TWO young female thugs threw rocks at a South Fremantle art gallery window Monday—in full view of nearby diners—terrifying owner Elizabeth Mavrick who was inside.

The Red Umbrella Art Gallery owner had just turned the lights out at 10pm when the pair, dressed casually in shorts, singlets and running shoes, stopped in her gorgeous garden. Featuring big bowls with river rocks and tadpoles the garden is a delight for passing children and Ms Mavrick thought nothing of the pair stopping for a look.

“I thought the girls were washing their hands in the bowls, but then I realised they were choosing the biggest rocks,” she told the Herald. “They knew I was in the building because after they started throwing rocks I was screaming at them to stop, and then the last rocks they were nearly throwing them at me.”

• Elizabeth Mavrick has one of the South Terrace’s most beautiful shop gardens, but it’s been a magnet for halfwits.  Photo by Steve Grant.

Ms Mavrick says she’s reluctantly upgrading her security cameras, with police telling her the grainy pictures on her existing system are of little use. “That’s pretty disappointing because putting security cameras in an art gallery is the opposite image of what you’d like to project,” she says.

Looking on the bright side, Ms Mavrick says vandalism has actually decreased in recent years as other businesses along the now-bustling strip have also prettied up their streetfronts. “I said to the police things have actually got better because more business are creating gardens, so now ours doesn’t stand out.”

However, on Wednesday evening she was hit again—this time with thieves nicking plants from her water features.

by STEVE GRANT