No dogs

IT is an absolute delight to see black swans, pelicans and Pacific black ducks visiting the Bicton Baths jetty.

Upstream, it took many years for the Alfred Cove Nature Reserve and the Attadale Marine Conservation Park to become a reality. 

Residents, ratepayers, environmental groups, the Swan River Trust, Melville council staff and councillors all worked together to create and preserve this special Swan River environment for future generations to inherit and enjoy. 

Wildlife feel safe and protected as they explore, graze and breed on their journey along the special foreshore of Alfred Cove, Attadale and Bicton. 

Any proposed dog beach on this foreshore at Bicton would be environmentally irresponsible!

The pollution and ‘barker’s eggs’ would be a health hazard – there  are at least nine other dog beaches people can drive to!

For the record, I have been/still am associated with FOAFS, BEAG, SERAG, Harry Sandon, Birdlife Australia and was a ward councillor for Bicton/Attadale from 1989 to 2001. 

Pam Neesham
Attadale

Bonkers

GOING into a Cockburn Gateways department store to inquire if Australia Day merchandise had arrived, came the reply: “Sorry, no. Easter eggs come first.

Frank Cheery
South Lake

Not forgotten

I REFER to the article that appeared in your last edition, “Massacred nurses to be remembered,” (February 12).

Last Sunday, the president and I had the privilege of representing the Bicton-Palmyra RSL Sub-Branch at this service.

It was deeply moving and at times disturbing, punctuated by some beautiful singing. 

For me, the two things that sprang to mind were as follows.

Firstly, when a nation is being ruled by a megalomaniac, the lengths of cruelty that his followers are capable of committing to suppress and demoralise the enemy. This was in fact done to unarmed and helpless individuals who had no chance of fighting back.

Secondly, the incredible courage and strength of spirit that people can muster when faced with great adversity. Particularly by Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, who managed to survive this disgraceful event and come back to Australia to tell the story. RIP Vivian and your name will forever live on in our military history.

So in memory of all the other brave nurses who gave their lives in the service of their country on that day and who died such horrible deaths, RIP, safe in the knowledge that we will never forget you.

Steve Grady
Palmyra

Correction

GARRY GILLARD from the fabulous and ever-reliable fremantlestuff.info website pointed out that our attributing Freo’s Pakenham Street to Sir Edward Pakenham didn’t tally with his far more authoritative sources: “The three streets Mouat, Henry and Pakenham are the ‘lieutenant streets’ being named respectively after the first, second, and third lieutenants on board Captain Fremantle’s ship, HMS Challenger: J.A. Mouat, John Henry, and H. Pakenham.”