An Interesting Day in Pinjarra

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Pinjarra, a country town on the banks of the Murray River, is 82km (51 miles) from Perth. It is one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia. The name Pinjarra is thought to be a corruption of the Aboriginal word beenjarrup, meaning place of the swamp.

Early settlers met with resistance from the local Aboriginal people. In 1834 this resulted in the Battle of Pinjarra, one of Australia’s worst recorded massacres.

In 1974 Alcoa established a major alumina refinery in the area greatly increasing the population of Pinjarra and nearby Mandurah on the coast.

We’d often pass through the town heading south but hadn’t stopped to explore for many years. It was an easy drive from Perth to Pinjarra on the Forrest Highway.

the evandale complex

Arrived at the well sign posted Evandale Complex, a group of buildings once belonging to the McLarty family. We parked and headed off to the first building. The garden above faces the main road into the town and is in front of the old school master’s house and the school. The school master’s house is now the home of the Murray Districts Historical Society.

The garden at the front of the School Master’s house is mainly planted with roses, including this stunner. Unfortunately, there’s no labels or site maps identifying the names of the roses. A site map for the entire complex would have been so useful! The lady in the shop thought they had one, but couldn’t find it.

Beautiful, well established roses and no signs of chili thrip!

Classic country school, designed by George Temple Poole (1856 -1934). He was responsible for designing many public buildings in Western Australia including Post Offices, Courthouses, Police Stations, Hospitals, the original Art Gallery in Perth, the original Museum, the Swan Brewery (now offices, apartments and a restaurant.) There are schools just like this one all over the state.

There’s more information about Temple Poole’s public buildings on this blog about Beverley, another old settlement in Western Australia. https://www.makecookgrow.com/2019/08/visiting-beverley-western-australia/

This spacious and fully restored four room school building is now the home of a group of patchworkers. Many of their beautiful works are for sale. There’s also interesting photos on the wall showing groups of former school children.

Autumn began eight weeks ago in the southern hemisphere, but this was the first real sign for me! Bulbs germinating in a garden bed near the carpark. Lovely.

The Art Gallery featuring works by local artists. This building, Liveringa, was built in the 1860s and is one of two homesteads on the property.

I did as directed: I drank coffee! Did I do stupid things? Not saying.

The museum is absolutely full of fascinating relics from another era when so many things were made at home. This is an Aladdin’s cave of treasures. Much of the machinery on display is still in working order. Most of the collection originated in the local district. We were accompanied throughout the workshop by a guide. She was so well informed and interesting.

Onto the shop featuring arts and crafts made by locals. Lots of treasures.

The shop and on the right, the end of the meeting room adjoining a big pottery area. So many areas for craft men and women to work, store their materials and display their products. So many interesting crafts people working at this site.

The original homestead built in 1888 and featuring wide verandas to protect the rooms from the harsh sunlight. It is now set up as tearooms. The rest of the building seemed to be storage and more meeting rooms. There are more tables at the back of the house, too.

This is the tearooms. It is where we had lunch, sitting outdoors overlooking a beautifully maintained garden leading up to the main road. There was a light breeze and it was pretty and peaceful.

I enjoyed a very good traditional quiche with not traditional chili dipping sauce.

My husband settled for a pot of tea and a scone with jam and cream which he really enjoyed. There is a limited menu with salad rolls and sandwiches, pies, cakes, hot chips and the wonderful quiche.

Then we set off to look around the town. I enjoyed visiting the new shopping centre. My husband sat in the car and read the paper.

Other buildings of interest include the old post office, on the main street, another Poole designed building. There’s several cafes offering lunch and snacks, some of the usual fast food places and some interesting shops along the main street.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Australian Alps get more snow than the Swiss Alps.

Eighty percent of Australians live on the coast of Australia.

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A Day Sightseeing In Bunbury and Scam Awareness Week

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A DAY IN BUNBURY

Bunbury is a city in the south west of Western Australia with a population of over 170 000 people. It is the third largest city in WA. Founded in 1873, Bunbury was established as a port for imports and exports and continues to support a thriving economy. Although I grew up near Bunbury and my school life began there, it is a long time since I have lived there so when I had the opportunity recently to explore the town, I gathered some information and set off!

The timber industry has played an important role in the region since settlement.

There’s so much to see in Bunbury. If you’ve only got a day to wander, start with street art. There’s really interesting street art both in the main streets and in surrounding streets and laneways,too. In two and a half hours I saw many works on buildings and also had a lovely look around the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery. There is an enormous amount of street art in Bunbury. I only covered three blocks in the town centre but intend to return and look at more works in the near future.

To plan your day drop into the Bunbury Information Centre for this brochure:’ OUTSIDE THE BOX, Rediscover A Walking Urban Art Trail’ or click below for more suggestions.

15 Must Dos in Bunbury

Now the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, this building was formally the Sisters of Mercy Convent School. Built in 1897, the Chapel was added in 1923. The City of Bunbury bought the convent in 1981.

A reminder of the original purpose of the building, a nun’s cell. Very small and simple but the cells opened onto a wide verandah and had beautiful views across the town to Koombana Bay.

One of the exhibitions was a large table set with works by local potters. I really liked this one!

So many coffee opportunities in Victoria Street but the most impressive feature was the many, many cafes offering lunch menus. There’s Korean, Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Italian and more. There’s also several hotels/pubs advertising lunch and dinner. I had the ‘lunch special’ with a pot of tea at a Chinese restaurant for $13! Good food, good service.

The Rose Hotel, built in 1865.

Wandering around I also took a couple of photographs of interesting buildings. The other noticeable thing was the number of new, big office buildings beginning to dominate the skyline. For more information on older buildings go to the Bunbury Information Centre and collect the brochure Bunbury Heritage Building Trail full of notable buildings and lots of interesting history.

I knew this building well as my Uncle Eddie had his law firm here.

There’s masses of free two hour parking all around Bunbury on the streets and in car parks. You display a ticket on the dashboard. You can pay at the same machines if you’re planning on staying for longer than two hours.

The other ‘don’t miss’ thing if you have limited time is the Dolphin Discovery Centre on Koombana Bay, a beautiful stretch of beach close to the town. Here you will find everything you ever wanted to know about Bottlenose Dolphins! The centre offers eco cruises, swimming experiences, 24/7 livecam of the beach and offshore reef tank, plus a cafe and bar.

The research done here informs universities, government departments and other partnerships as they monitor the marine environment.

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scam awareness week

Unfortunately, the stigma attached to being scammed prevents many people from talking about their experiences. In some cases, those conned are even reluctant to seek help in recovering their stolen money. Data released by Bankwest shows more than $18 million dollars was stolen by scammers in the past year. Three quarters of the reported cases involved people over 45, while a third involved people over 65. Just 15% of cases involved 18-34 year olds.

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So what can you about it?

*To avoid the most common scams, never allow remote access to your computer, such as tech support, unless you made the contact and requested help.

*Also, be very, very cautious around cryptocurrencies. Many show you are increasing your wealth until you want to withdraw money and then they disappear! If you’re interested in investing in cryptocurrencies deal through a local bank.

*Keep your software up to date and use strong passwords.

*Keep your personal information private. Don’t share this information with anyone.

*Make sure any online shopping sites you use offer secure technology. Take the time to read the small print so that you know how your shared information will be used.

*Don’t engage with cold call marketing.

*If you get a phone call or text saying you owe money and you’re told to log on to an address to check or pay your account, don’t do it! Check your own records if you are at all worried you may owe money or else ignore it.

This is SCAM AWARENESS WEEK, so seek more detailed information online from government sources about avoiding scams.

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A Break Down South

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WHAT TO DO IN BUSSELTON

All the Open Studio information was online but I found the hard copy easier for us to plan our visits.

We love going Down South, the region beyond Bunbury along the south-western coast of Western Australia. Before setting off for our break last week we researched the artists we wanted to visit as part of the Margaret River Region Open Studios program. We found the guide’s recommendation to visit five to seven studios a day to be just right. The artists we visited were inspiring and we liked so many of the artworks we saw. I will be looking regularly to see if any of my favourites are offering workshops.

Adobe Stock

We stayed at a resort in Busselton. Once a sleepy little town famous for its 1,840m long wooden piled jetty, built in 1865, Busselton is now a vibrant and exciting place to visit. It spreads along the Indian Ocean coastline. There’s lots to see and do at the jetty including traveling on the jetty train, visiting the Underwater Observatory and the Interpretive Centre and Museum, going on Undersea Walks, enjoying a canoe tour and other seasonal activities.

Nearby the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse is packed with information and a whale watching platform (I was thrilled to see a whale breach earlier this year). There is also the Tuart Forest National Park and Ngilgi Cave and so many vineyards,breweries, specialist coffee roasters and the Chocolate Factory. Plus, all the artists!

The City of Busselton Council has just announced the development of a $38 million dollar Performing Arts and Convention Centre. The multi functional building will be integrated within existing art venues, between the foreshore and the town. The Council intends to promote Busselton as the events capital of Western Australia.

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EATING IN BUSSELTON

The biggest change we noticed in Busselton was the food available. The restaurants and cafes offer such a diverse range of high quality and innovative food. The availability of beautiful local seafood was apparent .(Export markets have diminished due to CV-19) We ate great lunches and even went out for dinner one night but the other nights we resorted to our usual ‘bed’ picnics, not actually eaten in bed! These fairly light meals usually involve cold meat, cherry tomatoes, cheese, crackers and seasonal fruit in our accommodation.

Bistro Breton is a small bistro on the main street of Busselton. They offer typical Breton buckwheat (naturally gluten free) crepes and other French cuisine. We saw it mentioned online, made a lunch booking and are so glad we did as the food was very good. I had a Gratin de St Jacques, ( above) grilled scallops with a traditional Breton sauce. It was served with hand cut chips and salad leaves with a French vinaigrette. I’d return to Busselton just to eat this again! My husband had La Galette Saucisse, a traditional Breton sausage with onion fondue, potatoes, a French mustard sauce and salad leaves. He really enjoyed the rich flavours.

We wouldn’t normally have dessert at lunch but those on the menu were irresistible! I had La Tatin, a crepe with butter caramel sauce on apple, with chantilly cream and vanilla gelato. My husband had La Poire Belle-Helélène, poached pears, almonds, chantilly cream and vanilla gelato. Both delicious!

Followed by some good coffee and we were very pleased with our lunch and would recommend this bistro.

Dinner at Stilts, a casual venue with sea views, a pathway to our accommodation and great food! We shared three dishes. I really enjoyed the Scallop Tataki with XO sauce, avocado and a tapioca cracker and also the Kingfish creviche with hot sauce and grapefruit which was delicious!

The Grilled Octopus, with lemon myrtle, macadamia and garlic puree (above) was perfect! Also had shared a Boozy Coffee cake. Very rich but very nice!

Small but interesting menu, pleasant service, good wine list, great view so we’ll be back.

Our last night and a very small picnic dinner. Well, a mug of Simmo’s fine icecream actually and some leftover goats cheese.

STAYING IN BUSSELTON

There is every sort of accommodation available, too, from quite modest through to quite grand. Depends on your budget but it is apparent many people are holidaying within the state as we can’t travel overseas at this time. So many places are booked up for months ahead. We booked some time ago. I like to hear the waves crashing at night and I was not disappointed. Our stay in Busselton coincided with stormy weather!

Walkway from our unit to the beach.

Cold and windy on the beach, but beautiful, too.

SHOPPING

Hadn’t considered Busselton as a shopping destination but I discovered all the shops I never go to as they are geographically nowhere near where we live! So, visited Aldi, K-Mart and Spotlight and was very pleased with my purchases. There’s also a number of art and craft supply shops and many independent traders. Worth a wander around.

Did you know? Busselton was named after a family of early settlers, the Bussells, who established a farm there in 1835. The settlement was gazetted as a town in 1847.

Today is International Coffee Day, so that’s easy to celebrate, isn’t it?

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Visiting the Margaret River Region Open Studios

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Going ‘Down South’, the area south of Bunbury is always a lovely break but this time it has been great! The Margaret River Region Open Studios programme runs from 11th -26th of September and is a wonderful opportunity to view the works of many fabulous artists. The program covers four different areas and features over 140 local artists. The four regions are Busselton, Dunsborough, Cowaramup and Margaret River and their surrounding areas. It claims to be the biggest art event of this kind in Australia.

With over a 140 artists in their studios offering insights into their works we needed to make a manageable list as we only had a few days. Although the program was online I went to a local art shop and got a hard copy so we could both read everything on offer and choose those we most wanted to see. Then we were able to create a schedule of artists we wanted to visit in each locality.

Many art forms were on display. There were painters, textile workers, ceramicists, jewellers, printers, book makers, photographers, furniture makers, sculptors, tattoo artists and more. The south west is hopping with artistic talent. It was hard selecting the studios to visit but we were really pleased with the artists we chose. We have no room for more art works at home but had to resist temptation to buy quite often!

The artist were friendly and welcoming and willing to discuss their inspiration, approach to producing works and their stories about settling in the south west. Here are just thirteen of the artists we visited.

DOROTHY DAVIES Dorothy produces beautiful still life paintings mostly with botanical themes. Her designer background is evident in her orderly, calm paintings. Her works are detailed and lovely.

STEVE VIGORS Steve mostly paints landscapes and seascapes. He is inspired by the beauty of the south west and I thought his seascapes were wonderful. Steve does great waves!

GLORIA HAYDEN Gloria makes quirky little books using recycled and new paper. Her background as a librarian is evident in the books’ bindings and each has whimsical secret patterned pages and tiny envelopes. So pretty!

CHRISSY WELDON Chrissy’s botanical paintings are detailed and accurate. They are very beautiful. These delicate botanical paintings reveal her love of nature, detail and colour.

HEIDI EMMA Heidi Emma is a painter and mixed media artist. Her still life paintings are awash with light, colour and energy. I loved her botanical still life paintings, my husband favoured her seascapes

ADAM ASHDOWN I was so intrigued by Adam’s printing process I forgot to take a photograph of him! He has mastered the traditional Japanese method of printing fish, Gyotaku. Using traditional sumi ink and mulberry bark paper, Adam relies on a wet mounting technique known as urauchi. He creates very beautiful images of fish, before eating them!

The sargent baker fish was shaped and arranged within a foam template carefully cut to support its shape and fins.

The fish is wiped dry before Adam applied the water based ink to it, reducing the amount of ink on places where the fish was naturally lighter in colour.

The printing paper is applied to the fish and Adam gently rubs over the shape, ensuring he has captured the features such as the fins and tail. He will do several prints of the fish, reapplying ink where necessary.

These fish prints are very detailed and attractive. I found the process and Adam’s explanations fascinating! I keep thinking about these fish prints, not only because I’d really like to do one myself but I’d like own one of his.

MOLLY COY Molly’s beautiful, tactile, multi -media books feature her artwork plus typography created on a vintage tabletop letterpress. An Aladdin’s cave of treasures!

KARMA SHATTOCK Karma enjoys the unpredictability of painting in watercolour. She likes painting the Australian landscapes but I really liked her paintings with blue and white china and flowers. They were gorgeous!

MARTINE PERRET A photojournalist, Martine’s exhibition was mostly aerial photographs of landscapes. These are intriguing photographs. They made me think of traditional Aboriginal paintings in colour and shape. I found these photographs fascinating.

ELIZABETH WHITEMAN Elizabeth works with paint and textiles. She mainly paints landscapes and lovely, ethereal portraits. Her paintings are full of light and are very beautiful.

STUART MCMILLAN Stuart is a multidisciplinary artist working with paint, photography, sculpture and print media. I enjoyed his colourful, energetic works.

FI WILKIE Fi paints the flora and fauna of the south west of Western Australia. Her botanical works are an explosion of colour and wonderful energy. She also teaches drawing, painting and collage. Her works are original and vibrant and I loved them!

CHRISTINE CRESSWELL Christine paints beautiful and delicate watercolours of well known exotics and wildflowers endemic to the South West. Her paintings are detailed and calm and so pretty.

The Margaret River Region Open Studios program is an annual event. We will watching out for next year’s dates. There are so many interesting artists participating and I was disappointed we could only fit visits to thirteen studios. This was a wonderful break down south.

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Cezanne, The China Room, Cooking and Sewing

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WATCHING

Cézanne SELF PORTRAIT (Depositphotos)

We are very lucky to live close to a cinema. It has parking at the back, too. On Sunday we went to see Cézanne: Portraits of Life, a documentary focusing on Cézanne’s many portraits. This documentary was filmed at the National Portrait Gallery in London, The National Gallery of Art in Washington and Musée d’Orsay in Paris with contributions from specialists and curators from each gallery.

There was lots of background information about his life in Aix -en- Provence and Paris, his wife and son and his perpetual letters to his father, requesting money. In fact, an enormous amount of his correspondence with family, other artists and friends was read throughout the documentary.

Many of us are more familiar with Cézanne’s landscapes, mostly painted in Aix-en-Provence but this film focused on his influence on modern art. His style of portrait painting, intending to capture the feeling of the subject rather than an accurate copy, is accredited with the development of the Modern Art movement.

Cézanne and also Van Gogh are considered the Fathers of Modern Art. Both are known for evident brushstrokes, avant garde perspective and vivid, bright colours. The influence of both painters was evident in the development of Fauvism and Cézanne’s works are considered the precursor to Cubism.

An interesting documentary and as close as we are going to get to artworks outside Western Australia for some time!

READING

The China Room by Sunjeev Suhota came well recommended and as usual, I borrowed it from the library. The story is based partially on his own family’s history and is well written. He writes about the arranged marriages of three brothers and the total subservience of the bought brides. They were virtual slaves to the mother and the three sons. The story is set in the early 1900s so I thought of it as past history, not as something that could happen now. Not an easy read but it was interesting.

Unfortunately, I also read about a local court case which concluded this week in Perth. An Afghani refugee entered into an arrangement with a man in Melbourne to’ buy’ the man’s 21 year old sister for $15 000. She was unwilling to come to WA and to marry the man but was forced to co-operate. Her husband felt she didn’t show him enough respect and the marriage is not consummated.

Eventually, after an argument, he picked up a kitchen knife and slashed her throat twice, then left her on the floor to die. He then rang her brother to tell him to come and pick up her body. In his summary the judge talks about the murderer’s sense of entitlement, that his wife should follow his demands, show respect and be totally available to him.

The Australian Federal Police say that the most common crime reported to them is human trafficking and slavery. It is conservatively estimated that 15.4 million women worldwide are living in forced marriages.

COOKING

Our two passion fruit vines went from healthy with flowers to dropping their leaves and looking awful. As they are now growing new leaves and look healthy again I am assuming the chilli thrip that decimated the roses also damaged our passion fruit. Luckily, a friend has shared her passion fruit! Delicious.

The new growth on the pruned roses is healthy and vigorous. I’ll be checking every day to make sure they are not under attack again. Apart from treating them I have added fresh potting mix to those in pots and fed them Seasol and added pea straw. Fingers crossed they remain healthy.

COOKING DUTCH CARROTS

Did you know carrots were purple until the late 15th century? Apparently the Dutch then hybridised orange carrots as a mark of respect for William of Orange who led the nation to independence. This belief is highly contested online!

Many recipes add honey to glazed Dutch carrots. I find them very sweet anyway, so prefer a recipe with garlic and rosemary.

Pre-heat oven to 200°C (400°F)

Begin by scrubbing the carrots and removing the foliage. You don’t need to peel them.

Line a baking dish with baking paper. Arrange the carrot in a single layer in the tray, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle on a chopped garlic clove and salt and pepper.

Roast carrots for 15 minutes, sprinkle with chopped rosemary and return to the oven for 15 minutes or until they begin turning golden and caramelising on the edges. Serve hot. Delicious.

OTHER TREATS

Our son visited one of his favourite pastry shops. We all benefited! Crisp, moist and a rare treat.

SEWING

We are having a cold, wet winter. Many of us have discovered draughts under our doors, never noticed before but now very cold and obvious. A while back I made draught excluders for my Mother (here) and this time my son requested two, one for his en suite door and one for the bedroom door. I made these out of the same remnant fabric I used before and filled them with fibre fill. They are very effective

I remember draught excluders on the farm where I grew up. They were heavy and not very flexible. I don’t know what they were filled with, but they lasted forever. Several people have suggested they were traditionally filled with sand or sawdust. Rolled up old towels could be used at a pinch. Everyone seemed to have ‘door sausages’ so maybe doors weren’t as well fitted, the winters were colder or there was less heating.

Did you miss International Orangutan Day yesterday?

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A Week of Verbs: Reading, Making, Buying and Painting

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READING

Really enjoy reading a good thriller and Kathy Reichs’s “The Bone Code” didn’t disappoint! She has written over twenty books in the Tempe Brennan series and they are all gripping, thrilling and a bit disturbing. A Forensic Anthropologist herself, her main protagonist works as a Forensic Anthropologist between Charlotte, North Carolina and Montreal, Québec, as does the author. Reichs is highly qualified and skilled at telling a great story. This book was also full of information about DNA. I really enjoyed it.

Also enjoyed Lily Brett’s ” Old Seems To Be Other People”. She has written six novels, nine books of poetry and four essay collections. Brett was born in the Feldafing Displaced Persons Camp in Bavaria. The family then came to Australia. She later moved to London as a journalist, back to Melbourne and finally, to New York where she lives with her husband, Australian painter David Rankin.

The daughter of Holocaust survivors, her works often focus on what it means to be Jewish. She frequently writes about the survivors of the death camps and the impact of this on their children and grand children. It is a theme common to all she writes, including her new book, “Old Seems To Be Other People”. This collection of 32 essays on ageing is witty, thoughtful and quite informative about NYC. A multi award winning author, Brett’s unique thoughts on getting older was an easy, funny and enjoyable read.

I hesitated before picking up Nina George’s “The Little French Bistro” because of the plethora of books with “Paris” or “France” in the title, intended to tempt the reader to buy a book they might otherwise leave on the shelf! Both words promise something special, mystical and stylish. This book is all that and more. A lovely surprise, this is the story of Marianne, who escapes after 41 years in a loveless marriage and finds a new life, new friends and hope in Brittany. This is a whimsical story with a happy ending, just like a fairy tale. Thoroughly enjoyed it and really liked reminiscing about our own holiday on the same stretch of Brittany’s coast.

As usual, these books were borrowed from the library.

MAKING

What do you do with a loaf of brioche that is nothing short of disappointing? De-core, peel and slice up three ageing apples and make an apple and brioche pudding! Layered buttered brioche and sliced apples with added currants in a casserole dish, poured over a jug of egg, sugar and milk custard. Sprinkled the top with nutmeg and weighted down the whole lot until the custard was absorbed. Cooked at 165º F for 45 minutes, delicious.

BUYING

I like all the pretty lacy, gathered, frothy nighties I see in shops and magazines, but I don’t want to wear them. I’m a fan of nighties that look like over grown T-shirts, prefer them without images or messages on the front and always look for 100% cotton. That’s the tricky bit! So I was really pleased when I found 100% cotton, patterned but fairly plain nighties and bought two for this winter. Unfortunately, they are not made in Australia but I’ll keep hoping and looking.

When I was a child my grandparents lived in a rambling old farmhouse along with my parents and brothers and myself. My Grandfather used a cologne called 4711. It was an eau de cologne so the scent disappeared quite quickly. So, wisps of the scent but not overpowering and not long lasting, either. I hadn’t thought about it for years until I saw a comment online about 4711 Aqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil eau de cologne.

I really like citrus smells. Not a big fan of candles and room sprays but I have both in various citrus scents. I cook a lot with lemon, lime and oranges. Also kumquat and grapefruit. So I set off to find 4711 Aqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil eau de cologne. Loved it! Started off with 50ml as a test, liked it so much I next bought 170ml. I spray it generously and enjoy little whiffs of the fruity scents throughout the day. Invigorating and refreshing. And a bit nostalgic.

PAINTING

Discovering painting lessons and demonstrations on ZOOM has resulted in me painting almost every day. I continue with flowers, enjoying a more relaxed, less formal and much faster style of paining than the classical botanical paintings I’ve done for years.

I’ve also fiddled about with blue and white vases and bowls because I have a house full of them.

I am really enjoying quick paintings and this week will do a session on butterflies.

Did you know, in Australia, you can take all your skincare and cosmetic containers back to David Jones and Mecca for recycling? They’ll take all empty tubes, jars and bottles and empty or near empty makeup containers? They will be recycled into pellets which can be used

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Matryoshka Dolls, Tomatoes, Salsa Verde and Kit Kemp

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MATRYOSHKA DOLLS

Matryoshka Dolls, or Babushka Dolls, are wooden stacking dolls. Also known as Russian dolls, nesting dolls, Russian tea dolls or stacking dolls, they are a set of dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other. They are called Matryoshka nesting dolls in Russia, where they originated.

Thought to be first made in 1890 the original designer is disputed but most often the first set of dolls is linked to wood worker Vasili Zvyozdochkin and toy painter Sergei Malyutin. Their popularity quickly spread across Europe after the original set was displayed at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900. The toy won a bronze medal and they became the “must have”toy!

No longer really considered toys, the Russian nesting dolls now made in the image of politicians, religious deities, a royal family, celebrities, even animals. Many are collectables. I like my traditional “matron” design with its links to fertility. This design portrays an old woman, a grandmother, generally associated with a headscarf tied under the chin. Probably because it was easier to say, my nesting dolls were called “Babushka Dolls” although this always reminds me of Kate Bush singing “Babooshka”, released in 1978.

Like so many people, our travel plans for 2020 were cancelled. We were going on a cruise which included a few days in St Petersburg. Apart from a planned visit to the Hermitage, I’d been looking forward to seeing the architecture. My other goal was to buy another Russian nesting doll. Instead I included my stacking doll with some Easter decorations. I’ve searched on the base and inside my dolls but cannot find where they were made.

The Russian nesting dolls can have five, six or seven dolls in each set. The smallest one is made first, then the others, getting bigger and bigger.

eating

TOMATOES

Tired of salads? Me too. Tomatoes still taste of sunshine so we keep eating them but needed some variety. These roasted tomatoes are so easy. I washed, dried and quartered some same sized tomatoes, taking care not to cut all the way through. I’d already drizzled olive oil in the glass baking dish. Used a teaspoon to put a little chopped garlic in the cut tomatoes, then sliced a leek and scattered it around them. Drizzled some more olive oil over the tomatoes. Added ground black pepper and sprinkled sea salt on them and roasted them 45 minutes at 190°C F/Forced ( 375ºF) . The hardest part is getting all the grit out of the leek.

Scattered some fresh basil on top. Delicious. Sweet and sticky and the flavours blended well. Light, easy end of summer food.

SALSA VERDE

Salsa verde is a green sauce. There’s so many recipes for it because the herbs you have available in abundance at the time will dictate your recipe. I like to add anchovies for depth of flavour but not all recipes do, and I add chopped, small gherkins, too. Originally this was based on a Jamie Oliver recipe but I have changed it to suit our tastes. The actual flavour can be different every time you make it depending on the ratio of herbs.

I used about four handfuls of basil, mint and common parsley, 1 tbspn chopped capers, 1 lge chopped gherkin, 6 anchovy fillets, 1 tbspn Dijon mustard, 20ml red wine vinegar and 60ml EVOO.

Pick over the herbs. It is easy to strip the mint and basil holding the top of the stem and running your fingers down, parsley takes longer. This part takes a while but the aroma of the herbs is lovely. Wash the leaves and leave to drain. Chopped the gherkin and capers if they’re large. I mash the anchovies with a fork in the jug later with the other ingredients.

Dice the herbs. Usually I chop them finely but this sauce is to go on turkey breast which is quite mild so I wanted a robust sauce. Mix everything together in a jug or serving bowl. Leave to amalgamate for an hour. Serve on meat, poultry, fish or stirred through salad leaves.

The basil is going to seed. As I picked it I stripped off the seeds and dropped them back in the soil for the next crop. I served this luscious sauce with turkey breast and oven roast sweet potato and Brussels sprouts. It was very good!

reading

One of the designers featured in the “British Designers At Home” book which I reviewed last week was Kit Kemp. Her own house was featured in the book and the vibrant designs led me to borrow her book “Design Thread” from the library.

Kit Kemp, with her husband Tim Kemp, is the founder and creative director of Firmdale Hotels. They have a collection of eleven hotels in London and New York. She has won many awards for her work. Her interiors are vibrant and witty. She’s known for mixing antiques with junk shop treasures, bespoke wallpaper with simple finishes. Her interiors are individual and personal.

Kemp discusses the aspects of each room featured and talks about the decisions she made which result in the final decor. Each room is different and items are individually selected. She also talks about her holiday house and the influences which decided how it was finished.

Kemp’s style is bold, quirky and individual but also comfortable and welcoming. She cleverly mixes old and new, luxurious and the everyday plus classic and modern styles. Gorgeous rooms and an inspiring book.

Did you know it probably takes an aluminum can 200-500 years to decompose? They are easily and cheaply recycled. In some countries they attract a small refund when you drop them off at a recycling point.

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10 Things to do in York, Western Australia

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York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia. It is situated on the Avon River, in the wheatbelt. York has been recognised for it’s important buildings with Historic Town Status. Established in 1835, the area was important for cattle, sheep and wheat, sandalwood harvesting and goat, pig and horse breeding. York now attracts visitors for its buildings, festivals and fairs.

It’s an easy 90 minute drive from Perth to York on good roads. The forecast temperature was 35°C so we left Louis, our dog at home and took hats. I’d made a list of things TO DO and it was easy to complete the list. York is a compact town with many interesting things to see and do with guided walking and cycling maps available at the Visitor Centre.

One of the most interesting aspects of the townsite is the hotels, homes and shops. You can drive around the streets of York and admire the architecture. Most of the houses are privately owned and many have been carefully restored and maintained.

10 Other Interesting Things to do in York

1. VISIT MT. BROWN LOOKOUT

We started at the Mt Brown Lookout to put the town into perspective. Standing here we could view the York townsite and across the Avon Valley. The lookout is a short drive from the town.

2. GALLERY 152

The York Botanic Art Prize 2020 Exhibition of the Finalists is what originally motivated us to go to York at this time of the year. Usually we’d wait for a cooler day so we could walk around the town, enjoying a slow look at the old buildings and parks, especially along the Avon River.

The Gallery has an exhibition area, a gift shop and a cafe all housed in a beautiful old building with outdoor eating areas. The York Botanic Prize, the current exhibition, featured paintings, prints, jewellery, ceramics, pencil and photographs all based on local wildflowers. There are regular exhibitions throughout the year. We enjoyed the coffee there, too, despite the slow service! I think they forgot our order.

3. THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE

The original suspension bridge crossing the Avon River was built in 1888, but was totally renovated in 1988. It’s a bit wobbly but fun to walk across.

4. THE YORK MOTOR MUSEUM

The Motor Museum, established in 1979, is in the main street. There’s so many exhibits, plan to spend quite a bit of time here. There are motor cars, motor cycles and pedal cars. See cars once owned by the rich and famous, land speed record breaking cars, vice regal cars, racing cars and old and rare cars. Knowledgeable staff, too.

5. COURTHOUSE COMPLEX

The Courthouse Complex is a collection of colonial buildings also in the main street. Construction began in 1852, prompted by the need uphold colonial law and order. See the lofty court room and the stark prison cells complete with graffiti and other archaelogical finds.

6. PENNY FARTHING SWEETS

A shop full of old fashioned sweets. Intriguing for young and old. Delicious finds. We weren’t the only adults gleefully recognizing old fashioned lollies and buying childhood favourites, too. Also in Avon Terrace, the main street.

7. THE YORK TOWN HALL

The imposing Town Hall, built in 1911 and renovated in 2000 also houses the York Visitor Centre. Here you can collect maps and local information. While you’re there, enjoy the imposing Hall. Go upstairs for the best view.

8. THE YORK RESIDENCY MUSEUM

The Residency Museum is currently closed for renovations. It is undergoing remedial works to strengthen the building and chimneys against earthquakes and other natural disasters. It is expected to be open again in July.

We have visited in the past and hope it retains many of the displays we saw and enjoyed. This included displays about the Aboriginal people in the area and interactive displays for children.

9. THE PARISH CHURCH OF HOLY TRINITY

The Holy Trinity Church of York was consecrated in 1858. The tower plus other additions to this beautiful building were added between 1891 and 1905. There’s an Alfred Pearse pipe organ and windows designed by well known West Australian artist, Robert Juniper.

Across the road is the Holy Trinity Rectory, although only the kitchen remains from the original building.

10. THE FLOUR MILL

Now housing antique shops, crafts shops and bookshops plus a gallery and cafe, the Flour Mill was built in 1892. It played an important role in a region well know for its wheat and grain exports. Milling ceased in 1967.

We ate lunch here at the Mill Cafe. There’s indoor and outdoor seating. The Visitor Centre has a list of the cafes and restaurants and their opening times. We ate here as we met my brother and sister in law for lunch and they’d eaten there before. Very generous sized meals!

Near the Suspension Bridge along the Avon River is the Avon Pioneer Park, with picnic facilities, public toilets, a barbecue area and really interesting looking play equipment. There’s easy parking available. We found parking easy everywhere we went in York.

There are many shops housed in the historic buildings along the main street, Avon Terrace. There’s intriguing antique shops and second hand shops, plus clothes, furniture and craft, a supermarket, a chemist, a Chinese restaurant, a vet and the amazingly tempting sweet shop. There’s several old hotels on street corners, many with restaurants, plus several cafes. The sporting club also has a restaurant.

The Visitor Information Centre can help with accommodation and there are many options online if you want to book somewhere to stay. Enjoy your visit!

Apparently, yesterday 21st January was Hugging Day. I think every day should be Hugging Day!

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A Week In Kalgoorlie (Part Two)

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buildings of boulder

Wandered up and down the main street of Boulder looking at the beautiful buildings. The streets in Kalgoorlie and Boulder are very wide. This was necessary 120 years ago so that the Camel Wagons could be turned around in the streets. It was too hot, dry and remote for horses to be used for haulage transport. Many buildings from the Gold Rush era have been retained and restored.

This is the old Town Hall. It currently houses a very good War History museum and the famous Phil W. Goatcher (1851-1931) curtain covering the stage. Regular guided walks of the Town Hall are offered.

Boulder was gazetted as a townsite in 1896. It merged with Kalgoorlie to create the City of Kalgoorlie Boulder in 1989.

Monument to the miners who have worked in this area in hot and dangerous conditions in the past.

The Goatcher Curtain, Boulder Town Hall

Philip Goatcher, born 23rd November, 1851, worked as a law clerk before becoming apprenticed to a shipping company . He sailed to Melbourne in 1867, jumped ship and set off for Ballarat, in the height of the gold rush.

He then went to New Zealand and then to San Francisco, where he met J C Williamson, an American actor and later theatre director in Australia. Williamson paid for him to return to Australia where Goatcher painted for most of Williamson’s opera and drama productions. He moved to Perth in 1906.

Goatcher painted the Boulder Town Hall curtain in 1908.The canvas was intended to complement and close the “picture” frame stage. This ‘Bay of Naples’ curtain is believed to be the only surviving theatre curtain from this era in the world. It measures 6.25 metres x 8.46 metres. It is signed and dated Phil W Goatcher, 1908 and was delivered on 11th June, 1908. It was restored in 1991. The restoration cost $224,000.

buildings of kalgoorlie

Streetscape.

The head frame at the left of this photo is at the Mining Museum.

Almost every corner in the main streets of Kalgoorlie boast a two storey, old hotel, some in excellent condition, others rather neglected. Their wide verandas offer shade on the footpath when Kalgoorlie is really hot.

This is a vibrant city with many cafes and restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, schools and shops.

Courthouse.

Old Commonwealth Bank, intact but boarded up in McDonald Street.

some street art in Kalgoorlie

I followed the HEARTWALK map to look at street art. The original project was intended to transform the Kalgoorlie CBD into a vibrant arts and cultural precinct. It must have been great to have all these works dotted around the central area of the town. The only remaining artworks are those painted on buildings, walls and fences. Originally, many of the pieces were in empty shopfronts, but these have since gone to make way for new businesses.

Kado and Deeva Muir, a multi-disciplinary duo living in Leonora.

Lundy Carol Thompson form Kalgoorlie Boulder and Tjubriin Valma Wicker-Schultz from Norseman who has also exhibited at the Olympic Games in London.

Danny and Nikki Ulrich, Kalgoorlie Boulder.

Unattributed.

Brenton See, Perth, paints small sized canvases up to large scale interior and exterior wall murals.

As the heat increased we headed for the Goldfields Art Centre. There are two galleries but no permanent Goldfields collection on display. There was no traveling exhibition, either, despite this being a huge, central building. Bit of a surprise.

This Stormie Mills painting was on a wall in the car park. Mills relies on a limited palette, usually white, black, grey and silver. He has morphed from street artist to working on canvases and is hung in many galleries.

summary

We have really enjoyed our week in Kalgoorlie. The diverse population is reflected in the town. We’ve visited Kookynie, Menzies, Boulder, Kambalda and the main town of Kalgoorlie. The wide open spaces, the colours of the bush, meeting up with a friend I haven’t seen for a long time, the buildings, the artworks and food all added up to a great break for us. We were able to take Louis, our dog with us as we stayed at our son’s house. We really enjoyed staying with him and catching up. I hadn’t seen where he lives before this visit. CV-19 has had an impact on many businesses but the town seems to be managing this quite well. Now Western Australia has opened the hard border between us and the other states, we will wait to see if our “safe” situation remains.

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A Week in Kalgoorlie (Part One)

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We’ve just spent a week in Kalgoorlie, staying with our son who has lived there since February. He works in the resource industries. He also went to the School of Mines in Kalgoorlie fifteen years ago.

Kalgoorlie, 600 kilometers (400 miles) from Perth, is most famous for gold mining. On June 17th, 1893, a prospector, Paddy Hannan filed a Claim, resulting in the Gold Rush. Kalgoorlie and surrounding towns are a fascinating mixture of very old buildings from the Gold Rush and new, plus everything in between.

Statue of Paddy Hannan who discovered gold in Kalgoorlie. It is at the corner of Hannan and Wilson Streets.

Gold continues to be the leading industry in the region, most evident in the Superpit which is close to town. Nickel is also mined in the area.

We set off to look at Boulder, almost a suburb of Kalgoorlie with many old, gracious buildings reflecting the wealth of the Gold Rush era . Then on to the Superpit, originally a consolidation of local mining companies called KCGM. Mid 2020 KCGM was bought by Saracen and Northern Star. The Superpit, an open cut mine, is getting bigger and mining will go underground, adding many years to the life of the pit. At the moment it is approximately 5km long, 1km wide and 500m deep.

Three haulpaks parked about a third of the way to the bottom of the pit.

The haulpaks are enormous.

From there we set off for Kookynie via Yarri Road, which is mostly gravel, passing remnants of ghost towns and signage for many small mines. The soil along the road was red, pink, cream and sometimes black, with shrubby bush and small trees.

The gravel road to Kookynie.

Are we there yet?

Evidence of several long gone towns along the road.

Stopped at the Kookynie Hotel, thinking we’d have lunch, but we were too early. Met Willie, the Hotel horse. I’d taken him an apple, which he obviously enjoyed and he snuffled around us, thinking we had more somewhere. Then he drank the water in Louis’s collapsible dog water bowl! He accompanied us from the ute to the Hotel door, where he made it impossible for us to enter without paying him more attention.

Willie, the Grand Hotel Horse arrived as soon as we parked.

He drank the water from Louis’s traveling water bowl.

Willie preventing us from entering the Hotel until we paid him more attention. He is a lovely, gentle horse

He is a beautiful horse. Kookynie is a long way from anywhere else and he just turned up one day, very thin and ragged. He drank and drank and then ate and then just settled in. Researching his brand information, it was discovered he had been a race horse. When he was retired from racing he apparently was moved to a station (a very big farm) but obviously didn’t like it there, so he left. A sad story, but Willie is now a well fed, much admired horse and a local attraction. He visits all the town people each morning and then settles at the Grand Hotel, ready to greet visitors.

From there to Menzies, still thinking we’d get lunch. No luck, so we settled for a muesli bar and some crystallized ginger. Set off to Lake Ballard famous for its Sir Antony Gromely sculptures. The lake is a salt pan at this time of the year.

Sir Antony Gromely, an acclaimed English sculptor, was commissioned by the Perth International Arts Festival to create the sculptures to celebrate it’s 50th anniversary in 2003.

Gromley persuaded 51 locals to strip and be digitally scanned to create life sized models which were then cast in a stainless steel alloy. Standing in the shimmering heat haze looking over the now dry saltpan, the view is as unexpected as it is amazing. The sculptures throw interesting shadows. There are 51 “people” in an area of 10 square kilometres.

“It is one of the greatest artistic installations I have ever seen” Sir Ian McKellen

On a previous visit I walked around almost the entire area to look at every sculpture but this time it was too hot and dry.

Quite a climb to the top in the heat. Looking down at the footprints going from sculpture to sculpture looks like a massive Aboriginal dot painting, as people don’t seem to walk in straight lines.

Lake Ballard from Snake Hill Lookout.

Fire pit with frame for hanging the billy for heating water.The frame swings over the fire pit. A billy is a covered pot. Once the tea leaves have been added to the boiled water you put the lid back on it and swing the pot around to settle the tea leaves.

Finished the day with a visit to our son’s office and warehouse, then drove around a big industrial area. Kalgoorlie is a vibrant and interesting City.

A slow start the next day, which was Sunday, as the galleries we wanted to visit didn’t open until later in the morning. This meant our son had time to make us pancakes and I pottered in his garden in the warm sun. It got very hot later in the day.

Then we discovered the three galleries online information wasn’t current and none of the galleries open on Sunday. CV-19 has changed the hours galleries are open and how many people can enter at a time. Set off to look at Kambalda, known for nickel mining, then back to Kalgoorlie. Made a late lunch and spent some time looking at our photos and wandering around the neighbourhood, giving Louis, the dog, a good walk. It also meant I could look at the houses, too. So many places around my son’s house have put up dazzling Christmas decorations, including the house next door with four metre high deer in the garden. Their heads move and Louis likes to stop and look at them. The two rottweilers who live there don’t like Louis stopping and bark and bark!

We are really enjoying our visit and already planning on returning.

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the evandale complex

scam awareness week

WHAT TO DO IN BUSSELTON

EATING IN BUSSELTON

STAYING IN BUSSELTON

SHOPPING

WATCHING

READING

COOKING

SEWING

READING

MAKING

BUYING

PAINTING

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MATRYOSHKA DOLLS

eating

reading

buildings of boulder

buildings of kalgoorlie

some street art in Kalgoorlie

summary