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EDITORIAL SMALL CHANGE
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continue to advertise with us afterwards. But we would expect that you’d subscribe to the magazine. Which is the other aspect of this. We have, for the last twenty years, been a free magazine, but now in order for us to stay afloat, we find we have to charge for the magazine - $2.50 per month. The price of a loaf of bread, or half a cup of coffee. The May issue was the last free copy but we hope that you, our supporters will continue to read Swan Magazine thereafter. Subscriptions will be arranged via Issuu, our usual publishing platform. If you would like to take advantage of the free advertising or ask any questions at all, please email me (editor@ swanmagazine.com.au) or ring me on 0418 934 850.
ell it now seems that the light at the end of tunnel may not be the mid-town express coming our way after all. We have seen, on the 6th, the anniversary of D-Day in 1944, the lifting of a very large number of restrictions imposed to control the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Providing people keep maintaining social distancing, handwashing and the other precautions in hand and don’t think this is all over, we may yet see a further lifting and a return to normalcy such as New Zealand has just announced. WA has been particularly fortune in it’s leadership, swift action, testing, containment and a compliant population have made us one of the least affected by the disease. However, we have thirty active cases, twenty of which all arrived on the Al Kuwait stock ship. Had it not been for a combination of factors, those twenty mariners might have been spreading the virus all over Fremantle and elsewhere - a sobering thought indeed and one to make every one cautious. The borders will remain locked for some time yet (as in New Zealand) but it will leave us in the precarious position of riding a tiger - safe for the moment, but dismounting will be tricky. To those who say ‘We didn’t need the lock down - after all, look how few died!’ we say 114, 148 out of 2,045,549 United States citizens might disagree - although in conversation we might say it more forcefully. This admirable outcome for Western Australia has come at a massive cost in jobs, economic growth, domestic violence, mental health and happiness. All issues that we must now begin to address.
HMQ AND HRH
As the Queen of Australia enters her ninety-fifth year, her husband, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh has just celebrated his ninety-ninth birthday - just another year and he’ll get a letter of congratulations and good wishes from his wife and monarch. After nearly seventy-three years of marriage, the pair have stood as an example of duty, civility and public service that most of us can only marvel at. Most of her subjects can expect to retire at seventy at the latest, a milestone she passed with no noticeable slackening of duties nearly a quarter of a century ago. At the young age of twenty-one as Princess Elizabeth she said to the world via radio: ‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and SWAN MAGAZINE OFFER the service of our great imperial family to which we all Here at Swan Magazine we have seen 75% of our belong.’ advertising revenue wiped out as our chief advertisers are In the ninety-three years which have followed she has not restaurants, theatres and service providers such as barbers faltered or failed, not wavered or ever indicated in any way that and dentists. We receive no other income at all other than she would have preferred not to have the role of Monarch and advertising, so this is a boat we are really all in. Head of the Commonwealth thrust upon her. We have been thinking of ways in which we can help our She once remarked that had she not been queen she might advertisers and have come up with a plan – we are going to have ended up as a landed country-woman with an interest in offer free advertising for any business affected by the Covid-19 horses - one detects a trifle of wistful regret there I think. shutdown for the next four months. That is to say a quarter page In some ways we should admire the Duke more because he advertisement (either 9cm x 13cm or 19cm x 6cm) completely had the option to avoid the duties, glare and scrutiny of public free of any obligation whatsoever. life and can only marvel at the depth of his love that he should We’re doing this so that businesses struggling to keep afloat tolerate the obloquy and viciousness of the tabloid press to can let our readers know what they are offering. At the end of the spend so much time at her side but three steps back. period we’ll look at the situation again and advise further. As we move ever closer to her inevitable and rapidly The offer is for ANY business affected – you don’t need to approaching retirement from public life, whether through an Act have advertised with us before, there’s no expectation you’ll of Regency or otherwise, though never abdication, the change will have an enormous impact on most lives. An estimated ninety-five percent of the world’s population SWAN MAGAZINE are under the age of seventy - they have never known a time when Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, was WEBSITE: not the Monarch of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Great www.swanmagazine.com.au Britain. Email: editor@swanmagazine.com.au Her mother, the late much-loved Queen Mother lived Registered Address: through three centuries dying at 102 - let us hope in this, as much 18 Tokay Lane, The Vines, Western Australia 6069 else our own Queen Elizabeth will out-do her. AUGUST DEADLINES: Advertisements: 5th August Editorial: 1st August Copyright: Swan Magazine 2020
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IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES
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Books and Writing
Autumn at KSP 4 Bookworm’s Corner 9 Editorial 3 Fiction The Autumn Plague 22 Just Out 5 Poetry - Birdsong 56 The Lure of the Locked Room 44 The Idler 49 The Noble Recreation 38 Your Voice Matters 8 Business
Business Card Board Taking Control of your Career Community
Front Page Photograph: Half past wine at the vineyard Photograph: Courtesy of Angela Hawkey
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Australian Monarchist League 53 Federal Notes 12 Flinders University News 32 Local Scholarship Winner 33 Notes From Parliament 10 SAFE 54 SVRN $1.7 Million Boost for City of Swan 51 City of Swan Seniors Services 50
PAGE Free Local Delivery 50 Swan Hills Meals Project 50 Swan Valley Anglican Community School Heroes 33 The Compassionate Friends 55 What’s On 20 Covid - 19
City of Swan Roadmap Drive-through Covid-19 Testing Tax Break Needed Perth Royal Show Update
14 15 14 15
Culpeper’s Herbal Dining In Swan Restaurant Perth Singer’s Passion Footnote People in History TV with Chris
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Entertainment
Leisure
House and Garden
17 29 34 30
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DISCLAIMER The information in this publication is of a general nature. The articles contained herein are not intended to provide a complete discussion on each subject and or issues canvassed. Swan Magazine does not accept any liability for any statements or any opinion, or for any errors or omissions contained herein.
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