1 The Golden Whistler

Official Newsletter of the Rottnest Voluntary Guides Association

JUNE 2021 Noongar Season Makuru Number 368

...FROM THE PRESIDENT… that “the Lighthouse works will not be completed until end of August”

COMING UP… TUESDAY JUNE 22 First Aid Session Cambridge Bowling Club 9am-1pm THURSDAY JUNE 24 One Day Ecological/Geological Training Excursion SUNDAY JUNE 27 First Aid Session Cambridge Bowling Club 1pm-5pm TUESDAY JUNE 29 7.30pm General Meeting -Cultural Heritage on Wadjemup TUESDAY JULY 27 7. 30PM

BIRDS OF ROTTNEST 13 Graduation & Awards Night Sacred Kingfisher TUESDAY AUGUST 31 (Photo by Coleen Minson) 7.30PM Annual General Meeting BIRDS OF ROTTNEST 13— SACRED KINGFISHER (Photo by Pam Ghirardi)

2 ROTTNEST VOLUNTARY GUIDES ASSOCIATION INC. COMMITTEE AND SUBSIDIARY OFFICE HOLDERS 2020/21

POSITION OFFICE BEARER EMAIL PHONE President Ellis Griffiths [email protected] 0488 551 419 Vice-President Neil Young [email protected] 0428 918 766 Secretary Glenn Rondoni [email protected] 0418 719 771 Treasurer/Membership Andrew Minto [email protected] 0415 852 333 Environment & Sustainability Ian Le Provost [email protected] 0418 997 759 Heritage Ian Maitland [email protected] 0408 855 003 Maintaining Excellence Tony Burgoyne [email protected] 0405 923 043 Meetings & Social Events Bill Robertson [email protected] 0400 505 460 Tours Carolyn Reeve [email protected] 0401 672 287 Training Mike Godrich [email protected] 0402 231 621 Visitor Experience Fiona Hayes [email protected] 0422 087 107

Subsidiary Office Holders

Archives Rottnest Lesley Silvester [email protected] 0451 069 376

Caretaking Megan Kneale [email protected] 0450 694 377

Facebook Helen Gray [email protected] 0411 116 559

Holiday Guiding Peter Blunt [email protected] 0411 656 011

Instagram Lesley Gasmier [email protected] 0432 432 812

Newsletter Rob Stirling [email protected] 0409 092 653

Property & Equipment Ian Maitland [email protected] 0408 855 003

Rosters/B419 Bookings Vern Wilson [email protected] 0419 959 890

Social Media Fiona Hayes [email protected] 0422 087 107

Special Requests Alan Hahn [email protected] 9317 7127

Statistics Robert Mitchell [email protected] 9296 8760

Uniforms Ross Haimes [email protected] 9453 9005

Webmaster Yvonne Smellie [email protected] 0418 611 776

POSTAL ADDRESS: Mail Box, Staff Office, Rottnest Island WA 6161 HUB TELEPHONE: 0436 862 080 Email: [email protected] Website: www.rvga.asn.au 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT……

Greetings! As I write this, winter has hit with a vengeance and we are experiencing our first ferry disruptions. The Duty Guide for yesterday told me that WE and WW were “conducted” from the Dome Café which was understandable although apparently a few visitors braved some of our Settlement Tours. As always our team was resilient and resourceful. The training for this year has been successfully completed and many of you would have noticed many trainees on the island doing familiarisations (at their own expense), assisted tours and assessed tours. At the current rate of completion we are confident that approximately 30 trainees will have finished the process in time to be included on the August Roster. Many thanks to Mike and his team and to all Guides who have been part of the process on Rottnest. Ian Maitland managed our move to the Executive Building seamlessly and we thank him for his diligence and timeliness. We have had some positive feedback about the space and several Guides have suggested a long term arrangement would be more that satisfactory. Unfortunately, that is not an option as the RIA has other plans for the space. Neil Young has previously circulated details of a new system for obtaining a driving permit. Please ensure you complete this by June 30 – it is an amazingly simple exercise. Communication with Guides is an important and often urgent requirement. We use several methods the websites, what we call bulk emails which are sent out to all Guides (don’t be confused by the personal salutation), smaller group emails to relevant Guides and the Golden Whistler which is published monthly. In the near future we are going to add another feature on the Members Website called Breaking News which will contain the most recent bulk email sent to all Guides. This will provide a more accessible source for that news that you know you read somewhere e.g. the email about Lighthouse Guides not required for June and July. More details soon. In times of change and uncertainty it has been difficult to focus on the future and therefore we haven’t progressed our new strategic plan as quickly as we had hoped. Although we have a draft Guides are still welcome to forward ideas and suggestions. The next step is a session with members of the RIA Executive Team and hopefully one or two Board members. This is crucial to ensure a sympathetic strategic alignment with the Authority’s vision and aspirations. This will happen in the next month or so. Similarly in order for us to be briefed on the complexities of the Board’s reconciliation programme there will be a presentation by representatives of the RIA led by Harry Golding on Cultural Heritage on Wadjemup. This will be at our next General Meeting at 7 30pm on Tuesday June 29 at Dalkeith. Don’t forget your nominations for our various awards and for Committee positions starting in September. Thank you for all your efforts across many roles in our fantastic organisation. Ellis Griffiths-President

HEY GUIDES…. ‘The Rottnest Island Authority will be completing refurbishments to Lomas Cottage and The Pilot Boathouse in the 2021/22 FY. They would love to hear if you have any feedback for minor improvements or upgrades which will enhance the visitors experience to learn and reflect on the diverse history of Rottnest Island. Please contact A/ Heritage Office Kaija at [email protected].’

4 COMMITTEE UPDATE-JUNE NOMINATIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE At our recent June Committee meeting we looked at the likely vacancies for the 2021/2022 Guiding year. If anyone would like to nominate for any vacancies they need to download the nomination form available on the website and have it signed by another guide. The completed form then has to be received by the secretary no later than 21 days before the Annual General Meeting which this year is scheduled for August the 31st at 7:30pm. The form can be posted, emailed or handed to the secretary in person. The committee meets once a month on the first Thursday. NOMINATIONS FOR THE RIA OR PATRON’S AWARDS. Nominations for the RIA Award and Patron’s Award can now also be forwarded to the secretary for consideration by the Committee. These prestigious awards are made available each year to guides nominated by fellow guides. The RIA Award is awarded to a guide who give a considerable amount of time and commitment to the association above and beyond their usual duties. In doing so they will have raised the profile of the Association, guides and Rottnest Island. The Patron’s Award is awarded for outstanding service over and beyond normal guide duties. Nominations for both of these awards need to be submitted to the secretary by email or mail by the 30th of June so they can be considered at the July committee meeting. Successful nominations will be announced at the Graduation and Awards night to be held this year on the last Tuesday in July [27th of July] at 7:30pm. NOMINATIONS FOR LIFE MEMBERSHIP. This is awarded to a guide for outstanding long lasting contributions to our organisation above and beyond normal guiding duties. The nomination can only be for a guide who has had at least 10 years of guiding. Please refer to the website for the criteria if you are considering nominating someone. Nominations have to be with the secretary by the 30th of June for consideration by the committee at the July committee meeting. A recommendation from the committee will then be taken to the AGM for consideration by the members. Please contact any member of the committee if you would like to enquire about Committee nominations or nominations for any of our awards. Other items discussed at the Committee meeting included:  Approval has been given for a new electric bike subject to storage arrangements.  The committee is currently looking at options to buy a new 6 seater electric buggy.  New laptops and reconditioning of others is to be undertaken.  The new arrangement to meet with Jason Banks the RIA Executive Director regularly is proving to be beneficial for our President and Vice President to point out and submit items of interest from our Association.  The Lane Coffee shop donated $1000 to our Association due to the cancellation of the ANZAC event on the island earlier in the year.  The number of guides who have undertaken or will undertake the Environmental or First Aid professional learning has exceeded the expectations of the MEX committee. Well done everyone who has taken an interest in these offerings.  Please remember to start collecting your SDP points for submission at the end of June.  Could guides forward their annual dues by the end of June? The amount is $40.00 for active guides and $30.00 for Associates. This is the same as was charged for the previous year.  Guides who have assisted with Tour assessments for our 2021 trainees are to be congratulated for their enthusiasm and wisdom!  Thank you to Ian Maitland and the team of guides who assisted him with the move from the Hub. The new premises has been made cosy and practical for the daily guiding teams.  A great deal of planning for the 2022 intake of 30 trainees has already been undertaken by Mike and his sub-committee including considerable savings on the weekend stays at Rottnest.

Glenn Rondoni—([email protected])

5 Treasurers Notes: Fellow guides, it is that time again! It is my duty to inform y'all that the end of one financial year (2020-2021) is again upon us and another (2021-2022) is about to begin! With this change comes my reminder that RVGA Membership subscriptions are due on July 1, 2021. This year subscriptions shall remain at $40 for Full Members and Trainees, and $30 for Associate Members. The preferred method of payment is by bank transfer! Complete payment details can be viewed on the accompanying renewal application on page 14. Those members who need to update their contact details from last year should renew using the paper application form. Should a renewing member have no details to update then an email to that effect should be sent to the Treasurer. By whatever method subscriptions are paid there is now the implicit condition that renewers shall comply with the updated RVGA Code of Conduct. On the renewal form, the statement "Please note with payment of the annual membership the payor agrees to abide by the RVGA code of conduct." can be read. I thank you for your continued service to the RVGA, to Rottnest, and trust that 2021-2022 shall be oh! so much better than 2020-2021! The Treasurer

A BIG THANK YOU to the reliable group that catered and assisted with the provision of suppers for Training. Tuesday nights from early Feb to early May the Trainees and Mentors had wonderful support from this group. The photo of Anne Taylor, Kath Boylen, Melinda Mosenthal, Arlette Coenen, Sue Swain, Philly McLean, Sue Sheppard and yours truly was taken by Lesley Gasmier who organised our lunch at the UWA Club. Unfortunately Yvonne Smellie, Tina Hollis, Margaret Smythe, Megan Kneale, Liz Beveridge, Gail Jenkins and Rose Chaney were not with us. Apologies to anyone I’ve missed. HELP NEEDED FOR GRADUATION!! Graduation will be at the July Meeting Tuesday 27th and will be very well attended so help is needed with the provision of food for supper. If you are able to help us with this on the night, please let me know at [email protected] or 0439 448 633. Attendees at our meetings enjoy the suppers provided as well as the chance to mingle with their fellow guides and we support this. If you are able to help at any of the other meetings, it is always handy for us to know.

YOU’RE WELCOME TO JOIN US...... (Sue Lawrence) 6 WA CONSORTIUM SELECTED TO REDEVELOP ROTTNEST ISLAND’S LODGE SITE A Perth-based consortium has been selected as the preferred proponent to redevelop Rottnest Island's Lodge site. The $40 million proposal from Place Development Australia, GPA Pty Ltd and Sirona Capital includes 94 rooms, a day spa, restaurant, kiosk, beach lounge, coffee shop, bar, new pool and onsite staff accommodation. The selection of a preferred proponent to redevelop the Lodge follows the opening of Discovery Rottnest in 2019 and Samphire Rottnest in 2020. Designed by Fremantle architects Spaceagency, the development will consist of a combination of new buildings to integrate with the natural environment, plus extensive upgrades to existing buildings including the Lakeside Villas and accommodation within the former Boys Reformatory. A series of landscaped gardens will also be created to enhance the area's open spaces and provide a public gathering area. The proposed design will be advertised for public comment prior to final consideration by the Rottnest Island Authority (RIA).

Proposed new composition of the Rottnest Island Lodge site viewed from Garden Lake. The design includes 35 new accommodation rooms, guest pool area and refurbished Lakeside Villas. (Illustration by Mike Edwards)

DREAMTIME STORIES BENEATH THE ROTTNEST NIGHT SKY

As part of an increasing program of Aboriginal cultural events on Rottnest Island, national award- winning Noongar guide Walter McGuire has been presenting a series of Dreamtime stories beneath the backdrop of the beautiful Wadjemup night sky.

'Djindoon Djenung at Wadjemup', Noongar for 'look to the stars', began in May and encompasses Dreamtime stories that tell of the moon, the stars and the heavens. The event starts with a Welcome to Country including a Welcome statement in Noongar and traditional song sung to the 'kylie' (singing boomerangs). This is followed by a traditional Sand or Water Ceremony at the ocean's edge to honour and pay respect to the Noongar ancestors before the storytelling begins.

Walter, of Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours and Experiences, then guides participants on their exploration of the night sky. The event concludes with a smoking ceremony using native South- West ingredients to bring blessings, healing and connection to the land and each other.

The final 'Djindoon Djenung at Wadjemup' event will take place on July 2. To ensure a COVID Safe event, tickets must be booked as capacity is limited. Bookings can be made at Walter McGuire of Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours http://www.rottnestisland.com and Experiences.

Carlo Vittiglia-Communications & Media Manager RIA 7

FROM THE CHAPMAN ARCHIVE—Lesley Silvester Since the last GW we have been busy adding more items to the Chapman Archive. These include some plans of the settlement and 300 mostly military photos via Robert Mitchell. Mike Murray prepared these for uploading and says that due to space constraints it was necessary to upload these at low resolutions, but they are still great photos. As well, we have added some information about a well known woman of Rottnest. She was known as Ma Keough, the Queen of Rottnest. This came from ex-Guide Keith Eddington, who many of you will have known. He donated a lot of his old notes and a collection of papers from his guiding days that have added a number of items to the archive. If guides know any other stories about “Ma” please contact me. We have received 3 boxes of books from RIA for the RVGA library. They were donated by another ex- Guide, Annie Ilett. We already have one or more copies of some of these books. In the near future I will take them to a general meeting where they will be for sale. I know there has been a few glitches for some of you in accessing the digital archive. These have been easily rectified for Guides who have brought them to the attention of myself or the IT team. If anyone has been unable to logon or has other problems please get in touch with me…….. [email protected] I f you are on duty on any day I am on the island, I w ill find some time to show you on the Hub computer.

SEA HARES—John Haddon During a beautiful winters day at Fairbridge Bluff, half way through this year’s first ecology geology workshop, one of the Guides found a large slimy blob on the beach. This blob was actually a sea hare that had been washed up. These are very common around Rottnest, often seen washed up or in the shallows grazing on seaweed and seagrass. In late spring juveniles are often seen in large numbers in the shallows, about 60mm long looking like bits of seaweed on the bottom. Like many molluscs, they grow rapidly to around 200mm and are found all around Australia. Locally, they are usually dark green or brown/black as they take up the pigments from the algae they eat. This also makes them hard to spot. They are part of the Gastropod family which include snails and slugs, so sea hares are a sea slug but have a modified internal shell. They have very few predators due to their toxic slimy skin and produce a purple dye when threatened They get their name from the two large ear like appendages (tentacles) on their head and they also have two large “wings” along their body allowing them to Image credit: Jennifer Ennion swim when necessary, although this is not their preferred method of locomotion. www.australiangeographic.com.au/ Like other snails, they are hermaphrodites and can be seen during breeding topics/science-environment/) time forming head to tail lines containing numerous adults, then dying soon after laying eggs. They are not dangerous to touch but the slime can be toxic and can irritate eyes so washing hands after handling is important. Fun Facts The animal group of Molluscs (shells) have three common classes:- gastropods – snails; bivalves – 2 shells; cephalopods – octopus, cuttlefish; but includes many other classes of shells. Often sea cucumbers are referred to as sea slugs but the long tubular sea cucumbers are actually part of the star fish (echinoderm) family. (more on them another time) Although eaten is some parts of the world they have a toxic slime and are particularly toxic to dogs.

Swimming sea hare (https:// Grazing sea hare (https://www.flickr.com) www.greatlakesadvocate.com.au/story/3933720/water- wonders-wander-our-way-photos-and-video/) 8 PRINCIPLES OF GUIDING: REFLECTIONS—Coosje Griffiths Think of some of the most memorable guided tours you have been on and consider what made them such a positive experience. A combination of reading, experience, discussions with and observations of other guides and a facilitator’s network think tank, here are some elements for reflection. It is not a checklist, it is more for contemplation and to stimulate discussion. Presentation style  Be yourself and authentic- develop your own style  Be optimistic, curious, quietly confident, interesting and use changes of tone  Make eye contact, use hand gestures and find ways to include everyone  Tap into the emotions with humour, stories of bravery, love, tragedy, hope and perseverance  Provide a strong introduction and ending  Allow for silences – don’t over-talk  Be tactful and diplomatic– allow for a range of sensitivities in the group  Build on your own experiences, acknowledge many other perspectives  Understand and respect diversity - other traditions and cultures Building a rapport/relationship with the group  Get there early to welcome people, get to know (at least some) names, introduce people to each other as they arrive  Create a positive anticipation about the tour being worthwhile – e.g. suggest that they have made a great choice  Set safety guidelines, physical limitations and boundaries

Drury Heath taking his

role play as John Lomas, ex-convict and ‘Imperial

Pauper’, to the next

level of authenticity for the benefit of the 2021

trainees

Showing an interest in your group  Where are you from?  Who has been here before? How long will you be on the island for?  Is this your first tour? Are you thinking of doing another tour?

Modifying the tour to respond to age, interests and experience of the group  What made you think of coming on this tour?  Is there something you specifically wanted to find out?  Engage the children in fun ways – (e.g. “imagine… no planes … phones, how would they have travelled … communicated?”)  Innovate… involve visitor in imagining or role playing characters

Awareness of culture, diversity, different values & understandings  Within the tour content: acknowledgement of country; different power structures in the telling of history (e.g. role and life of women and children)  Within the tour group: consider cultural differences; use ways to overcome language barriers (articulate clearly, use gestures/ visual aids)

(continued next page) 9

Mike Godrich encouraging reflection and feedback on RVGA tours with the 2021 trainees outside the Museum at the end of the second training weekend on Rottnest Island

Asking questions to involve the group (who, why, what, when)  Who has ever seen one of these before?  Why do you think the walls are this colour?  How do you imagine this came about?  When do you think was the Swan River Colony settled?  Can anyone guess what this is? Tying into other experiences of the group  When you were on the X tour, did you hear about X?  If you are from WA you’ll probably know about CY O’Connor… If you have an ‘expert’ in the group  Involve them in providing some back-up information (without taking over)  Suggest you can talk later if they have a lot of technical questions

Keeping the information current and accurate  Do some reading before the tour – add an interesting new idea/fact  It was recently reported in the news that…  There are plans to… Making it a memorable experience  Find ways to bring the interpretation to life  Help visitors take a great photo, notice a magical moment to capture, to be kept as a future memory.  Use of a mnemonic device to remember information (e.g. 3 MM’s for Quokka classification: Mammal, Marsupial, Macropod)  Use a memorable metaphor, theme, story and/or visual aid to your tour

Mnemonic or memory device for Quokkas

The 3MMS Mammal: warm-blooded vertebrate, fur, fe- males that secrete milk for young, birth of live young. Marsupial: mammals born incompletely devel- oped, carried and suckled in a pouch Macropod (‘big footed’)

Setonix brachyurus: ‘bristle-footed short-tail’

(continued next page) 10

Getting feedback  What did you enjoy most about this tour?  What is one thing you found most interesting during the tour?  In a year’s time, what might you remember from this tour?  What would be one take-away message be from this tour? This feedback is useful for reflecting on the tour and considering any changes for future tours. The feedback is also a great opportunity to savour the positive experience you’ve just had with a group of visitors and be reminded about how everyone experiences the same tour differently.

Finally, for participants to have a balanced experience, consider Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory that all humans need a sense of: Safety (Survival); Belonging (Loved); Achievement (Learning); Choice (Participation); and Fun (Enjoyment). We aim for visitors to feel safe; feel connected; better understand the environment, culture & history; engage in the tour; and have a fun and memorable experience. In the end, things often don’t go as planned. It’s an unknown quantity. “Being a guide isn’t easy – a tour guide needs to be a teacher, psychologist, actor, story teller, even a shepherd – getting a disparate group... to follow you ... while holding their interest and telling them a story... it’s like herding cats.” (Reference: How to be an award winning tour guide by Jeremy Perks & Jan Barrie of Global Gypsies PTY Ltd 2015)

WHAT’S HAPPENED TO ME?

Let’s become Rotto guides my lovely wife said to me Sure, I love Rotto – how hard could it be First a meeting, then an interview – mmm I didn’t expect this Then an email from Mike, YIPPEE! I’m a guide – pure bliss

But wait there’s more – I have to do training? Once a week for 4 months! Was my interest waning? I don't read books and I like to relax by the pool or go for a walk But now its blood, sweat and tears creating my bloody 3 minute talk!

So what do I know now that I didn’t know before? Well, there’s the Thomsons who were one of the first on the shore Then there’s Henry Vincent, Armstrong, Back, Watson and Henri Courderout And all the beautiful buildings built by the prisoners such a long time ago

There are lots of wrecks around the rocky coast to be found There’s the Denton Holme, the Mira Flores and the City of York that all ran aground Then there are salt lakes, 12 in all to be seen There’s even a pink one thanks to beta-carotene

There are tea trees, tamala, meromictic and algal polygons Macropods, samphire and the Quod, which is actually an octagon There’s ospreys, swallows, golden whistlers and the Australian shelduck Stints, terns, ravens, gulls – there’s so much to remember, Holy ….!

H1 is a big gun on top of Oliver Hill If someone asks me how it works, I know I’ll feel like a dill Out the west there’s a whole bunch of seals to be seen And in the middle there’s even an old lighthouse, although I’ve never been

And so, I know all this because of our wonderful trainers Who’ve guided me each week and they've even been entertainers 6 great days at Rotto and 12 fantastic Tuesday nights If you need to know any more – you’ll find it on the website!

John McGowan (2021 Trainee) 11 We’re thinking of you’ – the moving gesture on Freo’s 2021 Indigenous jumper When designing Fremantle’s 2021 Indigenous jumper, wanted to THE GUIDES MOVE OFFICE do more than highlight his Indigenous heritage. On May 24 the guides moved into their The back of the temporary home in the EXEC office, whilst jumper the Hub building is being renovated. Thanks to a great team who did the heavy lifting. showcases two We look forward to returning to the Hub and seperate design our refreshed office later in the year— elements, a map of Wadjemup Ian Maitland (Rottnest Island) and a silhouette of a pre-game photo taken by former board member Les Everett in round 4, 2003, when , , Steven Koops, , , Des Headland and represented Fremantle in a single game. Headland said it felt incredible to line-up alongside his fellow Indigenous teammates and set a then AFL/VFL record of seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players to play for one team in a game…….. For more go to https://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/944087/-we-re- thinking-of-you-the-moving-gesture-on-freo-s-2021- The team – from right to left – Megan Kneale, Muriel indigenous-jumper Vivoda, Gail Jenkins, David Oliver, Trevor Roper & Ian Maitland. Lesley Silvester is behind the camera.

The EXEC looking bright & ready to go on May 24

12

THE ROTTNEST GOLF CLUB HAS A PROBLEM WITH QUOKKAS being trapped within the fence surrounding the golf course. The solution was to build into the fences, one way traps that would allow the quokkas to get out but not get in. The Mosman Park Mens Shed was asked to build 5 of these traps. Bob Grocke (RVGA member) and Richie Kiernan took on the task to build the traps from galvanized steel and polycarbonate sheet. The shute has a one way cat flap in the tunnel made from the polycarbonate. The photo shows Shed member Bob Grocke showing Dr Graham Thompson and his son, Scott from Terrestrial Ecosystems one of the traps. The second photo shows the trap installed. The success of training a wild animal to pass through these traps, has yet to be reported.

New on-line book on 9.2 inch coastal defence guns—Chris Aldous

A recent inquiry by a trainee led me to an on-line book, freely available and released in 2020 by Doug Knight, called “The 9.2 Inch Coast Defence Guns In Canadian Service”. Although the focus is on the Canadian guns, it answers everything a lay person wants to know about British 9.2 inch coastal defence guns and the supporting infrastructure. The book was written for a general audience, however, those who enjoy the technical information should look at Chapter 12. The book has some interesting information that could be added to a Rottnest tour. I’ve summarised a few items that caught my interest.

 Firstly, why an armour piercing gun? Until 1858, battleships were constructed of timber and the best form of attack was to fire solid iron balls, heated in a furnace, or explosive shells fired from smoothbore cannons. In 1858, the French produced the first ironclad battleship, called La Glorie. Conventional methods of attack were ineffective against the metal exterior, thus the armour piercing shell was invented.

 The protection of British ports was a result of the recommendations of the 1905, Owen Committee. At first home ports were protected, however, the concern later extended to the colonies. The 9.2 inch gun was selected for this purpose as it was considered adequate protection against all types of armoured ships. Larger guns were slower to fire and did not provide a significant advantage. The Mark X was introduced around 1898. Its rifling and breech were superior to early models. Compressed air was introduced to flush the gun of any burning remnants. Of the two-hundred and eighty 9.2 inch guns produced, 170 were destined for coastal defence, however 12 of those mounted on battleships were later transferred to the army.

 One of the questions I was asked by the trainee was in regard to a story that windows were broken in Fremantle by the firing of the Rottnest guns. Knight reports that in 1915 residents, in the immediate vicinity of the proof firing of the Esquimalt (Vancouver) guns, were warned to open their windows to avoid breakage. Two officers’ residences, in close proximity to the guns, had plaster fall off the walls. This seems to have been enough inconvenience to restrict future practice with these guns.

 Mark X or Mark 10? On 23 June, 1944 the numbering system changed from Roman numerals to Arabic numerals. No explanation is given.

 The mounting of the guns played a significant part in improving range. The introduction of the Mark 7 mounting included the use of hydraulics and an electric motor. The mounting was first tested towards the end of 1929. It improved the gun’s range by 2000 yards (1.8 kms). Although the Mk 6 mounting could be converted at an expected cost of 7000 English Pounds per gun, the expense was a deterrent to the Canadians. It is fortunate the Rottnest guns were established late enough to have taken advantage of these pre-WWII improvements.

The book can be found at: https://www.vancouvergunners.ca/uploads/2/5/3/2/25322670/the_9.2- inch_coast_defence_gun_in_canadian_servicereduced.pdf

13 13. SACRED KINGFISHER - THE BIRD THAT RULES THE WAVES: Jon Dodd The Sacred Kingfisher is a member of Rottnest’s group of small to mid-sized, brightly coloured birds, the others being the Rainbow Bee-eater, Rock Parrot, Western or Golden Whistler and Red-capped Robin. The Kingfisher family has 114 species found worldwide, with most in tropical Africa, Asia and Oceania. All have large heads, long pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails, and many have colourful plumage. Australia has ten native Kingfisher species, including the two Kookaburra species, which are the largest of all Kingfishers. Eight of Australia’s ten Kingfishers occur in WA, but most are in the tropics and only the Sacred Kingfisher and Laughing Kookaburra (a 19th century introduction from Victoria) are found in the south-west, which has not been recorded on Rottnest. The Sacred Kingfisher occurs throughout Australia except the most arid parts of WA, NT and SA, New Zealand and islands of the south-west Pacific. It is also resident in New Guinea and Indonesia. Its common Photo by Pam Ghirardi name reflects the belief held by some Polynesian societies that it is a holy bird that can control the waves. Remember this next time you are enduring a rough ferry crossing! Saunders and de Rebiera (1993) outlined this bird’s changing status on Rottnest, as follows. It was considered a rare, timid visitor in the 1930s. By the late 1950s and early 1960s it was seen more often but was probably still a non-breeding visitor; however, by the 1980s the Sacred Kingfisher was established as a permanent, breeding resident. They also pointed out that the Sacred Kingfisher on Rottnest is conspicuous rather than common and estimated that there were probably fewer than 25 resident pairs in the 1990s. Their bright coloration, loud persistent calls and preference for living in and around the main Settlement make them especially noticeable. Rottnest’s Sacred Kingfishers have adapted to Island life in ways that distinguish them from mainland populations. First, the local population is present year-round, whereas populations across southern Australia are mainly migratory, arriving from warmer northern regions in Spring to breed. A second difference is that the Rottnest birds generally build their nesting burrows in the trunks of palm trees (mainly Canary Island date palms), instead of in earth banks or existing holes, as used by mainland populations. There’s clearly much to think about next time you next see one of these colourful birds!

BIRDS OF ROTTNEST ISLAND 13: SACRED KINGFISHER (Todiramphus sanctus) The Sacred Kingfisher is a beautifully coloured bird up to 25cm long. Its body shape resembles a scaled-down version of its relative the Laughing Kookaburra, with a relatively large head and long bill on a small body. NAME The Noongar name is koonyenok (koon’ye’nawk) (Abbott 2009). The common and scientific names (Sacred and sanctus) reflect its status in some Polynesian societies as a holy bird. The name Kingfisher was originally ‘King’s Fisher’ in England, where the local Kingfisher’s diet is largely freshwater fish and other aquatic animals. DESCRIPTION The upper surface is mainly greenish-blue, and the underside is buff (light yellowish-brown) but paler on the throat and collar. There is a small buff patch between the eye and the base of the black bill. A prominent black stripe extends from the bill, through the eye to the back of the neck. Both sexes have similar coloration although the female has a paler underside, while the male’s wings are bluer. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Sacred Kingfisher has been a permanent breeding resident for maybe the last 50 years, with a small breeding population of around 25 pairs in the 1990s (Saunders and de Rebeira 1993). It is mainly restricted to wooded areas in the eastern half of the Island and is rarely found west of Wadjemup Hill, although it has been sighted occasionally at West End around Fish Hook Bay and near the blow hole on Cape Vlamingh. 14

It is most often seen in the main Settlement usually singly, rarely in pairs, and is sometimes sighted looking for fish at the disabled access ramp at the base of the Main Jetty and off the mooring posts at Stark Jetty in Thomson’s Bay. PREFERRED HABITAT Woodlands around Thomson Bay, Kingstown and Bickley, and in the Settlement, especially where palm trees provide nesting sites. LIFE HISTORY The Sacred Kingfisher feeds on a wide range of insects, spiders and crustaceans, as well as frogs and small reptiles, including baby dugites. it has occasionally been seen looking for fish on the coast and jetties around Rottnest and, on the mainland, from rivers and backyard ponds. Breeding takes place between September and early November when the female lays 3-6 eggs. On Rottnest, they often build nesting burrows in the exposed bases where palm fronds have been cut off the trunk. For many years Kingfishers nested in the standing fibrous trunk of a long-dead Canary Island date palm a Illustration by Elizabeth Rippey, short distance west of the European Cemetery – it has since collapsed. They also from R I Birds pamphlet. nest in hollows in old Rottnest teatrees (Melaleuca lanceolata). They establish a territorial area around the nest site which they guard by sitting on a vantage point, calling loudly and repeatedly, and swooping on any intruding Kingfishers. CALL They are most vocal in the breeding season, when they call loudly and incessantly from prominent sites, producing a variety of calls. One early morning call, delivered from a high lookout, consists of five ‘peeps’ then a break, and then repeated. Others include high-pitched monotonous ‘ek-ek-ek-ek’ and ‘ki-ki-ki’ calls, and a “peevish” rising ‘keer-keer-keer’. Also, harsh scoldings and rising musical trills. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to Elizabeth Rippey, Pam Ghirardi and Peter Coyle for comments and photographs.

FURTHER READING (see Rottnest Bird Library on the RVGA Website for full details) Abbott I 2009. Aboriginal names of bird species in south-west Western Australia, with suggestions for their adoption into common usage. Conservation Science W. Aust. 7 (2) 213-78. Birds Australia 2009. A Bird’s Eye View of Rottnest Island. Page 30.

Johnstone RE and Storr GM 1998. Handbook of Western Australian birds: Volume I – Non-passerines (Emu to Dollarbird). Pages 340-2. Nevill SJ 2013. Birds of Western Australia – field guide. Pages 268-9. Pizzey G and Knight F 2012. The field guide to the birds of Australia. 9th edition. Pages 296-7. Saunders DA and de Rebeira CP 1993. Birds of Rottnest Island. Pages 97-9. Saunders DA and Rippey E (undated). Rottnest Island Birds pamphlet. Rottnest Island Authority. Slater P et al. 2009. The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds. Second Edition. Pages 246-7. Thomson-Dans C and Dell J 2018. Common Birds in the Backyard. DBCA Bush Book, pages 24-5. Wikipedia. Kingfisher. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingfisher accessed 6 Feb. 2021 Wikipedia. Sacred kingfisher. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_kingfisher accessed 6 Feb. 2021.

See also photos and article in Golden Whistler #296, Feb. 2015, page 4 and #322, Aug. 2017, page 9.

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