🌄 No Bluff News #33

G'day {{first_name | Friend}}! We're back with edition 33 of No Bluff News – your weekly wrap of positive local news, weekend plans, and all the community highlights you actually care about.

Here's what's in store:

Right, let's get into it!

Albany's biggest winter event is back, running across 19 local venues through all of July. This Friday it opens with Foreshore Friday at the Boatshed: Tom River, The Forever Party, Ghost Care and DJ Levi Ryan from 6pm.

Saturday is All at Sea, a free family day on the waterfront with sailing, touch pool and the Albany Shantymen. Two major exhibitions also open this weekend: Erin Coates' The Bone Yard (Historic Whaling Station) and Kalyagul: Connections to Menang Country (Museum of the Great Southern).

Maritime Movies, Treasure Trail and Pirates of Penzance carry it through the school holidays. Full program here.

Gnowangerup's businesses can't grow because they can't house the staff they need. Transport company Duraquip fills 80 per cent of its roles with sponsored migrants, but owner Garry Richardson says every time he looks to expand, the first question is where workers are going to live.

Local not-for-profit Harvest has bought land and is teaming up with Hous3D to 3D-print homes on-site, with builds expected to take about 10 weeks and come in 20–30 per cent cheaper than a standard build.

"If the housing was available, we'd be able to get the skilled workers here," says Caleb Richardson of Auspan. "Here in Gnowangerup, we are bucking the trend."

Albany Health Campus is now running WA's first commercially sponsored clinical trial in regional medicine, testing a new anti-nausea drug for people going through chemotherapy, in partnership with Eli Lilly.

Both Albany and Esperance have set up in-house labs, so patients get monitored right here. No Perth trip required.

Clinical research nurse Natalie Rudling is running the trial from Albany. It's part of a push to give country patients access to the same research opportunities as anyone in the city.

After 12 years of birthdays, weddings and quiet dinners overlooking King George Sound, Garrison Restaurant & Bar is changing hands this week. Rai Sushant, who's been part of the Garrison team for years, is taking over from Jonni and Sophie.

It's a proper Albany handover, not a hard reset. Jonni and Sophie say the community's support over the years has meant the world.

Just Bin It is an Albany family group (three sisters and a brother-in-law) that heads out every Friday for three hours, covering spots from Albany to Mt Barker and filling around 20 bags. More than 5,000kg hauled since last June.

The habit started with their mum, who always walked with a bag. Now they're running a Facebook page to get more locals involved.

The Great Southern has kept its decade-long record as WA's best region for retaining rural doctors. More than half the region's GPs have been at their main practice for over five years, with an average tenure of 9.4 years, the highest in the state.

The workforce grew by 16 GPs last year to reach 130. Rural Health West warns that housing shortages in Albany, Denmark and Mt Barker are starting to bite on recruitment.

Some of the most significant Menang cultural items are coming home to Albany this Saturday. Kalyagul: Connections to Menang Country opens at the Museum of the Great Southern as part of Albany 2026.

The centrepiece is Robert Neill's watercolour album, capturing the knowledge Menang people shared with early naturalists in the 1840s. Also on show is a toort (dingo) specimen, back in Albany for the first time since 1875.

Denmark's Whitfield Estate has taken out champion at the Perth Royal Food Awards, with its Tropical Trio (pineapple, mango and passionfruit in white chocolate) claiming the moulded shell category. Seven golds, three silvers and two bronzes rounded out the haul.

Owner Kelly Howard says blind judging makes the win extra meaningful. Chocolatier Yael Angwin's flavour pairings (fig and fennel, feijoa and rivermint) drove the result.

Blue Tree Project Quiz Night: Free trivia raising mental health awareness, teams of 4–6, prizes and the bar open, 6–9pm | Premier Mill Hotel, Katanning | Wednesday, 1 Jul

Food Truck Friday: Eight food trucks on the Albany foreshore with harbour views, 5:30pm | Albany Boatshed Carpark | Friday, 3 Jul

NAIDOC Week Opening Ceremony: Free ceremony marking 50 years of NAIDOC, with cultural dance, live music and refreshments, 11:15am | Albany Town Hall | Sunday, 5 Jul

Boatshed Markets: Sunday market with local growers, gourmet food, Great Southern wines and handmade goods, 9am–1pm | Albany Boatshed | Sunday, 5 Jul

Maritime Festival Treasure Trail: School holiday quest with sea creature stickers and a maritime passport to complete across Albany venues, times vary | Various | From Fri, 3 Jul

Kids Holiday Craft Program: School holiday craft classes for ages 8+. Crochet, sewing, patchwork and junk journals, 9.30am-11.30am; 1-3pm| The Empty Bobbin | Mon, 6 Jul

Maritime Movies – Tuesday Sessions: How to Train Your Dragon at 10:30am and Paddington in Peru at 2pm | Albany Town Hall | Tuesday, 7 Jul

Tony King: Blues, rock and acoustic covers, 5–8pm | Wilson's Brewery Bar | Friday, 3 Jul

Jonelle and Blues Licence: Renée Geyer tribute with rhythm'n'blues and soul, 7:30pm | King River Tavern | Saturday, 4 Jul

A Swingin' Sunday with Jazztrix: Free swing dance lesson, live jazz and a dance party, 3pm | Denmark Country Club | Sunday, 5 Jul

Zack Linton Live: Blues-rock and neo-soul from the award-winning guitarist, 5–8pm | Wilson's Brewery Bar | Sunday, 5 Jul

Christmas in July Seafood Bash: Tiger prawns, chilli mussels, salt and pepper squid, crayfish, balmain bugs and fish dishes, 6–8:45pm | Rock Salt | Saturday, 4 Jul

Graphite Drawing Masterclass: Erin Coates covers techniques, composition and shading from observation, 10am–1pm | Albany's Historic Whaling Station | Friday, 3 Jul

Erin Coates – The Boneyard: Exhibition exploring whaling history and memory , 9am–5pm daily | Albany's Historic Whaling Station | Opens Friday, 3 Jul

Binalup, Menang | First Light, First People – Panel Discussion: Artist Nic Duncan and Elder Carol Pettersen in conversation, 10:30am | Albany Town Hall | Saturday, 4 Jul

Kalyagul: Connections to Menang Country: Exhibition returning significant Menang cultural items and knowledge to Albany, 10am–4pm | Museum of the GS | Saturday, 4 Jul

Kalyagul – Stories Behind the Exhibition: Half-day symposium with Menang Elders, knowledge-holders and museum practitioners, 1–5pm | Albany Town Hall | Sunday, 5 Jul

French Women Stowaways in the Age of Sail: Historian Malcolm Traill on the women disguised as men on French voyages, 10:30am | Co-op Building | Tuesday, 7 Jul

NBL1 West – Albany Indigenous Round: Perth Redbacks v Perry Lakes Hawks in women's and men's matches with cultural performances, 5pm | ALAC | Saturday, 4 Jul

Home Grown Hospitality: Practical workshop for frontline staff and volunteers on customer service, 9:30am–2pm | 221 York Street | Wednesday, 1 Jul

Business After Hours: Denmark networking catch-up for local businesses, 5:30–7:30pm | Denmark Environment Centre | Thursday, 2 Jul

Four celebrated WA writers are heading to Wilson Brewing Company on Sunday, 19 July for an afternoon of readings, Q&A and book signings from 2–4pm. Free to get in, with a pop-up shop if you want to grab a copy on the day. Get your ticket.

Darwin-born comedian Mickey Wilson brings his unfiltered take on family life and quick-fire observations to Six Degrees Albany on Friday, 31 July. Doors open at 7pm, show from 7:30pm. Strictly 18+, $35 online or $40 at the door. Grab your ticket.

Regional badminton returns for the Bicentenary at ALAC on 1–2 August, with two days of skill-based competition plus a Saturday dinner and the first-ever badminton quiz night. Registrations close 19 July. Register here.

Albany's annual writing anthology gets a special bicentenary edition, launched at Albany Town Hall on Thursday, 13 August with readings and live music from 7:30pm. Tickets are $11.50, with proceeds going to Albany Community Hospice. Book now.

Alt-country and folk return to NewFarm Campground at Bow Bridge for year two, 6–8 November. Expect a bigger lineup of Great Southern acts, Friday Porch Sessions, a Country-Folk Quiz and two nights under the stars. Lineup and tickets drop this month. Watch for updates.

Containers for Change expands: Wine and spirit bottles now earn a 10-cent refund. The Shire of Denmark has fitted CFC baskets to 23 public bins. See what's now eligible.

Steve Lewis Regional Scholarship: Three $50,000 places at Curtin for Great Southern, South West and Goldfields-Esperance first-year students. Closes 29 July. Apply here.

$12.2M berth works, Albany and Esperance: Concrete remediation underway at both southern ports to keep grain exports flowing. See the scope of works.

Subsidised soil health EOIs close 22 July: Great Southern beef, dairy and sheep producers can access a $4k+ soil testing and mapping package. Register your interest.

Cert III Horticulture at half price, Denmark TAFE: Delivered in the campus's certified organic garden. Enquire at South Regional TAFE.

Wilson's Brewery Bar: New Sunday trading hours with the bar pouring 12pm–8pm and kitchen serving 12pm–7pm. Plan your Sunday.

Club manager: lead operations, staff and membership growth | Snap Fitness Albany | Albany

General practitioner: broad-scope rural care including chronic disease and emergency presentations | St Luke's Family Practice | Katanning

Cricket manager – Great Southern & Esperance: lead cricket growth and participation across the region | WA Cricket | Albany

28 Rycraft Drive, Spencer Park: 3-bed, 2-bath on 651m². Double garage, 6x6m shed, enclosed alfresco | Offers above $760,000.

51 Kampong Road, Yakamia: 4-bed, 2-bath on 704m². Multiple living zones, built-in outdoor kitchen, 8x4m powered shed | Offers above $880,000.

101 Jorden Road, Kalgan: 4-bed, 2-bath on 21.5ha. Renovated home, 450m Kalgan River frontage, 2,000 mature olive trees | Offers above $2,500,000.

Albany Boating and Fishing Club – Southern Squid Spectacular: Nearly 200 competitors pulled in a combined 194kg in the club's biggest ever squid comp, with Russel Cox winning boats (8.34kg), Chad de Jonge taking kayaks and Lachlan Nolan the shore. Flynn Morrow's 1.81kg squid was the heaviest of the day.

Albany Caledonians – Mental Health Match: The under-14s raised $4,527 for Beyond Blue in a match honouring a former teammate, with Thistle winning 5-0 on the day.

Albany Great Southern Breakers – Great Southern Slam: The Breakers raised $9k+ from the Albany community to compete at Australia's biggest roller derby tournament, taking on Geelong (217-67) and SA's Rockabellas (173-102) at the Adelaide showgrounds. Home bouts return to the ALAC in August and October.

And that's a wrap!

If you know someone who'd love the good stuff from the Great Southern, forward this their way or get them to sign up at noblufflocal.com.

See you next Tuesday!