Actors & Thespians

 

Goldfields Repertory Club

The Goldfields Repertory Club is a not-for-profit community theatre group in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia that has been putting on plays at its Brookman Street Theatre since the 1930s.

I remember being in a David Williamson play called 'Siren' at the Repertory Club some years ago (in the 1990s) and played the part of a crooked politician: Billy Nottle, a sleazy character who was 'on the take' (collecting bribes 'in brown paper bags' from real estate developers on the Gold Coast). "Liz has been employed to use her sex appeal on Billy Nottle." (Siren Script)

Upon visiting the website (goldfieldsrepclub.org.au) recently, I noticed that there were links set up for earlier productions [Past Shows]. Trying the links for the 1980s and 1990s, I found that they didn't appear to work. After contacting the Repertory Club and asking if there were any plans to put information about earlier shows online, I received an email from the Club President: David Holle, informing me that there definitely is plans to update the site with past information--including Siren (which if I remember correctly, I think we actually won some sort of an award for from some bigwig official visiting from Perth, for putting on the play at the time).

David is interested in hearing from people with recollections of past productions and/or suggestions as to anything else which could be included on the website. So if you were ever in a play (were part of the production crew--or even if you just turned up to watch a play) and have memories you can share with him, he can be reached at this email address.

Australia's best-known playwright, David Williamson has written a ton of plays and screenplays.

David Williamson's Website
http://www.davidwilliamsonplaywright.com

Scripts to David's plays
https://australianplays.org/playwright/CP-wilsun

Australian playwrights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Australian_dramatists_and_playwrights

List of notable playwrights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_playwrights

The future for playwrights?
"Contemporary playwrights often do not reach the same level of fame or cultural importance as others did in the past. No longer the only outlet for serious drama or entertaining comedies, theatrical productions must compete for an audience with films, television, and the Internet."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playwright




Image Credit: Microsoft

Choir

 

Boulder Choir

If you are ever visiting Boulder and you hear folks singing, that will probably be the Boulder Choir. We don't have an Arts Centre here in Boulder, so you are likely to hear our choir singing just about anywhere.

Image Credit: Microsoft

Boulder Fire

 

It is 1904 and you are standing in front of the fire station in Burt Street, Boulder (WA). A brick and stone building, Boulder Municipal Fire Station was built after water pumped from Mundaring Weir, arrived at Mt Charlotte in 1903. Between twenty and thirty volunteers man the brigade, which utilize horses (permanent staff and a motorized fire engine aren't introduced till 1915). Prior to fresh water arriving from Perth, and this new station being built, volunteers with buckets and axes ran the very first fire service. This humble beginning progressed to a well being tapped behind the electric light station, which supplied reticulated salt water for fire fighting.

   (full size)

Okay, now move in time one hundred and ten years later to present time.

It is 2014 and the brick and stone building is still standing, but it is no longer a fire station. It has been converted into a cafe (Blaze Cafe) where you can be served breakfast. You are now inside the building, sitting down and tucking into your bacon and eggs as you gaze out the window across the street. What you see are the remains of a fire which took out two buildings. A laundromat and the dwelling next to it which were both completely gutted.

(full size)

Just after midnight a couple of weeks ago (September 11) a security guard discovered the fire. It took alerted firefighters -- who had to race several kilometres from the current fire station, built in 1971 and situated between Kalgoorlie and Boulder -- two hours to bring the raging blaze under control.

Initial damage assessment: half a million dollars.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers: 1800 333 000

Image Credit: 
Black & white photo titled: "Saint Patrick's Day Parade Burt St Boulder circa early 1910"
Reproduced courtesy Western Australian Museum - Kalgoorlie-Boulder
To see photo at full size

Begging / Panhandling

 

Stephen "Always nice to see a city try to revitalize itself. Unfortunately though, since the ACLU threatened a law suit against the city's new anti-panhandling ordinance (which the city backed off and killed) pedestrians will still be "accosted by destitute and inebriated beggars soliciting for money." as mentioned in the article."

Eamonn "Sorry, Stephen but this is Boulder in Western Australia. Not Boulder in Colorado USA. Boulder in WA is an historic gold-mining town--where I live. "

Stephen "No kidding? My mistake but now I'm simply amazed at the time of your original posting and another article I read about the city of Boulder (US) here trying to improve things for business and get a handle on panhandling. Well, best of luck to you and the city of Boulder (WA)"

LinkedIn

Yes, I also read a few articles about panhandling when I first read your mention of the 'new anti-panhandling ordinance'. I had no idea what 'panhandling' even meant (it is not a term commonplace in Australia).

A Denver Post piece:
Boulder kills controversial anti-panhandling ordinance
By Erica Meltzer

"BOULDER — Boulder is dropping a controversial anti-panhandling ordinance that was up for a public hearing and second and possibly final vote at Tuesday's City Council meeting, city officials said Monday ..."

www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25884400/boulder-kills-controversial-anti-panhandling-ordinance


An American Civil Liberties Union page:

ACLU Challenges Grand Junction Anti-Panhandling Law

"DENVER – The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado filed suit this morning challenging an anti-panhandling ordinance recently approved by the City of Grand Junction.  According to the ACLU complaint, the ordinance bans a wide swath of speech that is protected by the First Amendment..."

aclu-co.org/aclu-challenges-grand-junction-anti-panhandling-law/


Wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panhandling


And an Australian newspaper piece:

I make $400 a day begging
By Brendan Hills

"THE hours are long and the work monotonous, but begging pays well for at least one of Sydney's homeless men who earns up to $50,000 a year from good samaritans.

"Ken Johnson, 52, makes his living at George and Market St, outside the Myer store in Sydney's CBD, where he sits for up to 16 hours daily, seven days a week.

"On a good day, he said, he takes in $400 from generous passers-by ..."

dailytelegraph.com.au/i-make-400-a-day-begging/story-e6frewt0-1225765125138

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Historic Boulder

 

After decades of neglect, Burt street, the main street of Historic Boulder, is undergoing major development. Once-upon-a-time as courageous pedestrians ventured along, they would be greeted with broken windows, chronic dilapidation, and be accosted by destitute and inebriated beggars soliciting for money. Now, stroll the pavement at the top end and you pass through tunnels of scaffolding. There is all sorts of construction work happening to buildings everywhere you look. Sheets of plywood hoarding are concealing businesses where refurbishments are under way. These stores are still operating, but to visit them you pass through the human equivalent of a mouse hole.

Shops are having new fronts fitted. Fancy upgrades of all sorts to make them look spic & span and like yesteryear. Old brickwork is being spruced up. Masonry moldings are being worked on. Forgotten facades of ages past are being re-created. The place is a hive of activity; like something out of Snow White and the 700 dwarfs. Some enthusiastic shop keepers are outdoing themselves, by installing ornate wooden doors, with lead-light glass inserts and polished brass fittings. The guy who fixes washing machines has put ancient appliances in his window: several precursors to the modern day refrigerator, a clothes washer from circa 1920, and a tin bathtub that someone's great-grandmother would have bathed in. The future is on the up and up. Who knows where it will end. Do the shopkeepers intend to serve customers in period costume? Who knows. But what is known, is that a once rundown ghost town is being brought back to life.


Copyright © 2014  Eamonn Gosney — All Rights Reserved