FASCINATING TIMEBALL ART SHOW AT PS ART SPACE

There is a fascinating exhibition by Rob Kettels in PS Art Space. It is part of the Signals Fremantle Biennale.

Boxes on the wall contain hundreds of small images that are constantly rotating at speed, depicting a story of the timeball and early seafarers.

In Fremantle the timeball is lowered behind the Roundhouse at 1pm every day, when the cannon is also fired. This was done in the past so that ships at berth could reset their chronometers. Having the correct time was essential for navigation, hence timeballs were common around the world.

The art is as intriguing as the story it tells, so head to Pakenham Street to have a look at the exhibition.

Roel Loopers

THE FLYING ANGEL OF FREMANTLE

One Fremantle feel-good social service organisation that often flies under the radar is the Flying Angel Club on Queen Victoria Street.

The Flying Angel is part of the worldwide Mission to Seafarers charity network that provides support, care, transport and accommodation to merchant sailors.

Each year, the Flying Angel Club in Freo deals with around 10,000 seafarers who visit our port.

It runs a fleet of mini buses to pick them up from their ships, bring them into the city centre and drop them back to the berth. It also provides accommodation at the club for seafarers leaving or joining a ship, or those who are sick. They have 25 rooms to accommodate people.

Flying Angel helps sailors get medical appointments, obtain necessary documentation while in port, and it frequently delivers personal items to sailors at gangways and provides a ‘listening ear’.

Fremantle Ports’ Neil Stanbury said Flying Angel was an unsung hero in the community. “It represents community pastoral care at its best. The world was reminded during COVID-19 what a vulnerable community ship crews were, when around the globe seafarers were denied shore-leave. It was a distressing and difficult time for them, with most confined aboard long after their contracts ended. Some spent 18 months on one ship.”

On Sunday July 9, at 11am Flying Angel CEO and Anglican Chaplain Dennis Claughton will conduct a service in the chapel to mark Sea Sunday – a day that is set aside to remember and pray for seafarers and their families, and thank them for their work.

Flying Angel lost some volunteers during COVID, so it’s planning a big push this year to increase support in that area. Contact them if you want to volunteer in Fremantle and meet people from all over the world.

Roel Loopers

CALL OF THE SEA DUTCH AUSSIE ART SHOW

 

The CALL OF THE SEA exhibition at the Fremantle Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery is a mix of Australian, some of them Dutch born, and artists from the Netherlands.  It celebrates the arrival of Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog at Shark Bay 400 years ago.

The Aussies on show are Theo Koning, Richard Woldendorp, Gera Woltjer, Nien Schwartz, Brian Simmonds, Sandy Mckendrick, Susanne Castleden and Amok Island.

From Holland come Winnifred Bastian, Katinka Krijgersman, Leentje Linders, Ageeth van den Oever and Peter Rijtke.

It is a mixed bag with a very cute piece by Freo’s Sandy McKendry who uses traditional Dutch ‘klompen’ made into sailing ships, and some stunning aerial landscapes by renowned photographer Richard Woldendorp.

The exhibition will be on show until July the 24th. http://www.dirkhartog2016.nl. Go and see it!

Roel Loopers

DUTCH HISTORY IN FREMANTLE

 

I haven’t been to the Fremantle Shipwreck Galleries museum for yonkers, so after eating far too many Dutch beef croquettes the last week I decided to go and have another look.

It is a very impressive little museum that tells the story of the first Dutch seafarers who explored the west and east coast of Australia in the 1600s, about 200 years before the English and French did.

The story of the ship Batavia and the mutiny is fascinating, as are the stories of the other tiny ships that sailed all the way from Europe to trade, pirate and rob.

Put the museum on your to do list when you have visitors from interstate or overseas or spend a nice relaxing hour reading up on the intriguing history.

Roel Loopers

FREO’S MARITIME HISTORY

 

Just a couple of photos of the old and new Fremantle Maritime Museum. The old one is now named Shipwreck Museum. It is still my preferred one of the two, as there is a beautiful stillness about the place.

Roel Loopers