Fence Expose

Fences and the width of the roads are standouts in Kalgoorlie.

It seems about 95% of houses sport front fences here. This is such a contrast to the majority of Perth suburbs that I find it quite astounding.

During a recent discussion about the fence phenomena a recent acquaintance told me that her young son, who had recently purchased a house in one of the newer suburbs, had remarked that he would need to buy a front fence.

When I asked why fences seem to be such an integral part of the local landscape, another friend replied that she thought they give people a sense of security and/or ownership.

On reflection as some of them are hardly more than low pickets, I think the latter is more likely. Or perhaps it is simply a hangover from the early days when Kalgoorlie was a rough mining town . People may have genuinely felt the need for added protection from........who knows what. Or dare I say it is a legacy handed down from the old country and the immigrant prospectors who came to rob the land of its riches.

The fences themselves are as different and individual as the houses they defend. It is rare, on the streets I walk, to find two the same. A plethora of materials have been used, and of course that includes living varieties as well.

I am supposing that the locals don't even notice the great array of fencing that surrounds them.

But, obviously on a unconscious level they do, as it seems they go to great lengths to make sure theirs is different from their neighbours'.