🧃 This Week in the West: From Ghosts, to Bottomless Cocktails, and a Colour-Blind Police Officer 🍹👻

Good morning, westies.

This Week in History

I was checking out old newspapers for weird and unique stories to put in the newsletter (as you do), and in the Williamstown Advertiser on Saturday March 5th 1898 (click the image to go to the site yourself and have a browse), I found this interesting article on colour-blindness of all things.

Picture this: You’re in a courtroom, the air is thick with legal drama, and probably smoke, and a police constable takes the stand to deliver what should be a straightforward testimony.

Then, in an unexpected twist, he confidently identifies a red sash as green. Cue the confused glances, whispered conversations, and the dawning realisation—this guy is colour-blind.

Being colour-blind back in 1898 was news-worthy. And for good reason too, with, at the time, an estimated 4% of the population being colour-blind - which is actually more like 8% based off current estimates. That’s a lot of people potentially misidentifying stoplights, traffic signals, and—apparently—key pieces of courtroom evidence.

Dr. Bickerton, who did some very concerning math, found that thousands of sailors in the mercantile service—you know, the people responsible for steering massive ships—were also colour-blind. And as you might guess, this did not go well. The sinking of the Isaac Bell, City of Antwerp, and Cashel Castle? Oh yeah, all linked to people who couldn’t properly see signals.

I’m sure the courtroom embarrasment would have left the officer red-faced… or was that green-faced?

Update: Best Burger in Western Melbourne?

So as you might know by now, I’m on a quest to find the best burger in the western suburbs. You guys have been giving some great suggestions to add to the list.

Here are a few of the email suggestions that readers have sent in.

So far, we have the following suggestions:

• Good Good Burger (Maidstone)

• 8Bit (Footscray)

• Barbarian Brewing (Kingsville)

• BAM Street Food (Altona)

• Sideshow Burgers (Williamstown)

• Backstreet Burgers (Newport) – Tried this one recently, and it was very good!

• Stan’s Grill (Spotswood)

The list is shaping up nicely, and my ‘must eat’ list just keeps getting longer! I’ve even added a few more spots, but I know there are still plenty of hidden gems out there.

If you’ve got a go-to burger joint that hasn’t been mentioned yet—or if you can vouch for any of the ones already on the list—let me know!

The ultimate winner will be crowned and awarded the legendary Burger Trophy. The Great Burger Quest of the West continues—stay tuned for updates as I dig in!

Local Trivia

🏅 Last Week’s Trivia 🏅

What event did Williamstown host during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics?

A) Cricket
B) Shooting
C) Ocean Swimming
D) Middle Distance Running

The answer was: Shooting, which was held at the old Merrett Rifle Range.

🚲 This Week’s Trivia 🚲

The Federation Trail, a 23-kilometer shared path, primarily follows which historic infrastructure through Melbourne's western suburbs?

A) The Main Outfall Sewer

B) The Maribyrnong River aqueduct

C) The old Geelong railway line

D) The original telegraph line route

If you think you know the answer, make sure you reply to this newsletter, or send an email to [email protected] .

Local Business Recommendation

I’ll use another of my recommendations this week.

I recently went to Manoushi Bakes in Werribee (Instagram link) for lunch, and it was absolutely top notch. The staff are friendly, the food is great, and a $9 Chicken and Mushroom square got me through the day - considering how pricey buying lunch is these days, that’s actually not too bad.

If you have a recommendation, fill in the form

Photo of the Week

This week we’ve got a (in my opinion) very cool shot of some lions at the Werribee Zoo. If you’ve got any photos you want to share, reply to this email or send an email to [email protected] 

Or, tag #westgatejuice and I’ll find it!

🎉 What’s Happening This Week in the West? 🎉

Looking for plans this week? We've got you covered! From bustling markets to live music and more, here’s your go-to guide for the best events happening in the West.

Save the dates, get out there, and enjoy everything our community has to offer! 🎶✨

Here’s what’s happening this week:

Immerse yourself in the Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition at Seaworks, Williamstown

Discover the breathtaking beauty and fragility of our blue planet at the exhibition. Featuring 118 extraordinary images by world-renowned photographers, this exhibition celebrates the wonders of our oceans and highlights the urgent need for their protection.

You can see the rest of the events below.