Perth Voice Interactive

Outlawing voyeuristic “creepshots” could kill public photography, Perth Centre for Photography lecturer Juha Tolonen warns.

There’s been a recent backlash against sites posting pictures of women’s backsides taken without their knowledge, and Dr Tolonen worries legitimate photographers could get caught up in any attempts by authorities to crack down on the practice.

He says they’re already feeling pressure when taking photos in public places, even though the law is on their side.

“You [currently] have no recognised right to privacy in a public place. The only laws that were instituted were in the early 2000s to prevent things like upskirting, or photos in public toilets where you have an expectation of privacy.

Visual record

“[But] there is no possible way you can legislate exclusively against creepshots.

“One thing that might possibly happen is we’ll go down the way France has gone, in that you cannot take pictures in public [unless] you ask permission from every single person.

“Photography will be horribly affected, in that you’ll start to lose a visual record of history.”

Dr Tolonen largely photographs buildings and has been under increasing scrutiny since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York.

“If you photograph buildings, you get labelled a terrorist. If you photograph children, you get labelled a paedophile. I don’t know why there has to be this reaction.”

Earlier this year a 41-year-old Kalamunda photographer was prosecuted for disorderly conduct and being offensive in a public place after taking photos of women at Cosmos Kebabs and the Leederville Hotel.

A woman’s boyfriend took the photographer’s iPhone and handed it to police, who found four pictures of women in short shorts. The photographer, who said they weren’t for sexual gratification, was ordered to pay $325 costs and had no conviction recorded.

Dr Tolonen’s lecture Streetshots and Creepshots: The Public and the Pubic is at Perth Centre for Photography July 24 at 7pm, info and registration at info@pcp.org.au.

by DAVID BELL

A new documentary shedding light on a secretive aspect of Perth’s involvement in World War II was launched this week.

Seventy years ago the first “double sunrise” flights left Perth for Britain.

With Australia’s delivery lines through Singapore cut off, the flights were a desperate attempt to re-establish contact with Europe, carrying top secret mail and VIPs past the Japanese aerial blockade.

The flights took so long they were dubbed the “double sunrise”, and to this day hold the record for the longest commercial flight at 32 hours, 9 minutes.

Queensland doco maker Daniel Bunker became interested in the story after bumping into the chairman of the Qantas museum.

Historic flights

“He told me about these historic flights that nobody knew about,” he says.

Mr Bunker, now 21, tracked down one of the last surviving pilots, Rex Senior.

The project was so secretive Dr Senior couldn’t tell people he was part of the war effort.

“Rex went to buy something from a shop in Kings Park, and the guy told him over the counter to ‘stop being a bludger and sign up’,” Mr Bunker recounts.

“He was also given a white feather for that as well. If a man was seen to be not part of the war, he’d be given a white feather to symbolise that he was a coward, a chicken.”

Despite allegations of cowardice at home, Dr Senior did get strafed and bombed by a Japanese betty bomber while refuelling off the Cocos Island.

Overall the missions were highly successful, and not a single plane was shot down in 271 missions.

But with their story so top secret, the tale faded after the war. The Catalinas were towed off Rottnest and used as target practice by the navy.

Mr Bunker’s documentary commemorating the 70th year of the Double Sunrise flights is at http://www.catalinadoco.com.

by DAVID BELL

A plan for a ferry from Banks Reserve in Mt Lawley looks to be dead in the water.

Vincent councillor John Pintabona had hoped a service from the under-used jetty could head past the proposed Burswood stadium and into Perth, helping ease congestion.

But both state’s transport planners say they have no plans for a ferry in that area “in the foreseeable future”.

A decade ago the state’s planning and infrastructure department dipped a toe in the water but found expanding ferry services to the area was unviable.

That situation hasn’t changed, a Vincent city council report stated at this week’s meeting.

Cr Matt Buckels had earlier predicted the ferry wouldn’t go ahead, calling the plan “a lovely intention but… a complete waste of time”. He reckoned the lack of demand would mean the state wouldn’t be interested, earning him the nickname “ferry grinch” from colleague Ros Harley.

Vincent will ask the Barnett government not to rule out a ferry in future planning for the Banks Reserve area.

Cr Josh Topelberg said it was unlikely he’d see a ferry in his lifetime.

“It’s certainly clear with the current densities there’s no way this would work at Banks Reserve at this point,” mayor Alannah MacTiernan said.

by DAVID BELL

A Coolbinia war veteran who struck up a “unique rapport” with one of Hitler’s most decorated commanders is set to relive his memories with a visiting German historian.

Talbot Bashall was a young British army lieutenant when in 1947 he was given the job of guarding Albert Kesselring—a Nazi field marshal facing the death penalty for war crimes.

The charges included being in command when 335 Italians were slaughtered at the Ardetaine Caves near Rome in 1944.

“Smiling Albert”, as the Allies dubbed him, was one of Nazi Germany’s most skilled commanders and was one of only 27 soldiers awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.

“He was in charge of the Luftwaffe’s Second Air Fleet in the Battle of Britain and sending over the bombers when I was a schoolboy,” recalls 87-year-old Bashall.

“We used to cower behind the couch when the bombs came down that he had ordered, and now I was guarding him.

“I mean, I’d never met a general and here was a fellow who helped plan Hitler’s war.”

Over the next few months, Bashall guarded Kesselring in a 24-hour on-off shift in a Venice apartment.

The pair slowly built up a strange bond and would spend an hour or two each shift discussing “everything under the sun”, including the war. But Kesselring wouldn’t be drawn on details of the holocaust and the feared SS, commenting only that they were “a law unto themselves”.

“I especially remember Kesselring saying that he cared little for field marshal Rommel,” said Bashall.

“He told me Rommel was a good tank commander but more than that he was not really capable.

In May 1947, Kesselring was sentenced to death by firing squad for war crimes.

The verdict proved controversial in Britain, where Kesselring was regarded as a fair and honourable soldier. Wartime leader Winston Churchill branded it too harsh and the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

In October 1952 Kesselring was released from prison on grounds of ill-health, as he’d been diagnosed with throat cancer.

In 1953 he wrote his memoirs A Soldier to the Last Day and sent a copy to Bashall, who was working for Hong Kong’s prison service.

Over the next few years, the pair exchanged letters and keept in touch.

Kesselring died in 1960, aged 74, following a heart attack.

“I was only 20 years old when I was guarding him,” says Bashall, who was born in Surrey, England.

“But at the time I believed what he was telling me—that he was innocent.”

Bashall will share his memories with a German historian visiting UWA later this year.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Independent candidate Ant Clark has put his hand up for the federal seat of Perth.

With Kevin Rudd’s resurrection heralding a Labor resurgence, it’s tipped to be a close contest and independent preferences are now more likely to come into play.

The 45-year-old Bayswater resident has three main platforms:

• Affordable housing;

• Raising Australia’s international aid budget; and,

• Ending offshore detention.

A fundraiser for the charity Opportunity International Australia, Mr Clark’s day job sees him negotiating with potential donors. He aims to pull in $1 million a year for the micro-financing charity.

Mr Clark, who says his Christian faith and experience living in Indonesia led him to his work, says both major parties have failed to increase Australia’s overseas aid budget. Despite signing onto the United Nations’ Millennium Goals program in 2000 and promising to spend 70 cents on aid for every $100 of gross national income, Australia is languishing at 37 cents.

He’s optimistic that current anti-asylum seeker sentiment will turn out to be “a blip in our handling of these issues.

“We have a very good track record on migration: The country’s built on migration.

Human rights

“I firmly think that Australia could be known—like the Scandinavian countries are known—for human rights leadership.”

At the 2010 federal election, minor parties accounted for more than 20 per cent of the vote in the Perth electorate. The bulk was from Greens candidate Jonathan Hallett (which largely went to Labor), while most preferences from the Christian Democrats’ 2.6 per cent flowed to the Liberals.

by DAVID BELL

Stirling city council has blocked a new tattoo studio from opening up in Yokine (“Studio needles locals”, Voice, July 6, 2013).

Fifteen objections were lodged against the proposed Michael Street parlour, with locals worried about anti-social behaviour in nearby Knight Avenue reserve and surrounding streets.

Councillor Giovanni Italiano, who used to have his ex-wife’s name tattooed on his arm before having it lasered off, voted for the tattoo studio and pleaded with his colleagues not to be swayed by outdated stigmas.

“I don’t personally like them and had mine removed, but we need to vote based on planning grounds not any stigma.

“Millions of young people have tattoos now—times have changed.”

Cr Samantha Jenkinson still has her tatt and backed the studio.

Veteran Cr Rod Willox said the studio was better suited to a main road than a quiet suburban street.

“I think locals’ fears are based on the people they have seen visiting the site while it’s being prepared,” he said.

“It’s inconsistent with the day-to-day needs of the people and is in the wrong location.”

The small Michael Street shopping strip contains a mix of shops, including a hairdresser saloon, dog grooming business and a pest controller.

Cr Terry Tyzack said locals had unanimously opposed the development, with people associating tattoo studios with anti-social behaviour via reports in the media.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Fishy business
YOU highlight an important debate in “Foie gras faux pas” (Voice, July 6, 2013).
However, I wonder how many readers are also aware that a significant number of restaurants in our local area continue to serve shark fin products, particularly shark fin soup.
I don’t make a habit of eating in restaurants which glorify the practice but I know for one that in February this year it was proudly served by the Dragon Palace on Francis Street, Northbridge.
A brief look on the internet would suggest that this continues to be common practice and at a time where protection of our marine life is particularly topical: Australia is currently involved in oral hearings, having filed suit against Japan in the International Court of Justice with regard to whaling.
Shark finning bans apply in most Australian State and Territorial waters and while these restaurants most likely source from outside of these restricted areas, the Australian bans and our government’s objections to whaling reflect national sentiment.
As the RSPCA put it on its website “the popularity of shark fin soup has soared and the effect on wild shark populations has been disastrous”. Perhaps it is time to throw the overfed geese in amongst the sharks when we think about being ‘what we eat’ and ask ourselves, do we want to be catered for by people who treat our food sources with such disrespect?
Mark Hutchison
Palmerston St, Perth

Profit needed for rainy day
IN a June 26 article in The Record—a Catholic newspaper—Nigel Hayward wrote; “The pursuit of profits in the public utilities sector, where ‘competition’ is viewed as being beneficial to all, has meant that the family is increasingly viewed in purely economic terms, valued only as a power of consumption or source of labour.”
“Pursuit of profits in the public utilities” means that some governments seek to take money away from them.  Believe it or not, in a time of increasing economic stress, the WA government recently wanted the State Government Insurance Office to pay a dividend to Treasury.  A parliamentary or some such delay meant the money could not be transferred by the end of the financial year to help reduce what will be a huge deficit.
Anyone who remembers the strain on the huge insurance brokers Lloyds of London some years ago, knows in his/her heart that if an insurance firm makes a profit, it must be kept; most going into banks or similar, and a smaller portion going into gilt-edged investments.
Australians all ought to still have in their minds that parts of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales were flooded twice in a short time, resulting in huge payouts by insurance companies and governments. The disastrous bushfires in various states have also cost insurers dearly.
There is no excuse for the LibNat government to take money off the SGIO. Not ever. And certainly not when the Cabinet is wasting millions on digging up the Esplanade, sinking the railway, selling land at Burswood for a $30 million discount, financing new football ovals for millionaire football players, and loading ratepayers with amazing increases in payments to local government mayors and councillors.
John C. Massam
Cobine Way, Greenwood
Ed’s note: This letter has been edited for length.

Keep out of the toll lane
THE proposal for a toll road in Perth is in the news. I do hold out a hope that westerners are of sterner stuff and will not allow this nonsense, especially if a toll road is to be sans toll booths.
It is not as though WA has not been raking in enough revenue from the miners to have the funds to manage a budget for road improvement.
Of course, having the money and being able to manage it are entirely two different  matters as we see with toll roads in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Polls indicate westerners are indeed of sterner stuff with about 60 per cent thinking the government should fund infrastructure.
There are also no toll roads in Tasmania and SA. The territories round out those resisting allowing these operators to get a foot in the door, where you may need to make an appointment to use a road or give them access to your bank account.
Please be careful what you wish for.
Barry Powell
Palmyra

Hyding to nothing
“HYDE haunts Perth” (Voice, July 6, 2013) is in a way reassuring.It reminds us that only history haunts.
Can we now trust that the immediate former MP for Perth has exhausted means of worming his way into the Voice?
As for betting on it – steer clear.
Aaron Tofler
Murray St, Perth