Perth Voice Interactive

DAVID HELFGOTT has visited Mt Lawley Senior High School to open a new $2 million music practise room named in his honour.

It was a slightly nostalgic trip for the pianist, who’d briefly attended the school in year 11 in 1963. “He told me what mark he got for woodwork,” laughs principal Milton Butcher. “So there are peculiar details he can still remember about his time here.”

At the opening, student Mei Lyn played Chopin and a string quartet (Annalise, Stephanie, Lorraine and Stephanie) played Schubert.

“Playing before David was daunting—I was a bit nervous, but he was so generous in telling me that I had played so well,” Mei says. Helfgott then thrilled students, performing Rachmaninov’s 18th Variation on a Theme by Paganini and Sabre Dance by Khachaturian.

“David was particularly pleased to be presented with his very own leaver’s jacket,” says Butcher

“He wore this whilst he continued to entertain the audience during afternoon tea by playing some Beethoven.

“Several music students were amazed that he interrupted his playing to remove the jacket as it was a warm day and resumed on exactly the next note.”

Helfgott was immortalised by Geoffrey Rush in the Oscar-winning movie Shine.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

NYUNGAR elder and educator Doolann-Leisha Eatts has been inducted into the WA women’s hall of fame.

Born at Badjaling in the eastern wheatbelt Ms Eatts has lived in Perth’s northern suburbs for 32 years.

Along with hosting welcome-to-country ceremonies and advice on acknowledging Nyungah land, she’s helped with the cultural trail through Hyde Park and Smith’s Lake, telling indigenous stories about the areas.

In 2010 she was awarded $1000 by Vincent council to help her publish her autobiography.

“My people used to do a lot of hunting and gathering all around this area and my grandma told me it was full of lakes and streams and wildlife and plenty of food, plenty of bush medicine as well,” Ms Eatts said at the time.

“My grandmother told me those stories, and that’s what urged me to write my book.”

In 2012, Ms Eatts lambasted Stirling city council for raising the Aboriginal flag only during NAIDOC and reconciliation weeks.

“Flying the Aboriginal flag all year round would be a good start and pave the way for better relations between the Aboriginal community and Stirling shire,” she’d said.

It was only in November 2010 that the council voted to permit the Aboriginal flag to fly at all.

Neighbouring Vincent flies the Aboriginal flag every day.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

AN HISTORIC tree planted by early settlers in Bayswater should be safeguarded, says Cr Chris Cornish.

He is pushing for a significant tree register in the city and wants the veteran olive to be its first entry.

According to local history book Changes they’ve seen, the olive tree on Slade Street was planted in the early 1840s and is the “oldest remnant of European habitation in the district”.

In the 1890s the tree became a meeting place for a nascent Baptist congregation which was the first “united in Church Fellowship” in the area.

The small congregation included Mr Henry Halliday, of Halliday Park fame.

As the first Italian families arrived in the 1930s, the then-90-year-old olive tree “gained a new following as Italian people gathered there for the communal olive harvest”.

Cr Cornish says in the 1960s the tree, situated under Western Power lines, was subject to a “severe” pruning which has left it misshapen.

“This olive tree offers history and heritage value to numerous sections of the community and I’d like to see it properly recognised and cared for,” he says.

“Certainly if the city decides to proceed with a significant tree register, I’ll be pushing for this tree to take pole position.

“This tree was considered a landmark for the area in the 1930s. It is important for use to recognise that significance.”

The tree has a small plaque and was added to the Swan River heritage trail as part of Australia’s bicentennial project.

Bayswater’s official emblem is based on this olive tree.

The council is currently investigating the feasibility of creating a significant tree register.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

MAYLANDS Labor MP Lisa Baker wants liquor warehouses banned from residential areas and local centres.

She says Subiaco and Victoria Park councils have already implemented the restriction and she wants Bayswater to follow suit.

“Maylands is very vulnerable to massive warehouse-style liquor stores,” she says.

“Warehouse-style liquor stores only exacerbate the current problems of street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Maylands”

“The City of Bayswater needs to help the community by proactively stopping warehouse-style liquor store developments in residential areas.

Oppose

“From First Choice to Dan Murphy’s, the community has shown that they oppose warehouse-style liquor stores.”

She says her proposal has the backing of former mayor Terry Kenyon and Cr Alan Radford, who were unavailable for comment.

Ms Baker is currently fighting Woolworths’ plans to build a 1000sqm Dan Murphy’s on Railway Parade, which is part of the grocery and grog giant’s $3.5 million redevelopment of the Peninsula Tavern.

In 2010 Ms Baker spearheaded a campaign that stopped Coles building a 1250sqm First Choice outlet on Guildford Road.

Maylands is home to a number of agencies, including Shopfront, Autumn Centre and 55 Central, that tackle the impacts of alcoholism.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

THE most chilled out and least urgent bike tour in town is back for another year with the Giro d’Perth kicking off, Sunday March 15.

Toby Hodgson created the ride, described as a back-lane bike odyssey, after watching the gruelling Giro d’Italia on TV.

It’s one of the hardest bike races in the world, so he set out to create one of the cruisiest.

The idea to show off little-known areas hit him when he was riding through a quiet alleyway in the rain and he thought it would be great to set a route that’d show people such hidden and forgotten areas.

He says a key thing is this is well suited to “bike riders” rather than mad-keen cyclists, so casuals are very welcome and there’s no need for lycra, unless you really feel you need to.

“We say spirit not speed, so we’re trying to encourage people to get into the day and dress up and be silly and have fun on their bike,” Mr Hodgson says.

They have three options for length, 11km, 17km and 31km, so people can choose how hardcore they want to go or take it easy.

“In the past we’ve had penny-farthings do it.”

They’re starting at Banks Reserve and heading through East Perth this year, and Mr Hodgson hints the routes will involve “sculptures, cemeteries, bridges and cafes”.

All the info is at http://www.girodperth.com.au

by DAVID BELL

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Cyclists vs bike riders: A helpful chart

Cyclist: Wears super-tight lycra showing off the meat and two veg.

Bike rider: Wears full-length pants that get caught in the chain.

Cyclist: Pays thousands to reduce bike weight by 40 grams

Bike rider: Fits a cast-iron basket to the front to carry a Henry Miller book (cover facing out) and a ciabatta loaf

Cyclist: Rides on the road, rarely dipping below 40kph

Bike rider: Rides, weaves, meanders dreamily on the road, the footpath, the bike lane, and that extra-skinny little bike lane made up of those two white lines in the middle of the road. Occasionally stops to chat

Cyclist: No drink bottle holder: too bulky. A hydration pack strapped to the lower back will suffice

Bike rider: Two drink holders, a king brown of Melbourne Bitter in each, and another bottle in each hand, steering with wrists.

ART and social justice will mingle in an exhibition by photographer Marziya Mohammedali, who will examine how people use art to engage people in campaigns.

The exhibition includes works by artists, activists and asylum seekers in detention and those who are now living in the community.

It will also feature installations, photography, and creative writing pieces by Mohammedali.

“By capturing works that have been produced by those in detention and outside, the show attempts to engage with and to restore these voices through the creative space,” she says.

“I have been involved in creative activism, both in Perth and in Kenya, for years.

I have used my creative practices, primarily creative writing and photography, to highlight social justice and political issues.”

Mohammedali added gallery visitors will be invited to build and participate in setting up installations, while discussing their ideas of detention and resistance.

Midway through Mohammedali’s week-long residence in Edith Cowan University’s Spectrum gallery, a symposium on asylum will be opened by Greens senator Scott Ludlam.

Speakers will include Sarah Ross from Refugee Rights Activists. RE-fugue closes today (Saturday March 15).

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

CHINESE, Greeks, Italians, Vietnamese and now Africans: they all come to Northbridge.

Richard Offen from Heritage Perth is running a free multicultural walk through the area to tell the histories of the different ethnic groups who’ve made it what it is today.

A lake was drained in the 1860s creating the then-unnamed area and Chinese market gardeners soon moved in, arriving after the eastern states gold rush dried up.

Greeks and Italians moved in in the early 1900s. Long before it was known as Northbridge it was known as Little Italy.

“It was the breadbasket of the city,” Mr Offen says.

Before long the Anglos went from making fun of the strange, smelly sausages to buying them by the kilo, and now Vietnamese noodles are common in even the most white bread diets.

The story of how the ethnic groups shaped the areas will be told on the free walks on March 18, 23 and 24 for Harmony Week, head to http://www.heritageperth.com.au for info or call them on 9461 3244.

by DAVID BELL

FORMER Labor MP Stephen Smith has joined locals in their fight to stop a seven-unit complex being built near his dad’s house in Mt Lawley.

Mr Smith’s elderly father, Les, has lived in the neighbourhood for 46 years and shares neighbours’ concerns the Central Avenue development lacks parking (nine bays are mooted) and will mar the federation-era streetscape, which is inside Stirling’s heritage protection zone.

The former defence minister has contacted Stirling city council to ask why his dad didn’t receive a letter during community consultation. In fact, just three homeowners were notified.

Petition

Regan Whitby lives next door to the 898sqm site and has created a petition opposing it.

“The balconies will look directly into my back garden and I will lose all privacy—I will have no choice but to sell up,” he says.

“All the cars will be funnelling down the side of my house to park as well.

“A real estate agent told me the value of my house, built in 1928, will fall by $200,000 if the development goes ahead.

“The budget for the development is only $900,000 and it will be done in a mock-federation style—it will look cheap and not in keeping with the historic feel of this area.”

The site is beside the busy Clifton Crescent intersection, which has raised concerns about traffic safety.

“The single entrance/exit for the development will be on Central Avenue just before the intersection,” worried neighbour Karen Baldacci says.

“That intersection is a real black spot and a few years ago we submitted a petition to get it made safer.

“I can only see this making matters worse.”

Developer Sabby Pizzolante concedes he should have consulted with Mr Whitby sooner about his plans to demolish the house and replace it with the seven-unit, two-storey development.

“In hindsight I should have gone to him earlier and we could have avoided some of these issues,” he says.

“But you have to bear in mind that one side of my house backs onto a commercial deli, on the corner, and we are on a wide arterial road.

“The house I am demolishing is from the 1960s and the newer building will actually have more federation-style features than the original.”

Stirling council is preparing to vote on the application.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK