Theme: Wave

A wave is a transfer of energy initially created by a disturbance. A rock thrown in the water can create waves. Waves have the power to create or destroy. You can experience a wave of emotion. There can be a wave of social change. A wave of innovation. You can ride a wave or be submerged by it. Waves are a source of awe or delight. Just like an idea, a wave can travel from one side of the world to the other, creating change and causing chaos. This July a wave of new ideas is set to crash on the shores of Bunbury

Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre
2 Blair Street
Bunbury, Western Australia, 6230
Australia

Charmaine Councillor

Charmaine is a Noongar woman from Bunbury who has connections to Wardandi, Wadjak, Balardong and Kaniyang Clans of the Noongar Nation and a connection to Yamtjii people from the Midwest. Charmaine’s role promotes Noongar Language across 14 Clans of the Noongar Nation whilst engaging with community in support of their language needs across the Southwest. Charmaine is also an accomplished author and artist resulting in five Children’s books in two languages Noongar and English. She has also been involved with Children’s NITV program ‘Waabiny Time’ as one of the consultants and writers. When Charmaine is not working, she is performing in her band WARANGKA (to sing in Noongar) as a singer and guitarist. Their song ‘ Kaya’ is well known across Noongar Country and today Elders are using it in their Welcomes to Country. Charmaine’s dream is to have multiple language nests across Noongar Country representative of all the Clans within Noongar Country. Charmaine believes that this will be the beginning of empowering a people.

Jeremy Hedley

Jeremy Hedley has worked as a teacher, web developer, graphic designer, advertising creative director, photographer and communications specialist for, among others, the Asian Development Bank Institute, the World Bank, and United Nations University in Tokyo. He recently spent some time as the editor of five newspapers in the South West of Western Australia.

Joel Whitwell

Joel Whitwell was born with a condition known as cranial deficiency, which meant he was born with a disfigurement of the face including one ear and eye. Despite this, all throughout his life he has remained positive, and has never let the way he was born hold him back, or define him in any way. Joel is now living his dream of traveling the world.

Julie Goyder

Dr Julie Goyder worked as an enrolled nurse before completing a PhD at Curtin University. The result was a book about Dementia, entitled We’ll be Married in Fremantle, published in 2001. Little did she know then that one day her beloved husband, Anthony, would succumb to Parkinson’s Disease Dementia. Julie taught Creative Writing and English at Edith Cowan University for 20 years before resigning to care for Anthony but it soon became obvious that the nursing home decision would have to be made. Since then, despite the pitfalls of Anthony’s Dementia, and the impact on Julie and their son, Ming, she has become a passionate advocate and spokesperson for Dementia care. Her blog, at jmgoyder.com, often addresses the humorous and poignant conversations she shares with Anthony. But she also writes about herself and her ongoing struggle to find a way to make this kind of situation more palatable for others.

Lucy Peach

This is the true-life reflection of how Lucy Peach’s sex ed lessons with high school students evolved from “this goes up there, now good luck and have a nice life", into 'My Greatest Period Ever’. She found inspiration in her own menstrual cycle to find a new way of life, unlock and amplify her creativity and produce an award-winning sophomore album.

Menzies Goyder

Menzies (“Ming”) Goyder has completed a Diploma in Community Service and is now undertaking a Diploma in Positive Psychology and Wellbeing. He is a musician and currently writing an album dedicated to his dad. Ming has been a wonderful support to Julie in caring for Anthony at home during the early years of Anthony’s Parkinson’s Disease Dementia. He has transitioned from anger to acceptance in his struggle to deal with his dad’s illnesses and he has become a passionate advocate for Dementia care by accompanying Julie in speaking publicly about their family’s journey.

Rachael West

Rachael left a promising engineering career due to chronic pain and ended up running away to the circus. It was there Rachael realised there had to be a better way to help people with persistent pain. She studied a degree in Yogic Education at the University of Lille and returned to Australia to establish Finding Yoga. Rachael is now bringing her unique approach to health care to Australian communities. Health professionals and yoga teachers nationally come to Rachael to train in Yoga for Pain. From Gippsland Victoria to Bunbury Western Australia, Finding Yoga's programs are changing the way we think about health. Rachael also has a degree in civil engineering and in 2016 spoke at the 36th Annual Pain Scientific Meeting about the role of yoga in pain management.

Wendy Perdon

Wendy has changed up her life a lot. From inner city Melbourne, International Humanitarian Law Disseminators, to shaving her hair off and traveling through the middle of Australia , to a successful corporate life – she is now living in the middle of a national park, indulging in her love of nature and cooking by running a conference centre and accommodation in the Ferguson Valley.