Plinth tells story about a blast in the past

The pock-marked plinth from above a bar fridge is a reminder of the armed robbery at the then Wanneroo Country Club on November 4, 1992.

Two gunmen reportedly forced more than 60 patrons to lie face down while they emptied the tills, getting away with an undisclosed sum of money.

Nobody was hurt but the incident remains a lively discussion topic, particularly recently with the old fridge replaced and the metal panel removed for posterity.

Committee member Derek Newton is using his artistic skills to compile a framed ‘story’ about the incident, which will hang behind the bar.

Included are the metal plinth, a newspaper cutting and a couple of poems about the ‘legend’ that has become part of the club’s folklore.

‘It’s always been a talking point and, with the fridge being replaced, we can make a bit of a feature of it,’ he said.

Derek and wife Dot, Wanneroo’s deputy mayor, joined the club in 1981.

‘This seemed to be a way of keeping (the memorabilia) so that new members know about it and older members can reminisce,’ she said.

News reports from the time said one impatient bandit fired a shot between two patrons who were slow to meet his demands.

The bullet, possibly aimed at the top of a fridge, ricocheted into the ceiling.

There is no mention of the pellets, which pock marked the fridge’s metal trim as a lasting reminder.