FSN - Freo Life

Howard McKenzie Murray is an author and playwright based in Fremantle. His debut novel, This is Where We Say Goodbye was published in May 2026, by Fremantle Press, the manuscript having earlier been shortlisted for the 2024 Hungerford Award.

The novel follows 21-year-old Maud Tarkington the day she must attend her favourite brother’s funeral. Set in Fremantle over the course of one day, this situational tragedy is a funny, quirky, bittersweet story about family ties, memory and the unexpected ways we hold it together when everything has fallen apart.
Praise for the book has come from near and far and includes Marty Donald’s, who said of the book: ‘Remarkable — a funny, heartrending fever dream of a book’.

Our Editor, Michael Barker, was pleased to catch up with Howard McKenzie-Murray to make this podcast in which we talk about This is Where We Say Goodbye, its genesis, the writing process, and his career as a writer so far. A wonderful, illuminating conversation.

You can read the full story on FSN here. 

Support the show

In the last couple decades of the 19th century, the 1880s and 1890s, as Western Australia earned Responsible Government, the Gold Rush became a thing, and Australian Federation approached, a 19 year old Francis Jerome Ernest Hart arrived in the Swan River Colony from London to take up a teaching position. 

Before long he had assumed the career of a journalist, first on the Fremantle Herald and later in Geraldton and Perth, as well as venturing into the world of the theatre. Along the way he married the lovely Lilian and the became musical friends of the Governor of the period, William Robinson. However, Jerry wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea and before too long he departed the jurisdiction never to return. 

It can fairly be said that not many around the traps in Fremantle, Perth and WA today will recognise his name. However, historian and author Brendan Kelly has been pursuing the life and times of ‘Jerry’ Hart for some years as one of his ‘B side’ history projects, and his biography of the man – ‘Jerry’ Hart: Sex & Drugs & Gilbert & Sullivan – has just been published. 

Here’s our Editor, Michael Barker’s interview with Brendan Kelly about Jerry.

You can read the full story on Fremantle Shipping News here.

Support the show

Ian de Souza, now in his 87th year, is a much loved Fremantle artist, but he wasn’t always a visual artist.

After puzzling his way through a few years of Minor Seminary in New South Wales as a 16 year old in the mid 1950s, straight from a Catholic high school in Malaya, as it was then, Ian, then Mervyn, decided he needed to explore his artistic talents; and he did so first in Perth. Before he knew it he had carved out a successful career as a singer. Later, he redirected his talent and emerged as a self taught watercolour artist of some note around Fremantle some 4 decades and more ago; and later again, as an art teacher.

Ian says observation lies at the heart of his painting practice. He explains that for more than four decades, he has developed a disciplined approach grounded in drawing and the direct experience of landscape. This is all exemplified in his latest exhibition, Port to Pilbara, that has just opened at Found & Sorted Gallery, 138 South Terrace, Fremantle – right near the Wray Street commercial precinct.

Ian says the exhibition brings together two environments that have shaped his artistic vision: the maritime architecture of Fremantle and the ancient geological formations of the Pilbara, both executed en plein air.

The port city has long anchored the Ian’s life and practice. A series of monochrome drawings and paintings in the exhibition explores the geometry and rhythm of the built environment. The Fremantle Bridge appears as a recurring motif – an image Ian has revisited throughout his career, amongst many other recognisable Freo scenes. In contrast, the works developed in Karijini National Park respond to the powerful geological character of the Pilbara. Iron-rich earth, deep gorges and expansive skies create a terrain of striking chromatic intensity and shifting light.

Our Editor, Michael Barker, was pleased to catch up with Ian de Souza this week to make the podcast you’ll find below, in which we discuss Ian’s varied and amazing career, from Malaya to Freo and much in between. And what drives him. You won’t want to miss a word!

You can find the original article on Fremantle Shipping News here. 

Support the show

Regular listeners of Episodes 1-10 will know that the escape moment has nearly arrived. In this episode, Episode 11, we arrive at the pointy end of the great escape story. In Episode 10 we heard that the alarm seemed to have been raised on the escape. The mounted soldiers were on the beach at Rockingham shadowing the escaping whaleboat fully laden with a boatload of 16 men, including the 6 escaping Military Fenians. What will happen next? After all this time, will the story have a Hollywood ending, or a tragic Colonial one? Fingers crossed. We wish them all the luck of the Irish!

You can read the original article for this episode on FSN here, where you will find a helpful photograph (courtesy of Fremantle and fellow Catalpa historian, Mike Lefroy) of a typical late 19th century whaleboat now to be found in the Maritime Museum, Fremantle.

And in case you missed the earlier episodes, here they are –

Episode 1:  here’s Episode 1

Episode 2:  here’s Episode 2

Episode 3: here’s Episode 3

Episode 4: here’s Episode 4

Episode 5: here’s Episode 5

Episode 6: here’s Episode 6

Episode 7: here’s Episode 7

Episode 8: here’s Episode 8

Episode 9: here’s Episode 9

Episode 10: here's Episode 10

Support the show

Welcome back to our politics podcast, View From The Round House With Martin Drum.

Today, our Editor, Michael Barker asks the Prof about one thing and one thing only, well, three things one supposes: IRAN, IRAN, IRAN.

Martin Drum is the Executive Dean for the Faculty of Arts, Sciences, Law and Business and Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Notre Dame Australia, a frequenter of Fremantle, and a well known political pundit.

You can read the original article on FSN here. 

And in case you missed our earlier podcasts, you’ll find them all here!

~ If you’d like to COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.

Support the show

Lara Bianca Pilcher is an international performing artist, author, speaker, and ICF PCC-certified creativity coach with over 25 years of experience across musical theatre, choreography, education, and leadership.

She has worked internationally in Australia, London, and the United States, and holds a Master’s in Musical Theatre Creative Practice (ArtsEd London), a Bachelor in Creative Arts (Dance), and a Graduate Diploma in Education (Dance and Drama).

Her debut book, Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World – just released in the Northern Hemisphere and soon to be released in Australia – introduces the Creative Brief for the Audacious Artist — a powerful identity-based framework for staying grounded, courageous, and self-directed through the realities of creative life: obscurity, doubt, rejection, comparison, and the fear of being overlooked.

With deep experience as both artist and coach, Lara speaks and teaches globally, equipping artists to build emotionally, artistically, and practically sustainable careers.

She is also the creator of The Healthy Wealthy Wise Artist Podcast and lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two children.

The Editor of Fremantle Shipping News, Michael Barker, was very pleased to catch up with Lara Bianca Pilcher before her planned Australian speaking tour (including in Perth, her home state) to make the podcast (that you’ll find at the very foot of this post) where we discuss how to be an Audacious Artist! 

It’s a great listen. Lara is a brilliant communicator!

You can read the original story on FSN here.

Support the show

Welcome to our regular politics podcast, View From The Round House With Martin Drum.

This episode is titled LEY LOSES, TAYLOR TRIUMPHS, ALL EYES TURN TO FARRER!

In this episode, our Editor, Michael Barker, asks the Prof about only one thing, the battle for the Australian Liberals leadership and how and why former Opposition Leader Sussan Ley lost and new Opposition Leader Angus Taylor triumphed, and what comes next.

Turns out the by-election in Farrer comes next following Sussan Ley’s resignation from Parliament. Fascinating days ahead. The Prof explains all!

Martin Drum is the Executive Dean for the Faculty of Arts, Sciences, Law and Business and Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Notre Dame Australia, a frequenter of Fremantle, and a well known political pundit.

You can view the original article on FSN here.

Support the show

In this Episde, Episode 10, at long last we begin to get to the business end of the rescue and escape. Captain Anthony in Bunbury and Breslin/Mr Collins in Fremantle are in regular touch by telegram over the Easter weekend. The 6 Fenians are on alert in The Establishment preparing themselves for the word to abscond. Breslin and Desmond/Johnson are arranging horses and traps to convey two escape parties from Fremantle to near Rockingham to meet up with Captain Anthony and his crew and make their way out of Western Australia. King and Brennan are helping out. It’s gripping stuff.

You can read the original article for Episode 10 on FSN here.

And in case you missed the earlier episodes, here they are –

Episode 1:  here’s Episode 1

Episode 2:  here’s Episode 2

Episode 3: here’s Episode 3

Episode 4: here’s Episode 4

Episode 5: here’s Episode 5

Episode 6: here’s Episode 6

Episode 7: here’s Episode 7

Episode 8: here’s Episode 8

Episode 9: here’s Episode 9

Support the show

The Head On Photo Festival began in Sydney in 2004, and, for the first time, in 2026, it’s on show, in Perth Western Australia, right now!

You don’t need to be a declared lover of photography to attend the Festival, but if you are, you will love it. And if you aren’t, you soon will be!

The Festival is Australia’s premier photography event, showcasing the work of international and local photographers of all genres and career stages.

Moshe Rosenzveig is the founder, artistic director and curator of Head On. His own career spans over 40 years as a photojournalist, commercial photographer, educator and an award-winning television producer/director at SBS Television. His work has been screened, published and exhibited in Australia and overseas.

Our Editor, Michael Barker, was very pleased to catch up with Moshe Rosenzveig this week to make this podcast in which Moshe discusses how Head On came to be, the state of photography in the 2020s and, of course, the Head On Photo Festival Perth 2026, what you will find on show, and how best to enjoy it all.

Here’s the original post on Fremantle Shipping News.

And here’s the podcast. Enjoy!

Support the show

Here’s Episode 9 of this very popular podcast celebrating to escape of political Fenians from Colonial Western Australia on 17 April 1876 - coming up 150 years. 

In this episode, the Catalpa arrives in Bunbury. It’s 27 March 1876. Breslin/Collins and Captain Anthony meet there. So much pretence. And lo and behold, Brennan, whom captain Anthony had refused to take on board in New Bedford, suddenly appears on the Georgette. Is that like throwing a spanner in the works? So many operatives now wanting to share the glory! Will too many cooks spoil the broth? Breslin and Anthony journey on the Georgette to Fremantle where they find HMS Conflict, a gun boat, in port. So much happening. Won’t the authorities smell a rat? So many cliches. Such a story! Suddenly, it’s 15 April 1876.

You can read the original article for Episode 9 here.

Don’t miss Episodes 1-8 in this wonderful podcast series:

Episode 1: on FSN and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 2: on FSN and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 3: on FSN and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 4: on FSN and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 5: on FSN and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 6: on FSN and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 7: on FSN and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 8: on FSN and Apple Podcasts.

Support the show