Air Mail - 15 April/May - Aviation Heritage Museum

A IR M AIL
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION
“Fostering the Spirit of Friendship and Perpetuating the Honour and Ideals of Her Majesty’s Air Forces”
X
April / May 2015
Print Post Approved:
PP100017557
> WHAT’S
INSIDE
Bombing of Darwin
commemoration
The Queen sends
Betty a message
Celebrated author John ThompsonGrey gave a fascinating account of
personal insights from people who
served in Darwin at the time.
RAAFA Merriwa resident Betty Bell
celebrated the 100th anniversary
of her birthday with a party at her
granddaughter’s home.
PAGE 4
PAGE 6
ANZAC aviators feature in new film
WAA opening day, Langley Park December 1921.
Pilots (LtoR) R Fawcett, V Abbott, M Durack, N Brearley,
Mr Boas, J Jacoby, C Kingsford-Smith
CALLS of ‘lights, camera, action’ will be
ringing through RAAFA’s Aviation Heritage
Museum thanks to a recently announced
ANZAC Centenary Grant. The grant will
provide funds for the museum to produce a
documentary bringing to life the incredible
true story of the pivotal role WWI aviators
played in the race to establish Australia’s first
commercial airline.
The “Legacy of the WWI Aviators” will
celebrate the centenary of WWI aviators.
The documentary will focus on a littleknown chapter of Australian aviation
history that brought together legendary
ANZAC pilots to play a pivotal role in the
establishment and operation of Australia’s
first commercial air services in the remote
reaches of Western Australia.
The airline and its founders
The documentary will tell the story of West
Australian brothers Stanley Brearley and Sir
Norman Brearley, the latter returning from
WWI with the dream to establish an airline.
WAA Bristol Tourer with pilot Jimmy Woods in
outback WA
on 5 December 1921. It was a feat achieved
with the help and significant support from
his fellow ANZAC aviators.
The pilots
To turn his WAA dream into a reality, Sir
Norman recruited a number of returned
pilots from WWI, including his brother
Stanley, who is believed to have fired the
ANZAC troops’ last shot in anger at
Gallipoli on 19 December 1915.
The shell casing, from that shot, was
preserved for prosperity, inscribed with
the time, date and names of the gunnery
crew, including the name of then-21year-old Sergeant Stanley George Brearley.
Soon afterwards, Stanley Brearley left the
terrestrial ANZAC forces to become a
WWI pilot in the Australian Flying Corps
in France and by the conclusion of the war
was a Captain with a Distinguished Flying
Cross.
Born in Geelong in 1890, Sir Norman
moved to WA in 1906. In April 1915,
after undertaking a five-year apprenticeship
as a mechanic, he worked his way to the
United Kingdom and subsequently enlisted
in the Royal Flying Corps. While flying in
France during WWI he was badly wounded
in October 1916, and returned to WA to
recover.
Another of Sir Norman’s recruits was the
towering icon of Australian aviation, Charles
Kingsford Smith. Kingsford Smith had
been with the 1st AIF in Gallipoli before
transferring to the Royal Flying Corps,
earning his pilot’s wings in 1917. In August
1917, while serving with No. 23 Squadron,
he was shot down and received injuries
which required amputation of a large part
of his left foot. He was awarded the Military
Cross for his gallantry in battle.
Three years after the conclusion of WWI,
Sir Norman launched Western Australian
Airways (WAA), which took off on the first
flight of a commercial airline in Australia
Over the next few years Sir Norman and
WAA would employ at least five more WWI
fliers – all with fascinating and heroic stories
from their times in combat during the war,
including Leonard Taplin, Keith Anderson,
James ‘Jimmy’ Woods and Frank Neale.
Taplin qualified as a flying ace during WWI.
During his service in Palestine, he helped
pioneer the use of aerial photography for
cartography. He then transferred to the
Western Front and was credited with 12
official aerial victories.
South African Keith Anderson flew as a
WWI fighter pilot in France, with nine
unofficial victories, before joining WAA in
1922. James ‘Jimmy’ Woods was born in
Scotland and served in the RFC in Egypt
during WWI. He migrated to New Zealand
at the war’s end, before moving to WA in
1924. Englishman Frank Neale saw service
in the Royal Flying Corps and RAF in
WWI, before joining WAA in 1925.
The Legacy of the WWI Aviators will
also incorporate the stories of other great
aviators who were present at Gallipoli,
including Sir Hudson Fysh and Paul
McGinness (co-founders of Qantas), Sir
Ross Macpherson Smith (pioneer aviator
including first flight from the UK to
Darwin), Charles Ulm (pioneer aviator with
Kingsford Smith) and Sir George Jones
(later Chief of the RAAF in WWII).
The filmmaker
The documentary will be produced and
directed by Peter Du Cane of Wildfilm
Australia, who is a volunteer at the Aviation
Heritage Museum.
Born in South Africa to an Australian
mother and half-British half-French father,
Peter Du Cane was brought up in Sierra
George Auburn lands at Fremantle, first
passenger flight from Perth 27/9/1919,
pilot N Brearly
Leone in West Africa and educated in
the UK. He has an MA from Cambridge
University, England in Chinese and
American History.
Peter made his first documentary in war-torn
Cambodia in 1973. In 1983 he established
Wildfilm Australia, quickly becoming one of
the most prolific documentary filmmakers
in Australia. He has worked on more than
40 major productions made for, or sold to,
many of the world’s major broadcasters,
and in the process he has won over 30
international awards for excellence including
Gold and Silver at both the New York and
Chicago Festivals and the Chris Award in
the Columbus International Film & Video
Festival, Ohio.
Peter explained that the documentary will
shine a light on a common misconception –
that Qantas was Australia’s first commercial
airline.
“After the war, the real race was to be the
first to establish a commercial airline – and
the race was between WA Airways and
Qantas over in the East, competing for
Government tenders,” Peter said.
“As it turned out most people think it was
Qantas that was our first airline, but it was
actually Western Australian Airways, flying
from Geraldton to Derby of all places,
which was the first commercial aviation
operation in Australia.”
The grant
The Aviation Heritage Museum’s
documentary will be possible thanks to an
Continued page 2
A IR M AIL
On the tarmac
There have been several changes recently to
the Divisional Council lineup, as follows:
•
Carole Bain, Appointed Councilor has
resigned from Divisional Council
On your behalf it has been my intention to
either attend or delegate other Divisional
Councillors to attend:
•
State Secretary Bob Bunney has resigned
effective 6 March
•
•
Current Division Councillor, Ron
Onions has been appointed to fill the
State Secretary vacancy
•
Division Council Committees now consist of
the following Councillors:
•
State President, David Peet
•
By David Peet
Visits and meetings
State Executive
David Peet (Chairman), Bill Anderson,
Ron Onions and John Murray
Finance and Audit Committee
Bill Anderson (Chairman), Karen
O’Neill and John Purchase
•
•
•
•
First Divisional Council Meeting for the
calendar year 18 February 2015
73rd Commemoration of the Bombing
of Darwin Anniversary, 22 February.
Vietnam Festival
Governance Workshop
Strategic Planning Workshop
Branches Forum Annual Dinner – Saturday,
18 April
Planning for the RAAFA Annual Dinner
is now complete and tickets are available at
RAAFA Head Office or your Village office.
IT HAS been a very busy start to the year
and summer has been and gone. I hope this
finds you well and enjoying the start to some
cooler weather.
•
Division Council
•
Aviation Museum Committee
Clive Robartson (Chairman)
•
Governance Committee
David Peet (Chairman) and Clive
Robartson
Tickets are only $45, so why not make up a
table of ten or we can mix and match for you.
I look forward to seeing you on the night.
•
Compliance Committee
Ron Onions (Chairman), John Purchase
and Tim Humphrey.
Museum
Recently the Division Council met with the
Executive Leadership Team to discuss and
review the current Strategic Plan. At an
intense 1 ½ day workshop our Divisional
Councillors and senior management helped
set the future direction for RAAFA.
Following a Governance workshop, also
attended by the Division Council and
Executive Leadership Team, two additional
committees have been formed to handle
Governance and Compliance. These
committees are considered necessary to
deal with the ever increasing demands on
organizations to comply with ever expanding
regulations.
Continued from page 1
$80,983 Commonwealth Government
ANZAC Centenary Local Grant, which
Federal Member for Tangney, Dr Dennis
Jensen announced late in February.
Dr Jensen said the project was a fitting way
to commemorate the ANZAC Centenary.
“As we mark the ANZAC centenary this
year, we honour the 100,000 men and
women who gave their lives for us and give
thanks to all Australians currently serving
our nation,” Dr Jensen said.
“The Local Grants Program is a key
Planning and Development Committee
Ron Onions (Chairman), Tim
Humphrey and David Peet
The Committees can also seek assistance
and advice from management and external
members as and when required.
I take this opportunity to thank those
Division Councillors who have served the
Association in many areas and have now
moved on with their lives into other ventures.
element of the Australian Government’s
ANZAC Centenary program that
makes projects like Peter Du Cane’s
documentary possible. This documentary
will immortalise an important chapter of
Australian history that demonstrates hard
work, innovation and service, all important
aspects of the ANZAC spirit.
“I have been a long-time supporter of the
Aviation Heritage Museum and appreciate
the great work they do educating the
community about aviation history. It is a
subject I am deeply passionate about and I
look forward to what effect this sure-to-be
WAA Langley Park Airfield, c1921. Tourer Coupes and Avro
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AIR MAIL
April / May 2015
This is intended to be our signature event for
the year and will include the presentation of
Life Membership Awards. Highway 21, a
well known and popular group will entertain.
The attendance figures at the museum
continue to rise. I hope you are taking the
opportunity to utilize your free entry for
RAAFA Members and showing your family
and friends one of our great assets.
Discount scene
APOD Australia (Australia’s Largest
Discount Provider for Defence families)
Editor: Jane Donald
Contributions to: Air Mail, AFME, Bull
Creek Drive, BULL CREEK WA 6149
Telephone: (08) 9311 4449
Fax: (08) 9311 4455
Email: [email protected]
Enquiries: Julie Stearne
RAAF Association (WA Division) Inc.
Bull Creek Drive, BULL CREEK WA 6149
Telephone: (08) 9311 4444
Fax: (08) 9311 4455
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.raafawa.org.au
For Submission deadlines
please see page 11
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Until the next issue of Air Mail stay healthy.
amazing documentary will have on the
community.”
The documentary process
The documentary will be made using
period archive footage, stills and maps,
as well as diary, correspondence and
newspaper accounts combined with
contemporary footage and interviews.
Filmmaker Peter Du Cane said it is
expected the documentary will be
completed in time for Remembrance Day in
November this year.
Charles Kingsford-Smith
Member for Tangney, Dennis Jensen
(left) presented the ANZAC grant to
Museum Administrator John Park,
enabling the documentary to be made
Northam 20/9/19, delivery of first
aeroplane mail to Northam by N Brearley
(R) and his Avro with Mr Birch
Royal Australian Air Force Association
CEO’s perspective
executive team.
The information technology and
communication systems that are now in
place enable us to enhance our clinical
management systems and other systems to
support our residents.
There has been a significant increase in
the attendances at the museum in part due
to the very good work of the Manager
and volunteers at the museum and the
marketing program that has been in place.
By John Murray
TO COMMENCE any journey you need
to know or have some expectations of what
the destination is before you commence.
Sometimes determining what that journey
seeks to achieve and how you get there
requires a fair bit of planning. I am very
fortunate to have had the support of the
Division Council and the executive team to
develop the second Strategic Plan over 1½
days.
My first Strategic Plan as CEO was
developed in November 2013, and
identified a large range of core business
needs including:
1. enhancing the capacity of the executive
team,
2. upgrading all our information
technology and communication
systems,
3. putting in place asset management and
providing HR management support to
over 450 staff, and
4. enhancing the image of the museum
and its support in representing
RAAFA’s ideals through its significant
collection of artefacts.
At the recent workshop held in February
it was satisfying to see that a lot has been
achieved in the past 16 months with the
enthusiastic, skilled and very productive
RAAFA now has a significant base on
which it can now move forward. We wish
to further develop our service delivery
and look at enhancing our capacity to
provide additional housing, aged care and
community based services.
To continue to develop our vision of being
“a respected financially secure, adaptable
organisation, growing on a broad base of
caring support services”, there were four
themes identified in the Strategic Planning
process which we wish to pursue.
1. To drive operational effectiveness
and service quality. This in part will
be driven by:
• reviewing our service contracts
and suppliers to ensure that we
are getting the best value for our
purchases,
• ensuring we effectively manage our
450 staff and support them to be
the best that they can be,
• ensuring we maximise our income
through our aged care facilities and
service delivery, and
• ensuring we improve our financial
asset management process and
systems so that quality information
is available to make quality
decisions.
Your State Secretary
Ron Onions
IN 1992 Ron completed 40 years with the PMG/Telecom/
Telstra having served as Officer-in-Charge of Technician
Stations from Port Hedland to Perth.
Ron completed RAAF National service at Pearce in 1955-56.
In Shark Bay 1993-2001 he was a Councillor on the Shire
of Shark Bay, member of the Gascoyne Development
Commission and President of the Gascoyne and Shark Bay Tourist Committees. Over the
years Ron and his wife have owned and operated a variety of small businesses and he also
worked in real estate.
Ron Onions
Ron acquired a Private Pilots Licence and has been active in Apex, Rotary and many
sporting clubs.
Ron and Milly live on Cambrai Village where he continues a range of volunteer activities.
He has served as Chairman of the Social Committee, Computer Club, and Estate
Committee, President of the Residents’ Branch and Treasurer of the Cambrai Day Lodge.
Ron was elected to Division Council in October 2012 and in 2014 was re-elected for a
further two year term. Following the recent resignation of Bob Bunney, Ron has accepted
the appointment to fill the State Secretary vacancy until the Division Council elections in
October 2015.
2. The second theme is to understand
and respond to the residents,
customers and community needs.
The way we will pursue this is to:
• analyse relevant needs data from
current and prospective service
recipients. The responses to the
members’ survey will assist us in
looking at what it is that you expect
from us,
• identify the best possible way to
provide these services. Plus delivery
models and resources to support
new service delivery, and
• develop the services for the
residents in our independent
living units on our estates. This is
something that I have been pushing
to achieve over the last year and a
half and want to get in place.
3. The third theme is to evolve to
address the emerging needs of the
community.
• just for RAAFA to continue
to provide the level of service
compared to the ageing community
we would need to increase the
amount of service delivery
by increasing the number of
independent living units, aged care
facilities and other factors by 60%.
With an ageing population, as
evidenced by the Intergenerational
Report that has just been
released by the Government,
there are enormous challenges
for an organisation such as ours
to respond to the needs of our
Members and the broader needs of
the community, and
• underpinning all this is that as an
ex-service organisation we need
to make sure that we broaden our
reach in services for the ex-service
community. We clearly recognise
that there are significant groups
of ex-serviceman who have come
out of engagements in Iran, Iraq
and Afghanistan that potentially
need our services. We understand
and need to further develop our
relationships with the Department
of Veterans Affairs and others to
ensure that we as an ex-service
organisation are in a position to
provide services where required.
These three themes are underpinned
by ensuring a consistent quality and
customer service standard. We also need
to improve our branding, marketing and
communications with our members and
other key stakeholders in the sector.
4. Supporting all these is the fourth
theme, RAAFA people and culture.
We need to make sure we:
• align our culture, values and
structures with our staff,
• attract, enable and retain the right
people,
• implement and integrate consistent
policies and HR processes and
systems across all our sites, and
• look to enhance our workforce
planning processes. A good
example will be with the opening
of the 102 bed aged care facility
at Bull Creek. We will probably be
looking at around 80-90 new staff
members just to operate the new
facility.
All this needs to be supported by a good
understanding of how these strategies
are going to be put in place. For a good
strategy to work we need to be able
to measure all the things that we have
identified as our objectives and to be clear
about what initiatives we are going to put
in place to reach those objectives. This
is ongoing work and each executive is
working on their particular area to further
define.
Kind regards and good health!
Air Force Trophy
By Paul Falconer-West
SQUADRON Leader(AAFC) Jim Shackleton, Officer Temporary Commanding
was exceptionally proud on his first day as O/TC to announce that 7 Wing had
been awarded the Air Force Trophy for 2015. The Air Force Trophy is awarded annually to the most proficient Air Force
Cadet Wing. The Wing must demonstrate superior standards and outcomes
of administrative acumen, training, recruiting, community involvement and
participation in Air Force Cadet events.
7 Wing excelled in all these aspects and the award reflects the dedication and
teamwork of the group of very committed individuals.
As part of the win, 7 Wing becomes the custodian of the AAFC National Banner
for the next 12 months and a parade will be held before ANZAC Day for the
Chief of Air Force to personally present the trophy and National Banner to the
Wing. The AAFC Branch has congratulated 7 Wing for this great achievement.
April / May 2015
AIR MAIL
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A IR M AIL
The
Padre’s Piece
Of course, the word immediately takes our
minds back to the most primitive of times
when offering a sacrifice to the gods or
to God was a deep seated desire in many
religions with the idea that the sacrifice was
a gift to God that would restore broken
relations with that God. Yesterday in my
church we had the reading from St. John’s
gospel chapter 2 verses 13 onwards where
Jesus in anger drove out all those in the
Temple in Jerusalem trading in animals to
be slaughtered as a sacrifice. He would have
none of that.
By Padre David
A WORD that will be used quite frequently
during ANZAC Day ceremonies will be the
word “Sacrifice”.
When acting as Chaplain at the Dawn
Service at the Mandurah War Memorial,
a prayer that I use regularly says that
in looking to build a better order of
society for generations to come that we
“Remember with gratitude and pride
those who fought and died to make this
possible; and we pray that the memory of
their sacrifice may inspire us in the resolve
to pursue peace” .
I am very grateful that this year as I reflect
on the stories of ANZAC, that our local
press has been telling and also retelling
previously untold stories, some of them
very private, of those who served in WWI
and WWII and of their heroism and
sacrifice.
What real sacrifice means comes through
these stories. To me it’s the putting of
self-centred concern behind as concern
for duty and for others takes over our
whole commitment and becomes our sole
motivation. It is mateship, camaraderie, a
mutual commitment to each other, even as
bullets fly on their deathly errand. John’s
gospel has Jesus saying: “No one has
greater love than this, to lay down one’s
life for one’s friends” (Chapter 15 v 13).
A modern Christian leader has a mantra
that for him sums up what is being
Christian. He says it is “to live fully, love
wastefully and be all that God intends us
to be”. To me, “loving wastefully” is another
way to define “sacrifice”. We don’t have to
be on a battlefield to live this way; that is, to
be Christlike. Wherever we are this can be
our motivation.
For over 45 years I have been a Rotarian,
a member of the international service
organisation Rotary International with its
motto “Service before Self ”. Amongst
its membership I have met a wide cross
section of people, some of them would
call themselves Christian, others would not,
some were active members of the Church
and others were not. They were however
all people seeking to make a contribution
to society, sacrificing, and joyfully serving
others.
ANZAC 2015 will not only provide the
opportunity for us to remember those who
made great sacrifices – even the supreme
sacrifice - in past wars, but in remembering,
for us to be inspired in our resolve to
pursue peace.
Shalom
Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin
they had been in the 2/14th together, and
memories and stories came to mind.
There were four emplacements, each with four
guns, in strategic locations and a revetment
wall built with sand bags. Outside the wall
was a network of trip wires connected to cans
containing pebbles. The emplacement was
defended with machine guns and one night,
at Dick’s emplacement, Murphy was on guard
duty.
John Thompson-Grey
ON SATURDAY, 22 February, RAAFA held
its annual commemoration ceremony to mark
the 73rd Anniversary of the Bombing of
Darwin at AFME.
Celebrated author of “Japanese Blitz
on Darwin, 19 February 1942”, John
Thompson-Grey, presented the following
address which included anecdotes from his
book.
“My Uncle, Edwin Campbell, was a corporal
in the 2/14 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery
trying to shoot down enemy aircraft at
Darwin on 19 February 1942.
Another soldier in this high-angle AA unit is
here with us today. His name is Dick Moller
and there was an article about him in the
Western Australian newspaper last January.
According to the newspaper, Dick, age 89,
was in physiotherapy at the same time as
Jim Glennie, age 92. They discovered that
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AIR MAIL
April / May 2015
Dick joined up when he was 16 and his
mother cried. Later when he had children of
his own, two beautiful daughters here with him
today, he understood for the first time how his
mother felt. On his first leave he couldn’t wait
to get home to Perth to see his mother. She
was so happy to see him. “Darling, I have a
lovely surprise for you. Sit down at the table
and I will get it out of the oven.”
Murphy heard the trip wire rattle, “Who goes
there?”
Rice custard and prunes! Dick’s comment
was a saying I haven’t heard for years, “I nearly
fainted.”
Nothing, then another rattle, “Advance one
and give the password!” he called in a loud
voice hoping others would hear him and
get out of bed to back him up. No reply.
Another rattle. “Identify yourself or I will
shoot!”
Because our American cousins are with us
today I will read you an anecdote from my
book, pages 56-59, about an American
Kittyhawk pilot, Robert McMahon who was
shot down over Port Darwin in most unusual
circumstance.
No response, another rattle, Murphy opened
fire in the direction of the rattle. Thud. No
more rattles.
The story ends when he bails out on the
western side of the harbour and lands in
the water near mangroves. As he applies
a dressing to his bleeding thigh he sees
crocodiles stirring in the mud. He sits on his
parachute seat and drifts out with the ebbing
tide. The crocodiles have disappeared and he
starts to slap the water in the belief that this
will scare them off.
As Dawn broke, Dick went out with Murphy
to see the person he shot. They found no one
but there was a freshly shot cow.
A new nickname came into being: Moo
Cow Murphy. The story spread quickly
and Jim Glennie soon heard about it at his
emplacement.
The cow made good eating for Dick and his
comrades whose constant rations were boiled
rice and prunes. Dick had to eat to survive but
knew he would hate rice and prunes for the
rest of his life.
A rescue boat sent to find him cuts its
engines, hears his cries for help, and beats the
crocs by seconds.”
Copies of John’s book are available from
Aviation Heritage Museum.
ANZAC
Day Services
25 April 2015
There are plenty of options available on
ANZAC Day. Please check in your local
area if you don’t find anything suitable listed
below.
RAAFA estates
Most of our estates will be holding a Dawn
service and there is either breakfast, morning
tea or lunch at our Clubs. Please check with
you local Estate for details.
Kings Park Dawn Service
Kings Park State War Memorial 5.30am to
7.00am. The service commences 6.00am.
ANZAC Day Parade, Perth City
Streets
From 9.30am. The Australian Defence Force
will step off from the corner of William
Street and St Georges Terrace, marching east
onto Barrack Street, left onto Riverside Drive
and left onto the Supreme Court Gardens.
ANZAC Day Commemorative Service,
Perth City
Supreme Court Gardens from 11.00am.
Fremantle Dawn Service
Fremantle War Memorial, Monument Hill,
Knutsford Street Fremantle, commencing
5.50am to 7.00am. In addition to
traditional programming, 12 plaques will be
unveiled.
Fremantle Parade and Closing
Ceremony
Esplanade Reserve, Marine Terrace,
Fremantle, 11.00am to 12noon.
Mandurah Dawn Service
Mandurah War Memorial.
Mandurah ANZAC March and
Ceremony
Mandurah War Memorial from 11.00am.
There will be a RAAFA contingent
marching.
Uninvited visitor
By Irene Smith
A RECENT uninvited visitor was seen off the
Amity Village premises.
Amity resident, George Battison oversaw
Martin, the snake catcher remove the curious
but unwelcome visitor, Mr Tiger Snake, just to
make sure he didn’t return!
Royal Australian Air Force Association
Spotlight on RAAFA’s Pension and Advocate Officers
FOR eight years now the Pension and
Advocate Officers at RAAFA’s Veteran Support
Centre have supported former Australian
Defence Force, current serving members
and war widows across Perth, from north to
Merriwa, south to Mandurah and even in rural
areas.
The officers help to negotiate the red tape
required to access the range of Government
entitlements, services and pensions that they
might be entitled to receive.
The Centre is coordinated by immediate past
RAAFA State President Graeme Bland, who is
supported by ten other Pension and Advocate
Officers.
As Graeme explains, the Pension and Advocate
Officers work through an often labourintensive process researching veterans and war
widows claims to provide all the necessary
documentation for the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs.
“We assist ex-ADF members and current
serving members to receive entitlements
they are due for various support services
and pensions, for example disability service
pensions and we also support war widows to
access support services and pensions as well,”
Graeme said.
“We are ‘non-denominational’ in the sense
that we have Navy, Air Force and Army
practitioners who work together. If there’s
something we don’t understand about a
particular service, there’s always someone who
can tell us if it’s fair dinkum or not.
“I was amazed when we first started the centre,
we got a number of WWII veterans coming
to us for help. When they left the Services in
1946 the Repatriation Commission said ‘you’re
fit, off you go’. These poor fellows, who could
have had medical or monetary support over
all these years and support for their families,
missed out all along.
“Now we are working more with younger
veterans, who have spent time in Afghanistan
or Iraq, who are now putting in their claims.”
Graeme says each case the team works on is
unique.
“It depends on the case, one person putting in
one simple claim might take a couple of hours,
but some claims are complicated cases, as some
veterans are entitled to support under different
Acts, and there is always a lot of paperwork
involved,” Graeme said.
The Veteran Support Centre team support
veterans like Brian McCreddin, who served in
the Royal Australian Navy and who is currently
in the process of having his own claims
assessed.
“The service has been excellent. Graeme and
his team have got me through a minefield of
bureaucratic red tape and the big thing is that
they’ve helped to explain how things are done,
whereas before I was knocking my head against
a wall with it,” Brian said.
“We’re still in the process of negotiating. It’s
been a long drawn-out affair, but they’ve
definitely made it so much easier. Graeme has
been an absolute gem.”
RAAFA Bull Creek resident Delys Fergusson,
accessed the help of the Veteran Support
Centre after her husband, Frank, passed away
two years ago.
Like Brian, Delys can’t speak highly enough of
Graeme and the team for their help.
“Honestly, they are brilliant. After my husband
passed away DVA sent me a whole lot of paper
work to fill in. I wasn’t interested in it really,
but Graeme said to me ‘nothing ventured,
nothing gained’ and he was a marvellous help.
I had Frank’s log book with all his flying hours
in it, which Graeme copied out by hand –
pages and pages of it,” she said.
“I ended up with a War Widow’s pension and
a Gold Card, which is like a Medicare card.
Veteran Support Centre co-ordinator,
Graeme Bland
It means I don’t need to pay private health
insurance, and if I need to get to doctor’s
appointments I can take a free taxi there and
back.”
“There are a lot of people on our Estate that
have a lot to thank The Support Centre team
for, if you have a legitimate need they are more
than helpful.”
Introducing Irene Smith
Meet Penny John
Estate Manager
RAAFA recently welcomed Penny John
to the fold as the AFME new Estate
Manager.
By Irene Smith
Penny is joining us on a 12-month fixed
term contact, to replace Alan White
during his secondment as Operations
Manager Estates.
I HAVE a fortunate life and consider that to
date, I have lived many lives within my life.
I was born the second eldest of seven
children, on a small farm in the central WA
Wheatbelt. It was the land of milk and
honey, as kids we worked hard with our
chores of responsibility, but we also played
hard too in the freedom of the rural setting
of hills, the creek, river and paddocks. These
early days instilled within me a great love of
the Australian bush and the outdoors.
Over the past decades I have lived in many
towns throughout WA – including National
Parks and a sheep station in the Gascoyne.
On moving to Albany, I have discovered that
this little treasure has the best of everything,
so it has become home for the long haul.
My two adult children ensure that I still
maintain my love of travel in both Australia
and overseas. My son lives in Canberra,
whilst my daughter and gorgeous grandson
live in Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE).
My favourite visits overseas would have to be
Vietnam, Turkey and the Dordogne area in
the South of France. As much as I love the
multiculturalism and beauty of the whole
world, nothing beats my greatest travel love –
our Sunburnt Country! In 2012 my partner
Richard and I indulged in an eight week
In her new role Penny will be ensuring the
Estate continues to function smoothly and
meets resident expectations. She will also
focus on working towards accreditation
which will take place towards the end of
the year.
motorcycle trip over east, and last year we
had five amazing weeks along the Gibb
River Road, although not on a motorcycle!
The next Aussie adventure will be the Anne
Beadell Track and Canning Stock Route.
My working life includes eighteen years
in various positions in Commonwealth
Departments, then recently six years in the
WA Department of Commerce.
I have always enjoyed the interactions,
challenges and especially the connections
with people when working, so I was more
than delighted last year when I became the
Welfare Officer at the wonderful RAAFA
Amity Village Albany. In December 2014,
another of life’s opportunities presented
itself. I consider myself privileged to be the
Estate Manager at Amity Village.
In a nutshell, I enjoy every moment, for that’s
all there is!
Penny comes to RAAFA with a strong
administrative and management
background, having worked in the mining
industry for more than 27 years.
“I started in 1988 in mining at the
Boddington gold mine not long after
it started. I was in the pit doing core
sampling and sampling on drill rigs. I got
my hands dirty and did the hard work,”
she said.
“I have a diploma in secretarial work, so
took on a role of maintenance clerk for
Eltin Open Pit Operations, payroll clerk
and general administration over a 10 year
period.”
“I moved to Perth for a few years and
worked for CSR Humes, and then
returned to the Boddington gold mine
for six years during the construction of
the new plant, where I worked as the
site administrator for the construction
management company.”
Penny has significant experience in
hospitality management, having run the
Boddington gold mine’s 2300-man camp
for about 18 months before joining
RAAFA.
Outside of work Penny has a 65 acre
property in her hometown Boddington,
and enjoys spending time with her partner
Stuart, who’s involved in the mining
industry, and her two adult children.
Having now made the switch to aged
care with RAAFA, Penny says there are a
surprising number of similarities between
mining and aged care.
“Because of the construction element in
mining it’s always been really fast paced,
and this is as well, so it’s not really too
different. You’re actually dealing with
similar issues, there’s lots of problem
solving and working with people as a team
to get good results,” she said.
April / May 2015
AIR MAIL
Page 5
A IR M AIL
Family and friends celebrate century
FAMILY and friends from across Australia
joined Betty Bell when she celebrated her
100th birthday.
The RAAFA Merriwa resident reached her
milestone on Saturday, 31 January, with
a lunch at her granddaughter’s Mindarie
home following a small celebration at Tuart
Lodge. Son Keith Bell said about 40 family
and friends, some travelling from over east,
attended the lunch.
Mrs Bell was born on 31 January 1915, in
Karachi, and grew up in Poona in India, then
part of the British Raj. It was there that she
met her husband, Bob, who was a jockey then
a racehorse trainer, and had her only son
Keith.
Betty Bell with her message from
the Queen
Mr Bell said he migrated to Australia with
his grandparents in 1947 during the partition
Amity glamour girls
By Irene Smith
TO ASSIST the beautician students in their practical studies at the Great Southern Institute
of Technology (GSIT) in Albany, many of the Amity Ladies have taken to “donating their
fingernails”.
In the past month there have been two trips organised to GSIT, with the ladies returning with
beautifully manicured fingernails. It’s a tough job and hard to take all that pampering, but
someone had to do it!
of India and his parents followed, arriving in
Sydney in 1950.
in a department store in Sydney for years until
he returned with health problems.
“They lived through part of the Raj regime
in those days and it was quite a colourful
existence,” he said. “Mum has a few tales to
tell though she is a little past it now.
“She was a single parent, effectively, with all
these problems, but she always got through
because she had a lot of people who loved her
and still do,” the Mindarie resident said.
“Things were looking a little hairy in the mid1940s so they thought it was a good idea to
get me out of the place. “Mum’s a very amiable person and people
have always cared for her and made sure she’s
all right, including her four loving nieces and
her sister, who were always there for her in
Sydney.”
“When mum eventually came out here (to
Australia), they hadn’t been used to doing too
much work in India, and she couldn’t cook. I
don’t think she can cook to this day though
she does make a mean curry.
“Having said that, she lived with and cared for
her mother until she died age 93.”
Mr Bell said his father, unable to get a trainer’s
licence, returned to India, and Betty worked
WHAT some people considered old
junk can often be re-used to change a life.
Earlier this year RAAFA started upgrading
its computer systems, which meant there
were lots of old, out of date computers
that the business world considers junk.
Ricoh were also approached and kindly
donated a colour printer so that their letters
and photos etc could be printed.
By Jim Carruthers
The Occupational Therapists run a
Computer Club every Tuesday for the
residents and they are thoroughly enjoying
the many different things they can do on
the computers. Even the staff are learning
a few new things.
According to Chinese astrology, each year
(starting from Chinese New Year) is associated
with an animal sign, occurring in a 12 year
cycle. This year is the year of the Goat, the
8th sign in the Chinese zodiac and the years of
the Goats are 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967,
1979, 1991 or 2003.
Shop opens
If you were born in the year of the Goat your
lucky colours are brown, red and purple, lucky
numbers are 2 and 7 and lucky flowers are the
carnation and primrose. Personality traits are
calm, gentle, creative, thoughtful, amicable,
persevering, frank and honest.
The 150 guests were treated to a delightful
Chinese style buffet, which was enjoyed by all.
After the buffet we were entertained by two
traditional Lion Dancers followed by a troupe
of male dancers performing routines to the
beating of the drums.
THERE was a crowd of residents waiting to “check out” the new location of the MER Shop
at its official opening on 5 February.
The Shop is now open at its new location in Orion Terraces and is bright and airy with plenty
of room to display the wide range of goods available.
Then came the quiet time where we were
entertained by the ladies performing the
Parasol and Ribbon Dances.
Alan White cut the ribbon and delicious cupcakes were distributed to waiting residents as they
came to make a purchase.
Residents enjoying the Computer Club
April / May 2015
Chinese
New Year
MEMBERS and friends of the Memorial
Estate Residents’ Branch welcomed in the
Lunar New Year with a special Chinese Night
in the AFA Club at Bull Creek.
Such a simple gesture can mean so much.
AIR MAIL
Parasol Dance
The internet has now been connected
and what a difference that has made. The
residents use the internet to look at places
where they used to live, work and search
out all different old memories.
Feedback from the Lodge is fantastic. Sue
Austen said “we have residents that do not
normally venture anywhere actually taking
part”.
Page 6
“It’s not every day that we celebrate 100th
birthdays at RAAFA, so everyone here is very
excited,” Tuart and Karri Lodges manager
Cyndy Johnson said. McNamara Lodge
Computer Club
Rather than sending them all to the tip
the computers were reused to update the
even older relics in the McNamara Lodge
residents Computer Club. The computers
were all re-formatted with Microsoft Word
being loaded so that the residents could
write letters to their families.
Glamour girls off to the beautician with volunteer bus driver Richard Colmer
Betty moved to WA to RAAFA in Merriwa
three years ago to be closer to her son, three
grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
It was a spectacular evening full of colour and
vibrancy.
Royal Australian Air Force Association
RAAFA team takes
on Relay for Life
STAFF at Tuart and Karri Lodges in Merriwa
are stepping out in support of work colleagues
living with cancer to take part in the Cancer
Council WA’s Relay for Life on 9 and 10 May.
Tuart/Karri Lodges staff members Janice
Crawford and Fay-Marie Hope, who was
diagnosed with breast cancer last year, are the
driving forces behind RAAFA’s Relay for Life
team.
“We’ve had several staff at Tuart and Karri
affected by cancer over the past few years,”
Janice said.
“I’m very close to Fay, and I started thinking
‘maybe we can do a fundraiser’, and then she
came to me and said ‘I’d love to do a fundraiser’
too, so we decided to do the Relay for Life.”
Relay for Life is a unique 24-hour fundraising
event that brings people together in the fight
against cancer. As part of the Relay, teams walk
‘relay-style’ continuously for 24 hours, while
fundraising to support the Cancer Council
WA. The event celebrates survivors of cancer,
honours those who have lost their fight to
cancer, and offers hope for a cancer-free future.
Butler resident Fay, 57, said the support of
her friends, family and colleagues had been a
help throughout her battle with cancer, and
now she’s focussing on raising as many funds as
possible through Relay for Life.
“On 9 May last year I was diagnosed with
stage 3 breast cancer and my world was turned
upside down,” she said.
“They say that every cloud has a silver lining
and mine has been the warmth and care of so
many people, in addition to the outstanding
Bomber Command
Commemoration Day
treatment I received at Royal Perth Hospital
and am currently undergoing at Fiona Stanley.
“All proceeds from the Relay for Life goes
directly to the Cancer Council and will greatly
help them not only in their work in cancer
research but to continue with the wonderful
support and advice they offer to cancer
patients and their families.”
The RAAFA Relay for Life team will be taking
part in the relay from 2pm Saturday, 9 May
to 2pm Sunday, 10 May at the WA Athletics
Stadium in Floreat.
“We’ve been amazed how many people have
said ‘yes we want to be part of the team’,”
Janice said.
“It’s affected everyone at work, but it’s amazing
how they have pulled together. Having Relay
for Life as a goal has perked everyone up a little
and made us feel stronger as a team.”
To kick off the fundraising, Karri and Tuart
Lodges have been holding a weekly Friday
Bake-off morning tea for a gold coin donation
and a 60/70s tribute night fundraiser.
CEO John Murray said the organisation was
throwing its support behind the Relay for Life
team.
“Sadly many of us in the community have
been touched by cancer in some way or form,
through family, friends or work colleagues, so
Relay for Life is a cause which has galvanised
the team at Karri and Tuart Lodges,” he said.
“We’re wishing the RAAFA Relay for Life
team the best of luck on their 24-hour walk.”
Sunday, 24 May 2015
You are invited to join us for the annual ceremony marking
Bomber Command Commemoration Day.
THE CEREMONY WILL BE HELD AT THE
MEMORIAL WALL, AIR FORCE MEMORIAL ESTATE, BULL CREEK
SUNDAY, 24 MAY 2015
COMMENCING AT 10.00AM
We shall honour the memory of 125,000 Australian and allied
aircrew who served in Bomber Command. Of those, 55,500
were killed in action and over 10,500 were taken prisoner.
The ceremony will include the laying of crosses by invited
guests and Branch Presidents and a short address. This will
be followed by tea and coffee in Langley Hall. You are then
welcome to tour the Aviation Heritage Museum with its WWII
displays, including a Lancaster Bomber.
Medals may be worn.
Please advise your attendance by Friday, 15 May to Julie Stearne
on 9311 4449 or [email protected].
Membership Survey results
By John Murray
I WOULD like to thank all those members
who took the time to respond to the RAAFA
Members Survey that was provided to you
pre-Christmas seeking your opinion on the
Royal Australian Air Force Association, the
services it provides and what your future
needs are.
There are currently 4,199 members that
were sent the questionnaire, of which 1,565
responded which equates to 37.2%. Within
those respondents 996 were residents who
lived on RAAFA estates and 569 members
who didn’t. The gender mix was 47% male
and 53% female with the age profile being
7% older than 90, 32% aged between 80-89,
41% between 70-79, 17% between 60-69
and only 2% under 60.
Of those who responded 66% lived in
our Estates and 23% wanted to live in our
Estates. An indication as to whether you are
a former Defence Force member showed that
32% were former Defence Force members
and 68% were not.
From the respondents 51% had been
members of RAAFA for more than 10 years
with 24% being members for 5-10 years.
We then come to the question as to whether
it was important to have a say in the future of
RAAFA through the AGM and the election
of Division Councillors. 79% indicated that
this was important to them. When asked the
question as to why they were members 49%
stated they were members so they could live
on the Estates.
There was a lot of information regarding
the Clubs, 58% stated they use the Clubs
more than once every 6 months. The data in
relation to the Clubs gives us useful profiles
and potential suggestions for improvements
as we review how our Clubs operate.
When asked which they considered was
the most important commemoration
ceremonies, ANZAC Day received 65%
with a mixture of around 10% for the other
commemorations. 87% of those surveyed
thought that our alliance with other ex-service
organisations was important and that our
representations at ceremonies was also
important with 88% stating this fact.
In relation to Air Mail, 84% found it a useful
publication and when asked the question
about whether they would prefer to have it
electronically only 15% indicated this as a
preference. The articles they found most
interesting were related to Estate and Club
activities, with the second level of interest in
the CEO and State Presidents reports and
historical articles.
When asked if they were satisfied with
RAAFA as an organisation 90% were
satisfied with the organisation, 5% were
neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 4% didn’t
know, with a 1% dissatisfaction indicated.
We then asked questions of the members
who are not residents who were considering
moving into a retirement village. 60%
wanted to move into an estate within the
next 5 years. Of those 1% wanted to go to
Albany, 18% wanted to go to Mandurah,
47% wanted to go to Bull Creek and 31%
to Merriwa. The members also gave us
indications of what price range they would be
willing to pay and the size of the units that
they preferred. Probably the most critical
response was that 61% of those who wanted
to move in were looking for a 2 bedroom
unit. 34% only requiring a 1 bedroom unit,
5% preferred a 3 bedroom unit, 62% didn’t
require a car bay, with 47% stating that 1 car
bay would be sufficient.
This gives us some very clear understandings
of what the expectations of our members are,
especially those seeking to live on one of our
estates. The other associated data will enable
us to gain greater clarity to make decisions
about the services that we provide and how
we provide them to you. There were also a lot
of written responses that we are reviewing for
suggestions.
Again I thank you for your support by
completing these surveys and we will use this
data wherever possible to improve our service
delivery.
April / May 2015
AIR MAIL
Page 7
A IR M AIL
News from around Cambrai Village
Moving Centenary of ANZAC
commemorations planned
Village who dug into their pockets to help
fundraise $1000 for the plaque to be made
and we’re planning for the plaque to be fixed to
the memorial wall in time for ANZAC Day.
“The second project we have been working
on is the Cambrai Village Supreme Sacrifice
Roll of Honour. This roll of honour will
recognise family members of our residents
who were killed in action or who died of
wounds received in a conflict. About 30 of our
residents have added their relatives’ names to
the list, which will be solemnly read out at our
Dawn Service.”
The new plaque will be installed
before ANZAC Day
CAMBRAI Village’s annual ANZAC
Day Dawn Service will take on even more
significance as residents join Australians across
the nation commemorating 100 years of
ANZACs this year.
The Cambrai Village Commemorations
Committee (ComCom) Chairman, Frank
Pimm said ANZAC Day this year will be a
very special day at Cambrai Village.
“We have been working on two special projects
in the lead up to ANZAC Day, the first of
which is a special bronze memorial plaque
to commemorate the 100th anniversary of
Gallipoli,” Frank said.
“We’re very thankful to the people of Cambrai
A quartet of residents will perform at the
Cambrai Village Dawn Service, in addition to a
commemorative speaker from the Department
of Defence.
Students from Mindarie Senior College will
take on a greater role in the service this year,
with two students laying a commemorative
wreath, one student to read a special reading,
and two other students to assist the wreath
marshalls organising flowers and wreath-laying.
About 26 students and staff are also expected
to attend the service.
ComCom will print souvenir commemorative
programs for the service, in anticipation of a
larger than usual crowd attending the service.
“We’re expecting more than 200 people to join
us this year, and will be sending out a letter
drop to encourage people to come along and
bring a chair,” Frank said.
Vegetable garden
going from strength
to strength
Cambrai lawn bowlers
Bowls Club bowls over the competition
ALL the hours of hard work and practise
has been paying off for members of Cambrai
Village’s Bowls Club lately, with a string of wins
at competitions over the summer.
The mixed bowls club, who meet every Monday
and Friday afternoon and Saturdays, and
sometimes Sundays for competitions, consists
of an active 30 members, who play bowls rain
and shine throughout the year.
Brian Binney has been a member of the bowls
team since the green was established at Cambrai
Village about 13 years ago.
“I never bowled until I came here, I played
carpet bowls for a time and then the green was
established and I’ve been playing ever since,” he
said.
than just your immediate neighbours. We
often have a drink after the games and usually
everyone comes along. We have social evenings
every now and then with partners welcome to
join us. It’s great camaraderie.”
Over the past few months, the bowls club has
enjoyed a string of successive victories in all
their competitive meets – with significant wins
over bowls teams from other nearby retirement
villages including Settlers Ridgewood Rise and
Regents Garden.
At an intra-RAAFA bowls competition on
their home ground, Cambrai Village emerged
victorious against Merriwa Estate and recently,
the residents proved their skills against Cambrai
staff in a hugely successful Residents vs Staff
bowls competition.
“I was in the Police Force for many years and
moved around the country a little. When I
was up north I helped to establish the first
bowling club at Kalbarri. I laboured on making
the greens and I thought ‘this wouldn’t be a
bad game’ but as soon as the club opened, I
transferred back to Perth and never got to see
the fruits of my labour.
“All the staff members turned up to play on a
Sunday along with their families, which really
says something about their commitment and we
had a lovely barbecue afterwards,” Brian said.
“The social aspect is just as important as the
bowls, you need to mingle with people other
“We’re on a roll with our winning streak and we
hope it stays that way.”
Cambrai’s Spring Garden of the Year
winners Derek and Joan Edwards
Summer Garden of the Year winners
Jacquie and Fred Carrick
“Our next game coming up is against Belgrade
Village in April; they beat us at their grounds
last time, but I think we’ll get our own back this
time.
CAMBRAI’S Community Vegetable Garden
is going from strength to strength with the
enthusiasm and expertise of a group of greenthumbed residents, who have cared for the
garden since it was first planted four years ago.
Led by Cambrai Village resident Ivor Thomas,
it was full steam ahead once the team, which
initially consisted of Ivor along with fellow
residents Brian Binney, Ted King, Horrie
Annear and Derek Edward, gained permission
to clear the land.
“We took out a couple of dozen pine trees
and a number of grevillea bushes and other
vegetation. We then started sifting the area to a
depth of a metre in some places, removing all
the rock and rubble,” Ivor said.
“We invited residents to become members of
the Community Garden for a small donation
which has helped us to finance the project by
allowing us to purchase equipment, manure
and plants.
“We have since built raised beds which
hopefully will allow us to continue in our later
years when we cannot bend down.”
Ivor said the theme of the garden is focussed
Page 8
AIR MAIL
April / May 2015
Green-thumbed gardener at work
on reducing waste and recycling, reusing and
repurposing materials where possible – an idea
which has been embraced by residents across
the village, as well as other groups in the local
community, who support the garden.
“Nothing is wasted. We have a number of
worm farms, compost bins which are filled
with grass from the bowls and croquet greens,
plus garden rubbish and a number of residents
save their kitchen waste for us to use in the
gardens,” he said.
“The manure comes from the local equestrian
school where we are well looked after by the
horses and the manure they never seem to tire
of creating!”
Gorgeous gardens rewarded
THE race was on to find Cambrai Village’s
most gorgeous gardens over spring and
summer, with the Garden of the Year
competition fielding some strong competitors
recently.
In June 2014, Cambrai Village Manager,
Nick Walker, invited residents to prepare
their gardens for a Spring Garden of the Year
completion to be judged in November, and a
Summer Garden of the Year competition to be
judged in January.
The competition panel, which comprised of
Nick, village groundsmen and an independent
contractor, walked around the village during a
selected day in spring and again in summer, to
judge the front garden beds, pots and hanging
baskets of all the units. The gardens were
judged on presentation, tidiness, layout, variety
and colour. Overall the competition was fierce,
with several beautiful gardens contending for
the award.
In the end, the Spring Garden of the Year in
November 2014 was won by Derek and Joan
Edwards and the Summer Garden of the Year
in January 2015 was won by Fred and Jacquie
Carrick.
Congratulations to the well-deserving winners!
We look forward to holding the competition
again in 2015/2016.
Royal Australian Air Force Association
Celebrations to
mark 15 years
HAPPY Birthday Cambrai! Cambrai Village
is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year,
and residents will be marking the milestone
in style with a few special events planned
later this month.
Maureen Farrell, who has lived at Cambrai
Village for 14 years now and is the Secretary
of the Social and Activities Committee, says
the celebrations will fittingly celebrate the
vibrant active community at the village.
“We have a very active community here at
Cambrai Village, people care about each
other and help each other, which is really
worth celebrating,” she said.
“We had a very big celebration for our 10th
anniversary with a week-long function,
but for our 15th birthday we are having a
slightly lower-key weekend of celebrations.”
Residents are set to prove they know how to
party, kicking off celebrations with a 15th
Birthday P-P-Party sundowner on Friday, 20
March.
The P-P-Party will include a birthday
cake, which will be cut by Cambrai Village
Manager Nick Walker and his wife Zoe,
as well as entertainment by a Roy Orbison
impersonator. Everyone is encouraged to
get into the spirit of the event by wearing a
costume starting with the letter ‘P’ for party!
Cambrai Village will also be celebrating the
‘big 1-5’ anniversary again with a Garden
Party on Sunday 22 March, with a marquee
set to take over the grassed area near the
community hall for the celebration.
Maureen said the Garden Party will feature
entertainment from the Challenge Brass
Band, and delicious hot beef and gravy rolls
for dinner for the hundreds of residents and
staff expected to attend.
From Scotland with love
“Our celebrations are all fairly casual and
laid back, we just want to get people to
come out and enjoy some entertainment and
join the celebrations of what a great place
Cambrai Village is,” Maureen said.
JEAN Buchanan, a member of the Royal Air
Force Association’s Leuchars Branch, recently
visited Perth and brought with her a gift from
her home Branch. Jean presented a small
presentation box of RAFA badges to RAAFA
State President, David Peet when the pair met
at AFME, Bull Creek on 4 February.
“We have been here 14 years now, and we
love it. It’s a very active community, generally
speaking. Of the 430 residents, there are
a few hundred who are regularly involved
in things and others help out in various
capacities, from driving Genevieve the buggy
around to helping organise events such as the
15th birthday celebrations.”
Burns supper
piping in
By Craig Buchanan
RAF Leuchars
Aircraft have been flying out of Leuchars for
more than 100 years. The Army began the
tradition in 1911, basing their Royal Engineers’
Balloon Squadron on the estuary between
St Andrews and Dundee, on Scotland’s east
coast. The Royal Navy then established a Fleet
Training School on the same site. It wasn’t
until 1920 that the Royal Air Force took over
the base.
During WWII Leuchars was home to 224
Squadron, flying Lockheed Hudson bombers
as part of the RAF Coastal Command. Post
war, Leuchars transferred to Fighter Command
and the base hosted virtually every iconic RAF
jet, including the Hunter Lightning, Phantom,
Tornado and Typhoon. The base was also
home to elements of the RAF’s Search and
Rescue organisation for more than 40 years.
By Joyce Johnson
ROBBIE Burns Day was once again
commemorated with an Offal Lunch on 28
January at Merriwa Estate.
The haggis was piped in by Jim Glass in
traditional style and laid on the table ready
for the ceremony. The host for the day David
Feint recited ‘The Ode to the Haggis’ and
then proposed a toast. The attendees were then
treated to a short history of Robbie Burns’
life before partaking of the meal. Haggis of
course was the main fare but for those less
adventurous fish and chips as well as lambs fry
and bacon was available.
Jean Buchanan with State President, David Peet
Jim Glass piping in the haggis
For those of you unfamiliar with Robbie
Burns’ work, he wrote Auld Lang Syne,
Ye Banks and Breaes of Bonnie Doon and
A Red Red Rose, to name but a few.
Times are changing and over the course of
2015 the base will be transferred back to
the Army with only a small RAF contingent
remaining to maintain the airfield. The local
RAFA branch hopes to carry on for many years
to come though.
RAF Association 1344 (Leuchars) Branch
The Leuchars Branch of RAFA was formed in
1995, taking over from the nearby St Andrews
Branch, which had closed some years previous.
The Branch currently has over 140 members,
although in reality its core membership is
somewhat smaller, with members spread
through the Service and across the world.
The Branch concentrates its fundraising
activities on the Association’s annual Wings
Appeal and over the years has been responsible
for raising in excess of GBP95,000 in support
of RAFA’s charitable efforts.
The Branch’s ties to RAF Leuchars are very
strong, with the majority of the membership
having served on the base at some stage during
their Service career. The Branch’s current
President, Air Commodore Jack Haines
OBE ADC RAF has served at Leuchars on
multiple occasions, most notably as Station
Commander and Air Officer Scotland and
Northern Ireland.
Jean Buchanan
Jean has a long association with the RAF and
with Leuchars. Her late husband, Bob, served
in Supply Squadron for 22 years, travelling
across the UK and overseas with his family
before retiring as a Flight Sgt after 6 years at
Leuchars, and maintaining a close association
with both the Sgts Mess and the local RAFA
Branch thereafter. Jean, meanwhile, has worked
in one or other of the camp messes for a total
of 31 years, and joined the Association as an
Associate Member after Bob passed away. She
travels to Perth regularly to visit family and was
very pleased to be asked to make a side trip to
Bull Creek on behalf of her friends to present
this small gift.
Australia Day Meadow Springs style
A GREAT crowd of residents and their friends
enjoyed the opportunity to get together and
celebrate all it means to be Australian.
The day started with a traditional Australia
Day breakfast and tremendous entertainment
by Rock’in Rodney.
Also, 30 years ago to the day, residents Cheral
and Don Geen chose Australia Day to tie
the knot. They celebrated their wedding
anniversary with a special turn around the
dance floor.
Cheral and Don Geen celebrating their 30th
Wedding Anniversary
LtoR Betty Angell, Stella Dacombe and Carole Martin
April / May 2015
AIR MAIL
Page 9
A IR M AIL
Notes From Branches and Groups
AAFC Branch
Paul Falconer-West
Air Force Trophy 2015
Number 7 Wing, Australian Air Force Cadets
have been awarded the Air Force Trophy for
2015. The AAFC Branch congratulates 7
Wing for this great achievement.
Upcoming events
Wednesday, 8 April, Branch Committee
Meeting
Bev Gilmour 9582 5135 or
[email protected],
Bob Henley 9581 2499 or
[email protected],
Janis Purvinskis 9582 5221 or
[email protected]
Upcoming events
Friday, 10 April, Raffle, Dining-in night,
RAAFA Club Meadow Springs 6.30pm.
Thursday, 14 May, ACS Lunch, RAAFA
Club Meadow Springs 12noon.
Friday, 21 August, General Meeting/AGM.
Saturday, 25 April, ANZAC Day parade
Sunday, 17 May, AAFC Rifle Shoot,
Mundaring. Includes BBQ , 7WG/ExAAFC
Wednesday, 10 June, Branch Committee
Meeting, Bull Creek.
Airfield Construction Squadrons
Branch
Janis Purvinskis
North Dandelup Picnic
On Thursday, 19 February members of our
branch gathered at the North Dandelup Dam
Picnic site for our annual picnic/ general
meeting. For many years this has turned out
to be a successful gathering and has always
attracted a large number of our branch
membership: a good half of all members
travelled far and wide to get there this year.
Beyond the stars
We have realised that our membership is
ageing and many are joining their mates up
there ‘beyond the stars’. Within the last year
we have lost seven members. With sadness I
mention: Keith Simmons, Val Lopaten, Val
Purvinskis, Kevin Mortimer, Bill Woodland,
Ray Forbes and Andy Gilmour. These are
the realities of our times right now, however,
we still have a sufficiently large membership
to carry on the rememberances and traditions
of the Airfield Construction Squadrons.
It must be the tough conditions under which
most of us had to serve that has made us
tough enough to keep on going. The smaller
our membership becomes, the more we must
look out for each other and help where we
can. This is the message that our Branch
President gave us last Thursday.
At the General Meeting we found out that
we still have money in the kitty, still have
sufficient members and even that we may
grow. We can still scramble up enough
members to represent this Branch at the
various functions like Rememberance Day,
Bombing of Darwin, RAAF Formation,
ANZAC Day and other commemorations,
because surely that and looking out for our
mates are the basic goals of our existance. At
this meeting we also had to elect a new Vice
President to take Andy’s place and an Auditor
to take Bill’s. Our new Vice President is Ron
Lopaten and our Auditor is Jim Gilespie.
Contacts
Just a reminder of some of our contacts:
Page 10
AIR MAIL
April / May 2015
Cambrai Village Residents
Branch
Officer, Angeline Carleton. We trust it will
be well supported and informative.
Saturday, 25 April, ANZAC Day will be a
busy day with the following:
• Dawn Service at the Mandurah War
Memorial
• 8.30am – RAAFA Branches ANZAC
Commemoration Ceremony, RAAFA
Meadow Springs Memorial Wall.
• 11.00am - Mandurah ANZAC
March and main ceremony, at the War
Memorial. There will be a RAAFA
contingent marching.
• 12.30pm - Meadow Springs RAAFA
Club ANZAC Luncheon with
entertainer Ron McCarthy .
Lindsay Lane
Sunday, 10 May, Mothers Day Luncheon in
the RAAFA Club.
ComCom Committee
Friday, 15 May, Branch General Meeting
followed by a roast dinner.
The latest position to avoid the disbandment
of the ComCom has improved dramatically.
A new committee is in place to operate
from 1 July 2015. However “Shadow” key
positions need to be identified and filled as
part of the succession plan. In the event of
a current key member not being available, a
shadow member will be in the position to
have an immediate and seamless handover.
Upcoming events
Wednesday, 17 June, Aviation Heritage
Museum visit and lunch at Bull Creek.
Saturday, 4 July, Kalamunda Markets.
Merriwa Residents Branch
Joyce Johnson
Australia Day Service
A morning service at our memorial wall was
followed by a hearty breakfast in the main
Dining room. We had great attendance and
a lovely morning with the usual excellent fare
on offer.
Ruth Poat
Our General Meeting was held on Thursday,
19 February and we were very pleased to
welcome new members - Richard and Pamela
Cooper, Peter and Norma Powell, Kath
Goddard and Derek and Barbara Bignell.
Upcoming events
High Tea
Thursday, 16 April, General Meeting,
3.45pm, happy hour after the meeting
followed by meal in Club for $13.50.
Sunday, 17 May, Tivoli Theatre, chicken and
chips will be served for lunch. Members to
BYO drinks, nibbles and glasses. $25 per
person. Two buses are booked.
Thursday, 18 June, General Meeting,
3.45pm, happy hour after the meeting
followed by meal in Club for $13.50.
Thursday, 23 July, Christmas in July,
Dwellingup Hotel. Travel by coach, two
course lunch with ham, turkey etc and
Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.
$38 per person, including bus fare.
Meadow Springs Residents
Branch
David Oxley
Upcoming events
Monday, 30 March, Mini Expo on personal
safety issues and equipment. Organised by
the Branch in conjunction with the Welfare
Jim Carruthers
Over the last few weeks the Branch
Committee has been quite busy preparing
for various functions to help towards the
enjoyment of life for our members.
We had 150 guests at a traditional Chinese
Buffet meal for Chinese New Year on
Thursday, 5 March and on Saturday, 14
March a St Patrick’s Day dinner with all Irish
content and the Heel and Toe Bush Band
providing the Music was a great success also.
Upcoming events
Thursday, 16 April, Kent Street Weir picnic.
Further information from Jim Carruthers
Wednesday, 22 April, Committee Meeting,
Village Day Club, 9.00am.
Saturday, 25 April, ANZAC Day, Dawn
Service, Memorial Wall, AFME, followed by
breakfast in the Club.
Sunday, 24 May, Brass Band Concert, with
afternoon tea in AFA Club.
Wednesday, 27 May, Committee Meeting,
Village Day Club, 9.00am.
Wednesday, 17 June, ABC Studio visit, more
details to follow.
Wednesday, 24 June, Committee Meeting,
Village Day Club, 9.00am.
Bingo is back for 2105
Come along and join in the fun and don’t
forget to bring some friends with you, after
all the more the merrier. This year we have
started a new game called the ‘bucket game’.
The money for every bucket game sold
becomes the pot to be won thereby increasing
our usual winning pot substantially. It is a
lot of fun so come along and give it a go.
We have all the usual games plus our raffle
for charity. We look forward to seeing you all
there.
Mandurah Branch
Memorial Estate Residents
Branch
We are all looking forward to our first High
Tea to be held on 13 April. This promises
to be a unique experience with lots of
sumptuous food available in a setting of fine
bone china and silver ware. Bookings can be
made via Flo in the bar at a cost of $16 per
head, which is a small price for an afternoon
of pampering and fine food, a truly unique
experience and remember family members are
more than welcome.
WAAAF BRANCH
June Perry
Numbers were down for our 74th Annual
Re-Union Luncheon on Monday 9th March
2015.
Upcoming events
Monday, 13 April, Branch Meeting, Meg
Olive Room, 11.00am.
Tuesday, 5 May, Morning Tea at 9.30am
followed by Fashion Parade at 10.00am in the
Village Hall, AFME.
Upcoming events
Thursday, 2 April, Residents’ Bistro.
Wednesday, 8 April, Bingo, 7.30pm.
Monday, 13 April, Residents’ bi-monthly
meeting
Monday, 13 April, High Tea, 2.00 to
4.00pm, $16 per head. See details above.
Wednesday, 22 April, Bingo, 7.30pm.
Wednesday, 13 May, Bingo, 7.30pm.
Wednesday, 27 May, Bingo, 7.30pm.
Wednesday, 10 June, Bingo, 7.30pm.
Wednesday, 24 June, Bingo, 7.30pm.
Wednesday, 8 July, Bingo, 7.30pm.
Wednesday, 22 July, Bingo, 7.30pm.
The Aviation Museum Branch is
holding its bi-annual Mini Mart
at its usual location outside the
eastern side of the Museum on
Sunday, 3 May 2015.
There will be the usual bargains
plus tea, coffee and devonshire
teas as well as a Sausage Sizzle
Royal Australian Air Force Association
Bull Creek AFA Club
Cambrai Club
Meadow Springs Club
Merriwa Club
Phone: 9311 4460
Phone: 9304 5401
Phone: 9582 5375
Trading Hours
Trading Hours
Phone: Club 9400 3640
Kitchen 9400 3642
Bar
Bar
Monday to Thursday 11.00am
to 6.00pm
Tuesday and Wednesday, 4.00pm to
8.00pm
Friday 11.00am to 10.00pm
Friday, 12noon to 2.00pm
Saturday 3.00pm to 6.00pm
Friday night opening times may vary,
contact Club for details
Monday 11.00am to 2.30pm
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 11.00am to
6.00pm
Wednesday, 11.00am to 8.00pm
Saturday and Sunday contact bar staff
Trading Hours
Bar
Now with
FREE WiFi
Specials
Monday and Wednesday, Happy Hour
4.00pm to 5.00pm
Monday to Friday, morning coffee and
afternoon tea with selection of muffins
and cakes available
Monday, $10 roast of the day lunch
Monday Chase the Ace 4.00pm to 5.30pm
Tuesday, $10 fish and chips lunch
Counter Lunches
Monday to Friday, from 11.30am to
1.30pm
Dinner dance
Friday, 5.30pm to 10.00pm
Events
Saturday, 25 April, ANZAC Day buffet
lunch from 11.30am, $20.
2nd Friday, 5.00pm to 8.00pm
4th Friday, 5.00pm to 10.00pm
Specials
Tuesday and Wednesday, Happy Hour
4.00pm to 5.00pm
Wednesday, morning tea 10.00am to
11.00am
Tuesday and Wednesday, dinner 6.00pm
to 8.00pm Picardy Restaurant
Friday Happy Hour 5.00pm to 6.00pm
when function on
2nd Friday, Sundowner or Bistro 6.00pm
to 8.00pm
4th Friday, Entertainment 6.00pm to
10.00pm
Events
Sunday, 10 May, Mothers Day buffet
lunch from 11.30am, $35 with a glass of
bucks fizz.
Saturday, 25 April, ANZAC Day
Breakfast
CLOSED Easter 3 April to 6 April
Sunday, 10 May, Mothers Day, 3 course
roast lunch, 12noon to 2.00pm
Residents requiring transport out of
volunteer buggy hours, please contact
Simon at the bar and we will organise
pickup.
CLOSED Easter 3 April to 6 April
Specials
Lunch served 12noon to 2.00pm
Monday, roast lunch
Tuesday, fish and chips lunch
Wednesday, Chase the Ace, bingo and
horse racing and evening meal
Thursday, Happy Hour 4.30pm to
5.30pm in S/bar
Events
Friday, 10 April, Beaufort Restaurant
dining
Saturday, 25 April, ANZAC Day morning
tea and buffet lunch
Friday, 8 May, Beaufort Restaurant dining
Sunday, 10 May, Mothers Day roast lunch
CLOSED Easter 3 April to 6 April
Please contact the Club for bookings.
Our friendly staff are looking forward
to having you join us at Meadow Springs
Club.
RESIDENTS at Amity Village Albany celebrated Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday
on 17 February, with a never ending supply of pancakes, enjoyed by many.
There were even some home deliveries to those who couldn’t make it into the
clubrooms.
It was said that there was a lot of fun and merriment heard coming from the kitchen as
well as the pancakes. Our special thanks go to the cooks.
Captain Lionel Matthews’ George Cross medal
donated to Memorial
Acknowledgement Australian War Memorial
DIRECTOR of the Australian War
Memorial, Dr Brendan Nelson, was honoured
to accept the donation of the rare George
Cross posthumously awarded to Captain
Lionel Colin Matthews for extreme and
selfless courage while a prisoner of war.
71 years ago, Captain Matthews, known as
“The Duke”, was executed by the Japanese
in the Kuching prisoner-of-war camp on the
island of Borneo.
During his time in captivity between August
1942 and March 1944, Matthews directed
an underground intelligence organisation in
Sandakan and arranged for the delivery of
badly needed supplies.
In July 1943, the organisation was betrayed
to the camp captors, and though Matthews
Bar
Tuesday, 12noon to 4.00pm
Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday,
12noon to 6.00pm
Friday, 12noon to 2.00pm and 5.00pm to
8.30pm
Specials
Counter lunches, 12noon to 2.00pm
Tuesday and Wednesday, coffee and cake
2.30pm to 4.00pm
Wednesday, Happy Hour 4.00pm to
5.00pm
Thursday, morning tea 10.00am to
11.00am
Thursday, games night, chase the ace
4.00pm to 6.00pm
Friday, Happy Hour 4.00pm to 5.00pm
Friday, dinner main hall 5.00pm
Saturday, coffee and cake 2.00pm to
3.00pm
Sunday, Roast once a month
Events
Monday, 13 April, High Tea 2.00pm to
4.00pm
Thursday, 2 April, Bistro/Buffet Dinner,
5.00pm to 8.30pm
Saturday, 25 April, ANZAC Day Breakfast,
7.00am to 9.00am
Sunday, 10 May, Mothers Day Roast,
11.30am to 2.30pm
Shrove Tuesday
LtoR Rae Anderson, Hilde and
John Turner and Pat Cook.
Trading Hours
had devised an escape and could have fled
he remained with his men and was arrested.
Brutally tortured, Matthews refused to divulge
the names of his cohorts and “even at the
time of his execution defied the Japanese”.
The commander of the Japanese troops on
Borneo, Lieutenant Colonel Suga Tatsuji, told
a group of Australian officers after the funeral,
“I have just executed the bravest man I ever
met.”
Captain Matthews’ son, David, surrounded
by family and friends, formally presented the
medals to Dr Nelson, who was touched by
their generosity.
“It is the most humbling and honourable of
gestures that the Matthews family has allowed
the Australian War Memorial to preserve this
award in its display,” Dr Nelson said.
“My pledge to Captain Matthews and his
family is that these medals will be kept safe
and preserved for posterity.
“They will be proudly displayed here in the
Hall of Valour so that generations to come
can acknowledge the courage and sacrifice
made by Lionel and his mates in service of
our nation.”
The event was also attended by Lieutenant
Russ Ewin, the last surviving member of
Matthews’ underground movement, who
risked his own life on many occasions working
closely alongside Matthews and acting as a
link to the outside sympathisers.
The George Cross is ranked just behind the
Victoria Cross and is awarded for acts of
extreme bravery. It is no longer awarded to
Australians, being superseded in 1975 by the
Australian Cross of Valour. There are currently
no military recipients of the Cross of Valour.
CLOSED Easter 3 April to 6 April
CLUB SCENE
• All Clubs will be CLOSED over the
Easter long weekend, Friday 3
April to Monday 6 April inclusive
• S ee the special events for ANZAC
Day and Mothers Day
SUBMISSIONS
FOR AIR MAIL
Deadlines are:
1 May for June/July issue
3 July for August/September issue
4 September for
October/November issue
All Scribes, please note that articles of
interest are always gladly received and
accompanying photos need to be of a
high resolution. You are most welcome to
submit prior to the deadline.
Please send articles electronically to
[email protected] in the first
instance or via snail mail to Julie
Stearne, AFME, Bull Creek Drive,
Bull Creek WA 6149.
April / May 2015
AIR MAIL
Page 11
A IR M AIL
Mandatory reporting of medical conditions
– A Driver Safety Initiative
By Vanessa Priestley
DO YOU have any of these permanent or
long term medical conditions?
Lung disease, diabetes, physical disabilities,
depression, stroke, sleep disorders, high/
low blood pressure, epilepsy, heart
disease, dementia, fainting, mental
health issues, injuries, eye problems,
neurological disorders, parkinsons disease,
giddiness.….. and this is not an exhaustive
list of medical conditions!
It is mandatory to report any permanent/
long term medical conditions for
your drivers licence. Reporting these
conditions does not mean you cannot
continue to drive, but you may have to
use modifications or slight restrictions,
such as no night driving for certain vision
impairments.
permanent or long term medical condition
could lead to your insurance company not
paying for an accident you may be involved
in.
Your driving conditions will be mentioned
on the reverse side of your WA Driver’s
License. If you need to, consult your GP
for more information or contact www.
transport.wa.gov.au/licensing.
Volunteers wanted!
The Aviation Heritage Museum is calling for volunteers to work in the
Museum shop on Sundays and part-time on Fridays or Saturdays.
If you would like more information,
why not attend the RAC Seniors Driving
Assessment presentation at Cambrai
Village on Thursday, 9 April at 10.00am.
The presentation will cover mandatory
report of medical conditions, driving
assessments, plus lots of tips to keep you
safe on the road.
The Museum is also in need of a volunteer to help produce and organise
safety documents. This is an ideal position for someone with good
computer and office skills and who has a flare for writing.
The volunteer roles would involve one or two days work per week,
working at your own pace – or even working from home.
Contact Vanessa Priestley on 9304 5280
for more information.
For more information or to volunteer with the Museum,
contact the Museum Administrator, John Park on 9311 4471.
To continue driving without reporting any
RAAFA Welfare Team
North
Vanessa Priestley 9304 5280 / 9400 3778
Cambrai Village and RAAFA Merriwa
Estate
Central
Carena Slattery 9311 4562
AFME Bull Creek
South
Angeline Carleton 9582 5369
Erskine Grove and RAAFA Estate
Meadow Springs
South West
Irene Smith 9841 8311
RAAFA Amity Village Albany
The Welfare Service
aims to:
• Assist ALL MEMBERS to maintain
and improve quality of life
Qualified exercise physiologist, contact
Welfare for details.
Thursday, 30 April, 10.00am,
Orion Terraces Function Room.
Tuesday, 26 May, 2.00pm,
Village Hall.
Every Monday,
Orion Terraces Function Room.
The Game of Life is a wonderful
interactive adventure presented by the
lovely Nicollette Smith. This isn’t to be
missed. This is a genuinely touching lady
who is educated, sensitive and a rare
find. I can’t wait for this one!
GEM Ladies meeting, guest speaker and
afternoon tea.
Tai Chi. Professional teacher, excellent
tuition, contact Welfare for times.
April
Thursday, 16 April, 10.30am,
Orion Terraces Function Room.
The City of Perth comes to RAAFA! A
presentation filled with exciting news on
what you can see for free! There is loads
to see and do but you don’t go because
you don’t know. Let’s find out shall we?
Fun, informal and morning tea is served.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2.00pm,
Village Hall.
GEMS Ladies Group. Guest speaker
Esther House – inspirational and
courageous presentation on an
organisation that assists young women
who would otherwise have very little
opportunity for success. Cake, cuppa and
friendship.
• Encourage and maintain
independence
Thursday, 23 April, 10.00am,
Orion Terraces Function Room.
• Provide information and referrals
COTA – pole walking demonstration!
This is going to be fun so don’t miss
out on trying this adventurous exercise
technique. Morning tea provided and
polite laughter as we negotiate the poles
together.
• Link you to services to assist with
individual needs
AFME Bull Creek –
Village Hall
All events, $2.00 donation unless
otherwise stated.
Every Wednesday, 10.00am
Orion Terraces Function Room.
Fitness in focus - Gentle Gym
Page 12
AIR MAIL
April / May 2015
Tuesday, 28 April, 10.00am,
Village Hall.
Retirees WA are paying us a visit with
news for 2015. What has changed,
what is available now and how can we
access it. Don’t miss out on important
information that can save you dollars.
Morning tea provided.
May
Tuesday, 5 May, 10.00am,
Village Hall.
Meet Lauren from Maximum
Independence. As an experienced
occupational therapist she can answer
those questions you’ve always wanted to
ask. Informal presentation and morning
tea.
Thursday, 7 May, 10.00am,
Orion Terraces Function Room.
Animal Instinct. Come along and say
hello to Gina and welcome her beautiful
friend Chips the eagle to our estate.
Tuesday, 12 May, 10.00am,
Village Hall.
Thursday, 28 May, 10.00am,
Orion Terraces Function Room.
Meet the author! Mr Ken Hill will impress
and entertain as he introduces himself
and his new book, The Mulberry Tree, Life
Along the Canning.
Erskine Grove –
Community Centre
Fridays, 10.30am-12.00pm
Little Wings Playgroup. Come along and
say hello, have a cup of tea and meet the
mums and their children
Monday, 13 and 20 April
Tuesday 28 April
Food Cents. Topics include nutrition and
budgeting, understanding food labels,
food storage and cooking. Sessions are
tailored to the needs of participants.
Eric McCrum will “wow” you with his
presentation on birds. You’ve heard
him on the radio and loved him, so why
not come along and have a cuppa and
morning tea.
Bookings essential with Angeline.
Thursday, 21 May, 10.00am,
Orion Terraces Function Room.
Thursday, 9 April, 10.00am.
“Lights Out Morning Tea”, meet Gigi
the black Labrador from the Blind Dogs
Association. Experience the sensation
of blindness whilst listening to what the
Association does for the vision impaired.
This morning tea will be $5.00 per
person. All proceeds go the blind dog
appeal and honour the hard work that
Ailsa Wilson does for the vision impaired
group of Bull Creek.
Cambrai Village –
Cambrai Club Rooms
RAC Presentation – Seniors Driving
Assessment. Come along and find out
valuable information on mandatory
reporting of medical conditions, your
upcoming driving assessment, common
mistakes people make during their
assessment and how to avoid them, plus
lots of tips to keep you safe on the road.
All residents/members welcome to
attend.