From little things big things grow

Forerunner, Wanneroo Community News, provided six pages of news and advertisements fortnightly when it first came out on August 8, 1974.

The initial, print-run was 3000 copies, letterbox delivered to the Wanneroo townsite. However, there were 500 over and these went in the rubbish bin.

‘The aims and hopes of this small newspaper are to encourage a greater community awareness and greater social and business support within the community,’ co-editors Bill Marwick and Dale Anderson wrote in their first editorial.

‘The Wanneroo shire is one of the fastest, if not the fastest developing shire of Australia. It is only right that we should have a voice that can be heard not only within our district, but in other areas as well.’

Around 20 community groups had news in the first edition, from Wanneroo Districts Citizens and Social Club and Quinns Rock Civic Association to Wanneroo Country Women’s Association and Wanneroo Whirl-A-Ways Dance Club.

Wanneroo Sunday School was celebrating 14 years, the Coastal Protection Association was concerned about ‘the dangers of erosion to the West Coast Highway’ and Wanneroo St John Ambulance was awaiting a new ambulance.

Wanneroo Districts Netball Association was a newbie in 1974, Diane Hosken was Wanneroo’s entrant in the Miss Royal Show Queen Quest and the 1st Wanneroo Scout Group welcomed the newspaper to spread the word.

A correspondent reported the new East Wanneroo Primary School within the popular Wanneroo Heights land release was to be ready in 1975, taking pressure off Wanneroo primary with its 851 pupils and nine demountable classrooms.

‘It is to be hoped our town planners and government bodies can now be geared to the evidence of the statistics, which show Wanneroo township is growing and will continue to grow,’ he wrote.

See letter, page 8