A Few More Inconvenient Truths...

I have been both heartened as well as a trifle bemused by responses to my previous post. Readers may recall that I was asking locals and visitors alike to consider some issues that Must Not Be Discussed in Heavenly Beverley.

One of the respondents claimed that IGA wasn't far off Woolies and Coles in prices. I replied that I believe two dollars more for a loaf of bread  at the local IGA than the majors supermarkets was a tad over the top. I once bought, on impulse, a box of genuine Turkish Delight as a gift that was twelve dollars at the local IGA. I found the exact same item at Midland Woolies for seven dollars. Could somebody please explain the differential in these prices? Surely, freight isn't charged by the item...

The same respondent also claimed we had moved to Beverley for peace and quiet. That is completely wrong. We moved to Beverley because of its proximity to Perth and we found a house we could afford. Finally, the respondent seemed to be unaware that the "Dome" Roadhouse does a roaring trade after hours and on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday for items such as milk. I am unsure whether the respondent lives in Beverley anymore.

Hilariously, the only other negative respondent expressed his choice of IGA over Coles. He lives in Perth. I am trying to figure out if he has actually set foot inside the Beverley IGA...

I potentially could have my feelings hurt by Facebook angry faces. What I actually wanted was a coherent  explanation for the points I raised about the structure and policies of the Beverley IGA. There has only been a complete void of silence in reply.

I am concerned that the local IGA is headed for oblivion in its current form. Beverley has to grow to remain viable. Those who come may expect better and community minded service, plentiful and varied stock (there were no chicken products at all in the fridges last Tuesday) and a willingness to supply other items when requested by shoppers.

One of my respondents chose to live in Beverley due to the motto - "Beverley is open for business". He has not found this to be the case. In fact, he has not had a reply to emails sent to a Shire representative. He has also found volunteering at a local facility to be difficult and slow.  

I was in York all day Tuesday when our car was put in for service. Over the entire length of Avon Terrace, I saw two cigarette buts, one piece of skeleton weed and one empty milk container. York's street trees are booming and provide shade. There were multiple pots of brightly coloured flowers and healthy plants along the pavements which were also scrupulously clean. 

Yes, York is three times the size of Beverley. But Beverley risks its very being if we don't move with the times. Beverley needs an inviting and welcoming main street filled with vibrant businesses to attract new residents and visitors alike. We desperately need a functional cafe on Vincent Street. The Red Vault is NOT OPEN and a request to the Shire to ascertain its future has, so far, fallen on deaf ears. In addition, the exposed matting outside the public toilets is a Duty of Care breach and a falls hazard. What will be the Shire's response if a local or visitor is injured by their neglect? 

On a positive note, I am delighted to see that local real estate agent Jennie Bryant is opening an office with a small gift space on Vincent Street. Plus, our former jeweller Bec, our former artist Marion, ceramicist Kelly and tea enthusiast Michelle are opening Studio 119 on 19 March. Fantastic news for Beverley!

Beverley needs all our businesses to work together. A suggestion has been made to me to set up a local Chamber of Commerce. I looked up the definition of a Chamber of Commerce for clarification - 

"A town’s Chamber of Commerce is a local, voluntary network of businesses and professionals working together to improve the local business environment, foster economic growth, and advocate on behalf of the business community. They provide networking, marketing, and advocacy services, acting as the "voice of business" to local government.

Economic Development: Promoting the region to attract new businesses, tourists, and talent to boost the local economy.

Visibility and Marketing: Promoting member businesses to the public through directories, events, and marketing campaigns."

I believe that I would be the wrong person to initiate a Chamber of Commerce. For a start, the East End Gallery has no equivalent in Beverley. We do not have regular guests, nor can we rely on repeat custom. We make no profit whatsoever and in fact, we are struggling for survival. We are regularly supported by only a handful of residents. In an ideal world, I would hope that most residents would visit the East End Gallery and support us.

As well, I do not believe that enough businesses in Beverley really care about the fate of the East End Gallery. As for promoting the region to attract new businesses, tourists and talent, I do not see much evidence of that. I hope I am wrong, but I don't believe I am. In an ideal world, I look forward to other businesses in town extending their support to us. 

Michael and I live in hope that one day Beverley will live up to its marketing brand. All we want is for Beverley, and us, to thrive.

 

Some Inconvenient Truths

 "An Inconvenient Truth" was a documentary created by former United States vice-president, Mister Al Gore, with director Davis Guggenheim and producers Laurie David, Lawrence Bender and Lesley Chilcott, designed to educate the world about global warming way back in 2006. This film was a factual response to the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" which vividly illustrated the effects of climate change on ordinary people. 

I have borrowed and altered the title of Mister Gore's movie in order to discuss what I believe are some rather Uncomfortable Truths that Must Not Be Spoken About right here in Heavenly Beverley. I will not be talking about life and death for our town's residents, but rather a slow decline in our population and visitors that may see Beverley shrink to an insignificant pimple on the landscape.

First things first. We chose to move to Beverley in January 2011, after the driest year on record. We saw potential in the empty shops, the neglected main street and the generally grey appearance. There were literally clumps of skeleton weed rolling across Vincent Street. Beverley resembled one of those Wild West settlements we see in cowboy movies. Yet, we still fell in love with Beverley and decided to make the town our home.

We then enjoyed a revival of new businesses and general beautification of Vincent Street. We cheered the Beverley Heroic, the Easter Art Prize, the Platform Theatre and the opening of our new Visitors' Centre. 

We opened the East End Gallery in part of the Forbes Building in 2014, expending to fill half of the premises in 2016 as well as Michael's completion of his 90 square metre Man Cave. Having sold our original house in 2016, we moved into our brand new home, dubbed 'Station House' (directly behind the Forbes Building) in 2017.

The decline of businesses and empty shops, not to mention the misleading information about the Red Vault Cafe (it is CLOSED, everybody, with no clue about its future), the continuing frustration of the IGA's rigid hours, the lack of support for those initiatives such as the Vincent Street Emporium and the East End Gallery and the haphazard arrangements of manning the Visitors Centre have been particularly apparent over the summer months. 

Beverley should be a magnet for both new residents and visitors alike. How many residents have read the plan for the expansion of our town - "Beverley 2035", which is an eighty-five page discussion document aiming for a population growth to two and a half thousand in the Beverley Shire over the next nine years?

I have read this document.

Where are the anticipated new residents going to come from? I would hazard a guess that more than a few of them will arrive from Perth, which is increasingly becoming unaffordable for families, renters and pensioners. What will these new arrivals expect from Beverley? They will expect services that they previously accessed in the metropolitan area.

So, let's take a good hard look at Beverley's services - 

• the IGA's continual refusal to open Saturday afternoon and part of Sundays and public holidays may ring the death knell for the supermarket. The stock is expensive, limited and may be of poor quality. Visitors complain about this situation to us every week. With Coles now delivering to Beverley and more people using the internet to shop, IGA risks becoming obsolete, unless they change their practices.
• Businesses on Vincent Street may consider extending their hours, as well as making sure they adhere to those hours. There is nothing more frustrating to visitors expecting a business to be open, only to discover it isn't...
• Public holidays are particularly important days for visitors to Beverley. Some businesses are missing the point. Only this morning, a large contingent of motor bikes arrived outside the Beverley Bakehouse, expecting it to be open. It wasn't...
• The Red Vault is causing immense angst. The Red Vault is still listed as OPEN on Google Maps, which is entirely false. The Red Vault in CLOSED and has not been operational since before Christmas, providing no information  as to its future. I have asked the Shire of Beverley to contact the owners to ascertain its status. I have heard nothing...
• Those businesses that are open on weekends and/or after hours need promotion and support by the Shire. The Beverley Dome Roadhouse (located on the corner of Hunt Road and Vincent Street) provides a seven-day-a- week destination for food, groceries and fuel. The Vincent Street Emporium is a charming enterprise for clothes, gifts, the quirky and the unusual. And the East End Gallery opens every weekend, often later than our publicised 5pm closure time. 

I am now going to throw in some questions specifically for local residents. When was the last time you patronised the East End Gallery on a weekend? When was the last time you brought family or friends into the East End Gallery? And for those residents who have, what do you consider the value of the East End Gallery to Beverley?

When we moved to Beverley, the Shire workers seemed to take great pride in their work. Now, I believe that is not the case. I asked for a work order to be enacted almost two weeks ago to clean the litter and debris along Anzac Lane, which comes off Vincent Street and is regularly used by residents and visitors accessing the public toilets. This work has not been done...

I am tired of complaining (in writing) about the rubbish, the skeleton weed infestation and the dead and dying trees and plants in the Vincent Street precinct. We have taken to hand watering our garden in front of the East End Gallery, so our little patch is green, attractive, flowering and alive.

 

 

Outside the East End Gallery - Saturday 28 February... 

 

 

I have also sent the Shire lists of plants that do well in Wheatbelt conditions, how to tackle boggy areas, and education on the use of water, fertilisers, soil, mulch, soil tonics and sprays. The exposed matting in front of the public toilets is a trip hazard and the use of glyphosate to control weeds between plants has been a disaster. All of which has been met with resounding silence from the Shire. 

• Vincent Street should be maintained to the highest level of attractiveness in order to bring residents and visitors to town. We are competing with every other small town. I believe Beverley Shire workers need to be 'fit for purpose' for these jobs and receive training and supervision. 

There is a perceived shortage of available housing for workers in Beverley. I have approached the Shire about renting our Studio to a single worker or a couple. The chemist next door to us has a one bed-roomed unit sitting empty. Farmers in the Shire have empty houses but are hesitant to rent to workers. I believe if the Shire approached those owners who have empty properties and offered to rent them directly, that arrangement might be more appealing.

• The Shire needs to actively explore avenues, such as contacting owners of empty houses, for workers now, whilst we wait for new housing to be built.

The Shire has targeted the creation of a multi-generational facility for Beverley as a priority in "Beverley 2035". This would be funded as a new build sometime in the future. In the meantime, the old Beverley Supermarket building on the corner of Vincent and Forest Streets sits vacant. 

• The Shire should actively encourage the creation of (at least) a youth centre in the old Supermarket Building. A good start would be to contact the owners, who also own the Red Vault. 

I believe all of Beverley's residents need to embrace the future rather than be fearful of it. If Beverley does not move forward in its attitudes, then we risk our town becoming a backwater rather than a rich and vibrant community that welcomes all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Beverley could be...

 

 

 

What Beverley has to offer -  the Soaring Society...

 

 

The Dead Finish Museum... 

 

 

 

the Visitors Centre 

 

 

The Station Arts precinct... 

.

 

 

Public art... 

 

 

Art Deco buildings...

 

 our Community garden...

 

 

 

Sheep! 

 

 

History...

 

 

 

Quajibin/County Peak... 

 Yenyening Lakes...

 

 

 

 

Freemasons Tavern...

 

 

 

Hotel Beverley...

 

 

 Vincent Street Walk...

 

 

Ferguson's Vintage machinery Display...

 

 

 

Avondale Farm Cottages...

 

 

 

Bakery...

 

 

 

Beverley RV Park...

 

 

 

Beverley B&B...

 

 

 

Beverley Caravan Parks and Cabins...

 

 

 "Lucky Find"...

 

 

 

The Vincent Street Emporium...

 

AND -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serendipity Is Alive And Well @ The East End Gallery

Today is the last day of February, which is officially the last month of summer. Even though the heat will continue in Heavenly Beverley until at least the end of March, I am already looking forward to the coolness that will arrive with the proper autumn. That will be the time my garden will spontaneously erupt into new growth, and I can stop worrying if I miss the current ritual of daily watering.

If your garden, or indeed yourself, is feeling a tad wilted, you may be cheered by Narelle Higson's 'Wildflowers' themed art pastels workshop tomorrow, Sunday 1 March. Narelle (who is the East End Gallery's first Residencies Artist) may have one spot (!) left in her workshop or you could just stand and admire the participants' efforts and dream of spring.

In view of hoping and wishing, the word 'dream' has become my default setting for 2026. Last year was so topsy-turvy and so stressful, particularly the second half,  that I would really just would have liked to hit the 'delete' button at times. This year has also had its fair share of challenges but there is a difference - a wonderful difference - that has coloured our lives, our optimism, our self-esteem and our belief in random acts of kindness. Serendipity is currently shining over us and the East End Gallery.

(My little secret is that 'dream' is currently my primary word when I play Wordle. Make sure you don't tell anybody else...)

Our initial hit of serendipity was the arrival of the fantastic Mister Kim Brennan. Kim was looking for a place to park himself and his van so he could save some money from his pension in order to go prospecting in 2027. Previously in property maintenance, he had the skills and the get-up-and-go attitude to assist Michael in all the tasks and projects around the Forbes Building that my darling husband had put off, due to the sheer hard work required.  

Michael was just emerging from his debilitating major depressive episode when Kim arrived in our lives. These two blokes, so alike in their attention to detail and willingness to tackle these jobs - just clicked. There is no 'boss' and no 'underling' - Kim and Michael work side by side and feed off each other's problem solving abilities and bloody tenacity. Kim has become a valued part of our family and I thank the universe for his role in restoring Michael's mental health.

What was going to be a quick 'spit and polish' approach to the renovation of the East End Gallery, the Communal Area and the Art Space was able to explode into much much more. Kim and Michael were able to restore the entire 150 square metres into two quite distinctive zones - the cool and clean lines of the East End Gallery inviting our guests to explore every interesting alcove, as opposed to the Communal Area and Art Space, which are brilliantly colourful and showered in natural light. 

We have added a kitchenette with sink, cupboard, crockery and cutlery, glasses, bench space with the fridge, kettle toaster and microwave. A glorious new resident to Heavenly Beverley, Jenny Sandford has started supplying us with donated sweet treats every Friday. Last week was jam sponge and yesterday she dropped off a chocolate slice. Another advocate of random acts of kindness. Thus, we have tea, coffee, water, soft drinks, biscuits and cake available. Donations are very welcome!

Only ten days ago, I thought the world was going to cave in on us. A mountain of bills was staring me in the face, along with an appointment to my new cardiologist. We had precisely forty dollars in our bank account. Sitting outside in my beloved courtyard jungle, I should have been feeling peaceful. Instead I was gripped by desperation and panic. Feeling I had nothing to lose, I posted on Facebook, just asking for guests in the Gallery to buy an extra card, some jewellery, a piece of pottery or donate a coin for a cuppa...

What we then received was overwhelming. Serendipity struck again. Over the course of the next thirty-six hours, we received donations of both money and artworks, with no strings attached. We were blown away by the love and support shown to us. We could barely believe that we could be so lucky.

And the Gallery is just looking so beautiful and inviting. 

 I am finishing this post in the wee small hours of the morning. We have just finished a string of very hot days and I woke up, uncomfortable and thirsty. So, rather than disturb Michael, I have thrown open the house, popped on the ceiling fans and am quietly marvelling at our good fortune.

All is well in our world, right here in Heavenly Beverley.

 

 

Here is a snapshot of some who have been part of this serendipity -

 Kim...

 Narelle...

 Brian...

 Daryl...

 Greg...

Irene...

 Jef...

 Sue...

 

 

 And those I cherish - Callum...

Bronwyn...

 

 

Alex...

 

 

And of course Michael, the love of my life.

 

 And here are some snippets of the East End Gallery (just to tempt you!) -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And don't forget Magda!