November 2023 Eva – Ambassador Dog

Our speaker was Kay McIntyre from Guide Dogs Australia.

She spoke about guide and therapy dogs and brought with her Eva, a  nine year old Labrador cross, who is an ambassador dog for Guide Dogs WA. Seen here with her human John Davies (right).

Guide Dogs for the Blind was started by Arnold Cook, who returned to WA in 1950 after studying at the London School of Economics

He had found it quite tricky navigating around London as a blind person, so he was directed to a new guide dog Training Centre in Exeter. There he was matched with a beautiful dog called Dreamer.

Arnold together with Dreamer, returned to WA in 1951, determined that blind people in WA should benefit from a guide dog in the way that he had done. He set about organising a guide dog association which became the Guide Dog Association in Australia.

January 2024 meeting – John Viska

The Australia Garden History Society was formed in 1980 and a West Australian branch began in 1988, with John Viska as chairman and prime mover.

John’s Greek and Albanian heritage introduced him to plants and gardening. He was always interested in gardening as young man and followed his interests through collecting and observing seeds growing and exchanging plants with others who shared the same passion.

His working life started as a primary school teacher but he also studied horticulture at Bentley Technical College. Later he was seconded by the Education Department to Kings Park Education Centre for five years. He also lectured at TAFE for 25 years, teaching horticulture and the history of gardening, especially in a WA context.

To celebrate 20 years the society  published an coffee table  book Heritage Gardens of Perth which was bought by several members.

June 2024 meeting

John Rando is well known around Perth as a defence lawyer, he spoke of his early days as a young Italian migrant who spoke no English when he arrived in Perth.

Never-the-less, he got through school and went on to study law.

Over the last half century, in his own words, he has spent his days as a criminal defence lawyer, musician, farmer, existential philosopher and social scientist.

In his early years in law, he specialised in personal injuries law but then moved on to criminal defence work, trying to keep clients out of jail.

When he worked in Sydney for the NSW Legal Aid Commission, he played evenings with bands, in hotels and clubs.

He has been playing music since high school days and he usually plays piano and sings.

After his talk he produced a piano accordion and entertained us with a lively Tarantella, urging his audience to stamp their feet and clap hands to the beat.

February 2023 meeting

Sally Hertzfeld

Teaching in a Remote Aboriginal School

It would be a daunting prospect for any 20 year old, who had grown up in Darlington and had just graduated from Teacher’s College, to discover her first posting would be to the remote Forest River mission near Wyndham.

Sally Hertzfeld though, jumped at what she saw as an exciting adventure. Her parents had always been active supportive of Aboriginal matters.

From Wyndham, she had a 13 hour journey along the Forrest river by barge. There were crocodiles everywhere, but they landed safely at the mission.

Some of the practices in the community were alien to her. The men had up to four wives and about 20 or 30 dogs. Every now and again the cops would come out and shoot the dogs because the men were feeding their dogs instead of their wives.

Their old people lived in the bush but they would come in when they needed medications, food and clothes.

Food was mostly tinned but one bullock was slaughtered each week, provided fresh food relief. They had no electricity, except at night when a generator was turned on.

Sally immersed herself in the life, participating in all their activities and ceremonies. She started a Girl Guide company (even helping the members to make their own uniforms on hand sewing machines) and a Cub Pack for the boys.

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