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  • Jazzing things up

    Jazzing things up

    The always great Libby Hammer’s back at it, celebrating WA’s first lady of jazz Helen Matthews.

    LOCAL talent mixes with global greats at this year’s Perth International Jazz Festival, with foreign acts phoning it in remotely since the pandemic’s still harshing travel plans.

    Dutch trio Tin Men can’t make it here physically, but on Yagan Square and Northbridge Piazza screens they’ll beam in via live stream from Amsterdam, performing their ‘Global Relocation of Evolved Apes Towards Exoplanet Suitable for Terraformation’ show with audience participation via smartphone app.

    Plenty of local jazz giants are in the mix with sets from the beloved Dr Richard Walley’s Six Seasons with Junkadelic Orchestra, 1920s sounds from the OZ Big Band, and WAAPA’s Afro Peruvian ensemble. 

    Festival director Mace Francis says despite all the hurdles involved with organising an international festival during a pandemic, they’d put on some jazz-packed shows across two weekends in Perth and Busselton.

    “There’s so much music to enjoy across the Perth weekend and then at the Busselton Amphitheatre on the Foreshore the following Saturday. Come play! Take a risk with us and see as much music as you can,” Dr Francis says. 

    It’s in Perth November 5-7 and Busselton on November 13, times and tickets via perthjazzfest.com

  • A real humdinger

    A real humdinger

    AOME reviewers dream of properties like these. All I really have to do is show you the pictures and then hum along until my word count is up. 

    In the case of 180/181 Adelaide Terrace in East Perth, however, there are some particularly enticing features that benefit from a bit of editorialising. This massive 212sqm penthouse on the 26th floor utilises astute design principles to maximise its expansive river views, which are visible through floor-to-ceiling windows from all three bedrooms.

    The floor plan provides desirable separation between the main suite and guest bedrooms, while numerous custom upgrades provide plenty of clever storage solutions. Packed with thoughtful touches, and immaculately cared for, the space represents quality in every sense. 

    To name a few of the unique design features on offer, you’ll find built in custom bar cabinetry with a beer and wine fridge, main bedroom with two walk-in wardrobes, and a luxurious ensuite bathroom with spa bath. 

    The building offers a further range of coveted features, including a swimming pool, gym with modern equipment, games room, sky lounge, concierge service, and landscaped gardens with stunning water features. Alongside the apartment you’ll receive three side-by-side parking bays near the lift.

    While all that would probably be snapped up in the middle of a forlorn desert, this home is located in a secure neighbourhood just 1km from Perth CBD, and just a couple of blocks from the footpaths and recreation opportunities of the Swan River foreshore. 

    Among nearby amenities are a cafe and supermarket within 200m of the front door, and for a Perth CBD professional, the option to walk to work will save time and stress.

    All the attractions the city has to offer are right at your feet, while you’re high above the hubbub peacefully enjoying a shaded balcony watching the sun set over the Swan.

    The classy, but warm, two-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment can be viewed Saturday October 9 from 1-1.30pm.

    180/181 Adelaide Tce, East  Perth
    Offers high $1 millions Peter Wright
    Phone 0438 727 476
    Realestate 88 9200 6168

  • High-rise hell

    High-rise hell

    AMP Capital’s three tower project for Karrinyup shopping centre.

    “My question is: will the city now take a legal opinion on the DAP approval of Karrinyup Residential to investigate if there are valid grounds for a judicial review?”

    A TRIO of towers planned for Karrinyup shopping centre has been approved by a state panel in what the local council calls a ‘terrible’ planning decision that froze out local representation.

    Stirling council had opposed AMP Capital’s three towers which will have 270 total units and stand nine, 15 and 24 storeys tall in an area that so far has nothing over eight storeys.

    The approval was given September 23 via a split vote by the Development Assessment Panel, featuring three state government appointed members who were in favour—Francesca Lefante, Lee O’Donohue, and John Syme—and two local councillors who voted no: Suzanne Migdale and Felicity Farrelly. 

    Controversial

    It’s the latest of many controversial developments to be approved in a 3:2 split vote since DAPs were introduced in 2011 to “streamline development”. 

    Stirling councillors issued a statement saying they were “disappointed” in the “terrible” decision. 

    Mayor Mark Irwin said “I want to speak up about the contempt of the so-called expert panel towards the people of Karrinyup”.

    He said the most disappointing part was hearing the appointed members of the panel acknowledge Stirling’s planners had put a lot of effort into preparing their recommendation, which advised the towers were too tall and bulky, “but in the very next breath choose to ignore it and exercise discretion.

    “How does the community get ignored, detailed planning assessments by local government get ignored?”

    “How does the whole power of planning come down to three people with no skin in the game or local knowledge?

    “What does it say about the future of our system when three people have more power than the entire planning staff and community combined?”

    Because the project is on a large “landmark site” there aren’t strict height limits, just a council rule that says they can’t be so big that they have a “significant detrimental impact on the amenity of the area”. 

    The project’s planners from The Rowe Group had argued it’d be good for the area to have new residents and that this project wasn’t much different from other apartment-bearing shopping centres around Perth like South Perth and Canning Bridge. 

    The council reckoned it would have a detrimental impact. The DAP’s three appointed members disagreed. 

    Mr Irwin says the fear now is that the DAP will continue to dictate heights in surrounding areas.

    He says during the DAP meeting “to rub salt into the wound, the panel chose to then lecture the City and the community on how they will have to rezone all of Karrinyup around the shopping centre, to ensure that the excessive scale of this development is in context with the panel’s ‘Future Karrinyup’.”

    Following the DAP decision, at the September 28 council meeting local resident and council candidate Simon Wheeler queried whether the council would fight this move.

    He said “the [Karrinyup Residents for Responsible Development] group requested several times that the city engage legal advice for the recent DAP meeting regarding the Karrinyup residential development” but the city reckoned no issues required clarity. He noted the DAP had signalled in May they wanted to rewrite Stirling’s planning scheme via “spot rezoning” to allow bigger buildings, “something that as far as KRRD are aware is not within the power of a DAP.

    “My question is: will the city now take a legal opinion on the DAP approval of Karrinyup Residential to investigate if there are valid grounds for a judicial review?”

    Council planning staff told him there were no such plans so far. 

    by DAVID BELL

  • Stirling elections

    Stirling elections

    IT’S a big cast for Stirling’s 2021 council elections on October 16 with 28 candidates across seven wards. There’s one vacancy in each of the two wards in the patch of Stirling the Voice covers:

    Inglewood Ward

    Andrew Bethell is a fan of the city and keen to work with existing councillors, and as an accountancy graduate he’s keen on keeping the council financially responsible, and believes in fewer fees and reduced fines.

    Bianca Sandri is the incumbent seeking another term, setting her priorities for these four years as improved street lighting, redevelopment of the Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre and sports clubs, upgrading parks and reserves and investing in the city’s security service.

    Daniela Ion runs a small business, works in family and migration law and also works pro bono for community legal centres. She wants more parks, more seniors’ and sporting activities, reduced costs for community clubs and wants to encourage tourism to Stirling with regular flower and art exhibitions. 

    Lawley Ward

    Josh Woodward has worked for councils in sanitation, parks and gardens, and as a ranger, and also has a masters in Australian history he wants to put to use protecting the council’s heritage.

    Lucy Nicol has worked in community tv and in politics and is a Greens party member. Earlier this year she supported the push to change the City of Stirling’s name to no longer reflect the colonialist who led the Pinjarra massacre.

    Paul Collins is a former councillor keen to get back on board. He’s past president of the Mt Lawley Heritage Society and wants more protection for the historic housing stock and to protect them from the new wave of overlooking apartments. He’s against “wasteful expenditure” like changing the city’s name.

    Suzanne Migdale is the incumbent seeking reelection, noting rates have stayed low in her four years and she’ll aim to keep it that way while keeping the city debt free. 

    Chali Silwimba is a high school teacher and wants to create more opportunities for local youth with an aim to increase community safety. President of a local soccer club, she was born in Zambia and appreciates the importance of migrants to the WA economy. 

    Jignesh Shah is an engineer who’s lived in Stirling for 30 years, and he wants to turn Stirling into Perth’s second CBD. 

    In the further reaches we don’t get to physically, the candidates are:

    Osborne Ward: Teresa Olow, Giovanni Italiano, Robert Whitehead, Daniel Bailey, Stephanus Becker, James Helliwell.

    Hamersley Ward: Karlo Perkov (incumbent), Melita Markey, Leisha Jack, Demetre (Jim) Bivoltsis.

    Doubleview Ward: Rob Paparde, Elizabeth Re.

    Coastal Ward: Simon Wheeler, Grant MacDonald, Tony Krsticevic.

    Balga Ward: Andrea Creado, Marwa Wasique, Ram Tin Thei, Len Yarran.

  • Baysy lowdown

    Baysy lowdown

    IN Bayswater council’s south ward, covering the areas of Maylands and Mount Lawley the Voice reaches, the candidates for the October 16 council elections are:

    Elli Petersen-Pik, a serving councillor who’s had some wins getting pedestrian and safety improvements in his time so far, along with pushing for Maylands Waterland to be refurbished and reopened.

    Sophie Edge feels the council’s dropped the ball and neglected resident wellbeing, and wants a solution to the plague proportions of midges and the thick algae plaguing local lakes. She also wants the Maylands Brickworks protected and handed over for community use.

    Isabella Tripp has a background in conservation and is a Greens party member, and wants more green corridors and more street tree canopy for the area, along with aiming to alleviate homelessness in Maylands. 

    In the further stretches of Bayswater we don’t make it out to, the candidates are:

    Central Ward: Colleen Hayden, Assunta Meleca, Fiorda Kule. North Ward: Josh Eveson, Stephanie Gray, Filomena Piffaretti. West Ward: Justin Iemma, Lorna Clarke (incumbent), Aleisha Santoriello, Giorgia Johnson (incumbent).

  • Wyld Festival boost

    Wyld Festival boost

    • The old Perth Girls School covered in projections for Bilya Beneath at the Perth Festival. Image by Jessica.

    PERTH FESTIVAL has secured the extra council cash it wanted for 2022’s event, with Perth councillors agreeing to fund them to the same $350,000 level Fringe World gets.

    Perth Festival organisers requested the extra cash to help the arts bounce back from covid, but council staff weren’t keen on bumping their funding up from the $264,000 they got last year, partly because the festival’s mostly ticketed and there were no major free events planned for 2022 (‘Covid plea for artists falls flat’, Voice, September 25).

    Organisers contended that the festival would bring in some 325,000 people to liven up the city and splurge some cash around, and councillors this week agreed to toss them the full $350,000.

    Fringe’s $350,000 funding, up about $101,000 from last year, was a shoe-in because their shows’ cultural diversity brings in lots of different demographics,  and has a proven track record of attendees patronising local businesses. 

    Usually councillors aren’t allowed to make such big funding decisions in the caretaker period so close to October’s election, but CEO Michelle Reynolds granted them power to vote since it was urgent: 

    The festivals are starting their marketing campaigns any day now and need to know how prominently to display the City of Perth logo on posters and pamphlets. $100,000 will also go to help hold the 24th World Transplant Games in Perth in 2023, a sporting competition for people who’ve had transplants, which aims to raise awareness of the organ shortage.

    by DAVID BELL

  • History makers

    The 2021 Vincent Local History Awards. 
    Ron and Fay Gidgup (nee Little) getting married at the North Perth Church of Christ in 1952 (below). Photo from Vincent Local History Centre, PH06436. 

    FROM the tale of a Leederville policeman who helped solve a famous 1920s murder case to the account of an early Aboriginal women’s refuge in Northbridge, another haul of historical tales and images has been preserved in this year’s Vincent Local History Awards.

    Running for 21 years, the awards have helped populate the well-regarded Local History Centre with thousands of images and hundreds of stories that might’ve otherwise sat in drawers or gotten lost between floorboards

    Terence Mathews’ award-winning contribution Picking olives in North Perth.

    Mayor Emma Cole said: “These awards have helped us build an incredibly rich collection of local memories and it’s been fantastic to see the diversity of the entries this year.

    “The precious photos and stories of life in Vincent have truly deepened our knowledge and appreciation of our people, neighbourhoods and ways of life.

    “It is so important to our local history collection to have stories, photos and history of Aboriginal families and organisations in Vincent, and it has been just fantastic to see these entries grow in recent years.”

    This year’s winners for the Geoffrey Bolton Award for written histories include:

    • Christine Choo’s story of the ANAWIM Refuge for Aboriginal Women, the unsung Northbridge centre that ran from 1978 to 2007;

    • David Kennedy’s Charles Washing & Racist Furniture, a novel he wrote based on his true family history after finding out he had Chinese heritage. His great great grandfather was Wah Shing, a Cantonese man, and his grandfather was a French polisher at Washing Brothers furniture factory after the name was Anglicised in a time when all furniture had to be stamped either “European labour only” or “Asiatic labour”;

    • Michelle Vercoe’s story ‘Grenville Purdue: the man who always plays fair’, a tale of a Leederville resident and policeman who rose to fame for his work solving the globally infamous Pitman-Walsh case when two policemen were murdered in 1926.

    Early days at Anawim refuge in 1977 before the official opening.

    Here are some more fascinating historical tales and images from this year’s Vincent Local History Awards.

    All the photos are at the Local History Centre image library at library.vincent.wa.gov.au and more intriguing local stories are viewable online via the library catalogue.

    Grenville Vaughan Purdue, a renowned policeman. Photo from Vincent Local History Centre, PH02207

    An extract from Michelle Vercoe’s ‘Grenville Purdue – The Man Who Always Plays Fair’

    “Two men riding on a sulky arrived at Miller’s Find sniffed out an offensive smell and noticed numerous flies around a mine shaft. This was reported to the police. Upon investigation the shaft was inspected, and the debris was cleared out using the skills of two miners one being Billy Batten, as well as Police Constable Plight. They worked in short shifts due to the oppressive conditions. Detective Sergeant Purdue, having been made the lead investigator by Inspector Condon of the CID, was in attendance and it was his job to collect and label the evidence as it ascended from the shaft.

    The team collected a lot of materials, ranging from gold scales, hessian bags, an initialed cufflink (identified as belonging to Walsh) to a pair of trousers that had a double layer of fabric in the seat, etc. Eventually they uncovered the burnt and mutilated bodies of the two missing detectives.”

    Charles Washing with children Geraldine, Albert, Gwendoline & Frederick. His modern descendants would only find out later in life they had Chinese ancestry.

    An extract from Charles Washing & Racist Furniture

    “Ernie found Chinese apprentice appointments easy to fill. Getting European cabinetmakers to join them, however, was impossible. No self-respecting Paddy or Pom would lower themselves to join a half caste Chinese outfit such as Washing Brothers, not only because it was beneath them, they didn’t have the guts to endure the hardship they would receive from the Union, family and friends.

    It took some doing, but eventually they hired a Russian and two Czechoslovakians. It was a risk worth taking. They were rejected by the Paddies and Poms, not because they were inferior cabinet makers; far from it, they were experienced and dedicated to constructing quality furniture but were regarded as Eastern European, which was only slightly above Asiatics.

    Their broken English was almost as bad as the Chinese workers’ and took some getting used to, but they devoured every task thrown at them and did it with passion.”

  • Classy Italian

    Classy Italian

    MY night out at Lulu La Delizia in Subiaco began at 9pm, so we were off to a very European start.

    With my sophisticated French friend Lily in tow, in a pair of silk trousers no less, I could almost smell the hills of Tuscany where I once spent a very wet spring working on a vineyard (which is not as elegant as, and oddly much bloodier than, it sounds). 

    Unlike the streets of Firenze, those of Subiaco at 9pm are abbandonato, but when we rounded the corner into the little alleyway inhabited by Lulu, we found warmth, cheer and revelry among the clientele of the small pasta-focused venue. 

    With dark wood and white lace trimmings throughout, the restaurant demonstrates simplicity and attention to detail, which in combination I’ve found bodes well for a meal.

    Our server, Lachie, had an impressive amount of knowledge about the wine selection. I asked after a pinot, and while there was not one on the menu, Lachie poured us each a sample of his recommended nebbiolo, a wine he described as belonging firmly to the New World category, with its fruity and playful character.

    Call me stuck in the past, but my heart will always belong to the stodgy Old World stalwarts. We both ordered a Negroni cocktail (one part gin, one part vermouth rosso and one part Campari, garnished with orange peel $15), a decision I’ve never yet regretted. 

    We started off with the saffron spaghetti with clams and spigarello ($33). The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the clams tasted fresh off the boat, and the sauce was decadent in every way a sauce should be decadent. Italian cooking, we agreed, would be nothing without butter. Lots and lots of butter. 

    For a second course, we tried the corzetti genovese ($34), a flat disk-shaped pasta with a pesto-style sauce. While everything was clearly prepared by competent hands, we felt it lacked the special oomph that would keep us coming back for the saffron spaghetti. 

    Portions were modest but not small, and at the end of the night we were both quite satisfied, having enjoyed well-prepared Italian classics in a cosy venue with friendly and attentive staff.

    Lulu La Delizia
    5/97 Rokeby Rd, Subiaco
    lululadelizia.com.au

  • Sugar-coated

    Sugar-coated

    • (Top – bottom) Sugar Du Jour and Lucy Lovegun will be performing at this year’s Perth International Burlesque Festival. Photos by Chayla Taylor.

    “Wet seats all around.”

    AS covid-enforced proximity has tried and torn at personal relationships, so has it tested connection to place. 

    In Western Australia, we are fortunate for the enormous breadth and depth of local artistic talent that has made it a true pleasure to be stuck here. 

    This year’s Perth International Burlesque Festival has a little less of the international than its title suggests, but director Jessica Gough says they have still put together an amazing line-up of acts and shows.

    Gough – who onstage flies under the banner of The Sugar Duchess – says Australian burlesque is known globally for its emphasis on comedy, and that WA in particular has nurtured a strong sense of community among its performers.

    Gough says the role of comedy in burlesque goes beyond the value of entertainment: “It may be political or social commentary, but it’s always a lot of fun.”

    She believes comedy allows people to have important conversations in a big, fun and fabulous way that doesn’t alienate.

    “I have a crown, you have a crown, everyone has a crown,” she notes. 

    This year’s festival upholds the long history of burlesque as satire, or as Ms Gough puts it, of “punching up to the man.”

    The genre often takes aim at social and political norms, so it’s fitting it doesn’t have a narrow definition or set of rules. 

    Burlesque is defined by its sense of irreverence, and at its heart is versatility with performers often having a background in areas like traditional dance, drag, comedy and circus.

    Gough is a long-time performer for whom burlesque is emblematic of self-love and celebration.

    Performing has allowed her to tap into that, and being a director allows her to bring it to others. 

    In the same spirit of generosity, opening night will be live streamed for free, so that those in lockdown across the globe have an excuse to douse their living rooms in glitter and bump n’ grind under the lights of glowing screens.

    The festival pink carpet rolls out in Perth on October 22 and 23 at The Court, The Astor Theatre and Ellington Jazz Club, followed by stops in Geraldton and Kalgoorlie, where it’s not uncommon for bikies to buy performers a round of drinks after the show. 

    You can get tickets at perthburlesquefestival.com

    In the words of performer Sugar Du Jour, there’s sure to be “wet seats all around.”

    by CARSON BODIE

  • Top trio

    Top trio

    “There’s loads of leisure and exercise opportunities at the expansive green spaces flanking the Swan River, ensuring your relaxed lifestyle will remain an active one.”

    DON’T work so hard!

    Bali beckons at this unique three-flat title with the opportunity to rent out two apartments and save the third to relax in between post-covid international holidays. 

    The passive income potential of this Claisebrook Cove penthouse is as enormous as the place itself.

    Everything about the abode screams lifestyle boost, as you can choose to travel the globe using your rent-generated funds or stay at home in scenic East Perth, relaxing by the water.

    The central pool and barbecue area in this boutique residential complex completes the feel of staycation.

    Even when relaxing at home you’re more likely to be seen with a tropical cocktail than a cup of coffee.

    Each apartment has panoramic views and is situated in peaceful surrounds, but you are only a short walk from some of Perth’s finest restaurants and parks, and just steps from the iconic Matagarup Footbridge.

    Walk out your front door and within seconds you’re strolling along Perth’s cheerful waterfront, watching your favourite team win at Optus Stadium, or trying to become the next big winner yourself at Crown Casino.

    There’s loads of leisure and exercise opportunities at the expansive green spaces flanking the Swan River, ensuring your relaxed lifestyle will remain an active one.

    Nearby schooling and work options are a rare opportunity to avoid a hectic commute, and with a cafe only 350 meters from your door, the walk to school or work with croissant-in-hand is bound to be a pleasant one.

    The three apartments on this massive 354sqm top-floor asset represent a range of styles and sizes, so whatever you and your family are after, there’s sure to be something to please.

    The modern finish of the free-flowing units creates a feeling of airy spaciousness and an abundance of natural light contributes to a warm, clean feel throughout.

    In summer, large shaded balconies are the place to meditate, workout, read, or enjoy a balmy peaceful night high above the crowds.

    In the winter, a fireplace is an opportunity to hold loved ones close. Whatever you decide to do with this unique opportunity, a life of restfulness, leisure and play is that much closer.

    When the borders open, you’re off!

    61 / 22 Nile Street, East Perth
    Offers From $1,999,000
    Realestate 88 Inner City
    For private viewings call Brendon Habak 6269 2288
    bhabak@re88.com.au