FIREFIGHTERS, families and community members gathered at Busselton VFRS on the morning of Saturday May 2, to mark International Firefighters' Day, honouring those who have lost their lives in the line of duty and recognising the ongoing dedication of firefighters across Western Australia and around the world.
Observed annually on May 4, International Firefighters' Day was established in 1999 and is linked to St Florian's Day, recognising the patron saint of firefighters.
As part of the commemoration, fire sirens sounded for 30 seconds, followed by a minute's silence in tribute to fallen firefighters.
The 2026 memorial service in Busselton formed part of a wider international observance acknowledging the courage, sacrifice and service of both career and volunteer firefighters.
Red and blue ribbons, symbolising the elements of fire and water, are traditionally displayed as part of International Firefighters' Day commemorations.
📸 Kate Willott/Inside Out Images
From suburban backyard abundance to a thriving winery kitchen garden, the 2026 Edible Gardens Festival is set to showcase the creativity, beauty and practicality of food growing across the Margaret River region. 🌿🍓🍅
This year’s festival features six open gardens, including two standout spaces offering very different — but equally inspiring — approaches to sustainable growing.
In Margaret River, Rose and Adam have transformed their quarter-acre suburban block into a lush edible oasis filled with fruit trees, herbs, strawberries, pollinator-friendly flowers and creative up-cycled garden features.
Meanwhile in Wilyabrup, Snake and Herring Winery’s productive permaculture garden supplies fresh organic produce directly to Yarri restaurant, with gardener Eve Franssen showcasing a low-cost, highly efficient growing system complete with bees, chickens, worm farms and market garden beds.
Visitors can enjoy:
🌱 Gardening demonstrations
🐝 Beekeeping advice
🍷 Wine tastings
☕ Local food and coffee
🌼 Practical workshops and talks
Festival organiser Trevor Paddenburg said the featured gardens highlight just how adaptable and rewarding food growing can be.
“Whether it’s for your family, your community or even a local restaurant, these spaces really capture the joy of growing,” he said.
The Edible Gardens Festival runs May 22–24 across the Margaret River region, with tickets selling fast after four consecutive sell-out years.
📖 Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Mail.
#MargaretRiver #EdibleGardensFestival #Sustainability #Permaculture #SouthWestWA #Gardening #GrowYourOwn #KitchenGarden #TheMail
🔥 Smoke & Fire to Light Up Metricup This Week🔥
Good food, crackling fires, live music, and community connection — it’s all coming together this Thursday at the beautiful Margaret River Montessori School Metricup Campus.
Hosted by the school’s Adolescent Program students, Smoke & Fire promises a unique outdoor dining experience where guests can gather beneath the stars for an evening designed to warm both hearts and hands.
Set amongst the peaceful rural surrounds of the campus, the night will feature a seasonal three-course dinner thoughtfully prepared and served by students as part of their hands-on learning journey.
Guests can also enjoy live music performances from talented student musicians before settling in around the bonfire for a relaxed fireside evening.
More than just a dinner, Smoke & Fire is a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and community spirit — giving students the opportunity to showcase their skills while creating a memorable experience for guests.
📍 Margaret River Montessori School – Metricup Campus
📅 Thursday, May 21, 2026
🕠 Arrive from 5.30pm for a 6pm start
🎟️ $55 per person
👥 Ages 16+ | Alcohol-free event
Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available, and guests are encouraged to rug up warmly for the outdoor fireside atmosphere.
With limited tickets available, early bookings are recommended.
Tickets can be booked via Humanitix or via www.margmont.wa.edu.au
Busselton teens Sarah Clarke and Josephine Winch Buist are heading to Vancouver as part of an international cultural sustainability project linking fashion, heritage textiles and storytelling across Australia, Indonesia and Canada. ✈️🌏
The pair first caught attention during the world-record Busselton Jetty runway event in 2024 before travelling to Florence earlier this year for the Closet of the Anthropocene showcase through Eco Fashion Week Australia (EFWA).
Now, they are preparing to represent WA in the Buya Subi Project — an initiative focused on preserving the endangered Donggala weaving traditions of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, while supporting women artisans and sustainable fashion practices.
The project brings together designers, cultural organisations and communities from around the world to celebrate traditional handwoven textiles carrying more than 300 years of cultural knowledge.
Before Vancouver, Sarah and Josie attended major launch events in Perth and Canberra alongside ambassadors, MPs and Indonesian cultural leaders.
Next, the teens will take part in runway events, editorial shoots and filming for the documentary Buya Subi: Woven Futures, directed by St Mary MacKillop College teacher Alexis Winch Buist.
“The cool thing about this project is that we get to help so many people from different countries,” the girls said.
For Sarah and Josie, the opportunity is about far more than modelling — it’s about culture, sustainability and representing the South West on the world stage.
From Busselton Jetty to Florence and now Vancouver, these local teens are proving regional voices can make a global impact. ❤️
📖 Read the full story in this week's Busselton Dunsborough Mail.
📸Alexis Rose Photography
#Busselton #EcoFashion #SustainableFashion #SouthWestWA #Vancouver #Indonesia #CulturalExchange #YoungAustralians #FashionWithPurpose #TheMail
🙏 CAPES CONVERSATIONS | OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS 🙏
Behind so much of life in the Margaret River region is a quiet force holding communities together every single day — volunteers. ❤️
From emergency services and sporting clubs to youth programs, conservation projects and local events, volunteers contribute thousands of hours helping make the South West the connected, vibrant place it is.
In the Augusta Margaret River Shire alone, around 4,600 volunteers contribute an estimated 1.7 million hours each year.
But as this week’s Capes Conversations explores, the impact goes far beyond the numbers.
For many people, volunteering is about friendship, connection, confidence and purpose — whether it’s maintaining mountain bike trails with MRORCA, helping young people through Rec Connect, or simply lending a hand where it’s needed most.
As National Volunteer Week approaches, this story shines a light on the people quietly making our communities stronger every day.
📖 Read the full article in this week’s edition of the Mail.
🎙️ Capes Conversations is an ongoing community conversation series created by the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association, hosted by Kellie Tannock and broadcast on Radio Margaret River.
📻 Listen via Radio Margaret River:
/programmes/capesconversations
#MargaretRiver #Volunteers #NationalVolunteerWeek #Community #SouthWestWA #CapesConversations #RadioMargaretRiver #TheMail
For more than 60 years, the Busselton community has quietly helped change lives around the world. ❤️
Now, local volunteers involved in the Busselton Health Study are being recognised as part of a major breakthrough in asthma treatment.
A new medication, tezepelumab, approved for use in Australia earlier this year, is offering new hope to people living with severe asthma — and Busselton residents played a role in making it possible.
Back in 1994, more than 5,000 locals contributed genetic samples and health information to the Busselton Health Study, creating one of Australia’s most important long-term medical research projects.
Researchers later used that data to identify genetic links connected to asthma severity, helping pave the way for the development of the new treatment.
Professor Alan James said the willingness of Busselton families to take part in long-term research had created an extraordinary legacy.
While the science is complex, the result is simple: generations of Busselton locals are helping improve lives far beyond the South West.
The Busselton Health Study continues today, with local families still contributing to research into asthma, heart disease, ageing and chronic illness.
🗞 Read the full story in this week's Mail.
#Busselton #BusseltonHealthStudy #MedicalResearch #AsthmaAwareness #SouthWestWA #Community #HealthResearch #WAHealth #LocalStories #TheMail
Sun, surf and a strong community spirit at Yallingup Beach. 🌊🏄♂️
The Indian Ocean Longboard Club held its third club round of 2026 earlier this month, with 45 competitors hitting the water at one of the South West’s most iconic longboarding locations.
While conditions proved challenging at times, competitors across all divisions rose to the occasion, showcasing impressive skill, style and determination throughout the day.
The event, sponsored by Aravina Estate and The Board Store, celebrated not only great surfing, but also the tight-knit culture that continues to define the local longboarding community.
Special moments included:
🏄 Ryan Clark recording the highest scoring wave of the day
🎉 Vinnie Williams celebrating his birthday during competition
💛 Amy Blakemore returning to competition as a new mum
🌊 Junior surfers Ryder, Wahnu, Sunny, Lola, Kai, Charlie, Jack and Liam taking on the tricky conditions with big smiles and plenty of courage
Presentations were later held at the WA Surf Gallery, where members reflected on the rich surfing history of the South West.
The club now turns its focus to the upcoming WA Longboard Titles and the next club round on June 20.
📸 Mick Marlin
#Yallingup #Longboarding #SurfingWA #IndianOceanLongboardClub #SouthWestWA #YallingupBeach #SurfCommunity #WA #TheMail
BUSSELTON survived a heart-stopping finish to remain undefeated, defeating Harvey Brunswick Leschenault by just three points at Brunswick Oval on Sunday. 🏉
The Magpies controlled much of the contest after a dominant opening quarter, with Liam Creighton kicking two early goals as Busselton opened up a 24-point lead at the first break.
Ben Ganzer extended the margin to five goals early in the second term before the Lions fought back through Bronson Martin, Riley Preece and John Manuel to close the gap to just 11 points by half time.
Busselton again steadied in the third quarter with long-range goals to Creighton and Ryan Ekert, while a late major to Alexander Steed helped the Magpies take a 20-point lead into the final term.
But the Lions refused to go away.
Goals to Bronson Martin, John Manuel and Ty Anderson cut the margin to just three points with 11 minutes still to play — setting up a frantic finish.
Remarkably, neither side scored again.
With seconds remaining, the Lions surged the ball inside forward 50 as the siren sounded, but Busselton’s defence bottled the contest up just 30m from goal to secure a dramatic 9.8 (62) to 9.5 (59) victory.
The Magpies now remain unbeaten ahead of next week’s clash with Donnybrook at Bovell Park.
📸 Sharyn Newlands
Classic cars, country roads and vintage style are rolling into Busselton for the Hunter Heritage Rally on Sunday 17 May. 🚗✨
Hosted by the Busselton Veteran Classic Car Club as part of National Motoring Day, the event invites owners of veteran, vintage and classic vehicles to hit the road for a scenic morning cruise celebrating the golden eras of motoring.
The rally begins at 84 Causeway Road, with the first cars departing from 9:30am before returning around 12:30pm for lunch. Visitors are welcome to come along and admire the vehicles throughout the day.
Supported by the family of Ernie and Shirley Hunter, the event also encourages participants to dress in the era of their vehicle — adding plenty of personality and nostalgia to the day.
Club member Lyn Johnson said the rally is about more than competition.
“The club offers a wide range of events for all types of veteran, vintage and classic vehicles,” she said.
“When they don’t get driven enough, that’s when mechanical problems usually arise.”
Alongside the timed rally section, there’ll also be judging for the best BYO morning tea table — whether that’s homemade slices, biscuits or a full vintage picnic spread.
Anyone interested in participating, helping out or attending lunch can contact Lyn Johnson on 0408 376 131.
#Busselton #ClassicCars #VintageCars #NationalMotoringDay #SouthWestWA #CarClub #ClassicMotoring #TheMail
