Sudden death of Perth Reverend leaves community heartbroken
Emily Bowser, who was the Reverend at St Nicholas' Anglican Church in Floreat, died suddenly last week.
'We are shocked and saddened by the news of the sudden death of The Reverend Emily Bowser on 22 July,' Anglican Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy said in a statement to Western Suburbs Weekly.
She said the Anglican Church remained in shock at Ms Bowser's death.
Ms Bowser, who joined the Floreat parish in February last year, was remembered for her comfort and support to the wider Floreat community in the wake of the Petelczyc tragedy. Rev. Emily Bowser at Nicholas Anglican Church in Berkeley Crescent. Credit: Ross Swanborough / The West Australian
'She led a service of lament and hope at the time and both community leaders and those in the local neighbourhood were able to come together to pray, remember and seek comfort together.
'Anglicans are now keeping Emily and her family in our prayers, thankful for her life and confident in the grace of God's eternal love.'
The candlelit vigil in Floreat that followed the shocking double-murder brought together domestic violence-victim survivors and mourners, along with community leaders including then Women's Interests Minister Sue Ellery, Curtin MP Kate Chaney and Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas.
The church, just doors away from the crime scene, also opened for mourners who may need 'someone to talk to.'
'The doors are open ... I'm making the church available for all who need it and just someone to talk to if they need it,' Ms Bowser said at the time.
'It's what my calling says to do, and it's what is the right thing to do, to just be present and available for all who might need it ... it's just a matter of caring for people and being with them and alongside them.'
The Floreat church, with the assistance of its Family and Domestic Violence Working Group, added a purple bench with information about places of help for those at risk of FDV.
In her introduction to the parish last year, Ms Bowser said she was looking forward to meeting everyone and 'walking alongside you over the next two years.'
'I live in the beautiful Perth hills with my husband Simon, my daughter Sophia and two pampered house cats. I also have an adult son who lives away from home,' she wrote.
Ms Bowser began training for ministry in 2020 and served in placement with Amana Living in 2022, working alongside the chaplain at St George's Care in Bayswater.
She also studied at Murdoch University, graduating with a diploma in theology, and maintained a personal adoration for painting.
'I have loved painting since early childhood and worked in different mediums, including watercolour, egg tempera, and mixed media,' she said.
'I still paint when I have the time, and my art is inspired by my love of nature, history, theology and literature, particularly poetry. I enjoy crafty hobbies such as papercraft, sewing, quilting and embroidery in my free time.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
12 hours ago
- West Australian
Thieves steal car, smash straight through roller door in Baldivis before robbing Naval Base businesses
A mother-of-three has been left 'scared and traumatised' after her car was stolen from inside her garage, the thieves ploughing it through a roller door before using it to ram-raid a cafe and bottle shop. Shocking CCTV obtained by The West Australian shows the moment a grey Nissan X-trail, registration 1HOL770, was stolen from a Baldivis home before being driven through a the closed garage. Police said the car was stolen from the Santorini Parkway home about 2.45pm on Sunday. It was then used to ram-raid a Liquor Barons store and the Salty Gnome Express cafe in Naval Base in the early hours of Monday. Grace, who did not want her surname used, said her three children were watching TV when she heard a noise come from the garage. 'I opened the door (connecting to the garage) and this person attempted to jump out of my car — I was worried this person would come at me, so I locked myself inside the house,' she said. 'Once I locked the door, this person forcefully reversed (the Nissan) through the garage door. 'I heard a big noise — the garage door was all falling out and he had already driven out. 'The whole garage door was all on the road. I quickly had to call the police.' Police said the stolen Nissan X-Trail was used to ram-raid the cafe and liquor store on Weston Street in Naval Base about 3am on Monday. CCTV of the raid, seen by 7NEWS, shows the the stolen vehicle being driven into the roller doors of the building, creating a hole to get through. A glass door was smashed to allow the offenders to get inside the bottle shop. Staff were left to clean up the mess this on Monday morning, with one worker saying cigarettes and alcohol was stolen. Mandurah detectives are searching for the offenders, who arrived at the Baldivis home in a white four-wheel drive. CCTV taken from the home shows one man climbing into the garage after tampering with it before he reverses at a high-speed through the roller door — sending debris flying. Grace, who left her car key inside her vehicle believing it was safe behind the roller door, said her family and neighbours were shaken by the daylight robbery. Her work security pass and handbag were in the stolen car. 'We don't really have any connection with these people at all, we don't have any grudges around the neighbourhood,' she said. 'This neighbourhood is very friendly and very quiet and we really have good neighbours, and we communicate really often and check on each other. 'My husband had just reached work and he hadn't started because he was starting at three o'clock, and then he had to drive immediately back home. 'But I was very traumatised at that moment ... I was very shaken. 'Luckily enough, we have a new police station, which has just opened up in Baldivis, just for a week, so they were able to come within five minutes of the call.' Detectives are urging anyone with information, CCTV or who has seen the stolen blue Nissan to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Perth Now
WATCH: Thieves steal car, smash straight through roller door
Baldivis garage destroyed and car stolen A mother of three has been left 'scared and traumatised' after her car was stolen from inside her garage, the thieves ploughing it through a roller door before using it to ram-raid a cafe and bottle shop. Shocking CCTV obtained by The West Australian shows the moment a grey Nissan X-trail, registration 1HOL770, was stolen from a Baldivis home before being driven through a the closed garage. Police said the car was stolen from the Santorini Parkway home about 2.45pm on Sunday. It was then used to ram-raid a Liquor Barons store and the Salty Gnome Express cafe in Naval Base in the early hours of Monday. Grace, who did not want her surname used, said her three children were watching TV when she heard a noise come from the garage. Police on the scene in Baldivis. Credit: Unknown / Supplied 'I opened the door (connecting to the garage) and this person attempted to jump out of my car — I was worried this person would come at me, so I locked myself inside the house,' she said. 'Once I locked the door, this person forcefully reversed (the Nissan) through the garage door. 'I heard a big noise — the garage door was all falling out and he had already driven out. 'The whole garage door was all on the road. I quickly had to call the police.' Police said the stolen Nissan X-Trail was used to ram-raid the cafe and liquor store on Weston Street in Naval Base about 3am on Monday. CCTV of the raid, seen by 7NEWS, shows the the stolen vehicle being driven into the roller doors of the building, creating a hole to get through. The stolen car is driven straight through the roller door. Credit: Unknown / Supplied A glass door was smashed to allow the offenders to get inside the bottle shop. Staff were left to clean up the mess this on Monday morning, with one worker saying cigarettes and alcohol was stolen. Mandurah detectives are searching for the offenders, who arrived at the Baldivis home in a white four-wheel drive. CCTV taken from the home shows one man climbing into the garage after tampering with it before he reverses at a high-speed through the roller door — sending debris flying. Grace, who left her car key inside her vehicle believing it was safe behind the roller door, said her family and neighbours were shaken by the daylight robbery. Her work security pass and handbag were in the stolen car. The debris. Credit: Unknown / Supplied 'We don't really have any connection with these people at all, we don't have any grudges around the neighbourhood,' she said. 'This neighbourhood is very friendly and very quiet and we really have good neighbours, and we communicate really often and check on each other. 'My husband had just reached work and he hadn't started because he was starting at three o'clock, and then he had to drive immediately back home. 'But I was very traumatised at that moment ... I was very shaken. 'Luckily enough, we have a new police station, which has just opened up in Baldivis, just for a week, so they were able to come within five minutes of the call.' Detectives are urging anyone with information, CCTV or who has seen the stolen blue Nissan to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Police are searching for the stolen car. Credit: WA Police / WA Police
West Australian
5 days ago
- West Australian
Locals say dramatic rescue effort to retrieve Carolina Wilga's bogged van took more than four days
Wheatbelt residents have revealed it took more than four days to manage to retrieve German backpacker Carolina Wilga's van from the remote area in which it was trapped. The 26-year-old German backpacker miraculously survived 11 nights alone in the remote Wheatbelt bush after crashing her car, hitting her head and wandering off in a state of confusion. She survived by drinking rainwater from puddles and sleeping in a cave before she was spotted by local farmer Tania French near Beacon. Bonnie Rock farmer Andrew Sprigg said he rallied a group of locals together after learning the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions had been called in to retrieve the van. He said the vehicle was removed by a 20t loader which ploughed through the dense bushland last weekend. 'I heard the DBCA were in charge with the recovery and I knew their resources would be stretched, so I contacted (a mate) in Merredin and we got approval to run a loader out there to clear the track,' he told The West Australian. 'We thought we could do it with an old 4WD but (the bush) was too thick. 'There's no track . . . the police damaged their vehicles extensively getting down the track as it was.' Mr Sprigg said it took four days to retrieve the van, and said it was being stored in a local shed for one of Ms Wilga's friends to collect. Fellow farmer Kim Graham helped with the retrieval and said he was happy to lend a hand, given his extensive knowledge of the land. 'At the end of the day you've got someone from the other side of the world that needs a hand, and it's not the most easiest terrain for the authorities to get to,' he told 6PR on Thursday. 'I suppose being locals, we've got a bit of an idea (about the area) . . . for us guys to be able to help out, it's the least we can do, that's what the community does.' '(We knew) it was going to be tough terrain to retrieve, and probably going to cost more than it's even worth for the authorities to do it, and for us guys to be help out ... that's what the community does.' He said the van was in 'pretty good condition' with some 'minor dents and scratches.' Mr Graham said he was part of the initial search effort to find Ms Wilga and said it was a miracle she was found alive. 'We put our plane up and we had guys on the ground looking around with utes and motorbikes,' he said. 'At the end of the day she's got a story to tell, she may not have made it (because) it was -4C here one morning, (it was) pretty tough conditions, so she's very, very lucky. 'I think it's probably a good lesson if we're to take the positives out of it, and that's to make sure that we're covered with our safety whether it's (taking) EPIRBs or satellites if we're going off grid.' Mr Sprigg urged travellers to educate themselves on WA's harsh climate before venturing into the outback. 'My cousin hires campervans out and he has a lot of issues with European backpackers, they follow Google Maps and it leads them into all sorts of strange places,' he said. 'I think there needs to be better planning and better safety and awareness.' Ms Wilga spent four nights recovering in Fiona Stanley Hospital before being discharged on July 16. She returned her family's home town, Castrop-Rauxe, on July 20.
