Wherever you go right now in the clean minitropolis of Perth, Western Australia, it's beginning to feel a lot like CHOGM. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting has rolled into town. It hasn't started officially, but like the precursors of another well-loved festival–the Yuletide tinsel and fruit mince pies already in Coles and Woolworths–there are early signs that a great event in about to explode on our West Coast Zeitgeist. There is a literal sign on the city's Esplanade. In large letters it spells out PERTH. It is scaled to be viewable from the new Kings Park Reception Centre. This labelling will be particularly helpful for international visitors for whom Perth is but one stopover among many. Hipsters have already derided the PERTH sign for its naffness.That it feels like a visual pinch from the famous Hollywood sign has been a common theme. The perceived try-harness of this installation; its corporate or municipal utility and lack of flair are common threa...

Zeitgeisters, Apparently our Queen, QE2 – and yes, she’s still our Queen, Australia, until we get the paperwork done; Our Own Dear Queen – and her Significant Other, Prince Phil are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary today. Listening to News Radio today I was annoyed, but not surprised at the vaguely fawning tone of the reporting. The reporting of such matters in Australia was much more nauseatingly royalist years ago, so some things have improved. Today we enjoyed audio of the 1948 ceremony. An expert explained how the whole thing was a bit of glamour during a period of post-war austerity; we heard how Australian Girl Guides provided the ingredients for the four tier wedding cake; there was a short interview with the Queen’s own seamstress of the time, how it felt to have her work so prominently displayed on that day sixty years ago; all interesting at a low level. Then the story went a bit too softheaded as it detailed how enduring was the relationship between The Queen and ...