Issue 51 Aurora Magazine October 2022

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Aurora 

Issue 51 

GREAT SOUTHERN Lifestyle, People, Happenings October 2022 

ARTIST LINDA GRAY 

KEEP ALBANY BEAUTIFUL 

PROFESSOR STEPHEN HOPPER 

ALBANY DUO IN 

MY KITCHEN RULES 

EMMA DELLAR 

ON GRIDIRON 

ALSO INSIDE 

MORE LOCAL PEOPLE 

LOCAL HISTORY 

AND WHAT’S ON 

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known and prolific Denmark-based 

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years and she has quite a significant 

following. For the full story, turn to 

page 14. PHOTO: SERENA KIRBY. 

Issue 51 

GREAT SOUTHERN Lifestyle, People, Happenings October 2022 

ARTIST LINDA GRAY 



ALBANY DUO IN 

MY KITCHEN RULES 

EMMA DELLAR 

ON GRIDIRON 

0438 212 979 

sales@auroramagazine.com.au 

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ALSO INSIDE 

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LOCAL HISTORY 

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Serena Kirby 

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Anne Skinner 

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2 LOVE LOCAL

contents 

4 CULTIVATE KEEP ALBANY BEAUTIFUL 

Lynley Harrison Leads the Charge 

6 PROFESSOR STEPHEN HOPPER 

Public Gardener Extraordinaire 

9 TASTE ALBANY FARMERS MARKETS 

Spring at the Markets 

10 ALBANY’S MKR DUO 

Che Cooper and Dave Shorter 

4 CULTIVATE 10 TASTE 

12 SPOTLIGHT EMMA DELLAR REPRESENTS 

Brains and Brawn 

14 CREATE LINDA GRAY 

Painting What Isn’t There 

16 VOGUE SPRING SELECTION 

Local Fashion Feature 

20 REFLECT SERGEANT FREDERICK CHAPMAN 

Albany Father Escapes Injury 

12 SPOTLIGHT 14 CREATE 

22 EDUCATE MORE THAN A TEACHER 

Ehsan Warasi’s Journey to Teaching 

24 PROMOTE NEW FACE AT GSDC 

Glen Thomson Sees Opportunities 

26 ENGAGE VIVIENNE ROBERTSON 

Reclaiming the Void 

28 WHAT’S ON ALBANY'S HISTORIC WHALING STATION 

30 ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 

31 GIG GUIDE EVENTS, MARKETS AND EXHIBITIONS 

22 EDUCATE 26 ENGAGE 

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LOVE LOCAL 

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cultivate 


Lynley Harrison Leads Charge for New Members 

STORY ALLEN NEWTON | PHOTO LATA WRIGHT 

Lynley Harrison jokes that it was hard to say no to joining the Keep Albany Beautiful 

(KAB) committee when she heard that three of the members were OBEs. Turns out 

though that OBE meant Over Bloody Eighty and the committee was looking for younger 

blood. 

Lynley is a member of the Two Rivers Garden Group which meets at people’s private 

gardens once a month and raises money for Albany Hospice. One of the long-term 

members there said they were looking for people interested in going out and judging 

gardens around Albany. 

“She said three of us have an OBE, so I was really impressed by that - so come in sucker – 

and that’s how I was introduced to Keep Albany Beautiful around three years ago and then 

sneakily all of a sudden I’m president. I’m not sure how that happened,” laughs Lynley. 

Lynley took over presidency from its founder, Alice Rule, who kept the organisation 

running for the first 48 years of its 50-year history. A very keen gardener with a 

certificate in horticulture, Lynley says until she joined the group she didn’t know much 

about Keep Albany Beautiful. 

“I’d heard about Keep Australia Beautiful, but not Keep Albany Beautiful. 

“Though as a younger person I’m trying to lift the profile by advertising more about 

what we do and how we do it.” 

Lynley says the group is keen to find more volunteers to help with garden judging, and 

also to get involved with Keep Albany Beautiful through WA Day, The Green Fair on the 

Square, and the tree planting day, which all fall under KAB’s umbrella. 

“The more hands on the better I think, and we need some younger ones.” 

Anybody interested in volunteering can get in touch through the City of Albany or find 

out more on Facebook. 

A year of hard work judging gardens every month for the Keep Albany Beautiful Garden 

Competition comes to fruition in December when the big annual invitation-only 

showcase is held at the Albany council offices and prizes and certificates for the best 

gardens are handed out over an afternoon tea. It will be held on Friday 2 December, 

from 4pm. 

4 LOVE LOCAL

cultivate 

The number of guests each year is growing with 125 people seated for the 

presentations and the afternoon tea last year. A plaque for the garden goes to the 

overall winner. 

But before the big annual celebration, every month, Lynley and her volunteer judges go 

looking for four categories of gardens broken down into suburbs around Best Private 

Garden, Best Waterwise Garden and Best Commercial Garden and then Best Kept 

Street. 

“It’s all about judging the verge appeal and the front yard. We don’t get out of the car 

and I’m sure we’re missing some beautiful gardens out the back too, but they are the 

rules that we have in place and it’s all about street appeal.” 

It’s encouraging people to be 

community oriented; you don’t have 

to be a keen gardener and know 

everything about flowers and plants, 

but the overall look helps the morale 

of people. Lynley Harrison 

KAB advertises which suburbs it will be visiting in a given month on community radio, a 

notice board on the fence at Retravision Stadium and the Albany City Council website. 

It takes around three hours of driving around a suburb to identify the gardens that 

stand out and you’ll recognise the judges on the prowl. They have a magnetic sign on 

the car which says they are Keep Albany Beautiful judges, a sign on the back that says 

‘frequently stopping’ and a flag attached to the door frame on each side of the car. 

Towards the end of the year they go back and rejudge the best gardens and any other 

new nominees. There are 36 winners over a year. 

Of course, gardens look different at different times of the year. Lynley says gardeners 

always want them to see their gardens when the roses are in bloom. 

“People say ‘you came to our suburb last year and I have beautiful roses and its winter 

and they’re not flowering’. I get it, but we know what roses look like and they are 

beautiful when they are in flower, but it’s all about the whole presentation of a garden, 

they need to be weed-free, it’s about the whole theme of the garden and how it flows. 

“It’s amazing when you look at lots of gardens straight away there’s the real standout 

ones and you think that has a real wow factor’ and that’s how they win it for the month 

and then of course we rejudge at the end of the year to get the overall winner. 

“The Best Kept Street is probably one of the hardest ones to do. What happens there is 

the City of Albany will do a plaque that hangs off the street sign to say they have been a 

winner for the best kept street, and they keep that sign up for 12 months. 

“That’s an incentive for people to take a bit of pride in their own street, even it’s just 

mowing the neighbour’s front verge for them because you have your mower out, all 

those sorts of things. 

“It’s encouraging people to be community oriented; you don’t have to be a keen 

gardener and know everything about flowers and plants, but the overall look helps the 

morale of people.” 

Lynley says there are several streets that make a regular win. Paulus Way in Little Grove 

has taken out the Best Kept Street award a few times, it’s a lovely little street and 

everyone seems very keen on looking after each other’s lawns. 

In Lynley’s opinion Albany scrubs up very well with the quality of its gardens. 

RIGHT: Lynley Harrison in her own garden – Lynley is a keen gardener herself and appreciates 

exactly how much skill and effort a beautiful garden requires. 

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LOVE LOCAL 

5

cultivate 


Eminent Biologist and Public Gardener Extraordinaire 

STORY SERENA KIRBY | PHOTOS SERENA KIRBY 

As I step into Stephen Hopper’s office it’s hard not to be distracted by what’s inside. 

It’s an Aladdin’s Cave of all the things he loves. Hundreds of books are neatly arranged, 

and categorised by country, on shelves that wrap around the room and stretch from 

floor to ceiling. There’s ancient fossilised Banksia wood, gum nut samples with little 

handwritten tags and rows of red-bound journals filled with tiny samples of plants held 

in place by ‘magic tape’. 

But when this leading WA scientist starts to speak about his life and his work there is no 

distraction at all; my eyes and ears are focussed solely on him. 

He starts by telling me to call him Steve. 

“Only my mother called me Stephen,” he says with a chuckle before starting our chat in 

earnest. 

“When I started at university I wanted to study physics but I failed my first year so I 

switched to biology instead. It’s certainly something I have never regretted,” he says. 

And nor should he as Steve is now Professor of Biodiversity at the Centre of Excellence 

in Natural Resource Management and School of Biological Sciences at UWA’s Albany 

campus. His list of honours and awards is long and prestigious and includes Australia’s 

highest civilian honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia. He was awarded this 

for his ‘eminent service as a global science leader in the field of plant conservation 

biology, particularly in the delivery of world class research programs contributing to the 

conservation of endangered species and ecosystems’. He has also been inducted into 

WA’s Science Hall of Fame. 

“Conservation biology is the area I’ve been most involved in. But I’m also trained in the 

fields of evolution, ecology, pollination anthropology, phylogenetics and taxonomy.” 

Steve says without fanfare as my note-taking struggles to keep up. 

And if my mind isn’t spinning enough already Steve adds that he’s also written eight 

books and published more than 350 scientific papers. 

But despite all his academic accomplishments this dedicated scientist has never been 

one to lock himself away in his office for too long nor has he refrained from taking side 

steps when other career opportunities present themselves. 

“You can be doing a lot of good quality science but it can have little effect on 

government policy. So when the opportunity came along to head up Perth’s Kings Park 

6 LOVE LOCAL

cultivate 

Many of the threatened species 

grow on granite outcrops and this 

part of the Great Southern has so 

many of these. They’re like islands 

on a sea of terrestrial vegetation. 

They not only offer a place of 

discovery but the opportunity to 

care for them. Stephen Hopper 

I didn’t shy away from it. I’d worked in the public sector before and in senior roles but 

Kings Park is far more high profile and working there was certainly the highlight of my 

public service career.” 

Steve spent 12 years as Director of the Park and took it from an organisation that 

was starved of funds and understaffed to the jewel in Perth’s crown that it is today. 

He oversaw the expansion of infrastructure and services to bring them up to worldclass 

standards and increased staff numbers while elevating the value of the Park’s 

environmental and research projects. But at the top of his wish list was to make Kings 

Park a great place to work as Steve is very much a people-person at heart; he’s a relaxed 

conversationalist and attentive listener. 

It was no surprise then that when he threw his hat into the ring for the top job at the 

Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, he promptly got the tick of approval. Known 

more commonly as Kew Gardens it’s the creme de la creme of public gardens, a 

UNESCO World Heritage Site and consistently listed as one of the most famous gardens 

in the world. 

“The global reach of Kew Gardens is unrivalled and its network spans 100 countries. It’s 

the United Nations of Botany; a global plant science powerhouse with around 800 staff 

and more than 50,000 plants. It was also my home for six years and I say that literally as 

it was a seven-day-a-week job that entailed living onsite. It was wonderful having 120 

hectares of garden to walk amongst every morning.” 

During his time at Kew he and his wife Chris were regularly hosting world-leading 

scientists, dignitaries, and heads of state. Steve also worked with Sir David 

Attenborough on his ‘Kingdom of Plants’ TV series which was filmed at Kew and led the 

garden through its 250 year anniversary celebrations. Projects like the internationally 

acclaimed Millennium Seed Bank, which houses more than 2.4million seeds collected 

from around the world, were also under Steve’s stewardship during his tenure at Kew. 

ABOVE: Some of Steve’s collection of seeds and nuts with his red-bound plant journals in the 

background. TOP: A look inside one of Steve’s meticulously kept journals. 

䄀瘀愀椀氀愀戀氀攀愀琀琀栀攀 ǻ 渀攀猀琀挀愀昀猀 Ⰰ 最爀漀挀攀爀礀猀琀漀爀攀猀 Ⰰ 漀爀漀渀氀椀渀攀 

㐀㈀㈀㜀㔀㠀㔀 

猀琀愀猀栀挀漀 û 攀攀 ⸀ 挀漀洀 ⸀ 愀甀 

LOVE LOCAL 

7

cultivate 

But Steve’s love of research was ever present and each year he’d return to WA to 

continue working on his research projects; being able to do so was a condition he 

insisted on when he accepted the job in London. 

Eventually the pull to return to Australia, and the offer of another new job, saw Steve 

move to Albany and into his current position at UWA. With his key interest in biodiversity, 

he says this region is “Heaven on Earth” for a conservation biologist like him. 

“Many of the threatened species grow on granite outcrops and this part of the Great 

Southern has so many of these. They’re like islands on a sea of terrestrial vegetation. 

They not only offer a place of discovery but the opportunity to care for them.” 

While Steve’s position at UWA is relatively new, his research into life on the rocks is 

certainly not. He first became interested in rock life back in the 1970s while working 

as the State’s first Flora Conservation Research Scientist for what was then called the 

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. 

“That’s when I first discovered there was an unusual concentration of rare plant species 

on the outlands like granite so I started exploring this more to gain better understanding 

of their flora. 

“The plants and animals on these rocks, particularly some of the mosses and 

invertebrates, go back 400 million years. These places are an evolutionary laboratory. 

These rocky outcrops may look strong and harsh but they’re actually very fragile. Sadly 

a lot of weeds and other introduced species are invading these areas and we really 

don’t know how to repair and restore these places yet so I’m really keen to work with 

Elders and research students to see if it’s possible. Cross-cultural biodiversity research is 

paramount in halting the decline of species on these outcrops.” 

Steve is incredibly passionate about his current work and his finely tuned ability to 

connect with people has stood him in good stead in his collaborations with local Elders. 

“You need to be able to walk together, yarn together and exchange knowledge. Most of 

the oral history from First Nations people has focussed on social aspects but with me 

being a biologist I’m interested in documenting the role of plants. 

“Merningar Elder, Lynette Knapp, is just one of the people who’s opened up a world of 

knowledge to me. We’d go for a walk and I’d ask her about various plants. Her memory 

is incredible and her knowledge is compelling and encoded in her head like a book. 

She’d tell me the plant’s name in her language, its significance, uses and seasonal 

changes. I’d then tell her the plant’s Latin name and other biological information so that 

there’s a genuine exchange of knowledge.” 

Steve adds that his current research has given him a profound insight into the Albany 

area and it’s reminded him of what a humbling experience it is to be a scientist. It has 

also reinforced in him the realisation that Western science is not at the forefront of 

knowledge; it’s purely playing catchup to the knowledge of those that were here way 

before Europeans arrived. 

TOP LEFT: Steve with his wife Chris at Kew Gardens. MID LEFT: Steve meeting Queen Elizabeth II 

at Kew Gardens in 2009. LEFT: Steve also worked with Sir David Attenborough on his Kingdom of 

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8 LOVE LOCAL

ALBANY FARMERS MARKET 

Spring at the Markets 

taste 

STORY RUTH SPELDEWINDE | PHOTOS MARATUS MULTIMEDIA 

The stars of the spring season are making an appearance at Albany Farmers Market 

this month. Asparagus is always highly anticipated and is at its peak through October 

and November. You’ll find a choice of asparagus spears in different sizes at the Mount 

Serenity and Mostert’s Fresh Veggies stalls. 

Potatoes and asparagus are a classic combination, and the popular Norland potato is 

now available at the Bathgate Farm stall. It’s a heritage variety that is low in starch with 

excellent flavour, and ideal for boiling, microwaving or steaming, and great in salads. 

December, including blueberries, cherries and stone fruits. 

Add some spring produce to your market shopping along with the fantastic range of 

produce available year-round including milk, yoghurt, bread, lamb, fish, chicken, lots of 

fruit and veggies and more. Shop locally, enjoy the freshness of seasonal produce and 

get to know the people who grow your food at Albany Farmers Market. 

BELOW: Jeni and Lucy from Bornholm Growers holding macadamias from the family farm. 

The velvety crunch of Macadamias is one of the pleasures of the season. Pick some up 

at the Bornholm Growers stall, where everything is grown, harvested and packed by 

Jeni and her family at their local farm. 

Strawberries are plentiful this time of year and the Handasyde’s stall draws a crowd 

eager for their delicious conventional and organically grown strawberries. 

There’s lots of new spring fare at Feltons Farms stall, including snow peas, sugar snap 

peas, broad beans, courgettes and zucchini. 

It’s the time to plant tomato seedlings and Southern Seedlings has your veggie patch 

covered with a big range, including heritage tomato varieties, so you can grow your own. 

Summerhouse Supplies will add take-home soups to their range, made using a range of 

spring vegetables sourced from our market farmers. 

Over the next few months keep an eye out for upcoming produce in November and 

Fresh and delicious seasonal produce 

directly f rom the farmers to you. 

WHAT YOU’LL FIND AT 

ALBANY FARMERS MARKET: 

HUGE RANGE OF VEGETABLES AND FRUIT – FRESHLY PICKED! 

• VEGETABLES 

• FRUIT 

• FARMED MEATS 

• SEAFOOD 

• DAIRY 

• BAKERY 

• JAMS AND SAUCES 

• SEEDLINGS 

• HONEY 

• EGGS 

• SPECIALTY GOURMET 

PRODUCTS 

• COFFEE 

• HOT FOOD 

• LIVE MUSIC 

WWW.ALBANYFARMERSMARKET.COM.AU | EVERY SATURDAY, 8AM-12 NOON, COLLIE STREET, ALBANY 

LOVE LOCAL 

9

taste 

ALBANY’S MKR DUO 

Chilli Mates Che Cooper and Dave Shorter 

STORY ALLEN NEWTON 

Che Cooper is proud to have been able to help shine a television spotlight on the 

beauty of Albany through his appearances on Channel 7 television series My Kitchen 

Rules. Che and his mate Dave Shorter were billed as the chilli mates on the reality 

cooking show which involved the production cast and crew coming to town to see the 

boys cook and show off some of Albany’s scenic beauty. 

Che owns award-winning hot sauce company Gods of Sauces which he runs from his 

Albany home. He is also a coeliac with two coeliac children who loves to cook glutenfree 

meals for friends and family. 

The 44-year-old was born in Bury just outside Manchester in England and came to 

Australia, directly to Albany 10 years ago with his wife Fiona. 

“We’d had enough of the UK and had some misfortunes as well. We lost a son due to 

Sudden Instant Death Syndrome (SIDS) a few years before coming over here and with all 

of that we needed a change,” Che says. 

With no family in Australia his wife who is a nurse responded to a recruitment ad from 

CraigCare and was offered the opportunity to work in places all around Australia. 

“I jumped online and said Albany looks the farthest place away so people wont come 

and visit us too often.” 

The couple had been living in a small regional town in North Yorkshire and Albany didn’t 

look too dissimilar. 

“We’ve never regretted it,” Che says. 

Much was made on MKR about Che and Dave’s love for chilli and the pair did their best 

to highlight spicy food. 

Che says he has been a fan of spicy food for as long as he can remember. He started 

making chilli sauces to use in a food truck he operated from 2018, but it became a 

casualty of the pandemic and is now up for sale. Rather than sit on his backside Che 

decided in 2020 to take a risk and put the sauces into production. 

“It was a risk well taken,” he says. 

“Just in two years we’ve won 15 awards from Australia, New Zealand and the United 

States. We’ve just won four awards at the Royal Sydney Fine Food Awards, a gold for 

Thai Jam and Thai Dressing Sauce, silver for Thanatos and bronze for Demeter.” 

Gods of Sauces now has 11 products in its line-up being made from the Cooper home, 

but Che says he is starting to look for suitable commercial premises and plans to expand 

distribution across Australia. 

He uses red cayenne chillies grown locally at Felton Farm in his sauce bases, but for 

 

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taste 

super-hot chillies he sources the fruit from Carnarvon. 

“Our sauces are made for the chilli head, but they still have the flavour and we also 

make milder versions for the guys who are foodies, but if you can’t cook, whatever you 

put our sauce on is going to add flavour and add a little heat to your meal. 

“We have a sauce for every type of person but are mainly based around Asian flavours 

and are all gluten free.” 

Che says that while promoting his sauces was part incentive for taking part in MKR both 

he and Dave were keen to show off their prowess. 

“It would have been nice to go one step further, but to be honest it was more about us 

two mates to see what we can do. Personally, I wanted to have some type of awareness 

around SIDS and if I’d won my winnings would have been donated to that charity. 

“It was fun, you don’t get to do things like this ever in a lifetime.” 

The show also created a bond between the cooks in his group. 

“We knew we had some weight on our shoulders doing this because we knew we had 

to conduct ourselves in the right way otherwise we’d embarrass Albany but we didn’t 

realise how much pride people would have for us. It was a very special thing.” 

Che says MKR also did the right thing by Albany. 

“A lot of footage was shown around Albany and Manu absolutely adored Albany and ate 

at quite a few of the restaurants.” 

Che says now it’s back to business as usual to keep developing Gods of Sauces across 

Australia and hopefully to move into commercial premises. 

“The plan for me is to keep increasing my skill set. But we’ll keep the doors open and 

see what’s next.” 

Gods of Sauces are available at various retailers around Albany. 

www.godsofsauces.com.au 

“They are like family, we’re that close we actually speak every day on WhatsApp and Dave 

and I have learned a lot more about each other and we’ve had some really fun times and 

been to parts of Australia we’ve never seen before and made new friends as well. 

“MKR has done a lot for us to be honest. 

“It’s definitely benefitted the business and we saw an increase in orders over the period 

of it being on the TV and an increase in awareness across Australia as well. It has helped 

this small business grow a bit and once it airs globally there’ll be more awareness 

around the world.” 

Che says MKR is also getting him recognised around Albany. 

“It’s quite entertaining, my kids don’t like coming out with me anymore, but we’ve had 

people asking for photographs and I’ve even had a couple of people ask for autographs, 

I’ve no idea why. 

“I was worried that people in Albany would think we only got to cook-off, but actually 

Albany is proud of us, we’ve had so many messages and so many people stopping us 

saying ‘you boys did awesome, you boys should have gone through to the next round’. 

“For us that’s really touching. 

BELOW: Che and Dave on the set of My Kitchen Rules 2022. 

RIGHT: Che tackles one of his award winning sauces. 

LOVE LOCAL 

11

spotlight 

EMMA DELLAR REPRESENTS 

Brains and Brawn 

STORY SERENA KIRBY | PHOTO SERENA KIRBY 

When we think of women’s sport, American Football is probably not the first one that 

springs to mind. But it’s certainly top of mind for Kentdale local Emma Dellar. Emma is one 

of those gutsy women who puts her body on the line every time she pads up and steps 

onto the field to play what is known in Australia as gridiron. She’s also darn good at it. 

Emma recently travelled to Finland as part of the Australian women’s team 

competing in the 2022 International Federation of American Football Women’s World 

Championships. Even though our Aussie team didn’t collect the trophy, they did achieve 

a first-time win against seasoned competitors, Sweden, in what is called a “donut”; a 

zero score for the Swedish team. 

“Sure, it would’ve been good to have got into the finals but simply being there and 

playing at that level is incredibly rewarding,” Emma says. 

But Emma is no newbie to sport at an elite level as she’s travelled much of the world in 

her previous sport -– BMX racing – and represented Australia seven times. 

“I grew up in Karratha and Tom Price and there wasn’t much to do so sport was a way of 

filling the after school hours. My whole family was into one sport or another and I was 

introduced to BMX by my sister and started racing when I was 14 years old. When we 

were older she and I travelled and competed together and it was a great way to spend 

time with each other.” 

After years of racing BMX, Emma chose to park her bike and switch sports. She took 

up the winter sport of Gaelic football then went in search of a summer sport. A fellow 

teammate suggested women’s gridiron which led Emma to be selected for the Curtin 

Saints, before going on to play for the Perth Broncos in the position of linebacker. This 

position suited Emma perfectly as it’s just as much about brain as it is about brawn. 

“Linebacker is an important defensive position. I need to work out what the other 

team is going to do next. They try to trick you into thinking they’re going to do one 

thing while actually setting themselves up to do something totally different. It’s both 

a technical and highly physical position. As the name implies, you’re right behind the 

centre line of play and strategy and strength are key. I see it as a combination of mixed 

martial arts and chess.” 

With Emma definitely being a bit of a brainiac it’s easy to see why she’s perfect as a 

linebacker. She excelled at school which led her to participate in the GATE (gifted and 

talented education) program. University followed and with a love of rocks fostered 

by her early years in the Pilbara and an interest in science, she went on to study 

geophysics. 

“I knew I wanted to study something in the science field but didn’t know there was such 

a thing as geophysics until I saw it in the uni’s course brochure. Not many people were 

studying this back in 2004 and I was the only female in the class to graduate.” 

12 LOVE LOCAL

spotlight 

OPPOSITE: Emma gears up on her property at Kentdale. 

ABOVE: Emma running onto the field for the World Championships in Finland this year. 

After spending 15 years with Rio Tinto, Emma now works for Fortescue in the role of 

principal geophysicist. 

“I work in the niche field of ‘down-hole geophysics’. I analyse and interpret the data 

from rock samples. It’s the perfect match for me as I’m definitely a data nerd,” Emma 

adds with a chuckle. 

Having moved to a beautiful bush block in Kentdale (halfway between Denmark and 

Walpole) a year ago, Emma now works remotely while buzzing up to Perth several days 

a month to do some face-to-face time at the company’s head office. This also gives her 

a chance to do gridiron training with the Broncos team and check in with her trainer 

and coach. 

“Working remotely is pretty easy and it’s more accepted by employers since Covid. We 

moved down here for the lifestyle and environment and as an idyllic place to raise our 

son. I train amongst the trees and in my home gym and my work desk is just a few steps 

away. Who can complain about that? Not me.” 

With the next women’s gridiron World Championships not held until 2025, Emma is 

unsure if she’ll try to make the team again. She’s still passionate about the sport and 

is now keen to form an alumni of players to help fundraise and gain grants to help the 

game become accessible to all. 

“Finance should not be a prohibitor to participation. All sports should be accessible to 

those that want to play them. I’d like to see more women play gridiron. As females we 

aren’t taught to enjoy and explore the physicality of our bodies.” 

Emma adds that, even if you don’t consider yourself an athlete, you can still play 

gridiron as there are actually positions on the team where you don’t move. Of course, 

you may find it hard to fight the urge to turn and run when a six foot, 120kg woman is 

hurtling towards you. 

You can find out more about women’s gridiron at www.gridironwest.com.au 

LOVE LOCAL 

13

create 

LINDA GRAY 

Painting What Isn’t There 

STORY SERENA KIRBY | PHOTOS SERENA KIRBY 

Many artists start their paintings with a subject or theme firmly fixed in their mind. Not 

Linda Gray; she starts with the colours. On a strip of art paper she’ll dab a single colour 

then add complementary hues that are shaped by her mood, inspiration and aesthetic 

sensibilities. The result is a colour chart which guides her to what she will paint. 

“It’s colour that draws people’s attention,” Linda says. “And my aim is to paint 

something that makes people happy; makes them smile.” 

For Linda, if the colour chart develops as a palette of blues and yellows, she’ll lean 

towards painting an ocean or beach theme. And, if the hues are complementary, yet 

highly random, she’ll paint something abstract. 

This method of creating a painting has been extremely successful and rewarding for 

Linda and there’s no doubt it’s helped her be a prolific artist. She paints around 50 

works a year and has sold around 800 paintings since she began in earnest 15-plus 

years ago. She also has what you would call ‘a bit of a following.’ 

“There’s a lovely woman in Perth who has 25 of my paintings and I know several other 

people who have more than one or two. My work always sells quickly and often before 

it’s finished. I also prefer to make my work affordable so they’re all priced under $600. 

This way more people can enjoy them as the aim is to bring happiness to people and I 

regularly donate paintings to worthy causes.” 

Linda’s desire to spread a bit of painterly joy is undoubtedly influenced by her 

upbringing. Her mother was a capable embroiderer and the young Linda would sit and 

watch as a picture would begin to take shape within the perimeter of an embroidery 

frame. 

Sadly, Linda’s mother died when she was nine and, with her father no longer on the 

scene, she and her siblings were separated and put into foster care. While Linda doesn’t 

dwell on her years in foster homes she acknowledges that it has shaped her painting 

style. 

“I used to paint as a form of escapism and was always a child with a wild imagination. 

When I paint I totally switch off and become absorbed in the work. I like to paint 

what isn’t there rather than what is. Some of my paintings are abstract but most are 

whimsical and many feature rows or clusters of little houses. I think this springs from 

my subconscious; of not having security at home as I was often moved from one foster 

home to another.” 

BELOW: Linda beside two of her recent pieces at the Riverfront Gallery in Denmark. OPPOSITE TOP: An example of one of Linda’s colour charts. OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Docks in Twilight, acrylic on canvas. 

14 LOVE LOCAL

create 

Linda was a stand out in art at school and says she’s grateful to the art teachers who 

encouraged and influenced her. As a logical progression she went on to do a diploma 

in art and design but less logical is that she ended up becoming an accountant and 

working in the legal and medical fields. 

“I married a lawyer and when we moved to Norfolk Island I started teaching art and 

craft and getting involved in various community art projects. I even did the window 

displays for retail shops. It was when we moved back to WA and to the Swan Valley that 

I really picked up the paintbrush in earnest. I’d exhibit at local vineyards and do stints as 

an artist in residence. That’s when people would see me working at the easel and buy 

the work before it was even finished,” Linda says laughing. 

The influence of Linda’s years as an accountant and administrator has led her to be 

highly organised and disciplined in her artistic work. Since moving to Denmark eight 

years ago she’s developed the strict habit of spending time in her studio every day, 

going with the flow, which could mean finishing a painting, creating a new colour chart 

or tweaking one she’s already done as these charts are carefully filed away for future 

reference. 

She’s also a regular winner of art competitions including Aurora’s own Christmas Cover 

Competition which saw her painting ‘Windmills of my Mind’ featured on the December 

2019 front cover. 

And while prompt sales and art prizes are welcome Linda really does paint purely for 

the joy of it. She says her greatest thrill is “creating something from nothing” and she 

has certainly achieved that, in more ways than one. 

Linda’s work is available through Denmark’s Riverfront Gallery. She also has a twiceyearly 

exhibition at Albany’s Three Anchors on Middleton Beach that’s held every April 

and November. 

www.lindagrayartist.com 

Welcome to the Riverfront Gallery 

Established in 2011 

Local and WA artists and artisans 

detail "east of albany" oil on board 102x122cm Shaun Wake-Mazey 

contemporary fine artworks 

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One of the region’s most important stops for artists and art lovers 

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6 HOLLINGS ROAD DENMARK 

0408 439 781 

LOVE LOCAL 

15

SPRING SEL 

A selection of fresh spring arriv 

vogue 

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16 LOVE LOCAL

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ABOVE: eb&ive gingham dresses, $115 each from Stamms Emporium. eb&ive white linen top, $105 

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RIGHT: Loobie’s Story blouse, $279 from Didis Boutique Denmark. 

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eb&ive blue dress, $145 from Stamms Emporium. eb&ive blue top, $95 from Stamms Emporium. 

eb&ive white pants, $130 from Stamms Emporium. 

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18 LOVE LOCAL

vogue 

LEFT, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Loobie’s Story blouse, $279 from Didis Boutique Denmark. 

Pure Western off-shoulder top, $85 from Trailblazers. Jump Linen top, $160 from The Hub on York. 

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LOVE LOCAL 

19

eflect 

SERGEANT FREDERICK CHAPMAN 

Albany Father Lucky to Escape Injury 

STORY ANNE SKINNER 

The crowd bellowed cheers and wives and mothers shed tears as the Albany Brass Band 

struck up the popular song “The Girl I Left Behind Me”. It was the night of Sunday 16 

August 1914 and Albany tradesman Fred Chapman had just said a final goodbye to his 

wife Blanche and their 17-month-old son George. As the 1500-strong crowd farewelled 

the first contingent of Albany volunteers at the Albany Railway Station, Blanche must 

have wondered if she would ever see her husband again. Her waving hand was soon 

lost to Fred’s view amid a forest of arms and flags as the train drew slowly out of the 

station. 

The men had marched from the army drill hall to the beat of the town’s band, the 

mayor had given a formal speech of farewell and now they were finally on their 

way, every newly-minted soldier aboard wondering if he would return. In the end, 

extraordinary good luck enabled Fred to serve four years in some of the thickest fighting 

at Gallipoli and in France and Belgium without sustaining a single injury. Ironically, 

illness would force him to miss the beginning and the end of the Australians’ part in the 

war everyone hoped would end all wars. 

Frederick William Chapman was born in 1883 to parents Rebecca and William Chapman 

in the English town of Hitchen. As a young man, he moved to Australia where he found 

work in Albany as a coach builder. In 1912, he married Blanche Payne and the couple 

set up house in the newly-created Robinson Estate on the western outskirts of Albany. A 

year later, their son George William was born. When war was declared in August 1914, 

30-year-old Fred decided he had to do his bit for his new country. 

He and the 29 other volunteers who left Albany that Sunday night were assigned to 

the 11th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force and immersed in intensive training 

at Blackboy Hill for the next two and a half months. The battalion embarked from 

Fremantle aboard the troopship Ascanius on 2 November, arriving in Egypt in time for 

Christmas and some unwelcome news: instead of being sent to fight with the British in 

BELOW LEFT: Frederick William Chapman at Blackboy Hill training camp. (Courtesy Norman Dowie) D00297. BELOW RIGHT: Near Le Barque, France: an unidentified Australian soldier looks back towards 

the old Australian lines from a captured German trench in the ‘Maze’. (Courtesy Australian War Memorial E00218) 

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20 LOVE LOCAL

eflect 

France, as the men had expected (and the British-born among them had hoped), they 

were to train in the desert for battle against a different enemy – Germany’s ally Turkey. 

When the 11th Battalion set sail from Lemnos on the evening of 24 April the following 

year, 874 Private Fred Chapman was missing from their ranks. A middle ear infection – 

the first of a series of illnesses he was to endure for the next four years – forced him to 

miss the Gallipoli landing. After his recovery he joined his battalion on the peninsula, 

fighting through the fierce battles of May and July. In August, the 11th played a pivotal 

role in the Battle of Lone Pine, which left the battalion at half its original strength. 

At the end of that month, Pte Chapman fell ill with pneumonia and was taken to hospital 

in Alexandria, Egypt. After later contracting gastritis, he boarded a hospital ship for 

England where he was admitted to the Graylingwell War Hospital near Chichester. The 

former mental asylum had been repurposed to care for soldiers amid the madness of 

war. On his recovery, Pte Chapman was sent to the Australian base at Perham Downs for 

further training ahead of deployment to France. Perhaps reasoning that this might be his 

last chance to enjoy his homeland, Fred decided to take a little unauthorised leave a few 

weeks later. He was sentenced to three days confined to camp, which probably seemed a 

fair deal to a soldier about to go into an uncertain future the trenches. 

Pte Chapman left for France on 21 August, the day his comrades in arms went into battle 

for Mouquet Farm. By the time he rejoined his unit a few weeks later, the 11th Battalion 

had moved to Poperinghe in Belgium, where their commander launched a comprehensive 

training regime covering physical fitness, weapons instruction, signals, repeated drilling 

and bayonet fighting, as well as scouting, patrols and route marches. The battalion spent 

the remainder of 1916 in the Ypres sector, before moving back to the Somme in late 

December, just as the worst winter in for decades descended on the Western Front. 

Pte Chapman’s leadership qualities became evident during 1917, a year of heavy 

fighting as the Allies pursued the Germans’ strategic withdrawal to the Hindenberg Line. 

By November he had been promoted to Lance Corporal. In March 1918, as the Germans 

mounted their long-planned Spring Offensive, he was promoted to Sergeant, before a 

final bout in hospital took him out of the fighting again, this time for good. Admitted to 

the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, Sgt Chapman was sent two weeks later 

to join No. 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott where he spent the remainder of the war. 

Returning to Australia in December, he rejoined Blanche and their son in Albany. 

Blanche passed away in 1927 and seven years later, on 18 June 1934, Fred joined her. 

Their son, George, served in the Second World War and died in 1984. 

Sources: 11th Battalion unit diaries, National Archives of Australia, Australian War 

Memorial, wartimememorialsproject.com, Trove. 

TOP: The 11th Battalion was part of the force that captured the village of Le Barque on 27 February 

1917 after driving back the Germans, who were retreating to the Hindenburg Line. The crucifix, 

made from a log fixed to the top of a telegraph pole, may have been a tribute to the fallen of the 

village. (Courtesy Australian War Memorial H02118) 

CENTRE: The hospital at Harefield, where Sgt Chapman was admitted in May 1918. Outdoor 

concerts helped raise morale among recuperating soldiers. (Courtesy Australian War Memorial 

P12670_015_001) 

BOTTOM: Soldiers are inoculated against Spanish influenza in the Senior Medical Officer’s hut at 

the No. 4 Command Depot AIF camp at Hurdcott before embarking to return to Australia in 1918. 

(Courtesy Australian War Memorial D00297) 

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LOVE LOCAL 

21

educate 

MORE THAN A TEACHER 

Ehsan Warasi’s Extraordinary Journey to Teaching 

STORY SERENA KIRBY | PHOTO SERENA KIRBY 

In a makeshift classroom without desks and chairs, and no qualified teacher, a young 

Ehsan Warasi knew from an early age that education was a privilege. 

Ehsan was just six years old when his family fled Afghanistan and headed to an Iranian 

refugee camp. The Warasis were part of the Shi’a Hazara community - Afghanistan’s 

most persecuted ethnic minority - and the community suffered from large scale 

massacres, kidnappings, killings, torture and imprisonment at the hands of the Taliban. 

Staying in Afghanistan was not an option. 

“We were considered illegal immigrants in Iran so weren’t allowed to go to any official 

school,” Ehsan explains. 

“Many of my teachers were just kids themselves and none had formal training so 

classes only went to Year 8. I never considered my education to be disadvantaged; you 

don’t know you’re disadvantaged if you have nothing to compare it with. My parents 

were illiterate but always encouraged us to learn and study. They were strong believers 

in the value of education.” 

After a decade in the camp Ehsan was at risk of being sent back to Afghanistan so he 

put his life in the hands of people smugglers to take him to Australia. The last leg of the 

journey was by boat from Indonesia and he spent 18 days drifting, often lost, on the 

ocean before being rescued by the Australian Navy and taken to Christmas Island. Ehsan 

had lost 10kg in less than three weeks. 

“Australian detention was better than Iranian refugee camps and it was in detention 

that I learnt English. That was important as it meant I could continue my schooling 

when I was granted permanent residency a year later.” 

On entering school Ehsan skipped Year 9 and 10 and went straight into Year 11. He 

excelled in his studies and finished with an ATAR score of 98 out of 100. Ehsan then 

went on to do a double degree in engineering and finance. 

“After I graduated I found I didn’t really enjoy working in the corporate world; it 

seemed all so meaningless so I joined Teach For Australia (TFA). It’s a not-for-profit 

organisation that works to address educational inequality. They offer people, with other 

qualifications, the chance to study teaching while actually working as a teacher in a 

disadvantaged school. I saw it as a chance to give back to the country that saved my life. 

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22 LOVE LOCAL

educate 

I’m a qualified teacher now, and no longer with TFA, and I’ve been at Denmark Senior 

High School since the beginning of the year.” 

Ehsan, now 28, says the decision to become a teacher was influenced by some of his 

own teachers. 

“I had a teacher in Iran who used to buy us pens and bring us food. She genuinely cared 

about us. One of my Australian teachers also inspired me through his sheer enthusiasm 

for the topics he taught. It’s because of him that I went on to study engineering. I had 

so much respect for him; he would lower himself to our level and wasn’t afraid to learn 

with us and take risks by not using any pre-packaged lessons so we were all learning 

together.” 

What Ehsan learnt he now brings to his own teaching practice and having been a 

volunteer support worker for refugee youths who’ve suffered torture or trauma he says 

he was particulary keen to teach teenagers. It’s important to add that Ehsan’s youth 

work also led him to be a finalist in WA’s 2014 Youth Awards. 

“Teenagers are so authentic, genuine and without a hidden agenda. I love creating 

‘ah-ha’ moments in the classroom and it’s great when my students succeed but it’s just 

as important to celebrate mistakes as that’s the first step to learning. I also really enjoy 

how they keep me up to date with popular culture,” Ehsan adds, grinning. 

Ehsan says teaching is an extremely impactful job as you can make a big difference in a 

young person’s life. 

“Teaching teenagers means always bringing your A Game and matching their energy 

and enthusiasm. It’s rewarding but some days I go home totally exhausted. I teach 

physics and maths and I want studying these subjects to be like a work out at the gym 

A teacher is far more than an 

educator; you’re a psychologist, 

carer, mentor, nurse and role model. 

It’s a lot of hats to wear. Ehsan Warasi 

mentor, nurse and role model. It’s a lot of hats to wear.” 

Recognising when kids are struggling is important to Ehsan and he says teenagers are 

very good at “flying under the radar” so his life experiences have given him incredible 

empathy for students struggling with life and learning. 

“Teaching is a privilege but so too is education. More than 100 million children 

worldwide don’t have access to education. I’d like kids to know how fortunate they are 

to be able to go to school.” 

Half of Ehsan’s family have not survived to see his achievements – including one of his 

brothers who lost his life in a separate attempt to flee to Australia by boat – but Ehsan 

doesn’t talk much about this. Instead he’s trying to build a new life based on triumph 

rather than tragedy. 

There’s no doubt that Ehsan Warasi is more than a teacher. He’s a living-lesson in 

resilience in the face of adversity. 

Thank a teacher: World Teachers’ Day is celebrated in Australia on Friday 28 October. 

- hard but good. A teacher is far more than an educator; you’re a psychologist, carer, BELOW: Ehsan Warasi in action teaching mathematics at Demark Senior High School. 

LOVE LOCAL 

23

promote 

NEW TOURISM AND TRADE 

MANAGER AT GSDC 

Glen Thompson Sees Opportunities for the Region 


It’s time for the Great Southern to take its rightful place on the world stage. 

That’s the view of Australia South West’s (ASW) and Great Southern Development 

Commission’s (GSDC) new Tourism and Trade Manager, Glen Thompson who believes that 

the region has been flying under the radar in terms of its export-ready world class produce. 

Glen’s newly created role represents a partnership between Australia’s South West, 

Austrade and GSDC and is about nurturing and developing export ready companies to 

reach out to overseas markets. 

Raised in Denbarker, and with extensive international marketing and trade experience 

Glen’s previous role involved relocating his family for five years to the Middle East to 

Dubai as Commercial Director for Spinneys, a high-end supermarket chain. 

He says it is like Coles or Woolworths, but the next level up. 

“It was very premium, they had 90 stores, purchasing produce from all over the world.” 

But produce from The Great Southern never made it into the stores, and that’s 

something he’s keen to change. 

Of his role in tourism, Glen says it’s about developing international scale to drive 

tourism into the region. 

That’s something he says is already starting to work. 

Glen and the team at the GSDC brought a group of 20 food and wine buyers from the 

Middle East, Asia and North Asia in May to sample the region’s produce and tourism 

opportunities. 

According to Glen the region benefitted from the trade mission which generated quite a 

lot of business. 

“When we brought these 20 buyers down, we took them out to The Gap, we took them 

out to Oyster Harbour and put them on the Kalgan Queen and they were just blown 

away,” he says. 

“I’ve been to Norway and Sweden, the top end of the Arctic Circle where it’s 

spectacular, but this is as good as anything.” 

Glen believes countries being targeted for trade opportunities and tourism overlap, but 

the biggest challenge in getting the Great Southern message across is about believing in 

ourselves and focusing energies on the right markets. 

GSDC is looking into a major international arts and culture festival in winter 2024, which 

Glen says will focus on markets like wealthy Singaporeans, people from Hong Kong, 

Vietnam and other South East Asian countries. 

He is also a keen supporter of trail development in the region and would like to see 

infrastructure built to support it. 

Whether it is from a tourism or a trade perspective Glen says the Great Southern has to 

be positioned carefully. 

While the region features many small to medium size businesses, it also has a number of 

bigger players including Mount Barker Chicken, Plantagenet Pork, Fletcher Meats, Leeuwin 

Coast oysters, and Futari Wagyu, which Glen wants to help extend their range overseas. 

“They are all creating amazing quality produce and it is a little easier to position yourself 

at that premium end in overseas markets who don’t want big volumes. 

“They are prepared to pay more, but don’t need big containers of produce which we 

don’t have, they just need air freight for beautiful product delivered on time. 

“That’s the focus and we need to get everybody in this region to think that’s the way we go.” 

Glen says smaller producers should realise they don’t need big markets. 

“There are markets within markets within markets. 

“You have Asia which is huge and South East Asia that is still massive, but within that you 

have food service and within food service you have fine dining which is the focus of what 

we want to do, we want our producers on the restaurant menus around those regions. 

“We don’t need them to get lost in the big markets of the U.S. or China.” 

Glen has plenty of experience in overseas markets and in produce. His earlier career 

includes working in Toowoomba in Queensland as marketing and sales manager for beef 

producer Stanbroke, which had more than $100 million worth of beef sales every year. 

24 LOVE LOCAL

promote 

That role involved developing direct relationships with customers. 

Prior to that he was regional manager for Southeast Asia and China for Meat and 

Livestock Australia. 

Growing up Glen’s family had farms out near Rocky Gully at Perillup and at Denbarker, 

growing mostly prime lambs. 

His return to the Great Southern is a bit of a homecoming. 

“My 93-year-old Mum still lives in Mount Barker, as she has done since 1968 and is 

doing well and my in-laws live in Albany, so this is a homecoming for me. 

“Albany is such an extraordinary place. From a global perspective Albany is one of the 

most amazingly beautiful places in the world.” 

Over the next year or two Glen says he is looking forward to putting the Great Southern 

on the national and international map for its amazing trade and tourism opportunities. 

“Whether it’s arts and culture or it’s amazing Indigenous history, that’s where we want 

to be positioned, at the premium end of tourism and trade, to attract the best people 

around the globe. 

“We are slightly undiscovered and people like that.” 

Glen says the region also needs investment to continue developing infrastructure. 

Harvest Road’s investment in aquaculture in the region, the opening of the new Hilton 

Garden Inn and the construction of the new hotel at Middleton Beach are a great start 

says Glen. 

“Investment in the region has probably turned the corner, but it needs to continue with 

an ongoing demand for high end hotels and sophisticated food experiences for visitors.” 

RIGHT: Glen Thompson, promoting the Great Southern’s trade and tourism. 

OPPOSITE: International visitors bringing trade and tourism opportunities to the Great Southern. 

vising the the Great Southern since 2012 

vising the Advising Great the Great Southern since 2012 2012 

Advising the Great Southern since 2012 

know and and understand the the rural sector 

know and understand the rural sector 

We know and understand the rural sector 

We know and understand the rural sector 

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Purchase of 

Agreements; 

farming properties, other 

Succession • Succession Planning; Planning; 

uccession Planning; 

Sale and and Purchase • Pre contract of of advice farming properties, other 

agricultural ale and Purchase of farming properties, other 

• business Succession assets assets Planningand and residential 

gricultural business properties; 

properties; assets and residential 

perties; • Personal Wills and Estate Planning 

roperties; • Pre contract advice; 

Pre contract contract • 

advice; advice; Probate and Estate Administration 

re contract • Personal advice; Wills and Estate Planning; 

• General Advice 

Personal Wills • Wills Probate and and Estate and Estate Estate Planning; Administration; and 

ersonal Wills and Estate Planning; 

Probate robate 

and and • 

and 

Estate General Estate 

Estate Property Administration; Law 

Administration; 

and and 

and 

General eneral 

Property Property 

Property 

Law Law 

Email: albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au 

www.wapropertylawyers.com 

Law 

agricultural business assets and residential properties 

• Sale and Purchase of farming properties, other 

agricultural business assets and residential 

Level 1, 184 Aberdeen Street, Albany • Telephone: (08) 9841 5634 


Email: albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au 


Level 1, 184 Aberdeen www.wapropertylawyers.com.au 

Street, Albany • Telephone: (08) 9841 5634 

Email: Email: albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au 

albany@wapropertylawyers.com.au 

LOVE LOCAL 


25

engage 

VIVIENNE ROBERTSON 

Reclaim the Void 


Vivienne Robertson has spent the last 10 years as Artistic Director of Denmark Arts but 

is temporarily trading her lush southern surrounds for the rugged Northern Goldfields. 

She’s following the kernel of an idea that began in 2013 when Vivienne was invited by 

Ngalia Aboriginal Elders to talk about art projects with them. That kernel has developed 

to the stage where she is pulling together 500 rug weavers from around the world to 

create 4000 to 5000 individual rugs to make a 100-meter diameter artwork that will 

spread across a disused mine site around Leonora. 

Her Reclaim the Void project got started when Ngalia Elders in Leonora expressed their 

pain at the gaping holes left in their country by the mining industry. 

“I just immediately saw one of those mining holes covered with a huge artwork that 

would tell the story of the country,” Vivienne says. 

She and Kado Muir who is the cultural custodian discussed the project over the ensuing 

years. 

“In late 2020 he said ‘it’s time, let’s do it’.” 

The project is partly funded by a $100,000 grant from philanthropic community group 

Arts Impact WA which opens up for a new range of grants for WA artists in December. 

Cultural custodians are being joined by community groups from around the world to 

complete the project which Vivienne hopes to unveil in spring next year or more likely 

in early 2024. 

Vivienne plans to hold an exhibition of example pieces of the rug creations along 

with photographs and film some cultural material and other exhibits and stories in 

partnership with the WA Museum, Boola Bardip in late 2023 or early 2024. 

“It will include a digital version to be able to zoom in on a rug and hear the story of that 

rug because so many of the people making rugs have beautiful stories,” Vivienne says. 

A ‘rugalogue’, a catalogue of each rug made is being put together with the stories, 

poems, images and words that makers may choose to accompany their rug. The final 

BELOW: Reclaim the Void Creative Director Vivienne Robertson. PHOTO Nic Duncan 

26 LOVE LOCAL

engage 

artwork will include the tapestry of stories of all the people who have contributed to it, 

and will be a story in its own right, of the collective love, respect, and wish to care for 

country. 

“We’ve got 25 schools involved who are actively taking it on and that’s increasing every 

week. In this last week I had three new schools come on board from around Australia 

and we have people overseas making rugs for us. 

I just immediately saw one of 

those mining holes covered with 

a huge artwork that would tell the 

story of the country. Vivienne Robertson 

“We have the first shipment of rugs from Illinois in America recently and there have 

been around 50 workshops that people have been running all over the country with a 

couple in America and two in New Zealand. 

“We’re inviting people to make a rug. All the details are on the website and they are not 

hard to make, even kids can make them. 

“We’ve chosen a technique where the rugs will be strong, but is easy for everybody to 

do and making them out of recycled fabric because we have this huge waste issue in 

Australia where we dump 500,000 tonnes of fabric and clothing every year. 

“I resigned from my job in part to give myself fully to this project and it is an act of love, 

but I have said I will say ‘yes’ to this – I didn’t really have a choice I don’t think – and 

that’s something that I’ve learned, when a vision comes through you, you’re really 

responsible for midwifing that vision into manifestation. 

“I’ve said yes to this, it’s something much greater than me but my role in it is pivotal 

and so I am just going to say yes to it. 

“There’s a thing about trusting the spirit of the project because early on when I realised 

it was a big project, I said it will either want to happen or it won’t want to happen, I’m 

not going to push this. 

“I’ll be there and I’ll steer it and there’s a lot of work I’m doing in the directing of it, but 

I’m not pushing it, if it doesn’t want to happen it won’t happen and I really do think that 

the project itself has its own energy. 

“So in one way it’s a responsibility but in another way it’s actually an act of myself 

trusting that there’s something bigger at play.” 

A cluster of rugs will make one dot in the artwork with the pattern determined by the 

cultural aspects of the work. 

Vivienne is searching for a backfilled mining pit where the rug can be laid over the pit 

and anchored to the ground. 

Applications for WA artists for Arts Impact grants of up to $100,000 open in December 

with more information at www.artsimpactwa.org 

More information on Reclaim the Void is available at www.reclaimthevoid.com.au 

BELOW: Reclaim the Void with rugmakers under a full moon. PHOTO Vivienne Robertson 

LOVE LOCAL 

27

what's on 

Albany’s Historic 

Whaling Station 

Spring has arrived on the South Coast and the Wildflower Garden and Wildlife Park at 

Albany’s Historic Whaling Station are bursting to life with beautiful blooms, new baby 

animals, and a range of wonderful springtime activities for all ages to enjoy. 

During the school holidays, go on the Gnome Hunt and see if you can spot all twelve 

gnomes waiting to be found. Hidden throughout the Wildflower Garden, the gnomes 

can be spied in trees and on the ground. With each gnome discovered, there will be an 

interesting insect fact ready to be uncovered. 

Then head to the Wildlife Park to learn about the unique trails left behind by some of 

the resident animals at the pop-up “Tracks and Scats Discovery Station”, an interactive 

exhibit on display for the duration of the holidays. 

At 12:30pm every Monday and Thursday this season, excluding public holidays, you can 

join a “Garden Highlights Walk & Talk” through the Regional Wildflower Garden. Each 

walk focuses on what is flowering and will give you an opportunity to discover some of 

our region's hidden treasures. 

Historic Whaling Station • Australian Wildlife • Wildflower Garden 

Albany Entertainment Centre 

& pvi collective present 

INSPIRED BY NATURE 

ART EXHIBITION & SALE 

Southern Art & Craft Trail 

24 September - 9 October 

Gallery open daily 

9:00am - 5:00pm 

a performance disguised as a pub quiz 

WATERCOLOUR & 

WILDFLOWERS 

Plein Air workshop with Ros Jenke 

29 September, SOLD OUT 

6 October, 10:30am - 3:00pm 

Bookings essential 

It’s time to test your 

knowledge about food! 

NOCTURNAL WILDLIFE 

PARK TOUR 

After dark guided tour 

27 & 29 September, 6:00pm 

4 & 6 October, 6:00pm 

Bookings essential 

From lab grown meat to 

farmers who need wives, 

pesticides to politics, old 

knowledge to new tech, 

eaters invites you to 

nourish your appetite 

for change. 

Experience the best of The Amazing South Coast at Australia’s last Whaling Station. 

Open 7 days 9am - 5pm (Closed 25 Dec) 

81 Whaling Station Road, Albany Western Australia 6330 

P. (08) 9844 4021 | E. reception@discoverybay.com.au 

discoverybay.com.au 

7 th & 8 th OCTOBER 2022, 7.30PM 

28 LOVE LOCAL

what's on 

Legacy 

Legacy is a hopeful reflection on the world 

that we have inherited from those who 

have come before us, and on the world we 

hope to leave for future generations. 

The exhibition is a vibrant collaboration 

between artists from the Great Southern 

Region and Northwest USA, and features 

work by Lynette Knapp, Jen Mitchell, Ruth 

Halbert, Chelsea Hopkins-Allan, Emma 

Washer, Clare Mitchell, Matt Blakers, 

Elizabeth Edmonds, Mandy Lindeberg 

(USA), and David Guterson (USA). 

19 September to 13 October, Vancouver 

Arts Centre. 

Yoga and 

Meditation 

Sessions for 

Exam Stress 

Are you currently studying for exams? 

Join qualified Yoga and Fitness 

Instructor, Rita Quayle, every 

Wednesday in October for free yoga 

and meditation sessions. These are 

aimed to assist you in reducing your 

stress and fatigue around exam time, 

while helping you increase your 

strength and flexibility. This is a City of 

Albany run event proudly supported by 

Rio Tinto. 

Register for as many sessions as you 

like as each one will focus on a new 

affirmation. Bring a water bottle and 

towel and mats will be provided. The 

sessions are open to ages 15 to 25 

years. 

For more information email 

commdevel@albany.wa.gov.au 

Every Wednesday in October 

LOVE LOCAL 

29

WHAT’S ON - OCTOBER 

ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 

9844 5005 | ALBANYENTERTAINMENT.COM.AU 

THE BLUE ROOM THEATRE, SCOTT ELSTERMANN 

& SHONA ERSKINE PRESENT 

TICKETS! 

what’s on 

Bang! Bang! 

MURDER, MELODRAMA AND WES ANDERSON: 

A THEATRICAL DANCE DOUBLE-HEADER 

ON AT AEC 

14 OCTOBER AT 7.30PM 

“A fun and innovative translation of film to dance...” 

- PERTH WALKABOUT 

“...fast, furious and riveting...pure delight” - SUBIACO POST 


& A WA YOUTH THEATRE COMPANY COMPANY PRESENT 

PRODUCTION 

26 NOVEMBER - 14 DECEMBER 

THE BLUE ROOM THEATRE, NORTHBRIDGE 

A YOUNG LIFE ON THE SPECTRUM: 

TICKETS BLUEROOM.ORG.AU 

A STORY OF YEARNING & OPTIMISM 

eaters 

eaters is a rowdy performance cunningly disguised as a pub quiz that seeks some 

common ground for the future of food. From the people who grow it, to the ones that 

consume it, along with the powers that control its production and future survival, we all 

have skin in this game. 

In this show the audience is invited to grab a pint from the bar, boot up a phone and 

take a seat with their teammates. Then it’s game on. 

ARCO SNR (AGES 15+) 

20 & 21 OCTOBER AT 7.30PM 

ARCO JNR (AGES 7+) 

20 OCTOBER AT 4PM 

BangBangA3.indd 1 

16/10/19 7:52 pm 

Commissioned by the Wired Lab in regional NSW, the initial research for the 

performance included interviews with farmers working on the frontlines of Australia’s 

drought and was developed to provide insight into the world of agriculture from the 

perspective of farmers, First Nations experts, authors, physicists, conservationists, and 

eco-activist to question if a change of diet and farming practices can ensure the future 

of the planet. 

20 & 21 OCTOBER 2022 


7.30PM | BOX OFFICE 9844 5005 

ALBANYENTERTAINMENT.COM.AU 

INCLUDES POST-SHOW Q&A 

RECOMMENDED AGES 15+ 

A WA Youth Theatre Company production. The 2022 Regional Tour of ARCO has been supported by 

Playing WA as part of the State Government’s Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program 

22 OCTOBER 

AT 7.30PM 

FLIP OVER FOR ARCO JNR 

Jam-packed with the sobering facts of our current model and brimming with dark 

humour and irreverence, eaters is a hopeful look to the future, and a good night out. 

Showing on 7 and 8 October at 7.30pm. 

SandSong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert 

Australia’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company, 

Bangarra Dance Theatre, is delighted to bring the profound and deeply powerful 

production of SandSong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert to Albany Entertainment 

Centre as part of its 2022 Regional Tour of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. 

Under the vast Kimberley sky, the red pindan dust stretches across the desert 

homelands of the Walmajarri, where the ancient knowledge of people and of country is 

preserved through songlines that have endured for hundreds of generations. 

At the heart of this land is the Living Water – Jila – that resides in desert waterholes 

across the region and is the basis of cultural beliefs and practices. SandSong tells the 

unique story of this place and the survival of its people. 

BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE 

TICKETS SELLING FAST! 

DATE – DATE 2022 

VENUE 26 OCTOBER NAME HERE 

AT 7.30PM 

BOOK NOW 

url.here.com 

SandSong is a journey into ancient story systems framed against the backdrop of everchanging 

government policy and of the survival of people determined to hold strong to 

their culture. The work honours the legacy of Ningali Josie Lawford-Wolf and her family 

– past, present and future. 

Created by Bangarra Dance Theatre in consultation with Wangkatjungka/Walmajarri 

Elders from the Kimberley and Great Sandy Desert regions, SandSong draws on 

the stories, knowledge and memories of the past to create a new narrative for our 

Indigenous futures. 

Showing on 26 October at 7.30pm 

30 LOVE LOCAL

gig guide 

Everything we put in the Gig Guide is correct at the time of 

printing, to the best of everyone’s knowledge. But be warned, 

things can and do change. 

WHO + WHAT WHERE WHEN 


Vivaldi Master Works Albany Entertainment Centre 1 October, 7.30pm 

eaters Albany Entertainment Centre 7 and 8 October, 7.30pm 

Bang! Bang! Albany Entertainment Centre 14 October, 7.30pm 

Perth Comedy Festival Showcase Albany Entertainment Centre 15 October, 8pm 

The Toni Childs Retrospective Albany Entertainment Centre 16 October, 7pm 

ARCO Junior Albany Entertainment Centre 20 October, 4pm 

Tony Gelati the Musical Albany Entertainment Centre 22 October, 7.30pm 

Sandsong: Great Sandy Desert Albany Entertainment Centre 18 October 7.30pm 

EXHIBITIONS 

Mill Art Group Spring Exhibition The Gallery, Denmark CRC to 9 October 

Felt – Form and Function Vancouver Arts Centre to 9 October 

Artability Vancouver Arts Centre to 9 October 

Silhouette Vancouver Arts Centre to 9 October 

Nicci Romanovsky Vancouver Arts Centre to 9 October 

Cleverman Museum of the Great Southern to 9 October 

Legacy Vancouver Arts Centre to 13 October 

Tony Windberg Albany Town Hall to 28 October 

Ben Francis – Plethora Denmark Art Club 1 to 9 October 

FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS 

Australian Welsh Male Choir Wesley Church, Albany 1 October, 2pm and 7pm 

Bach in October St Leonard’s Church, Denmark 2 October, 3pm and 6pm 

2022 Southern Art & Craft Trail Various Great Southern to 9 October 

Great Southern Ability Festival Albany Entertainment Centre 14 October, 10.30am to 4pm 

Green Fair on the Square Albany Town Square 29 October, 10am to 2pm 

Great Southern Business Awards Albany Entertainment Centre 29 October, 6.30pm 

Kinjarling Permafest lison Hartman Gardens, Albany 29 October, 10am to 2pm 

MARKETS 

Make a Scene Pop-up Gallery Patterson’s Arcade, York Street Each Mon to Sat, 10am-4pm 

Albany Farmers Market Collie Street, Albany Every Saturday 8am to noon 

Stirling Terrace Indoor Markets Old Auction Room Every Sat and Sun 9am to 3pm 

Centennial Markets Centennial Park, Albany Every Sat and Sun 9am to 1pm 

Albany Boatshed Markets The Boatshed, Princess Royal Drive Every Sunday, 9am to 1pm 

Kwoorabup Community Markets Steiner School Hall, Denmark Every Sunday, 10am to 2pm 

Kendenup Town Hall Markets Kendenup Town Hall 8 October, 9am to 1pm 

OTHER 

Film Harvest – Independent and Arthouse Films Orana Cinemas Albany Every Wednesday 6.15pm 

It’s FREE to promote your event in the 

AURORA MAGAZINE Gig Guide! 

If you would like to be included for the November edition, 

contact us at gigguide@auroramagazine.com.au before the 

5pm Sunday 23 October deadline. 

October COMEDY 

SHOWSfrom SPECTRUM 

Aidan Jones - Taco 

Stand Up Comedian Aidan Jones tells 

a touching but hilarious tale of his 

family relationships following meeting 

his biological father in his adult life. 

Aidan has recently returned from the 

Endiborough Fringe Festival with this 

show. 

On 1 October, Tickets $20 each 

- From Paperbark Merchants 

EVERYBODY’S BEEN ON 

ALBANY’S RIVERBOAT! 

www.albanyaustralia.com 

9am Full 36k, 4 hour “SHELTERED WATER CRUISE” 

Billy tea, coffee, wildlife & 

Captain Kalgan’s famous HOT damper. 

Aussie seniors $95 - we reckon you’ve earned the discount 

BUT IT REALLY PAYS TO BOOK 

THEATRE 

Jezz Watts - Jokes 

about Sex and Death 

(And No Other Topics) 

The title sells itself - Sex and Death - what's 

funnier? A brilliant merge of the best of 

many of Jezz' stand up shows to present the 

highest quality material for the audiences! 

On 7 October, Tickets $25 each 

- From Paperbark Merchants 

9844 3166 

Not so rough, 

it’s only 

PLUS 

Natural Raw 

Honey Tasting 

Great Southern WA Permaculture brings you 

Albany's second permaculture festival - 

designing beyond sustainability. 

Learn what permaculture is, why it matters and 

how it's practiced in the Great Southern region 

of WA. Meet local permies. Spark hope, inspire 

action, increase resilience, celebrate diversity. 

earth care * people care * fair share 

live music kid's activities 

market stalls poetry readings 

workshops food & coffee 

Together 

with: 

LOVE LOCAL 

31

ESSENTIALS FOR AN ECO FRIENDLY 

HOME AND LOW WASTE LIFESTYLE 

LOCAL. 

LOW WASTE. 

SUSTAINABLE. 

package-free • weigh and pay • reusable products 

Compostable alternatives 

of everyday products 

It’s Spring! A great time to tidy up the garden and try new 

eco friendly products that won’t end up in landfill – thanks 

to the the City of Albany’s new FOGO composting program! 

For the kitchen • cotton knitted or crocheted cloths 

corn starch sponges • sandwich bags • bin bags 

replaceable wood dish-brush heads • safix and loofah 

For personal care 

natural rubber and cotton hair ties • corn starch floss 

potato starch face and body sponge [konjac] 

bamboo toothbrush • bamboo cotton tips 

Lifestyle 

garden twine • doggo poopy bags • disposable gloves 

SHOP IN OUR ONLINE STORE 

MON-FRI. 8.30AM-5PM // SAT. 9AM- 1PM 

9 MINNA ST, ALBANY // 08 9841 6171 

ALBANYECOHOUSE.COM.AU

Issue 51 Aurora Magazine October 2022

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