Stimulating the brain with music, history and the Perron Institute

Government House once again hosted the School Music and Arts program, this time inviting students from Woodland Grove Primary School in Byford.

The Governor and Ms Annus started the School Music and Arts program to enable primary school students to visit Government House and experience musical performances in an educational setting.

Students were on their feet for much of the performance.

The talented crew of Adam Hall and the Velvet Players took students on a journey of various instruments, taught them how to scat and all about call and response. Students challenged the musicians to showcase various beats and rhythms for different music stylings and joined in a dance or two,

After the performance, the students enjoyed a guided tour of Government House. While they enjoyed the artwork, the Ballroom truly blew them away, and many participated in a small impromptu waltz across the floor.

Voices to be heard

The Governor and officials pose with the cheque.

In the 1940s, Aboriginal children of the Stolen Generations were sent to the Carrolup Native Settlement. While at this settlement, the children created artwork that defied expectations and spoke of their history, culture and lives before entering the camp. Their inspiring pieces drew international attention and were exhibited across the globe. However, their stories were left untold.

Upon the return of the artwork to Country, Curtin University embarked on an ambitious project to create a permanent and protected home for the artwork and the stories of these children. They dubbed it a centre for truth-telling, healing and reconciliation in perpetuity. Today, they were officially granted the funds to complete this project.

The Governor speaks about the importance of the centre.

The Honourable Dr Tony Buti MLA, Minister for Finance; Aboriginal Affairs; Racing and Gaming; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests; announced the funding at the Curtin University Gallery this morning, presenting a cheque on behalf of Lotterywest. The funds will secure a location in the city for a “permanent home for the Carrolup artworks, where deeper knowledge and understanding of our past will help us walk together towards a fairer future.”

Governor Beazley said:

“We are learning the richness and resilience of the culture we damaged so severely as we moved onto this land 200 years ago. Nothing better illustrates that resilience than the artwork of the stolen children of Carrolup. Funding a permanent home for it is an essential aid for the truth telling needed for healing.”

40 Years of Perron

Guests arrive.

Alongside Premier Mark McGowan and Mr Steve Arnott, CEO of Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, the Governor thanked the team at Perron Institute for 40 years of research, hard work and ingenuity.

The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science is WA’s longest established medical research institute, undertaking cutting edge research on conditions including stroke, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, myositis and multiple sclerosis.

The Governor addresses the gathering.

The FDA has recently approved the Perron Institute’s third breakthrough ‘gene patching’ therapy (casimersen) for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, following three previous drugs that can treat 30% of patients with Duchenne. On top of this, the team at Perron are associated with two more FDA approved drugs. The team is also working on four different areas of COVID-19 related to research and testing.

View all Articles