The Fremantle Prison

Curious about Australia’s convict roots I decided to take a tour of the Fremantle prison where I was able to wander through the old cell blocks, the mess hall, the chapel, and the exercise yard. We listened to chilling stories at the whipping post, the solitary cells and the gallows.

 

 

 

Constructed by convicts sent from Britain between 1851 and 1859, Fremantle prison originally known as The Convict Establishment was transferred to the colonial government in 1886. It was eventually used as a maximum security prison and finally decommissioned in 1991. It is now recognized as a world heritage site. 

Notable prisoners:

 

Irish Rebel - John Boyle O’Reilly: Convicted for his part in the Fenian conspiracy, O’Reilly was one of the few to ever escape the Fremantle Prison and he did it with the help of the Americans. In March of 1869 O’Reilly managed to sneak away from his work party, rode a horse to the coast and used a row boat to get out into the Indian Ocean where the American ship Gazelle picked him up. He transferred onto two more American ships before finally reaching Philadelphia. O’Reilly ultimately settled in Boston where he continued to be an advocate and leader in the Irish community. 

Child Killer – Martha Rendell: Rendell killed three of her step-children using hydrochloric acid. The children died slow, agonizing deaths. Rendell was the only woman who was ever hanged (legally) in Western Australia.

Night Caller – Eric Edgar Cook: From 1959-1963 Cook committed 22 violent crimes in Perth, murdering eight people. He pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity but was sentenced to death by hanging.  He was the last person to be hanged in Western Australia on October 26^th 1964 and was buried next to Martha Rendell in the Fremantle Cemetery.

ACDC member – Bon Scott: At the age of 15 the lead singer of ACDC spent time at Fremantle prison for giving a fake name and address to the police, escaping legal custody, having unlawful intercourse and stealing 12 gallons of petrol. There is now a statue of Bon Scott rocking out near the harbor of Fremantle.

First Impressions in Australia

After finishing my Peace Corps service in the Philippines and spending a few weeks catching up with friends and family back home in Washington State. I jumped at the opportunity to travel to Australia. I am here on a work and holiday visa which basically allows me to stay in the country for up to one year and work to subsidize my travels.

I have been in Western Australia for a few weeks and I still can't seem to figure out where all the people are hiding. Even in Perth, the closest city, the streets are quiet and the shops close early. On the other hand, I have really been enjoying the hiking and wildlife in Western Australia. Here are some of the natives...

Bobtail lizard

Koala

Wallabies

These are just a sample of some of the animals I’ve actually been able to capture on camera. I've seen a few snakes and large race horse goannas but those sightings are quite rare. I have almost daily encounters with cockatoos, doves, kookaburra and magpies which as you can imagine are much harder to photograph.  The natural landscape is also a wonder. 

These mysterious limestone formations known as "The Pinnacles" are believed to have been formed underground possibly up to 500,000 years ago during the Ice Ages of the Quaternary period. Evidence from aboriginal artifacts suggests the Pinnacles were exposed about 6000 years ago, then buried by sands and only revealed again in the last hundred years. 

As I wandered through the vast desert I was amazed by the sheer number of the Pinnacles as well as the size. It was truly a bizarre environment, reminiscent of walking among tombstones. 

 

The indigenous tribe of the Noongars believed that the Pinnacles Desert was the Werinitj Devil place and that if you disobeyed your elders and wandered into the desert you would disappear into the sand. The Pinnacles represented the fallen wanderer’s fingertips, grasping for a way to pull themselves out again. 

Ayo-ayo Pilipinas

Spend two years living and working in a foreign country. 

Spend two years working for and with victims of sex trafficking.

Spend two years working with Filipinos who love their country. 

Spend two years working with Americans who want to learn and serve. 

Spend two years building mutual respect and trust.

I can hardly believe that this is my last day as a United States Peace Corps volunteer. I am proud to say that I have accomplished a huge goal that at times seemed impossible. This was truly the "hardest job I ever loved." I feel so incredibly lucky to have had this experience and to have met so many wonderful, caring and passionate people.This experience has opened my mind and heart in ways that I could never have imagined. 

Salamat kaayo Pilipinas.

Batch 271

Before and After: Cafe Livelihood Project

BEFORE...

 

AFTER...

 

The heritage monument our cafe sits across the street from.

April Update

Well after three months of negotiating Good Shepherd Welcome House finally signed a contract to lease a space that will serve as our location for the Cafe Livelihood Project (This was the grant proposal Roy and I wrote which got us $16,000 from the Shelter Foundation in Switzerland to open a cafe that will serve as a training center and income generating project). GSWH signed a contract for two years, and now the fun begins as we try to get our electrical, plumbing and remodeling needs sorted out, followed by some serious deep cleaning, painting and decorating. The ladies at the center are getting really excited and we've been giving them trainings on cooking and restaurant skills. The name and theme of the cafe is still in question but we are aiming to be open by May. 

My primary assignment doing advocacy has reached it's sustainability stage. After 18 months of community organizing we are finally seeing our partners in the high schools and the barangay (local government offices) take on stronger leadership roles in implementing advocacy activities. They still need our help- due to a lack of funding and materials but it's been especially wonderful to see the students passionately facilitate seminars for the sole benefit of their peers, and great advocacy ideas have come out of it. Right now we are working on creating Human Trafficking Advisories that we can post in the schools and the barangay. We will also establish a grievance mechanism to assist our partners in reporting HT cases.

With all of these things going on it feels like the next few months will really fly by and my service here will end before I know it. Glad to know I'll be able to finish strong. In the meantime I will continue to make the best of my time working here in my home away from home.

A Visit from the Ambassador

On February 27th 2014, the staff of Good Shepherd Welcome House welcomed the United States Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg and USAID Mission Director for the Philippines and the Pacific Islands Gloria Steele. 

 

The visit began with a quick briefing from the Peace Corps-Philippines Director Denny Robertson who introduced me to Gloria Steele. We were able to chat while waiting for the Ambassador and apparently USAID has a grant that GSWH may be eligible to apply for. Her advice? Ask for more money. 

Before we knew it security was arriving to scope out the center and Filipino police were re-directing traffic. I was able to greet the ambassador outside and escort him into the center. Our staff shared about our various programs and I presented the work my counterpart and I have accomplished thus far raising awareness on human trafficking in the community. We then listened to a few testimonials from former beneficiaries who were victims of sex trafficking. One is now working as an experiential outreach worker for the European Union and another is studying social work so that she can help more girls.

The Ambassador was very attentive and encouraging. He thanked us for the work that we do and wished us well. It was a proud day for Good Shepherd Welcome House.