Category: Community

THIRTY years after her battle with ovarian cancer, Albany resident Sandy Bishop still thanks her lucky stars every day that she had the courage to re-ask her doctor to check unusual symptoms in her body.

The then 33-year-old had two children under five and in her words, had no time to be unwell.

She shared her story with the Weekender ahead of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in February.

“I went to the doctor and they said it was just an ovarian cyst and that it would pass; he didn’t even bother to examine me,” Ms Bishop remembered.

“Later on, I was laying down and I could feel a lump … I was taking my child to the doctor that day anyway for something minor and I thought, I won’t be a nuisance and ask about it, but he was a nice doctor, so I asked.

“He told me to go straight to the hospital because he thought it was an ectopic pregnancy.”

Within a matter of hours, Ms Bishop was seen by a specialist and on the operating table.

She spent five days in hospital after surgeons removed one of her ovaries.

“It was a malignant tumour about the size of a cricket ball,” Ms Bishop said.

“I had no idea it was ovarian cancer; I was so young.

“I was told later on that I should have my other ovary and my uterus removed but I was a young mum, I didn’t know what to think.

“So I saw a different doctor for another opinion and they suggested I should have them removed; five years later, they said I really should have them removed, so I did.”

Ms Bishop said for the following 10 years, she “worried her head off” every single day about her health.

Abnormal cells had previously been detected in her cervix, so she had regular pap smears to monitor this.

As cancers can spread to other parts of the body – and she was told this was a possibility for her – she has annual mammograms too.

“Back then, I didn’t know there was a Cancer Council, I never thought I’d need counselling for what I’d been through,” Ms Bishop said.

“So my message to other people would be to ask and keep asking, and never let a doctor play something off if you are worried.

“Always follow it up – don’t let it get to the scary stuff.”

Cancer Council Great Southern Regional Education Officer Bruce Beamish said new data from the organisation revealed the incidence rate of ovarian cancer in WA women was the lowest it had been since the Department of Health began collecting data in 1982.

But he said women still needed to remain vigilant – ovarian cancer symptoms are vague and women often attribute them to other benign conditions.

“If you have any of the symptoms and they happen on most days for three weeks or more, particularly if you’re over 50 or have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, go to your doctor and get a check-up,” he said.

“You won’t be wasting the doctor’s time.”

Ovarian cancer symptoms can include pain or bloated feeling in the abdomen or side, irregular periods or vaginal bleeding after menopause, a change in bowel habits and indigestion or nausea.

Visit cancerwa.asn.au for more information.

AS 23 new Australians took their citizenship pledge on Sunday, five individuals and a community group were recognised for their commitment and contributions to the Albany region.

Mayor Dennis Wellington congratulated the winners and thanked the group of finalists for their efforts.

“Every finalist in this year’s awards should be incredibly proud of their achievements and what they have given back to the community,” he said.

Community Citizen of the Year – Youth

Samuel Reeves won the Youth Community Citizen of the Year prize for his involvement in the Albany SES, Albany PCYC, Southern Edge Arts, Great Southern Home Education Network, Festival of the Voice and Brave New Works Festivals.

He thought it was a ‘pretty cool’ win, particularly as his sister Jasmine won the same award last year.

“It’s really nice to be recognised,” Mr Reeves said.

“It’s a big booster to further my involvement in all of those things.”

Ben Terry and Julia Walker were the other two finalists in the category.

Mr Terry was nominated for his efforts with the Albany Mountain Bike Club and for volunteering his time to assist the community with media and technology.

Ms Walker was nominated for her commitment to the Albany Youth Advisory Council and the Disabled Surfers Association.

Community Citizen of the Year

Director of Albany City Wind Ensemble and AboutFACE Youth Choir Susan Findlay was named Community Citizen of the Year.

She was recognised for her contributions to the music industry, including forming the youth choir, scoring the choir a place at the 2020 International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava, and for being the musical director of the upcoming 10th anniversary concert for the Albany Entertainment Centre.

“It’s incredibly humbling,” Ms Findlay said.

“When you get to do what you love and be rewarded for it, it’s the icing on the cake.”

Janet McArtney, Steve Marshall, Stuart Roberts, Indu Scott and Jonathan Smith were finalists for their respective contributions to Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company and the Disabled Surfers Association Great Southern; organising the free annual Community Christmas Luncheon; the establishment of an Aboriginal training and employment enterprise and men’s health programs; facilitating and establishing the Albany Repair Cafe; and creating the Great Southern Development Program for soccer.

Community Citizen of the Year – Senior

Max and Marianne Chester were named the Senior Community Citizens of the Year.

They won for their work over the past six years collecting clothes from op shops and sending them to the Adventist Disaster Relief Association.

Ms Chester said the couple was representing “all of the wonderful volunteers in the region”.

“We get clothes from Denmark and Mt Barker too … we are very grateful for all the help we get,” she said.

“[Winning] is a wonderful honour and it’s very humbling.”

There were two other finalists in this category – Hugh Milne for his volunteer hours at Hawthorn House and other residential aged care homes, singing and playing music to them and Norma Thomson, for her role in establishing the Albany Animal Welfare Op Shop and her dedication the Friends of the RSPCA Albany and Albany Animal Welfare.

Active Citizenship Award – Community Group or Event

The NAIDOC Week Organising Committee received top honours in this category over four other events and groups.

For the past two years, the committee has organised week-long programs of events and activities to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

Committee member Lester Coyne said it was a great achievement.

“We’re really quite pleased to win; it’s quite an achievement against so many nominees,” he said.

The Albany Climate Strike Event, Disabled Surfers Association Great Southern, Free Community Christmas Luncheon, Greenskills, and the Icebreakers Program were finalists for the award.

THE first official steps towards revitalising the historic Broomehill Hotel have been taken and now, its future will depend on the community digging deep.

The hotel closed down in May last year due to “bad management”, leaving a trail of public outcry over yet another service closing off to residents – at the time, the town’s sole roadhouse had just closed down and the post office was up for sale.

Farmer Scott Thompson told the Weekender this week that the group of community members who initially got together late last year to pursue the hotel revitalisation project had decided to form a non-distributing co-operative.

A non-distributing co-op is defined as a “not-for-profit organisation which can be formed with or without shares”.

Mr Thompson said this co-op would have shares, and that hotel project committee members would soon be reaching out to individuals in the community to ask whether they would be interested in a financial contribution.

“It’s quite a process,” he said.

“We’re yet to form the co-op so that will probably happen over the next two weeks – the co-op will provide the ownership structure that will give us the flexibility and opportunity to do what we want to do.”

Purchasing the hotel site is also next on the agenda; Mr Thompson said expressions of interest were being sought from community members willing to chip in.

People interested in getting involved in bringing the Broomehill Hotel back to life can reach out to Mr Thompson on 0428 916 131.

FANS of Albany’s famous pet bull Brucey the Brahman need not fret, the Facebook star will not be stepping out of the social media limelight anytime soon.

The digital platform was abuzz with disappointment earlier this month when Brucey’s owner Tom Kennedy posted that the young Brahman would be “cutting back” on his online appearances.

Mr Kennedy has since backtracked that decision, telling the Weekender he would continue sharing photos, videos and updates about the two-and-a-half year old animal’s antics.

“I didn’t realise how many people love it. When I said I was winding down there were a lot of comments from people a bit sad about it,” Mr Kennedy said.

“I’ve come to realise I’m providing a lot of folks with a few laughs, people who are doing it tough and like to see a bit of humour and what Brucey’s been up too.

“I didn’t expect this level of popularity when I started it up, but it’s a result of his personality and just wanting to have fun with him and sharing it with others.”

Brucey the Brahman’s Facebook page originally launched in June, 2018 and has since amassed more than 1100 followers.

It regularly shows the prankish bull interacting with the public and other animals, including Mr Kennedy’s dog and horses, and visiting the beach for a “surf report”.

“We’ll share more of his older stories going forward because a lot of people that joined in to watch him have missed his development,” Mr Kennedy said.

“Brucey was seven months old when we got him. He was 600kg a little while ago and he’s getting bigger quite visibly so it’ll be interesting to see how tall he goes.”

Mr Kennedy effectively saved Brucey from the chopping block when he purchased him from a stud in upper Kalgan.

Brucey’s mother died when he was only a week old and he had been left on an orchard to be hand-raised without a real purpose.

“He’s got a very good life now,” Mr Kennedy said.

“As long as he doesn’t keep breaking out of electric fences and pushing into the house and eating the wife’s flowers, I think his life will continue.

“He’s very mischievous and I think that’s reflective of his intelligence and character. He’s not silly, he’ll sit there and he’ll observe things.”

This year has already proved to be full of success for Brucey, with the bull’s profile showing he recently graduated from Brahmarana University.

He currently works as the “Chief Greens Keeper” at Albany Tenpin Bowling, Mr Kennedy’s own enterprise, and no doubt draws on experience gained in his previous role as “Chief Apple and Grass Eater”.

Those wanting to keep up to date with his journey can search Brucey Brahman on Facebook and send a friend request.

TWO chefs who travelled the world and worked together for 10 years on cruise ships have settled in Albany to open their own cafe.

Carlo Nagac and Dexter Mahinay are the owners of D&C Grill – Taste of Albany and had their first day of trade on December 2.

They are located within the Beryl Grant Community Centre in Lockyer and the pair could not be happier with how things are progressing.

Endless reviews on the cafe’s Facebook page describe it as having “the most amazing feed I’ve had in Albany in a long time”, customers love the “vibrancy of the folk operating this little treasure” and say the desserts “to die for”.

“I’d planned this for a very long time,” Mr Mahinay said, of owning a cafe.

“We thought Albany was a very nice place and we are very happy to serve the community.”

The pair are already enthusiastically looking to what’s next.

“Hopefully in the future we can open a fine dining restaurant, because this setup is a cafe,” Mr Nagac said.

“We’d love to open on York Street and in town one day.”

The cafe serves up contemporary cuisine including Asian fusion and twists on Australian.

It operates Wednesday to Monday for lunch and dinner and serves dine-in and takeaway.

A NEW early learning and daycare centre is opening next week in Albany and it has an open day this afternoon.

SmartPlay Albany will offer long day care, before and after school care, and vacation care between 7am and 6pm five days per week, 50 weeks per year.

During school hours, it will also operate as a kindergarten and pre-kindergarten centre.

Centre Director and Educator Jane Gibbons-Eyre said kindergarten students attending Australian Christian College would now have classes in the next-door SmartPlay Albany building instead of within the main campus.

“The Christian Education Ministries saw a particular need in Albany and decided to expand to the long daycare model with a kindy and pre-kindy program,” she said.

“Our particular focuses will be specialist music, literacy, numeracy, languages other than English, physical education, and high-quality relationships – Australian Christian College’s motto is for a student to be well taught, well known and well loved.”

Children aged three and four are eligible for the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten program, and children aged five to 12 are eligible to attend the out-of-school care.

There are seven staff rostered to work at the new centre and Ms Gibbons-Eyres says she is very proud of it.

“We have such a big outdoor area with real grass, and there’s space for kids to ride and dig and build and run…the first five years of a child’s life are so important, so it’s an amazing privilege to be part of that.”

Ms Gibbons-Eyre has worked with children since she finished high school and said she adores the work she does.

“This will be a loving environment where children can feel like they belong,” she said.

“The staff here strive for the highest quality in absolutely everything…we want to provide everything so the children can be the best they can be.”

The open day is today, January 16 from 4-7pm at the 26 Brewster Road location.

The centre will then officially open on January 20.