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  Cyclone Orson at peak intensity on 22 April

  
  Severe Tropical Cyclone Orson was the fourth most intensecyclone ever recorded in theAustralian region. Forming out of atropical low on 17 April 1989, Orson gradually intensified as it tracked towards the west. After attaining Category 5 intensity on 20 April, the storm began to track southward and accelerated. The following day, the cyclone reached its peak intensity with winds of 250 km/h (160 mph) (10-minute sustained) and abarometric pressure of 904 hPa (mbar). Orson maintained this intensity for nearly two days before makinglandfall nearDampier. The cyclone rapidly weakened after landfall as it accelerated to the southeast. After moving into theGreat Australian Bight on 24 April, the storm dissipated.
  
  Despite Orson's extreme intensity, damage was relatively minimal as it struck a sparsely populated region ofWestern Australia. Five people were killed offshore and damages amounted toA$20 million (US$16.8 million). The storm damaged a new gas platform, delaying the project for nearly two weeks. The most severe impacts took place inPannawonica, where 70 homes were damaged. Following the storm, cleanup costs reached A$5 million (US$4.1 million). Due to the severity of the storm, the nameOrson wasretired after the season. (Full article...)
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  Banksia sceptrum, commonly known as thesceptre banksia, is a plant that grows inWestern Australia near the central west coast fromGeraldton north throughKalbarri toHamelin Pool. It extends inland almost toMullewa. First collected and grown by early settlerJames Drummond in Western Australia, it was described by Swiss botanistCarl Meissner in 1855.
  
  In nature,B. sceptrum grows in deep yellow or pale red sand in tallshrubland, commonly ondunes, being found as a shrub to 5 metres (16 ft) high, though often smaller in exposed areas. It is killed byfire and regenerates byseed, the woodyfollicles opening with fire.B. sceptrum is one of the most striking yellow-floweredbanksias of all. Its tall bright yellow spikes, known asinflorescences, are terminal and well displayed. Flowering is in summer, mainly December and January, though flowers are occasionally seen at other times. (Full article...)
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  Adenanthos obovatus, commonly known asbasket flower (which usually refers toCentaurea, though), or,jugflower, is a shrub of theplantfamilyProteaceaeendemic toSouthwest Australia. Described by French naturalistJacques Labillardière in 1805, it had first been collected byArchibald Menzies in 1791. Within the genusAdenanthos, it lies in thesectionEurylaema and is most closely related toA. barbiger.A. obovatus has hybridized withA. detmoldii to produce the hybridA. × pamela. Several common names allude to the prominent red flowers of the species. It grows as a many-stemmed spreading bush up to 1 m (3.3 ft) high, and about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) across, with fine bright green foliage. Made up of single red flowers, theinflorescences appear from April to December, and peak in spring (August to October).
  
  The shrub grows on sandy soils in seasonally wet lowland areas as well as hills and dunes. It regenerates after bushfire by resprouting from its undergroundlignotuber. Pollinators includehoneyeaters, particularly thewestern spinebill, which can access the nectar with its long curved bill, and thesilvereye, which punctures the flower tube. The most commonly cultivatedAdenanthos species in Australia, it has a long flowering period and attracts honeyeaters to the garden. It is harvested for thecut flower industry. (Full article...)
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  North-east bound view from Platform 1, showing the maroon-coloured brick building, August 2022

  
  Daglish railway station is asuburban railway station inDaglish andSubiaco, suburbs ofPerth, Western Australia. Opened on 14 July 1924, the station was named afterHenry Daglish, who had been amayor of Subiaco, a member for theelectoral district of Subiaco, and apremier of Western Australia in the 1900s. Daglish was a resident of Subiaco for 22 years before he died in 1920. The station consists of anisland platform accessed by apedestrian underpass. Two small buildings are on the platform which operated as a parcels office and ticket office until 1970. The station is only partiallyaccessible due to a steep access ramp and lack oftactile paving.
  
  Daglish station is on theFremantle andAirport lines, which are part of theTransperth public transport network. Services on each line run every 12 minutes duringpeak hour and every 15 minutes outside peak hour and on weekends andpublic holidays. At night, trains are every half-hour or hour. The journey toPerth station is 4.9 kilometres (3.0 mi) and takes 7 minutes. (Full article...)
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  Main Cell Block

  
  
  Fremantle Prison, sometimes referred to asFremantle Gaol orFremantle Jail, is a formerAustralian prison andWorld Heritage Site inFremantle, Western Australia. The site includes the prison cellblocks, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, and tunnels. It was initially used forconvicts transported from Britain, but was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use for locally-sentenced prisoners.Royal Commissions were held in 1898 and 1911, and instigated some reform to the prison system, but significant changes did not begin until the 1960s. The government department in charge of the prison underwent several reorganisations in the 1970s and 1980s, but the culture of Fremantle Prison was resistant to change. Growing prisoner discontent culminated ina 1988 riot with guards taken hostage, and a fire that caused $1.8 million worth of damage. The prison closed in 1991, replaced by the new maximum-securityCasuarina Prison.
  
  The prison was administered by acomptroller general, sheriff, or director, responsible for the entire convict or prison system in Western Australia, and a superintendent in charge of the prison itself. Prison officers, known as warders in the 19th century, worked under stringent conditions until they achieved representation through theWestern Australian Prison Officers' Union. Convicts were initially of good character as potential future colonists, but less desirable convicts were eventually sent. As a locally-run prison, Fremantle's population was generally short-sentenced white prisoners in the 1890s, with very few Aboriginal prisoners. By the late 20th century, most prisoners were serving longer sentences, a higher proportion of them were violent, and Aboriginal people were present in large numbers. (Full article...)
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  Banksia cuneata, commonly known asmatchstick banksia orQuairading banksia, is anendangered species offlowering plant in the familyProteaceae. Endemic tosouthwestWestern Australia, it belongs toBanksia subg.Isostylis, a sub-genus of three closely relatedBanksia species withinflorescences or flower clusters that are dome-shaped heads rather than characteristicBanksia flower spikes. A shrub or small tree up to 5 m (16 ft) high, it has prickly foliage and pink and cream flowers. The common nameMatchstick Banksia arises from the blooms in late bud, the individual buds of which resemble matchsticks. The species ispollinated byhoneyeaters (Meliphagidae).
  
  AlthoughB. cuneata was first collected before 1880, it was not until 1981 that Australian botanistAlex George formally described and named the species. There are two genetically distinct population groups, but no recognised varieties. ThisBanksia is classified as endangered, surviving in fragments of remnant bushland in a region which has been 93% cleared for agriculture. AsBanksia cuneata is killed by fire and regenerates from seed, it is highly sensitive to bushfire frequency—fires recurring within four years could wipe out populations of plants not yet mature enough to set seed.Banksia cuneata is rarely cultivated, and its prickly foliage limits its utility in the cut flower industry. (Full article...)
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  One of the anti-aircraft guns assigned to the defence of Fremantle in November 1943

  
  During March 1944, theAllies of World War II rapidly reinforced the military units located in the state ofWestern Australia to defend against the possibility thatJapanese warships would attack the cities ofFremantle andPerth. This redeployment began on 8 March after concerns were raised about the purpose of Japanese warship movements near theDutch East Indies, and ended on 20 March, after it was concluded that an attack was unlikely.
  
  In February 1944, the Allies became alarmed that the movement of the main Japanese fleet toSingapore could be a precursor to raids in theIndian Ocean, including against Western Australia. The emergency began when Allied code breakers detected the movement of a powerful force of Japanese warships in the Netherlands East Indies in early March. After aUnited States Navy submarine maderadar contact with two Japanese warships near one of the entrances to the Indian Ocean on 6 March, the Allied military authorities and Australian Government judged that a fleet may have been heading towards the Perth area. In reality, these warships were undertaking a patrol while awaiting a small raiding force to return from attacking ships in the central Indian Ocean. (Full article...)
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  B. sphaerocarpa var.sphaerocarpa atStirling Range National Park

  
  Banksia sphaerocarpa, commonly known as thefox banksia orround-fruit banksia, is a species ofshrub or tree in the plant genusBanksia (familyProteaceae). It is generally encountered as a 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) high shrub, and is usually smaller in the north of its range. This species has narrow green leaves, and brownish, orange or yellow round flowerspikes which may be seen from January to July. It is widely distributed across thesouthwest ofWestern Australia, growing exclusively in sandy soils. It is usually the dominant plant in scrubland or low woodland. It is pollinated by, and is a food source for, birds, mammals, and insects.
  
  First described in 1810 by botanistRobert Brown,B. sphaerocarpa has a complicatedtaxonomic history, and severaltaxa once classified as part of a broadly definedB. sphaerocarpa have since been named as species in their own right. At present, most authorities recognise fivevarieties; the largest variety,B. sphaerocarpa var.dolichostyla (ironcap banksia), is sometimes given species rank asB. dolichostyla.B. sphaerocarpa is classified as Not Threatened under theWildlife Conservation Act of Western Australia, although two varieties have been placed on theDeclared Rare and Priority Flora List—var.latifolia has been designated a Priority Two – Poorly Known taxon, and var.dolichostyla falls under Declared Rare Flora. None of the varieties are commonly seen in cultivation. (Full article...)
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  Banksia scabrella, commonly known as theBurma Road banksia, is aspecies of woody shrub in the genusBanksia. It is classified in the seriesAbietinae, a group of several species of shrubs with small round or ovalinflorescences. It occurs in a number of isolated populations south ofGeraldton, Western Australia, with the largest population being south and east ofMount Adams. Found on sandy soils in heathland or shrubland, it grows to 2 m (7 ft) high and 3 m (10 ft) across with fine needle-like leaves. Appearing in spring and summer, the inflorescences are round to oval in shape and tan to cream with purple styles.Banksia scabrella is killed by fire and regenerates by seed.
  
  Originally collected in 1966,B. scabrella was one of several species previously considered to be forms ofBanksia sphaerocarpa, before it was finally described by banksia expertAlex George in his 1981 revision of the genus. Like many members of theAbietinae, it is rarely seen in cultivation; however, it has been described as havinghorticultural potential. (Full article...)
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  Tree habit,Jandakot Botanical Gardens

  
  Banksia menziesii, commonly known asfirewood banksia, is aspecies of flowering plant in the familyProteaceae. It is a gnarled tree up to 10 m (33 ft) tall, or a lower spreading 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) shrub in the more northern parts of its range. The serrated leaves are dull green with new growth a paler grey green. The prominent autumn and winterinflorescences are often two-coloured red or pink and yellow, and their colour has given rise to more unusualcommon names such asport wine banksia andstrawberry banksia. Yellow blooms are rarely seen.
  
  First described by the botanistRobert Brown in the early 19th century, no separatevarieties ofBanksia menziesii are recognised. It is found in Western Australia, from thePerth (32° S) region north to theMurchison River (27° S), and generally grows on sandy soils, inscrubland or lowwoodland.Banksia menziesii provides food for a wide array ofinvertebrate andvertebrate animals; birds and in particularhoneyeaters are prominent visitors. A relatively hardy plant,Banksia menziesii is commonly seen in gardens,nature strips and parks in Australian urban areas withMediterranean climates, but its sensitivity to dieback from the soil-borne water mouldPhytophthora cinnamomi makes it short-lived in places with humid summers, such as Sydney.Banksia menziesii is widely used in thecut flower industry both in Australia and overseas. (Full article...)
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  Tonkin in 1964

  
  John Trezise TonkinAC (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995) was an Australian politician who was thepremier of Western Australia from 3 March 1971 to 8 April 1974. A member of theLabor Party, Tonkin was a minister in theWillcock,Wise andHawke governments. He was a member of theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly from 1933 to 1977, making him the longest-serving member of theParliament of Western Australia as of 2021.
  
  Tonkin was born in theGoldfields town ofBoulder, Western Australia, the eldest of three children. His family moved several times before returning to Boulder, where he attended Boulder City Central School andEastern Goldfields High School. After several successive jobs, he graduated fromClaremont Teachers College and became a teacher, mainly working insmall schools in rural areas. After several unsuccessful attempts to enter state parliament, Tonkin was elected as the member forNorth-East Fremantle in the1933 state election. (Full article...)
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  B. sessilis var.cordata

  
  Banksia sessilis, commonly known asparrot bush, is aspecies ofshrub ortree in theplantgenusBanksia of the familyProteaceae. It had been known asDryandra sessilis until 2007, when the genusDryandra was sunk intoBanksia. TheNoongar peoples know the plant asbudjan orbutyak. Widespread throughoutsouthwestWestern Australia, it is found on sandy soils overlaterite orlimestone, often as anunderstorey plant in open forest, woodland or shrubland. Encountered as a shrub or small tree up to 6 m (20 ft) in height, it has prickly dark green leaves and dome-shaped cream-yellowflowerheads. Flowering from winter through to late spring, it provides a key source of food—both the nectar and the insects it attracts—forhoneyeaters in the cooler months, andspecies diversity is reduced in areas where there is little or no parrot bush occurring. Several species of honeyeater, some species of native bee, and theEuropean honey bee seek out and consume the nectar, while thelong-billed black cockatoo andAustralian ringneck eat the seed. The life cycle ofBanksia sessilis is adapted to regular bushfires. Killed by fire and regenerating by seed afterwards, each shrub generally produces many flowerheads and a massive amount of seed. It can recolonise disturbed areas, and may grow in thickets.
  
  Banksia sessilis has a somewhat complicatedtaxonomic history. It was collected fromKing George Sound in 1801 and described byRobert Brown in 1810 asDryandra floribunda, a name by which it was known for many years. However,Joseph Knight had published the nameJosephia sessilis in 1809, which had precedence due to its earlier date, and the specific name was formalised in 1924. Fourvarieties are recognised. It is a prickly plant with little apparenthorticultural potential; none of the varieties are commonly seen in cultivation. A profuse producer of nectar,B. sessilis is valuable to thebeekeeping industry. (Full article...)
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  Male at Mount Hallowell,Denmark, Western Australia.

  
  Thered-winged fairywren (Malurus elegans) is a species ofpasserine bird in theAustralasian wren family, Maluridae. It is non-migratory andendemic to the southwestern corner ofWestern Australia. Exhibiting a high degree ofsexual dimorphism, the male adopts a brilliantly colouredbreeding plumage, with an iridescent silvery-blue crown, ear coverts and upper back, red shoulders, contrasting with a black throat, grey-brown tail and wings and pale underparts. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, though males may bear isolated blue and black feathers. No separatesubspecies are recognised. Similar in appearance and closely related to thevariegated fairywren and theblue-breasted fairywren, it is regarded as a separate species as no intermediate forms have been recorded where their ranges overlap. Though the red-winged fairywren is locally common, there is evidence of a decline in numbers.
  
  Bearing a narrow pointedbilladapted for probing and catchinginsects, the red-winged fairywren is primarilyinsectivorous; it forages and lives in the shelter of scrubby vegetation in temperate wetterforests dominated bykarri trees, remaining close to cover to avoid predators. Like other fairywrens, it is a cooperative breeding species, with small groups of birds maintaining and defending smallterritories year-round. Groups consist of a sociallymonogamous pair with severalhelper birds who assist in raising the young. There is a higher proportion of female helpers recorded for this species than for other species of fairywren. A variety ofvocalisations and visual displays have been recorded for communication andcourtship in this species. Singing is used to advertise territory, and birds can distinguish other individuals by song alone. Male wrens pluck yellow petals and display them to females as part of a courtship display. (Full article...)
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  View along Clackline Bridge in 2012, with theGoldfields Pipeline visible in the background

  
  Clackline Bridge is a road bridge inClackline, Western Australia, 77 kilometres (48 mi) east of Perth in theShire of Northam, that carried theGreat Eastern Highway until 2008. It is the only bridge in Western Australia to have spanned both a waterway and railway, theClackline Brook and the formerEastern Railway alignment. The mainlytimber bridge has a unique curved and sloped design, due to the difficult topography and the route of the former railway. The bridge was designed in 1934 to replace two dangerous rail crossings and a rudimentary water crossing. Construction began in January 1935, and was completed relatively quickly, with the opening ceremony held in August 1935. The bridge has undergone various improvement and maintenance works since then, including widening by three metres (10 ft) in 1959–60, but remained a safety hazard, with increasing severity and numbers of accidents through the 1970s and 1980s. Planning for a highway bypass of Clackline and the Clackline Bridge began in the 1990s, and it was constructed between January 2007 and February 2008. The local community had been concerned that the historic bridge would be lost, but it remains in use as part of the local road network, and has been listed on both the Northam Municipal Heritage Inventory and theHeritage Council of Western Australia's Register of Heritage Places. (Full article...)
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  Map of the south-west of Western Australia, with Great Eastern Highway highlighted in red

  
  Great Eastern Highway is a 590-kilometre-long (370 mi) road that links theWestern Australian capital ofPerth with the city ofKalgoorlie. A key route for road vehicles accessing the easternWheatbelt and theGoldfields, it is the western portion of the main road link between Perth and theeastern states of Australia. The highway forms the majority ofNational Highway 94, although the alignment through the Perth suburbs of Guildford and Midland, and the eastern section betweenCoolgardie and Kalgoorlie are not included. Various segments form parts of otherroad routes, includingNational Route 1, Alternative National Route 94, and State Route 51.
  
  There are numerous intersections in Perth with other highways and main roads, includingCanning,Albany,Tonkin andRoe Highways, andGraham Farmer Freeway. There are also two rural highways that spur off Great Eastern Highway.Great Southern Highway begins near Perth's eastern metropolitan boundary, linking towns such asYork,Brookton,Narrogin, andKatanning. Near the eastern end of the highway, Coolgardie is the starting point ofCoolgardie–Esperance Highway, connecting to the interstate routeEyre Highway at Norseman, as well as the coastal town ofEsperance. (Full article...)

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  Susie Bootja Bootja Napaltjarri (also referred to asSusie Bootja Bootja Napangardi,Napangarti, orNapangati) (c. 1935 – 16 January 2003) was anIndigenous artist fromAustralia'sWestern Desert region. Born south-west ofBalgo, Western Australia, in the 1950s Susie Bootja Bootja married artist Mick Gill Tjakamarra, with whom she had a son, Matthew Gill Tjupurrula (also an artist).
  
  Susie Bootja Bootja's painting career followed the establishment of Warlayirti Artists, anIndigenous art centre at Balgo. One of the area's strongest artists, her work was characterised by an expressive style, and has been acquired by major Australian galleries, including theArt Gallery of New South Wales andNational Gallery of Victoria. She died in 2003. (Full article...)
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  Eastbound view from Platform 1, looking into Platform 2, March 2010

  
  Greenwood railway station is apark and ridesuburban railway station inPerth, Western Australia, within the suburbs ofDuncraig andGreenwood. The station is on theYanchep line and is part of theTransperth network. Located within themedian strip of theMitchell Freeway at an interchange withHepburn Avenue, Greenwood station consists of twoside platforms connected to a car park east of the freeway by a footbridge.
  
  The station was included in early plans for the Joondalup line (now called the Yanchep line) in the 1980s, but the final plan for the Joondalup line, which opened in December 1992, did not include the construction of Greenwood station. After several promises by the state government during the 1990s to build the station, aA$6.8 million contract was awarded toJohn Holland Group in February 2004 to construct the station. Construction began in March 2004, and the station opened on 29 January 2005, relieving pressure on the car parks atWarwick andWhitfords stations. (Full article...)
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  Thestate flag ofWestern Australia consists of aBlue Ensigndefaced with thebadge of the state. Adopted in 1953 to replace a similar design used from the time when the state was still aBritish colony, it has been the flag of Western Australia since 3 November of that year. The design of the present flag entailed reversing the direction of theblack swan so that it faced towards thehoist. This was done in order to adhere tovexillological convention. Western Australia's flag is similar to the flags of the other fiveAustralian states, which are also Blue Ensigns with their respective state badges. When flown with those state flags and thenational flag, it is sixth in the order of precedence. This is indicative of its position on theCommonwealth Coat of Arms. (Full article...)
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  Southbound view from Platform 2, showing station shelter, August 2022

  
  Challis railway station is a suburban railway station inKelmscott, asuburb ofPerth, Western Australia. It is on theArmadale line which is part of theTransperth network, and is 27.3 kilometres (17.0 mi) southwest ofPerth station and 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) north ofArmadale station. The station opened on 29 October 1973, as did the adjacentSherwood station, filling the large gap between Armadale station andKelmscott station. It consists of twoside platforms with a pedestrian level crossing. It is not fullyaccessible due to steep ramps and wide gaps at the pedestrian level crossing.
  
  Services are operated byTransperth Train Operations, a division of the state government'sPublic Transport Authority. Peak services reach seven trains per hour in each direction, whilst off-peak services are four trains per hour. The station is one of the least used ones on the Transperth network, with just 259 boardings per day in October 2017. TheCity of Armadale rezoned nearby land in the 2010s with the goal of increasing patronage. (Full article...)
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  Cyclone Sam making landfall onAustralia at peak intensity on 8 December

  
  Severe Tropical Cyclone Sam (JTWC designation:03S) was an intensetropical cyclone that brought flooding rainfall to a wide swath of northern Australia in December 2000. The first tropical cyclone of theregional season, Sam originated from atropical low that formed in theArafura Sea on 28 November. Tracking generally westward, the initiallow-pressure area remained generally weak until it entered theTimor Sea, by which time it had strengthened into a tropical cyclone on 5 December. Though asubtropical ridge was forcing the cyclone westward at the time, an approachingshortwavetrough caused Sam to track southward the following day, towards the Australian coast. During its southward progression, Samrapidly intensified, and reached its peak intensity on 8 December. Soon afterwards, the storm madelandfall nearLagrange, Western Australia at the same intensity. Once inland, Sam was slow to weaken as it re-curved eastward, and persisted for nearly a week inland before dissipating on 14 December.
  
  Throughout its existence, Cyclone Sam brought heavy rainfall to a wide swath of northern Australia. Rainfall peaked at 520 mm (20 in) in Shelamar over a 48-hour period ending on 11 December. Upon making landfall, damage was considerable, albeit localized. Most of the destruction wrought by Sam occurred near the coast, particularly inBidyadanga and Anna Springs Station. Some buildings sustained considerable damage, and trees and power lines were felled, resulting in somepower outages. Offshore, 163 illegal immigrants aboard two vessels were feared to have drowned, which would make Sam one of the deadliest cyclones in Australian history. However, these people were later accounted for. After the season, the nameSam wasretired from the regional naming list. (Full article...)
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  Southbound view from Platform 2, June 2023

  
  Lakelands railway station is a railway station along theMandurah line on theTransperth network inWestern Australia. The station is in theMandurah suburb ofLakelands, 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) north ofMandurah station and 64.5 kilometres (40.1 mi) south ofPerth Underground station. Construction started in 2021 and it opened on 11 June 2023.
  
  Provisions for the station were made when the Mandurah line was originally built during the 2000s. There were several proposals to build the station during the 2010s, but when the stateLabor Party came to power in 2017, it had committed to build the nearby Karnup station but not Lakelands station. Meanwhile, the federalLiberal Party wanted to build Lakelands station, so it committed to funding 80% of theA$80 million required to build the station. The federal government refused requests for the funding to be transferred to the Karnup station project, therefore that project was put on hold so that the state could fund Lakelands station. This resulted in accusations that the federal government waspork barrelling as Lakelands station was in Liberal MPAndrew Hastie's seat whereas Karnup station was in a safe Labor seat held byMadeleine King. (Full article...)
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  B. z. barnardi nearPatchewollock,Victoria

  
  TheAustralian ringneck (Barnardius zonarius) is aparrot native toAustralia. Except for extremetropical and highland areas, the species has adapted to all conditions. Treatments of genusBarnardius have previously recognised two species, the Port Lincoln parrot (Barnardius zonarius) and the mallee ringneck (Barnardius barnardi), but due to these readily interbreeding at the contact zone they are usually regarded as a single speciesB. zonarius with subspecific descriptions. Currently, foursubspecies are recognised, each with a distinctrange.
  
  InWestern Australia, the ringneck competes for nesting space with therainbow lorikeet, anintroduced species. To protect the ringneck, culls of the lorikeet are sanctioned by authorities in this region. Overall, though, the ringneck is not a threatened species. (Full article...)
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  Map of Western Australia with Great Northern Highway highlighted in red

  
  Great Northern Highway is an Australian highway that linksWestern Australia's capital cityPerth with its northernmost port,Wyndham. With a length of almost 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi), it is the longest highway in Australia, with the majority included as part of the Perth DarwinNational Highway. The highway, which travels through remote areas of the state, is constructed as asealed, predominantly two-lane single carriageway, but with some single-lane bridges in theKimberley. Economically, it provides vital access through theWheatbelt andMid West to the resource-rich regions of thePilbara and Kimberley. In these areas, the key industries of mining, agriculture and pastoralstations, and tourism are all dependent on the highway.
  
  In Perth, the highway begins inMidland nearGreat Eastern Highway, and further north intersects theReid andRoe highways, which together form Perth'sring road. There are also three rural highways that spur off Great Northern Highway.Brand Highway andNorth West Coastal Highway provide an alternative coastal route betweenMuchea andPort Hedland, whileVictoria Highway carries the National Highway route and interstate traffic into the Northern Territory. Variousroad routes are allocated to sections of Great Northern Highway, including theHighway 1 routesNational Route 1 andNational Highway 1, as well asNational Highway 95. In 2024 the section north of Victoria Highway was assignedNational Highway 1, as well asState Route 155 (Full article...)
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  Flower and fruit

  
  Eucalyptus rhodantha, commonly known asrose mallee orrose gum, is a species of stragglymallee or shrubnative to parts ofWestern Australia. It has smoothbark and acrown composed entirely of circular to heart-shaped juvenile leaves arranged inopposite pairs and attached directly to thestems with nostalks. The flower buds appear singly in the leafaxils and are red, the fruits hemispherical to conical andpendent. The rose mallee is grown as anornamental shrub suitable for gardens in hot and dry climates. It is found more often in urban gardens and cultivation than in the wild and is readily available in seed form.
  
  E. rhodantha was first formally described in 1938 by the Australianbotanists andcollectorsWilliam Blakely andHenry Steedman from material collected by Steedman nearGunyidi, Western Australia in 1934. As of December 2022^[update],Plants of the World Online listed the formerly acceptedEucalyptus rhodantha var.petiolaris as ataxonomic synonym ofE. rhodantha. (Full article...)
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  John Biase D'Orazio (5 September 1955 – 11 April 2011) was an Australian politician who served as the member forBallajura in theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly from 10 February 2001 to 6 September 2008. He was a minister in the governments ofGeoff Gallop andAlan Carpenter, and a member of theLabor Party until 29 August 2006, when he resigned following several controversies. Born to Italian immigrants, D'Orazio grew up on a market garden in thePerth suburb ofBayswater. He studied pharmacy at theWestern Australian Institute of Technology, later opening his own pharmacy business. In 1981, he was elected to theCity of Bayswater council, and in 1984, he became themayor of Bayswater, in which position he served until 2001.
  
  At the2001 Western Australian state election, D'Orazio was elected to the seat of Ballajura, beating theLiberal incumbentRhonda Parker. Following the2005 state election, he was promoted to cabinet by Premier Geoff Gallop, becoming theminister for justice andminister for small business. In February 2006, after Alan Carpenter became premier, D'Orazio was appointed as theminister for police and emergency services, minister for justice, andminister for community safety. (Full article...)
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  Myrmecia inquilina is a species of antendemic toAustralia in the subfamilyMyrmeciinae, first discovered in 1955 and described by Athol Douglas and William Brown Jr. in 1959. These ants are large, measuring 21.4millimetres (0.84 in). During the time of its discovery, Douglas and Brown announcedM. inquilina as the firstsocial parasite among the primitive subfamilies, and today it is one of the two knownMyrmecia species to have no worker caste. Two host species are known,Myrmecia nigriceps andMyrmecia vindex. Aggression betweenM. inquilina and its host species does not occur, and colonies may only produceM. inquilina brood months after the inquiline queens begin to lay their eggs. Queens eat the colony brood ortrophic eggs, and otherMyrmecia species may killM. inquilina queens if they reject them. Due to its restricted distribution and threats to its habitat, the ant is "vulnerable" according to theIUCN Red List. (Full article...)
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  The history ofFremantle Prison, a formerAustralian prison inFremantle, Western Australia, extends from its construction as a prison for convicts, usingconvict labour, in the 1850s, through to its modern-day usage as a tourist attraction. The design forFremantle Prison was based on thePentonville Prison in Britain, and it would be the longest, tallest prison cell block in the southern hemisphere. Construction began in 1851, and was completed by the end of 1859. The prison was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use for locally sentenced prisoners. Following aRoyal Commission held in 1898−99, some changes were made to Fremantle Prison, including knocking down the inner wall between two cells, introducing a prisoner classification system, and constructing internal walls in the main block to create four separate divisions. A new cell block, New Division, was completed in 1907 and occupied in 1908.
  
  Following another Royal Commission investigation 1911, there were some rapid changes in prison policy. A new superintendent with outside experience, Hugh Hann, was appointed, and supported by the newly electedLabor government interested in penal reform. Fremantle Prison was partially used as a military gaol during both world wars. The World War II takeover necessitated the commissioning of Barton's Mill Prison in 1942, which remained opened after the war.Pardelup Prison Farm was another prison outstation established in 1927 to reduce overcrowding at Fremantle. Both facilities were part of reforms made to the prison system, but significant changes to the operation of Fremantle Prison did not begin until the 1960s. Comptroller General Colin Campbell introduced expedient prisoner assessments, officer training, work release programs, and social workers and welfare officers. (Full article...)
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  Carlisle Station viewed from Mint Street

  
  Carlisle railway station is a suburban railway station on theTransperth network inWestern Australia. It is in thePerth suburbs ofCarlisle andEast Victoria Park and is served byThornlie–Cockburn line andArmadale line services.
  
  The station first opened in July 1912. It was known as Mint Street station at first, but it was renamed Victoria Park East station in October 1912 and to its present name in May 1919. It gained a station master in 1922, which lasted until 1971. Carlisle station had minor upgrades from 2002 to 2003 in preparation for the opening of the Thornlie line, which happened in 2005. In 20 November 2023, the station closed to undergo a complete rebuild as an elevated station as part of theVictoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project to remove a nearbylevel crossing. The station reopened in June 2025. (Full article...)
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  Eucalyptus gomphocephala inKings Park,Perth

  
  Eucalyptus gomphocephala, known astuart, is a species of tree and is one of the six forest giants ofSouthwest Australia.The trees usually grow to a height of 10 to 40 m (33 to 131 ft) and mostly have a single stem, but can have multiple stems under some conditions. Thecrown can be as wide as 25 metres (82 ft). It has roughbox-like bark over the length of the trunk and larger branches. The glossy light-green to green adult leaves are arranged alternately and have anoval tolanceolate orfalcate shape, and have a leaf blade that is 90 to 180 millimetres (3.5 to 7.1 in) long and 1.5 to 3 cm (0.59 to 1.18 in) wide. The tree flowers between January and April with white to creaminflorescences that form in the leafaxils and are not branched. The fruits that follow have anobconic to upside-down bell shape. (Full article...)
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  O'Connor in 1965

  
  Raymond James O'Connor (6 March 1926 – 25 February 2013) was an Australian politician who served as thepremier of Western Australia from 25 January 1982 to 25 February 1983. He was a member of theParliament of Western Australia from 1959 to 1984, and a minister in the governments ofDavid Brand andCharles Court. O'Connor was born inPerth and attended schools in theWheatbelt towns ofNarrogin andYork as well asSt Patrick's Boys' School in Perth, leaving school at the age of 14. He competed in athletics and playedAustralian rules football as a teenager and young adult, including playing 14 matches forEast Perth in theWestern Australian National Football League. DuringWorld War II, he served in theSecond Australian Imperial Force inNew Britain andBougainville.
  
  O'Connor joined theLiberal Party in 1957 and was elected to theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly in1959. From 1965 to 1971, he was a minister in the Brand government. During this time, he served as theminister for railways andminister for transport, in which he oversaw thegauge standardisation project of the railway between Perth andKalgoorlie. He became a minister again when Court was elected premier in1974. He waspolice minister when the murder ofShirley Finn occurred in 1975, which remains unsolved but was likely done by a corrupt police officer. (Full article...)