Latest news with #Geraldton
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Anger erupts as Aussie tourist site 'totally destroyed' in violent act
An Australian tour of important cultural sites has ended in horror after the group's leader found one had been destroyed. A massive naturally formed limestone 'statue' that symbolised the head of a snake had been 'violently desecrated' with what appeared to be some kind of heavy tool. Located out of the way, on the banks of the Greenough River, east of Geraldton in Western Australia, few people knew of its existence. Naaguja Yamatji man Derek Councillor began leading small groups to the Indigenous site around a decade ago, and he believes someone with knowledge of its cultural importance is responsible. Speaking with Yahoo News Australia, Councillor said he was 'angry' when he found the rock in pieces on Thursday. 'It had been there for like generations. My father showed me, his father showed him, and so on,' he told Yahoo News. 'To discover the rock totally destroyed like that on the tour was very sad.' Related: 🌏 Fears for ancient sites under threat from controversial industry plan In the Naaguja language, the snake is referred to as a Bimara. The statue is connected to a Dreamtime legend about it trying to enter the ocean but being stopped by a sea serpent who wounded him. For him to heal his wounds, he had to go back to the Greenough River where he belonged. Because he was there so long, with his head above the banks, the rock took the shape of his head. 'It was a place of significance where we'd go. If we'd fish there, we'd do a little smoking ceremony around the rock to ask for blessings and protection,' Councillor said. 🐍 Bold plan to reintroduce wild animals into Australia's major cities 😳 Sad find in dam sparks warning about daily problem in Aussie bush 🏔️ Search for answers as town buried after mountainside collapses On social media, another community member shared their anger and sadness at the destruction, saying it was more than an act of vandalism. 'This is an attack on our culture, our ancestors, and our spirit. My heart aches not just for what was lost, but for what this says about the continued disregard for our sacred sites,' they wrote. Dozens of people were sympathetic. 'No need for this in our beautiful country at all,' one wrote. 'Heartbreaking. I wish there was more respect in this world. Needless destruction,' another said. But others mocked what had happened with racist comments, deepening the wounds felt by the community. These comments have now been deleted. Councillor told Yahoo he began taking tourists to the site because he thought 'times were changing' and the wider community was more accepting of Indigenous practices. 'Now I wish I hadn't,' he said. He now plans to report the destruction to the Native Title Board. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
West Australian
4 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Geraldton claims silver for fourth year in a row at 2025 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Awards, pipped by Fremantle
Chasing gold continues to be just out of reach for the City of Greater Geraldton in its hunt for tourism glory — but there is a pretty spectacular silver lining. Geraldton won silver for the fourth straight year at the 2025 7NEWS Top Tourism Town Awards on Wednesday night, pipped at the post by Fremantle, while Collie claimed bronze. Fremantle was the only metropolitan finalist among the three categories. Kalbarri achieved back-to-back gold, taking out the tiny tourism town category for the second year running, beating Pemberton and Denham. Exmouth claimed gold for the fourth consecutive year in the small tourism town category, with Bridgetown and York coming in second and third. City of Greater Geraldton mayor Jerry Clune said: 'We are extremely proud to secure another silver award and appreciate everyone who voted for us as well as all the businesses and individuals who continue to offer a warm welcome and fantastic experience to those who visit our town. 'Geraldton has had a huge 12 months tourism-wise, highlighted by the success of the recent Shore Leave Festival and the future looks bright, with the cruise ships scheduled to start returning next year.' Mr Clune congratulated Fremantle and gave a 'huge shout out to fellow Australia's Coral Coast localities' Kalbarri, Exmouth and Denham for their awards. The winners were announced at the 2025 Perth Airport WA Tourism Conference dinner in Fremantle and will now progress to the national awards being held later this year. More than 8000 people voted in this year's WA awards, which have been running for 36 years. The City of Greater Geraldton recently launched its latest tourism campaign, Stay and Play. 'With it, (we) will continue to promote our slice of seaside paradise to visitors,' Mr Clune said. To enter the Stay and Play photo competition, go to the city's website.
West Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Geraldton Softball Association to host 2025 June Carnival marking 50th anniversary
The Geraldton Softball Association is hosting the 2025 June Carnival this weekend, marking the 50th anniversary of one of Australia's most renowned softball tournaments. From its humble beginnings as a friendly competition between Geraldton and Karratha, the event has blossomed into the largest women's softball tournament in the country. Now spanning two major venues — Utakarra Oval and GBSC Sports Park — the carnival will feature more than 50 teams across six divisions, with participants travelling from across WA, including Perth, Bunbury, Port Hedland and Tom Price. Geraldton will be strongly represented, fielding nine local teams. The festivities start at 5pm on Friday at Utakarra Oval, with the annual Simone Purcell Memorial Game — a team of local players, led by Simone's family, will face-off against the umpiring crew in a spirited opener. A significant change this year is the restructuring of division one, downsized from eight to six elite teams to create a more competitive environment. Each team will play one another twice, culminating in a grand final on Sunday night. With reigning champions Rockingham absent this year, the division one title is wide open. In a nod to its roots and future, the GSA is reintroducing an All-Star GSA representative team in division one for the first time in several years. Additionally, a junior and rookie development squad will represent GSA in division six, highlighting the association's commitment to nurturing talent at all levels. To commemorate the tournament's 50th year, Saturday night games have been removed allowing teams to enjoy the social side of the event. The evening will feature a players' revue and 50th anniversary celebration at the Utakarra ballpark — a chance to reflect on five decades of memories and milestones. To accommodate the expanded schedule, the tournament will use 13 diamonds across the two venues, thanks to the support of GBSC Sports Park. GSA chair Paul Valenti, who is also tournament director and coach of the GSA division one side said it was going to be 'a huge weekend'. 'I can't thank all the volunteers enough who've worked tirelessly over the past six months to make this happen,' he said. 'This takes a huge effort from many people to pull off an event this size, and we have a great team. 'If you've never watched a game of softball, or haven't been to the ballpark in a while, I'd encourage you to pop down to either venue over the weekend and take in the action and atmosphere. 'Our GSA side is looking strong, and we expect to be very competitive in division one.'
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
ATSB report reveals pilot unwell before fatal plane crash in WA's Midwest
Australia's air safety watchdog says the pilot of a light plane who died in a crash in WA's Midwest was unwell prior to the flight. The man, aged in his 60s, was killed when the Cessna 150M crashed in bushland near Ogilvie, around 500 kilometres north of Perth, on March 21 en route from Geraldton to Shark Bay. A motorist spotted the wreckage of the aircraft about 11:15am that day, just over an hour after the plane took off, and notified authorities. In its preliminary report, released on Wednesday, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) noted the aircraft collided with terrain at high speed, and there was no post-impact fire. The preliminary report noted witnesses at Geraldton Airport said the pilot appeared unwell prior to the flight, and had mentioned having severe gastroenteritis in the days leading up to it. However, it said he had no apparent speech or physical impairment. "The ATSB's ongoing investigation will include the collection and review of all available medical history and post-mortem information for the pilot," Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. "It will also include examination and review of all the other evidence gathered, including CCTV and CTAF recordings, aircraft, pilot and operator documentation, witness reports, the aircraft's maintenance history and the evidence gathered at the accident site." The report found about 18 minutes into the flight, the pilot texted a photo to a staff member at the maintenance organisation at Geraldton, noting a "slightly higher than usual oil temperature". "The temperature shown in the photo was towards the upper end of the normal range, but below the 240 degrees Fahrenheit maximum oil temperature limit." The ATSB noted the maintainer replied to the text, stating they "could look into fitting coolers onto the aircraft to resolve the issue". The bureau said it was still recovering data from a damaged GPS receiver found at the accident site. A final report, including safety analysis and findings, will be released when the investigation concludes. "Should a critical safety issue be identified … the ATSB will notify relevant parties immediately," Mr Mitchell said.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Call for extended fire restrictions after bushfire emergency north of Perth
A veteran volunteer firefighter has urged residents to be mindful of dry conditions after an out-of-control burn-off sparked a bushfire emergency north of Perth. The fire near Bookara, south of Geraldton, reached emergency level on Wednesday last week and took several hours to bring under control. The fire threatened homes and sheds, which were saved, but caused significant damage to a nearby olive orchard. Shire of Irwin chief bushfire control officer Peter Summers said the burn-off occurred despite repeated warnings from local authorities. With five decades of firefighting experience, he said fire seasons were getting steadily longer. "The fire danger period has become longer per year now, so [there are] less safe months to burn," Mr Summers said. While the arrival of cooler temperatures is normally a trigger point for private burn-offs to get underway, Mr Summers said the dry conditions had led to repeated warnings for residents to delay any planned burns. He said warnings had come from Dongara's bushfire brigade and the Shire of Irwin. "It's best to wait until the rain comes and everything's a little bit damper and there's more moisture in the dry fuel," Mr Summers said. "It's hotter and drier until, quite often, May. "Sometimes it doesn't start raining till mid-June … we've got longer dry periods now." Mr Summers said extending the restricted burning period would give volunteer firefighters more control. In Western Australia, restricted burning periods are set by each local government area and usually occur in the warmer months. During this time, residents have to apply for a permit for outdoor fire activity, such as burning organic matter or starting a campfire. Shire of Irwin President Mark Leonard said it had already extended the restricted burning period by two weeks, bringing it to late April. Cr Leonard said he personally supported a further extension of restricted burning, but that would be decided by the shire's chief executive and based on the recommendation of the fire brigade. Further south, the Shire of Dandaragan has extended its restricted burning period to the beginning of this month. Shire President Tony O'Gorman said the community was on high alert for fires, following an emergency level blaze which threatened Cervantes last November and a second blaze near Lancelin in late March. "It's very fresh in our memory," he said. "When you're driving from Perth to Jurien [Bay], what you see is mostly burnt-out bush, so we're very conscious of [fire threats]." Cr O'Gorman said despite a "lack of moisture in the air" and no significant rainfall, burning without a permit has been permitted for two weeks. He said it was up to fire control officers and emergency service coordinators at each local government to make their own call for community safety. "I'm not an expert on it. They are, and that's why we employ these people," Cr O'Gorman said. Cr O'Gorman said it was also important to consider the need to reduce fuel loads through controlled burns, when safe to do so.
