🌄 No Bluff News #17: Albany's light show could be visible from space, a 520-million-year-old fossil find & Lighting the Sound launches this weekend

G'day {{first_name | Friend}}! Hope you got around Taste Great Southern last weekend. Edition 17 is here — your weekly wrap of positive local news, weekend plans, and all the community highlights you actually care about.

In today's edition:

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Finnish artist Kari Kola is ahead of schedule building 13 towers across a 10km stretch of King George Sound for Lighting the Sound, the centrepiece of Albany's bicentenary celebrations and what's set to be the world's largest light installation. Kola's even booked a satellite to find out if it's visible from space.

Local crews built the towers (ranging from 6m to 20m), the only thing coming from Perth is the generators, and the custom red and green lights are designed to protect local wildlife. Kola reckons people will be surprised by the scale of it.

The free show runs nine nights: March 13–15, 20–22 and 27–29, with the best views from the city. It's presented by arts not-for-profit FORM.

The Great Southern is one of five WA regions set to receive allied health workers flown in under a new state and federal Joint Work Program to boost NDIS access. Flight2Health will deploy clinicians on a FIFO basis, bringing services to locals rather than sending people all the way to Perth.

The rollout follows a $7.9 million Katanning pilot that stood up face-to-face allied health services that didn't exist in the region before 2024. Disability support provider Hireup is also expanding into the area to formalise local supports and onboard casual workers already embedded in country communities.

Each site gets an 18-month setup and transition phase, with the goal of getting more Great Southern residents assessed and supported closer to home.

Mount Barker's Eleanor Beidatsch has scored an invite to Curtin University to conduct groundbreaking research on a 520-million-year-old Chinese fossil alongside John Curtin Distinguished Professor Kliti Grice. The opportunity came about after the pair crossed paths at a Perth palaeontology conference three years ago.

Beidatsch, who holds a first-class honours in geoscience and is completing her masters, will work in Curtin's WA Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre on the fossil's mineral composition and inorganic chemistry. It's the first time this kind of research has been done on this fossil type.

She's wanted to be a palaeontologist since she was nine, and despite living with spinal muscular atrophy type 1, she's proving that Great Southern locals can hold their own on the national research stage.

Albany's hospitality and retail scene is getting ready to make the most of Lighting the Sound, with extended trading hours, special menus and pop-ups planned across the event evenings in March.

Stirling Terrace becomes a pedestrian zone for the event, with Six Degrees, Dylan's and Gourmandise among those trading late. Denmark's The Dam is popping up at Anzac Peace Park, while Albany Tours, King George Sound Safari and Albany Ocean Adventures are offering guided walks and boat cruises to round out the nights.

Eighteen-year-old Casey Jacobs has wrapped his debut photography exhibition after a year-long mentorship with renowned landscape photographer Christian Fletcher, with 37 shots documenting agricultural life across the Great Southern and Wheatbelt.

Jacobs says he wants city audiences to understand where their food actually comes from, and farmers are already commissioning him to capture seeding, spraying and harvest.

Denmark's Shire Council has adopted the Level Up: Youth Action Plan 2025–2029, the Shire's first youth-focused strategy, developed after consultation with more than 200 young people, parents and local organisations. It targets 12 to 25 year olds with facility upgrades, expanded programs and better access to mental health and transport services.

Implementation kicks off immediately, with upgrades planned for Berridge Park, the Denmark Library and the Recreation Centre.

WA's Cook Government has awarded $2.4 million across 42 creative initiatives statewide through its latest Arts Projects grants. The Great Southern scored three times: Australian Baroque landed $80,000 for a Six Noongar Seasons premiere as part of Albany's bicentenary, ArtSouthWA picked up $37,000 for the Albany Bicentenary Festival of Halls and Easter Art Festival, and local author Madelaine Dickie scored $78,889 to develop her literary gothic novel Milk Teeth.

Nearly 40% of Albany's economic activity in January came from visitors, with new City of Albany data showing tourists spent $46.7 million across the month on staples, discretionary items and services. The bulk of that came from fellow West Aussies, with regional and rural WA travellers making up more than half of all visitor spend.

It's a solid reminder of how much tourism keeps the local economy ticking. With Lighting the Sound drawing crowds across nine nights in March, the next figures should make for even better reading.

MSWA Albany Swim: Team challenge swimming for eight hours to raise funds for West Aussies living with neurological conditions, 9am–5:30pm | ALAC | Saturday, 14 Mar

Centenary Celebrations: St Patrick's School turns 100 with a historical display, open school, presentations and a sundowner, 12–8pm | St Patrick's School | Saturday, 14 Mar

Katanning Rotary International Dinner and Auction: Irish-themed evening raising funds for the local causes, 6pm–11:30pm | Katanning Leisure Centre | Saturday, 14 Mar

Golden Hill Steiner Markets: Community markets with stalls, food and kids activities, 2:45–4:45pm | Golden Hill Steiner School | Friday, 13 Mar

Gnowangerup Fly-In: Planes and joy flights plus food vans, market stalls, live entertainment and a kids zone, from 10am | Gnowangerup Airport | Saturday, 14 Mar

ALAC Open Day: Free gym and pool entry, Pilates classes, pool inflatables 11am–1pm, gym tours and prizes celebrating new equipment, 8am–3pm | ALAC | Sunday, 15 Mar

Ferngrove × Rustlers – Malbec Through the Ages: Four-course dining paired with six Ferngrove Malbec vintages, $140 per person, 7pm | Rustlers | Friday, 13 Mar

Mingle with Singles: Casual drinks meet-up for singles, 5:30–10pm | Boston Brewing Co | Saturday, 14 Mar

The Big Saturday Seafood Bash: Unlimited seafood buffet with signature prawns and bold coastal flavours, 5:30pm | Rock Salt, Albany | Saturday, 14 Mar

Over 30s Club @ Eve Late Night Bar: DJs spinning 80s, 90s, 00s and today, plus giveaways and confetti, 6–9:30pm | Eve Late Night Bar | Saturday, 14 Mar

Dancing in the Dirt Gala Ball: Black-tie rural gala with live music, food, bar and dancing under the stars, 5:30pm–12:30am | Gairdner Hall | Saturday, 14 Mar

Matt Black @ Wilson's Brewery: Covers from blues to rock 'n' roll with a touch of country, 5–8pm | Wilson Brewing Co | Friday, 13 Mar

Ben Catley: Powerful solo blues/roots show with special guests, 8pm | Six Degrees | Friday, 13 Mar

Savanah Solomon @ Wilson's: Celebrating her new single 'Someday Somewhere' as part of a south-west tour, 5–8pm | Wilson Brewing Co | Saturday, 14 Mar

Kangaroos with Machine Guns and Wanita: Live music and dance night, 6:30–9:30pm | Denmark Artshouse | Saturday, 14 Mar

Blackwood Rising & Southern Right Blues Band: Rootsy blues, slide and originals, 7:30–11:30pm | King River Tavern | Saturday, 14 Mar

Southern Right Blues Band @ The Earl: Five-piece blues with harp, guitars and strong vocals, 4–7pm | The Earl of Spencer | Sunday, 15 Mar

Casey Donovan – This is Me: Australia's powerhouse vocalist brings Idol favourites, showstoppers and new songs, 5pm | Albany Entertainment Centre | Sunday, 15 Mar

Rob V @ Wilson's: Easy acoustic covers and originals, 5–8pm | Wilson Brewing Co | Sunday, 15 Mar

Lighting the Sound: immersive light installation transforming King George Sound, co-designed with the Menang community, from 6pm | Albany | Fri, 13 Mar – Sun, 15 Mar

2026 Great Cocky Count: how to join the black-cockatoos count, afternoon tea provided, families welcome, 1–3:30pm | Souness Park Function Room | Saturday, 14 Mar

Landscapes of the Great Southern: Paintings capturing the region's light, outcrops and coastline, Mon–Fri 10am–4pm, Sat 10am–2pm | Vancouver Arts Centre | Friday, 13 Mar

Lighting the Sound Panoramic Experience: Watch Lighting the Sound from reserved waterfront seating from 5:30pm (lighting from 6:30pm) | VIEW Restaurant | Sat, 14 Mar

2-Day Women's Surf Sessions: beginner sessions with Due South Surfing Academy, 8–10am | Middleton or Muttonbird Beach | Saturday & Sunday, 14 & 15 Mar

GSFL Amcal Albany – Women, Round 6: North Albany v Mount Barker, Royals v Railways and Denmark Walpole v Albany, from 5:30pm | Various venues | Friday, 13 Mar

Economic Development Planning Workshops: Community sessions to shape Gnowangerup's Economic Development Strategy | Various | Wed, 11 Mar & Thur, 12 Mar

Telstra Boosts Coverage at Salmon Holes: Seven years in the making, a new mobile base station is now live in Torndirrup National Park.

Water Corporation Seeks Locals for Nanarup Desalination Community Group: help shape the Nanarup seawater desalination project. Apply by Sunday, 19 Apr.

Have Your Say on Albany's 10-Year Council Plan: Got 10 minutes? Complete the Council Plan Survey and help shape the city's next decade. Closes Friday, 13 Mar.

Free Shuttle Buses for Lighting the Sound: Free shuttles run from 5:30pm, routes from Emu Point, Middleton Beach, ALAC and Albany Highway to the Entertainment Centre.

Artists: Apply for the 2026 Southern Art and Craft Trail: Exhibit and sell your work at Vancouver Arts Centre from 26 Sep to 11 Oct 2026. Applications close 11 Apr.

Qualified hairdresser: casual role paying $30–$35/hr with regular in-salon colour training every 3–6 months. Email resume to [email protected] | Ginger Cats & Co. | Albany

Cellar door experience manager: lead daily cellar door operations, supervise the casual team and support events and sales | Plantagenet Wines | Mount Barker

Hockey development officer: across the Lower Great Southern working with clubs, schools and Hockey WA to boost participation. Casual (30 hrs/week) | LGSHA | Albany

28 Pretious Street, Spencer Park: 3-bed, 1-bath on 728m². Refreshed character home with jarrah floors, updated kitchen and bathroom | Offers above $595,000

10 Barrett Heights, Denmark: 3-bed, 2-bath on 738m². Elevated home with sweeping town views. Leased at $625/week until mid-April | Offers over $795,000

80 Hare Street, Middleton Beach: 3-bed, 2-bath on 1,492m². Panoramic ocean views, plus a 3-car garage with workshop and shed on a separate vacant title | From $3,450,000

Mount Barker Barracudas – WA Country Pennants C-Grade Champions: Mount Barker's swim club raised nearly $50,000 over 14 months to get to Karratha, then made it count. The Barracudas came home C-grade champions, racking up 400 points to earn promotion to B-grade next year.

And that's a wrap!

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Catch you next Tuesday!