Stephen Bevis here gives a fairly straight-forward review.

The West Australian [read this story]

Victoria Laurie was disappointed with the script.

ABC [read this story]

The Australian [read this story]

Mark Naglazas compared it with Steve Hawke’s Jandamarra play, which he did not like either.

The West Australian [read this story]

Photo: Bel Skinner

The play “The White Divers of Broome” opens tonight at Perth’s Heath Ledger Theatre.

The play is set in 1912 Broome, when the government sent Royal Navy divers to replace Asian pearl divers under the White Australia Policy.

The West Australian [read this story]

Kathleen Cox

Broome’s shire president announced three Premiers’ Active Citizenship awards at Town Beach this morning.

They went to Gwen Knox, Rhiannon Hutcheson and Beagle Bay Women’s Group.

You can read a shire media release here:

25 January 2012 EMBARGO – 10am 26 January 2012 Outstanding locals recognised on Australia Day

Gwen Knox, Rhianon Hutcheson and the Beagle Bay Women’s Group have been recognised with Premier’s Active Citizenship Awards during Australia Day celebrations at Town Beach in Broome.

Broome Shire President Graeme Campbell presented the prestigious accolades and said the State-wide awards acknowledged and rewarded local residents and groups for their contributions to community life.

“Gwen is being recognised for her tireless efforts, creativity and time put into organising some of Broome’s favourite events including Worn Art, Sandfly Circus, Theatre Kimberley and Shinju Matsuri’s Carnival of Lights,” Cr Campbell said.

“She has a natural ability to inspire youth in Broome and its surrounding communities through these projects.

“Rhianon has been awarded the Under 25 Years Award. She is an extremely active member of the community who is always willing to get her hands dirty for a good cause.

“She is studying nursing and fills her spare time by getting involved in many community organisations. She is involved in the Kimberley Regional Allied Students in Health, Headspace Kimberley Youth Advisory committee and represented the Kimberley at the CHOGM youth forum.

“The Premier’s Australia Day Active Citizenship Award for a Community Group goes to the Beagle Bay Women’s Group.

“The group was formed by a number of strong women who came together to improve the lives of Beagle Bay families. They began to meet every morning, talking about what they could do to create work and provide support for the young people.

“They have been engaged by the Red Cross to provide the Breakfast Club for school children in the community, and recognising the need for early childhood services have received support to deliver a playgroup service.

“I congratulate Gwen, Rhianon and the Beagle Bay Women’s Group for exemplifying community spirit and thank everyone who attended the event on Australia Day.”

Clifton Bieundurry

Clifton Biendurry is heading back to Australia after a 10-week season on Broadway with Hugh Jackman.

He is seen here practicing his “paparazzi face”.

DJ Helena is heading to Broome for a special event this New Year’s Eve – the White Party.

The organisers plan to fill the Broome Convention Centre will people dressed all in white, to highlight a raft of special effects.

KIMBERLEYPAGE caught up with Helena earlier this month as she put the final touches on her new single. She gave us a few thoughts about her music, her image, and working in Australia.

KIMBERLEYPAGE: Tell us about your new single.

“My single’s called Girl from Outer Space,” Helena said.

“Firstly the instrumental will be released just before Christmas and I’m currently working on a vocal version with the incredible Mr Wilson who is the vocalist from All My Friends – Tommy Trash and Tom Piper’s big track of 2011. We’ve got a great idea laid down that we’re currently working on and the vocal version should be released early 2012.

KIMBERLEYPAGE: I was reading somewhere that you’re classically trained.

“I started out playing the piano and the cello from a young age,” she said.

“It definitely trained my ear. I can hear straight away if anything is out of key and most of the time I’m naturally mixing keys because I can just hear what’s going to go with the next track.

“It’s definitely helped with my production, when you’re learning chords and bass lines and you can actually hear it to play it in as opposed to getting on Google and researching the different chords.

“Even though it’s not essential these days to have that background it definitely is an advantage.”

KIMBERLEYPAGE: That lean-and-hungry look, if I can put it that way, in the image you are putting forward – it must be an edge.

“Yes I would say my brand and my look is a bit more edgy, I’m not a particular sort of girly-girl, I’ve probably always been a bit more of a tomboy with that sort of glam-with-a-rock-edge-to-it. My music is up-front with good energy and edge.”

“I’m originally from the UK and I used to work at Ibiza as well. I moved over to Sydney about five years ago. I decided to relocate for my sanity. I moved from Birmingham to Bondi Beach, a bit of a lifestyle change but definitely for the good.

KIMBERLEYPAGE: Is there enough work for a DJ in Australia?

“Of course there is obviously more work in Europe because everything is so much closer. In Europe you could probably clock up more shows per night.

“Say if you were in London you could do a show and then drive an hour and you could do one in, say, Bristol or Birmingham.

“The difference is Australia’s so big. So if I fly to Brisbane for a show that’s it for the night.

“There is more work in Europe of course but I chose the standard of living of Australia.

“But my schedule’s fully locked out. I don’t think I’ve got a spare Saturday until the end of March now. So there is enough work. There’s less work but if you’re one of the top-end DJs you’re doing pretty well and it’s a great place to be.”

KIMBERLEYPAGE Are there as many DJs chasing the work at your level though?

“Of course, there’s a lot of competition. Everybody’s a DJ these days. You have to stay on top of your game. Each club only has so many Saturdays. You have to keep yourself relevant.”

Helena said she gained a lot of attention when she first came to Australia because there were not many female DJs at the time.

“It’s not something I play on too much,” she said.

“A lot of people think you have an advantage, being a girl. In some ways it’s true but in other ways it’s definitely not. You have to work harder, continuously, to prove yourself and to show that you are a solid credible artist.

“I do a lot of bootlegs and edits and all sorts of things to try and make myself a bit more unique.

“Also I’ve been hitting the studios, learning to produce, the last few years, because I know that’s what’s going to take me across to the next level… I’ve got my first track for release just before Christmas, that’s what I’m really excited about.”

KIMBERLEYPAGE: So turning our attention now to Broome and the New Years’ Eve Party, what can the punters expect to see and hear that will be different, that will be new?

“It’s the white party so you can imagine as a spectacle itself, everybody dressed in white,” she said.

She said the organisers are working on a raft of special effects for the night.

“They are really going to town with what they are doing, I think they are getting a snow machine, the lot.”

The White Party featuring DJ Helena will be at the Broome Convention Centre Chinatown 12 Frederick Street, Broome, Australia 6725 on Saturday 31 December.

The actions follow an all-out brawl last month which still has 30 people facing charges.

ABC [read this story]

ABC [read this story]

Slim Dusty

The West Australian’s Rod Moran reviews country singer Joy McKean’s book I’ve Been There (And Back Again).

This review includes Joy’s yarns about Carlton Hill, Halls Creek and Roeburne as she reminisces about a life spent on the road with her husband Slim Dusty.

The West Australian [read this story]

The White Divers of Broome will be part of the Perth International Arts Festival.

WAToday [read this story]

Ollie Butterfield

Police tried yesterday to remove a wheelchair bound protestor locked under a Woodside vehicle near James Price Point.

Melbourne-based hip hop artist Ollie Butterfield is said to have two days’ supplies on hand.

PerthNow [read this story]