INSPIRE NEWSCAST

I’ve started 2026 slowly in terms of posting videos because I have been spending time following a unique community project. When Helen Bolton benefitted from her father’s estate and decided to find a pop-up piano for Albany, she started a process that has incorporated the whole community.

I have followed the steps of restoring the piano, starting at Albany Men’s Shed, where the piano was stripped down and sanded. It was here that I met the original donor of the piano, which was more than 100 years old and destined for the scrap heap. Peter Bailey took the piano home and repaired it in preparation for its restoration.

I loved following the piano to the Kadadjiny Aboriginal Corporation, where a team of young artists, under the direction of talented Denmark artist, Sara Coyne, designed and painted their musical canvas. They carefully designed each panel, reflecting the places where the piano would eventually visit: The Gap, Albany’s Historic Whaling Station, and the Town Square. Later in the year it will also appear at the National Anzac Memorial and at Middleton Beach.

Once the artwork was completed, Kinjarling Keys was transported to the Gap in Torndirrup National Park, where local artist Adam Cook made it sing. Then it was on to Albany’s Historic Whaling Station, where another local musician, Adrian Kenyon, entertained onlookers. Finally, it moved to Albany’s town square which will be its home for Albany’s Bicentennial Year, 2026.

It was a privilege to follow this journey and to be a part of a truly interactive project, that will make an ongoing contribution to the Albany community.

It’s Christmas and in Albany, Western Australia, we’ve just held our 39th annual Toy Run for the Salvation Army. About 300 motorbikes of all sizes and shapes participated. I think it is beautiful to see so many people coming together to make a gift for those who are less fortunate than ourselves. This is what Christmas is all about.

Enjoy this short video about Albany’s toy run.

Robyn and I moved to Albany just over a year ago. Retirement is an opportunity to find new places, meet new people and dream new dreams, and that was our plan. One of my dreams was to make videos that would tell stories about inspiring people, so just a year ago, I started this project, producing a 5-minute video each fortnight.

It hasn’t been hard to find people with fascinating stories to tell, and it’s been a thrill to meet new people, listen to their stories, and create videos that make those stories more accessible. I’ve been posting them on YouTube and using local social media groups to drive people to my sites. I may add that this hasn’t been the easiest, but I keep trying.

One of the things that drives me is the belief that there is good in everyone, and we all have stories to tell about life and the experiences that have shaped us over the years. So when I meet someone I haven’t met before, I am excited to hear their story and to find unique ways of sharing their stories with others. I love making videos, and I am slowly developing new skills to help me become a better storyteller through this medium.

I trust you will also enjoy these stories. Thank you for watching and listening. Please share them with your friends, and make sure you subscribe to this page, as well as to my YouTube channel.

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Comfort food for theatre-goers. That’s how Albany playwright Aaron Murray describes his new play, “A Composite Arrangement”. It’s Aaron’s first play and it was made specifically for Albany’s amateur theatre group at its unique home nestled beneath one of Albany historic landmarks.

Spectrum Theatre is a tiny theatre that oozes character and is just the place to watch this new play based in a hotel room in Mykonos. Aaron co-directs the play with Maddison Sharpe and together they have come up with something that really is comfort food for theatre-goers.

There is something about amateur theatre that provides opportunities for sparks of talent to ignite, and it was this spark that got Andrew, a teacher, into writing his own play. If his first play is anything to go by, we can expect some more brilliant comfort food coming out of Spectrum Theatre in future.

This site is called “Inspire Newscast” because it’s my goal to inspire people with great stories about diverse individuals in various situations. This was an inspiration to me and I’m sure it will inspire anyone who takes the time to watch it right through.

I normally go for five minutes, but this one demanded extra time, so it went for 10 minutes. Albany Children’s Theatre provides an opportunity once a year to put on a major theatre presentation and this year more than 100 children participated.

Early on, I decided to follow three young people through the process of rehearsals and was delighted that the Theatre agreed to let me do this and nominated three young people to participate. We can hear from them and, at the same time, observe the whole cast in rehearsal.

It is inspiring to watch young people trying something new and working together to produce something that brings the whole community together. I thoroughly enjoyed making this video and trust that you too, will be inspired by Albany Children’s Theatre.

In my last post I talked about the song that was the catalyst for the beginning of The Albany Shantymen. This time I share a video interview with two of the members of the Albany Shantymen. And hearing their point of view is worthwhile.

In a casual conversation you can hear two men talk about how they got involved with the Albany Shantymen and what it means for them to be part of this group. One of the group describes Albany Shantymen as being like a Mens Shed for blokes who don’t like woodwork. It emphasises the importance of men finding a place where they can belong and build resilience.

Join me as we explore more about the Albany Shantymen.

I love it when a story comes full circle in the telling. Back in the late 70’s I interviewed a West Australian band, The Settlers in my role as a reporter with the Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper. The boys asked me to take some photos of the group for their upcoming album, “Bound for Western Australia” so I drove them out to an old hotel north of Kalgoorlie where we did a photo shoot.

Forty-six years later I interviewed a member of the The Settlers, Alan Ferguson about a song he wrote that became the first track on their album. “Bound for Western Austalia” was specifically produced for the 150th anniversary of Western Australia and achieved acclaim for its popularity.

Alan’s song, Albany Emigrants, became the catalyst for the birth of an Albany shanty group, the Albany Shantymen and their success led to the establishment of a strong following of shanty songs around Western Australia.

This video is part one of a two-part series about the Albany Shantymen. Enjoy.

Art speaks to people in many different ways, and our purpose as artists varies from person to person. Abigail Parker took up painting later in life, but she is driven by purpose. Abigail, better known in Albany as Abigail’s EcoArt, has a passion to paint to protect.

When Abigail began painting, she investigated local wildlife and birds and realised that they were slowly disappearing. Now her passion leads her to paint a message about the importance of protecting our wildlife.

She has developed an ecosystem around her home, which means she is surrounded by birds, possums and other wildlife, which helps to keep her grounded. But inside her studio, Abigail’s paintings tell a story of nature’s beauty as well as its vulnerability.

This video captures Abigail’s gentle nature as she shares her story and her passion to protect.

Homelessness is a growing problem in Australia and it is always good to recognise those groups that are seeking to address the issue.

My video this week provides a voice to a man who has found hope in Shalom House in Albany. Shalom Inc is a locally-based Chrstian not-for-profit organisation that offers accommodation for men who are at risk of homelessness.

Brian Pearce takes us for a walk around Shalom House and proudly talks about the way the house has been a lifesaver for him, and many other men who find themselves without a roof over their head.