Mandurah: Meeting place of the heart

As part of his continuous promotion of regional Western Australia, the Governor visited Mandurah on Thursday, 8th October 2020 to meet with local council and community members to tour this growing metropolis.

Since restrictions lifted in June, the Governor has been conducting a number of day trips around the Perth metropolitan area to encourage local tourism in a post-COVID-19 environment. These day trips supplement the Governor’s broader Regional Visit Program.

Mandjoogoordap (now Mandurah) translates to ‘meeting place of the heart’ and is home to the Bindjareb people of the Noongar Nation. Mandurah is WA’s largest regional city. Less than an hour from Perth, it’s set against a backdrop of magnificent beaches and an estuary twice the size of Sydney Harbour.

“I’m deeply impressed by the city’s devotion to creating opportunities for young people and the broader community in Mandurah where there are important challenges.

Fabulous work is being done on the arts and making them a draw card. I was grateful to the Mayor for providing a briefing on the construction of new facilities that will no doubt bring more visitors to the town.

The beautiful environmental preservation being done makes a tour of the Creery Wetlands a must do for any visitor and is sure to enhance any tourism experiences within Mandurah.”

The Governor

Mandurah Council Chambers

 

Arriving at the Boordiya Mia Council Chambers, Mandurah Mayor, Rhys Williams introduced the Governor to Mark Newman, CEO, City of Mandurah, Graeme Davies, Director Strategy and Economic Development, Jude Thomas, Director Place and Community and Rachel Edwards, Executive Officer to the Mayor and Councillors.

Here the Governor received an update on how Mandurah has changed over the last 20 years and learned of the exciting new development projects that will transform the Mandurah foreshore and enhance the cities economic footprint.

Mandjar Square / Mandurah Performing Arts Centre (MPAC)

 

Greeted by plenty of smiling faces, the Governor was excited to see the great community spirit on display as parents and children enjoy the activities on offer at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre (MPAC).

Alison Pinder and Marlene Cream showed the Governor around the venue to check out the initiatives they had set up for the children over the school holidays.

The Stray Cats Theatre Company and Adapt are presenting “Alice in Wonderland” this school holidays running the 9th – 11th October

MPAC has a number of spaces available that can be used for private events, small scale productions, expos, conferences and meetings. Currently they have converted one of these spaces into an obstacle course for kids.

The MPAC Dance Studio features a fully sprung tarquette floor with full length mirrors and a ballet bar and has been opened up to the public with costumes available for kids to dance and play.

Contemporary Art Spaces Mandurah (CASM)

 

CASM supports exhibition development and partnerships with artists, arts organisations and communities by providing low-cost rental spaces, a diverse workshop program and information services for artists.

This space provides a platform to assist recent graduates and emerging artists navigate early exhibition experiences. It also supports established artists presenting a body of work that is new and experimental in relation to their normal practice.

The Governor was excited to see the work of artist James Walker and his exhibition “Divided State”. Divided State explores James’s attraction to place, the sense of belonging and the story telling associated with experiences of a landscape which intertwines his fascination with WW2 aircraft.

Koolbardi Bidi cultural garden

 

Planted in November 2017, with support from the City of Mandurah and community volunteers, Koolbardi Bidi cultural garden is an inclusive and accessible interactive space for the broader community to enjoy.

The Governor was happy to see that the garden celebrates the diversity of local flora and the traditional knowledge of the Noongar people.

The space also features artwork by local artists and community members, and a Noongar-English word wall, offering visitors a chance to learn more about the local Noongar language.

Mandurah Cruises

 

Mandurah Cruises has been operating for 10 years as a strongly community-focused business. Myrianthe Riddy, Owner, Mandurah Cruises was on board to welcome the Governor and talk a little about the eco-tourism industry.

The Peel-Harvey Estuary is lucky enough to be home to more than 80 resident dolphins. There are another 30 who live in the Dawesville Cut and hundreds more along our coast who also occasionally visit our inland waterways.

To help understand and protect Mandurah’s local wildlife, their are a proud sponsor of Murdoch University’s Cetacean Research Unit through the Mandurah Dolphin Research Project.

“It’s fantastic to see these beautiful mammals in there natural environment. These tours help to raise awareness of Eco-tourism and maintaining the health of the Peel-Harvey Estuary to provide sanctuary for these magnificent creatures for future generations.”

The Governor

Ways to Nature Wetlands Wander Tour

 

The last stop on the tour was to the Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve where Sarah Way from Ways to Nature walked the Governor through this busy eco-system.

Ways To Nature is dedicated to inspiring a sense of wonder and appreciation of Australia’s biodiversity through unique experiences with nature.

The Creery Wetlands are an important habitat for waterbirds, including 22 species of migratory shorebirds. These extraordinary birds, some weighing only 30 grams, spend the southern summer on lakes and beaches in Australia, then fly north to catch the summer in their northern hemisphere breeding grounds.

The reserve is also home to a population of Quendas, a native marsupial and Western Grey Kangaroos.

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