Language of the Flowers Executive Producer Douglas Burton Writer Director Don Shepherd Narrator Vincent Price Photographed by Michael Baker Richard Malins Kipling Baker Douglas Burton Editor Alan Cox A TVW Enterprises and Shepherd Baker Studios co-production copyright 1981 WILDFLOWERS, WASPS, ORCHIDS, DOUG, JIM AND THE “LANGUAGE OF THE FLOWERS.” By Michael Baker 24/10/2014     Douglas Joseph Burton and James Winter Cruthers started their newspaper careers within five years of each other and worked together at the Daily...

The Origins of the Whitfords Broadcasting Network by ‘Gus Slater ‘Poppa’ Frank Whitford in 1934 Photo – Stan Gervas     Thanks to scribes Stan Gervas and Harry Atkinson, coupled with the folk-lore imparted by other contemporary Whitford employees who contributed to my incubation in the broadcasting industry, we have a fairly comprehensive picture, particularly, of Frank Poppa Whitford and his entry into the entertainment-business. We know that Frank and his brother Archer Whitford were entrepreneurial Kalgoorlie boys whose first venture was the...

Lamenting the whittling away of our heritage – Part 1 of 7 Our indigenous brethren relied an oral history, for they had no written language. Yet stories from the Dreamtime can still be recalled today, at least 40 to 60 thousand years after the first native inhabitants populated the land. One wonders how much the average person living here today of Caucasian origin can recall of their history without reference to a text book? In Europe, the monuments and buildings chart the happenings of that continent, even though they have been ravaged by wars, the great fire of London and modern day progress. They...

Lamenting the whittling away of our heritage – Part 2 of 7 One very popular museum that deals with the sciences more than history is Scitech. Meanwhile Parts 3, 4 and 6 will show, that a number of museums with history themes have received a raw deal. The former Telecommunication Museum, the Fremantle Motor Museum, the Fremantle History Museum, the Light and Sound Discovery Centre at Fremantle, Western Power’s World of Energy museum at Fremantle and the Hall Museum collection at Guildford. So instead of finding a museum that deals with communications and broadcasting under the same roof,...

Lamenting the whittling away of our heritage – Part 3 of 7 Much of the central business district of Perth has been demolished. William Street has lost many of its old buildings, starting with Temple Court and the Embassy Ballroom, the Capitol Theatre and all buildings up to St Georges Terrace. Then everything on one side of the street from the AMP, Goode Durrent and Murray, Viking House, then the Metro Theatre and the considerable changes resulting from the Raine Square development. The opposite side of the street was impacted by the One40William Street development. No doubt these developments...

Lamenting the whittling away of our heritage – Part 4 of 7 Since the Heritage Council of WA was established in 1990, places of cultural heritage to the State have been entered on a Registry and recognised for their value and importance. This does not mean that the system is infallible, as the ongoing battle over the fire damaged Guildford Hotel will testify in Part 5. Too often the buildings sits idle for years suffering damage by vandals and graffiti artists. Modern bureaucracy still needs a lot of refinement before things happen in a more timely fashion, and demolition by neglect is eradicated...

Lamenting the whittling away of our heritage – Part 5 of 7 Saving an icon seems to be mission impossible for the powers that be, when it comes to the landmark Guildford Hotel, which continues to sit in ruins six years and counting after it was severely damaged by a suspicious fire.. The Guildford Hotel Saga Guildford Hotel before the 2008 fire     The iconic and heritage-listed Guildford Hotel was suspiciously damaged and burnt-out by a fire in September 2008, and since then its ongoing dilapidation has continued to draw the ire of the public and community leaders....

Lamenting the whittling away of our heritage – Part 6 of 7 Some decisions defy logic, particularly when an incredible and irreplaceable collection is offered to the State at a reasonable price, to be rejected, for it then to quadruple in value when it goes to auctioned with keen buyers from all over the world. In contrast, the current government was happy to spend about five times more to refurbish office space for the Premier and cabinet. At least a heritage building was restored, even if was for the government’s pleasure rather than a facility for the people of WA to enjoy. This...

Lamenting the whittling away of our heritage – Part 7 of 7 On a brighter note, it is possible to keep old buildings and merge them with modern developments without totally destroying the heritage elements. Though they may not convey the past history to the fullest, they at least give token homage whilst pleasing the younger generations, business folk and social butterflies with the great new eating facilities supplied.     A recent redevelopment involves Newspaper House (1932), the Perth Technical College (1910), WA Trustees Co (1925) and Royal Insurance Building (1929),...

Tribute to James Condon (1923-2014)     Audrey Long (Barnaby) kindly conveyed the sad passing of James Condon (1923-2014) the younger brother of Coralie Condon, who was an actor of great note, performing on the stage, radio, films and television.     Coralie and James used to talk each night by phone until he had a stroke last year and was placed in high care.     James Condon was born on September 27, 1923 in Fremantle, Western Australia, and he was still a boy when his mother died, so Coralie helped raise him, whilst their father spent much time...