OPINION: A picture of our past

The way it was. To say that times have changed is an understatement. Today’s world and the future that we face are a bit grim. But we will survive and come out the other side much wiser. The photo I took in 2015 at Garden Island is of a pristine part of that island, showing the native Rottnest Island tea trees coming almost down to the clear water of the deserted beach. My grandson, Jake, is in the Navy and invited us over at that time for a tour of the island, which is used as an Australian Navy installation. They only use a small area of the Island and the rest is untouched, showing us a picture of the island before early settlers came to Australia. In the distance you may be able to make out the heavy industrial area of Cockburn Sound. Not far away, a stark contrast close by. Like the world is for us now. We can see the way it was but it is a stark contrast to what is today. Preservation of our native flora of the Mid West is a vital part of future planning. People also can and are taking this time to spend in whatever space they have for a garden.