Welcome to The Geographe Gazette!

In today’s edition:

• Upcoming Events

• Art Exhibitions

• Community News

• Environmental Initiatives

• And more…

"Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking."

—William Butler Yeats

Here is this week’s trivia question. The answer will be shown in next week’s newsletter. Which do you think it is? No cheating!

In what year was the Busselton Butter Factory opened?

• A) 1912

• B) 1918

• C) 1922

• D) 1926

Answer to Last Week’s Trivia:

The answer to last week's question is A) Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.

Busselton

Origins Market A permanent indoor market hub featuring local producers, food vendors, and artisans, including special events.

• Date: Thu / Fri / Sat / Sun

• Time: 8:30am – 9:00pm (Thu - Sat), 8:30am – 6:00pm (Sun)

• Location: 86 West St, Busselton

Busselton Community Garden Markets A community-focused market featuring garden produce, plants, and local crafts.

• Date: Saturday

• Time: 8:00am – 12:00pm

• Location: Busselton Community Garden, 50 Strelly Street, Busselton

Busselton Rotary Markets A foreshore market with numerous stalls offering local produce, arts, crafts, clothing, food, and drink.

• Date: Sunday

• Time: 7:00am – 12:00pm

• Location: Signal Park, Marine Terrace, Busselton

Dunsborough

Markets by the Bay A central Dunsborough market with local produce, art, gifts, and fashion, embodying a buy-local ethos.

• Date: Saturday

• Time: 8:00am – 1:00pm

• Location: Lions Park, 38 Dunn Bay Road, Dunsborough

Baby Bounce (Dunsborough Library) A regular library program featuring songs, rhymes, and activities designed for babies and their caregivers. A gentle community gathering.

• Date: Thursday

• Time: 10:30am - 11:00am

• Location: Dunsborough Library, Dunsborough

Thai Temptations Cooking School A hands-on cooking class focusing on Thai cuisine, including instruction and a 5-course feast. A full day of culinary immersion culminating in a delicious feast. Requires booking.

• Date: Thursday

• Time: Starts 9:45am

• Location: Wildwood Valley, 1481 Wildwood Rd, Yallingup

Weekly Sound Bath A session focused on relaxation and wellness through sound immersion.

• Date: Thursday

• Time: Starts 5:40pm

• Location: Thomas Reserve, Dunsborough

Annual Southwest Youth Fest 2025 A community event aimed at youth, featuring activities and entertainment suitable for families during school holidays.

• Date: Friday

• Time: 11:00am - 3:00pm

• Location: Busselton Foreshore Youth Precinct & Skate Park, Busselton

Douglas Kirsop & Mary-Lynne Stratton Exhibition Joint art exhibition featuring works inspired by the Pilbara and Kimberley regions. The exhibition runs until April 13th. This offers an opportunity to delve into landscapes inspired by the rugged beauty of the Pilbara and Kimberley regions.

• Date: Thu / Fri / Sat / Sun

• Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm Daily

• Location: The Studio Gallery, 7 Marrinup Dr, Yallingup

We Are Many Things - Art Exhibition Collaborative art exhibition by the Busselton Marine Art Group, showcasing diverse works from local artists. Runs until April 20th. This is a collaborative exhibition celebrating ten years of shared creativity by the Busselton Marine Art Group.

• Date: Thu / Fri / Sat / Sun

• Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm Daily

• Location: Bond Store Gallery, Busselton Cultural Precinct (Old Courthouse Complex), Busselton

Ingrid Windram & Josh Windram Exhibition Art exhibition showcasing landscape paintings by Ingrid Windram and contemporary abstract works by her son, Josh Windram. Runs until April 13th. This presents a dynamic contrast between Ingrid Windram's masterful landscape paintings and the contemporary abstract works of her son, Josh Windram.

• Date: Thu / Fri / Sat / Sun

• Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm Daily

• Location: Yallingup Galleries, Cnr Caves Rd & Gunyulgup Valley Dr, Yallingup

Bath Salt Workshop A hands-on workshop where participants create their own personalized bath salts using various ingredients. Takes place at the market venue but is a distinct workshop event. This is a shorter workshop at Origins Market allowing participants to craft their own unique blend of bath salts to take home.

• Date: Sunday

• Time: 10:00am - 11:00am

• Location: Origins Market Busselton, 86 West St, Busselton

Watercolours in the Garden: Treetop Windows An art workshop focusing on watercolour techniques in a garden setting. Participants spend an afternoon painting "Treetop Windows" with watercolours amidst the gardens of Skigh Wine in Yallingup Siding.

• Date: Sunday

• Time: Starts 1:30pm

• Location: Skigh Wine, 633 Abbeys Farm Rd, Yallingup Siding

Full Moon in Libra - Shamanic Heart Healing Journey A wellness/spiritual event centered around a shamanic heart healing journey, timed with the full moon. This is an event to connect with the lunar cycle at the Full Moon Shamanic Heart Healing Journey.

• Date: Sunday

• Time: Starts 4:00pm

• Location: Yallingup Hall, Yallingup

Thursday

• Caves House | Sean Lillico & Kevin McDonald | 6:00 to 8:00pm

• Har Bar | Haraoke! | 7:30pm

Friday

• Caves House | Soul Survivors | 5:30 to 8:30pm

• Har Bar | Fridays LIVE Feat: John Stringer | 7:30pm

Saturday

• Beerfarm | Julian James & Beci Kate | 2:00 to 5:00pm

• Caves House | Pete Matthews | 5:30 to 8:30pm

• Har Bar | Latin Sails! | 5:30-7:30pm

• Har Bar | Autumn Beats feat: Edlin | 8:0pm

• Origins Market | Danny Alcorn | 5:30 to 7:30pm | Tickets

Sunday

• Caves House | R&B APP Trio | 5:30 to 8:30 pm

• Sweet Treat Alert! A new chocolate shop is getting ready to open its doors on the Busselton foreshore, hoping to be up and running in time for the April school holidays.

• Op Shop Find: Busselton has a new Good Sammy op shop that opened in early April.

• Culinary News from Yallingup: The renowned Cape Lodge Restaurant has welcomed acclaimed chef Iain Robertson as its new Head Chef. Chef Robertson brings experience from other wineries in the region.

• Music Buzz: Musician John Butler is looking forward to performing at the SummerSalt festival in Busselton and has a new single on the way.

• Sustainable Style Spotlight: Busselton designer Karen Ashcroft showcased her eco-conscious fashion line at Eco Fashion Week.

• Green Thumbs Gather: A hands-on vegetable growing workshop was recently held in the Geographe Catchment area near Busselton as part of the 'Healthy Estuaries' initiative, with gardeners from across the South West taking part.

• Boating Blues at Quindalup: Reports indicate significant queues, parking problems, and traffic congestion at the boat ramp in Quindalup, due to the busy season and good weather.

• Cycle Path Concerns: A local resident has raised safety concerns about the condition of a popular dual-use cycle path in Busselton, noting issues like potholes, cracks, and tree roots.

• Water Woes in Dunsborough: Residents in Dunsborough experienced a disruption to their water supply after a water mains pipe burst early on Thursday morning.

• Citizen Scientists Needed: The annual Western Ringtail Tally is underway for its 10th year! Organisers are calling for more community volunteers, or "citizen scientists," to help monitor this endangered local species.

Government Corner

City of Busselton Updates

• Rural Road Verge Maintenance Ongoing: Following a public notice issued on April 8th, City of Busselton crews are scheduled to continue maintenance work on the verges of many rural roads over the subsequent couple of months.

• Have Your Say on Development Applications: The City of Busselton actively uses its online 'YourSay Busselton' platform for community engagement, including public consultation on Development Applications (DAs).

• Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Initiative Active: The adoption of the Sunflower initiative, announced on March 27th, is an ongoing campaign by the City to foster a more inclusive environment for individuals with non-visible disabilities.

State Government Updates

• Fee-Free TAFE Program Continues: The Fee-Free TAFE initiative (announced April 8th) will improve access to vocational training, including courses offered at the South Regional TAFE campus in Busselton.

• Premier's Reading Challenge Launched: The Premier's Reading Challenge, launched on April 6th, encourages reading among school students across WA, including those in Busselton and Dunsborough schools.

• Preparations for Free Flu Vaccinations: The upcoming statewide campaign offering free flu vaccinations during May and June was announced on April 3rd, with planning underway.

• State Litter Reduction Grants and WasteSorted Awards Open: Applications are open statewide for community litter reduction project grants (Keep Australia Beautiful Council WA) and nominations for the WasteSorted Awards. Local groups in the Busselton and Dunsborough area may be interested in these opportunities.

• Environmental Health Monitoring Ongoing: Continuous monitoring for public health risks associated with the environment is standard practice, including vigilance regarding mosquito-borne diseases and potential harmful algal blooms, particularly in the Vasse-Wonnerup estuary. A statewide measles warning for travellers was also active, issued April 9th.

Thursday

25°C 🌡️ 15°C | ⛅️ | 10% Chance of Rain | 💨 S/SE 15-25 km/h

Friday

27°C 🌡️ 15°C | 🌤️ | 10% Chance of Rain | 💨 SE/SW 15-20 km/h

Saturday

24°C 🌡️ 15°C | 🌧️ | 50% Chance of Rain | 💨 S/SE 15-25 km/h

Sunday

23°C 🌡️ 14°C | 🌦️ | 60% Chance of Rain | 💨 SE 15-25 km/h

Connect With Us

If we have missed any events we should have included, or if you want to give us feedback, reply to this email and let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you!

-Editor