Tracking Onslow: a community in transition. edition 5, October 2014

Authors

Jess Allia, Edith Cowan University
Taylor Brett, Edith Cowan University
Karma Barndon, Edith Cowan University
Kayt Davies, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Aubin Hay, Edith Cowan University
Amber Johnston, Edith Cowan University
Kaylah Lloyd, Edith Cowan University
Amber Montgomery, Edith Cowan University
Tiffany Nash, Edith Cowan University
Drew Norrish, Edith Cowan University
Claire Ottaviano, Edith Cowan University
Tanya Phillips, Edith Cowan University
Kat Powell, Edith Cowan University
Briana Shepherd, Edith Cowan University

Document Type

Newsletter

Editor(s)

Dr Kayt Davies, Deputy Editor Karma Barndon

Abstract

This is the fifth edition of Tracking Onslow and the first that is not the result of a visit to the town. In June 2014 we were told that the Shire would not be funding the flights, accommodation or printing for the edition and so the ECU crew looked for other ways to continue documenting the impact of Wheatstone and Macedon on Onslow.

Fortunately, our previous visits in July 2012, February 2013, July 2013 and February 2014 had filled our contact books with names and numbers and clued us in to issues that needed to be followed up.

After a phone around for updates it was clear that this is not the time to be letting go of the process of documenting the challenges facing the Onslow community.

We are very grateful to teacher James Trimble and his students, Amber and Taylor, for helping with the In Your Words section. We’d also like to thank everyone who spoke to us by phone and sent us images.

We heard that there were concerns expressed earlier in the year about an image of the Anzac Memorial on our last cover and we would like to clarify that we did nothing to encourage the children to climb on it. We saw them there and snapped the picture. The photo is a true representation of something that happens in Onslow, and as such we reported it.

One of the key functions of journalism is operating as a ‘town square’, where the opinions of different members of the community are aired. In this way a publication can help facilitate debate and understanding between different groups. We know that not everyone in Onslow agrees with each other, but we seek to allow everyone a space to speak through our pages.

Sometimes opinions are based on misunderstood facts and so some of the things people say may not be true. We can’t vouch for the truth of what the people we spoke to said, but we have faithfully recorded it so that this edition is a true record of what was being said in and about Onslow in mid-late 2014.

We hope you enjoy reading it.