Most Australians love the water and learn to swim at an early age. It probably has something to do with our warm climate. Schools normally have a swimming program to teach children.
In Perth today you have many places to swim, the ocean, pools both public and private and in the Swan River.
It wasn't always that way, in the 1870's people pointed out one thing lacking in Perth was a public bathing facility. It was said that due to our climate and population it would be healthier to bathe regularly.
The shallowness and muddiness of the River in front of town was seen
as the reason to establish bathing facilities further away.
Convenience ruled and to prevent the nude bathing and ‘larrikin’
behaviour that was taking place off the town jetties, at Mill Point
and the foot of Mt Eliza, a tin bathing shed adjoining an enclosure was
erected between the William and Barrack Street jetties in 1884.
The
facility did little to solve the problems.
Calls continued for decent bathing facilities in a less muddy part of
the River and in an area out of sight of those walking along the edge of
the River. Nude bathing continued to take place around the spits in
Melville and Perth Waters.
The Police Act 1892 (Western Australia) sought to deal with these problems. Section
104 prohibited bathing, except in proper costume, between 6am and 8pm in a
public place.
Despite prosecutions, the problems continued.
It was argued that if the River was to remain the chief attraction of
the city, a new bathing
facility was required and a Perth Bathing House
Fund was established in 1885 with government support. The new Baths,
eventually built at a cost of £2600 and then leased by the City Council,
were opened on 5 March 1898, by Mayor of Perth, Alexander Forrest. The ornate baths building was designed by G R
Johnson and built mostly of jarrah by C Nelson.
In an attempt to avoid the muddy river bottom, the baths were built
around 200 feet into the water, however, costs prevented a longer
recommended distance from the shore and mud and low water levels
remained a problem.
The foot of Mt Eliza had always been a popular swimming spot, but here
the muddy river bottom was not the only problem. When, in 1911, the site
was proposed as a possible area for a new baths building, opposition
was intense. It was argued that visitors
walking the terraces on Mt Eliza could look down on swimmers and those
dressing.
The Crawley Baths were opened on 7th February 1914. Known to be the largest enclosed body of water in the Southern Hemisphere, consisting of 106 dressing boxes, two pontoons, a number of spring diving boards and a moveable grand stand.
The Crawley Baths were demolished in 1964, after the Beatty Park swimming complex was built to
host the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Unfortunately this was before heritage legislation could offer
the Baths any protection.
A bronze statue named, "Eliza" was placed in the area on 15th October 2007 to remind us of the Crawley Baths. The statue, about 15 metres from the shoreline, is in a diving position on a wooden block.
A long time passed between the baths being demolished and the statue placed, many people did not know why Eliza was placed there. Next time you pass "Eliza" think of the Crawley Baths and know some more history!
What better way after a swim in the morning than to try my Muesli?
My Muesli
Ingredients:
2 cups of rolled oats
2 cups of milk
2 apples, cored and diced with the peel
2 tablespoons of honey
2 cups of plain yogurt
Half a cup of sultanas
Half a cup of sunflower seeds
Fresh berries or fruit like bananas or peaches
Instructions
Combine the rolled oats and sultanas in a bowl and mix.
Then, add the apple, milk, yoghurt, honey and mix well. Place into an air tight container and let sit overnight in the fridge.
In the morning, add the sunflower seeds and top with fresh fruits. If mixture is too thick, add a little more milk.
Most people have read a newspaper sometime in their life.
Growing up we had ours delivered by the local paper man. He drove around in the dark early hours of the morning and threw it on our lawn, often missing and ending up in the middle of the rose garden - not easy to retrieve!
The main paper today is "The West Australian".
The West Australian Newspapers was founded on the 5th January 1833. Owned and edited by Perth Postmaster Charles Macfaull, it was originally a four page weekly paper published on Saturday, changing to Friday in 1864. At the time it was known as "The Perth Gazette and West Australian Journal"
Charles Macfaull was an early settler in the Swan River Colony renamed Western Australia. Macfaull arrived in 1830 and is credited with having planted the Colony's first vineyard, using vines brought from the Cape of Good Hope.
Charles Macfaull died in December 1846 and was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, who took the ongoing role of publishing the paper.
The original printing press was a tiny Ruthven press and is currently housed in the Fremantle Museum, Western Australia.
In 1864 the paper was renamed "The Perth Gazette and published by Arthur Shelton.
In 1874 it was bought by a syndicate who renamed it "The West Australian Times" Changes came with new owners and there were two editions weekly.
On November 18th 1879 the paper was renamed "The West Australian" October 1883 saw it increase to three editions a week, before becoming a daily newspaper in 1885.
Today, I still love to read the paper, especially on the weekend with a cup of tea in hand! The newspaper has changed over the years. One of my favourite sections is where I find recipes and get ideas!
Think about the newspaper you read next time, who started it and all the headlines it has had over the years..........
This recipe is from a newspaper I read on my travels a few years ago. It has been changed to my taste.
Greek Yoghurt Roast Lamb
Ingredients
1 leg of Lamb (about 2kg) deboned and butterflied
2 cups of Greek yoghurt
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
45mls of extra virgin olive oil
2 fresh lemons, quartered (Preserved lemons can be used)
3 teaspoons of cumin seeds, ground
3 teaspoons of caraway seeds, ground
3 teaspoons of coriander seeds, ground
Half a teaspoon of chilli powder
Cracked black pepper and sea salt
Method
Combine the spices, except the black pepper.
Reserve
approximately one teaspoon of the mix, combine with 2 cloves of crushed garlic and add to 1 cup of the yoghurt and refrigerate for
serving separately.
Add the remaining spice mix to one cup of yoghurt and stir in 4 cloves of crushed garlic, a little salt, olive oil and lemon juice.
Lay the lamb in an oiled baking dish.
Rub the yoghurt spice mixture all over the lamb on both sides and allow to marinate.
Sprinkle with black pepper. This preparation can be done around
10 hours ahead of time and refrigerated.
Roast the lamb in a preheated moderate oven for around one and a half hours.
Remove lamb from oven, cover and rest for 10 minutes while you sauté the lemon quarters or preserved lemon for a few minutes in a frying pan.
Serve with the lemon and reserved yoghurt sauce. I suggest roast potatoes and a nice green salad on the side.
Enjoy!
