local government can work together. Regrettably, a designated arts officer position is no longer supported by council. Nevertheless, for several years the community enjoyed the Festival of the Coast, involving a wide range of people including schoolchildren, older people and culturally/linguistically diverse groups in its many and varied cultural events. In 2006, the Henley and Grange Residents’ Association initiated the first western suburbs South Australian Living Artists (SALA) event. Local shops, hotels, restaurants and public spaces were asked to open their doors to exhibit art created by members of the local community. Involving the community in art projects has built new friendships. Eighty local residents, often in family groups, made the ceramic mosaics for the Sea Creature Trail along the Esplanade foreshore in 2007, and in 2009 the Mosaic Stepping Stones were created on the Torrens riverbank. As Jim Douglas said: ‘Bringing people together to make art is the magic.’ In 2015, WACRA coordinated the public art event Poles Apart. Chrissie Schultz and Anne Wheaton talk about the importance of making art. The tall, grey, ugly Stobie electric poles of Main Street (near the central Henley Square) were transformed. Over 50 local community members spent several days painting boards attached to the poles to radically improve them. The subjects for the paintings were seascape scenes and local birds. It was ‘artivism’ – art with an environmental message. The Henley Community Garden is another venue where community members meet, sharing their gardening ideas and produce. This new garden project was started by Deslie Goudie in 2012 on land made available by the local council. WACRA introduced communal gardening and occupied the first community garden in 2003, using the land in and around Henley High School, before moving to the 2012 site. WACRA was also responsible for the brilliant Energy Friends project, since adopted by the SA State Government. In 2002, residents’ association members were educated by experts about home energy efficiency and then invited to review their homes to reduce energy usage. Paul Laris talks about this as one of WACRA’s first climate change strategies in ‘Power to the people’. In 2018, WACRA set up the successful Defibrillator Action Group, spearheaded by Rick Whitehead. WACRA lobbied council for the installation of an automated external defibrillator in Henley Square. In October 2018, Charles Sturt Council’s mayor cut the ribbon to celebrate the installation. Fundraising Raising funds is imperative. Like many community organisations, WACRA’s largest single expense by far is insurance. Social activities organised to raise funds have the added benefit of bringing people closer together. Chrissie Schultz and other WACRA members have organised film nights and food nights. A few interviewees recall that longlasting friendships formed at these social gatherings.
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