Monthly Report - June 2017

Perth Sunset – Brighton Beach 2017

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You can be alone in Perth.  You can step in and out of life as you wish – you have options that come from a people used to this freedom.  Extremes are frowned upon, and when seen or heard they are roundly criticized.  My first encounter with an assumed racist element of the town was the presence of Asian Out posters in 1988 around South Perth where we were living at the time.  It was a small group of right wing nut jobs, and it faded out as quickly as it began – 20 blokes getting off on themselves does not a movement make and we see this throughout Australia still today.  This aspect of racism is a sad and continuing aspect of Australia as a whole – in Perth it comes more from loneliness and ignorance and has no real dedicated core.

There is a great divide of wealth in the city – to the west with the coastal beaches and riverfront estates you can see fantastic affluence.  Go east to the foothills near Armadale and Midland and you see the poorer suburbs, the split is dramatic, but it is a divide that links communities to themselves and in effect makes the city encircled by a staggered series of social statuses.  That series of wealth divisions has not been a mental impediment to the city, it seems to hide this within the large space in which it sits – you never drive through town noting haves and have nots, and it is not a point of discussion or elephant in the room, it is just the overprint of living.  Boom and bust cycles have come through with the mining industry encroaching into the low end of town and making “bogan riche” a real thing – this has once more passed and the city continues with its sly divide.

The politics of Perth is beige – not driven by any form of ideology but rather simple plans of expansion.  Every state government of either Liberal or Labor moves only to create legacy, such that what is wasted can be seen and often driven on.  Perth may be one of the few major cities in the world where there is not a single toll road – and there is a fantastic road network even if they do whine about five minute delays in the morning or evening.  Personalities and plans drive the political spectrum, there is an element of “time’s up” with most state governments, not a demand for social equity or tax reduction etiquette.

The trains run on time mostly, the buses are clean, and taxi ranks often have taxis.  When in town I use the buses a lot and they are excellent.  I appreciate that everyone moves to the back, are generally quiet, help out new travelers with regards to stops etc, and when you alight you say thank you to the driver.  If you drive, parking is easy and apart from avoiding roadworks, getting around is a breeze.  Is it starting to sound a bit dream like?  Well it is to a degree as you are most often looking in, not actively participating.

Perth is also beautiful – view a sunset, wander through Kings Park looking down across the city, take the ferry to South Perth for coffee, have a beer in the harbor in Fremantle.  But be aware, the beauty is yours to behold – it is not dependent on others to make the scene, it is not a tapas bar in Barcelona, a patisserie in Paris, a snug in London town which all requires extras.  This is the self-made town and I love it for it, it makes those who make their own fun and makes those who will take risks.

The Margaret River wine industry is built upon the fortitude and ambition of three medicos from the western suburbs of Perth.  They were not buying a vineyard/ winery, they were starting from scratch in an area with no wine industry in place.  This I doubt any other big city doctors from anywhere in the world would have done, but for those from Perth.  Those weekend trips south for year on year to eventually make some of the best wines in Australia today is testament to them and their families, but also a little bit down to the city of Perth and this “state of mind” great opportunity of a state.

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