Swan Magazine November 2019

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IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES

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Books and Writing

Just Out 3 The Idler 47 Poetry 13 The Noble Recreation 38 Your Voice Matters 6 What’s On at KSP 5 Business

Front Page Photograph: Rerembrance Day Photographer: Jay Cronan Courtesy of the Department of Defence, Commonwealth of Australia

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ustralian Defence Force personnel at home and abroad pause on the anniversary of the Armistice, in memory of all those who have died in all wars.

ADF personnel remembered the sacrifice of more than 102,000 Australians whose names are recorded on Australia’s Roll of Honour and acknowledged the ongoing suffering of those who returned.

Almost 2,300 Australian Defence Force personnel are currently deployed on operations around the world.

The Remembrance Day National Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial where Australia’s Federation Guard and the Royal Military College Duntroon Band parade along with members of the local veterans’ community.

Business Card Board

67 Networking 52 WA Regional Achievement Awards 53

Community Annie’s Collective Wonderland 20 Australian Monarchist League 49 Federal Notes 14 Flinders University News 57 Guildford’s Twilight Market is Back! 9 Notes From Parliament 17 Open House Returns 32 Reasons Not to Buy Bottled Water 10 SAFE 58 Standing Up For Swan Hills 16 SVRN 50 The Compassionate Friends 59 What’s On 18

Entertainment

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Film 22 Reviews: Official Secrets 22 General: Before Dawn 23 Footnote People in History 54 Swan Stage 30 Reviews The Book of Mormon 31 The Man Who Was Peter Pan 27 Yeoman of the Guard 27/30 Theatre Companies ArenaArts 34 Garrick Theatre Club Inc 35 Halcyon Playhouse 33 Murdoch Theatre Company 36 TV with Chris 24 TV Review Sanditon 25 Leisure

House and Garden

7 Sport 44 Lest We Forget

The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior 45

SWAN MAGAZINE WEBSITE:

www.swanmagazine.com.au

Email: editor@swanmagazine.com.au Registered Address: 18 Tokay Lane, The Vines, Western Australia 6069 DECEMBER DEADLINES: Advertisements: 1st December Editorial: 1st December Copyright: Swan Magazine 2019

I.S.S.N. 1833-9336

0DISCLAIMER The information in this publication is of a general nature. The articles contained herein are not intended to provide a complete discussion on each subject and or issues canvassed. Swan Magazine does not accept any liability for any statements or any opinion, or for any errors or omissions contained herein.

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BOOKS AND WRITING JUST OUT Title: Author: Publisher: ISBN:

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To prove her innocence, Morgan frantically tries to retrace the last days of the woman’s life. She begins to understand that Nicole Markham believed she and her baby were in danger. Now Morgan might be in danger, too.

Was Nicole a new mother struggling with paranoia?

Or is something much darker going on?

Pulse-pounding, heartrending, shocking, thrilling. This is a thriller you won’t stop thinking about.

No Bad Deed J. Todd Scott Headline 9781 4722 6472 5

split-second decision puts your family in danger.

A gripping new thriller that fans of Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay will read in one sitting.

No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez will keep you guessing until the final page.

You’re driving home from work to your husband and children.

Suddenly a woman is front of your car. She’s being attacked.

You call the police and they tell you to stay in the car.

But what if you got out to help? What might the consequences be?

You save the woman, but the attacker takes your handbag. And your car. And then, the next day, when you think it’s all over, your husband disappears. He’s gone without a trace.

And then he texts you. ‘I’m sorry’. But is it really him?

Nothing could have prepared you for what happens next.

A sensational debut – compelling, hypnotic, full of suspense and quiet menace. Don’t miss it! Lee Child

About The Author

Samantha a Toronto-based journalist and freelance editor who’s written extensively for Now Magazine, Oxford University Press, and several other publications.

She’s also the co-founder of “BookBuzz,” a promotional and interactive author-reader event held in New York City and Toronto that has attracted the attention of prominent publicists, influential media, and bestselling authors.

She holds a Master of Education in Applied Linguistics and credits that degree with her writing career because she wrote my first novel while taking a course on imagination. Now her imagination leads her to create dark and twisty stories, and her debut psychological thriller, Woman On The Edge, will be published world-wide. ~oOo~ Title: Author: Publisher: ISBN:

A graduate of UC Berkeley’s English literature program, Heather Chavez has worked as a newspaper reporter and editor. She lives in Santa Rosa, California, with her husband and children.

No Bad Deed is her first book. ~oOo~ Title: Author: Publisher: ISBN:

W it seems…

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Ther Last Hunt Deon Meyer Hodder & Stoughton 9781 4736 1445 1

cold case for Captain Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido of the Hawks elite police unit – not what they were looking for.

And a difficult case, too. The body of Johnson Johnson, ex-cop, has been found beside a railway line. He appears to have jumped from South Africa’s – perhaps the world’s – most luxurious train, and two suspicious characters seen with him have disappeared into thin air.

The regular police have already failed to make progress and others are intent on muddying the waters.

Meanwhile in Bordeaux, Daniel Darret is settled in a new life on a different continent.

A quiet life. But his skills as an international hit-man are required one more time, and Daniel is given no choice in the matter. He must hunt again – his prey the corrupt president

No Bad Deed J. Todd Scott Headline 9781 4722 6464 0 oman on the Edge begins with a shocking, tragic event and doesn’t stop there. A moment on the platform changes two lives for ever. But nothing is as

‘Take my baby.’

In a split second, Morgan’s life changes for ever. A stranger hands her a baby, then jumps in front of a train.

Morgan has never seen the woman before and she can’t understand what would cause a person to give away her child and take her own life.

When the police question Morgan, she discovers none of the witnesses can corroborate her version of events. And when they learn Morgan longs for a baby of her own, she becomes a suspect.

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of his homeland.

Three strands of the same story become entwined in a ferocious race against time – for the Hawks to work out what lies behind the death of Johnson, for Daniel to evade the relentless Russian agents tracking him, for Benny Griessel to survive long enough to take another huge step in his efforts to piece together again the life he nearly destroyed – and finally ask Alexa Bernard to marry him.

The Last Hunt shows one of the great crime writers operating at the peak of his powers.

The undisputed champion of South African crime. Meyer grabs you but the throat and never lets you go - Wilbur Smith

Bernie’s first task is to investigate the Silesian Station killings – four prostitutes murdered in as many weeks. All of them have been hit over the head with a hammer and then scalped with a sharp knife.

Bernie hardly has time to acquaint himself with the case files before another prostitute is murdered. Until now, no one has shown much interest in these victims – there are plenty in Berlin who’d like the streets washed clean of such degenerates.

But this time the girl’s father runs Berlin’s foremost criminal ring, and he’s prepared to go to extreme lengths to find his daughter’s killer.

Then a second series of murders begins – of crippled wartime veterans who beg in the city’s streets. It seems that someone is determined to clean up Berlin of anyone less than perfect.

The voice of Nazism is becoming a roar that threatens to drown out all others. But not Bernie Gunther’s ..

One of the greatest anti-heroes ever written. Lee Child

About The Author

Deon Meyer lives near Cape Town in South Africa. His big passions are motorcycling, music, reading, cooking and rugby.

In January 2008 he retired from his day job as a consultant on brand strategy for BMW Motorrad, and is now a full time author.

Deon Meyer’s books have attracted worldwide critical acclaim and a growing international fanbase. Originally written in Afrikaans, they have now been translated into twenty-eight languages.

Thirteen Hours was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger and won the Boeke Prize in South Africa – the first time in the prize’s sixteen year history that a South African book has won.

His novels have also won literary prizes in France, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, and the film rights to seven of his novels have been optioned or sold.

Deon has also written two television series, and several screenplays for movies. In 2013 he directed one of his original scripts for the feature film The Last Tango. ~oOo~ Title: Author: Publisher: ISBN:

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About The Author

Born in Edinburgh, Kerr was educated there and at a grammar school in Northampton. He studied law at the University of Birmingham from 1974 to 1980, eventually gaining a master’s degree. He became interested in German twentieth century history. Following several trips to Germany – and a great deal of walking around the mean streets of Berlin – his first novel, March Violets, was published in 1989 and introduced the world to Bernie Gunther.

A writer of both adult fiction and non-fiction, he was known for the Bernie Gunther series of thrillers set during the Weimar Republic, World War II and the Cold War. He also wrote children’s books under the name P.B. Kerr, including the Children of the Lamp series.

Philip Kerr was the author of more than thirty books, including the fourteen Bernie Gunther novels, several standalone thrillers, and the young-adult series Children of the Lamp under the pen name of P.B. Kerr.

He passed away in March 2018.

Metropolis Philip Kerr Quercus 9781 7874 7321 8

erlin detective Bernie Gunther bows out at last in the fourteenth and final book of the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling series, following the death of his creator.

With an introduction by Ian Rankin.

Berlin, 1928, the dying days of the Weimar Republic shortly before Hitler and the Nazis came to power. It was a period of decadence and excess as Berliners – after the terrible slaughter of WWI and the hardships that followed – are enjoying their own version of Babylon.

Bernie is a young detective working in Vice when he gets a summons from Bernard Weiss, Chief of Berlin’s Criminal Police. He invites Bernie to join KIA – Criminal Inspection A – the supervisory body for all homicide investigation in Kripo.

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BOOKS AND WRITING WHAT’S ON AT KSP SHANNON COYLE

MEMOIR AND MIXING

This November our featured guest is Holden Sheppard, an award-winning Young Adult author born and bred in Geraldton, Western Australia.

His debut Young Adult novel Invisible Boys won the 2018 City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award and the 2019 Kathleen Mitchell Award.

Holden’s novella Poster Boy won the 2018 Novella Project competition and was published in Griffith Review in October 2018. Holden currently serves as the Deputy Chair of WritingWA, and as an ambassador for Lifeline WA. He is represented by agent Haylee Nash of The Nash Agency.

BYO drinks and nibbles and take a seat in the Balcony Bar for a great evening of readings and socialising. Complimentary glass of wine on arrival.

$5 cash or card entry fee applies.

Memoir Writing Workshop Saturday 9th November 1.00-4.00pm

This workshop run by two visiting Writers-in-Residence will be presented in two sessions. The first will examine different ways of approaching memory in memoir, whether as perspectival, fictive, collective, a means of narrativising past events, and as a site of healing.

We will also examine the methods of writing our memories to make them interesting for a reader. The second workshop will discuss the difficulties that can arise when writing memoir, including dilemmas associated with writing about extremely personal experiences, writing about family and close friends, and the fear that mining such personal experiences can be exploited by mainstream media outlets.

We will also explore the ways to pitch memoir and to whom and where the pitch should be sent.

Tickets $35 for members, $50 others, plus booking fee.

To book or for more details on any of these activities please visit the KSP website www.kspwriterscentre.com or phone the office on 08 9294 1872.

KSP Sundowner Session - Spring Soiree Friday 29th November 6.30-8pm

Author Holden Sheppard

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BOOKS AND WRITING YOUR VOICE MATTERS SHERENE STRAHAN

'I build a really great rapport with my clients and they end up most of the time becoming friends. I want to be a lifelong trusted person in their lives.'

- Vanessa Geraghty

it and started my business.

'I started to develop my voice when I was in corporate marketing, but it changed to being more playful when it was my own business. While the blogs, videos, social media posts I put out are factual and aim to educate my audience, I also mix in a flavour of who I am, which is really how I am able to build trust with my audience.'

The strength of being a successful communicator lies in knowing who you are, what’s important to you and how that comes across to an audience.

'I think I am definitely an optimist. I always like to find the positive in every situation and learn from negative things that

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anessa is a marketing consultant and coach, founder of Vivacity Marketing. She spends a lot of time online in the course of her work.

For good or bad, the internet is now our ‘other office’.

We’re there to attract attention, build trust and develop relationships. And as Vanessa has found, it can be rewarding to connect with people we can help.

But like any office, the internet can have its dark side.

'This person set up a fake Facebook account and started sending me disgusting private messages which I blocked. And then they started writing defamatory comments on the photos on my business Facebook page which were horrendous.'

Vanessa’s ‘other office’ turned into a place of torment. And the easy accessibility of that online world has a devastating flip side: It goes wherever we go.

Into our homes, our living spaces, our downtime. The destructive nature of bullying becomes all-pervasive when it’s cyber. Yet whilst this experience obviously took a toll, Vanessa wasn’t about to let it crush her.

'I did a post about it on Facebook so that people knew what was going on in case they had seen the horrible comments on my page. And I did a video on LinkedIn too, which got over 6000 views and so many comments of support and positivity that I was blown away! Just knowing I had so many people in my corner supporting me has really helped me to get through it.'

When I saw Vanessa’s video I was struck by her composure and her strong, authentic voice.

happen. I start each day writing down six things that I am grateful for and then do some exercise which I find helps to get me into that positive mindset.'

'Mindset is what lets many business owners down. I work with business coaches and I have a strong business community of friends that I can lean on and vent to. I think having a great support crew in business and family to lean on when times are tough is vital too.'

'I give back a percentage of the profits that I earn to Opportunity International Australia, which provides microloans to women living in poverty, so they can start a small business and provide a better future for their kids. I have been very blessed, so I wanted to give back. And what better way than to support a woman who wants to start her own business?'

Vanessa’s cyberbully has disappeared and what’s even better is that he failed miserably at undermining her self-identity.

Instead, the support she got shows that her voice in the world matters.

Knowing the three things that Vanessa knows - who you are, what matters to you and why that matters to an audience - gives a rock-solid foundation for writing and communicating with an audience.

If you want to develop your own foundation, I’m taking a small number of clients for 1:1 coaching right now. Get in touch for details.

Until next time, Sherene

'I worked in the corporate world from the age of 23 - 42 and during that time you need to fit into a mould and I always found that mould really unauthentic and stifling. I knew it wasn't for me, but I never thought I was the kind of person that would run a business.

‘Then after I had my child at forty, I realised (probably quite late in life!) that I could really do anything I put my mind to. I stopped caring what others thought and after being made redundant when I came back from maternity leave, I just went for 6

HOUSE AND GARDEN NATIVE FLOWERING GARDENS - 2 MARION LOGIE

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ontinuing our series of flowering native plants suitable for Perth’s sand based gardens.

Dealing with sandy soils can be difficult, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a great looking garden.

So what are some plants that work well in Perth?

well to pruning after flowering. Best in full sun or part shade in moist, well-drained soils.

3. HEART LEAF FLAME PEA – CHORIZEMA CORDATUM

This plant grows to a height and width of a metre and a half, making it a great choice for hedging, borders, mass planting, pots, and part of a trellis. A fan of hot overhead to warm low sun, the Heart Leaf Flame Pea offers orange, pink, and yellow flowers in spring, with blooms in racemes up to twelve centimetres long.

The weak branches and scrambling habit of the plant allow it to be trained or trialled over rocks and other features, making it ideal for use in rock gardens.

More next month ...

4. BROWN BORONIA – BORONIA MEGASTIGMA

This evergreen shrub belongs to the citrus family and has wonderful lemon-scented cup-like flowers that vary in colour, from yellow to dark brown with yellow inside.

Flowers appear in spring, and their incredible scent makes them a favourite in the garden. They enjoy hot overhead sun to warm low sun, and have a plant height and spread of one metre.

5. WHITE ANZAC BOTTLEBRUSH – CALLISTEMON CITRINUS

This plant makes a wonderful groundcover or large planter, bearing large white bottlebrush flowers in late spring/early summer and again in autumn. Attracting nectar eating native birds to the garden, it’s suited to coastal conditions and responds 7

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COMMUNITY GUILFORD’S TWILIGHT MARKET IS BACK! BROMWYN FACER

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unday, November 17th sees the return of the Guildford Twilight Market to the picturesque grounds of Stirling Square for yet another fabulous season.

Aptly named, the Twilight Markets run from 5:00pm as the sun sets through the golden hours until 9:00pm, when the day draws to a close.

Getting the season off to a rockin’ start with live music is The Perfect Storm Duo along with The Straymen With Kathy Carver who’ll get your feet tapping so don’t forget your dancing shoes.

The Holden Car Club of WA will be holding their annual Show & Shine with a range of vehicles on display for everyone to appreciate.

Relax, enjoy a bite to eat from the Food Hub where you’ll find some of Perth’s finest Street Food Vendors serving up traditional tastes from all corners of the globe including, Brazilian, Indian, Vietnamese, Italian, Hungarian and Mexican With Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free options in plenty, there is something for everyone.

You’ll find Market Stalls to browse packed with locally handcrafted artisan products, home décor, locally produced gourmet food, fashion and accessories along with recycled, upcycled and re-purposed wares and a touch of vintage.

With loads of free Children’s Activities including, Face Painting, Totem Tennis, Giant Games, and Bouncy Castle fun. There truly is something for the whole family to enjoy when you visit the Guildford Twilight Market.

Dogs on leashes at all times are welcome.

More details can be found by visiting the markets’ Facebook page: www. facebook.com/guilfgotftwilightmarket

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COMMUNITY REASONS NOT TO BUY BOTTLED WATER DILLIE KEANE

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promise, this is a short one. But you need to read it. Okay, here goes! Why you should never, never NEVER buy a plastic bottle containing water.

• It takes between twice and three times the amount of water contained in the bottle to make the bottle in the first place.

• Most of us in the Western world have potable – i.e. drinkable – tap water. What in God’s name might possess you to buy more?

• See those bottles of “vitamin enriched” water? You want extra vitamins? Eat more fruit and vegetables. Protein water?

Eat some walnuts. Fruity waters? Mmm mm mm, love those chemicals.

water from the land belonging to a First Nation community near Toronto, so much so that some homes have no water at all and must buy water in for cooking, washing and the toilet.

Nestlé also continued to take water from the San Bernardino National Forest in California all through the sevenyear drought. So the big question is – how good do you feel about dehydrating the land so you can sip water during meetings and lectures?

MORE POLLUTION

We drink many English waters, French, Italian, American… think of the travel miles and the consequent pollution!

“BUT I RECYCLE MY BOTTLES!”

Just because you carefully dispose of your empty bottle in the right bin doesn’t mean it isn’t going straight to landfill. Actually, it’s highly unlikely to be recycled. 91% of plastic isn’t recycled, according to the National Geographic.

Even if your plastic bottle does get recycled, it can only be recycled a limited number of times as the polymer degrades a little every time. Bottle caps can be recycled just the once before they’re recycled again into fabric. Then when you’ve finished with that piece of fabric, it goes to landfill.

For ever.

So good for you – and full of water!

(Photograph by Lou Liebau on Unsplash)

COMPARISONS ARE ODIOUS

If you live near a discount supermarket, you can unfortunately bulk buy the evil stuff pretty cheaply. On mysupermarket.co, a bottle of Evian Natural Still Water (500ml) will set you back $1.20 (60p). So it costs $2.50 (£1.20) per litre for a single bottle. Compare that with the average price of petrol (and I’m taking the low average here) which is about $2.50(in the UK) per litre. Really? You’re willing to pay the same for water as you do for petrol?

If you buy your water from a kiosk or a fast food shop, you’re paying even more than that.

Unknown picture of known water ready for delivery to homes that already have water

“I’M DANGEROUSLY THIRSTY!”

PAYING DOUBLE?

Dehydration? Oh, give me strength. You’re only likely to be dehydrated if

(a) you’ve been drinking Mezcal slammers since last Tuesday,

(b) you’re engaged in vigorous sporting activities.

(c) it’s very hot or

(d) you just floated in on the Raft of the Medusa.

You do not need to rehydrate on the bus or halfway through a movie. You will live without constant slurpings of water. There’s an awful lot of nonsense talked about hydration, indeed there’s a total absence of scientific studies proving you need eight glasses of water a day.

Yes, you pay twice. You get water in your taps because you pay for it through council tax or rates, and then you pay again because you buy it in plastic bottles.

PROFIT BEFORE PEOPLE

The bottling companies take water from springs and aquifers, or underground layers of permeable rock saturated with fresh, or slightly salinated water. Water extraction on a grand scale is storing up all sorts of problems around the world.

Just Google “Nestlé water scandal” and you will find pages and pages of information.

But just for a couple of examples, they’ve been taking the 10

In rare cases, too much water can be extremely bad for you causing hyponatremia, or water intoxication which is very dangerous.

ENRICHING THE BASTARDS…

Every time you buy a bottle of water which you could get free out of your tap, you are spending unnecessary money making Nestlé and other companies like them even richer and more capable of raping the planet.

You know what? Give up bottled water and after a week, you won’t miss it. It’s not nicotine, you know.

And if I haven’t convinced you yet, how about this...

share my mailing list with anyone.

So please do try and get this information out there. It’s so important that we start taking responsibility for what we do. It’s simply not good enough to wait for bloody Government to take action.

About the Author: Dillie Keane ~ Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.

Louise “Dillie” Keane is an Olivier Award-nominated actress, singer and comedian. She is perhaps best known as one third of the comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aïda since its 1983 inception, but she has also had a prominent solo career. Satirical songwriter, cabaret artiste, actress, gardener, fruit grower, bread maker, eco-enthusiast, gourmet, and chicken whisperer... Oh, and feisty old trout who’s not done yet.

Plastic Surf by Weston Fuller is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Editor: In Australia each of us drink 26 litres of bottled water on average per year, including places of business, where companies often spend time and money on bottle delivery while having a perfectly good source of water already installed within their building - which they already pay for on a regular basis.

The cost of bottled water, the level of purity of the water inside the bottle and the pollution caused during the production of plastics are just some of the many things that should make you rethink unscrewing the cap on bottled water and persuade you to purify what’s coming from your tap instead.

Despite many of us drinking bottled water in the work place and our homes, there are many disadvantages of constantly purchasing bottles in order to drink purified water, and none as surprisingly simple as the cost of this habit.

According to the Australian Museum the cost of Photograph by John Cameron on Unsplash tap water is 1 cent per litre compared to bottled water which costs $2.53. It might not sound like a lot, but if Or this? you consider that around 600 million litres of bottled water is

If you’ve enjoyed this article, subscribe to my blog: www. consumed across Australia per year it all adds up. That’s over 1.5 shityoudontneed.blog as there are quite a few more. And do billion dollars spent just on bottled water, all whilst you’re already please share with your friends and foes alike. paying for an unlimited supply of water through your building’s

Even better, follow – just click the follow button and enter mains supply. your email address. You only get an email when I publish a new

As if you needed any other reason to drop that bottle, there’s piece which is not very frequent at the moment as I am busy also our green earth to think about.

DSB writing a new show for (and with) Fascinating Aïda. And I don’t 11

COMMUNITY HANNAH SWART - MISS INTERCONTINENTAL AUSTRALIA

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annah Swart, twenty-two, has recently been crowned the third ever Miss Intercontinental Australia. She will be traveling to Egypt in the month of December to compete internationally against ninety other countries and contestants for the coveted title of Miss Intercontinental 2019.

During her time in Egypt, Hannah will be judged in the categories of Swimwear, National Costume, Interview, Photogenic submission and Evening wear.

and won the “Best in Fashion Wear” award.

On the same night Hannah was also awarded with a week long trip to Bali as the face of the clothing brand “Heidi Anne Active”. Whilst on this winning trip, Hannah had the opportunity to model for other international brands such as Skin02, Monday Wear and Sax Sea boutique.

Hannah says that all of these combined made her even more motivated and determined to return to Australia Galaxy Pageants and work even harder for the title. This brings us to the 2019 National Final, back on the Gold Coast in April this year.

Hannah said: “I put my heart and soul into the competition and made sure I could only reflect positively on the experience with no regrets on my performance” which definitely was the case after she placed 1St Runner Up in the country, and only narrowly missing out on the crown by half a point. Hannah also walked away with three awards on the night; best in Evening wear, Most Photogenic and Miss Charity.

“I definitely would say winning ‘Miss Charity’ is my

She will also be taking part in a range of activities and sight seeing in the beautiful Sharm El Sheike during her three week stay. All contestants are being hosted to stay in the amazing Sunrise Grand Select Montemanre Resort.

Over the last five years, Hannah has been competing on and off in pageants while studying or now, in full time employment at Clarkson Nissan. She says, “It can be quite a task trying to juggle work and pageants as they can be like a full time job in themselves, however the end result always pays off”

Going back to 2017, Hannah competed in the state finals of the Miss Galaxy Australia pageant and after making it through to the National Final on the Gold Coast; she placed with 4th Runner Up 12

favourite award I have received to date,” she says. “The reason I love pageants so much and continue to return is due to the satisfaction I have when using the platform for good and to help others. I have worked with numerous charities and organisations in my state. This year alone I was able to raise over $3,500 for Make A Wish Australia.”

Hannah says she loves spreading the word about how incredible her pageant experiences have been to any new people she meets. “I want more people and young girls especially to be more open to pageants, they have given me so much confidence and I have learnt a lot about myself through competing. There is so much negativity in the world and it is very easy to get caught up in the lives of others through social media unfortunately. I found pageants to have been an incredible alternative to this and shown me that my free time is much more valuable elsewhere. I just wish I had known about it all sooner!”

The director of Australia Galaxy pageants, Lucinda Ferguson also runs Miss Intercontinental Australia, Miss Global Australia and Australia’s Teen Queen.

Lucinda has over thirty years experience in the industry and has created beautiful systems based around charity and becoming the best version of yourself.

Each pageant although different, do share similarities in the

values they uphold.

Lucinda has definitely crushed any stereotypes of traditional pageantry by encouraging all girls to enter, regardless of height, weight or skin colour – they are inclusive of everyone - which is evident in the results of the past and present winners!

Hannah also says that she has made some of her best friendships through competing and is still in touch with many of the girls from as far back as her first pageant 5 years ago.

Miss Intercontinental Australia tells us that she is most excited to see the beautiful Egypt and to learn and immerse herself in the culture. “I have only seen photos and am already in awe. I’m hoping I get to see some camels too!” she says.

Hannah is also so thrilled to be meeting so many girls from all around the world and planning on making more friendships for life.

Hannah expresses “I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunities that have arisen for me this year especially and I can’t wait for the journey that is about to unfold.”

POETRY SWIPE

KELLY VAN NELSON ching thumb fingers numb from swiping smooth screen streaking smart glass

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Tweeting Instagram bleating working faster and faster searching profiles in a murky pond desperate to extend the network and form a bond reaching out to explore virtual possibilities Poking some think I’m joking just some sad stranger trying to gather likes Filling the blip of lack of real friendship even the bullying monkeys on my back blocked me long ago Log on and dive in no messages to make me grin cast my rod across the ocean spanning six-degrees of separation attempting to catch a fish on the hook finding nothing but a one-dimensional face in an online book

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FEDERAL NOTES HASLUCK HAPPENINGS

HON KEN WYATT AM, MP Member for Hasluck , Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health

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who served as gunners, please visit the website of the Royal Australian Artillery Association through the following link. http://www.artillerywa.org.au

Lest we forget.

REMEMBRANCE DAY

encourage the local community to remember the Australian service men and women who have suffered and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations this Remembrance Day.

Every year at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we mark Remembrance Day because it was at this time and date in 1918 that the guns fell silent on the Western Front, officially ending the First World War.

The war came at a great cost for Australia, with more than 60,000 service men and women not returning home, from the 416,000 who enlisted.

This affected every community, large and small, across the country, in what was a very young nation at that time.

Today more than 102,000 names are listed on the Australian War Memorial’s Roll of Honour in Canberra to honouring lives lost at war. It is vital we continue to remember their service and sacrifice.

It is incredibly important to instil an ongoing sense of remembrance Major Duncan Anderson, Battery Commander 3, Battery 9 Regiment of and respect in future generations of the Royal Australian Artillery, laying a wreath with City of Swan Mayor Australians so our current and former Kevin Bailey and the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP, Member for Hasluck serving defence personnel and their families know their sacrifices are honoured, now and into the future.

MIDVALE EARLY CHILDHOOD AND PARENTING CENTRE

We remind all Australians, including our younger

It was my great privilege to visit the Midvale Early Childhood generations, to continue the Remembrance Day tradition and & Parenting Centre and share the morning with the staff, parents pay tribute to those who have proudly served our nation in wars, and all the children.

It was an honour to witness the children’s conflicts and peacekeeping operations by attending a local Welcome to Country. commemorative service and wearing a red poppy in honour of

The Midvale Early Childhood & Parenting Centre staff the sacrifices made by our brave service men and women. continue to amaze me with their positive attitude towards making a difference in the lives of the children and their families.

HONOURING THE SERVICE OF OUR GUNNERS

The centre is not just a pre-school; it’s also a second home

The Federal Member for Hasluck, The Hon Ken Wyatt AM for these families. The centre offers a haven for children to learn, MP recognised the service of all those who have served in the play and develop critical skills through fun activities offered by Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery at the annual Gunners Day the centre.

Parade on Sunday.

“It was a great day to remember those who have served and those who gave their lives protecting our nation” Mr Wyatt said.

“Guildford is the home of the Royal Australian Artillery Association of Western Australia and is where we hold the annual Gunners Day Parade to in their honour.

The Gunners Day service has been held annually since 1928, In memory of those who fought and fell during World War One, and following conflicts.

If anyone would like more information on the history of those 14

Another initiative by the centre is their Welcoming Lobby where a new activity is set up for parents and children to interact with each week. The week I visited there was a ‘explore your senses’ activity with plenty of scents, grains and textures to engage the senses.

The centre is also home to the upcoming ‘Urban Hearing Pathways’ project which will provide ear health and hearing assessments for children aged 0-5 years; the upskilling of primary care providers to perform such assessment; and finally to promote community engagement and health awareness.

This short term project by Hearing Australia will help to improve access to hearing and ear health services of 0-5 year old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across three urban locations – the Midvale Early Childhood & Parenting Centre being one of them.

Thank you to the Midvale Early Childhood & Parenting Centre for inviting me to share stories and see the service you provide to our community in Hasluck.

MIDLAND POULTRY SOCIETY

Thank you to the Midland Poultry and Agriculture Society for inviting me to officially open the extension to their poultry shed. The Morrison Government’s Stronger Communities Programme saw the society receive $7,500 to assist with the construction of an extension to their poultry shed.

the eligibility criteria and forward your request and supporting documentation to my office, which can be done via email or by my website here: https://www.kenwyatt.com.au/contact Keep me informed!

Be my eyes and ears on the streets - let me know if something is happening in your area.

Yours sincerely,

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES

Ken Wyatt AM MP Federal Member for Hasluck

Did you know that you can request a congratulatory message for significant birthdays or anniversaries? Simply find

15

STANDING UP FOR SWAN HILLS ABOUT JESS

J

focused on community safety and secured State Government funding to open the Ellenbrook Police Station 24/7, increasing the number of police based in our local community and out patrolling our streets.

Community service is very important to Jess. She sits on the Boards of both Ellenbrook Secondary College and Aveley Secondary College and also supports a range of local sporting, arts, cultural, environmental and other community organisations.

She is a founding member of the Pearce Ellenbrook

essica Shaw is the Member for Swan Hills in the WA Legislative Assembly. She first moved to the electorate over thirteen years ago and is the first local resident to represent our community in many years.

Prior to entering politics, Jess had a successful career in the private sector. She was a commercial executive in the energy industry, before being elected at the 2017 State Election.

Jess’ family own local small businesses in the building trades - she understands what it takes to get our local economy working.

Jess is focused on delivering employment and commercial opportunities for local workers and small businesses in the construction trades, tourism industry, retail and services sectors.

A proud public school product (and the first person in her family to finish high school!), Jess understands the importance of high quality public schooling and the need to provide safe, secure recreational services and facilities for our youth.

She fought and secured funding for a local Child and Parent Centre for young families; a local Education Support Centre for primary school children with disabilities; a Community Services Centre; millions of dollars in funding for local school upgrades; and a purpose-built youth centre in the heart of our community.

She is committed to delivering better public transport links and securing the road, rail and community infrastructure we need and deserve - including the Ellenbrook train line! Jessica is Advertisement

Jessica Shaw MLA LOCAL MEMBER FOR SWAN HILLS

@JessicaShawMLA Jessica.Shaw@mp.wa.gov.au 9296 7688 Chamber of Commerce & Community and assists a number of local resident, ratepayer and progress associations.

Much of the work Jess does with local groups - particularly in the Hills and the Swan Valley - involves planning, environmental and land use issues. It’s vital that we protect the natural beauty of the Hills and the agricultural functions in the Swan Valley.

Developments should preserve our local environmental values and be in keeping with the character of our towns and villages.

Chair of the Parliament’s Economics and Industry Standing Committee, Jessica’s policy interests are centred on economic development; energy; environment; supporting innovation and generating commercial opportunities for WA businesses - small and large. She believes in the importance of ensuring that government, community and industry work together to improve the quality of life of all Western Australians.

A study junkie, Jess has four university degrees and credits her parents for giving her a strong work ethic and commitment to social justice. She is deeply grateful for the love and support of her family and her miniature Schnauzer, Harry!

More info about Jess, including her inaugural speech to parliament, can be found here: www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/Memblist.nsf/ WAllMembersFlat/Shaw,+Jessica+Jane?opendocument

HERE TO HELP Aveley, Bailup, Belhus, Brigadoon, Bullsbrook, Chidlow, Ellenbrook, Gidgegannup, Melaleuca, Mount Helena, Sawyers Valley, The Vines, Upper Swan, and Wooroloo.

Office Address 13/31 Egerton Drive Aveley WA 6069

Postal Address PO Box 2265 Ellenbrook WA 6069

Standing up for Swan Hills Authorised by Jessica Shaw, 13/31 Egerton Drive, Aveley, WA 6069

16

NOTES FROM PARLIAMENT STARTING OVER

Hon Donna Faragher JP MLC Member for East Metropolitan Region

T

he Stan and Jean Perron Child Advocacy Centre in Midland was officially opened in October. Established by Parkerville Children and Youth Care, the Centre is located at the former Midland Railway Workshops and is five times larger than the George Jones Child Advocacy Centre which has been successfully operating in Armadale since 2011.

As a long-time supporter of Parkerville Children and Youth Care, I was pleased to attend the opening.

When I first visited Parkerville Children and Youth Care in 2005, the organisation provided services to around 200 children every year.

Today, more than 10,000 children and young people who have experienced trauma through child abuse are supported, along with their families, through a diverse range of services in both metropolitan and regional WA.

This includes out-of-home care, counselling and therapeutic services, school-based programmes and the management of two child and parent centres.

The Stan and Jean Perron Child Advocacy Centre is designed to bring multi-disciplinary teams together in a child-friendly environment to provide care and services to a child or young person who has experienced abuse.

It incorporates Parkerville staff and other professionals from government and non-government agencies to provide child-focussed and coordinated services for these children and their families.

Importantly, the Centre builds on the work already undertaken at the George Jones Child Advocacy Centre where a research evaluation showed this model to be international best practice, child friendly and three times quicker with child safety assessments.

I wish to thank Parkerville Children and Youth Care for all that they do to support vulnerable children and their families across our State.

I was also delighted to recently attend and present awards to students graduating from the Motivation Foundation’s Ertech

Construction Academy in West Swan. The Academy provides young people with a valuable pathway ADVERTISEMENT into the civil construction industry with students in Years 11 and 12 completing a Certificate II in Civil Construction through on-site training at the Academy and through workplace experiences.

Member for East Metropolitan Region

The Foundation was founded twelve years ago and since that time 140 students have graduated and as in previous years, 2019 saw a 100 percent graduation rate.

The Academy has previously been awarded the Civil Contractors Federation WA Training Employer of the Year Award.

It is clear the dedicated hands-on training and close mentorship provided

by Academy instructors and industry supporters is having a positive impact on student training outcomes.

Contact Donna

If you would like assistance on any 9379 0840 | faragher.eastmetro@mp.wa.gov.au State related issue, please do not hesitate donnafaragher.com.au DonnaFaragherMLC to contact my office on 9379 0840.

Ground Floor 108 Swan Street, Guildford WA 6055

Donna Faragher JP MLC

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Here to help!

Authorised by S.Calabrese, Liberal Party, 2/12 Parliament Place, West Perth WA 6005.

17

WHAT’S ON IF YOU WOULD LIKE AN EVENT LISTED IN THIS COLUMN RING our office on 0418 934 850 Entries for non-profit entities are free.

SWAN VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTRE

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - Glen Forrest Group Every Monday evening We meet at 7.00pm at the Glen Forrest Uniting Church, Mc Glew Rd, Glen Forrest. Call Dermot 0488 905 211 or John 0448 074 536 or the Perth Office (all hours) 9325 3566.

Monday Mornings The Art Group meets at Baskerville Hall from 9am – 12pm for just $5.00 per session.

Group leader Gilly can help and advise with most media. Feel free to come and have a look and meet our local artists – they are a very friendly lot, new members welcome!

For more information call 9296 1976 or enquiries@swanvalleycommunitycentre.com www.swanvalleycommunitycentre.com

AUSTRALIAN BREASTFEEDING ASSOC. Discussion groups, guest speakers, morning tea. Free breastfeeding counselling. Expectant mothers, mothers, babies and children welcome. National Breastfeeding Helpline 1800 686 2686 is a 24 hour 7 days a week service.

EASTERN DISTRICTS MACHINE KNITTERS

Friday - second and fourth We meet from 9:00am to noon at 10 Brockman Road, Midland.

Feel welcome to join us for morning tea and see how easy it is to make your own garments.

For more information contact Pat 9309 3260; Liz 9572 7074 or Pat 9295 2793.

Swan/Mundaring Group meets every Monday, 9:30-11:30am at the Gumnuts Family Centre, 8 Mudalla Way, Koongamia. A qualified ABA counsellor is present at each meeting to give confidential information and support on breastfeeding issues.

Contact Natalie 9572 4971.

Kalamunda Group meets fortnighly on a Thursday, 9:3011:30am at the Maida Vale Baptist Church, Edney Road, High Wycombe. Contact Jenny 9252 1996.

SWAN HARMONY SINGERS

Wednesdays Come and sing with us! Swan Harmony Singers is a community choir that meets, 7-9pm, to sing music ranging from jazz to pop, plus the occasional classic. No auditions.

Join us at the Salvation Army Church Hall, 371 Morrison Rd, (opposite Swan View Primary School), Swan View. Enquiries: call Anna on 9299 7249, or Chris on 9298 9529 or 0435 062 728.

Northam Group meets each second Tuesday of the month at the Bridgeley Community Centre, Wellington Street, Northam 10am to Noon.

Fourth Tuesday each month at Toodyay Playgroup, Stirling Terrace, Toodyay. Noon to 2pm. Please phone Louisa 9574 0229.

TALKING HORSES

ELLENBROOK COMMUNITY WEIGHT LOSS CLUB

Wednesday evenings 6:00pm The WA Horse Council equestrian radio program is now in its seventh year. The programme is broadcast on the Community Radio Station 91.3 SportFM. To ensure that your club, event, breed or business gets coverage, call Diane Bennit 0409 083 617.

Every Tuesday evening We meet from 6.45pm to 8.00pm at the Woodlake Community Hall, Meeting room 1 Highpoint Blvd, Ellenbrook. Friendly support group at low cost. Male and females of all ages welcome.

Contact Shirley 9276 7938 shirleysardelich@aapt.net.au.

THE ZONTA CLUB OF SWAN HILLS

HILLS CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT GROUP

Wedneswday, March 20th at the Mallard Duck.

Zonta, an International Service organization works to improve the lives of Women and Girls locally and internationally.

Projects include Studies Assistance Grant to two girls at Cyril Jackson and Let Us Learn Madagascar a program that encourages girls to attend school, ensuring there are suitable toilets and girls have access to sanitary items. Teacher training is provided. Guests are welcome. To find out more about these and other projects or if you wish to be a guest please contact Ruth (08) 9272 9442 or email ruth@amsaustralia.com. Find us on facebook on www.zonta.org.

1st Wednesday of each month Hilltop Grove Estate, 1645 Jacoby Street, Mahogany Creek.

Morning tea provided, between 10.30 - 12.00 noon.

Enquiries Terina 9572 1655.

MORRIS DANCING

All welcome. It’s like bush dancing, with sticks and bells. It’s aerobic exercise and great fun!

Tuesdays 7-9pm practice, Guildford Town Hall, cnr James St and Meadow St, Guildford. And drinks later at the Woodbridge Hotel with live Irish music For more information please contact: Christine Hogan: 9279 8778 Email: madtattersmorris@iinet.Net.Au Website: madtattersmorris.myclub.org.au

JUST A PIECE - TEXTILE KINSHIP Fortnightly Fridays This textile art group meets every fortnight Fridays 9.30 to 12.00 at Just Add Passion on Richardson Rd Stoneville. $5 per session, everyone welcome Check us out on Facebook or text Janette on 0407 633 771.

SWAN WOODTURNERS GROUP

The group meets in the rear hall of The Senior Citizens’ Centre, The Avenue, Midland, at 1-00pm. on 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Tuesday, and at 7-00pm. on 2nd Tuesday of each month. A demonstration and cuppa are the norm. Men and Women are welcome. Enquiries to Ted 9295 4438.

ELLENBROOK AND DISTRICT MENS SHED INC.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday We are open at 4 Transit Way Ellenbrook from 10.00am to 3.00pm. Potential members can turn up on those days and there will be someone to explain what we do and give membership 18

WHAT’S ON details. Annual fees are low and members can do their own thing, participate in projects for the community or simply just come in for a chat and a cuppa.

We are considering extending our days to include Saturdays or evenings if there is enough interest.

Call us on 0407 888 759 or email: singaustraliaswanvalley@outlook.com for inquiries.

THE HILLS CHOIR

MUSTARD SEED - DISCOVERING COMPUTERS

Monday Evenings Do you enjoy singing and joining with others to make beautiful music? Come and join the Hills Choir. We meet from 7.30 to 9.30pm at the Uniting Church on Stoneville Road, Mundaring.

Contact Margie on 9295 6103 for further information.

SWAN VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTRE SWAN VALLEY HOMESCHOOL FAMILY PLAYGROUP

SPRING INTO SUMMER Sunday November 24 For their final concert of the year, on, Swan Harmony Singers present a feast of music that includes jazz classics, a couple of musical theatre hits, a lilting Scottish ballad, traditional numbers and, with Christmas fast approaching, some seasonal favourites.

So if you couldn’t make the choir’s Darlington concert in October, come along and get into a festive mood at the Salvation Army Citadel in Swan View. After the concert, enjoy afternoon tea with choir members.

Venue: Salvation Army Church Hall, Morrison Road, (car park behind on Christowe Rd) in Swan View.

Time: 3.00pm Tickets (including a scrumptious afternoon tea): Adults $20, Concessions $15, groups of 10 or more $150. Children under 10 free.

More details: call Maureen on 9299 6588.

Advance bookings: Ronnie Wood on 0419 961 711.

Mustard Seed is a nineteen year old non-profit organisation and teaches all aspects of everyday computing. Ability levels from beginners onwards.

Want help with Windows 10? In need of instruction with your Mac computer? Have an iPad or Android tablet and don’t know what it will do? We can help. Cost is $2 per session.

Classes are held at 56 McGlew Road, Glen Forrest. To gain a place enrol now by phoning 0491 044 805 or emailing: mustardcomputers@gmail.com W: noodlebytes.com

Thursday mornings 9:15am to 11:15am Older siblings welcome to join playgroup in a rural setting in the Swan Valley. Normal playgroup guidelines apply for children zero to five years old.

Baskerville Hall, 129 Memorial Drive, Baskerville. For more information ring 0419 922 792 or email enquiries@ swanvalleycommunitycentre.com

MIDLAND MEN’S SHED

Every Tuesday morning We meet socially every Tuesday morning from 9.30am to 11.30am in the Bellevue Baptist Church Hall and our usual attendance is around fifty-five. At least once a month we have a guest speaker on a range of topics.

We also go on excursions to various places of interest (e.g.

HMAS Stirling, Aviation Museum, Fremantle Ports, ALCOA, etc.).

Our workshop with wood working and metal working is in Midvale and for the opening hours and further details please contact Brian Beer on 0411 833 055. Also in operation is our music group – the Rockin’ Shedders which is going from strength to strength and their repertoire of songs increases each week.

For more information on the Shed please contact Kevin Buckland on 0417 961 971 or email: kebinsv@tpg.com.au.

THE HILLS CHOIR Mondays We practice on Mondays from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the Uniting Church in Stoneville Road, Mundaring. We are looking for Sopranos, Altos, Tenors and Basses over the age of sixteen to join us. We sing a range of sacred and secular music in four parts.

Please phone Margie on 9295 6103, email the thehillschoir@ gmail.com or visit their website www.hillschoir.org.au.

SING AUSTRALIA SWAN VALLEY Monday nights We are a community singing group in the Swan Valley and welcome anyone who loves to sing.

There are no auditions or expectations on ability. We welcome absolute beginners and experienced singers.

Singing has enormous health and wellbeing benefits which helps promote joy and positivity in people’s lives.

Come along, give it a go and bring a friend for a great night of singing. The group meets 7.30 to 9.30pm in Baskerville Hall, 129 Memorial Ave, Baskerville.

19

COMMUNITY ANNIE’S COLLECTIVE WONDERLAND DOUGLAS SUTHERLAND-BRUCE

s you drive around the UK, if you’re at all interested Aeverywhere in old, antique and vintage you will see just about ‘Antique Centre - 60 Dealers. Places like Leominster (pronounced ‘Lem-stir’) seem to have huge buildings convered into collective antique stores with the dealers taking turns to man the counters or even hiring a manager.

This means that you can see specialist collections and dealers, rents are shared, and dealers have time to source new (old) material while business continues.

We don’t seem to have the same concept here in Australia yet. Or we didn’t until Annie had a very bright idea when Swan Settlers Markets was floated as a concept.

If you love vintage, retro, antique, flea markets, shabby chic and just plain quirky, I expect you already know about Annie’s shop at Taylor’s Art House Annie’s Vintage Wonderland. If you don’t, immediately put it on your ‘To Visit’ list.

But the shop at Taylor’s, even with knocking into the next building is too small for Annie’s wonderland of wonders, so she has joined up with Swan Settlers Markets and rented a huge area in it, acting as a collective with a number of other dealers and suppliers.

She even has her eye on an expansion within the markets, which would double the area and dealers’ spaces available.

Annie has moved some of the more portable items from Taylor’s, raiding her large stock from the warehouse and buying in new old stock. ‘New’ seems like an odd word to use, but ‘old’ seems less accurate - perhaps ‘odds and ends’ might be better. A sampling of her goods might include, vintage jewellery and clothing, collectable stamps, matchbooks and boxes, suitcases, tins, Australiana, toys, books, walking sticks, 50’s furniture and she is one of only five Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint stockists in Western Australia.

Annie is a real person, unlike Betty Crocker, and is on hand to talk, deal and her happy cheerfulness is a huge asset to her shop.

20

COMMUNITY

The collective is open from Thursday to Sunday, plus Public Holidays from 10:00am to 3:30pm, but if you ‘like’ her on Facebook - facebook.com/AnniesVintageWonderland/ you can shop on her ‘Annie’s Vintage Wonderland Online Wonders’ pretty much all the time as treasures are photographed and posted in batches.

Prices are open to negotiation, so now’s the time to call in and have a browse, make an offer and collect something you’ve been seeking for ages - be it a 1963 Beano comic, a matchbook from the Playboy Club, a plastic soldier originally found in a Cornflakes packet, a street name or a dresser in peppermint green with orange trim.

Whatever it might be - Annie may well have it, will get it, or knows where there is one.

And while you’re there, you can browse the vast range of other stallholders at Swan Settlers Market - the newest addition to tourism in the Swan Valley.

If you’re a dealer looking to open a low-rent shopfront, talk to Annie - she can probably help.

21

FILM REVIEWS Film: Director: Reviewer:

some politicians. It argues that the latter is very much to be encouraged.

The film is based on the book The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War by Marcia and Thomas Mitchell.

It is 2003. The twin towers have been demolished and Afghanistan invaded to get at Al Quaida. But now George W Bush is gunning for Iraq. There is no evidence that Saddam Hussain had anything to do with the terrorist attack on the USA - so the

Official Secrets Gavin Hood James Forte

To blow the whistle? fficial Secrets is a film worth seeing for two very good reasons.

First, quite simply, it is a very well made thriller with an engrossing screenplay (Gregory and Sara Bernstein), fine direction (Gavin Hood) and a first rate leading actress (Kiera Knightley).

Second, and more importantly, it is particularly topical for Australians - with the current fractured relationship between our government and the press.

Whistle blowers are very much in the news - from Julian Assange with military secrets on Wikileaks - to someone revealing government travel spending. This film makes a clear distinction between giving away military strategy (treason) and shining a light on some ineptitude which will embarrass

O

reason for an invasion is given as his weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological and nuclear).

Problem is that hundreds of Western inspectors in Iraq cannot find any. So Bush has to get the United Nations to vote for war.

And so we move to the true story of Katherine Gun (Knightley), a military intelligence analyst working for the British government. She sees a message, from the Americans, on the need to coerce or blackmail UN politicians into voting for war.

The UK Prime Minister Tony Blair (as with John Howard in Australia) is going along with the Americans. Gun sees the war as illegal and leaks the message to the press (Matt Smith as journalist Martin Bright). She is contravening the Official Secrets Act. Is her action justified? What would you do?

The pace of the movie is perfect as the events evolve and Gun struggles with the morality of revealing that her government is complicit in a plot to invade Iraq.

Luna and Palace cinemas are showing this film as a part of the British Film Festival - which opened on 29th October and runs until the 24th November.

There are a number of movies which I am looking forward to seeing including Mrs Lowry and Son about the artist of industrial England , L S Lowry with Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall.

Details of the festival are available from the Luna website. Official Secrets will be among the most popular.

Highly recommended.

Four and a half stars.

22

FILM BEFORE DAWN

T

he twenty-one year old WA Director behind WA’s largest and critically acclaimed independent feature film The Decadent and Depraved is at it again directing a war epic based on true events of WA ANZACS during the three and half years of the western front campaign.

Prince-Wright Productions started as a not-for-profit boutique film production company with the singular goal of bringing entertainment to its audience.

As Western Australia’s largest independent Production organisation, Prince-Wright Productions consists of a team of directors, writers and producers whom have won awards both nationally and internationally, including AACTA and The Director Guild of America Awards.

The organisation aim is to bring stories to life in a way that is entertaining and educating. Our productions always have a strong community focus and we work closely with local governments to ensure they are involved in a way that allows them to promote, support and showcase the magical qualities of their towns and shires to a wider audience.

We are committed to involving the families and children of these (often remote) locations. Essentially, we hope to bring something new and unique which will provide all involved with a positive experience that they will never forget.

The Director Guild of America ‘The Hollywood New Directors Award’ winner said that this production is by far bigger than his previous with sets as far as the eye can see, filming in locations as far north as the Kimberly, right through to the midwest and southwest of Western Australia.

Involving various community organisation, Jordon has reeled in $5.4million in-kind support to date, furthermore is providing open auditions for the many featured extras required.

With Army Museums, RSLWA, Men In-Sheds, Rotary Clubs, Lions clubs, Retirement Villages, Farmers and many more community organisations, including a tremendous amount of

WA Businesses and Shires all pitching in both In-Kind and Financially to support the project. This truly is a communitydriven feature film resulting in one massive community project!

Jordon Prince-Wright has now announced his new film: Before Dawn (based on a true event of the WA ANZACS)

The project has already attracted the attention of many reputable industry names both nationally and internationally

including team members with more than twenty years experience at Paramount Pictures and United International Pictures. Furthermore, support from Los Angeles film organisations and significant Sponsors and Partners are eagerly offering their support to make this film a success. The film will be shot all across Western Australia with 'far as the eye can see' battlefield sets; sheep required to be transported to northern WA for key scenes.

For this production to be possible many community organisations such as RSLWA, Army Museum of Western Australia, Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs and more have joined forces, including men in sheds building props, retirement villages knitting costumes accessories and much more!

Now casting is set to get underway for the hundreds of extras required. Speaking roles are available amongst the large cast required with an age range of 14-65-year-olds of both male and female.

In an unorthodox approach to film-making, Jordon is allowing the community to be involved in this production through internships and crew opportunities also.

Auditions will be held across WA in Perth, Mid-west and Southwest. If in-person auditions are not possible there is the opportunity to send in a video of your audition. Details of auditions can be seen below.

In summary, an on-line IndieGoGo fund-raiser has recently been launched in support of this project to assist Jordon and his team to reach the end goal of bringing a communitydriven realistic visual representation of Australians greatest Military victories through the portrayal of an incredible human experience.

Before Dawn is an iconic story about our nation’s remarkable military history. The film follows the journey of West Australian outback kid Jim Collins and his fellow battalion mates after Gallipoli.

This story occurs during the campaign on the Western Front and showcases some of Australians greatest military victories through the portrayal of an incredible human experience.

The film’s realistic visual representation of the war and the story’s characters who epitomise the spirit of the ANZAC; possessing the values of mateship, courage, endurance and sacrifice.

23

TV WITH CHRIS NOVEMBER 2019

of Spencer’s upbringing and loyalty against the challenge of fitting into a new environment provides one of the series’ great strengths.

The characters are well cast with Taye Diggs providing an excellently multi-layered coach figure and Bre-Z particularly good as Spencer’s best friend Coop, who must tread the line between supporting Spencer and his family and remaining loyal to the crew from Crenshaw.

Then there are the Beverly students who (rightly so) are portrayed as sun loving, good looking rich kids. However, as they begin to realise the importance of family and what lies on the other side of the tracks, this facade fades and we begin to see real character.

All American is a great combination of well written drama and exciting football action.

Highly recommended. ~oOo~

S

ummer is upon us, and it is time for a new bunch of original content and returning favourites to light up our small screens. Here are some highlights to look forward to.

Title: ALL AMERICAN Network: Stan Watch All American if you liked Friday Night Lights or One Tree Hill

21

century television does one thing very well. Combine relevant and engaging story lines with culturally important and current themes.

The new football themed drama All American tackles both very well. With shades of Friday Night Lights to it, the gripping drama follows young football superstar Spencer James (Daniel Erza) whose academic prowess and sporting ability are put at risk living in the violent and dangerous suburb of Crenshaw in South Central Los Angeles. st

Title: Network:

LIVING WITH YOURSELF Netflix

Watch Living With Yourself if you liked Sick Note or The Good Place.

All American cast In a world of reboots, remakes and sequels, fresh original content is always welcome and Netflix has struck indie comedy gold with the latest from the always reliable Paul Rudd.

The quirky comedy Living With Yourself follows Miles Elliot (Rudd) who despite having a loving wife and successful career,

When former NFL player Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) arrives in the neighbourhood, Spencer is recruited to the Beverly High Eagles and trades the risky streets of Crenshaw for the high life of Beverly Hills.

After moving in with Coach Baker and his family, which includes Beverley captain and Billy’s son Jordan (Michael Evans Behling), tensions flare as worlds collide and Spencer must adjust to a foreign world of money, deception and being in the football spotlight.

Based on a true story, the series has just the right amount of well pitched familial drama combined with some excellent football sequences and the contrast of the glitz of Beverley Hills and the urban jungle of Crenshaw is starkly shot for maximum effect.

There are some scarily real moments as the two worlds intertwine and the juxtaposition 24

TV SANDITON

DOUGLAS SUTHERLAND-BRUCE

S

and, sea, surf, suffering, snobbery, sisters under the skin, sin and a pale echo of Jane Austen.

When Jane Austen died in 1817 at the age of forty-one she left an unfinished manuscript of some 24,000 words (eleven chapters) she originally called The Brothers, but later changed to Sanditon.

Like the other great unfinished Victorian novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, there have been a huge number of people trying to complete it with greater or lesser success.

The first of these dozen-odd attempts was by Austen’s own niece Anna Austen Lefroy, who ironically, left her own

Aisling Bea and Paul Rudd in Living with Yourself finds himself stuck in a rut and discontent with life.

In an attempt to improve his life and headspace, he undergoes an experimental treatment at a ‘relaxation spa’ only to end up with a new and improved clone of himself. Miles must fight to bring his own life back into order as the clone threatens his own existence.

Firstly, Paul Rudd is incredibly versatile in this comedy, playing both versions of himself effortlessly. Thanks to the wonders of visual wizardry, the scenes with Rudd vs Rudd are seamless and very funny.

A highly original concept and very well executed, the characterisation of both versions of Miles are very clear and it is easy to follow the journeys of both Miles and his better self.

Irish comedian Aisling Bea plays Miles’ wife Kate who falls inbetween both Miles and the clone with some amusing results.

With moments of black comedy, poignancy and drama, this is a unique look at the elements of life which make us happy and how investing time in your own wellbeing and relationships is one of the most important routes to happiness.

Living With Yourself is quirky and entertaining and Paul Rudd and Paul Rudd are double trouble in a highly amusing manner. ~oOo~

The spunky Charlotte (Rose Williams) manuscript unfinished.

The most recent is an ITV Television series adapted and written by Andrew Davies. It stars Rose Williams and Theo James with Jack Fox, Kris Marshall and Anne Reid.

The eight one hour episodes used up Jane Austen’s eleven chapters in the first twenty minutes of the first episode and as she left no notes about future direction you can see there’s plenty of scope for ‘interpretation’ by the show’s adapter and creator Andrew Davies (now aged eightythree).

Davies comes with an impressive pedigree, having worked on or written such costume greats as Middlemarch (1994), Pride and Prejudice (1995 - yes, that one), Vanity Fair (1998), Bleak House (2005), Little Dorrit (2008) and War and Peace (2016).

The majority of these were produced by the BBC, who, of course, are the past masters of period costume dramas - what are collectively known 25

as Larkrise to Cranford and Prejudice.

And I do wish the BBC had produced this too. ITV have done their best, but the costume department and the period detail is just not quite there. There are some truly crashing anachronistic errors of manners, dancing and manners.

Small but annoying unnecessary errors such as women leaving the house bare-headed; couples dancing in twos years before the waltz scandalised fashionable London, slips of language, modern usage and concept and tiny mistakes that would enrage any dedicated Janite.

However there is much to admire, mostly in the performances of the cast Rose Williams, Theo James, Jack Fox, Kris Marshall, Anne Reid and most especially comparative newcomer Charlotte Spencer.

The plot is simple, but embellished with many sub-plots and asides.

The mini-series opens with that traditional standby of period drama, a carriage, recklessly driven, losing a wheel and overturning. The wretched married couple inside are rescued by a band of plucky children and as a reward the eldest, Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) is invited by the husband, Tom Parker (Kris Marshall - forever in my mind Colin Frissell from Love Actually) to a sleepy seaside town he is hoping to develop into a seaside resort like Brighton. The town is called Sanditon (Sandy Town, geddit?)

Unfortunately he’s a trifle short of the necessary and has to take a silent partner, the rude, crude, snobbish and aristocratic Lady Denham (Anne Reid).

Tom Parker is aided in his attempts to make Sanditon

fashionable by his two brothers, the amiable Arthur (Turlough Convery) and the cold, distant, Sidney (Theo James, playing a poor man’s Fitzwilliam D’arcy with brooding rude intensity).

Throw in a faintly incestuous brother, Sir Edward Denham (Jack Fox, son of James, whom he strongly resembles) and sister Esther Denham (Charlotte Spencer) in a very difficult and challenging role. Really the only role which develops and grows and which Ms Spencer handles superbly.

There is also Sidney’s ward, a wayward and willful ward, Miss Georgiana Lambe, heir to a huge fortune from some unknown source who is pursued by the usual gang of fortune hunters and at least one serious kidnapping.

She is the lynch-pin of a sub-plot - slavery, and Britain’s role in the trade, and then is stopping the trade. In 1817, when this tale is set the position was changing.

The principle was established in 1772 that slavery had no basis in English Law and which emancipated the then ten to fourteen thousand slaves in England and Wales, mostly domestic servants. This finding was partly instrumental in the 1776 revolt by the American colonies, who felt they fell under English Law. However slavery elsewhere in the British Empire was unchanged until 1833 when it was abolished everywhere (except as it applied to East India Company, Ceylon, and Saint Helena. These exceptions were eliminated in 1843.)

Charlotte meets and falls for Sidney, but who gets rejected in the classic D’arcy fashion. One of the builders rapidly building Sanditon, James Stringer (Leo Suter), meets Charlotte and falls for her, he also wants to improve his station in life and be an architect, which his father opposes on the grounds of ‘what was good enough for my father ... etc.’

The plot wends it predictable way, with added sex and nudity, until a truly shocking ending for any Austen lover or student.

The one thing Jane always delivered was happy endings all round and this very definitely does not do that. Even a less cynical person than I may suspect angling for a second series, with so many trailing and untied ends.

Jack Fox and Charlotte Spencer 26

REVIEWS Production: The Man Who Was Peter Pan Producer: Life on Hold Productions Reviewer: Gordon the Optom

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he Man Who Was Peter Pan was written in 1996 by American playwright Allan Knee, workshopped and then completed in 1998; then like so many new books, it effectively remained untouched for a decade before it was staged.

It was then adapted by the film industry to give us the Oscar-winning, whimsical film Finding Neverland. As a librettist, Allan Knee also wrote the Broadway musical adaptation of Little Women.

A Scottish Baronet, Sir J. M. Barrie was the author of Peter Pan. After a century this is still a childhood favourite, however, this story depicts the real-life tragedy behind the classic. This Australian stage premiere has curtain-up at 7.30 pm in the heritage-listed Old Mill Theatre on the corner of Mends Street and Mill Point Road in South Perth.

The performances are on each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings until 16th November. There are Sunday matinées at 2.00 pm on 3rd and 10th November. This wonderful two-hour play is mainly light-hearted, but it is also very much a tragedy and NOT for the kiddies.

The Scene: Central London, summer 1908.

The Set: By use of well-chosen and high-quality AV projected scenes (Rosalyn Anderson and Sarah Christiner), several locations were created. There was even an AV flickering fire. The AV also included several family photographs of Barrie with the Llewelyn Davies. The side flats were built by Phil Barnett and Mark Nicholson, and painted by Sarah Christiner.

On one side of the stage was Barrie’s creative area, with a writing bureau and bentwood chairs. One the opposite side was a park bench against an ivy-covered wall with surrounded by small shrubs.

Lighting: The design and operation were by John Woolrych, who skilfully avoided the spill of floodlight onto the rear AV projection screen, allowing the pictures to remain

crisp. John produced an impressive starry night sky and an extra couple of special effects.

The sound design and operation were by Daniel Toomath and Sarah Christiner. Quite a few little trimmings were added that many sound designers may not have considered.

Stage manager Rachel Anderson ensured the play’s pace by having the cast change the furnishings between scenes.

Blake Jenkins’ programme was informative and had a delightful series of sepia photographs (Rosalyn Anderson) of the cast.

After several successful novels, Barrie (Gino Cataldo) has writer’s block. So, looking for inspiration he regularly walks his Saint Bernard dog, Porthos, in Kensington Park.

It is here that one day, he spots four young boys aged between ten and thirteen playing. He particularly notices their talent for inventing situations.

The boys are a little ragged and although very different in character, are extremely close. The oldest boy, George (Michael Nicholls) is brave, serious and wishes to see the world.

The second eldest is Jack (Alec Fuderer), an easy-going fun-loving boy. Peter (Jacob Miles) is extremely studious and interested in many aspects of writing and theatre; just as JM was at his age but Peter misses his father dreadfully. Then there is the loving, teddy bear hugging immature ‘runt of the litter’, Michael (Charlie Young).

When Barrie meets their mother, Sylvia ‘Jocelyn’ Llewelyn Davies (Anna Head) he discovers that this forty-two-year-old lady was recently widowed. Soon, they all become family friends and JM finds 27

Production: Yeoman of the Guard Producer: Gilbert and Sullivan Society Reviewer: Gordon the Optom The Yeomen of the Guard; or The Merryman (a merryman was a jester) and His Maid, is a dark but charming Savoy Opera penned in 1888.

This genre of comic opera is named after the London Savoy Theatre where most of G and S operas premiered and played. It was a simple argument over the recarpeting of this theatre that caused the breakup of this famous partnership.

The Yeomen’s score is often thought to be the most ambitious work by composer Sir Arthur Sullivan and librettist Sir William Schwenck Gilbert. Sullivan was born into poverty in east London’s Lambeth; however, things looked up when his father became bandmaster at Sandhurst’s Military School. At the age of only fourteen years. Sullivan was awarded a Mendelssohn Scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music.

After the couple had written fourteen operas together, the London-born lawyer Gilbert, then wrote a further seventy-five plays, poetry and illustrated his own books.

It was Gilbert’s satirical, topsy turvy comedy Engaged that motivated Oscar Wilde to write The Importance of Being Earnest.

The ‘Yeomen’ – a military hero, or a man with a small freehold plot of land – is a very funny opera, written in Shakespearean-style, sixteenth century prose and crammed with one-liners and puns. Many of these slick lines just passed the audience by.

This lively and power-packed three-hour spectacle from The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of WA (Inc.) begins at 7.30 each evening (be warned, parking can be difficult) at the Dolphin Theatre in the grounds of the University of WA in Nedlands until Saturday 2nd November. There are matinées on Saturday 26th September and 2nd November at 2.00 pm; these two days will be veritable marathons for the performers.

With the popularity and fine work of this Society, the strong cast and JMS Promotions, the tickets were in great demand long before the season started, so be quick.

the happiness he once experienced as a child in a large family. Now, being a one parent family, Mrs Llewelyn Davies nervously makes a special request of Barrie.

For a decade, director Sarah Christiner has proved her acting and directing skills. When Sarah initially announced productions like A Clockwork Orange and then Animal Farm, I thought ‘Has Sarah bitten off more than she can chew this time?’ and yet every time, she doesn’t just do an adequately good job but a fully researched excellent job.

In this production Sarah had to guide her young cast to metamorphose from pre-teens to late teens. All four boys are exceptionally talented and not only knew their scripts perfectly but had full understanding of their relationships with each other. The boys had clear Eton accents and carried themselves amazingly. There were times when the mood became heartbreaking and their delivery remained perfect. Peter even brought tears to a few of us.

Anna had the task of portraying a mother, filled with grief, left with little money and four growing boys which a hundred years ago with no social services would have been an incredible strain. She was terrific.

Finally, Gino as Barrie had a couple of major challenges, with appearance and accent. Luckily Gino even looked like him.

Barrie was 160 cms, slim build and with a smart thick moustache.

The correct accent was an eastern coast of Scotland – Fife – accent, not the western broad Billy Connelly Glasgow twang.

Gino had a perfect match, which did wander very slightly on occasions as the performance progressed, but in general it was consistently impressive. You could feel his love for the boys, his frustrated love for their mum and at times his difficulty coping with other humans.

Six amazing performances, a skilfully written script which changed mood subtly throughout. This is a poignant wellpresented story that ALL adults will appreciate, not only literary fans but anyone who enjoys theatrical quality. ~oOo~

The scene: The Tower of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth l in the 16th century.

The set: Shows the Tower’s grass area, The Green; at the rear of the stage, the battlements between the Bell Tower and Beauchamp’s Tower. The Badge of the Yeoman (a beautifully embroidered large flag) was hanging above the stage.

The orchestra’s brass section was partially tucked into the wings and a short, extended apron was added at the other side of the stage. By removing a couple of rows of seating, an orchestra pit was created in front of the stage for the thirty-piece accompaniment.

The realistic set design and construction was by Barry Boyd with the fine lighting by Matt Erren. The spotlights were carefully operated, well done.

A few difficult props including a spinning wheel and a dozen halberds (spears) were sourced by Andrew Hahn and Francois van Wyk.

The fast-moving production was overseen by Production Manager Max Page and stage managed by Andrew Hahn.

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Sergeant Meryll’s daughter Phœbe (Marli van der Bijl) sits at the spinning wheel, sighing with the pain of her loveless life. The Tower of London’s elderly head jailer and assistant torturer, Wilfred Shadbolt (Ross Bryant) enters. Disgusted by his occupation, Phoebe derides him. Non-the-less, Wilfred is in love with Phoebe, but he has observed Phoebe’s feelings for one of his prisoners, handsome Colonel Fairfax (Chad Henderson) a scientist who is soon to be beheaded for sorcery.

work of the Secretary of State, his evil cousin Sir Clarence Poltwhistle who will inherit the family estate if he, the Colonel, dies unmarried.

The housekeeper of the Tower, Dame Carruthers (Avalon Rector) and her mimicking niece, Kate (Paris Ceglinski), ignore the protests by Phoebe, the citizens and the Yeomen of Fairfax’s harsh and unfair treatment.

‘The Merryman and his Maid’ sub-title refers to a strolling jester, Jack Point (Liam Auhl – fabulous performance) and a young itinerant singer, Elsie Maynard (Emily Schinkel) who are accompanied by a recorder playing friend (Anna Maydwell / Louise Smith). They are being pursued by a boisterous throng demanding gaiety. Will love win through? And if so, who will marry whom?

Sergeant Meryll (Glen Rowan) tells Phoebe that because of his bravery, her brother Leonard has been appointed a Yeoman. They are hopeful that Leonard (Cam East) on his return from seeing the Queen in Windsor, will have a reprieve for the Colonel. Leonard has several dispatches for the Lieutenant of the Tower, Sir Richard Cholmondeley (pronounced Chum’lee – Max Page) but sadly, no pardon.

Not only has Sergeant Meryll fought in battle with Fairfax but the Colonel saved Meryll’s life twice.

Fairfax is greeted despondently by his old friend the Lieutenant of the Tower, as Fairfax bravely accepts his impending execution. Phoebe and Sergeant Meryll shed tears. Fairfax explains that the charge of sorcery was the

With the executioner (John Garrity) looming, a plan is devised; Leonard will hide away, then Fairfax will escape from his cell and assume Leonard’s identity. Phoebe must employ all her charms to get the keys for Fairfax’s cell from the infatuated but gullible warden, Wilfred (a wonderful duo with so much fun).

The Yeomen were Barry Boyd, Gavin Ryan, Nico Keppler, Roger Starbuck, Terry Hanavan, Tim Riessen and Vikram Tilak.

The Maidens and Matrons: Aimee-Rose Keppler, Amelie van Wyk, Angela Brailey, Blanche Holzman, Claire Cooling, Claire McGrath, Hannah-Jade Keppler, Jennifer van den Hoek, Liza Cobb, Sue Hansen and Zoe Cooling.

Children of the Tower: Makayla Maloney, Alisha Boyatzis, Nikki Bennett-Watt, Flavia Mancini, Lily Risinger and Charlotte O’Hara.

The Conductor, or ‘Maestro’ as the cast referred to him during the performance, was the indefatigable Georg Corall attired in his sequined black jacket. Georg’s Concertmaster was Susan Page.

The musicians were: Violins – Winston t’Hart, David Machonochie, Marie-Victoire Cumming, Maxine Fong, Adeline Fong, Kristy Hughes. Violas – Scott Trethowen, Patrick Meyer.

‘Cellos – Amanda Reynolds, Russell Vernon. Double bass – Keith Bender. Flutes – Jennifer Mummert, Lucy Kennedy, Tim Walker.

Oboe – Sheila Byfield. Clarinets – Adrianne Dunlop, Liam House. Bassoons – Sarah Collins, Jake Busby, Melanie Starkey.

Horns – Sandra McKenna, Ben Lancaster, Jim Gunson. Trumpets – Margaret Thomas, Kelly Bradley, Paul Olsen. Trombones – Brian Underwood, David Kearsley and on Percussion – Daniel Cullingford.

In a smallish auditorium, with the orchestra between the players and the audience, the challenge is to get a perfect balance without drowning the singers. Well done to the conductor and every musician. Great balance and not a single bum note!

The execution was pending, so with the use of the violas and the pealing bell (a special percussion tube) a wonderful poignant mood was created.

There were no well-known songs in this opera, but the two dozen melodies were very pleasant and of course there was the usual generous helping of G and S’s tongue-twisting lyrics, which the cast coped with magnificently. Congratulations to the jester 29

who did his remarkable ‘prestissimo’ repeat, still in tune and with perfect diction.

Liam is an actor to watch, he could sing, dance and deliver comedy perfectly. Marli also had a captivating sense of humour and was magnificently matched with Ross by the adventurous and inventive director, Michael Brett who set a cracking pace and numerous laughs from quirky movements. The young children were a delight, they knew every word and sang their hearts out.

The leads all had fine melodic voices, but occasionally – towards the end of the three-hour performance – a little more projection was required.

The sumptuous period costumes were by Veronica Hudson and her seamstresses Gail Reading, Tanya Hill, Laura Hill, Claire Holdsworth, Charlotte Rollinson and Anne Poepjes. The Warden’s hats were of black velvet, trimmed with the red, white and blue flowers; with the shoes adorned similarly.

The Yeomen’s uniforms were beautifully styled and correct, often confused with the other Beefeater’s varieties. The ladies’ gowns and the children’s dresses were carefully styled and fitted.

I was pleased to see Max Page’s quality programme also included a Vale to Max Kay, a good friend I knew for almost 60 years.

There have been numerous cuts and modifications to the original musical, many made within the first month of opening, but some were made even after Gilbert and Sullivan’s deaths. For the aficionados, the 1993 D’Oyly Carte recording includes all the cut music.

This is the first time that I have seen this opera, it was great fun but the whole experience was brought to life by director Michael and a well-rehearsed talented cast.

Highly recommended. ~oOo~ Production: Producer: Reviewer:

A thwarted Phoebe (Marli van der Bijl) in Yeoman of the Guard Utopia Ltd and The Grand Duke were to follow) and Sullivan’s mind was much taken up with Grand Opera (his only true opera, Ivanhoe, came out only a year later.)

Having rejected Gilbert’s first idea, a typical Gilbertian farce based on people taking pills to become the people they pretend to be, Gilbert came back with an outline entirely without his usual topsy-turvey. True, people pretend to be people they’re not, but it actually fits into the plot rather well and almost believably.

The music is among Sullivan’s best, but least known, and has several departures in structure from the previous, more comic, operas. Not that it doesn’t have comic moments and some more than usually funny parts, but it is considerably darker in tone than any of the others. And has (spoiler alert) a possible death in it – a real departure from the froth of, say, The Pirate of Penzance, where happy endings abound.

This particular production is directed by Michael Brett, a long-time dance accompanist directing his first production. Not an easy task for a first-time director, Yeoman of the Guard has a very large cast and the Dolphin has a moderately sized stage, consequently the blocking wasn’t all that it might have been and action was limited.

Lighting was also somewhat imaginative and less effective than it might have been, although I do appreciate the difficulties faced by the technicians.

There is also a fine line between side business and upstaging and at least one aria was spoiled for me by some

Yeoman of the Guard Gilbert and Sullivan Society Douglas Sutherland-Bruce

He has a song to sing-o, of a merryman and his maid he Gilbert and Sullivan Society of WA is well-known for good, often excellent, productions of Gilbert and Sullivan works and related material. Often the productions rise to outstanding, like the Mikado earlier this year’s, one of the best I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a few over the years, amateur and professional).

This year’s offering is the seldom-performed Yeoman of the Guard, among the pair’s last collaborations (only Gondoliers,

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imaginative train work – admirable in itself, but which did no favours to the singer with the tricky aria.

But there was much to admire – costumes were lovely, the chorus worked well together and there were some stand-out performances.

Marli van der Bijl was her usual effortlessly lovely professional self, handling the difficult task of Phoebe with ease.

As an example of the difference, Yeoman opens not with a big, full chorus number, but with a plaintive solo, from the halfdark of the mini-thrust.

Liam Auhl, an engaging newcomer, acquitted himself with honour in the very difficult role of Jack Point, strolling Fool and player, who possess an antic walk and what Patrick Dennis would call ‘the thinnest shanks in Christendom’, as well as honourable mentions for Glenn Rowan as Sergent Meryll (lovely comic reactions) and Avalon Rector as the redoubtable Dame Caruthers.

In the role of the Dame’s niece was the charming Paris Ceglinski, who has the most perfect Tudor face I’ve ever seen on stage. Chad Henderson (last year’s Nanki-Pooh) was a suitably dashing hero with a warm, rich tone and his love interest was played by Emily Schinkel, classically trained by UWA.

Overall, the Yeoman of the Guard was a most enjoyable experience and I was so pleased that the G & S Society has revived this charming, profoundly musical production.

Highly recommended.

Cholmondeley was the Lieutenant of the Tower from 1513 to 1520. ~oOo~ Production: The Book of Mormon Producer: Crown Theatre Reviewer: Chris McRae When a musical arrives in town with reviews such as ‘So good it made me angry’ (Jon Stewart) and the writers of South Park at the helm, it is safe to say that nothing is taboo.

This is exactly what smash hit musical The Book of Mormon brings to the table.

With the original 2011 Broadway Production claiming nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, South Park geniuses Matt Stone and Trey Parker along with American Musical Theatre and Film identity Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, Frozen and Coco) have produced a bona fide hit in which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is given an all singing, all dancing satirical tribute.

Fun fact: The character of the Lieutenant of the Tower, Sir Richard Cholmondeley, is the only character in all of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas that is based on a historical figure.

Jack Point (Liam Auhl) in Yeoman of the Guard

The story follows young missionaries Elder Price (Blake Bowden) and Elder Cunningham (Nyk Bielak) who, upon completing their training, await their assignments for a two year mission. Elder Price prays to be sent to Orlando, Florida, a place which he considers to be paradise.

However, the two Mormons are posted to ‘Lion King country’ and shipped off to Uganda in the heart of Africa. Upon arrival, they discover that not a single African has been baptised into the church and what eventuates is an eye opening culture shocks as the Elders face villagers with AIDs, gun violence, sanitation issues and a vicious General (whose name cannot be repeated) who threatens the very safety of the village.

The Elders must band together to try and bring their beliefs, spirit and passion to the people of Africa.

Firstly, if you are easily offended by any satirical comedy aimed at religion, violence or sexual references, steer well clear of this one.

As mentioned, nothing is taboo and lyrics such as ‘I’m wet with salvation’ and ‘Just like Jesus I’m growing a pair’ should be enough of a clue as to how Parker and Stone tackle their material.

With all that taken into consideration and the entire story and every song with tongues firmly in cheeks, this is a glorious achievement! The opening Hello taking on the stereotypical ‘door to door’ Mormons and provides a taste of the incredible male vocals which are a feature of the show.

What follows is utterly hilarious and lyrically amazing!

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Bielak and Bowden are an extremely likable pairing and both provide effortless amounts of energy and play the stereotypes to a tee.

A particularly strong supporting cast which includes Tigrist Strode as Ugandan villager Nabulungi and Tyson Jennette as her father Mafala provide authenticity as well as strong characterisation and vocal power.

The sets are impressive with top notch scenography transporting the audience to the depths of Uganda and even to the fiery pits of hell.

The sequence in which Elder Price experiences his own Spooky Mormon Hell Dream is wild and colourful, as is the utterly hysterical Joseph Smith American Moses during which the Africans perform for the chief Mormon supervisors to ‘relay’ what they have learnt with cringeworthy and hilarious results.

The Book of Mormon is a colossal achievement of satire at its absolute best and is one not to be missed….if you are not easily offended that is!

Satire is meant to be boundary pushing, brash, at times blasphemous and overall entertaining. The Book of Mormon is all of these and more!

Very Highly Recommended

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COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE RETURNS

pen House Perth returns for 2019 on 16 and 17 November.

Open House Perth gives the public unprecedented access to view and experience outstanding architecture and design spaces usually inaccessible to the public – all completely for free!

The 2019 event will build on 2018’s record breaking event which saw more than 77,000 visitors over a hundred destinations.

The 2019 event will give the public the opportunity to unlock a record more than a hundred and twenty destinations - seventy-one of which debut in 2019.

Debuting destinations include The Rechabite, Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple of WA, and residential masterpieces, including Kat's Cocktail

by Meaghan White, Mullet House by Coded Space Architects (business in the front, party in the back!) and Little Hutt House by Eph Studio.

Open House Perth is a free, two-day festival that celebrates the best of architecture, design and the built environment in Perth and its surrounds.

It gives visitors behind-the-scenes access to Perth’s best places and spaces, from commercial towers to residential masterpieces, heritage gems to public spaces, hidden locations to beautifully realised gardens and some of Perth’s leading architecture and design studios; Open House Perth delivers something for everybody.

Visitors can explore destinations at their own leisure with self-guided tours, join tours by expert guides or enter a ballot for the chance to get inside exclusive locations.

Carly Barrett – Open House Perth Founder and Creative Director: “This year’s annual Open House Perth event reflects

West Australia’s diversity. We have homes that demonstrate good density, sustainable initiatives and great local design talent.

We are venturing into new areas and showcasing new types of buildings. At the heart of the Open House Perth event is Perth’s CBD, where we are joined by some new historical sites, providing access to world-class interiors, views and special celebrations like AGWA’s 40th anniversary. ”

The Open House initiative began in London in 1992 as a small non-for-profit organisation founded by a number of architects hoping to foster a greater understand of architecture outside the profession and to promote the value of good design.

Joining the Open House family in 2011, Open House Perth has welcomed over 400,000 visitors over seven years to hundreds of destinations in that time, making it one of the biggest Open House events in the world.

Open House is a free event.

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HALCYON PLAYHOUSE POSSESSION: FEAR NEVER SLEEPS RYAN S MCNALLY

Fear what you cannot see… ossession: Fear Never Sleeps is an immersive horror experience developed by the team at Halcyon Playhouse.

Using story, sound, light, smell and touch, the team at Halcyon create a unique experience for the audience and actors each performance.

Each performance of Possession: Fear Never Sleeps is subject to change, with both the actor and audience being exposed to different elements each performance. Immersive theatre involves placing the audience within the story-world.

Rather than having a separated stage and auditorium, everything is the ‘stage’, and the audience are placed there alongside the actors.

The actors move freely through the space, having no interaction with the audience and only engaging with the other actors in the space. Halcyon Playhouse will be performing this unique format at Roxy Lane Theatre in Maylands, in a far more intimate setting than audiences will be used to, making for a unique sensory experience.

A group of strangers find themselves subjected to a sleep paralysis study, only to discover that their symptoms share far too many similarities. As each character delves a little deeper, they soon discover that there might be something far more sinister studying them.

The show features local talents Devetta Ridgwell, Zack Inglis, Nikita Harwood, Paul Reed, Bernadette Ward and Ryan S McNally along with some surprises from the backstage crew.

Ryan McNally has been faced with the challenge of devising the show, collaborating with fellow Halcyon member Chantal Wilson to direct, and performing as one of the characters.

“The show's concept came from talking about an incident of sleep paralysis that I suffered several years ago” McNally said. “Still to this day I cannot really explain why or how… you might even get to hear about it in the show!”

“Something that we wanted to do was really immerse the audience from the moment they walk in to the end of the show and have them feeling what the characters feel” McNally added.

“It's an interesting concept knowing that what some of the actors bring is actually based on real experiences.”

“The subject matter of the show is scary on it's own, however my biggest fear is not knowing 100% what is going to happen each performance.

We have things in place that are really going to test us” McNally explained. “It has been fun collaborating on this with various actors, everyone had brought something to the table and now we get to show it.”

McNally and Wilson have worked closely with all the actors to put the pieces of the show together. “I love scary stories and experiences” said Zack Inglis. “It’s been a thrill to be able to express yourself in such a dark play. The immersive work of Ryan McNally always exciting to be involved with”.

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“I have to be pretty physical on stage” said Bernadette Ward. “There’s a lot of falling, pushing and crawling. Teamed with the pressure of being 100% believable in my performance is definitely going to keep me on my toes!”

“This show is filled with twists and turns, laughs, suspense, and just enough mystery that it will leave you scratching your head at the end of the show” added Ward.

“It isn't necessarily something you'd see every day - I think the whole show is just one big surprise”.

Possession: Fear Never Sleeps runs from 6th December until the 14th at Roxy Lane Theatre, 55 Ninth Ave, Maylands. Curtin up at 7.30pm with a special double performance on Friday the 13th at 9.30pm.

Tickets are $20 adults, $18 concessions and children, plus transaction fees – book at www.halcyonplayhouse.com or on 0422 394 749.

Please note: Show contains adult themes, horror themes and mild language; sensory, hazing & lighting effects will be used through the performance, the show contains no intermission with a sixty minute runtime. Late comers will not be admitted once the performance has commenced.

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ARENAARTS LITTLE WOMEN

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he story of Little Women, Louisa M. Alcott's famous novel, is so well known and so well loved that it is hardly surprising that many attempts have been made to portray its characters upon the stage.

None has yet been so successful, however, as this brilliant dramatization by Peter Clapham.

Little Women was the first of a trilogy, followed by Little Men and Jo’s Boys.

The structure of the play faithfully covers that of the novel, interweaving the lives of the March girls, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and Laurie, the boy next door, as they grow up happily together - whilst battling poverty and awaiting the news of the fate of their father who is fighting the Civil War.

The action spans from one Christmas to the next during the American Civil War.

All the overtones of gaiety and the undertones of sadness are here, bringing the story completely to life in a way which is both accurate and dramatically satisfying.

This timeless classic will be lifted from the page to the stage this November. Adapted by Peter Clapham from Louisa May

The cast of Little Women in rehearsal Alcott’s novel, Little Women is being presented by ARENAarts and directed by Christine Ellis at the Roxy Lane Theatre.

Loosely based on the author and her three sisters as they passed from childhood into womanhood, the stage version keeps close to the original storyline.

“It’s a delightful family classic highlighting the strength and enduring quality of four lovely young women and their family and friends,” Ellis said.

“My main challenge is squeezing the cast of 11 on stage at the same time, along with furniture and a piano.

“The actors are also playing live music on stage during the show.”

Acting for more than forty-five years and directing for thirty, Ellis has worked with the Old Mill, Stirling and KADS Theatres and ARENAarts, where she is currently artistic director.

She has won numerous awards over the years at the Hills Festival of Theatre, Youthfest, Mandurah One-Act Play Festival and Blak Yak Theatre’s 24-hour stage project.

Most recently, Ellis directed Bitten which was named best youth comedy at the Hills Festival of Theatre and also scored several acting awards.

“I have directed Little Women once before and thought it would be a lovely show to bring to the Roxy Lane Theatre to give the audience a real taste of culture and entertainment,” she said.

“I have worked with young actors for more than twenty years and know the strength of talent we have in Perth at the moment, so I wanted to showcase this in an end-of-year show.”

The cast features Steph Hickey, Annabel Eirth, Evie Madeleine, Bella Freeman, Jenny Smith, Sally Boteler, Julie Holmshaw, Blake Hughes, Justin Markham, Peter Giles and Paul Anderson.

Little Women opens at Roxy Lane Theatre , cnr Ninth Ave & Roxy Lane, Maylands from November 15th until the 30th at 8pm (Matinées 2pm) Tickets cost $22 Full, $16 Concession, Child U16yrs $10, and may be booked from TAZ Tix 9255 3336 or online: www.taztix.com.au/specialevents.htm.

34

GARRICK THEATRE PUSS IN BOOTS AT GARRICK CONSTANCE MORRISON-BURKE

E

veryone loves a pantomime (Oh no, they don’t!; Oh yes, they do!) - it’s an innocent family entertainment for all ages drawn from ancient theatrical traditions, going back as far as the 16th century commedia dell’arte tradition of Italy overlaid and mixed with the British stage traditions of music hall.

The panto, as it’s affectionately called, has developed along certain fixed lines - incorporating song, dance, buffoonery, slapstick, cross-dressing, in-jokes, topical references, audience participation, mild sexual innuendo and an occasional disregard of the convention of the ‘fourth wall’ by directly addressing the audience directly.

The Dame (almost exclusively played by a man) is a hugely comic role and the Principal Boy is usually played by a young woman in breeches. The audience are presumed to know the plot, most often a well-known fairy tale, and wild liberties are taken.

This Christmas Season entertainment is Garrick Theatre’s production of Puss in Boots with songs, a few jokes and lots of fun for all.

Neve Havercroft (Puss in Boots) and Sophie Byrnes (Princess Esmerelda)

Directed by Douglas Sutherland-Bruce, with musical direction by Lyn Brown and traditional ingredients, with a cast of nearly forty, a live band , choreography by Siobhan Vincent, Puss in Boots includes all the ‘killer rabbits’, a talking cat, an ogre and a beautiful princess.

Douglas has collected a talented cast drawn from all ages, many from previous musicals, pantos and music halls.

Douglas: “I just love the whole idea of panto, the tradition, the audience participation, the essential innocence of the medium. We’ve put together an amazing cast and we’ve picked all our favourite songs. Bookings are coming in rapidly and at least one matineé has been booked out already. It just shows that panto is as popular as it ever has been. Even our own Queen was in one as Aladdin during the war” Puss in Boots opens on the 28th November and runs until the 14th December at 8:00pm, Garrick Theatre, 16 Meadow Street, Guildford. There are matineés on the Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets cost $25 (Adults), $15 (Children under 12) and $75 (Family - two adults and two children) and may be booked by ringing Elaine on 9378 1990 or on-line at Trybooking on www.trybooking.com/BFQWN.

The cast of Puss in Boots getting a masterclass from soprano Elisa Wilson 35

MURDOCH THEATRE COMPANY THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (AND WHAT ALICE FOUND THERE) CONSTANCE MORRISON-BURKE

T

The gentle White Knight rescues her from the cruel Red hrough the Looking Glass (and What Alice Found There) Knight, as she is able to reach the eighth square and become Murdoch Theatre Company's upcoming production is an queen. Or is it all a dream? adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s sequel to his famous Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

This fantastical show is directed

by Jordan D’Arcy, with assistance from Sabrina Wyatt and is to be performed at Studio 411 on Murdoch University’s South Street campus.

Show dates will be the 28th, 29th, and 30th of November at 7pm with special 2pm matinees to cater for younger audiences on the 28th and 30th.

One sleepy afternoon while

Through the Looking Glass features a large range of playing chess by herself, Alice sees the real Red Queen through actors, many of whom have not worked on productions shown the looking glass. Alice enters the looking glass into a world of at Murdoch before; there is a strange back-to-front magic. large age range in the cast –

Stepping through the from fifteen to twenty-nine. mirror, she meets the kings The cast and crew also have and queens of her chess set. a varied amount of experience The world inside the glass is between them, with some marked out as a chess board, veterans of community theatre, across which she must travel and others completely new to as a pawn. the scene. The team is excited

She meets talking to share their hard work with flowers, Tweedledum and eager audiences.

Tweedledee, sees Humpty Complimentary tickets Dumpty fall from his wall, will be made available to meets the Mad Hatter and the reviewers for your respective March Hare, and witnesses publications. the furious battle between the Enquiries: murdochtheatre@ Lion and the Unicorn fighting Murdoch Theatre Company’s cast of Through the Looking Glass gmail.com . for the crown.

36

PRESENTS

Sunday, 1st December 2019 at 2.30pm Eastern Hills Senior High School Music Auditorium Keane Street, Mt Helena Choral Director: Storme Reeves Accompanist: Libby Patrizi Featuring The Hills Choir Dayesha Ferris, Hayley Ferris The Glen Forrest Primary School Choir Tickets Adults : $20.00 Children (under 12) $5.00 Tickets available from Choir members or at the door & Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/BGEIW

Afternoon tea will be served after the concert

Call Bob 9574 6626 for further informa�on email: thehillschoir@gmail.com www.hillschoir.org.au

37

NON - FICTION THE NOBLE RECREATION

“The detective-story is the normal recreation of noble minds.” Philip Guedalla DOUGLAS SUTHERLAND-BRUCE

Both Févéls wrote and were published in French and were very little known outside of France, certainly almost unknown in Britain.

THE FRENCH INFLUENCE

P

PAUL FÉVÉL (1816 – 1887)

aul Févél marks a transition from popular swashbuckler and Gothic tales to true crime fiction. After losing his fortune (twice) he became a born-again Christian, stopped writing crime fiction and began to write religious novels.

He was born in Brittany and trained for the law, qualifying and practicing in 1836. On moving to Paris he began to write and published his first novel in 1841. His first best-seller was Les Mystéres de Londres (1844) published under the name of ‘Sir Francis Trollop’ and concerning the activities of an Irishman and a mysterious Secret Society called ‘The Gentlemen of the Night’.

Jean Diable [John Devil] (1862) may be argued as the first modern crime thriller. In it, the hero, Chief Superintendent Gregory Temple battles a supremely gifted crime leader who calls himself John Devil.

This foreshadows such master criminals as Prof. James Moriarty (not to be confused with his brothers James Moriarty and James Moriarty), Arnold Zeck, Ernst Blofeld, Dr Fu-Manchu, Count Dracula, Lord Sauron and Lord Voldemort - amazing how often the baddies are titled.

That same year he launched a magazine also called Jean Diable and which employed a certain Emile Gaboriau, of whom more later.

A year after Jean Diable was published Févél began a seven novel series loosely linked and entitled Les Habits Noirs and in the process created the first truly modern heroes of their kind from Chief Superintendent Temple to Remy d’Arx, investigative magistrate.

In 1875 he lost his fortune of some 800,000 francs (several millions of dollars in today’s money). He completely changed his life, embraced religion, eschewed his previous writing style and began to write religious novels. Seven years later he was the victim of embezzlement and after a stroke became paralysed and died in 1887.

His son, also a Paul Févél, also wrote thrillers and lived until 1933.

ÉMILE GABORIAU (1832 - 1873)

Févél’s acolyte and employee, Émile Gaboriau, was born in Saujon, France in 1832.

Part of his duties was to gather material in police courts, morgues and prisons for Févél. This lead him to, in 1861, writing his first book - Le Treiziéme Hussards (The 13th Hussars) a romance , which attracted little notice, as did the six romances after that. However, in 1866 he produced L’Affaire Lerouge (The Lerouge Affair), published in Le Siécle which was immediately and immensely popular.

The novel introduced an amateur detective as well as a young policeman named Monsieur Lecoq (pronounced Lee-Coke), modeled on Eugene Vidocq (note the similarity of the spelling, though not pronunciation, of the names).

Vidocq’s memoirs had recently been published and

Emile Gaboriau 38

although called the True Memoirs of Vidocq, was an entertaining few flecks of brown wool torn off by a wood splinter. At this point admixture of fact and fiction.

Dupin might have sat back in his armchair and solved the case by

The police in France were rightly regarded as a repressive ratiocination, but Lecoq is no armchair detective - ‘We hold the force used in the service of the State and partly because of the clue, we will follow it to the end. Onward, then!’ he cries. corruption associated with Vidocq’s reign at the Seuréte.

The best of the stories is undoubtedly the novel Monsieur

The then view of the police by the general French populace Lecoq, in which Lecoq plays an elaborate game of cat and mouse is accurately depicted in Hugo’s Les Miserables, where Javert, the with a prisoner, which ends with Lecoq realising that it would policeman, is the pursuing nemesis and the hero is the ex-convict seem he has been betrayed and the mouse knows what’s been Jean Valjean. going on all along and is well aware of the cat’s motives and

Despite this view the young policeman Lecoq captured the actions. imagination of the reading population and Gaboriau’s name was Gaborieau’s novels lack humour and skill in made. characterisation. They also have long, and sometimes boring,

It was a bold step, moderated by the creation of the passages. Nonetheless they are now much underrated and accompanying amateur, Monsieur Taberet, an elderly, retired with their sound base of knowledge of police procedure make pawnbroker. It is Taberet who makes the deductions by which the fascinating reading even today. crime is solved, explaining them as he goes along to the young

As they were translated into English they had very wide Lecoq, who is introduced as a minor character ‘an old offender readership and were well-known in Great Britain and even reconciled with the law’ - more echoes of Vidocq.

America.

In the novels the followed Taberet moves into the

However, the creation of Sherlock Holmes, as well as his background, although he never quite disappears, and Lecoq early death at the age of forty led to Lecoq’s decline in popularity becomes the central figure, sometimes with an idiot friend as his and eclipse by later detectives. assistant.

In A Study in Scarlet Arthur Conan Doyle has Watson ask

The parallels between Vidocq’s life and the fictional Lecoq Sherlock Holmes what he thinks of Gaboriau. Holmes unkindly are strong. When he was young Lecoq had to discontinue his legal refers to Lecoq as “a miserable bungler”. studies when his father died, and he was forced to take menial

jobs during which time he planned various criminal capers.

FERGUS HUME

He then joined the Police Force and, in addition to becoming Between Gaboriau’s final novel, published posthumously a Master of Disguise, he developed valuable crime-fighting in 1876 and the publication of A Study in Scarlet in 1887 no major techniques, such as using plaster to make impressions of detective stories were published, although the financial success footprints and devising a test of whether bed had been slept on of Collins, Févél, Gaboriau and Poe brought forth many inferior or not. imitators.

Lecoq is self-seeking and vain, but is also honest - it is

One of the more interesting was a book published by a explained in a later novel that the mention of him as ‘an old British born New Zealand barrister called Fergus Hume living in offender’ was the result of a misunderstanding.

Australia.

He has reason for his vanity for his deductive feats are

He wished to become a writer and because he was unsure noticeable. He is the first to observe that a striking clock may how to go about it he ‘enquired of a leading Melbourne book be used to tell the time when the crime was committed when he seller what style of book he sold most of. He replied that the pushes the long hand of the clock detective stories of Gaboriau had around to half past three and it a large sale; and as, at this time I strikes eleven. had never even heard of this author,

In one of the stories he I bought all of his works and ... realises that the criminal has determined to write a book of the deliberately planted the material same class; containing a mystery, a clues, so that ‘I had only, to reach murder and the description of low the truth, to take the contrary life in Melbourne.’ of that which appearance had

He book he wrote was The indicated’. Since five glasses were Mystery of a Hansom Cab. Hume on the table the number of people was unable to find an Australian present was “more or less five, but publisher, so he published it at his they were not five”, and since the own expense and enjoyed good remains of supper lay on the table, sales of 100,000. they neither ate nor drank,’

He then sold the copyright

He is able to tell his assistant outright to a group who called that a man they are following ‘is of themselves the Hansom Cab middle age and tall, wore a shaggy Publishing Company for the sum of brown overcoat, and was probably fifty Pounds. And it was they who married as he had a wedding ring reaped the benefit of Hume’s work. on the little finger of his right hand.’

They published in Britain and sold

The points are explained; the an estimated three hundred and heavy and dragging step shown in seventy-five thousand copies there, convenient snow marked middle and many more world wide totaling age, his height is demonstrated 500,000, making it the most popular by a block of granite on which detective story of the 1800s. he leaned, the ring through the

It is customary among imprint of his hand on snow, the commentators and historians to say Fergus Hume colour of his coat indicated by a that the book is without any kind 39

of merit but in fact The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a reasonably good imitation of Gaboriau, with convincing scenes of Melbourne low life, based on Hume’s own experiences.

The novel’s success can fairly be said to have outweighed its merits however.

Hume returned to his native Britain where he settled into the live of a prolific novelist, producing roughly a hundred and thirty works of detective fiction, none of which caught the public’s imagination in the same way. ~oOo~

In 1880 a young man of thirty, George Newnes, began what was to be a glittering publishing career by founding a weekly paper called Titbits, a penny paper offering more or less informative and lively fragments gathered from other magazines, together with contributions from readers.

The formula flourished and in 1891 Newnes used some of the profits for a more ambitious publication called The Strand Magazine, modeled on the successful American magazines such as Harpers and Scribners, asking for ‘a picture on every page and a supply of good exciting stories.’

The first issue appeared in January 1891 and sold three hundred thousand copies. In July of the same year a short story by a Doctor A C Doyle was published for which he received thirty guineas. The story featured a detective called Sherlock Holmes.

And detective fiction was never the same again.

SIR ARTHUR IGNATIUS CONAN DOYLE (1859 - 1930)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had such a profound influence on the detective fiction that we’re going to have a look at his life and his works in some detail.

We’ll look at his life, then at his influence on detective fiction, science fantasy fiction, historical fiction and literature in general. Lastly we’ll look at the Sherlockian ‘Higher Criticism’ and the ‘great Game’.

Although widely known as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and ‘Conan Doyle’ being treated as a compound surname (like a hyphenate, but without the hyphen). However, his father’s name was Doyle (Charles Altamont Doyle) and his birth certificate has his first names as Arthur Ignatious Conan and the surname as Doyle.

When he was knighted, the Court Circular, listed him as ‘Doyle, Arthur Conan’.

He was born in 1859 in Edinburgh of Catholic English and Irish parents - his father, Charles was an alcoholic and in 1864 the family broke up, housed all over Edinburgh. They were re-united three years later living in a squalid tenement, supported by his father’s brothers, James, Richard and Henry, all whom were successful artists, taking after their father, John Doyle, known by the pen name H. B., was a political cartoonist, caricaturist, painter and lithographer.

James was an antiquary, illustrator and compiler of Official Baronage of England, a listing of every rank of English nobility (except, curiously, Barons); Richard (Dickie) was a famous illustrator, working independently and for Punch magazine, for which he designed the well-known cover and masthead; Henry, painter, draughtsman and Director of the National Gallery of Ireland;

These same uncles paid for young Arthur to go to a good prep school - Stonyhurst Saint Mary’s Hall, then Stonyhurst College proper, finishing at Stella Matutina, in Austria - all Jesuit schools.

Arthur’s romantic idealistic spirit manifested itself at an early age. At school he read RM Ballantyne, Mayne Reed and other adventure writers of the day and was a self-styled champion of bullied and weaker boys.

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle

From 1875, at the age of sixteen, for the next five years, he studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and practical botany at the Royal Botanic Garden.

While at university in Edinburgh he was deeply impressed by two of his professors - both of whom later appeared in fictionalised form. Professor Rutherford (who re-appeared as Professor Challenger) and Dr Joseph Bell, of whom more later.

During this time he began writing, stories being picked up

by Blackwood’s Magazine and Chambers Edinburgh Journal. His first published story, The Mystery of Sasassa Valley, a story set in South Africa, was printed in 1879.

In 1880 he took a job as ship’s doctor on the Hope, a Greenland whaler serving for seven months in the Arctic before graduating M.B., C.M. the following year. In 1881, he became the ship’s surgeon for four months on the SS Mayumba during a voyage to the West African coast. All while studying for his Doctor of Medicine (an advanced medical degree in Scotland at the time).

He opened a practice in Portsmouth in 1882, following an unsuccessful attempt at a partnership in Plymouth. It was not an outstanding success. As he himself put it later ‘I had two rooms.

A waiting room and a consulting room. I waited in the consulting room and no one waited in the waiting room.’

Simply to pass the time he began to write. He wrote professional papers; Gelsemium as a Poison (British Medical Journal) and as a passionate supporter of vaccination he wrote several papers in support and denouncing anti-vaccinators as well as fictional adventure stories drawing on his own experiences.

One manuscript was a novel entitled The Narrative of John Smith, presumed to be autobiographical. ‘Presumed’ because the only manuscript was lost in the mail and has never been seen since.

In 1891 he decided to specialise in opthalmology, studying 40

in Vienna and Paris before opening a clinic in Upper Wimpole you ...’

Street, which was a complete failure. Falling back on writing

Such moral pressures were re-inforced by offers from Doyle struggled to find a publisher. magazines, of fabulous sums of money for a new collection of

In 1886 he wrote a thriller, inspired by Gaboriau and Poe’s short stories. works, entitled A Study in Scarlet which was picked by Ward Lock He resisted calls to resurrect him for nearly ten years, & Co for a payment of twenty-five pounds for all rights. That during which time he had served as a volunteer doctor in the doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s roughly $6000 in today’s money.

Langman Field Hospital at Bloemfontein between March and

The original names for the hero were to be Sherrinford June 1900 during the Second Boer War. Holmes and his companion Ormond Sacker - fortunately, Doyle

After the Boer War and the condemnation from some changed his mind. quarters over the United Kingdom’s role, Doyle wrote a short

The story appeared a year later in Beeton’s Christmas work titled The War in South Africa: Its Cause and Conduct, which Annual and was well reviewed and received. argued that the UK’s role in the Boer War was justified, and

The story featured an amateur detective, Sherlock Holmes, which was widely translated. He also wrote a history of the war, and his friend Dr John H Watson. The The Great Boer War, still regarded as a Holmes character had been modeled on primary historical source. a tutor of Doyle’s in Edinburgh, Dr Joseph He was knighted in 1902 and Doyle Bell, whose methods of medical diagnosis believed that he owed the knighthood to through observation and deduction were this publication. legendary.

1902 also marked Holmes re Doyle himself acknowledged the appearance in what was said to be a debt he owed Bell in a 1892 letter to him: ‘pre-Reichenbach Falls’ story - a Gothic “It is most certainly to you that I owe semi-horror story called The Hound of Sherlock Holmes ... round the centre of the Baskervilles. deduction and inference and observation It was filmed in Germany in 1914 which I have heard you inculcate I have - the first of thirty full-length film tried to build up a man”. adaptations, although not the first

Fellow student Robert Louis Holmes film, which was a 58 second Stevenson noticed the similarity in film made in 1900 in the USA, entitled far-off Samoa, writing to Doyle “My Sherlock Holmes Baffled, with some (for compliments on your very ingenious and the time) very clever special effects. very interesting adventures of Sherlock In the October following The Hound Holmes. ... can this be my old friend Joe of the Baskervilles Doyle published the Bell?” first of a new series of short stories, The

In America the editor of Lippencott’s Empty House in which we learn Holmes Magazine found A Study in Scarlet didn’t actually go over the Falls, but interesting and he was asked to meet a went into hiding for three years hunting representative along with another Irish Moriarty’s lieutenants. writer - a certain Mr Wilde. At a dinner A lover of sports and outdoor life all where both were present (and who his life Doyle tried almost everything wouldn’t want to be a fly on that wall?) while living in Southsea, Doyle played 1st Edition The Hound of the Baskervilles they both agreed to write for the magazine. football as a goalkeeper for Portsmouth Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray and Doyle wrote The Sign Association Football Club of the Four (usually reprinted as The Sign of Four, from the first

Doyle was a keen cricketer, and between 1899 and 1907 he British printing). played first-class matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

A sequel was commissioned but until the short stories He also played for the amateur cricket teams the Allahakbarries started to come out they enjoyed mixed success. With the advent alongside fellow writers J. M. Barrie, P. G. Wodehouse and A. A. of the short stories, success was assured, although at the same Milne. He was an occasional bowler who took just one first-class time Doyle began to write well-researched historical novels, wicket, but a big one - that of Dr W. G. Grace. which he felt were of greater importance and he wrote to his

He was also an amateur boxer and a keen golfer, captain mother: “I think of slaying Holmes, ... and winding him up for good of the Crowborough Beacon Golf Club in Sussex. He entered the and all. He takes my mind from better things.”

English Amateur billiards championship in 1913.

Trying to discourage the publishers he began demanding

But his most impressive sporting escapade was in what he considered ever-increasing outrageous fees for writing Switzerland. When his wife was diagnosed with tuberculosis the Sherlock Holmes stories. To his chagrin they paid, and he family moved to Davos for her health. became one of the best-paid authors in the world at the time.

It seems odd to think of a time when people didn’t ski in

However, despite his mother’s advice, he threw Holmes and Switzerland. However when Conan Doyle arrived in Switzerland his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, over the Reichenbach Falls in 1893 that was the situation. It was natural that Doyle would in Switzerland, with a sign of relief, writing to a friend ‘I have had seek sporting recreation in Switzerland. Conan Doyle had such an overdose of him that I feel towards him as I do towards seen skiing a few years earlier in Norway. He noted that the paté de fois gras, of which I once ate too much so that the name of topography and climate of Switzerland was perfect for the sport it gives me a sickly feeling to this day.’ and sent away to Norway for some skis.

But it’s not that easy to kill a myth. Doyle received hundreds While he had seen skiing done in Norway he hadn’t done of letters imploring him to bring Holmes back, and ‘Let’s Keep much of it himself. Once his skis arrived in Davos he set about Holmes Alive’ clubs were started in several American cities. teaching himself the sport. He would later say, “On any man Sober London business men wore black armbands and at least suffering from too much dignity, a course of skis would have a one lady wrote to him - a letter beginning ‘You Brute, how could fine moral effect.”

41

He was also able to find some local skiers, the Branger brothers.

The brothers had been practicing skiing for about a year before Conan Doyle’s arrival. However skiing seemed so odd to the locals that the brothers had actually taken to practicing after dark to avoid being mocked and teased by local townsfolk.

Doyle wrote about the sport for The Strand. “But now we had a pleasure which boots can never give.

For a third of a mile we shot along over gently dipping curves, skimming down into the valley without a motion of our feet. In that great untrodden waste, with snow-fields bounding our vision on every side and no marks of life save the tracks of chamois and of foxes, it was glorious to whizz along in this Sir Arthur photogrphed doing an elegant turn for The Strand’s article Ski. easy fashion.”

Doyle predicted, “the time will out of the spare bedroom and sped past them. Seconds later a come when hundreds of Englishmen young girl, Mary Barrowman, was almost knocked down in the will come to Switzerland for a skiing season.” Due in part to his street outside by this fleeing intruder. Miss Gillcrest’s body was popularization of the sport, Conan Doyle was right. found beaten to death in the dining room.

While the rest of the world may have forgotten that he

The old lady had a local reputation for being wealthy and popularised skiing in Switzerland, the Swiss have never failed to owning quantities of jewellery. However, only one piece was be grateful. found to be missing - a crescent-shaped diamond brooch.

The police had little to go on, but when they heard that SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATE Slater had been trying to pawn a diamond crescent-shaped

Doyle stood for Parliament twice as a Liberal Unionist—in brooch three weeks before the killing, even though this was not 1900 and in 1906 - but although he received a respectable vote, Miss Gillcrest’s brooch they arrested Slater and charged him with he was not elected. He was also a fervent advocate of justice and murder. personally investigated two closed cases, which led to two men

His trial in 1909 was a travesty of justice. Witnesses had being exonerated of the crimes of which they were accused. been shown photographs before an identity parade; Lambie’s

The first of these concerns George Edalji, a shy half-British, statement changed and the prosecution were permitted to bring half-Indian lawyer, the son of a Staffordshire minister, who had Slater’s character admittedly a bad one) into court in defiance of allegedly penned threatening letters and maiming horses. Police common law and common justice. were set on Edalji’s conviction, even though the mutilations

Slater was condemned to death but had the sentence continued after their suspect was sentenced to seven years in commuted to life imprisonment.

1903.

In 1906 Conan Doyle learnt of the case, was impressed by Edalji and investigated the case. Convinced of his innocence Doyle wrote a series of articles for The Daily Telegraph that caused a sensation when he demonstrated that Edalji was practically blind and could not have committed the crimes.

Although Doyle identified the true culprit, no one was charged after Edalji’s release and the innocent victim was never compensated for his three years in prison.

Apart from helping George Edalji, Doyle’s work helped establish a way to correct other miscarriages of justice, as it was partially as a result of this case that the Court of Criminal Appeal was established in 1907.

The second case, even more famous was that of Oscar Slater, a Jew of German origin who operated a gambling-den, convicted of bludgeoning to death an eighty-two year-old woman, Miss Marion Gillcrest, in Glasgow in 1908.

The case excited Doyle’s curiosity because of inconsistencies in the prosecution case and a general sense that Slater was not guilty.

On the day of the murder Miss Gillcrest’s maid Helen Lambie, had been sent out by her mistress to buy a newspaper.

When she returned she was approached by the ground floor lodger, saying he had heard noises coming from Miss Gillcrest’s flat. As the two of them approached the Gillcrest flat a man burst Oscar Slater in 1908 42

Three years after he had been convicted Doyle became interested in the case and published a pamphlet The Case of Oscar Slater, espousing Slater’s cause.

As an indirect result two years later a special enquiry was convened which found that Lambie and Barrowman had committed perjury, but no further action was taken.

The matter was forgotten for eleven years until Slater sent a message to Doyle who sparked off another press campaign, which ultimately located Lambie in the United States and who finally admitted that she had known the real murderer but who had been persuaded by the police that she was mistaken.

This was enough to finally clear Slater and, against Doyle’s advice, accepted only six thousand pounds in compensation for the eighteen years wrongful imprisonment.

Doyle had virtually funded Skater’s appeal himself, but although Slater wrote to him, thanking him in the most abjectly fulsome terms he declined to pay any of the expenses incurred.

As Conan Doyle himself wrote: ‘It was a painful and sordid aftermath to such a story.’

communication, though it is wrong to claim that the death of his son, Kingsley, turned him to Spiritualism, as is often stated.

Doyle came out as a Spiritualist to the public in 1916, a full two years before his son’s death in 1918. Doyle’s brother Brigadier-general Innes Doyle died in 1919. His two brothers-in-law (one of whom was E. W. Hornung, creator of the literary character Raffles) and his two nephews also died shortly after the war.

His second book on Spiritualism, The Vital Message, appeared in 1919.

Doyle found solace supporting spiritualism and its attempts to find proof of existence beyond the grave.

He traveled to Australia and New Zealand on spiritualist missionary work in 1920, and continued his mission all the way up to his death, speaking about his spiritualist conviction in Britain, Europe, and the United States.

Doyle was also inspired by his

SPIRITUALISM

Doyle had five children, two by his first wife, Louise, Mary Louise and Arthur Aklleyne Kingsley and three by his second wife - Denis Percy, Adrian Malcolm and Jean Lena (later Air Commandant Dame Jean, Lady Bromet).

Doyle had a longstanding interest in mystical subjects.

He was initiated as a Freemason in Southsea. Also in Southsea, influenced by Major-General Alfred Wilks Drayson in 1887, began a series of psychic investigations. These included attending around twenty séances, experiments in telepathy and sittings with mediums. Later that year, he declared himself to be a Spiritualist .

During 1916, at the height of World War I, a change came over Conan Doyle’s beliefs prompted by the apparent psychic abilities of his children’s nanny. This, combined with the deaths he saw around him, made him rationalise that Spiritualism was a “New Revelation” sent by God to bring solace to the bereaved.

The New Revelation was the title of his first Spiritualist work, published two years later.

War-related deaths of those close to him certainly strengthened his long-held belief in life after death and spirit

One of the five photographs of Frances Griffiths with the alleged fairies, taken by Elsie Wright in July 1917 Spiritualist beliefs to write a novel on the subject, The Land of Mist, featuring the character Professor Challenger. He wrote many other non-fictional Spiritualist works; perhaps his most famous being The Coming of the Fairies (1922) which reveals Conan Doyle’s conviction in the veracity of the five Cottingley Fairies photographs.

He reproduced them in the book, together with theories about the nature and existence of fairies and spirits. Initially suspected of being falsified, the photos were decades later determined to be faked (along with admissions from the photographers).

Doyle died in 1930 at the age of seventy-one. The epitaph on his gravestone says: Steel true/Blade straight Arthur Conan Doyle/Knight/Patriot, Physician, and man of letters.

Next time we shall be looking at Sherlock Holmes - the man and the myth.

43

SPORT AND LEISURE PERTH SUMMER LEAGUE HEATS UP CHRIS McRAE

T

he 2019/20 Perth Summer League Ice Hockey season has started with a bang with games kicking off on opening night on October 16th.

The league, currently in its ninth season and based out of Perth Ice Arena in Malaga, boasts seven teams made up of amateur ice hockey players from first year skaters through to seasoned veterans and acting as a recreational league for those who love to play the game.

The season commenced before the opening puck drop with the announcement of John Sinnott, Kaden Goulds, David Kudla, James Elliott, Elliot Duguay, Conner McKay and Dwayne Pfeiffer as captains for the 2019/20 season as well as CCM Hockey Australia as a major sponsor alongside American style restaurant chain Varsity Bar.

The North American and Canadian inspired teams of the Wheat Kings, Moose, Grizzlords, Wolves, Outlaws, Elk and Crusaders descended upon

The Wolves slick passing game and ability to move the puck league sponsor Varsity Bar for Draft Night and plenty of wheeling efficiently has seen them post some impressive wins whilst the and dealing went down with the Captains and Alternate Captains Moose’s goal scoring ability is the best in the league across the drafting what they hoped would prove to be a championship first month, tallying thirty-six goals, eleven more than the second winning team. place Wolves’ total of twenty-five.

The opening weeks of the season have seen teams finding

Stay tuned each month as we bring you all the action from their feet, playing with new team mates and settling into a style the Perth Summer League. Games are played each Wednesday, of hockey that they hope will become synonymous with their Thursday and Sunday night from October through to late March team this season. and are played at Perth Ice Arena in Malaga.

Fresh off winning the Summer League Cup in 2018/19, David www.facebook.com/perthsummerleague Kudla’s Outlaws began the season as the ones to beat but have Games: Perth Ice Arena, 708 Marshall Rd, Malaga (Free Entry) gone through five games without recording a point as yet, as they Wednesday and Thursday: 6:30 and 7:45pm aim to find their rhythm and settle into their game style.

Sunday: 5:30pm and 6:45pm

The Grizzlords and Crusaders, both finalists last season Results and Standings current as of Tuesday 5/11/19 have recorded one win each and have begun to find some form as the season has settled in.

Standings

This is in part thanks to some fast skating and two tight victories in recent weeks. The Grizzlords sit in fifth place, just ahead of the Crusaders on goal differential.

Four time champions, the Wheat Kings boast a new logo and a familiar line up to past seasons. They currently sit mid table in fourth after recording two wins in the opening month.

The top three however is a different picture from past seasons with the physical Elk notching up four wins to sit in third position.

The Wolves and Moose have been the dominant teams in the opening month of the season and both have yet to concede a loss, sitting on five wins apiece.

44

LEST WE FORGET THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN WARRIOR

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he Tomb of The Unknown Warrior holds an unidentified British soldier killed on a European battlefield during the First World War. The idea of a Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was first conceived in 1916 by the Reverend David Railton who had served as an army chaplain on the Western Front seeing many graves simple marked 'An Unknown British Soldier'.

He wrote to the Dean of Westminster in 1920 proposing that an unidentified British soldier from the battlefields in France be buried with due ceremony in Westminster Abbey "amongst the kings" to represent the many hundreds of thousands of Empire dead. The idea was strongly supported by the Dean and the Prime Minister David Lloyd George.

Arrangements were placed in the hands of Lord Curzon of Kedleston who prepared in committee the service and location. The remains of four bodies were exhumed from various battlefields and brought to a chapel near Arras, France on the night of 7 November 1920. The remains were then placed in four plain coffins each covered by Union Flags. No one knew from which battlefield any individual soldier had come. Brigadier Wyatt with closed eyes rested his hand on one of the coffins. The other soldiers were then taken away for reburial.

The coffin of the unknown warrior then stayed at the chapel overnight and on the afternoon of 8 November, it was transferred under guard and escorted by troops lining the route, to the medieval castle within the ancient citadel at Boulogne: a company from the French 8th Infantry Regiment, recently awarded the Légion d'Honneur en masse, stood vigil overnight.

The following morning the coffin was placed into a casket of the oak made from Hampton Court Palace trees. The casket was banded with iron, and a medieval crusader's sword chosen

by King George V personally from the Royal Collection was affixed to the top and surmounted by an iron shield bearing the inscription 'A British Warrior who fell in the Great War 1914–1918 for King and Country'.

The casket was then placed onto a French military wagon, drawn by six black horses. At 10.30 am, all the church bells of Boulogne tolled; the massed trumpets of the French cavalry and the bugles of the French infantry played Aux Champs (the French "Last Post"). Then, the mile-long procession—led by one thousand local schoolchildren and escorted by a division of French troops—made its way down to the harbour.

At the quayside, Marshal Foch saluted the casket before it was carried up the gangway of the destroyer, HMS Verdun, and piped aboard with an admiral's call. The Verdun was joined by an escort of six battleships. As the flotilla carrying the casket closed on Dover Castle it received a nineteen-gun Field Marshal's salute.

On the morning of 11 November 1920, the casket was placed onto a gun carriage of the Royal Horse Artillery and drawn by six horses through immense and silent crowds. As the

cortège set off, a further Field Marshal's salute was fired in Hyde Park. The cortège was followed by The King, the Royal Family and ministers of state to Westminster Abbey, where the casket was borne into the West Nave of the Abbey flanked by a guard of honour of one hundred recipients of the Victoria Cross.

The guests of honour were a group of about one hundred women. They had been chosen because they had each lost their husband and all their sons in the war. Every woman who had suffered such loss who wanted to attend, was invited..

The coffin was then interred in the far western end of the Nave, only a few feet from the entrance, in soil brought from each of the main battlefields, and covered with a silk pall. Servicemen from the armed forces stood guard as tens of thousands of mourners filed silently past.

The grave was then capped with a black Belgian marble stone (the only tombstone in the Abbey on which it is forbidden to walk) featuring in part this inscription engraved with brass from melted down wartime ammunition.

Beneath this stone rests the body Of a British warrior Unknown by name or rank Brought from France to lie among The most illustrious of the land And buried here on Armistice Day 11 Nov: 1920, in the presence of His Majesty King George V ... And a vast concourse of the nation Thus are commemorated the many Multitudes who during the Great War of 1914 – 1918 gave the most that Man can give...

They buried him among the kings because he Had done good toward God and toward His house

When Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) married the future King George VI on 26 April 1923, she laid her bouquet at the Tomb on her way into the Abbey, as a tribute to her brother Fergus who had died at the Battle of Loos. Royal brides married at the Abbey now have their bouquets laid on the tomb the day after the wedding Before she died in 2002, The Queen Mother expressed the wish for her wreath to be placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, laid the wreath the day after the funeral.

The tomb, rich in reverence and respect honours every brother, father or son who lies in an unmarked grave, some 517,773 in all.

It might be your ancestor, as it might be Private Alexander SutherlandBruce, lost at the second Battle of Passchendale.

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SWAN VALLEY

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THE IDLER The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Mind

successful freelance life.

What are your expectations of freelance life?

As I said earlier most people have unrealistic expectations of days spent in their pyjamas. The first thing to do is make sure your expectations are realistic.

Freelance life usually involves more hours, more responsibility, more stress not less, especially when you’re starting out.

Okay some of you may not read any further, that’s fine, but I’d rather be honest up front than have you yelling at me later on.

So first up talk to people already doing what you plan to.

FREELANCING

B

How good are you at setting limits?

GLENNYS MARSDON While freelance life conjures up images of freedom, the

y this time of year I’ve usually received a handful of calls from people wanting to chat about my strange freelance existence. Last month I received my fifteenth call so I thought maybe it was time I lifted the lid a little wider and let people in on a few of my freelance secrets.

I’ve been extremely lucky to list my occupation as ‘freelancer’ for nearly twenty-five years, so I guess I can’t blame people seeking me out, but I still find it a little baffling as the lifestyle now seems quite normal to me. The calls usually go something like this.

‘Hey why don’t we catch up for a coffee it’s been months, I can do next week, anytime, my company’s started restructuring so I’m going to use up as much sick leave as I can?’

Or the slightly more honest … ‘I’m pretty sure I’m about to lose my job, can I pick your brain over a coffee?’

When we meet up the person across the table from me usually arrives with starry eyes about mornings spent lying on the beach, lunch in front of Dr Phil and afternoons at the movies with the odd bit of work thrown in. Reality is a little different.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia has the largest proportion of people starting up small businesses compared to almost anywhere else in the world, aside from the US. In 2013 - 2014 Australians started over 280,000 small businesses, no doubt many of these began as sole traders or freelancers.

Sadly, nearly two thirds of all small businesses shut up shop within the first three years of operation. Combine this with the well-known Forbes finding that eight out of ten businesses fail, and it’s clear that the good old Aussie ‘have a go’ attitude isn’t enough.

So what can help you survive?

As I pondered this a few weeks ago I ended up with twenty questions that’d show me whether freelance life was for you. Being the good researcher that I am I kept pondering and ended up with enough ideas to fill three eBooks, the first of which sets out an introductory Action Plan to get you started.

So whether you dream of jumping off the corporate treadmill and running free into the freelance life as a designer, writer, artist or management consultant, here’s an extract from the first eBook - four home truths about what it takes to live a

reality is you this won’t happen if you don’t set limits for both yourself, and your clients. Would you think of calling your mechanic, accountant or hairdresser at 8pm on a Sunday night during MasterChef? No? Rightly so, and yet when I started out many of the clients knew that I worked from home, consequently some conducted all their work during business hours, always leaving me until after 7:00pm or the weekend.

While you might be thinking ‘how rude’, years later I realised that I only had myself to blame. I should have set limits at the outset just like any normal business would. What will your business hours be and how will you ensure you stick to them, especially when you’d willingly sell your first born to get that first client?

How much do you need to earn to survive twelve months?

It’s highly likely that your initial years will be a case of feast or famine, and not just your initial years.

Continued on page 60 ...

47

WE HAVE MOVED

Now Open

48

THE WORST FORM OF GOVERNMENT PHILIP BENWELL

S

ir Winston Churchill famously said in 1947 “democracy is the worst form of Government”. No truer words could have been spoken in regard to the example in recent times given by the mother of modern parliaments, the Westminster House of Commons.

However, Churchill went on to say, “except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Whereas we, in Australia, experience problems with our parliaments (State and Federal), many often turning into shambles due to the bad behaviour and rowdiness of our elected representatives, we still have checks and balances in place to ensure a continuance of stable governance.

In Australia, whenever a government loses a majority and finds itself unable to govern, the prime minister will call on the Governor-General to seek a mandate from the people and if the Governor-General is unable to find an alternative leader in the parliament who is able to receive the confidence of the lower house, he will approve an election.

In the event that the government is unable to govern, and the prime minister does not seek an election, the GovernorGeneral is entitled to withdraw his letter of appointment and appoint another leader who has undertaken to call an election.

This occurred in 1975.

Under our Westminster democracy, it is the people who are supreme and it is they who should be called upon to resolve any crisis or deadlock.

However, in 2011 the Cameron government of the United Kingdom legislated ‘The Fixed-term Parliaments Act’ through the British parliament guaranteeing five years for the life of a parliament and allowing an election in between only if there is a vote of no confidence in the government, and a vote of two-thirds of the House of Commons.

It is due to this Act that Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who now leads a minority government, is unable to hold a snap election so that the people can decide on whether he remains prime minister or whether Labour or even the Liberal Democrat Party is elected to office.

Essentially, the election would be a second referendum

between those who want to leave the European Union and those who want to remain.

Eventually, things will work out in the United Kingdom, but it is impossible to predict the outcome. We should not forget that, whilst the Leavers secured 51.9% of the votes, that was of the 72.2% who voted.

Since 2016 there would be several million new voters, additionally a number of those who did not vote in 2016 could be encouraged to vote one way or another if there is an election in December.

What is happening in the UK, is a warning to us to be very careful about any proposal to amend the constitution to enable fixed four-year terms in Australia. In no way would we want to create the ungovernable mess that Britain is now in. Yes, at present, the Australian prime minister has the power to decide upon the date of an election, generally one considered to be most favourable, but that is subject to many factors outside his control, including the Senate election, the national calendar and the agreement of the Governor-General.

Furthermore, on many occasions deciding the date has not helped a sitting government win.

Editor: This thought-provoking piece was written and submitted before the UK parliament agreed to a General Election to be held on the 12th December, 2019.

‘Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’

Winston L Spencer Churchill - 11 November 1947 49

SWAN VALLEY AND REGIONAL NETWORK WILDFLOWER FRIENDLINESS RATING

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ocal Governments across the State have the opportunity to receive elevated tourism promotion to highlight one of Western Australia's greatest natural assets - wildflowers.

Wildflowers are an iconic attraction for WA that bring thousands of visitors to our State each year.

The McGowan Government, through Tourism Western Australia, promotes the six‑month long wildflower season to potential interstate and international holidaymakers using a variety of marketing activities.

But there has been growing concerns that the proliferation of wildflower varieties along our State's roadside verges is not as common a sight as it used to be - which is why, in collaboration with the Wildflower Society of Western Australia (WSWA), the Wildflower Friendliness Rating Scheme has been developed.

The rating scheme will identify, acknowledge and reward local governments that are 'wildflower friendly' and are working to protect wildflowers along road verges in their area.

Wildflowers, and the regions and towns in which they are found, will continue to be promoted by Tourism WA, however, the Wildflower Friendliness Rating Scheme provides an additional level of marketing support.

The rating scheme will operate on a self-assessment basis by each local government area and then be checked and verified by the WSWA.

The local governments that achieve a three-star rating or above will have their roadside verge wildflowers promoted by Tourism WA during the 2020 wildflower season via the following channels:

• listing on the new interactive wildflower map at: www.wavisitorcentre.com.

au/wildflowers

• listing on the consumer website at: www.westernaustralia.com

• promotion in industry e-newsletters; and

• promoted through intrastate media networks in partnership with the Regional Tourism Organisations.

This could also be extended to seasonal campaign activity in key markets, such as Japan, where wildflowers are a unique selling point for WA.

Tourism Minister Paul Papalia: "I look forward to local governments supporting the conservation of our wildflowers along roadside verges and hope they will embrace the Wildflower Friendliness Rating Scheme.

"Wildflowers are an iconic Western Australian attraction that draw thousands of interstate and overseas visitors out to our regions each year.

In fact, WA has one of the largest collection of wildflowers on Earth with more than 12,000 species, sixty per cent of which are found nowhere else on the planet.

"Through this wonderful initiative Tourism WA will be able to provide additional marketing benefit to deserving local governments that achieve the required rating."

50

SWAN VALLEY AND REGIONAL NETWORK THE JAYE RADISICH ACIEVEMENT AWARD

J

aye Radisich was a much loved and respected advocate and member of the Ellenbrook community.

At the age of twenty-four, Jaye won the seat of Swan Hills in 2001 whilst finishing her law degree. She was the first MP to have an office in Ellenbrook.

She is well recognised for being someone who listened to the needs of the residents was hands on in development of several community groups.

Jaye’s enthusiastic approach to life was appreciated by everyone who met her.

Jaye Radisich passed away in 2012 from a rare form of kidney cancer at just aged thirty-five.

The inaugural Jaye Radisich Achievement Award is now open for applications.

The award, named in honour of the late Jaye Radisich, recognises an 18-25 year old Ellenbrook resident who reflects Jaye’s spirit of commitment to the civic and business life of the Ellenbrook community.

In order to be eligible the applicant must:

• Be aged between 18-25 inclusive

• Be a resident of Ellenbrook

• Demonstrate at least one of the following criteria:

• Demonstrated contribution to community.

• Demonstrated commitment to career.

• They must also outline an area for personal or professional development

The aim of the award is to:

• To encourage young adults to advance their personal and professional development.

• To honour Jaye’s legacy as a significant young achiever in the locality in order to motivate others to fulfil their potential.

THE AWARD

A $2,000 award, to comprise cash or in kind support depending on requirements of recipient.

Either download the pdf form, complete and scan and email to info@lwpproperty.com.au or complete the form below and upload content either as a Word or PDF format.

Jaye Radisich on the campaign trail (Photograph by Douglas Sutherland-Bruce) We are happy to receive applications from others on behalf of outstanding young Ellenbrook residents. We understand that they may not feel comfortable submitting an application themselves.

The form may be found online here: www. ellenbrook.com.au/media/5195/lwe2092-jayeradisich-award_a4-form_lo2.pdf Applications must be lodged by Close of Business 15th November 2019.

Email your application to info@ LWPropertygroup.com.au

51

BUSINESS - NETWORKING OFFLINE SKILLS FOR ONLINE CONNECTIONS SHARRON ATTWOOD

Stop going to face to face networking events! eriously – it’s time to pause and make sure it’s worth the time and effort. As we see the rise of purely online business – it stands to reason that this is also where we could and perhaps should be looking to build out networks.

to though – they start out wanting to draw an enormous, almost insurmountable line in the sand to keep the business connections away from their ‘actual friends’. Then the line blurs and cracks in that idea start to show.

So it may not be a networking issue, but rather a mindset issue. Networking and building connections online may actually be a bit more personal rather than impersonal - as you originally thought. You may feel more exposed – your comments are written down or in video – more permanent than a conversation perhaps?

We also lack the ability to get instant feedback – to see their face. I suggest workshopping your intro and message face to face before adding it to your profiles if this is needed.

When I started out, Networking was all meetings, breakfasts and coffee chats – it was about expanding our networks one living, breathing human at a time. Of course, we acknowledged that everyone knew other people – so we were building exponentially – but it was still a clunky model in hindsight.

There are also other reasons to get out amongst the living. As I mentioned – some people need other people around them. Being in business can be extremely isolating. You may find that the ideas flow in the company of others – with their input, their energy and their feedback. For many of us this process feels more natural face to face – but it can be replicate online – and for many of you, with a similar outcome. For many people, they may also feel more comfortable online. The outcome may even be more beneficial as the sheer scale of numbers online means we can often find an entire group of the ‘right’ people – rather than a hit and miss approach at a more local level.

Start by looking at your business – and identify your ideal customer as well as your ideal advocate or referral source. Too many people focus on finding their clients one at a time rather than developing referral sources that may know, and be able to refer, your ideal client.

This is where having a profile online works wonders as referring, tagging and commenting online is often natural for the people there. It may even be more natural than face to face. Many online groups and communities are more focussed, and stay on topic more easily, than most face to face groups I have ever attended. There’s less side chat and a lot less eating required.

It may not feel natural to you at first – it may be a skill to master. You may not have grown up with the technology – but that doesn’t mean you can’t leverage it now!

You may need a class or a coach to learn the ways of the technology and how best to complete your profiles – I actually recommend it – but at the end of the day people are people.

Get your profile pic done and complete your profiles – then get connecting!

S

You can build a global business –why not a global network?

Of course, there are many reasons to ‘Network’ in the more traditional sense – and as humans our need for connection may well see us enjoy meeting people in the real world. It may fill your cup. For many of us it’s a requirement to keep our energy going – we flourish in the company of other people. And that’s ok – so long as you know why you are there. If it’s purely social you haven’t earned the right to put a big tick in the business building or marketing column.

Have you tried this online though? Building a tribe and having a sense of commitment to a group of people you haven’t and may never meet face to face? Whilst it may not come naturally at first – have a go. You can do it in your pyjamas!

Online groups and connections exist to be found. It’s easy to see who is who and what they do. Unlike face to face networking – where you can meet people many times and still be none the wiser about their business.

You may find that your ideal customer or advocate heads out to meet people face to face – so it’s a fair call that you do too. But then there is still the need to look at how you build that relationship online – at how you develop the connection. What next?

Online – that’s where! A LinkedIn connection request – a page follow – and even heaven forbid – a Facebook friend request!

I’ve written many times around the pickle many people find themselves in trying to over-analyse what it means to be a friend – and if these business folks meet the criteria. My big tip is that they are just people. Also – the technology allows us to curate the content we share, if that is the issue. For many of the people I talk

52

BUSINESS WA REGIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS SHARRON ATTWOOD

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he WA Regional Achievement and Community Awards were

• Wheatbelt Secondary Freight Network Program – created in 2002 with the aim of encouraging, acknowledging Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural and rewarding the valuable contribution of the individuals, Industries Making a Difference Award committees and businesses that are making their presence felt

• Life and Soul Health and Fitness Club of Djugun – throughout regional and rural Western Australia.

Prime Super Business Achievement Award

The awards pay tribute to the • Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring contributions making regional and rural Language and Culture Western Australia a better community.

Centre of Kununurra – Curtin University,

The Grand Ballroom at The Hyatt School of was the perfect balance of elegance and Education Teaching Excellence Award charm for this event. I have never seen it • Les Wallam of Eaton – RAC so full of people to be honest –ready to be Volunteering Award entertained and informed by well chosen • Froth Craft Brewery of Exmouth – Master of Ceremonies Noel Brunning ,

Rinehart Development of GWN7 News Presenter. He was amongst Northern Regional WA Award his people.

• Djarindjin Airport –

As Noel welcomed guests by region,

Department of Primary cheers went out across the ballroom Industries and Regional Development signifying where the state had been Economic Development Award broken into its regional parts. Not so • Nanette Williams of Nickol – formal but lots of fun.

Community TAB Community Service

I had the pleasure of chatting with Award many of the nominees – excited just to be • WA iSports Inc of East Bunbury – nominated and in Perth for a big night.

Woolworths Community Group of the To see a room full of people so genuinely Year Award excited for each other was a breath of Matthew Thomas, General Manager, • Shannon Richards of Boulder – fresh air.

Community TAB presented Nanette Ricoh Australia Customer Service

Les Wallam was recognised as with Williams with the Community TAB Award the Volunteering Award for his work as • South West Community Care of Harvey Community Service Award CEO of Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc for over – Prime Super Employer Excellence in twelve years – a registered Aboriginal Aged Care Award charity developing the Roelands community. Roelands, a former • Albany Roller Derby League – ‘Stolen Generation’ mission site has been turned into a thriving Horizon Power Leadership and Innovation Award community of over thirty houses and 500 acres of land.

Winners each received a $2,000 Award prize from

Other worthy winners came from across the state – Foundation Partner, Commonwealth Bank and a magnificent businesses, service providers and community groups. trophy.

The twelve category winners were: Gravity ETC was announced as the 2019 People’s Choice Award

• Boab Health Services of Broome – Winner and received a $250 cash prize.

Insurance Commission of Western Australia Regional

The Awards night was the culmination of a tremendously Safety Award successful year with hundreds of nominations received from across regional Western Australia.

53

FOOTNOTE PEOPLE IN HISTORY FRITZ JOUBERT DUQUESNE (1877 - 1956)

F

ritz Joubert Duquesne (pronounced ‘DoCane’) fought on the side of the Boers in the Second Boer War and as a secret agent for Germany during both World Wars. He gathered human intelligence, led spy rings and carried out sabotage missions as a covert field asset in South Africa, Great Britain, Central and South America, and the United States.

He went by many aliases, fictionalized his identity and background on multiple occasions, and operated as a conman. As a Boer spy he was known as the “Black Panther”, in World War II he operated under the code name DUNN, and in FBI files he is frequently referred to as “The Duke.” He was captured, convicted, and escaped several prisons.

Fritz Duquesne was born to a Boer family of French Huguenot origin in East London, Cape Colony in 1877 and later moved with his parents, Abraham Duquesne and Minna Joubert, to Nylstroom where they started a farm.

Abraham made his living as a hunter who also frequently traveled to sell skins, tusks, and horns, and he hired local natives to work the farm. He claimed his uncle was Piet Joubert (1834–1900), a hero in the First Boer War and Commandant-General of the South African Republic, although this family relationship is disputed.

As a youth, Fritz Duquesne became a hunter like his father.His hunting skills proved useful not only in the African veld, but also later in life when he would publish articles about and give lectures on big-game hunting.

At age of twelve, Fritz Duquesne killed his first man, a Zulu who attacked his mother.

He used the man’s assegai short sword to stab A young Fritz Duquesne as a Boer soldier him in the stomach. Not long after the killing, a war party from a Bantu-speaking tribe gold from the central bank was sent by train, then by road to be attacked the area and the Duquesne family shipped to the Netherlands for the use of President Paul Kruger was forced to retreat the nearby river. The Duquesne family, and other Boers fleeing the Transvaal. About 1.5 million pounds along with six other settler families, fought a long gun battle (680,000 kilos) of gold bullion was removed from the South against the Impi and Fritz Duquesne shot and killed several.

African Mint. Duquesne was in command of one of these large When the fighting ended, his Uncle Koos, his wife, and their baby shipments of gold that was sent by wagon; however, this gold were all dead. never made it to its destination and is commonly referred to as

When he was thirteen, he was sent to school in England.

“Kruger’s Millions”. It has never been found and may or may not After graduation, Duquesne writes that after he finished school in England he was sent to Europe to study engineering, but on the exist.

Duquesne re-joined the Boer forces, but his unit had to fall ship he met an embezzler named Christian de Vries and the two back to Portuguese East Africa where all were captured and sent decided to take a trip around the world. to an internment camp

When Second Boer War broke out in 1899, Duquesne

At the internment camp, he charmed the daughter of one of returned to South Africa to join the Boer commandos as a the guards, who helped him escape to Paris. From there, he made lieutenant attached to the staff of Commandant General Piet his way to England. He then infiltrated the British army and was Joubert in Pretoria. He was wounded with a bullet through his right shoulder at the Siege of Ladysmith and promoted to the rank posted to wartime South Africa in 1901 as an officer.

He passed with troops through his parents’ farm, finding it of captain. Duquesne was captured by the British at the Battle of to have been destroyed under Kitchener’s scorched earth policy.

Colenso, but escaped in Durban.

He also learned his sister had been raped and killed and his

When the British forces began their offensive, some of the 54

mother was dying in a British concentration camp.

As a British officer, Duquesne returned to Cape Town with secret plans to sabotage strategic British installations and to kill Kitchener. He recruited twenty Boer men, but was betrayed by the wife of one. In 1901, while attending a dinner for the Cape Colony governor, he was arrested in full dress uniform for “conspiracy and espionage.” He was court-martialled as a lieutenant in the British army and sentenced to be shot along with his co-conspirators. The other twenty members of his team were executed by firing squad the next day, but as a plea-bargain his sentence was reduced to life in prison and in exchange Duquesne agreed to divulge secret Boer codes and to translate several Boer dispatches.

He was imprisoned in Cape Town in the Castle of Good Hope, a fortification built by the Dutch in 1666. The walls of the castle were extremely thick, yet night after night, Duquesne dug away the cement around the stones with an iron spoon. He nearly escaped one night, but a large stone slipped and pinned him in his tunnel. The next morning, a guard found him unconscious but uninjured.

Duquesne was one of many Boer prisoners sent to the penal colony of Bermuda, an archipelago known for its frequent stormwracked conditions, shark infested waters and dangerous reefs.

Duquesne had previously escaped from several other POW camps, and on the night of 25 June 1902, he slipped out of his tent, worked his way over a barbed-wire fence, swam a mile and a half past patrol boats and bright spotlights until he arrived ashore on the main island.

From there he went to the home of a leader of a Boer Relief Committee who helped him escape to Baltimore, Maryland.

Duquesne proceeded to New York City, where he found employment as a journalist for the New York Herald and other newspapers by writing adventure stories.

The Second Boer War ended in 1902 with the Treaty of Vereeniging, but with his family dead and because of his war crimes, Duquesne never returned to South Africa.

While in New York, he published a novel in the French newspaper Le Petit Bleu, and two other novels published in South Africa. In June 1910 he married Alice Wortley, an American, but their marriage would end in divorce eight years later.

During the Second Boer War, Duquesne was under orders to assassinate Frederick Russell Burnham, a highly decorated American who was Chief of Scouts for the British Army. After the war, Burnham remained active in counterespionage for Britain, and much of it involved keeping track of Duquesne.

In 1910, Burnham and Congressman Robert Broussard founded the New Food Supply Society to import useful African wildlife into the U.S. as a solution to a serious American meat shortage, and Broussard selected Duquesne as an expert.

In support of this plan, Broussard introduced the American Hippo Bill, which sought the appropriation of $250,000 to import hippopotamus into the Louisiana bayous both as new food source and to control the water hyacinth then clogging southern river systems. Former President Theodore Roosevelt backed the plan, as did the U.S. Department of Agriculture, The Washington Post and The New York Times, which praised the taste of hippopotamus as “lake cow bacon”.

Duquesne’s expert testimony on this subject before the House Committee on Agriculture is recorded in the Congressional Record. The bill fell just short of passing and the New Foods organization was disbanded.

During this time Duquesne became former President Roosevelt’s personal shooting instructor and accompanied him on a hunting expedition. He published several newspaper articles on Roosevelt’s hunting trip to Africa, safari big game hunting in general, and the heroic accomplishments of white

peoples in Africa. Duquesne became a naturalized American citizen in December 1913.

After meeting a German-American industrialist in the Midwest around 1914, Duquesne became a German spy. He was sent to Brazil as ‘Frederick Fredericks’ under the disguise of “doing scientific research on rubber plants.”

As an agent for German Naval Intelligence in South America, he was assigned to disrupt commercial traffic to countries at war with Germany. Duquesne received and delivered communiques through German embassies, and he was responsible for numerous explosions on British merchant ships.

From his base in, Brazil, he planted time bombs disguised as cargo on British ships and he was credited with sinking twentytwo. After bombing the Tennyson, MI5 (British intelligence) operating in Brazil arrested an accomplice named Bauer who identified Duquesne as both the perpetrator of the crime and the ring leader.

MI5 confirmed that Duquesne was “a German intelligence officer ... involved in a series of acts of sabotage against British shipping”. His cover blown, Duquesne moved to Argentina, and several weeks later placed an article in a newspaper reporting his own death in Bolivia at the hands of Amazonian natives.

Duquesne evaded British intelligence in South America and returned to New York around 1916. Cheekily, using aliases, he had taken out insurance policies for the ‘cargo’ (bombs) he shipped and he now filed claims. The insurance companies were reluctant to pay and began their own investigations which would go on for another year.

In his book The Man Who Killed Kitchener, biographer Clement Wood states that Duquesne left for Europe in June 1916 under orders from German intelligence. Duquesne posed as the

Fritz in the 1930 in German uniform with Iron Cross and other German and Austrian medals 55

Russian Duke Boris Zakrevsky and joined Field Marshal Kitchener on HMS Hampshire.

Once on board, Duquesne signaled the German submarine that sank the cruiser, thus killing Lord Kitchener. Duquesne made his own escape using a life raft before the ship was torpedoed and he was rescued by the submarine. Duquesne was awarded the Iron Cross for this act, and he appears in several pictures in German uniform wearing an Iron Cross in addition to other medals.

The next confirmed appearance of Duquesne is in Washington, D.C., in July 1917, not long after the U.S. declared war on Germany.

As a covert spy, it was necessary for Duquesne to manipulate people, assume new identities and cover stories. It is known that he was handsome, charismatic, intelligent, fluent in several languages, and as FBI agent Raymond Newkirk observed, “the Duke (his American nickname) was a very interesting talker but he always had to be the center of attention.” He also sometimes took his deceptions further than seems necessary.

With the advent of World War One, Duquesne’s stories of great white hunters and African safaris no longer fascinated and when he returned to New York to get back on the lecture circuit he needed new material, so with the help of German intelligence

he re-invented himself and pretended to be an allied war hero, Captain Claude Stoughton of the Western Australian Light Horse regiment, a man who claimed to have “seen more war than any man at present” and claimed to have been “bayoneted three times, gassed four times, and stuck once with a hook.”

Duquesne appeared before New York audiences dressed in uniform as Stoughton to tell them war stories, promote the sale of Liberty Bonds, and to make patriotic speeches for organizations such as the Red Cross. Historian Jon Mooallem says, “Captain Stoughton’s career took off. His talks made decent money, his heroism earned him respect, and ladies found him alluring.”

Duquesne was arrested in New York in November 1917 on charges of fraud for insurance claims.

After his arrest in New York, and while awaiting extradition to Britain on murder charges, Duquesne pretended to be paralyzed. He was sent to the prison ward at Bellevue Hospital.

On 25 May 1919, after nearly two years of feigning paralysis and just days before his extradition, he disguised himself as a woman and escaped by cutting the bars of his cell and climbing over the barrier walls to freedom.

The London Daily Mail published the following on 27 May 1919:

Col. Fritz du Quesne, a fugitive from justice, is wanted by His Majesty’s government for trial on the following charges: Murder on the high seas; the sinking and burning of British ships; the burning of military stores, warehouses, coaling stations, conspiracy, and the falsification of Admiralty documents.

Duquesne fled to Mexico and Europe, but in 1926 he moved back to New York and assumed a new identity as Frank de Trafford Craven. He worked for Joseph P. Kennedy’s Film Booking Offices of America (FBO Pictures), and later RKO Pictures, as part of the publicity staff. As part of this job he moved back to Manhattan, where he was well known under his real name. In 1930, Duquesne moved to the Quigley Publishing Company, a producer of movie magazines, calling himself Major Craven.

In 1932, police arrested Duquesne in New York. He was interrogated and beaten by the police and charged with murder on the high seas. Duquesne claimed it was a case of mistaken identity and that his name really was Major Craven. Clement Wood had recently published a biography of Duquesne, The Man Who Killed Kitchener, so the police asked Wood to identify the man in custody. Wood insisted that the man was not Duquesne, but rather Major Craven whom he had known for five years.

In the spring of 1934, Duquesne became an intelligence officer for the Order of 76, an American pro-Nazi organization, and in January 1935 he began working for the U.S. government’s Works Progress Administration.

Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr, Germany’s division of military intelligence, knew Duquesne from his work in World War I and he instructed his new chief of operations in the U.S., Col. Nikolaus Ritter, to make contact with Duquesne. Ritter had been friends with Duquesne back in 1931, and the two spies reconnected in New York in December 1937.

Once the FBI discovered through Sebold that Duquesne was again in New York operating as a German spy, director J. Edgar Hoover provided a background briefing to President Franklin Roosevelt. The dossier from that time gave a summary of Duquesne’s prior history and stated that, “no information, whatsoever, concerning the whereabouts and activities of Duquesne since June 6, 1932, is possessed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

On 28 June 1941, following a two-year investigation, the FBI arrested Duquesne and thirty-two Nazi spies on charges of relaying secret information on U.S. weaponry and shipping movements to Germany.

Concluded on page 60 ...

Duquesne as war hero ‘Captain Stoughton of the 10th Light Horse’ 56

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY NEWS LEARNING FROM INDIGENOUS LAND CARE

A

TANIA BAWDEN

s large-scale agriculture, drought, bushfire and introduced species reduce Australia’s biodiversity and longterm prosperity, Indigenous academics are calling for a fresh look at the governance and practices of mainstream environmental management institutions.

Aboriginal Australians’ world view and connection to Country provide a rich source of knowledge and innovations for better land and water management policies when Indigenous decision-making is enacted, the researchers say.

Incorporating more of the spirit and principles of Aboriginal people’s appreciation and deep understanding of the landscape and its features has been overlooked or sidelined in Ngarrindjeri people caring for Country – the past – to the detriment of the Photograph by the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation environment, a new report says.

“When Indigenous nations making can be productively challenged … creating new solutions become sovereign partners in environmental management, to pressing environmental issues,” says Flinders University the power structures and worldviews that underlie decisionresearcher Dr Samantha Muller, lead author on the paper.

“Indigenous agency and governance is driving innovations in land management worldwide that provide more equitable solutions and strategic approaches to looking after the lands, waters and all living things, particularly in the face of climate change.”

In sacred, ethical and reciprocal relationships with nature can enhance and develop more sustainable approaches to living in what many call the age of the Anthropocene (the current period when human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment).”

Ngarrindjeri Nation citizen and director Indigenous Nation Building,Professor Daryle Rigney, with Associate Professor Steven Hemming, previously at Flinders and now the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, have worked with Dr Muller to compare examples of conservation and land management among First Nations groups in Aorearoa/New Zealand and North America with a Ngarrindjeri case study in South Australia.

“One of the most significant acts of colonialism is to impose an understanding of Country as something separate from humans, with decisions based on science and Western institutions,” the authors say.

“Indigenous nations worldwide have been asserting their sovereignties which is reshaping practices of environmental management.”

For example, the Ngarrindjeri Nation at the mouth of the Murray in SA have developed Kungun Ngarrindjeri Yunan (KNY) agreements with the State Government that recognise Ngarrindjeri as sovereign partners in environmental Ngarrindjeri people caring for Country – management.

Photograph by the Dhimurru Aboriginal

Concluded on page 60 ....

Corporation 57

IMAGES: Megan & Abbey

#AdoptLove

Foster Carers Needed

Do you have room for one more this holiday season? Christmas is just around the corner and all SAFE branches are in NEED of foster carers. Experience the joy of animal companionship over the holiday period, by fostering an animal in need.

We have 12 branches throughout Western Australia: Metro (located in Perth), Avon Valley, Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Busselton, Carnarvon, Esperance, Hedland, Goldfields, Karratha and Newman.

To volunteer as a foster carer, go to https://safe.org.au/volunteer/ and fill out the form. If you would like to know more, you can speak with one of our experienced foster carers.

Email metro@safe.org.au for a meet and greet today!

Abbey Murray

Abbey Murray

Saving Animals From Euthanasia Inc (SAFE) is an animal rescue organisation that has saved and rehomed more than 26,000 homeless animals since its beginnings in 2003. It has grown to be WA’s largest volunteer-based animal rehoming organisation using foster care instead of cages. SAFE has 12 branches state-wide. In 2018 it was the national winner “Outstanding Rescue Group” in the Jetpets Companion Animal Rescue Awards. SAFE is the Western Australian arm of Animal Welfare League Australia (AWLA).

FOSTER CARE means animals live the lives of normal pets, with no time limits, enjoying love in their place of care, and socialisation in the home and community. Their carers’ knowledge of how they respond to different situations means SAFE can make a great match.

Would you like to help animals on their journey to a new life? To become a foster carer, the first step is to contact our SAFE Avon Valley branch on 0409 000 259 or our Perth-based branch, SAFE Metro on 0475 346 545 or 0448 893 033.

VOLUNTEER: https://safe.org.au/volunteer/

DONATE: https://safe.org.au/donate 58

ADOPT: https://safe.org.au/find-a-pet/

COMMUNITY he Compassionate Friends of Western Australia Tregardless strives to support families who have lost a child, of that child’s age throughout WA.

We are a non-profit, non-government funded charity that provide peer call support, group meetings, a drop in centre, sending out quarterly newsletters, Anniversary Cards, we hold Walk of remembrance and a candlelight service (non-religious) at Christmas.

We are run by volunteers and bereaved parents that are further along in their grief and wish to help others who have suffered this tragedy.

Although everybody’s grief is different it helps to talk to someone who has actually had this tragedy happen to them.

They WON”T say “I know how you feel” as no one can, but they will say “I don’t know exactly what you are feeling but this is how I felt when my child died”.

WALK OF REMEMBRANCE HELD IN MARCH EACH YEAR Events like these above give the bereaved some hope of a life after the death of their child. They connect with others that have been through the same tragic experience.

In doing so its helps them to feel that they are not alone in their grief, that there is a worldwide connection to other suffering the same.

DONATIONS Donations allow us to purchase stamps so we can send our booklets and other information to the newly bereaved, community groups, doctors surgeries and hospital throughout Western Australia.

They help us cover advertising cost in newspapers throughout Western Australia, pay for our office and utilities allowing us to have Peer Support Workers come in and contact to bereaved that wish to have contact.

The Compassionate Friends of WA Inc. receives no Government funding in any way.

We raise funds by holding events, charity drives and donation from our members and outside bodies.

Although this is fantastic, we still struggle with the cost of keeping our doors open so any suggestion on fundraising or donations are gratefully accepted.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We are always looking for volunteers to help man Sausage Sizzles, Charity Shopping Centre Drives and other events along with peer support volunteers (bereaved parents) for telephone support and group meeting facilitation.

54 Simpson Street, Ardross 6107 6257

59

Concluded from page 57 ...

This foundation enabled Ngarrindjeri to drive innovative environmental solutions during the millennium drought, leading to being awarded the 2015 Australian Riverprize

In Aoetaroa / New Zealand, Maori have asserted their sovereign rights to forge agreements which grant the Whanganui River and the Te Urewera National Park legal personhood. These legal shifts give a voice to ‘nature’ in accordance with Maori worldviews and recognise Maori sovereignty.

The Menominee forest management in the USA is recognised as best practice. It is based on Menominee vision and worldviews for forest management enabled by recognition of Menominee sovereignty and decision-making.

“Indigenous ways of being in sacred, ethical and reciprocal relationships with “nature” can enhance and develop more sustainable approaches to living in what many call the age of the Anthropocene (the current period when human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment).”

The paper, Indigenous Sovereignties: Relational Ontologies And Environmental Management (2019) by Dr Samantha Muller, Steve Hemming and Daryle Rigney (Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology Sydney), has been published in Geographical Research: https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12362

Concluded from page 47 ...

The famine can happen at any time, making it essential that you have a clear idea of your annual expenses.

What does it cost you to live each year after all, and I mean all, of your expenses have been taken into account? Be honest there’s no point lying to yourself. What is your magic annual expenses figure? And whatever you do don’t forget including a decent birthday present for your partner who has, maybe unwittingly, joined you on this journey.

Do you know who to listen to?

Perhaps you’ve already started telling people your plans, if you haven’t you should, but that’s another chapter.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that everyone has an opinion. If so, the issue becomes one of, who do you listen to and who do you ignore?

This issue continues throughout your freelance life. There are two groups of people to avoid.

First up the naysayers. They like to tell you you’re mad and point out all the things that could possibly go wrong. If I’d listened to them I’d never have tried half the things I’ve attempted and come to love.

Be wary of their intensions. Are they the type of person who’s negative about everything, or do they usually provide well balanced opinions? Be incredibly thankful for any well-informed negative advice you receive, but don’t get sucked in by negative Nancy.

On the flip side there are the cheerleaders out there who no matter what your idea is they ‘like totally agree’ with you.

While it’s nice to have your ideas accepted they might simply be people pleasers.

Their own need for social acceptance outweighs their duty to tell you their true feelings, that your idea is actually really stupid. Ask yourself will they be there when you’re standing in line at the soup kitchen having lost all your savings?

Hopefully these four points have given you an initial look into freelance life. More importantly, I hope they haven’t turned you off.

A lot of people dream of getting off the corporate treadmill, and I can tell you that the absolute hardest thing to do is to take that initial step. Once you do you’ll make adjustments along the way to keep you heading in the right direction, if you really want it.

So stop day dreaming about what could be. Have faith in your idea and yourself. If you’ve completed the groundwork, the research, been patient, flexible, prepared to take a risk, put in the effort and really want it, it will happen.

You won’t regret it and remember you can always go back to your old life as long as you haven’t burnt your bridges.

That’s another secret to freelance success, your current boss could be your best client in the future, seriously.

As an example of how strange and exciting freelance life can be, I’m amazed to say that the first introductory eBook created from this pondering has led to me now running workshops and mentoring on this topic, who knew that would happen?

To see the sixteen more questions, check out the book on Amazon called Freelance Life: An Action Plan To Help You Become A Successful Six Figure Freelancer here’s the link.

Good luck. www.amazon.com/Freelance-Life-Successful-Freelancerexperience-ebook/dp/B01DSUHDQ2

Concluded from page 56 ...

On 2 January 1942, less than a month after the U.S. was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor and Germany declared war on the United States, the thirty-three members of the Duquesne Spy Ring were sentenced to serve a total of more than 300 years in prison.

They were found guilty in what is “still to this day the largest espionage case in the history of the United States.”

One German spymaster later commented that the ring’s roundup delivered ‘the death blow’ to their espionage efforts in the United States.

The sixty-four-year-old Duquesne did not escape this time. He was sentenced to eighteen years in prison and began his sentence in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. In 1945, Duquesne was transferred to the Medical Center, due to his failing physical and mental health.

In 1954, he was released owing to ill health, having served fourteen years. His last known lecture was in 1954 at the Adventurers’ Club of New York, entitled My Life – in and out of Prison.

Fritz Duquesne died in New York City on 24 May 1956 at the age of seventy-eight years.

DISCLAIMER The information in this publication is of a general nature.

The articles contained herein are not intended to provide a complete discussion on each subject and or issues canvassed.

Swan Magazine does not accept any liability for any statements or any opinion, or for any errors or omissions contained herein.

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