Perth Voice Interactive

Pianist honoured

November 4, 2016

WORLD-RENOWNED ragtime pianist John Gill, best known locally for tinkling the ivories in the Murray Street mall, is to be featured in a Museum of Perth exhibition.

Gill used to say that if he dropped dead, he wanted it to be in Forrest Chase, but in 2011 he suffered a fatal heart attack in a North Perth shopping centre aged just 57.

As a four-year-old, the young pianist wore fingerless gloves to stay warm while practicing in the family’s shed because his piano couldn’t get up the stairs of their London home.

A virtuoso, he became Australia’s only accredited Bosendorfer concert artist, a veteran of 16 US tours, and one of the most recognised musicians on the streets of Perth.

• Reece Harley with Joan Gilling. Photo by Steve Grant

Cradle of ragtime

Gill’s hand is cast in cement in Sedalia, Missouri, known as the cradle of ragtime, but there’s no permanent memorial in his home town. Previous hopes of a statue or plaque were stymied by lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi, who said it was impossible to recognise all Perth characters.

But museum chair Reece Harley, who’s gathering material for the exhibition at Elizabeth Quay, says he’s also resurrecting the push for a memorial, but says he could turn to the pianist’s fans to get funding.

“A bronze statue doesn’t really capture a music man really well … we could perhaps activate a laneway or a forgotten space in the heart of the city for John,” Cr Harley says.

The exhibition will include posters, CD’s, photos and news clippings collected by Gill’s mother Joan Gilling, who says many of her son’s most prized possessions were lost after his death.

The pianist’s partner sold some of his large, eclectic collection, while the upright open-fronted piano he used to wheel into Forrest Chase also mysteriously disappeared after being put into storage by the council.

Cr Harley says he’ll be trying to track down the scattered memorabilia, saying the research project is a key part of the exhibition.

The exhibition is expected to be held early in 2017.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM
Pressing buttons

November 4, 2016

THE flash of a smart phone during a council meeting this week was enough to inflame divisions within Perth council.

During an item on the heritage listing of the Grand Central hotel — part-owned by lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi — councillor Reece Harley was certain he spotted colleague Judy McEvoy recording proceedings on her phone.

Cr Harley complained recording meetings was against standing orders — even though the council now routinely records all council meetings and posts them online — which earned a rebuke from Cr McEvoy that he was being conspiratorial.

“Cr Harley believes I am recording for the lord mayor, who is overseas,” Cr McEvoy said.

Cr Harley also got stuck into councillors who’d previously blocked the hotel’s listing by deferring it for further consultation with Ms Scaffidi and her husband Joe, accusing them of “kicking the can down the road”.

That caused another minor skirmish, with Cr Keith Yong saying that amounted to disparaging the council, but his point of order was knocked out by deputy mayor James Limnios who was chairing the meeting while Ms Scaffidi is overseas.

Cr McEvoy also avoided any further action on her phone use because no one else had seen it, although Cr Harley was keen to take it further.

“I would be more than happy to sign a legally binding statutory declaration to say I saw Cr McEvoy use her mobile phone to record the meeting,” Cr Harley told CEO Martin Mileham.

Following the verbal stoush, the council voted to proceed with the listing of the hotel.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM
Alfresco plan pops

November 4, 2016

A PUSH to allow Perth bars and restaurants to serve alcohol in alfresco “pop-ups” has been thwarted by Perth council.

Cr Jemma Green spearheaded the motion at a council meeting earlier this week, saying it would put brick and mortar businesses on an even footing with businesses like the twilight hawkers market.

Universal bar owner Trevor Candido was a big fan of Cr Green’s initiative, saying it was strange he could get approval for alfresco area pop-ups during special events but not on a permanent basis.

• Universal bar owners Trevor Candido and Jason Juraszek in their alfreso area pop-up for Melbourne Cup. Photo by Steve Grant

Vibrancy

“It’s a great opportunity to bring some vibrancy to the area,” Mr Candido said.

“Perth being an outdoor state, pop-ups are going up all over the place; it’s just something different to activate the street.”

The council was planning to review its alfresco policy in 2017, but Cr Green wanted that brought forward and her initiative trialled to inform the review.

“These are tough times and whatever we can do as a local government should be done and done now,” Cr Green said.

Deputy mayor James Limnios supported her motion, saying more effort needed to go into attracting people to the city.

“We’ve got to work towards making experiences in the city because we’re not a suburb”, Cr Limnios said.

Cr Janet Davidson said she had doubts businesses would be able to comply with health regulations and Cr Green’s suggested timeline was too ambitious for the city.

CEO Martin Mileham said his council was capable of executing any council decision, but Cr Reece Harley was the only other councillor to vote in its favour and the motion was defeated 5/3.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM
Law firm seeks bankruptcy for former mayor

November 4, 2016

AFTER three stints as Bayswater mayor and 23 years as a councillor, Terry Kenyon is facing bankruptcy proceedings in the federal court.

Lavan Legal has applied to have Cr Kenyon, a freeman of the city, declared bankrupt over bills he incurred while suing fellow councillors Mike Anderton and Mike Sabatino for defamation.

If the law firm is successful, Cr Kenyon would have to resign from council, triggering an extraordinary election.

Lavan launched legal action against Cr Kenyon in 2013, claiming he owed $324,767, and filed a creditors petition against him in July this year.

A hearing, originally scheduled for August, was adjourned to October and then again to November 14.

To add to Cr Kenyon’s woes, he is being sued by Cr Alan Radford over unpaid invoices and the repayment of a personal loan.

Cr Kenyon, 62, has enjoyed stints as mayor in 2001-2005, 2005-2007 and 2009-2013.

During his tenure he oversaw the building of The Maylands RISE, and the WA Ballet Centre on Whatley Crescent.

In 2013, after serving as a councillor for 20 years, he was made freeman of the city. The accolade means he can attend civic functions for life.

Lavan declined to comment and Cr Kenyon didn’t return our call.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK
Taking the next step

November 4, 2016

THE Salvation Army has launched a new phone service which encourages members of the public to take a more active role in helping homeless people.

If you encounter someone sleeping rough and feel comfortable passing on advice, the Salvo’s City Homeless Response can provide details for services to assist them – like St Bart’s, Uniting Care, REIWA, and child protection.

• The Salvation Army, uniting care, and REIWA community services are some of the organisations uniting behind a new strategy to combat homelessness in Perth and Vincent.

Otherwise the Salvo’s will make direct contact with the homeless person by sending an outreach worker within 24 hours; linking them with meals, accommodation, and other support services.

Major Brad Watson says the new telephone service will help other services work cohesively, and engage businesses, local government, and the general public in getting the best care for Perth’s homeless.

“There’s a lot of really great services out there which are working really well…what we’re trying to do is map out those services,” said Salvation Army coordinator Gemma Hilditch.

The City Homeless Response number is 0429 511 833
Dunny on the money

November 4, 2016

FANCY a dunny tour?

Bayswater council and artist Duncan Moon reckon tourists might soon be putting the squat, concrete public toilets at Claughton Reserve on their Perth itinerary thanks to a $60,000 makeover.

Moon hopes his curvilinear design with a tortoise-shell roof (reference the western swamp tortoise, WA’s most endangered reptile), ornamental egret columns and kangaroo paw sides will gain recognition as part of a global move towards “toilet tourism”, which recognises the impact a humble ablution block has on people’s experience of a place.

Bayswater is the first WA council to cotton on to the trend, and he says the art community is paying attention because of its potential to be picked up by other councils around the state.

• Bayswater mayor Barry McKenna, Kevin Mack from the Friends of Claughton Reserve and artist Duncan Moon discuss toilet tourism while Xave Brown gets to work on the old concrete toilet block.

Moon has taken inspiration from about a dozen toilet blocks around the world which are considered international works of art, including the Hundertwasser toilets, which are the main attraction of Kawakawa, New Zealand.

“Toilets aren’t really thought of as having much worth as a building … but in the last 10-20 years there’s been some toilets that have popped up around the world that are quite accomplished bits of architecture,” Mr Moon said.

“Toilets are essential … it’s good to elevate them architecturally because they are very important buildings.”

The Friends of Claughton Reserve first came up with the idea, the suggestion adopted by Bayswater council in October 2014 with an $80,000 budget.

Mayor Barry McKenna praised Mr Moon’s for tying the toilet into Claughton Reserve’s riverine setting.

The new facility is expected to open in January 2017, but Bayswater wants residents to meet the artist and see the work-in-progress so its hosting a free sausage sizzle at Claughton Reserve tomorrow, Sunday November 6 at 12 noon.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM
LETTERS 5.11.16

November 4, 2016

Climate maths
REG HOWARD-SMITH of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (“Miners are contributors”, Voice Letters, October 15, 2016) seems to love figures, so I’d like to point out a few significant figures for him.
2 – The number of degrees Celsius by which we can afford to warm the planet before feedback effects create runaway, catastrophic warming (though many argue even 2 degrees is unsafe).
1 – The number of degrees by which the planet has already warmed from pre-industrial levels.
470 – The amount of CO2 (in gigatons) humans can afford to emit before we will push warming above the 2 degree threshold – the carbon budget.
2,800 – The minimum estimate of CO2 that will be emitted should we burn all the fossil fuels already held in reserve by fossil fuel companies – 6 times the carbon budget.
0 – The number of new fossil fuel projects we can afford to open up around the world in order to stay under the carbon budget.
40 – The amount of CO2 (in gigatons) humans are currently emitting each year.
12 – The number of years it will take us to break the carbon budget on our current trajectory. 70 billion – The number of dollars the ‘Big 4’ banks have loaned to fossil fuel projects since 2008.
6.1 billion – The number of dollars the ‘Big 4’ banks have loaned to renewable energy projects since 2008 (11 times less than the amount lent to fossil fuels).
28,000 – The number of jobs that would be created if Australia had a renewable energy target of 50 pert cent by 2020.
Perhaps Mr Howard-Smith could look beyond his own figures to understand why it is imperative that we stop banks lending money to fossil fuel projects.
Rachael Bott
Vine Street, North Perth

A right for all
IS local government minister Paul Miles working from a North Korean political dictionary in calling Perth council’s gag of speaking to the media “democratic”, because he doesn’t seem to comprehend the meaning of the word.
In a democracy, all citizens have a right to a free voice.
Councillors are also citizens and when their right to speak is denied that is discrimination which is incompatible with democracy.
As they are our representatives, we, in turn, are denied the benefit of their contribution to our understanding of local government business.
We want to know. We need to know. It is our right to know.
Gagging is not democratic. It is the opposite of democratic.
It is like saying Hitler ‘liberated’ Europe which is typical Orwellian doublespeak designed to hide the truth.
Self-serving restrictions on free speech protect the power base at the expense of transparency and fairness.
Vincent Sammut
Franklin Street, Leederville
The Ed says: This letter was edited for length

Other places need your help
I HOPE Michael Sutherland will excuse my not “going away and playing bowls”, as he once told my daughter I should do when I was lobbying politicians against forced local government amalgamations and the City of Perth bill.
Rather than complain (with some justification) that he didn’t get due credit for the right-turn ban trial at the Walcott Street/Beaufort Street intersection (“Beaucott breakthrough”, Voice, October 29, 2016), Mr Sutherland might take a constructive role at other places in his electorate that are problematic for pedestrians and, with the recent introduction of high-frequency bus routes such as the 960, increasingly for public transport users.
The 960 is a major improvement to bus services along Alexander Drive and will generate substantially-increased patronage. However, all users will need to cross this busy (over 30,000 vehicles per day) road once for each return trip.
It is over 1.5km between the controlled pedestrian crossing points at Central Avenue and Woodrow Avenue. Halfway between them are the Terry Tyzak Aquatic Centre and Yokine Reserve, which also generate a lot of potential pedestrian movements – although crossing Alexander Drive there is so dangerous that many people will be driving effectively just to cross the road.
This would be a prime location for a pedestrian (and cyclist) bridge, linking communities on both sides of the road and providing access to sporting/recreation facilities and to public transport.
Ian Ker
Vincent Street, Mt Lawley

Look after it
TO the person who stole from our Highgate verge (on the remote chance this finds its way to you), we used to have three plants lined up in a row; now there are two.
My son and I planted them as root stock, mere twigs barely an inch high as part of the “adopt a verge” program.
I have hand-watered them through two long summers and have admired their first bloom, inspired by the recent warmer weather no doubt.
We now have two and you have one.
You now have an obligation to look after it as well as I did. I hope it thrives in your garden and gives you much pleasure.
Think of us and its two mates every time you take in the beauty of its flowers.
We miss it.
Simon Hehir
Lord Street, Highgate
P.s. I will be eternally intrigued by something: Why did you think you had the right to take it?

Blowing the carbon budget
REG HOWARD-SMITH (“Miners contribute”, Letters, October 15, 2016) needs to be informed that scientists say that to have even a two-thirds chance of staying below a 2 degree warming of the planet, we can only release 800 gigatons more CO2 into the atmosphere.
This is called the ‘Carbon Budget’.
In a report by Oil Change International, the Norwegian energy consultant Rystad showed that coal mines, oil and gas wells currently in operation worldwide contain 942 gigatons worth of CO2.
That blows the budget.
If you are in a hole, stop digging.
Eddie Marynowicz
Shakespeare St, Mt Hawthorn
A sarnie of substance

November 4, 2016

WHEN a bloke with a substantial and obvious pot belly gets warned about the size of the steak sanger on the menu, you can be pretty certain it’s going to get you through until dinner.

The waitress at Mary Street Bakery showed admirable motherly concern as I ordered an entree of fruit toast ($6.50) to warm up before the classic steak sambo ($19).

“You know the steak sandwich is about this big,” she said, arcing her hands like a wagon wheel across the table.

I didn’t, but having dragged my son out of bed at 5am so “he” could go skateboarding, I was now starving and the description was good news. Little did she know I was set on polishing both off and then heading towards the baked sweets the cafe is famous for.

Well, you can’t just review a steak sandwich and fruit toast, can you?

I felt a little naughty choosing a simple meal when Mary Street’s best known for its more exotic fare, but on this day everything else on offer seemed a bit brunchy rather than lunchy.

I just had time to slip in a very smooth flat white ($4) and check out the surrounds and customers before the food arrived.

Mary Street Bakery has almost as much funk as Tower of Power. Polished concrete floors, a parquetry counter and wooden tables and chairs that reminded me of my music lessons with the good Sisters of the Apparition; austere but with a noble purpose.

Momentum

I must confess that while my belly was good for momentum on the skate park, I was a little clumsy trying to extricate myself from behind the tightly-packed tables in the corner. But I was the odd one out, as most patrons seemed as young and hip as the cafe itself, and won’t be worrying about their girth for a decade or two.

A couple of thick slices of fruit toast came out, and my first reaction was that the griller was on the blink, as one edge was a little black. But after closer inspection I passed it off as merely “caramelised” and tucked in.

With lashings of butter it was delicious, packed with lots of fruity bits and lovely, fresh and sweet.

Shortly after the steak sambo arrived, living up to its size and its promise. A thick slab of juicy rump between two thick slices of toast (this time the griller seemed to have got over its lop-sided moment), it was tender and delicious.

The aioli was thick enough to be noticed but not enough to be overpowering and the thin layer of butter lettuce was fresh and crisp. It really was a top sanger.

As for those baked treats? Well … I have to admit the sambo outdid me and there was no room for anything else. But I’ll head back and give them a review of their own — might be time to move those tables a bit further apart.

by STEVE GRANT

Mary Street Bakery
507 Beaufort Street, Highgate
7am – 3pm
0499 509 300
Left for dead

November 4, 2016

WHEN WA playwright Hellie Turner switched on the TV in her Sydney hotel room, she knew she’d found the subject for her new play.

The story of 12-year-old Xan Fraser, gang raped and left for dead, was being told in harrowing detail during a 7.30 report on the ABC.

Equally horrifying was young victim’s treatment by the justice system, Turner says.

“I was looking for a documentary project that moved me … something I was concerned about.

“When I saw that program it rang something deeply in me.”

• Daisy Coyle as Xan Fraser, who never got to go roller skating after a sickening gang rape. Her attackers were never gaoled, with the trial judge reckoning she might have consented had she been conscious.

Set in a rink-side courtroom Project Xan moves between present day, with Ms Fraser herself reading her own words from the trial transcript as that 12 year old, and the 1982 trial of the three accused.

The youngster had been going roller skating with a friend, when another girl talked her into going to a party instead.

Plied with alcohol and rendered unconscious she was taken outside by the young men, stripped naked and repeatedly raped and sodomised, then had her head shoved through the steering wheel of a wrecked car where she was later discovered.

Despite admitting to their actions, the three were only convicted of indecent dealing and attempted rape, and trial judge John Macrossan, who went on to become a chief justice, ordered just two year’s probation. In his sentencing remarks, Justice Macrossan argued the 12 year old girl may have consented to the acts committed against her if she’d been conscious, and was “imprudent” for getting drunk.

“The girl has not been, so far as I can judge, in any way upset by her experience,” he said.

Ms Fraser’s life was in tatters. Given no counselling at all, she was victimised and bullied at school because of the rape and trial, but it wasn’t until 30 years later she read the trial transcript and judge’s comments.

Guttural screaming

“I started reading and I was screaming, guttural screaming for over an hour at what he had said about me as that child,” Ms Fraser says in the interview.

During the trial the 12-year-old was grilled over how much make-up she was wearing and whether her jeans were so tight she had to lie on the bed to do them up.

Project Xan turns a spotlight on the blight of rape culture and victim blaming, Turner says.

“The collective ‘we’ is immersed in a culture that carelessly encourages the normalisation of sexual assault, a culture which fails to address the status quo, a culture which actively reinforces the inglorious practice of slut-shaming and victim blaming.

“Project Xan asserts the need for this to change.”

It’s on at PICA, on James Street, Northbridge November 8–19, with an audio description session for the vision impaired or deaf/blind Saturday November 19, 1pm.

by JENNY D’ANGER
ASTROLOGY: November 5 – November 12, 2016

November 4, 2016

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
The Scorpio Sun offers you access to all sorts of counterintuitive solutions to problems that have been stumping you. It’s when you give space to your witchy wise streak that you function at your best. You might not immediately recognise your own intuition on first glance, but here it is!

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)
It’s never easy when the Sun is in Scorpio. You keep on finding yourself face to face with bits of yourself that you would prefer remained out of sight and out of mind. Still, life demands that we be integrated souls in order to be truly blissful. Befriend your shadow. It will turn to light.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)
Mercury and the Sun are both in Scorpio. Curiosity is your best friend. This month it will take you to places that are generally out of sight. You might not find quite what you were expecting to find but what you do find will ultimately bring powerful positive changes Surprises are in order.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)
The Moon is waxing in Capricorn. You are a crustacean and yet are asked to mountain climb. One can imagine the difficulties inherent in this equation. If life asks you to do things that you don’t feel that you are designed to do, accept the challenge. You may well discover new talents.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)
The Sun continues making its way through the extremely fascinating, but by and large unknowable realms of Scorpio. We like to think that everything that is unknown, can eventually be known. This isn’t true. Some things are inherently mysterious and unknowable. Get friendly with mystery.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
Community is everything. To be attuned to the Scorpio Sun, the sharing of secrets could well be the binding glue that holds you and your tribe together. This implies that there is a need for trust – and trust of course implies the need for safety. Stick with friends who are authentic and true.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)
Though by all means you think you should be having a quiet and expansive time, life seems to have other plans. It has you working hard, being fully committed to tasks that are meaningful but not quite what you had on your agenda. Realise where you are and adapt. It will be worthwhile.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)
This is your time. All the astrological omens are good. In fact, the omens are dancing around in various states of ecstasy. Life is offering you inspiration. Inspiration always comes from the one place we aren’t looking. Prepare the ground by looking everywhere you imagine it would be.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Venus continues to make her way through Sagittarius. She stokes up the possibility of delight. You may well veer away from the direction that your overarching aims have set for you, but that’s ok. We all need to go up the occasional, delightfully enticing goat track. You will find your way.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
The Moon charges you up with emotion. The Scorpio Sun inspires you to dig underground for buried water sources, rather than have you take your normal route. Explore your motives. This is a good moment to stop building for building’s sake. Set yourself more considered goals.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Identify where you feel most at home. This is where you would best be. Home might be a place in the world. It might be a feeling that has gone missing. It might be the company of another person. It might be a creative task that is calling you into its energy field. Find a hearth that feeds you.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
The one thing that keeps pulling you off centre, is a certain wild current of fantasy, made of other exotic places you think you should be. It keeps running through your mind. The fact is, that you will only ever get there by being fully committed to being here now. Keep returning to now.