South West Life

Although only seven years old, the Donnybrook and Capel Community Banks are being restructured to respond to some new and exciting challenges.

The South West Sports Centre outshone all other swim schools in WA when it won a state-wide award recently. The Little Lappers Swim School was awarded the 2010 WA Austswim Swimming and Water Safety School of the Year at the “King Neptune” WA Aquatic Conference on Sunday (October 10).

Every so often we introduce you to someone doing something cool.  This time it’s tricky, being a relative it’s close to home, but I sat with Hannah a couple of weeks ago and heard some really great things about what she’s doing.  The stories about other people she’s met are uplifting, sometimes heartbreaking, and usually fun.  This is an intro to how she meets them and what she does.

The Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association (AMRTA) is pleased to announce that over $300,000 was raised through the CowParade Charity Auction to benefit the preservation of the region’s natural and historical attractions and local community groups.

The City of Bunbury’s latest piece of public art is to be installed on the Leschenault Inlet foreshore near the Bunbury Rowing Club on Monday 2nd August 2010. The substantial metal sculpture, which acknowledges the contribution the railways made in the development of Bunbury, is also a symbol of community inclusion.

Controversy across Bunbury may rise once again with the bare breasted Maidens of Withers explicitly unexposed on 30th of May! Local artist, Virginia Cunningham, has taken her antics to a new level when she embellished one of Bunbury’s most controversial public art works with a message of importance. 

Roger is getting to where he asks questions about why he is around, and whether taking family photographs is his main purpose on the planet, and when does he get to ride his Harley, you know, the important stuff.  He's put it all in one pile and is riding the Harley around WA and raising money to help kids in regional WA.

Yes, we know you're hearing about it a lot from us, but Groovin the Moo is coming to Bunbury.

Here are two opportunities to get your ticket for the price of a few hours helping out.

This is the latest installment of the City of Bunbury’s youth and media initiative Take 2. Produced and filmed by a group of Bunbury students, the film tackles the commonly held perspective of teenagers in Bunbury that ‘there is nothing to do in Bunbury.’

Activ’s Registered Training Organisation, Activ Pathways, recently hosted a Graduation Ceremony for people with disabilities at the Quality Lord Forrest Hotel in Bunbury. The evening was attended by special guests, including Bunbury Mayor David Smith.

Some ideas are generated by greatness, and some are like this

The Margaret River Pro delivered the nailbiting finish everyone expected and the sport had only just started to recede when the MASS festival kicked in.  Conceived as an extension to the Margaret River Pro, to encompass the whole surf lifestyle, this was a big step and we were all eager to see what it delivered.

Bunbury Regional Art Galleries is presenting the inaugural South West Regional Arts Summit.  This event will bring together professionals from all facets of the visual arts to discuss a range of issues impacting on the arts industry across the South West.

The reality of the fire season was brought home to Busselton residents as a large fire, centred around the wetlands, south-west of the Light Industrial Area sprang into life again, on the afternoon of Tuesday 23 February 2010.

David and Diane Holland have lived in Witchcliffe (near Margaret River) for 8 years after moving from Perth with their two boys, Matthew and Michael, and David's parents, Frank and Beverley. During this time they have successfully established a tourism business providing farmstay accommodation

Meet the man behind the "Bunbury.....I Remember When" series, Dave Lindsay. Many of you will already know about the popular booklet series "Bunbury....I Remember When", a 6 part series of stories, poems, anecdotes, and photographs about the recent history of Bunbury

You’ll have noted that we like to write positive things at South West Life. The horrible things are covered well enough by other journalists, and a good job many of them are doing it too. So the good news in this story is - nobody died.

Well by now most of you know the rules, the story has to have a link to the South West. Normita lives in the Phillipines, and has done all her life, so what are we doing making her the people story?

Ashley Dillon is making his way as a mobile disc jockey, having left behind a fairly successful career in radio.  Along with DJ ing at weddings and parties, he is for hire to do voice overs and run other events like quiz nights.

The process for meeting someone in our people stories is usually to track them from an achievement or event they’ve been involved in.  It could be that we see them somewhere and think “that’s interesting”, and pursue it from there.

The South West seems to be able to deliver pretty much the best of everything.  Some things we’re known for, in other fields we seem to have one or two people beavering away, doing top quality work and getting recognition far from home, bringing credit to the region.

The close of the CDMA network seemed to have no upside, but at least there’s a way to get rid of the old handset with no environmental damage, and raise money for Princess Margaret Hospital.

Growing up in a city renowned for watchmakers and jewellery makers and taught by some of the best in the world it is not surprising that Rita Winkler has become the regions most renowned and accomplished example of jewellery making.

Exciting things are afoot at the Dolphin Discovery Centre on Koombana Bay.  The chance to interact with Dolphins is pretty special, and of late, it’s not a secret any more.