I Remember When with Matthew Pavlinovich

Growing up in Middle Swan and Swan View, the whole area including Midland holds a lot of great childhood memories for me.

I can remember as a young child watching Roe Highway come through, the Speed Dome appear as if from nowhere and seeing what was once cattle grazing and marshland area become the Ridgewood Park Estate in Middle Swan.

I was fortunate enough to see the final years of the WAGR Midland Workshops and the impact the place had on the town.

As the final whistle blew to end the workday, I will always remember seeing the sea of orange fluoro hats of the workshops workers down Great Northern Highway and Helena Street.

Catching the 308 bus from Middle Swan to Midland, I would alight on Helena Street in front of the Council Club Hotel and jump on the scales at the front of Wright’s Pharmacy every time I walked past.

I remember seeing the Croatians out the front of the Council Club Hotel on a Saturday morning catching up while waiting for their partners who were doing the shopping in Midland’s traditional heart and the Italians who preferred to sit in the comforts of Centrepoint, both contributing to the multicultural fabric of our area.

My first bike was purchased at Flash Cycles, my first haircut was at Wally’s in The Avenue Arcade, shopping at Foodland owned by the Nobili family in the very same arcade and then there was Bilo and Knox’s on Stafford Street.

Yes we had shopping arcades in Midland – The Avenue, Helena, Stafford Court and Tuckers.
Going to the post office as a kid was an adventure too, going in one way, the tapping of the wood floors and coming out the other door to post the mail in the boxes.

There were regular visits to the Commonwealth Bank on Great Northern Highway where I was amused by drawing on deposit slips.

Thursday nights was shopping time at Midland Gate and choosing from a donut from Puffin Fresh or hot chips from Holly’s or Café Messina for a pre dinner snack.

The whole area will always hold a special place in my heart.

If you have any memories like mine, email memories@realestateplus.com.au.
– Matthew Pavlinovich, marketing officer