ONCE upon a time council rangers and gardeners ran skateboarders like Laban Pheidias out of town, furious at their scraped furniture and the insouciant attitudes.

Now Melville council is venerating them with an exhibition at Wireless Hill Museum. Freedom: Stories from Skate Culture WA is an interactive exhibition featuring an array of vintage skateboards and other memorabilia, including a deck-load of great action photographs.

One of artefacts is a communist-era skateboard made out of metal, while visual artist Bevan Honey has provided some commissioned works for the exhibition and the infamous double-kink stair rail from Melville Senior High School has been reinstalled for the duration.

Opening night is Friday December 3 from 6-8pm and then runs until February 19, with a few workshops and performances along the way; go to www. melvillecity.com.au/freedom for more info.