Perth Voice Interactive

Salty sugary goodness

October 23, 2015

THE salted caramel donuts were glistening with sugar, the sweet and salty centre peeking out as temptingly as a burlesque dancer’s decolletage.

I should have reserved one because by the time I got to dessert and coffee they’d gone.

“We usually sell out by 11,” Aliment co-owner Grant Greyling tells me, too late to be of any use to me.

Formerly a sous chef with some pom called Jamie Oliver, Greyling made a few “slight” changes to the New Orleans beignet to come up with a donut that stays crisp even when cool—and he’s added a Nutella version, a donutella.

The jam-filled ($4) one I shared with my lunch companion was light and fluffy inside and deliciously crisp on the outside.

Pretty much everything is made on the premises, including a range of gluten-free delights.

“A lady makes our puff pastry, we make the filling in-house,” Greyling says.

My mate vouched for both, stopping mid-mouthful of Mexican beef pie ($12 with salad), to exclaim “wow!” and going on to sing the praises of the light pastry and moist, rich filling.

Fresh, seasonal vegetables, especially in the char-grilled salad, help keep prices down, Greyling says.

Aliment’s spring version is packed with asparagus, artichoke, mushroom, capsicum and aubergine, all glistening in a satisfyingly oily dressing.

The menu is brief, with the likes of silverside and kale rosti ($17) and pulled pork eggs benedict ($18) for lunch, but there’s a heap of things to choose from in the cabinet, including a selection of quiches—huge serves that are a mere $11 with salad.

I went with the pumpkin, a chunky flavoursome serve I struggled to get through. The donut was easy eating, but a really good black coffee ($3.50) helped with the sugar overload.

On the ground floor of the WA local government association’s new building, the decor is fresh and modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides.

by JENNY D’ANGER

Aliment
170 Railway Parade, West Leederville
open 7 days for breakfast and lunch
The heart of sound

October 23, 2015

ICONOCLASTIC French composer Eliane Radigue’s synthesiser music swept her to international fame on a wave of musical controversy in the 1970s.

Now 83, Radigue is still composing, switching to acoustic instrumental some 10 years ago.

• Eliane Radigues with her synthesiser, 1980: Photo credit Yves Ferndandez | The Kitchen Archives via The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles.

Her OCCAM Ocean series is set to be performed by Decibel New Music, after director Dr Cat Hope spent time with the composer as part of her Churchill Fellowship.

“We are the first Australian group to commission work by Eliane.”

• Eliane Radigues (front) and Carol Robinson.

Radigue’s works are created rather than notated, requiring musicians to spend time in her studio, but with her health ruling out a trip down under, long time collaborator Carol Robinson is in town for a two week residency: “Sort of ‘transmitting’ [the composition],” Hope says.

Changing slowly, almost imperceptibly, the music responds to the interactions between sound, instrument, musician and the resonance and acoustics of the performance space: “Her music is subliminal, transporting the listener into the very heart of sound.”

• Eliane Radigues, Nice, 1955

Grab a cushion and some floor space: “[And] get really taken away by the music,” Hope says. OCCAM, the Music of Eliane Radigue is on at PICA, Friday October 30, 7.30pm.
A beautiful dance

October 23, 2015

A MOB of white cockatoos descend on a suburban street and secrets begin to unravel in The Cockatoos, Patrick White’s Nobel Literature Prize-winning novella.

Described as a “slow beautiful dance of love and death” it’s a tale of exclusion and belonging, says local director Andrew Hale who has turned the short story into a stage play.

Central characters Mick and Olive haven’t spoken to each other in seven years, after Olive arrived home from a weekend away to find the budgie dead.

The real reason they aren’t talking is gradually revealed, but in the book it required a bit of re-reading, Hale says.

“Which you can’t do in a play, so part of the adaptation is why these characters are what they are.”

• A scene from The Cockatoos. Photo supplied | Jon Greene

Two stories

The Cockatoos is really two stories in one as paths cross and a second main character is eight-year-old Tim, who with his ninth birthday coming up, decides to test his courage by spending the night alone in the park.

“The two stories converge,” Hale says.

The cast of six plays a variety of characters—and collectively Tim, as his fears and hopes are revealed as also those of the adults: “He is a universal character.”

Presented by Happy Dagger Theatre The Cockatoos is on at the Blue Room Theatre, until November 7. Tix at blueroom.org.au or on 9227 7005.
Classical Mt Lawley

October 23, 2015

THIS delightful home and His Majesty’s Theatre have something in common — restoration of magnificent plasterwork.

Chris Savage, the man who restored the historic theatre’s plaster many years ago, also worked his magic in this handsome abode in leafy Woodsome Street, Mt Lawley.

Beautiful ceilings were damaged when a previous owner lowered the classic high art deco ones (I mean, really!) but Savage was able to return the opulent domes and ornate plasterwork.

Stunning leadlight double front doors were also removed, but the vendor ensured replacements were a perfect match when she moved in 35 years ago, and this four-bedroom home sparkles like Christmas with mouth-wateringly gorgeous leadlight doors and huge banks of windows.

The formal dining room still has its original ceiling, a Tudoresque cross-hatched plaster and jarrah delight.

A rear extension incorporates the original kitchen with an expansive living/dining area.

The gallery-style kitchen is a generous space, with a sweep of preparation area and a pantry, and the spacious open plan is light-filled, thanks to a huge skylight that blocks out heat and UV but not light.

A bank of almost floor-to-ceiling windows and doors lead to the alfresco area and a gorgeous garden.

Sitting on a very generous 946sqm, years of love has resulted in banks of azaleas and towering camellias, along with macadamia, fig, grapefruit, lime and orange trees. The macadamia feeds more than the human inhabitants.

“I don’t begrudge the lovely black and white cockatoos,” the vendor smiles. “They come here in big flocks and have a great feed.”

Set amongst all the greenery, a brick-shed off the garage is just the shot for an artist’s studio or craft room.

by JENNY D’ANGER

46 Woodsome Street, Mt Lawley
auction Sat October 31, 1pm
Paul Owen | 0411 601 420
Carlos Lehn | 0416 206 736
Acton Mt Lawley | 9272 2488
Howes it’s done

October 23, 2015

THAT this Howes Crescent Dianella home was built by a builder as his family home shows in the sweeping proportions of its rooms, the high ceilings and the quality finishes.

“When a builder builds for himself he goes all the way,” agent Mervyn Missell muses.

But then again this is the “golden triangle” of Dianella so you wouldn’t expect anything else, he adds.

The vendor had been staying at his father’s much smaller home as he looked for somewhere to settle his brood.

“When we moved in I thought ‘God it takes a long time to walk anywhere’,” he only half jokes of the many generous rooms of this five-bedroom home, sitting on a whopping 809sqm.

There’s a handy, decorative compass set in the tiles of the spacious entry, its large points giving a heads up to the direction needed, whether the formal lounge/dining guarded by huge columns, or the main bedroom with its air of a resort hotel thanks to a bank of white plantation shutters.

Double walk-in robes flank the wide entry to the ensuite, a huge space with spa, separate shower and WC and double vanities.

Follow the southern pointer down the long hall and you’ll find french doors guarding an expansive open-plan living/dining/kitchen.

You’re on your own once you pass into this gargantuan space, where a large gas stone fireplace warms winter nights.

There’s a huge theatre room close by, a built-in bar promising some great movie nights with friends and extended family.

And when they need victuals there’s the amazingly spacious kitchen, with a bank of white drawers and cupboards, including a walk-in pantry and slick black marble tops.

But with summer around the corner you may prefer the covered alfresco area, next to the pool.

This luxurious home is close to schools, shops and parklands, and a mere 15-minute drive from the CBD, or as the vendor says: “It’s close to everything–but far enough away.”

by JENNY D’ANGER

54 Howes Crescent, Dianella,
Auction Saturday October 31, 12-noon
Mervyn Missell | 0404 889 325
Acton Mt Lawley | 9727 2488
ACTON MOUNT LAWLEY

October 23, 2015

ADVERTISEMENT: Looking for a new home? Check out all the latest properties for sale as seen in the latest edition of your Perth Voice.
Scaffidi ‘safe’ despite CCC

October 15, 2015

IT’S been a rough week for lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi but followers and the bookies are backing her to win this weekend.

Supporters dismiss the media tsunami as “tall poppy syndrome”.

The corruption and crime commission found Ms Scaffidi had failed in her duties by not declaring travel contributions and other freebies from BHP Billiton and Hawaiian Group (companies which had looming decisions before the council).

The ball’s now in the court of the WA local government department and it is figuring whether any disciplinary action is warranted.

• Lisa Scaffidi and Colin Barnett. File Photo

As the Voice reported last weekend seven of the eight councillors (Reece Harley being the exception) threw their support behind the lord mayor, but just hours later the Sunday Times revealed deputy mayor Rob Butler had himself taken a trip to Malaysia that he hadn’t declared.

Council CEO Gary Stevenson said he wasn’t sure if Cr Butler actually had to declare it since it was paid for by a government.

Following that report, Mr Stevenson announced he’d requested an internal review to identify other cases of undeclared travel over the past four years. He forwarded the results to the CCC in August and he’s now waiting on direction from it.

Meanwhile Ms Scaffidi had said she would release documents showing she hadn’t deliberately hid the Beijing Olympics trip but then reneged on the commitment, citing CCC rules. CCC commissioner John McKechnie told her she was free to release any evidence.

On Tuesday premier Colin Barnett—who’d earlier stopped short of calling for Ms Scaffidi to step down—said there was nothing stopping her from releasing her evidence “if these documents exist”.

Tuesday also saw WA local government minister Tony Simpson humiliate the capital’s chief by removing her from the WA local government standards panel, which hears cases of misconduct levelled against councillors.

He told the WA parliament “in light of the serious findings of the CCC, I’ve determined it’s not appropriate for the lord mayor to continue on the standards panel”.

Social media retains a strong pro-Scaffidi presence, with many “Team Lisa” profile pictures piping up in her defence, arguing the whole thing’s a case of “Tall Poppy Syndrone”.

Scaffidi supporter Howard Sattler — the sacked talkback shock jock — claims the release of the findings is suspicious, coming out just 12 days before the lord mayoral election. Other online debaters described it as laughable that a 28-year-old (rival Cr Harley) would be able to wield influence over the CCC with the timing of its reports.

While the Voice’s coverage of the filthy state of the grand central backpackers (a building Ms Scaffidi co-owns) resulted in calls from her supporters, we haven’t had many positive calls backing her in the wake of the CCC misconduct findings.

A couple of readers have mentioned wishing they could change the vote they’d just posted while East Perth resident Paul Griffin reckons the Perth election should be delayed since the CCC report only came out late in the piece. Deputy electoral commissioner Chris Avent says there’s no provision under the law for either to happen.

by DAVID BELL
Oblong turtles emerge at Hyde Park lake

October 15, 2015

WELL, just after we’d told you turtle sightings were way down at Hyde Park (“Turtles Hyding”, Voice, September 26, 2015) our photographer Matthew Dwyer stumbled across a pack of the shy reptiles this week.

While loitering in Hyde Park on a midday break he came across a woman tossing special turtle food in the water, her fluffy dog peering curiously down at them.

• One of the shrinking numbers of turtles in Hyde Park lakes. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

At least eight of the usually elusive oblong turtles were bobbing up and down, with Matthew reporting they were well disguised by green algae growing on their shells.

“They kept popping up to see who or what was around,” he says.

His tip for anyone trying to spot them is to keep an eye on the water’s surface to see the bumps of their eyes and nostrils poking up; picking their well-camouflaged shapes underwater is a hard ask.

Vincent council’s turtle study is being run by UWA and will attempt to microchip all turtles to determine the population number and see if they’re breeding, as other urban turtle populations likewise seem to be shrinking.

by DAVID BELL
Stopping country carnage a jumbo tusk

October 15, 2015

THE big elephant at WA’s parliament this week wasn’t in the room — it was on the front steps.

MPs were confused when a giant multi-coloured Jumbo unexpectedly materialised.

The half-tonne, three-metre high “guerilla art” is designed to raise awareness about road safety in the Wheatbelt.

“He’s a life-sized African elephant sculpture made out of wrecked cars and he’s been touring the Wheatbelt all year to generate discussion and raise awareness about the impact of road trauma in the region,” says RAC Manager Will Golsby.

• Michael Sutherland and Big Jumbo. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

“The Wheatbelt has the highest road fatality rate of any region in the state.

“Last year, a loved one was killed on Wheatbelt roads every fortnight, and someone was admitted to hospital with serious injuries every two days on average.

“In 2014, the Wheatbelt road fatality rate was 11 times the Perth metropolitan rate, six times the state rate and twice nearby regions.

“Two thirds of the road deaths are Wheatbelt locals, and alarmingly, one third of Wheatbelt road deaths included someone not wearing a seatbelt.”

Mt Lawley MP Michael Sutherland says “Big Jumbo” is an innovative way to raise awareness about road deaths.

“A very interesting addition to the parliament house forecourt,” the speaker said.

“It certainly grabs the imagination and helps drive the road safety message home especially in the country areas where the road toll is higher than the metro area.”

Since the campaign launched in March, the elephant has made 34 public appearances across the Wheatbelt and will be finishing off his 2015 tour at the Murray Street Mall in Perth on October 28.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK
Firms as poll favourite

October 15, 2015

THE odds on Lisa Scaffidi being re-elected as Perth lord mayor shortened slightly this week, despite the media tsunami over her failure to disclose lavish gifts and travel.

At the time of going to print, Ms Scaffidi was a strong favourite at $1.6 and her sole opponent, Cr Reece Harley, an outside bet at $2.20.

Last week Ms Scaffidi was $1.62, with Cr Harley the same price.

“Lisa Scaffidi has faced a number of challenges recently but remains popular with voters in Perth and is the clear favourite to win,” says Sportsbet.com.au’s Ben Bulmer.

“Reece will want to get on his Harley if he is to overcome the Scaffidi juggernaut by the time polls close.

“Scaffidi has shortened slightly based on bets coming in.”

Last week the corruption and crime commission found that Ms Scaffidi had “signally failed in her duties” as Perth lord mayor by not disclosing several gifts and travel packages, and had engaged in “serious misconduct”.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK