STORIES, photos and names of workers and people associated with the old Maylands Brickworks are being sought for an open day on December 13. For 23 years Maylands Brickworks has been fenced off with minimal public access, but the Friends of Maylands Brickworks have organised it to be opened up through Bayswater council.  FOMB, a group…

THE yearly Central Park Plunge went down on the weekend with 300 participants abseiling 220m down the St Georges’ Terrace skyscraper for charities.Sponsors pitched in cash for people to plunge for their chosen charities with about $570,000 raised.Federal Perth Labor MP Patrick Gorman went over the side to raise money for Guide Dogs WA, netting…

A 10-year plan to rid the Maylands Samphire Flats of exotic weeds aims to protect its long-term future.  The salt marsh is federally listed as a threatened ecological community.  The Friends of Maylands Samphires have already been beavering away since 2012 pulling out invasive species and revegetating the riverfront with natives like samphires and saltbushes…

KYILLA Primary School has unveiled a new Whadjuk Noongar motto at its 75th anniversary open day: “Kata Djinung”. It’s a translation of the school’s motto “To See and To Understand” which was adopted in 1988. The Whadjuk Noongar words join the boomerang that’s been a feature of the logo since 1988.  Principal Jo Hine tells…

Catching up with the past THE past repeating and hidden histories of our suburbs loom large in this year’s Vincent local history awards, with tales of past pandemics and happiness found in the streets. Along with 189 photos it was a bumper year for written entries with 22 stories and memoirs submitted for the Geoffrey…

A NEW plan to let waterskiers and jet skis into more of the Swan River has led to a flow of concerns for sensitive shorelines being eroded and hoons encroaching onto quiet yachting waters. The WA Department of Transport is currently testing the waters on redrawn boundaries that’d extend the Belmont water ski area 100m…

A CHANCE encounter between a quiltmaker and her next-door neighbour has led to a simple gesture bringing comfort to formerly homeless women. Quiltmaker Bev recently bumped into her neighbour Mel Ashton, who chairs homeless services organisation St Bart’s. Bev’s been quiltmaking for 20 years and donates them to anyone she knows who needs cheering up,…

PERTH’S new council will undergo transgender awareness training following lord mayor Basil Zempilas’s major on-air gaffe. Mr Zempilas has made several apologies over insensitive comments he made on his October 28 radio show which prompted thousands of petitioners to call for all Pride events to be moved to neighbouring Vincent. Mr Zempilas opened the November 3 council…

THE legacy of Perth’s Moorditj Bridyas (Solid Bosses) is commemorated in portraits in a new exhibition at the ground floor of Perth Council House, and their oral histories stories have been recorded for a new podcast. The portraits by photographer Eva Fernández were commissioned by Perth council as part of its reconciliation commitment. They depict…

WEEKEND parking will be free for three hours in off-street Perth city council carparks in December and January. Lord mayor Basil Zempilas proposed the motion, which he says is aimed at  “reinvigorating the city by supporting businesses, increasing accessibility, and supporting Western Australians who may be experiencing financial hardship during the holiday period”. When free…