🌄 No Bluff News #47

G'day {{first_name | Friend}}! We're back with edition 47 of No Bluff News. There's a fair bit of history in this one, from wedding dresses as old as the 1800s to Albany's oldest maps, and plenty on this weekend across the Great Southern.

Here's what's in store:

Alright, let's crack on!

The wedding gown display in the hall behind Wesley Church on Duke Street is closing after 16 years. Families have until 16 October to collect their dresses.

Some go back to the 1800s, and many families don't know theirs is there. The hall opens Tuesday to Thursday, 9 to 11am, which leaves six mornings. After that, the rest go to a museum in Busselton.

Janet is taking hers home. It's hung there for five years, and it marks the start of 43 years with her husband. "Hopefully one day my grandchild might be able to wear it," she says.

Albany councillors locked in a builder on 22 September. The council papers show exactly where it'll go: 500m out, on a 200m by 400m patch of King George Sound.

It's built to give samson fish, silver trevally, harlequin, salmon, whiting and squid somewhere to live. WA has eight of these reefs already, but until now Esperance had the south coast's only one.

The money comes from fishing licence fees, so anglers are paying for their own reef. It should be in the water by early 2027.

It's on the corner of Stirling Terrace, and most people walk straight past it. The Tudor-style toilets added in 1976 match it so well they hide it.

Local women's groups ran bazaars for seven years to raise £760. That paid for a place where women and children in from out of town could sit down and rest.

Today it's home to seven ukulele groups, the Albany Shantymen and the community brass band. Next time you're on York Street, have a proper look.

Mark Doyle spent a year on it. He cut the mountain, a temple and cherry blossoms from different steels with a jeweller's saw, then forge-welded the pieces together.

He knows of one other maker who works this way, American Bob Kramer. One of Kramer's knives sold for US$231k in 2019. When Mark showed his mum a year's work, she said, "Oh that's nice," and put it down.

Cats & Dogs: All at Sea is a free exhibition of early 1900s photos. They show sailors with the cats, dogs and other animals that went to sea with them. It was meant to close last week, but people kept turning up.

There's a community wall too. Scan the QR code and your own pet's photo goes up alongside the sailors' animals. It's open 9 to 5 every day.

Amber put her first song on triple j Unearthed in 2022, and a reviewer called her "a rising star". Four years on, she's in her third year at WAAPA in Perth. Her new folk single, Homesick, went up on Unearthed on 28 September.

Unearthed is where triple j first found Flume, Vance Joy and Missy Higgins.

Albany fire captain Chris Slade and Denmark's Lee Shelley got home last month from Washington and Oregon. They were two of the 40-plus WA firies in a 300-strong Australian and New Zealand crew.

The US doesn't normally ask for outside help, Slade says. "I think because the Americans are so proud of their country, they are so moved by people wanting to come help protect it."

Echoes & Voices opens free on Friday, with old maps, paintings and prints of Albany alongside work by artists here today.

The oldest dates from 1798, 28 years before the Amity arrived. The curator talks through it on Saturday at 10:30am (RSVP needed). The show runs until 7 November.

Great Southern, Great History: Seven talks on Albany's past, from John McKail to almost 180 years of Chinese history in town, 9am–4:30pm | UWA Albany | Saturday, 10 Oct

Oyster Harbour Miaritch Showcase: Talks, displays, stalls and kids' activities celebrating Oyster Harbour, 10am–2:30pm. Free | OHCG | Saturday, 10 Oct

Lions bargain bonanza: Sale of bargains, gifts & secondhand finds, funds go to local projects, 8–11am. Gold coin entry | Albany South Coast Lions Club | Sunday, 11 Oct

Joe Avati: Good Old Days: Clean comedy about growing up Italian in Australia, made for three generations, 8–9:30pm, $60 | Albany Italian Club | Friday, 9 Oct

Albany Farmers Market: Fresh produce, baked goods, coffee and live music in the CBD, 8am–12pm | Collie Street, Albany | Saturday, 10 Oct

Bloom Floral Market: Stalls with native and cottage garden varieties, bush tucker, talks and kids' craft, 10am–3pm. Entry by donation | The Kodja Place | Saturday, 10 Oct

Child and Parent Centre turns 10: Party activities and a birthday storytime for ages 3 and up, 10am–12pm. Free | Albany Public Library | Wednesday, 7 Oct

Eucalyptus Shadow Box Workshop: Young artists make a 3D shadow box with watercolour and origami, 10:30am–12:30pm, $10 | Museum of the GS | Wed, 7 Oct

Soccer 5x5 Comp: Quick games for ages 6 to 8, with fair teams picked on the day, 9:30am, $10. Bring a water bottle and enclosed shoes | ALAC | Thursday, 8 Oct

Denmark School of Rock: A four-day rock music program at Kwoorabup Nature School, 8am–5pm | Denmark CRC | Tuesday, 6 to Friday, 9 Oct

The Music of Postmodern Jukebox: Jazztrix and Jenny Wren play modern hits in vintage jazz style, 7pm, $20–$30 | Spectrum Theatre | Saturday, 10 Oct

The Numbats: Dance-floor favourites for Oktoberfest, 8:30–11pm. Free | Six Degrees | Saturday, 10 Oct

Social Sundays: Live music from Gin Lao and Rusty Lynch, with Coastal Fire Pizza on site, 12–6pm | South Coast Social Club | Sunday, 11 Oct

An evening with Dr Don Garden: talks through Albany's 200 years, then canapés and drinks in the courtyard, 6:30–9:30pm, $55 | Albany Historical Society | Friday, 9 Oct

Makers Film Festival: International short films about craft, makers and materials, part of Denmark Arts' 5 Days 5 Arts, 6:30pm, $10–$15 | Denmark Arts | Friday, 9 Oct

Almost with You: A film about an Irish singer-songwriter who arrives in Albany and gets drawn into the town, followed by cast Q&A, 7:30pm, $29 | AEC | Friday, 9 Oct

Books in the Brewery: A panel of WA authors, including crime writer Alan Carter, with readings, a Q&A and book signings, 2–4pm. Free | Wilson Brewing Co | Sunday, 11 Oct

King George Sound boat tour: Cruise out towards Mistaken Island, with a chance to see the last whales of the season, 9:30–11am, $10 | City of Albany | Wednesday, 7 Oct

Borden Backtracks: Ride, run or walk Borden's back roads, from a junior obstacle course to a 24km gravel ride, then free food, 2–6pm. Free | Borden | Thursday, 8 Oct

Kadadjiny Cup 3x3 Basketball: U-12, u-16 and open divisions, with a kids' play area and a free sausage sizzle, 9:30am–4pm. Free to play and watch | ALAC | Saturday, 10 Oct

Bendigo Bank Shield: Round 1 of the Great Southern Shield cricket season, with games at grounds across the region, from 12:45pm | Various grounds | Saturday, 10 Oct

Men's Open Triples: Bowls tournament with $1,250 in prize money, 9am–6pm. Teams are $75 and entries close Wednesday | Denmark Riverside Club | Sunday, 11 Oct

Tourism & Hospo Catch Up: A walk along the new paths between the Boardwalk and the National Anzac Centre, then coffee from BredCo, 8–10am | Albany CCI | Thursday, 8 Oct

OCM Agenda Advisory Committee: The City of Albany committee meets, and the public can come along, 5:30–7:30pm | City of Albany | Tuesday, 13 Oct

Wild Gravel has added a 420km ultra this year, leaving Mt Trio the day before the main event on Saturday 24 October. At the other end, you can walk or run 5km. In between are rides from 10km to 150km, a marathon, and new rough trail runs. Places to stay around the Stirlings book out, so Teepee City has pre-pitched tents at Mt Trio, and spaces are limited. Enter here.

On Saturday 24 October, quendas will be hidden around the Kendenup Town Hall and the open gardens for a treasure hunt, and you vote for your favourite. There's a gumboot throwing competition at 10am, a bike skills session for ages 5 to 12 (bring a bike and helmet), veteran cars on Hassell Avenue and history walks through the Old Bakehouse. It's free, 9am to 1pm. Details here.

The Albany Community Hospice is holding a race-day afternoon at The Albany Club on Saturday 24 October to raise money. There are bubbles on arrival, a picnic-style afternoon tea, pop-up shopping and a best hat competition, plus a fashion parade from The Hub, Lucille and Rose, and Butterflies Op Shop. It starts at 1:30pm, and tickets are $65 for adults and $35 for under-16s. Tickets at Paperbark Merchants.

Rustlers is setting one room for 54 people on Friday 30 October, for five courses matched with wines from Porongurup's Ironwood Estate. Les from Rustlers and Sam from Ironwood host the night, and the plates run to local fish, Frankland River pork and Stirling Ranges beef. It's $160 a head, and bookings close Friday 23 October. Book at Rustlers.

Sensorium Theatre's Wonderbox is made with and for children with disability, and each session takes just 15 kids and their carers. It's a relaxed show: kids can sit or move about, there's a quiet chill-out space, and the cast uses key signs and gesture. The public session is Saturday 14 November at the Albany Entertainment Centre, $25 a child for ages 8 and up, and carers go free. Book here.

Albany's releasing rabbit viruses at 40 sites this month: Calicivirus and myxomatosis only affect rabbits and hares, so get your pet rabbit vaccinated. See the notice.

Dogs can go on lead in Denmark's Berridge Park: Norm Thornton Park opens to dogs on lead too, and Prawn Rock Channel gets a new leash area. See the changes.

CSBP is paying for truck licences for volunteer firefighters: The offer covers every Volunteer Fire and Rescue zone in WA. Read the story.

Spudshed's hiring for its new Albany store: Grocery, fruit and veg, dairy and freezer, meat and forklift roles, with new staff starting in December. See the jobs.

Gnowangerup's main street has a milkshake parlour: The Clucky Chook has opened on Yougenup Road, next to the new Shop 33 Gallery. Find them.

Middies Fest is coming back to Middleton Beach in February: Organisers promise bigger acts, with the date and line-up still to come. See the announcement.

Manager of works: about $180k to $209k package, with a house and a car, closes 22 October | Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup | Tambellup

Chef: $80k to $85k, with staff accommodation in a five-bedroom house within walking distance | Ocean and Paddock | Albany

Heavy vehicle truck driver (MC): permanent full-time, about $100k a year on minimum 10-hour shifts | Total Harvesting | Albany

88 Vancouver Street, Albany: 3-bed, 1-bath on 819m². Harbour views, R30 with subdivision potential, opposite the Vancouver Arts Centre | Offers above $899,000

1/11 Bavin Street, Denmark: 2-bed, 1-bath on 535m². Wilson Inlet views, with a studio and a workshop | $725,000

11 Deane Street, Mount Barker: 4-bed, 2-bath on 2,023m². Games room with a bar, outdoor kitchen with fishponds, and a powered workshop | $685,000

Albany's junior soccer girls bring home two Country Week titles: The under-14 and under-17 girls won their competitions, and the under-12s took third after a penalty shootout. AJSA also had five best and fairest winners across the 10 competitions, and Mitchell Otway was named referee of the tournament.

Denmark's half marathon goes ahead in atrocious weather: Joel Grey won the men's half in 1:26:56 and Toni Heinemann was the first woman home in 1:32:37 on the Lights Beach course. About 40 entrants stayed home, but more than 100 still ran.

Kangas take two flags as Albany netball's grades season wraps up: Kangas 2 were level with Magpies 2 at the last break and won the A2 final 36-33, and Kangas 5 took A6 by 32 goals. Sonics held off a late Narrikup run to win A3 by one, and Magpies took both the B1 and B2 flags.

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.

Enjoy the Art Trail's last weekend, and if your family has a dress at Wesley Church, you've got until 16 October.

See you next Tuesday!