Perth Voice Interactive

FOR one day of the year, Aboriginal people are made to feel welcome, and their ancient culture embraced, at Wellington Square.

Tuesday’s Sorry Day reconciliation event—marking the date 18 years ago when the Bringing them Home report into stolen children was released—saw hundreds show up to the square which has a long and not always happy history for Aboriginal people.

Along with cultural activities, dancing and a smoking ceremony, a minor scuffle broke out when activists from a nearby rally outside the WA child protection department paid a visit.

Suffering continues

Activist Mervyn Eades, whose best friend Carl Woods died in police custody in 2006, attempted to take centre stage with a microphone to offer a counter-narrative, that suffering continues.

Hundreds of school kids watched as police intervened and issued Eades a move-on notice, a document many Aboriginal people are all-familiar with. The cops then stuck around to kick a footy with the kids, reporting no further issues.

Perth city council helped fund the event, a break from long hours spent trying to manage nearby residents’ complaints about people camping there.

From our scouts on the street we hear tensions at the square weren’t nearly as severe this summer as in previous years, and the Barnett government’s continuing to roll out kidney dialysis centres in the regions so fewer people need to come to the city for treatment.

Wellington Square has been a meeting place for Aboriginal people long before it was grassed over and a dead Englishman’s name stuck on a sign.

It used to be part of a chain of lush swamps and lakes, used for camping and food, drained in the 1830s. The park’s troubled history is documented at least as far back as 1910, when the Perth council wrote to the commissioner of police calling for more patrols to crack down on unruly behaviour by Aboriginal people.

by DAVID BELL

BAYSWATER city councillor Chris Cornish has roasted Lisa Scaffidi over her acceptance of BHP Billiton’s corporate hospitality, worth about $16,000 at the Beijing Olympics seven years ago.

The Perth lord mayor has been referred to the WA crime and corruption commission by the Australian federal police, who were alerted by their US counterparts in a broader investigation into the company’s gifts to overseas officials.

Cr Cornish says Ms Scaffidi’s gift should probably also be tested against the WA local government act. The department of local government has confirmed it is investigating the issue.

Despite his concerns, Cr Cornish says: “I have the very highest regard and admiration for the progress of Perth city under the leadership of Lisa Scaffidi.”

“I feel this issue highlights the need for greater transparency, accountability and training in local government.”

Ms Scaffidi declined to comment.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

ONE of the last sneaky free parking spots in the inner-city may soon cost thrifty parkers $2.40 an hour.

Vincent council’s parking department wants to spend $43,650 on ticket machines it can spread through the Fitzgerald Street carpark that’s tucked in a “discreet location” behind the Italian Club.

A hidden oasis of free bays for car-bound Constanzas, the secret’s been getting out lately and sometimes it’s stuffed with dozens more cars than it’s meant to fit.

People pay as much attention to bay borders as they do to the three-hour limit.

Due to “numerous complaints” of “overstays and other abuse of parking facilities by commuters and employees of local businesses,” the council’s cracking down.

Staffers reckon ticket machines means everyone gets a fair go at parking on council land. The fact the council gets to trouser some change is merely a coincidence.

Another not-so-secret-spot on Lawley Street is also set to get ker-chinged.

by DAVID BELL

PERTH’S Asian-Australian community leaders are stepping up for this year’s St Vincent de Paul CEO sleepout to raise funds for WA’s homeless.

Perth councillor and lawyer Lily Chen is sleeping out for her first year and has already raised $12,300 of her $13,000 target.  Leona Gu from the GTL Group has donated in past years but this time wants to get involved first-hand, joining badminton world champ Yuli Zheng on a first-time snooze.

Meanwhile, Richard Tan from Tan and Tan Lawyers and Jany Li from Layne Christensen are old hats with six and three sleeps respectively. Tommy Shin, director of Lateral, is also in.

Jointly, the group is up to about $160,000 in fundraising.

The sleepout is on June 18 at the WA Cricket Grounds and donations can be made at http://www.ceosleepout.org.au.

by DAVID BELL

SILENT discos, foreign film festivals and street art are just some of the things councillor Stephanie Coates reckons can kickstart a civic renaissance in Bayswater.

She says the area in and around King William Street is tired-looking and in need of some council love.

“When we asked the community who would like to host a street festival, no-one from Bayswater city centre applied,” she says. “This is the oldest and most historic hub in Bayswater, yet it has fallen away and needs some tszuj-ing to bring it up to the likes of Eighth Avenue and Bulwer Street.

“There are a lot of creative people living in the area who could contribute to a make-over, including former WAAPA graduates and students who can’t afford to live in Mt Lawley.”

Cr Coates’ ambition includes a mix of improvements to streetscapes, road infrastructure, and encouraging the creation of more businesses and community-led events.

“When I was 18 and into nightclubbing I was scared to walk through the Perth Cultural Centre, but look at the difference now,” she says. “We should aim to make the same transformation.”

The council set $40,000 aside to develop a plan for structural upgrades in next year’s budget and, in the meantime, council will start engaging the community to find out what it would like “tszujed”.

Council CEO Francesca Lefante says the last major streetscape improvement in the area was around 15 years ago.

Former mayor Terry Kenyon says the council previously held “very successful” street festivals in the area. Meanwhile, Cr Michelle Sutherland received support to form a committee that will decide how the $80,000 public art budget is spent.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

IT’S been a fair few decades since Bob Poolman was in short pants at North Perth primary school but his memories of the place are so good he’s donated a rare collection of art to raise funds.

Having bought some jars of olive oil from the P&C’s annual fundraising drive—which he’d read about in the Voice—the 1950s’ graduate decided he wanted to go a step further.

Living in Leederville and working in accountancy and financial services (where he acts as “a bridge between creative people and commerce, nasty things like having to do tax returns etc”), he’s donated his “Western Sight” series for the P&C to auction off.

Put together by Katie Clemson in 1988 to document WA artists, the collection features 15 relief prints by prominent artists of the day, including Theo Koning, Ted Snell and Pippa Walker.

Local gallery Linton and Kay framed the artworks for free, and the works are expected to sell for between $500 and $1000 each.

The auction’s Saturday June 6 from 7.30pm at the school. RSVP at http://www.trybooking.com/136198

by DAVID BELL

A WOMAN allegedly throwing rocks at cars in Highgate will undergo a mental health assessment before facing court on disorderly conduct and damages charges.

A BMW driver swerved on busy Lord Street Wednesday morning when a rock smashed into his passenger door. After stopping he spotted a woman nearby and alerted police.

The man then followed her for 45 minutes as she walked towards Maylands, allegedly throwing more rocks at parked cars, yelling abuse at pedestrians, wandering into the path of traffic and making rude gestures and swearing.

Police officer Dave Whitnell says the woman was arrested near The Rise in Maylands.

“Her backpack was searched and rocks were located inside,” he says.

Mr Whitnell commended the BMW driver, saying he may have helped avert serious injury to someone.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

A MAYLANDS actor could be playing to an empty theatre after a French-style farce involving iiNet and NBN contractors.

For three weeks the Old Mill Theatre has been unable to take phone bookings for its June 5 performance of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, because its phone has been disconnected.

Internet service provider iiNet thought the theatre had been upgraded to the national broadband network, but NBN contractors had installed optic-fibre cable only in the building next door—forgetting all about the historic Old Mill.

Theatre chair Phil Barnett, who is also performing in the play, says the Molière balls-up could wreck opening night.

“Around 80 per cent of our bookings are taken in the last few weeks leading up to opening night, so it could hit us really hard,” he cringes. “A lot of our patrons are elderly and we still take a huge amount of bookings over the phone.

“iiNet says the NBN can’t find the theatre anywhere [on its records], despite the fact it’s had the same phone line for over 50 years! I should have spent the past few weeks learning my lines, but instead I’ve been sitting on the phone for hours talking to overseas call centres, getting nowhere.”

Shortly after the Voice contacted iiNet, it phoned Mr Barnett to say NBN contractors would be there Tuesday.

“iiNet expects the Old Mill Theatre will be able to receive incoming calls in two to three days,” an iiNet spokesperson told the Voice.

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, written in the 1950s about seasonal workers, is said to be the first play in which Australian life and characters were authentically portrayed, and is considered a turning point towards naturalistic, gritty theatre. Maylands’ Anna Head says co-star Barnett might well channel some of his call-centre angst into his performance.

“I think it could be quite a fiery performance given all the frustration he has had to endure over the past few weeks,” she laughs. “It could make for a great opening night.”

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is showing on certain dates from June 5 to 20. To book go to http://www.oldmilltheatre.com.au/tickets. You could try ringing, but we don’t like your chances.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK