Latest news with #Geraldton
ABC News
12 hours ago
- ABC News
Defence lawyer accuses retired police officer of 'playing cop' before alleged Geraldton axe attack
The lawyer for two men accused of attacking a retired police officer with an axe in country Western Australia has questioned the former officer's credibility and accused him of "playing cop". Jack Seelander and Justin Troy Ernest Little allegedly assaulted former WA police sergeant Adrian Barker during a confrontation in Geraldton in March 2024. The pair faced trial over three days in the Geraldton Magistrates Court this week. The court heard Mr Barker was returning to his home in Wandina around 3am on March 17, 2024 when he passed a group of eight Aboriginal boys and men. Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Lauren Roycroft, Mr Barker admitted he thought the group would "be trouble". Mr Barker said once in his Wandina home, he sat near his front door, which was slightly ajar behind a locked flyscreen. He initially said it was left open for the breeze, but later Mr Barker admitted it was because he thought the group would attempt to break into nearby houses. Ms Roycroft put it to Mr Barker that he heard "a barely audible click", saw figures running away, then followed and confronted them. However, Mr Barker said he confronted members of the group, including Mr Seelander and Mr Little, after they attempted to break into his house. The confrontation saw Mr Barker allegedly hit Mr Little in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. After initially running away, the court heard members of the group attacked Mr Barker, with Mr Little allegedly hitting him in the side of the face with an axe before fleeing the scene. In his closing statement on Wednesday, police prosecutor Sergeant Thomas Potts said the group had "fairly laid into Barker with a pick to the back" without being provoked. Sergeant Potts said Mr Barker "pre-emptively" struck Mr Little due to his path to flee being blocked by other members of the group. He said Mr Barker's decision to confront the group was honed by his 15 years of experience as a WA police officer. But the defence questioned Mr Barker's conduct, arguing he had pre-emptively formed "a negative view" of the group without cause. "There is a wealth of evidence that Mr Barker was the aggressor," Ms Roycroft told the court. She pointed to Mr Barker's inconsistent accounts of the incident, and his conduct immediately after the attack, as detrimental to his credibility as a witness. The court was told that after the incident, Mr Barker got into his car, pursued a car carrying a group of Aboriginal people unconnected to the attack at speed, flashed his headlights, pulled them over, and interrogated them at the side of the road. When the car's occupants asked if he was a police officer, Mr Barker answered "yep". Magistrate Matthew Walton reserved his decision, telling the court the matters were difficult, with "complexities often forgotten" in closing statements. He agreed that Mr Barker was "getting brutalised" by people in the group. The matter will return to court next month for the verdict.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Why is Bluff Knoll Western Australia's only 'reliable' spot to see snowfall?
Western Australia is renowned for its beaches and summer heat, so it may come as a surprise to some that it snows there most years. The only place to record regular snow falls is Bluff Knoll, the 1,099-metre peak in the Stirling Ranges, about 400 kilometres south of Perth. While it is not the state's highest peak (that honour goes to Mount Meharry, 1,600km north in the Pilbara's Hamersley Ranges), it is certainly the state's most popular with visitors, attracting tens of thousands of hikers each year. And the prospect of a small flurry of snow is enough to send plenty dashing to the top, often in freezing conditions. Forecasters are predicting that conditions on Monday morning may be suitable for a light dusting. Falls have historically been recorded across large parts of the south of the state and even in the Perth hills, and as far north as Geraldton. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) meteorologist Jessica Lingard said cold temperatures at the top of Bluff Knoll were key to creating the right mix for snow flurries. The most likely time to see snow was after a significant cold front had come through, Ms Lingard said. "We've got that really nice cold air originating from well south of the continent, it's called the cold pool. "That sits behind the cold front and that's the typical time that we're going to see snow." Mount Toolbrunup is the second-highest peak in the Stirling Ranges, sitting about 1,050 metres high, but there is a much lower chance of snow there. "In that 40 or 50m difference [to Bluff Knoll], there can be a huge change in temperature profile," Ms Lingard said. Those who make it to the peak in the snow get automatic admittance to WA's only ski club. It was founded by John and Margot Byrne and a few locals excited about the snow. "We tell people you've got to touch the powder to become a member," Mr Byrne said. "One guy, he filled his thermos up with snow and he brought it back and he said, 'There you go. I'm a member.'" The club has its headquarters and a "ski lodge" at nearby Mount Trio Bush Camp and Caravan Park, with a handwritten snow file detailing the falls. The BOM has records of snow falling in WA as far back as 1864 and usually receives one to two reports of snow on Bluff Knoll each winter. There were six snow reports received in 2016, the highest number according to the bureau's records. The last year on record without a single report of snow is 2014. "There obviously have been years where we haven't had any reports, that's not to say that it didn't happen, it just means that nobody went up there and told us about it. "There have been a few more reports in recent decades than in history and I think that's probably to do with it being more heavily talked about. There's a lot of social media sharing and you get lots of people that do make that sort of pilgrimage to the top on these cold days." In 2019, a cold blast turned Bluff Knoll white on Good Friday. It was the first April snowfall in WA for 49 years. Snow was also recorded there as late as November in 1992. On June 26, 1956, snow was reported across the Wheatbelt, the Perth Hills and as far north as Geraldton, about 800km north of Albany. On that day, temperatures at Wongan Hills reached 6.3C and Perth recorded its coldest maximum of 8.8C. The last time snow was seen in the Perth Hills was in the 1960s. Ms Lingard said snow was seen now and again in Bridgetown in the South West, and also in Mount Barker in the Great Southern.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aussie drivers stunned after little-known car hack goes viral: 'Cute little feature'
Countless Aussie drivers have shared their delight and amazement to learn their cars have a little-known feature after a viral trend on social media alerted many motorists to the hidden capability. Videos of drivers showing off their concealed headlight washers have been doing the rounds online in recent weeks, with people realising they have small jet sprays which appear under the headlights after a sequence of buttons is engaged. West Australian resident Jessica Curry told Yahoo News she spotted one of videos and soon discovered she unwittingly discovered she had the feature on her 2022 Nissan Patrol. "I remember seeing a video ages ago about somebody using a little sprayer," the mum from Geraldton told Yahoo. "So I asked my husband about them. He's like, 'Yeah, they're sprayers." Up until this point, Jessica had mistaken them for parking sensors. She joked the discovery process had been "hilarious", while also praising the feature for how handy it has been ever since the revelation. "We do a lot of long drives and night driving, so it's good to have as an option!" she said. "It's quite a masculine car to have a cute little wash feature. It was absolutely hilarious [when I saw it the first time]." The sequence of buttons can change from car to car, but those who have showed off their headlight washers online have followed this process with their Nissan Patrol: Turn the headlights on. Turn the high beams on. Turn and hold the window wipers on for three seconds. The sprayer pops out from under the headlight and sprays water and windscreen detergent to clear dirt and debris from the lights. Another Australian driver shared a video of her putting the instructions to the test and was in disbelief to spot the washer arms popping out to spray her headlights. 🛞 Drivers warned of destructive trend on roads inflicting 100,000-tonne problem ⚡️ Tradie lucky to be alive after ute struck by lightning while driving 👀 Major change prompts warnings of $2,500 fines for new road users Thousands of motorists have now admitted to running out to see if their car has the nifty feature too, and the feedback has been a mix of delight and disappointment. "My 2008 Outlander has it!" one driver said, while another 2017 Ford Escape owner claimed his vehicle had it. However, others had their hopes dashed. "Ma'am my car was made in 1990, my automatic headlight washer has two arms, legs and is named me," one Aussie joked. The feature is reported to be one more modern cars, in particular larger 4WD and SUVs and vehicles with bright high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Geraldton set to host World Junior Windsurfing Championship grand final
Some of the world's best young windsurfers are set to hit the waves on one of the windiest stretches of the West Australian coastline. Geraldton, 400 kilometres north of Perth, will host the World Wave grand final of the Junior World Windsurfing Championships in January — the first time the event will be held outside Europe. Competitors from around the world will take to the waves from January 10–18. World Wave Tour director Simeon Glasson said it was a landmark moment for the sport. "Bringing the grand final to Western Australia reflects our global vision for youth windsurfing and highlights Geraldton's world-class wind and wave conditions," he said. Western Australia had seven junior windsurfers who finished in the world's top 10 rankings in 2024. Geraldton Windsurfing Club president Peter Kenyon said securing the event was a huge coup for the town. "It's amazing; to wrestle it from the European circuit is a big achievement in itself," he said. "In the past couple of years, we've actually had a real increase in events in Geraldton. "It's really great to help the local community and windsurfing community to display what we've got." Depending on conditions, heats will be held across Sunset Beach, Spot X (Oakajee), or Coronation Beach. With the cost of travelling to Europe to compete, Mr Kenyon said the event being held locally would be a huge boost for home-grown competitors. "Having the under-18 world titles in Geraldton allows the Australian kids to compete," he said. "The event quite often has been in Europe, and the cost of travel to Europe is quite expensive, and for most of us, that is outside our budget. "It's showcasing the local talent in Geraldton and it gives our juniors an opportunity to compete without having to travel overseas." Mr Kenyon's daughter, Sarah, followed her father and family friends into the sport and is ranked number one in junior girls on the World Wave Tour. Sarah said it would be a special moment to compete at home. "It means a lot to me," she said. "I get to compete somewhere where I've been training so much and just to use those conditions to my advantage is pretty cool as well." Much like a football or a cricket team might experience a home-field advantage at their regular ground, Sarah said riding her home waves would be a big boost too. "I just know where to position myself and everything like that," she said. "And also, just because we have such great waves it will be so cool to make the most of them."
West Australian
08-07-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Oklahoma City officially declares July 8 to be Alex Ducas Day after Geraldton star's role in NBA championship
Oklahoma City officially declares July 8 to be Alex Ducas Day after Geraldton star's role in NBA championship
