Published on Wednesday, 4 November 2020 at 10:00:37 AM
A tale of boyhood in Vincent in the post-war era, a series of historic images of North Perth School and a snap of a double rainbow have taken out top gongs in the Local History Awards.
The winners of the 2020 Vincent Local History Awards were announced on Monday at a presentation at Loftus Community Centre.
More than 20 people submitted written entries for the Geoffrey Bolton Award, covering topics from schoolyard memoirs to reflections on the impact of COVID-19 on our community.
The quality of entries was so impressive that the judges decided to award several special mention prizes, as well as first to third place.
First place was taken out by Ron Lindsay for Feral in an Inner Suburb – a captivating and hilarious account of what life was like for working class kids in Vincent in the early post-war era.
North Perth Primary School won first place in the historic photograph category for a series of images of North Perth School dating from 1899 to 1944.
The photos document the growth of the school and the historic planting of trees on the inaugural ‘Goonderup Day’ on the oval in 1944.
First place in the contemporary photograph category went to Sophie Farnan for a snap of a double rainbow over North Perth Community Garden earlier this year.
The judges felt the beautifully captured double rainbow summed up many people’s feelings about life beyond COVID-19.
The People’s Choice Award for the most popular photo went to George Long for a snap of him on his BSA motorcycle outside his fiancée Beryl’s home on Peach Street in North Perth in 1950.
“Our judges had their work cut out for them this year, with 22 insightful written entries and 189 images entered into the awards,” said Mayor Emma Cole.
“I’d like to thank all of the entrants for sharing their photos and stories with us. Thanks to you, we now have an even more rich and diverse local history collection.
“This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Vincent Local History Awards, and what an historic year it’s been.
“We received some incredible photos and accounts that capture how COVID-19 affected our community.
“We also added some remarkable historical pieces to our local history collection. Ron Lindsay’s first prize-winning piece is an adventurous account of boyhood shenanigans in North Perth.
“We are very fortunate that Noongar Maaman Man and Elder Lindsay Calyun entered his memoir Moonditch Footprints into the awards, giving us a different perspective of boyhood.
“Lindsay’s reflections on the close-knit Aboriginal community in East Perth are significant and his memoir shows just how close to home the experiences of the stolen generation are for many Noongar elders in Perth.”
The written entries are available through the Local History Centre.
The photographic entries will be on display on screens at Hawaiian’s Mezz, Beatty Park Leisure Centre and the Library and Local History Centre until the end of the year.
They can also be viewed online using the City of Vincent Image Library.
Prize Winners
Written Award - Geoffrey Bolton Award
FIRST PRIZE: RON LINDSAY FOR FERAL IN AN INNER SUBURB.
The judges were unanimous in their praise for this funny, captivating account of boyhood in Vincent. Ron evokes a vivid, warts and all picture of what life was like for working class kids growing up in the inner suburbs of Perth in the early post-war era.
EQUAL SECOND PRIZE: LINDSAY CALYUN FOR MOODITCH FOOTPRINTS.
Noongar Elder Lindsay Calyun’s memoir of growing up in the East Perth area in the 1960s is a very different story of boyhood in Vincent. Lindsay’s reflections on the close-knit Aboriginal community life of East Perth, his forced removal from his community to the Roelands Native Mission Farm, and his subsequent escape from the mission back to East Perth is a significant story which shows just how recent and close to home the experiences of the stolen generation is for many Noongar elders in Perth.
EQUAL SECOND PRIZE: MELINDA TOGNINI FOR RUMOURS.
Melinda produced a well -researched, well-written account of Mount Hawthorn resident, war veteran and local baker Herman Kuring whose mysterious disappearance on Rottnest Island during WWII sparked rumours of him being a Nazi spy.
THIRD PRIZE: BERYL LONG FOR LOCKDOWN IN 1943.
Beryl’s memories of contracting diphtheria as a teenager in North Perth in 1943 have interesting and relevant parallels to modern day quarantine and responses to COVID-19.
SPECIAL MENTION: STEPHANIE MEAGHER AND JOHN YIANNAKIS FOR THE CASTELLORIZIAN ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: A SOCIAL HISTORY.
Their story blends the history of the Castellorizian community in WA with information and insight into the contemporary activities of ‘Cazzie House’ in Mount Hawthorn.
SPECIAL MENTION: JENNY FAY FOR SURVIVING GENERAL PRACTICE IN 2020.
The judges agreed that the entry provided a well written local insight into impacts of COVID-19 from a medical and community perspective.
SPECIAL MENTION: KAREN LEE FOR RADICAL LOCAL.
This was a meditative, introspective, intensely local reflection of how the COVID-19 quarantine period affected one North Perth resident’s connection to her neighbourhood.
Photographic Award - Historic Images (Pre 2000)
FIRST PRIZE: NORTH PERTH PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR HISTORIC PHOTOS OF THE SCHOOL FROM 1899 TO 1944.
Judge’s Comments: The series of historic images of North Perth School dating from 1899 to 1944 document the early history growth of the school and the historic planting of trees on the inaugural ‘Goonderup Day’ at the school oval in 1944.
SECOND PRIZE: JIM HOWE FOR PHOTOS DOCUMENTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAL AND PANTHER CYCLE AND MOTORCYCLE BUSINESS ON ANGOVE STREET, NORTH PERTH.
Judge’s Comments: The series of image of the Pal and Panther Cycle shop of Angove Street North Perth show the evolution of what is one of the longest running businesses in North Perth dating from 1929. The judges felt the photos were a good graphic representation of an evolving and long standing business in North Perth, one that has sadly recently left North Perth and moved to Osborne Park.
THIRD PRIZE: JAN MCCALLUM FOR A PHOTO OF THE BRYANT WOOD YARD IN DUKE STREET/OLD ABERDEEN STREET, WEST PERTH 1905.
Judge’s Comments: This very historic photo is of a wood yard business (the site of which is now under the freeway in West Perth) that was run by a Richard Bryant at a time when wood yards were common in the Perth as a major source of fuel for homes.
SPECIAL MENTION: BERYL LONG FOR PHOTO SERIES DOCUMENTING SEVERAL GENERATIONS OF THE MACLENNAN/LONG FAMILY OF PEACH STREET, NORTH PERTH.
Judge’s Comments: Series of images of Peach Street North Perth from the 1930s to 1970s beautifully depict the life stories of several generations of the MacLennan/Long families on one street in North Perth. The images also show the changed use of the area which was originally market and flower gardens adjacent to Goonderup Oval near North Perth Primary. The images of Beryl’s orchestra which played at local parties and events were also a stand-out.
Photographic Award - Contemporary Images (Post-2000)
FIRST PRIZE: SOPHIE FARNAN FOR DOUBLE RAINBOW OVER NORTH PERTH COMMUNITY GARDEN, 2020.
Judge’s Comments: In a year where rainbows chalked on footpaths or fences took on meaning as a symbol of hope and solidarity post-COVID-19, this beautifully captured double rainbow over North Perth Community garden sums up many community feelings about life beyond COVID.
SECOND PRIZE: GREG ROWNEY FOR HYDE PARK AUTUMN SUNRISE, 2020.
Judge’s Comments: A stunning image of an autumn sunrise at Hyde Park, May 2020.
THIRD PRIZE: ALEC CAMPBELL THOMAS FOR ‘HIGHGATE HILL’S HOIST’, 2019.
Judge’s Comments: Beautifully shot atmospheric image of a quintessential Australian backyard scene with the Hill’s Hoist.
SPECIAL MENTION: CHRIS MURRAY FOR ST NIKOLAS MACEDONIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ON ANGOVE STREET, OLD AND NEW, 2020.
Judge’s Comments: Wonderful glimpse at the old and new ‘forever almost finished’ St Nikolas Macedonian Orthodox churches on Angove Street North Perth, 2020.
Photographic Award - People's Choice
GEORGE LONG FOR BSA MOTORCYCLE, 1950.
The most popular photo as voted by the public went to George Long for a photo of him on his BSA motorcycle outside fiancée Beryl’s home in Peach Street, North Perth 1950.
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