🌄 No Bluff News #42

G'day {{first_name | Friend}}! We're back with edition 42 of No Bluff News – your weekly wrap of positive local news, weekend plans, and all the community highlights you actually care about.

Today's highlights:

Right, let's get into it!

The Horse & Groom wasn't meant to open until 1 October, timed to the building's 174th anniversary. But the sportsman's bar opened on York Street last Wednesday, and the main bar of Albany's oldest pub has since had its first few days.

Restrictions still apply while the rebuild carries on. The team says they've been overwhelmed by the support, and that the best part has been hearing a thank you from people who'd never set foot in their other pub.

They put it this way: "This venue belongs to Albany. We just happened to take the risk."

That junction is why the bush here is what it is. Professor Stephen Hopper, brought in to review the City's new biodiversity plan, calls the region an international hotspot for the richness of its plants and animals.

Council adopted the ten-year plan on Tuesday, after three years of work and 693 locals having their say. Ninety-three per cent said looking after it mattered.

There's an online mapping tool showing the natural areas, wetlands and waterbodies across the district. Worth a look if you've got bush on your block.

Albany's first Foreshore Fest sold out its first release in about a day. The Hoodoo Gurus headline, with Spiderbait, Eskimo Joe, The Southern River Band and Carla Geneve on the bill, plus local supports.

It's the first one, and going by how fast that release moved, Albany was ready for it.

Saturday 23 January at Anzac Peace Park, 2pm to 11pm, 18-plus. Second release at $140 is what's left.

Nathan Watson's shot of a bar-tailed godwit pulling a sandworm free, only for a silver gull to chase it down and take the lot, won the Animal Behaviour category at the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year. He shot it here in Albany, and took runner-up in Animals in Nature as well.

Fellow Albany photographer Georgina Steytler took out Macro.

A block on the Oyster Harbour foreshore at Lower King could end up with a tavern, a small bar, a restaurant and a hotel on it. Council voted 8–0 on Tuesday to send the scheme amendment out for comment.

An art gallery, exhibition centre and reception centre are on the list too. The dual use path and public parking are already there. You'll get a say before anything's decided.

The Albany Historical Society has laid a Pioneer Pathway through the grounds of Patrick Taylor Cottage, with 19 plaques in and four to come. Menang people, early settlers, the goldfields and railway, convicts and ships, right through to the modern era.

Chief executive Andrew Eyden says there was nowhere in Albany you could get the whole picture in one go.

Sarah Josh's Liminal Longevity Balm took gold for best skin treatment at the national Clean and Conscious awards, against entries from across Australia and New Zealand. She makes it by hand on her Denmark property, on solar power and rainwater.

"Denmark is a small town a long way from anywhere, and that's usually framed as a disadvantage. It isn't."

A fencing crew turned up to work near Broomehill this week and found a Swiss Valais-cross lamb sitting in one of their post holes. "This very content lamb just looking around going, 'is someone going to help me out?'" is how landowner Abbey Newbey described it.

She blames the breed's curiosity. It came out unharmed and went back to its mum.

PEAT Information Session: What peat is, why it matters and how the fencing subsidies work, 10am. Free | Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee | Wednesday, 2 Sep

Turtle Tracker Training: Meet Albany's freshwater turtles and learn to log sightings on the TurtleSAT app, 5:45–8:15pm. Free | City of Albany | Monday, 7 Sep

Father's Day Card Making: Drop in and make a card for Dad, all ages, no bookings, 10am–5pm. Free | Shire of Plantagenet | Friday, 4 Sep

Albany Farmers Market: Produce, baked goods and breakfast straight from the growers, 8am–12pm | Collie Street, Albany | Saturday, 5 Sep

Albany Boatshed Markets: Local produce, gourmet food, Great Southern wines and live music, 9am–1pm | Albany Boatshed | Sunday, 6 Sep

Father's Day at the Prem: Special menu and Woodlands Distillery single malt in the Sports Bar, bookings essential | Premier Hotel Albany | Sunday, 6 Sep

Hardy Croucher: Work in Progress: A brand new hour of stand-up being road-tested for one night only, $10, 7:30pm | Spectrum Theatre | Saturday, 5 Sep

Friday-night Texas Smokehouse Feast: Buffet of Texas-style smoked meats and Southern sides, seats limited so RSVP, 5:15–9:30pm | Rock Salt | Friday, 4 Sep

Father's Day Weekend at Karribank: Lunch or dinner with Porongurup views, plus pre-booked whisky tasting paddles, $45 | Karribank | Saturday, 5 and Sunday, 6 Sep

Father's Day Texas Smokehouse Feast: Hickory smoked brisket, Cajun seafood boil, house-smoked sausages and dessert fountains, 11am–3:30pm | Rock Salt | Sunday, 6 Sep

Radio Active: WAAPA contemporary music students on stage with ASHS and GSG students, 7pm, $50 adult and $45 concession | AEC | Friday, 4 Sep

Rob.V: Back at Wilson's for a Friday-night set of live music, 5–8pm | Wilson's Brewery Bar | Friday, 4 Sep

Te Deum, a Song of Praise: Sarabande Early Music Ensemble play Charpentier for orchestra and choir, $30 | St Leonards Anglican Church | Saturday, 5 Sep

David Rastrick: Jazz-reggae and acoustic soul to see out the weekend, 4–7pm | The Earl of Spencer | Sunday, 6 Sep

In-store signing with Maggie Dent: Meet the parenting author and get her new book Digital Freedom signed, 11:30am–12:30pm | Paperbark Merchants | Wednesday, 2 Sep

Author Talk: Diamond of the Desert: A historical novel on the early years of the colony, truth-telling and what came after, 2pm. Free | Albany Public Library | Thursday, 3 Sep

A Blooming Good Show: Canapés, dinner and a Plantagenet Players performance marking the hall's reopening, 6pm | Frankland River Town Hall | Friday, 4 Sep

Jacqui Malins Artist Talk, Rich and Rare: On her research into native flat oyster reefs and where they go from here, 10:30–11:30am. Free | City of Albany | Saturday, 5 Sep

Between the Mountain and the Sea: Wellstead's history in photographs, artefacts and a 30-minute documentary, 10am–4pm. Free | City of Albany | Opens Tuesday, 8 Sep

Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show: Wildflower displays with a full Spring Festival program running alongside | Ravensthorpe | Monday, 7 Sep to Saturday, 19 Sep

GSFL Preliminary Final: Railways v Royals, and the winner meets Albany in the grand final, 2:30pm | Full fixtures and venues | Saturday, 5 Sep

Albany Netball A1 and A2 Finals: Elimination and qualifying finals from 1pm | Full fixtures and venues | Saturday, 5 Sep

Beyond Beginners Pickleball: Two-week program for players past the basics, 9:30–10:30am, $24 | ALAC | Tuesday, 8 Sep

Committee Meeting, Community and Corporate Services: Council business, open to the public, 5:30–7:30pm | City of Albany | Tuesday, 8 Sep

Theatre 180 spent three years collecting Albany's stories, around 150 interviews and a run of community workshops, and turned the lot into a show. It blends theatre, film and local memory, and the place everyone on stage is talking about is this one. Two nights only at the Albany Entertainment Centre, Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September. Book at albany2026.

Walk out through paddocks of everlastings at the peak of the season and take a bunch home for a $5 donation. There's a sausage sizzle and morning tea going, with the money heading to the Kojonup Women's Club. Free to get in, 10am to 5pm, Sunday 4 October. Details at humanitix.

Crime writer Alan Carter and three other WA authors take over Wilson Brewing for a Sunday afternoon of short readings and a panel chat, with Paperbarks selling and signing on site. Free, 2pm to 4pm, Sunday 11 October. Book at humanitix.

West Australian Opera and Breaksea made this one for the bicentenary, an adventure about Tipu the fox and Marri the echidna told through original music, live performance and animation. Tickets are $25 adult, $20 concession, or $80 for a family of four. Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October at the Princess Royal Theatre. Book at artsculturetrust.

The Chats headline five bands closing out the Live @ the Town Hall season, with Mannequin Death Squad, Sooks, Grand Casual and Albany's own PACKHOaRSE on before them. Tickets are $60, or $50 concession and for groups of six or more. Saturday 24 October. Book at cityofalbanyevents.

Free consumer help is in Denmark tomorrow: Scams, refunds, warranties and renting, no appointment needed, then Mt Barker on 9 September. See the dates.

Broomehill-Tambellup lands $7M of works, mostly on grants: Roads, a new admin building and cabins at the caravan park. Read the budget.

Cranbrook's spending $5.5M on roads and buildings: Sculptures for the Heritage Walk Trail, and the Frankland River Hall kitchen finished. See the projects.

Katanning's $5.7M spend starts with a $1.8M early childhood hub: Then $750k on the airport runway, $181k on Noongar artwork and new library carpet. See where it goes.

Appleyards Homewares goes online today: The Albany shop keeps trading as normal. Take a look.

Katanning's old saleyards will hold grain this harvest: Empty since 2014, now leased to Commodity Ag, a fifth-generation Gnowangerup farming family. See the site plans.

Prison officer: rotating shifts, $97,610–$111,150 plus super, with 12 weeks of paid training | DoJ WA | Albany

Civil construction apprentice: learn on the job and finish a Certificate III, $68k–$79k plus super | Main Roads WA | Albany

Pub and bottle shop manager: run the bar, dining and bottle shop, $85k–$100k, accommodation available | Royal Hotel Kojonup | Kojonup

21 Baudin Place, Spencer Park: 3-bed, 1-bath on 837m². R25 zoning, subdivision potential, elevated with views over the ovals | Offers above $690,000

61 Minor Road, Orana: 3-bed, 2-bath on 1,973m². Multi-dwelling potential for up to four homes, side access, 3–4 bay shed | $725,000

45 Range Court Crescent, Bayonet Head: 4-bed, 3-bath on 891m². Granny flat, Oyster Harbour views, solar with battery | Offers above $800,000

Jerramungup take the Ongerup flag by 67 points: Jerramungup League put 17.12 (114) past Lake Grace / Pingrup's 7.5 (47) at Boxwood Town Oval to claim the premiership. They were 26 points up at quarter time and never let them back in, with Riley Holden, Harrison Brown, Jack Heaslip and Nic Winters named among the best.

Tony McFadyean wins the WA sand greens title in a play-off: McFadyean survived two extra holes against Adam Davey to take the championship at Katanning Country Club, with the four-day event pulling hundreds of visitors into town.

Albany Roller Derby's fundraiser is about $2,300 short: The Great Southern Breakers put every dollar from their first home game of the season toward life-changing surgery for Nicole, known through the league as Stoney's Mum, and the fund now sits just under $48,000 of its $50,000 goal.

And that's a wrap!

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Happy Father's Day for Sunday to all the dads out there.

Catch you next Tuesday!