Spencer Village; How we love thee!

Ahhh, now on to one of my favourite things about Thornlie! Yep- you guessed it, the delicious, the thrifty, the aromatic...... Spencer Village!

Hands down, it must be one of the best places to eat in Perth. If you like your asian food- there is no finer dining hall than Spencer!

Located on Spencer Road opposite the Thornlie train station, it is an absolute gem for the culinary enthusiasts with no fear of the spicy eastern flavours! With fresh meals, lots of cheap dishes and variety to boot- you really cant go wrong! If the atmosphere is any indication, you will be buzzing from the excitement and the crowds of people out on a Thursday.

Tonight we started with the 'must have' pork buns from Fook Kee. At only $1.60 for the small or $4.00 for the large, they are an affordable and highly desirable treat! Unfortunately my picture was too late for the glory of the fresh fluffy warm bun, gorgeously cracking and fresh from the steamer. The sweet bread and the delicious pork filling make for an absolute delight! Whilst waiting for our buns, I stood with some chinese girls. We looked at eachother and laughed with excitement but never spoke a word!

The husband was recommended a chicken egg noodle soup from Miss Saigon (hands down my favourite stall, but I reserve the right to change my mind!) The dish comes either dry or with soup with optional chilli strength. I'm told the broth is 'the best in town' - so soup version it was tonight! At $9.50 its more than enough to fill a hungry man!

I got a little bit greedy and went for another share plate.... this one is a malayan curry sauce with roti from Izyan. They do a delicious selection of Malaysian Kosher dishes and while I was extremely tempted to go for the Nasi Lemak- I decided on something new!

 Ahh, now for my "new dish"... the Har Mee prawn noodle dish again from Izyan! While I was initially tempted by the coriander in the display pictures, I was mildly disappointed that there was none on the plate. But really- who's complaining? The first thing I noticed was that I could actually taste the noodles- thats a change from the overpowering sauces I've doused my noodles with at home. Delicious and fragrant with some fresh chopped chilli- I was not disappointed :)

When all plates are empty, and we were sipping the last of our iced tea, there wasn't much left to say. The smiles on our faces said it well enough.

We'll be back again soon- sooner than we know!

Forever 6108!

Thornlie Square; no ordinary shopping complex!

Today I'm looking into the history and development of the local shops, Thornlie Square.

Original Signage, 1970s

To us modern day Thornlie folk, its just another place to grab your milk and bread with a few novelty stores. Its an easy place ot grab some take away or pop into the IGA which is open until 11pm. There is a gym and a TAB not far away, a bottle shop, a newsagent, a patisserie and a chemist. Coles and IGA have all the grocery essentials and you can easily get a haircut or do your washing at the laundromat.

Frontage in the late 1990s-Early 2000s

I was very lucky to find some photos from 1972 on the State Library of WA's trove heritage database. The photos are retrieved from a brochure designed to advertise the new mall, which according to the City Of Gosnells 'History Of Suburb Names' document was the first air conditioned mall in the state!  

Back in the early 1970s, it was a new shopping development opened before Garden City. Women were excited about the prospects of fashion and textiles available in the suburbs.

Boutique Flair, 1972

With the Crestwood estate being at the forefront of contemporary resident friendly estate design in the 1970's, the two went hand in hand to give Thornlie a suave feeling of opulence. 

Childrens amusement ride 1970s

While the IGA and Coles have come a long way to modernise the shopping experience, there is still a small bakery, Goreys Butchers, the fruit and vegetable shop as well as asian grocers selling a huge range of imported groceries. This is a huge indication on the changing demographic of Thornlie and the multicultural suburb that it has become.

Grocery store(s) 1970s

There Thornlie Square is still very much a family friendly shopping complex with 'The Nearest Cafe', a skate park nearby and small stalls that pop up in the halls selling novelty items and crafts. Occasionally local artitsts and fundraisers will hold a stall for specified causes and it creates an atmosphere where you stop and browse rather than dash in for the shopping.

Thornlie Square 2010's

When you next pop down to pick up that pizza or a late night grocery run, spare a thought for the 40 year history of the "local shops" - seems they've been "the local" for the generations before us!

Forever 6108!

State Library of WA

http://innopac.slwa.wa.gov.au/record=b2418538#

City of Gosnells
www.gosnells.wa.gov.au/

Behind the Blog; Whats its all about?

I thought I'd write this week about.......me!

I wanted to share with you all why it is so important for me to write this blog. Afterall- don't we all have a suburb? Arent these just everyday topics?

Well yes in fact- they are! And thats the very reason I love to do it!

I bought my first home in Thornlie with my husband in August 2012. Like any first home buyers- this was a momentous occasion for us. Our own home!

But it was more than just a home that we bought that day. We bought a street, a set of neighbours, a community of people. We bought a culture, a local servo, a train station and a local park (or three!).

The past (nearly) 12 months has been such an amazing time, meeting people, trying the local restaurants and learning the quirks of our neighborhood! This is something we all experience every day of our lives... but how often do we stop and take it all in?

I have learned to be truelly grateful of the town I call home. I find inspiration from the beauty of the suburb, enjoyment and warmth from the people. I find myself being fascinated to see how the town has changed and how it continues to change!

Thornlie Square - Circa 1970s

Thornlie Square - Modern Day

This is what I hope to share with you.

I am not associated with any business or organisation. There is no commercial motive. I make no money from doing this, and do so only for the love of it.

What I'd like to do by writing this blog, is share with anyone and everyone, the wonderful things about the town of Thornlie. What makes it special- what makes it a unique and magical place to live. I'd like to share the culture and the people, the businesses and the history, so that we can all spend a few moments every now and then appreciating the place we call home.

So thats a little bit about me, and I'll be bringing you a little bit about Thornlie again very soon :)

Forever 6108!

Thornlie Real Estate; Whats the deal?

A quick look at reiwa.com.au or domain.com.au and you will notice that the housing prices in Thornlie aren’t as cheap as they used to be. Only 12 months ago my husband and I were looking to buy in the area and there were many offerings in the cheaper pricing range (under $400k) than there are today.

After buying our home, we found that many of our neighbors were long term Thornlie dwellers and we were so pleased with the presentation of houses in our area. This got me thinking – what is it about Thornlie that has so many people setting themselves up here for life?

I spoke to local real estate agent Nathan Frisina who has been selling homes in Thornlie and the surrounding suburbs for the past 10 years. I asked him why it is exactly that people are interested in buying in the area and why they seem to stay so long.

"Thornlie is an affordable suburb with good infrastructure, shops and parks and is only 18km from the city. It is one of Perth’s largest suburbs and offers a variety of homes from $330,000 - $700,000."

When I asked about the increase in home values, Nathan explained
"Properties in the Thornlie area have increased quite dramatically in the past 12 months. The main reason for the increase in house prices in is that first home buyers have flooded back into the market.

With high rental prices and low interest rates this has encouraged first time buyers to enter the market. The population growth in WA in the past couple of years is also starting to have a positive effect on

house prices."

This is great news for home owners in the area to know that our suburb is recognized for the value it offers. Thornlie is only 20 minutes from the City of Perth with easy access to Roe Hwy, has its own train station and loads of parks and river reserves for recreation.

I went out to photograph the following streetscapes to illustrate the different appearances in the estates. I found many homes were well presented and each estate had its own style. 

Range View Way, Thornlie. Homes here are circa 1950-1960. One of the first residential streets in the Thornlie Area.

Towncentre Drive, Forrest Lakes Estate Thornlie, established in the 1990s and still growing. There is a new development area with house and land packages being built....now!

The gorgeous private Crestwood Estate, Thornlie which was established in the 1970s. All homes back onto parklands that are maintained and managed by the estate. There is also a community pool and centre for use of residents.

Discovery Drive, Castle Glen Estate, Thornlie which was established in the 1980s.

Nathan had the following advice for people looking to buy into the area soon.

"With properties selling so quickly in the area I would recommend contacting some local agents and ask to be put on their mailing lists for newly listed properties as many homes are selling before hitting the internet."

We certainly feel lucky to have bought when we did, and while we have no intention of selling any time soon, it is encouraging to know that the area is valued for the diversity and services it offers. What cannot be captured in pictures is the lush greenery and the charm of the homes, each offering a different flavour of lifestyle. It honours the progression of the suburb and is almost a living history of the area. How lucky we are to live in such a special place!

Forever 6108!

Good Samaritans Stores; Thornlie and Gosnells

In my travels this week, I noticed that not only had the Thornlie Good Samaritan store in Thornlie Square closed down, but also the Cannington store on Albany Hwy.

Being a huge op shopping enthusiast, I was very surprised to see these two stores had closed down in the local area. When I asked a family member who is employed by GSI why this was, he made suggestion that it was due to the lack of community support making the stores no longer viable.

What a shame! We are all so familiar with the yellow and black logo, and of course the Sammy Seal mascot, but apparently there have not been sufficient sales to support the continuation of the stores in the Thornlie and Cannington locations. This seemed to be supported by comments in the 2011-2012 annual report which stated;

"GSI continued to experience major business challenges during the year with the general retail sector dealing with world-wide economic downturn."

GSI Annual Report 2011-2012

There is good news though fellow thrifty folks- the Gosnells store is magnificent and has a huge selection of clothing, furniture and homewares (located at 2288 Albany Hwy). There is parking behind the store and loads of interesting items to browse.

For those who do not know about the Canning Vale store- there is a small outlet run direct from the GSI warehouse on Bannister road that sells everything for one dollar! Yep you read that right- everything is $1. They even have half price days where all items are 50c.

Most stores are so affordable anyway, but this is a great place to drop in and get a bargain.

While everyone loves a bargain- its the work that goes on behind the scenes that really makes the Good Samaritans worthy of all of our support- providing employment opportunities for disabled and handicapped individuals, the free home collection for donations and maintaining the bins around our suburbs. 

There are some wonderful people that work hard to bring these opportunities to those less privileged in our community, so next time you pass a Sammy's store...why not poke your head in and have a look around? It may just make your day!

Forever 6108!

Good Samaritan Industries (UnitingCare)

Marron Life in the Canning River

This weekend I travelled to Manjimup and in my travels bought my husband some fresh local marron  as a special surprise. They are not cheap little guys! But they are healthy and plentiful in the region and specially farmed for their meat.

This got me thinking- what is living in the Canning River that runs through the Cannington, Thornlie and Riverton area all the way through Shelley to Mount Pleasant? Do we have marron up here?

Being a freshwater crayfish, they live in the streams and fresh water catchments in the southwest of WA, particularly Harvey through to Albany. The following map from the Aquaculture Council of WA shows the distribution in the south west region of WA and gives a good illustration of the distribution. You can see that although we have them in our Canning River, it is as a result of seeding or human intervention that has seen their population spread north to the metropolitan water catchments.

While their natural predators are native water rats (seen below) and birds, they are heavily sought after and often illegally fished by humans due to their meaty bodies and are considered a delicacy. I found the following image on PerthNow of a rakali or native water rat that was part of the population of rats in the northern suburb of Madeley. Weighing between 600g-800g you can imagine how they could take on a marron, claws and all!

PerthNow; Native Water Rats Captured in Lakes

In 2011 following rain that washed sewerage into the Canning River, there was great concern for the welfare of the marron and fish due to the contaminated waters. According to the linked ABC News story, Fisheries WA were trying to intervene to save the marron who were fleeing the waters they call home.

ABC News; River Warning 2011

This shows that we do indeed have marron living in the waters that pass through our town and they are very sensitive to the impact of human population of the surrounding areas.

A similar story from 2010 saw the Canning River contaminated with pollutants and oxygen demanding organic matter. In this case the marron fled the Canning River in hoards and were assisted to relocate to a nearby creek.

In My Community; Marron Flee Fall in Oxygen Levels 2010

There are severe restrictions on the fishing of marron to protect the populations. A license is required and there are minimum sizes that can be taken, limits on the volume per fishing trip, specific methods of fishing and many other guidelines that are enforced by Fisheries WA. Even when I bought them I was warned to keep the receipt as proof that  hadn't helped myself to them from the waters.

Recreational Fishing of Marron 2013- Dept of Fisheries WA

So while we may not see them, they are certainly there! Delicious as they may be, they are more than a meal and require a healthy environment to survive!

This has certainly made me think more about "what lies beneath". These charming little creatures battling not only their natural predators, but the impact of human settlement and the influence we have on the health of our rivers and waterways. So lets all be kind to the beautiful rivers we are blessed with!

Forever 6108!

Department of Fisheries WA
http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Species/Marron/Pages/default.aspx

Aquaculture Council WA
http://www.aquaculturecouncilwa.com/how-to-get-into-aquaculture/species/marron/marron

Thornlie Homestead Revisited ; Part 2

This week it was absolutely necessary to have a midweek blog on the new information I have found on the original Thornlie Homestead, the ruins of which are located in the Homestead Park on Glenbrook Road.

Digging a little deeper, I visited the Thornlie Library this evening to check out the "Thornlie Living History" collection. There are a range of A4 binded paper books with photocopied records of various historical topics relating to the history of Thornlie. They also have a range of "Oral History Interviews" which I did not get a chance to dig through on this visit, but will certainly be visiting again soon.

To bring some dimension to the photos from my Thornlie Homestead post, I managed to photocopy some images of the Thornlie Homestead from circa 1925. And what a magnificent homestead it was!

Pay close attention to the large trees to the right of the homestead in the following picture, and you will see the very same Olive Trees planted in 1837 and photographed in the June 16 blog.

http://thethornlieblog.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/heritage-listed-olea-eurpoaea-at.html

 At the time of this photograph, the Olea Europaea would have been over 80 years in the ground and well established trees.

Captain Thomas Bannister, the same Thomas Bannister who was credited with the plantation of the Glenbrook Rd Olive Trees, was the original owner of "Canning Location 17", and is believed to have been granted the land as an early settler.

There are comments throughout the documents which indicate the homestead had underground water tanks, chambers for the keeping of convicts who helped to shape the land and numerous outhouses that were built between the 1830s and 1920s. There is mention of chinese labourers clearing the land and various experimental farming ventures that were trialled on the river banks.

Below you will see a map from circa 1900s with the Lot numbers and occupiers of the land. 

Standing in the park today, it is difficult to imagine the building that was established there over 170 years ago. With a little more digging, here's hoping it wont be so difficult to imagine afterall!

Forever 6108!


Know Your Suburb Thornlie Leaflet
Yvonne henderson MLA Member for Thornlie
Sourced from Thornlie Living History Collection June 2013

Photographs of The Thornlie Homestead Circa 1925

Sourced from Thornlie Living History Collection June 2013

Thornlie Development Document

Hon G.P. Wild M.L.A; Minister for Water Supplies

DD 4th April 1963

Sourced from Thornlie Living History Collection June 2013

Heritage listed Olea Eurpoaea at Thornlie Community Centre

Today I visited the stunning heritage listed olea europaea located in front of the Community Centre at Homestead Park, Thornlie. There are 4 large trees which rain black olives over the ground and dominate the roadside afront the centre.

As the sun was setting, the ducks fed on the grass growth beneath the largest tree which stands alongside the entrance to the community centre car park.

The sun was glorious shining through the trees as it set, making beautiful photographic opportunities.

The trees were planted by Thomas Bannister in 1837 and plaques are mounted on the trees to celebrate this fact. Thomas Bannister was a pioneer and original settler of the area, with the Bannister family owning 'Canning Location 17' which is now part of the suburb of Thornlie.

The olives are native to the north of Iran and north of Iraq, south of the Caspian sea and are known to only grow to 8-15m in height. One look at the trees which are now an amazing 176 years old and it is clear that these trees represent the larger end of the scale.

With the community centre in the background, it is amazing to think of the changes to the surrounds that these trees have seen in their lifetime. The development of the suburb and the spectacular homes that line Glenbrook Road facing the river.

Accompanied by an interested and enthusiastic friend, we crushed the olives in our fingers to find the rich purple colours of the fruits. We tasted the olives which were bitter and tart - a silly assumption that they may taste like a store bought olive! Obviously they require processing in brine to determine them "table ready"!

Forever 6108!

History and Heritage Advisory Group Meeting February 2013
http://www.gosnells.wa.gov.au/files/e9c53136-7fdd-47b6-aa20-a16c009d7b21/Copy_of_Appendix_13_2_2A_26_February_2013.pdf?streamFile=true

Olea Europaea Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive

Young Thornlie Couple buy the "Gidge Gourmet Fudge" business!

Ohhhhh Fudge!

Local Thornlie couple Lucy Owen and Hugh Campbell have purchased "Gidge Gourmet Fudge" and joined the market rounds in Perth and the South West of WA.

I ran into the young couple at the Mundaring Markets this morning as they sampled their fudge to young and old and to my surprise, seemed to be one of the busier stalls.

I'm told they will be keeping the original business name despite the business being based in Perth's southern suburb of Thornlie. Some changes will be made to the flavor offerings and a large emphasis on the traditional fudge making methods.

"Production is definitely the heart and soul of the business. As any fudge chef will tell you, fudge can be tricky and is a labor of love!"

We laugh as Lucy tells me that Hugh, her partner in life and in business, is the critiquing sampler and rarely complains! While we talk, Hugh is busy chatting with customers and offering samples and appears to be very much in his element, welcoming the groups of people that stop by to taste and purchase.

Lucy tells me, "I'm really excited to play with flavour combinations. Culinary Lavender is on my 'to try' list of ingredients."

Salted caramel, Maple and Walnut and Rum & Raisin are also mentioned as well as some truffle infusions specially made for the Manjimup 'Truffle Kerfuffle' that they will be participating in later in June 2013.

 I tried the Vanilla Bean and Double Choc and I was so surprised by the soft and smooth texture.

The standout for me though was the "traditional" fudge (or Ugly Fudge as I've come to think of it!)
Yes - those are teeth marks in my block of traditional! There is something gorgeous and simple about the caramelised buttery flavour. It is crumbly and sweet and reminds me of fudge I ate when I was a child.

The Lemon flavour tastes almost like a Sorbet and Lucy tells me they pick up their lemons from "whomever has a tree with some going!"

There is something warm and welcoming about the couple and their stall. Whether its the polka dots and bunting, the generous samples or the warmth that radiates from the owners.... it's hard to say.

Perhaps I'm just romanced by the sweet fudgey flavours! :)

Its great to see a young Thornlie couple bringing a smile to the faces of so many. Seems the 'good old fashioned way' of making fudge is still alive and well! 

Forever 6108!

Online @
www.gidgegourmetfudge.com.au/

On Facebook @
www.facebook.com/GidgeGourmetFudge?fref=ts

Truffle Kerfuffle
www.trufflekerfuffle.com.au/