contact the CRC.
Peace runners addressed Greenbushes Primary students.
PHOTO: PEACE RUN
BRIDGETOWN PEOPLE PICKING UP THE PIECES
Bridgetown’s jigsaw enthusiasts turned out in big numbers for a community event that celebrated one of our prime tourist attractions.
With 27 tables each tackling a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle which combined into one huge jigsaw, Puzzletown’s 54k Challenge at the Town Hall on the 6th of June was nothing if not ambitious.
Over a hundred keen puzzlers in the hall came and went during the day to support their team’s efforts, many travelling from far and wide to get here, including from Perth, Margaret River, Busselton and Bunbury.
One of them was Pamela Brown, granddaughter of Jessie Brierley, whose jigsaw collection and initial funding helped create the gallery.
She’s inherited her grandmother’s passion for puzzles and has been doing them for as long as she can remember.
She travelled from Gidgegannup for the event and said it was wonderful to see how the gallery had developed.
Grahaem Donovan was also instrumental in the gallery’s development and was a keen participant on the day.
A keen entrepreneur, Mr Donovan bought Nelsons in 1988 and transformed it into the Bridgetown institution it is today.
He’s been keenly involved in the town’s tourism development and saw a puzzle gallery as an excellent way to get people to stop in Bridgetown and spend time in town.
With the help of other Bridgetown people he kept the vision of a big jigsaw gallery alive and helped set it up as a charity that could attract donations.
He’s donated $400,000 over four years to it himself to redevelop the building, aiming to create a self-sustaining business that would keep going.
He’s pleased with the way it’s turned out.
“Even in my wildest dreams I didn’t think it would be as big as it is,” he said.
All the puzzles started on the day have now been finished, with very few lost pieces from the 54,000 in total – a remarkable achievement!
The 54,000 piece puzzle, Travel around Art, is made by puzzle maker Grafika, who claim it as the world’s biggest jigsaw at over eight metres wide and two metres high.
It’s a journey round the world’s most famous artworks that the maker says encourages you to visit the originals in galleries all over the world.
It includes 29 posters, 27 of them show the different sections of the puzzle, with one showing the entire puzzle and the final one showing the artist’s names and the titles of their work.
So it’s entirely fitting that the jigsaw comes in a real travel suitcase of its own.
Organisers are inviting anyone who had their hands on the puzzle to come into the gallery and sign their names on the wall to record their contribution.
The official opening of Puzzletown on Saturday the 4th of July when the grand puzzle will be unveiled would be a good opportunity to do it.
There’ll be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10am and timed puzzle competitions and puzzle activities throughout the day.
There’s even a silent auction for the original 1970s Brierely heritage carpet.
All of Bridgetown is invited to the opening, which promises to be a memorable occasion.
Grahaem Donovan has played a vital role
in Puzzletown’s development.
Even in my wildest dreams I didn’t think it would be as big as it is
Foodbank feeding those in need
Story by Rev. Dave Bardsley
Western Australians are going without food and necessities every day, but Foodbank is working hard to change that.
It’s not-for-profit and non-denominational, operating in every state and territory in Australia.
The mobile Foodbank truck arrives at St Paul’s on the second and fourth Tuesday each month bringing food and groceries to those struggling to afford them.
It’s open at 10.30am – just come along.
Foodbank also delivers nutrition education to promote healthy eating, and advocates on behalf of people experiencing food stress.
Foodbank Australia is the only Australian food relief organisation that’s a certified member of The Global Foodbanking Network which has members across six continents and more than 50 countries.
The initial Mobile Foodbank link with Bridgetown was established through Bridgetown Hub and they remain the key people in distributing food each fortnight.
But their facilities for distribution weren’t exactly weather-friendly and the task of setting up and packing away fell on a small number of volunteers.
Enter the Bridgetown Christian Churches Together movement.
Inside facilities have been made available at St Paul’s Church Hall and the work of setting up and packing away is now shared with volunteers from St Brigids, St Pauls and the Church of Christ.
Each Church provides a team to help on each visit for one month and the year is rostered on a monthly basis.
It’s one way of the Churches Together being “the hands and feet of Jesus” in our community.
Foodbank in Bridgetown dovetails with the emergency relief work provided by another Church organisation – Vinnies (St Vincent de Pauls) – which is led by people from St Brigid’s Church.
It’s another valuable aid for those struggling. To access Vinnies help, ring 0429 680 759 and one of their members will respond to address your needs.
People from all walks of life access food support with Foodbank, including groceries, food hampers, food vouchers and pre-made meals.
They help feed thousands of people every month across the State – you’re not alone if times are tough. 371,000 households in WA have run out of food in the last year and have benefitted from the Foodbank initiative.
So if you’re experiencing food stress, come and take advantage of the food and supplies available through this wonderful initiative.
Bridgetown’s churches come together to make Foodbank work for those in need.
“For
the Bridgetown and Nannup communities these technologies raise an important question: is there a less environmentally destructive alternative to extracting lithium than mining in the region’s native forests? ”
Cleaner lithium raises new questions for Dalgarup forest mining
Environmentalists say there are better ways to obtain lithium than forest mining.
With debate continuing over potential hard rock lithium extraction in the Dalgarup forest between Bridgetown and Nannup, local environmental groups are drawing attention to emerging alternatives that promise far less disturbance to land, water and wildlife.
While none are perfect solutions, several technologies now being trialled internationally could reduce the environmental footprint of lithium production if adopted more widely.
One of the most promising approaches is direct lithium extraction, a method already being tested in South America and parts of the United States.
Instead of blasting and crushing ore, this process draws lithium bearing brine to the surface, passes it through specialised filters or absorbent materials, and returns the water underground.
The technique avoids the damage of open cut mines and the creation of large waste rock piles.
It also allows for more selective recovery of lithium, reducing chemical use and energy demand.
Another emerging option is geothermal brine extraction, where lithium is recovered from naturally heated underground water brought to the surface for renewable power generation.
This method, currently advancing in Germany and California, produces minimal surface disturbance and has a comparatively small carbon footprint.
Because the brine is reinjected after processing, the risk of long term water depletion is significantly lower than in traditional brine evaporation ponds.
Researchers are also exploring lithium recovery from recycled batteries, a field growing rapidly as electric vehicle uptake accelerates.
While recycling can’t yet meet global demand, it offers a pathway to reduce reliance on new mining.
Modern hydrometallurgical recycling plants can recover more than 90 per cent of lithium and other valuable metals, with far fewer emissions than primary extraction.
For the Bridgetown and Nannup communities these technologies raise an important question: is there a less environmentally destructive alternative to extracting lithium than mining in the region’s native forests?
Hard rock mining remains dominant method because it’s well established and commercially proven.
But critics like the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Friends of the Forests argue that the environmental cost should prompt a shift toward lower impact options as they become viable.
As global demand for lithium continues to surge, the choices made now will shape both the region’s landscape and Australia’s role in the clean energy economy for decades to come.
Geothermal brine extraction offers a less environmentally damaging way to extract lithium than hard rock extraction.
Birdflu threat reaches Australia
Australia was the only continent free of H5N1 birdflu until the recent discovery.
The detection of Australia’s first cases of the H5 bird flu virus in a brown skua and a giant petrel, both seabirds, in the Esperance region is a potential threat to wildlife and Australia’s poultry industry.
The disease is highly infectious and there has now been another case confirmed In SA at the time of writing.
The West Australian Government said it is well prepared to respond quickly to H5 bird flu to protect poultry production and reduce the impact on wildlife and communities.
It said WA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is leading the State response working in collaboration with Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and the Department of Health, with national coordination led by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
People have been urged to keep pets away from wildlife, keeping dogs on leads in wildlife areas and preventing cats from roaming.
Isolate poultry
People who keep poultry should try to prevent wild birds from mingling with them and accessing their feed and water, keeping pens, aviaries, feeders and equipment clean.
Washing hands thoroughly with soap before and after handling birds is important.
They should also keep a close eye on their birds for disease or sudden death.
“Anyone who sees sick or dead birds or marine mammals should not handle the animals but should take photos or a video and report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888,” said Minister for Agriculture and Food Jackie Jarvis.
“We all have an important role in protecting our wildlife, poultry and other animals against H5 bird flu.
“Our poultry producers understand that on-farm biosecurity practices are crucial to protect the health of their flocks and are well prepared to minimise any impact on production,”
“We are very grateful to the wildlife carer at Esperance who followed our biosecurity protocols to report the sick brown skua and facilitate the testing for H5 bird flu so we can respond quickly, she said.
While the disease can spread to mammals, and even humans, it doesn’t easily infect humans or spread from person to person, though there have been sporadic human infections reported worldwide since 1977.
The virus can cause severe illness, but the current public health risk remains low.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu is fast-mutating virus that is now found on every continent, but had not been detected in Australia until now.
We all have an important role in protecting our wildlife, poultry and other animals against H5 birdflu.
A dead brown skua heralded the arrival of birdflu in WA.
BLACKWOOD BIOSECURITY WANTS FEEDBACK
Blackwood Biosecurity is looking for feedback on the services it provides and by helping them you could be helping yourself to a $200 grocery voucher to offset the rising cost of living.
The Bridgetown-based organisation has sent out a postcard to residents asking a few short questions about managing declared pests. Answer them and you’ll go into the draw for that grocery voucher. It’s all designed to provide Blackwood Biosecurity with valuable information.
“It’s just to see whether people have used us before but also to see what the need is — if there’s a bigger need for weed spraying, if there’s a bigger need for pest management, if there’s a bigger need for sharing information, or would they need more workshops?” said Executive officer Erlanda Deas.
“Just getting a guide for what the community wants.”
Over 3,000 have been sent out in the mail to local residents, and the response has been encouraging.
“It’s only been out for a week and they trickle in every day.”
Disclosure: Editor Mark Schneider is a committee member of Blackwood Biosecurity.
Jay Podsiadlo, Hudson Taylor and Robert McLennan.
REPAIR CAFE FIXING PROBLEMS
Bridgetown’s regular Repair Café is going from strength to strength with a steady stream of people filing into the lesser hall on Saturday 20th of June with all manner of things including sweeping machines, chainsaws, car keys and clothing brought along for repair.
Event organisers from Transition Bridgetown were pleased with the response, which they said is growing stronger each time.
Jay Podsiadlo and Hudson Taylor were all set up to help with technology problems, providing a useful service from a couple of young experts.
Erlanda Deas would like to see these postcards returned.
LOCAL ARTISTS SHINE IN PORTRAIT AWARDS
Bridgetown’s finest portrait artists were on display at the Visitor Centre.
Acoming together of two of Bridgetown’s outstanding artists has seen John Garde carry off this year’s $1,000 Best Portrait Prize for his oil painting of talented local sculptor Margaret Rothery at the Award Night presentation at the Visitor Centre on the 3rd of June.
The judges, Andrea Schell, Vanda Dei-Tos, and Roz Benson praised Mr Garde’s portrait as a “gentle and sensitive work” and for its “terrific likeness”, adding that it’s “a beautiful and sensitive handling of oil paint making the subject feel so familiar”.
Michael Miller carried off the $750 prize for Best Local Identity with his portrait of “Tracey”.
Presenting the award, Shire Deputy President Rebecca Redman noted the judges’ praise for its “dynamic use of colour combination,” and for how “the face radiates the warmth of the person.”
In the youth category Tess Chambers’ mixed media work “Zen” was the winner, with the judges noting the “creative use of materials to indicate diving into the water.”
They remarked on its “clever presentation of a portrait, combination of media works well.”
Jemma Dale’s striking portrait “Einstein” was highly commended as “technically outstanding” and “technically perfect”.
Also highly commended was Irene Stephens’ “Jennie Linto Community Angel”, the judges noting “a more fun view of a portrait, simpler in style, but still captures the happy personality of the subject.”
In all 18 contestants entered the competition.
“The exhibition features works of many media with contrasting styles and energy,” Ms Redman said in her opening remarks.
“What they share are honest reflections and interpretations of culturally significant faces and much-loved local identities.
“The Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes recognises the significant contribution that art and artists make to our community.
“They inspire us, delight us, and make us think.”
The awards are sponsored by Talison Lithium, Rotary Club of Bridgetown and the Bridgetown Greenbushes Visitor Centre.
Shire Deputy President Rebecca Redman presented the winner’s certificate to Margaret Rothery on behalf of artist John Garde.
WHAT’S ON Dungeons & Dragons
PUZZLETOWN GRAND OPENING
It’s been 45 years in the making and the new and very much improved Puzzletown is having its Grand Opening, and you’re invited!
The festivities start at 9.45, with a ribbon cutting at 10am.
There’ll be timed puzzle competitions and puzzling activities throughout the day and an unveiling of the community 54k puzzle.
SATURDAY 4th JULY 9.45 AM Puzzletown
PEOPLE AND PLACES ART AWARDS
The Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes presents the Landscape Exhibition of the People and Places Art Awards.
Come and admire the work of some of the region’s most talented artists as they celebrate the landscapes that define our home through art.
It’s all happening at the Bridgetown Visitors Centre, so come and enjoy an elegant evening of art and conversation.
WEDNESDAY 1st JULY 6PM - 8PM Bridgetown Visitor Centre
TIME FOR A GHOST WALK SHITBOX RALLY QUIZ NIGHT
Pull on your best winter woollies because it’s time for the Bridgetown Ghost Walks.
It’s a guided tour through the streets of Bridgetown for an encounter with characters from the past with a fascinating tale to tell.
Come along and learn about your town’s history, its early settlers, and strange happenings.
Bookings through Trybooking are essential.
Exercise those braincells for a good cause at the Shitbox Rally Quiz night.
A Crazy Chick and her Rooster are joining the Shitbox Rally and Cancer Council to raise funds for cancer research. They’re rallying for their daughter-in-law Toni, who’s being treated for acute myeloid Leukaemia.
Get your team of six trivia buffs together and head to the Town Hall to help them hit their $5,000 target.
10th, 11th, 17th, 18th JULY 8.15PM TryBrooking FRIDAY 26th JUNE & SATURDAY 27th JUNE Bridgetown Town Hall
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS CHRISTMAS IN JULY BINGO
The Blackwood D&D Winterfest is an annual two-day celebration of Dungeons and Dragons bringing players and Dungeon Masters together for an unforgettable weekend of adventure in the world’s premier fantasy roleplaying game.
Each day features two three-hour play sessions in the morning and afternoon, plus a special 18-plus evening event on Saturday Night - Dungeons After Dark!
SATURDAY 18th JULY & SUNDAY 19th JULY Bridgetown Showgrounds
If shouting BINGO! is your idea of bliss then you can’t afford to miss the Bridgetown Club’s Christmas in July Bingo Night.
Bring your friends, your lucky charm and join in for a fantastic night of fun, excitement, laughs galore and great company.
Ther’s plenty of chances to win, so you’d be mad to miss out.
SATURDAY 25th JULY Doors open 5 PM Bridgetown Club
Paddington 2 a big hit with Bridgetown families
BRIDGEFLIX IS BRINGING FAMILY MOVIES BACK TO THE TOWN HALL
Movies have a long history in Bridgetown.
Organisers were delighted with the number of families attending Bridgeflix’s showing of Paddington 2 on Sunday 21st of June.
When the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Star arrived families equipped with doonas, pillows and bean bags were streaming in and settling down for the show in the Town Hall.
Popcorn, juice boxes, choc bombs and lolly bags were all on sale for the kids, completing the moviegoing experience for young and old alike.
There was even a door prize with a chance to win your very own Paddington Bear.
For the Town Hall it was a back to the future event. Bridgetown’s film history pre-dates the Town Hall, with silent films shown at the Mechanics Institute where the Town Hall now stands in 1910.
Film heritage
Film screenings were organised by the Bridgetown Picture Committee from 1923, so Bridgeflix is reviving a tradition with a heritage reaching back a century.
The Mechanics Hall was demolished and the Town Hall built in 1936.
Films were a big focus of the Town Hall, with one film screened on Wednesdays and Thursdays, a different one on Saturdays, and yet another film on Sundays.
The opening of the Bridgetown Drive-in at the corner of Les Woodhead Avenue and BridgetownBoyup Brook Road saw that reduced to Saturdays only, with the Drive-in and the Town Hall sharing the same film.
The Drive-in continued until its closure on the 27th of January 1985, but movies were again shown at the Town Hall between 1994 and 1996.
Working in the community to give youth a strong foundation on which to build their lives.
People brought rugs, beanbags and pillows to the showing of Paddington 2 in the Town Hall.
OPEN SPACE TO EXPLORE HOUSING SOLUTIONS
The challenge of homelessness comes under the spotlight at the next Transitioon Bridgetown Open Space event.
Transition Bridgetown will hold its next Open Space community forum on Sunday the 19th of July, turning its focus to homelessness and the mental health pressures that are increasingly a problem in Bridgetown.
The event will run from 2pm to 4pm at the Lesser Hall on Steere Street with residents invited to take part in an afternoon of discussion, shared learning and practical ideas.
The forum builds on the momentum of last year’s “Mental Health in our Community” Open Space, which led directly to the formation of the Bridgetown–Greenbushes Cross Agency Alliance.
Dr Sarah Youngson, who’s been central to the alliance’s development, will outline how local services are working together to respond to complex needs.
Bridgetown Hub Manager Jenni Oliver will speak about the growing number of people approaching both the Hub and the Greenbushes CRC for help with homelessness.
She’s expected to highlight the limited resources available to frontline community centres and the challenges staff face when trying to support people in crisis.
The program will also explore long term, community driven solutions.
Irma Lachmund will introduce intentional communities shared, place based living models designed to strengthen wellbeing, resilience and social connection.
David Chick’s personal account of creating an Intentional Community, “What Will Be My Legacy?” follows
A Q&A session will give participants the chance to share their own experiences, concerns and ideas.
Organisers aim to raise awareness and spark practical, locally grounded action.
A quote from the Intentional Communities movement captures the spirit of the day: “As places for sharing lives, resources, land, and purpose, they provide and maximize an interconnected set of ecological, social, and economic benefits.”
Everyone in the community is welcome.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a plate of food to share, with hot drinks provided. Enquiries can be directed to transitionbridgetown19@gmail.com or by phoning or texting 0432 105 754.
ECO FREAKO
Cartoons by
Rowland Benjamin and Tim Wilson
Rowland Benjamin runs Information for Action a not-for-profit environmental group that uses the internet, cartoon books, music video and theatre to explain environmental problems and their solutions. This cartoon, Cockroach Bankers, is from his most recent book Eco Freako Environmental Cartoons Volume Two.
Copies of both books - Volume One and Two, can be obtained directly from Rowland at the Sunday Bridgetown market. https://ecofreakocartoons.com/
E-QUATIONS 7
MINI WORD FIND
Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.
QUICK THINK E-QUATIONS
Solve the crossword. Each answer has four letters.
Letters have a number value Some values are in the right hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.
Letters A to Z have a number value. Some are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.
MOBILE OUTAGE DISRUPTS BRIDGETOWN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS
An Optus mobile phone outage throughout Bridgetown that started late in the day on Wednesday the 17th of June and went on for over 24 hours disrupted mobile phone services and affected businesses using EFTPOS machines using Optus, though the impact on local businesses varied.
However, Optus says it wasn’t to blame for the breakdown, saying an underground fibre break on the Telstra network that Optus relies on for its mobile service covering Bridgetown was the cause.
Optus runs its own mobile towers and much of its own fibre, but where it lacks fibre routes — especially long haul intercity and regional backhaul — it leases capacity on Telstra’s fibre to carry mobile traffic from towers back to Optus’ core network.
Despite that Telstra customers seem to be unaffected by the breakdown.
Optus says technicians worked on the break on the evening of Thursday the 18th.
Services were up and running again by the following morning.
The outage occurred on the same day that Vodafone was hit by a major outage that affected its mobile phone customers across Australia.
SUDOKU
For advertising features that really PUNCH THROUGH
you can rely on the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Star
If an advertising feature in The Bridgetown-Greenbushes Star sounds like a great idea, but the thought of writing about your business is filling you with fear, then relax, because I’ve got some good news for you:
You don’t have to do it yourself.
A professional writer really makes a BIG di erence, so why do it yourself when it’s not the best thing you do?
Your business deserves the best possible presentation, so why not hand the task over to a professional and stay focussed on what you do best?
A Bridgetown-Greenbushes Star advertising feature is the perfect way to get your message to punch through when your customers are sceptical about obvious sales pitches and hard-sell marketing.
e secret is to talk to your customers without all that obvious selling, and the
key to achieving it is to tap into their needs and interests, while establishing your reputation as the perfect person to satisfy them.
20 years’ experience
While most journalists groan at the thought of writing advertising features, and don’t do it very well, I have 20 years’ experience as a copywriter behind me.
My clients have included everyone from BHP, the Government of Western Australia, LendLease, Satterley and Australia’s leading eet managers, Fleetcare, through to suburban barbershops and accounting practices.
I know how to see your business from your customers’ perspective, to answer the sort of questions they’d like answered, and to write about it powerfully and persuasively.
Bargain
So how much is a Bridgetown-Greenbushes Star advertising feature going to cost, and what do you get for it?
Well for just $990 you get a full page with a photo or photos and a carefully cra ed feature article.
You’ll get clear, concise, vibrant writing that’s guaranteed to get your message across.
It’s a bargain at $990 and way less than I used to charge my big city clients!
And if a whole page sounds like too much of a good thing, then contact me today for a special rate on a half-page advertising feature in the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Star
So why wouldn’t you take advantage of my two decades of writing experience as a journalist, sub editor and business writer to make your business shine with an advertising feature that really punches through?
BULLDOGS DOMINATE
Khai Robinson in a tangle of arms and legs.
Tim Davies was in the thick of it all day for the Bulldogs.
Jacob Duncan outpacing his Southerners opponent, with Kale Paton in the background.
BULLDOGS DOMINATE
Home ground advantage counted for little when the Bridgetown Bulldogs’ impressive run of form continued at Pemberton Oval on Sunday 21st of June with a dominant display over Southerners.
The Bulldogs ran out 60-point winners after an even first half that saw them
just 12 points up at the main break after a spirited start from the home team that saw them kick the opening two goals in quick succession.
After the main break, however, it was a very onesided affair with the Bulldogs piling on 9.10 while holding Southerners to a measly 2.4.
The win sees them holding down second place on the ladder, one game below Kojonup who also enjoy
a huge percentage advantage over the Bulldogs and the rest of the competition.
Boyup Brook remains stuck on the bottom of the ladder, still looking for their first win after eight games.
In a good month for the Bulldogs they also scored a 16 point win over Imperials on the 6th of June in front of a home crowd.
Your local expert specialising in pre-fabricated residential units, studios, tiny homes and building renovations.
Connor McCamish flies high in the ruck while Tim Davies waits below.