Perth Voice Interactive

AMY and Hilton Nunn celebrate their 80th anniversary July 7.

The Bayswater couple, 100 and 105 respectively, immigrated from Swaziland in 1987 and plan to celebrate the milestone with family.

Their bodies ageing in sync, Ms Nunn’s loss of hearing is matched by her husband’s blindness. “I was still at school when we met, only 18 and at boarding school,” Ms Nunn recalls.

The pair credits the success of their marriage to appreciating each other and whatever life offers. Hard times drew them closer, having lived through WWII and southern Africa’s deep racial unrest.

Ms Nunn remembers Swazis hiding in the couple’s shop to avoid conscription into the British army: “We didn’t know any easier times,” Ms Nunn says. “We never smoked and never drank. We were quite content with the food we ate and wherever we were. My husband joined the army and left us until he returned due to terrible asthma attacks.

“It was very hard those days when I was left alone with the children. We had it hard but still made sure we enjoyed everything.

“Those were dangerous times and there were a lot of evil people around, but also many that were good. We protected them and they protected us in return.”

Married in 1934 in Paradise—the name of his father’s farm—Mr Nunn agrees life together hasn’t been quite the utopia he’d envisaged, but it has been enjoyable: “It was good,” he says with a smile. “There were ups and downs like with all married lives, but you just have to straighten up things. When things go wrong you make them right.”

When asked if he can recall his wife in her wedding dress, he smiles and instead perfectly recites France’s national anthem in a booming voice. “I learnt it when I was nine years old and was being taught by French teachers.”

His wife shakes her head and winks: “My dress was beautiful, it was a very nice wedding.”

by ASHLEIGH SCAIFE

BAYSWATER council staff are pointing the finger at turf contractors over an infestation of microscopic soil pests in reserves that will cost ratepayers at least $230,000 to control.

Sting nematodes thrive in Perth’s sandy soils and damage turf grass by feeding on the roots.

A council report says the tiny worms have hit several reserves, with Lightning Park, Wotton Reserve, Frank Drago Reserve, Beaufort Park and Gibbney Oval the worst affected.

Staff note that sting nematode counts are very high where contractors have imported turf and nil in all other surveyed areas.

“Sting nematode infestation is particularly problematic…and almost exclusively in areas where turf was imported for re-turfing at the end of winter play,” the report states.

Council spokesperson Julia Kogan says current practices require contractors to perform an analysis of turf for nematodes prior to delivery.

“The city is not currently taking any legal action over this issue,” she says.

The city is refusing to name the turf contractors involved.

Council staff say there is no effective chemical treatment and the only way to treat the pests is through compost injections and over-sowing, which costs around $23,000 per hectare.

“It is suggested that these increased maintenance costs should be considered when evaluating future requests for artificial turf on heavily used sports grounds,” wrote council staff.

Meanwhile, agriculture professor Mike Jones from the Murdoch University-based plant biotechnology research group says researchers are looking at an entirely new method of controlling nematodes based on identified target genes, but it is dependent on funding.

“Down the line there may be genetically modified nematode resistant turf grass, but this may be for the future,” he wrote.

Nematode infestation affects several councils and in 2013 Bayswater agreed to to grant UWA $13,500 over three years for sting nematode research.

The project fell through when other councils failed to pony up some cash.

Council staff recommend artificial turf, different grass species and reduced oval bookings as alternatives to expensive treatment.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

MAYLANDS local Perrie Taylor aka Ruby Slippers, spends her days making costumes as a freelance stylist for TV ads and commercial photo shoots—and her nights taking them off.

She’s one of a number of burlesque artists blinging up for the month-long Perth International Burlesque Festival, which kicked off Monday.

Three years after it started the festival is bigger than the classic cami knickers many of the exponents of the art wear, including international acts from France, Italy, Germany and the US, performing at venues across Perth and in Fremantle.

“The Astor show is massive, we don’t have tickets left,” organiser Melanie Piantoni says.

Sugar Blue Burlesque kicked off a resurgence of burlesque in Perth in 2007.

Ruby Slippers was a fan from the first time she saw a performance, and in a short time went from avid watcher to performer.

The 27-year-old has toured WA’s far north and Kalgoorlie and performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and in Melbourne.

“From Karratha to the bright lights of Melbourne,” she jokes, shaking red dust from her trademark red shoes.

Burlesque hails from the Italian burla, a joke, or mockery, Ruby Slippers says, and isn’t just about getting your gear off.

“My drag act is inspired by Ursula the sea witch from the Little Mermaid.”

A seamstress since she was 15, Ruby Slippers makes or adapts most of her own costumes.

“I’m a dab hand with a needle and thread.”

Go online to Burlesque Festival for the details of the many and varied  shows on until July 13.

by JENNY D’ANGER

JOGGERS will have to steer clear of timid kangaroos and Yagan’s nudity under a compromised plan to stage fun runs on Heirisson Island.

The organisers of the free 5km parkrun wanted to stage an event on Heirisson Island but Perth city councillor James Limnios was concerned runners would spook the roos.

The Whadjuk working party, a group of Aboriginal locals that provides advice on significant sites, supports the event but is concerned about runners jogging past the naked Yagan statue. The warrior’s nudity is a point of contention amongst some elders, who say that in life, Yagan would have been clothed in kangaroo and possum skins.

A new proposed route will avoid the roos and naked Yagan altogether, sticking to the northern half of the island and running the course twice.

“The organisers came and listened to our concerns and made the track a bit smaller to minimise the impact,” Cr Jim Adamos says.

The new route—and $5000 sponsorship from the PCC—will go to the next PCC meeting for a decision.

by DAVID BELL

VINCENT council’s budget has been approved with a 3.65 per cent rates rise.

Thirty-thousand dollars will be set aside for potential legal action stemming from amalgamations.

“We are putting that money aside in case council does wish to pursue legal action,” mayor John Carey says.

Retired councillor Dudley Maier attended the meeting to warn his erstwhile colleagues the budget was riddled with problems, not least a mounting deficit, and projections of a surplus were suspect.

For four years council bean counters have predicted surpluses and they’ve been wrong every time.

Last year there was a massive variance with finance chief Mike Rootsey predicting a $3.9 million surplus. Just a month later the council was $3.8m in the hole.

With mergers impending, Mr Maier fears Vincent is leaving the deficit for the next council to deal with.

“Council should not stick its head in the sand and hope the issues go away, or just hope it becomes somebody else’s problem after amalgamations,” he said.

Mr Rootsey stood by the prediction: “I do believe we’ll be in a position of surplus.”

Mr Maier was baffled the council hadn’t hired any more planning staff.

The council concedes its planning section has “suffered from a number of departures of senior and other staff during this last year” but says there’s now a new planning officer coming aboard.

The mayor’s pinning his hopes on incoming CEO Len Kosova reducing the backlog: as planning director at Wanneroo he cut processing averages from three months to a couple of weeks.

Despite Mr Maier’s concerns, every elected member voted to approve the budget save Cr Ros Harley, who mistakenly voted against it (she thought the council was voting on a procedural motion to look at items separately, which she opposed).

by DAVID BELL

DID you know that between 1927 and 1954, there was a Prohibited zone in Perth that Aboriginal people were not allowed to enter?

Did you know that in the 1830s Aboriginal people actively resisted European occupation, and were shot and killed for it?

These and other largely unknown aspects of Aboriginal history are unveiled in Karla Yarning: Stories of the home fires.

A set of Aboriginal heritage maps that include written histories, they’ve been developed by UWA professor Len Collard and Curtin’s Dr Tod Jones, and funded by Perth city council to the tune of $44,000. Following each map’s heritage trail takes about 90 minutes.

They’re aimed at teaching locals and tourists about the deep connections Aboriginal people have with the area chosen by the British as the colony’s capital.

Professor Collard, traditional owner of the Perth native title claim, says he wants to share the history of his ancestral lands with as many people as possible.

“I think they’re important stories that are part of the landscape that have been there since humans lived here.

“They’re there for children or members of the public to engage in and give us an understanding of our sense of place… they’re not secret stories hidden under a rock.”

Perth lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi says the maps “take people on a journey to discover and learn the importance Aboriginal heritage holds in the history of our city”.

“The first map, This city is Wadjuk country, explores Wadjuk Noongar history before the arrival of white settlers in 1829.

“On your walk you will explore areas of importance before white settlement and get a feel for the way Wadjuk people lived, traded, hunted, harvested and conducted ceremonies.”

The second Karla Yarning map, Fighting for families, country, rights and recognition, explores Aboriginal history in Perth after 1829.

Its walk includes the resistance of Wadjuk leaders Midgegooroo and his son Yagan in the 1830s, the Prohibited Area zone in place between 1927-1954, Aboriginal protest rallies held in the 1930s and 1940s and the establishment of important Aboriginal organisations.

Tourism WA says 83 per cent of international visitors seek Aboriginal tourism experiences.

Visitors can get a map from the WA visitors centre, iCity Kiosk in the Murray Street mall, and council house or download the maps from the PCC website.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK