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Residents ‘belong’

Staff ReporterCanning Gazette

AS one of the Ten-Pound Poms who found ourselves in the newly established districts of Lynwood and Ferndale during the 60s, the idea of having our City split between Gosnells and Melville is a totally unpopular concept.

Opened by then-Premier David Brand in 1965, it was typical of the ‘scorched earth’ system ” brick boxes in a sea of sand and not a blade of grass or a tree in sight.

There were no schools, shops, bus, church or doctor and no amenity closer than Boans at what became Carousel.

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Councillors Len Barlett, Don Briggs and Geoff Roberts to name but a few served enthusiastically on council under popular mayor, Ern Clark.

Cr Bartlett, a distance education officer, reminded council that we must have a library besides our sports facilities.

Therefore, a school, library, a bus, a church, Scouts Guides, a seniors’ club, kindergarten and eventually a community hall, the Wandarrah (Aboriginal name for ‘the meeting place’) came.

Every single feature that constitutes a social community was tirelessly worked for and established by us ‘newcomers’.

Since then, some families have moved ‘up market’ and a few others returned to their roots in the UK. Many of us are now retired, yet retain a strong sense of community ” a ‘belonging’ sketched in Anne Roberts’ book New Roots (copies of which are in Riverton Library).

Boundaries on a map are proposed but, hopefully, subject to comment and I trust open to challenge.

Anne White, Lynwood