Take a bow, Anthony Styan!
Who is Anthony Styan, I hear you ask? Anthony Styan is the man who can give a history lesson to 70 women and keep them spellbound for nearly three quarters of an hour – that’s who!
In great demand as an entertaining public speaker, Anthony (the Local History Librarian at the City of South Perth) led his audience through a whimsical and highly informative local journey.
Most knew that the Como Jetty was a thriving relaxation spot for locals. The Como foreshore was a picnic hotspot and of course swimming was popular. Few knew however, that the length of ladies’ swimming costumes was actually measured by inspectors at the time to ensure that they conformed with legal requirements to avoid any lewd display.
Many were also surprised to learn that during the Great Depression when housing was almost impossible to find, a thriving tent city rose on the Como foreshore near Canning Bridge. News photographs of the time show men heading for work and children in patched clothing going to school, all while living in squalid temporary shanties.
The route variation of the Kwinana Freeway to preserve South Perth’s Old Mill and the origins of the Pagoda were just some of the fascinating insights of last Tuesday’s talk.
Looking forward to the June Luncheon, author Karen Whittle-Herbert will introduce her latest book, “The River Mouth”, a story about career change, life choices and following your true passion.
Book early for Karen’s presentation on 14th June to hear the woman described by David Whish-Wilson as “a brilliant new voice in Australian crime fiction”.
