Swancon 17 January 1992 PR page 15

Posted on 7 December, 2018 by australian sf-history

This page features “Masquerades and Banquets”, “Things to Bring”, “Eats” and “Volunteers Wanted!”. Let’s see how far we get…

 

Masquerades and Banquets

 

The Masquerade this year will be, as we’ve said in previous PRs, somewhat different from previous years. We’re doing away with the “skit” style, which encourages half-hearted costuming, and instead we’ll be awarding prizes for Hall Costumes on Sunday Evening at the Pre-launch and subsequent activities. Following the pre-launch signing and discussions, we hope to run Filking and have a Jamming session for the musos, and maybe dancing for the rest of us, and we’d encourage you to wear your costumes then. We were trying to organise a Mediaeval Feast as the Official Banquet for the Convention, but negotiations (begging and pleading) with the Hotel came to nought. We’ve decided that a Banquet which is affordable to a minority of Convention Attendees is not an acceptable one, and have therefore abandoned the formal banquet. Instead we’re organising two informal events. Firstly, on the Saturday Night, we’re carrying on a tradition that’s been a part of SwanCons for about five years now; the Pizza Banquet. We’ll be collecting a small amount of money from interested people on the night and ordering a huge quantity of Pizza and Soft Drink to be consumed in the Epsom Room, around the pool or in the Video Lounge. Then, on the Sunday Night, we’re going to take advantage of the Hotel Bistro’s “All the Pasta You Can Eat for $5.00” offer (there are four types of Pasta, and garlic bread and salad cost another $1.50 each). Because there won’t be a formal banquet, the Awards Ceremony will be part of the closing ceremony.

 

Things to Bring

    • Materials for the Spaceship Building (we’ve got lots of stuff, but if you have anything especially interesting or useful – such as bits of PVC tubing, plastic drink bottles, al-foil, strange containers of all types – please bring it along.)
    • Sleeping Bags (while we can’t officially condone it, we have booked out the whole hotel, so if you’re looking for crash space, you’d best bring sleeping gear!)
    • Freeform Costumery (if you want in on “Shadows on the Sun”, anything relevant to the Court of the Sun King – a sash, a ruffle-shirt, a rapier … – would be useful.)
    • A container for Popcorn (if you some). We may have real, original, true blue environmentally unconscious cardboard cups for sale at cost, but BYO to be sure.
    • A tee shirt (we’ll have instant tee-shirt printing at Registration, plus a few tee-shirts for sale, and we’ll be offering a variety of logos and designs).

 

Eats

For those of you who plan to eat at the Con, the following food outlets may be of interest. Redcliffe Lunch Bar (6.00am-Midnight, Mon. to Sat. & 7:30am-6:30pm Sun. and Pub. Hols) is 500m from the Hotel. The Rose Garden Chinese Restaurant is 800m away, Sun Sun Chinese is 900m away, Hungry Jacks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Chicken Treat, Pizza Hut, Ascot Fruit&Veg and another deli are all 1500m away. The Hotel Bistro (open Midday-2:00pm & 6:00pm-8:00pm daily) run a normal menu on all days except for Sunday. Hotel Breakfasts for guest are $7.50 (continental) and $10.50 (hot), although we’re in the process of trying to negotiate better rates.

 

Volunteers Wanted!

We’re still looking for people who will be able to help out at the Con itself. Specifically, we’re looking for Day/Night Managers and Security Personnel. If you’re interested, please ring Richard Scriven on XXX-XXXX ASAP. You’ll get a special “Helper” badge that will allow you access to certain restricted areas, and you’ll have our sincere thanks.

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SwanCon XV Progress Report Two Summary

Posted on 4 December, 2018 by australian sf-history

by Chris Creagh
This A5 sized, buff coloured, 20 page booklet with disorganised page numbers, is sprinkled with graphics and packed full of useful information. The front cover sports a futuristic drawing by Craig Hilton (© 1989)  of a circuitry embedded right eye overlaying a backdrop of a night image of office towers with some of the lights on. The image is called “The Dark Future”.

There is also artwork by
– Jim Davis (Vice Is My Life p6 ) a Garfield-esque character in dark glasses
– Ann Griffiths (Odie’s Grin p6) as the name implies…
– Jeremy Reston (Untitled p7 – young distressed fan declaiming “You don’t mean… Scotty really isn’t Scottish?”) and the back page which is a sketch of a face from brow to bottom lip. The image is a bit disquieting.

Page 2 has the Table of Contents while on page 3 Stephen Dedman takes a retro-futuristic view of SwanCon (CXV) under the title of “Crystal Balls and Other Unlikely Prosthetics II” His thesis is basically … whatever we deem to be a bright future those who would have to live in it might be of a very different persuasion.

Page 4 “Incorporation” by Don Griffiths B-) raises the question of becoming incorporated to limit the liability on the committee in the case of being sued or fined if anything goes wrong (like what happened to a convention in America).

Page 5 “Con Closed by Hotel Management”: News from Stephen Dedman puts the case for incorporation after what happened on May 5th 1989 i.e. Miscon 4 which was evicted from its hotel in Missoula, Montana, only 5hrs after opening because of weapons on the premises, an unpaid hotel bill without a signed contract and for selling liquor without a license.

Page 6 is by Ann Griffiths the Vice Coordinator who gives a fantastical description of what the position entails.

Page 14 “WHAT HAPPENED THERE”. Jeremy G. Byrne  thanked people and organisations for their assistance and contribution to the Quiz Night on 28th September 1989. Might be worth writing more on this later.

Page 13 Had information about the SWANCON BANQUET and THE SHORT STORY COMPETITION

Page 9 is set out as a newspaper with columns and 4 articles THE FMs, UNIGAMES, THE CAPPUCCINO BAR and MARS. More on these later.

Pages 10 & 11 have the program for Friday night to Monday.

Page 12 gives a preview of the Video Stream and asks for volunteers to provide art work for the progress reports, panel ideas, video ideas, and in the Hucksters room.

Page 8 is set out like a newspaper with columns a 3 articles, NETWORK 23, UNISFA and THE WEST LODGE

Page 7 talks about W.A. CLUBS IN BRIEF, specifically THE GAMERS GUILD and WESTREK.

Page 15 has a SCIENCE FICTION QUIZ – there are no answers in this booklet!

Page 16 THE NANOCONS: A Personal Recollections by Colleen Jenkins.

Page 17 A BRIEF, ACCESSIBLE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF TERRY DOWLING courtesy of Van Ikin which gives a list of Terry’s more easily found works, the things he has edited and the awards.

The next page (unnumbered) is an ad by “The Ducati Owners Club of W.A.” for a race “EUROPEAN THUNDER” at Wanneroo Park Raceway.

Page 19 has the membership list – 75 members of which 25 are supporting members.

The last page has the previously mentioned sketch of a partial face.

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Swancon seventeen – November report – The Mediaeval Faire

Posted on 30 November, 2018 by australian sf-history

OK, that’s not how I spell “medieval“, but it’s how they spelled it, so that’s what I’m going with.

This is the bottom half of page 8 of the November 1991 PR for “swancon seventeen”, as it is styled on the front cover of this particular PR.

Sunday will favour the “Outdoor Stream” heavily at SwanCon 17. The entire afternoon and on into the night will feature a Mediaeval Faire presented by Perth’s Historical Recreation societies The Grey Company and The Society For Creative Anachronism (both SCA Aneala and SCA Ars Draconis branches).

The afternoon will see the beer garden and foreshore areas around the Ascot Inn transformed into a cross-period fairground where Congoers can witness Costuming displays and Costume Making in action, see Weaponry being repaired and made (with luck, we’ll have a real forge in operation), see Armouring in action, Staged demonstrations of fighting technique and probably a Massed Melee or two, participate in discussions about historical accuracy and the realities of Fantasy Roleplaying, and watch Mediaeval Dancing, as night falls.

The Sunday Evening meal, which will incorporate the traditional Awards ceremony, will also follow a Mediaeval theme, with spit-roasted meats, breads, vegetables and salads and appropriate drink to hand. The cost of this meal will be kept as low as possible (we’re aiming for around $7.00 per head), and if you don’t want to join in the paid meal, we’ve organised it so you can still sit with your friends who do, and even bring your own food to the tables. With all the Mediaeval pageantry and atmosphere, historically accurate costumes and weaponry on display, and open fires to light the evening, the Faire is sure to be a memorable experience.

(The Grey Company can be reached through Trevor or Leslie Calder on xxx xxxx)

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SwanCon 17 – Progress Report January 1992 – PARSEC & sponsorship adverts

Posted on 27 November, 2018 by australian sf-history

Page 10 of the SwanCon 17 January 1992 progress report was dedicated to ‘Parsec’. It isn’t exactly clear from the context whether this was part of the convention, or an entirely separate event. Equally, it isn’t clear whether the set of adverts on page 11 are related to the sponsorship mentioned in the Parsec article or to sponsorship of the Convention. 

PARSEC

The generosity of local retailers has surprised us (perhaps we’re just too world-weary and cynical), and we’ve received an enormous amount of sponsorship (in the order of $1300!); far more than any previous gaming event in this state, at least to my knowledge.

You might see the posters around Perth (if you’re a West Australian, that is), but in case you don’t, here’s the prize breakdown.

“Blood Magic”
(Lace & Steel: teams of Five)
Sponsored by Valhalla

First Prize: $40 voucher per player
Second Prize: $20 voucher per player
Third Prize: $10 voucher per player

Plus small spot prizes (see below)

“The Ring of Firestay”
(AD&D Second Edition: teams of Six)
Sponsored by Tactics

First Prize: $40 voucher per player
Second Prize: $20 voucher per player

“Dreamers in the Net”
(Systemless/Cyberpunk II: teams of Five)
Sponsored by Simulations

First Prize: $60 voucher (individual)
Second Prize: $40 voucher (individual)
Third Prize: $20 voucher (individual)

Plus small spot prizes (see below)

“Warhammer 40,000”
Sponsored by Simulations

First Prize: $60 voucher
Second Prize: $40 voucher

Miniatures Painting
Sponsored by Simulations

Best Single Figure: $50 voucher
Best Group/Diorama $50 voucher
Best Overall: $50 voucher

Starfleet Battles
Sponsored by Valhalla

First Prize: $40 voucher
Second Prize: $30 voucher
Third Prize: $20 voucher

Empire Builder
Sponsored by Kevin McCaw

First Prize: $30 voucher
Second Prize: $20 voucher

Spot prices in the form of vouchers to the value of $100 have been donated by A Touch of Strange Bookshop, and assorted spot prizes have been donated by The Comic Shop. These prizes will be awarded at the discretion of Games Masters and the Committee for examples of roleplaying, humorous incidents and the like throughout the course of play of the various tournaments.

Our sincere thanks to all our generous sponsors.

There will be a meeting of all participants in tournaments at PARSEC at 9:30pm on the Friday night of the Convention. Please try to be there to organise times for your rounds to be played. Rounds of most tournaments will be run at times convenient to both the player-groups and the GMs, but remember that we’ve got all day and all night, so there’s sure to be some time when you won’t be otherwise occupied (and who really needs to sleep?) Please feel free to bring your own games for the Beer and Pretzels evenings (casual, social gaming). We will be providing some material, but obviously the range will be limited.

The AD&D II Tournament Module Design Competition
After a disappointingly small entry, the PARSEC Subcommittee have chosen the winner: “The Ring of Firestay” by Dave Luckett, actually a very fine module in two parts which will suite [sic] our purposes perfectly. Thanks to everyone who submitted modules to the competition, and congratulations to Dave, who will receive his prize of $50.00 at the Con Awards Ceremony.

Page 11 is roughly split in quarters, with adverts for A touch of Strange bookshop (top left), Valhalla games and hobbies (top right), Simulations Kite City (bottom left) and Tactics Wargaming and Fantasy Specialists (bottom right). Horizontally across the middle of the page is the banner text:

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!

Location details, contact details, and varying amounts of blurb are included in each advert. The Tactics advert mentions ‘Now Also in South Australia’. Valhalla claims to have “Perth’s largest range of games software” for Amiga, IBM Comm64, Atari ST, Mac and Apple II.

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SwanCon 17 – January 1992 progress report – Starfleet Battles Tournament

Posted on 16 November, 2018 by australian sf-history

Pages 12-13 of the SwanCon 17 January 1992 progress report was dedicated to details of the Starfleet Battles Tournament scheduled to run during the convention. Some of the sections are overly detailed, and have not been reproduced here, but typographical errors have.

Unigames, the Gaming Association of the University of Western Australia, will present the Western Australian Star Fleet Battles Tournament at SwanCon 17. The tournament will be sponsored by Valhalla ($40 first place, $30 second place, $20 third place) and the winner will be listed on the Simulations Kite City Perpetual Shield displayed at the shop. SwanCon 17 wishes to thank both sponsors.

Tournament Organisation:

The Tournament will consist of several rounds (the exact number depending on the amount of players) of single – elimination games (two players per board per round). If enough interest is shown (at the PARSEC Organisation meeting on the Friday Night of the Con) a demonstration game can be organised to explain the rules of the Star Fleet Battles Tournament to new players.

The Captain’s Edition Rules are to be used in this tournament; Commanders Edition rules will not used. This year’s tournament will will follow the “Star Fleet Battles Tournament Book 1991” published by Task Force Games, with exceptions listed below.

Conditions (from the above mentioned tournament book):

  • The Judges decisions shall be final.
  • The time limit for each game will be three hours. Players are expected to fight until one side is destroyed or concedes. Judges will have the right to decide all games that are not completed within the time limit, based upon the tactical situation at that time. In the case where neither ship is damaged (excluding shield damage), the Judges may declare both players losers and select a wild-card player who narrowly lost another game to move into the next bracket.
  • Players will have a maximum of five minutes (or one minute longer than their opponent, whichever is greater) to complete their Energy Allocation Forms each turn. Opponents are responsible for timing each other. If you don’t complete your form, any unallocated energy is lost. Players are to check their opponents’ Energy Allocation Forms at the end of the game. If mistakes have been made, they are to call on a Judge to resolve the situation. If you suspect that your opponent has made a mistake in Energy Allocation during the game, have a Judge check his or her Energy Allocation Form
  • Ships are listed below. Each player will select one ship and use it throughout the tournament
  • Spectators are welcome, but can be expected to be drafted as impulse controllers (no player will be required to accept a controller). Anyone disturbing the players or Judges may be asked to leave the area.
  • The starting times for each game will be decided by the Judges. Players who cannot make this time are expected to contact their opposition and the Judges so that alternative arrangements can be made. Any player who is late for a game will be subject to penalties (destroyed hull boxes) or forfeiture, at the sole discretion of the Judges.
  • Ships will be repaired, shuttles replaced, and ammo reloaded between rounds

Scenario Setup:

No terrain. Ships set up in 1701-D and 2530-A, speed max (forward), WS-III (as modified herein). No overload energy from the pre-game turn (Exception: Feds, 8 points divided among the four photon tubes, max 4 points per tube, at his choice). No drones or fighters are placed on the map before play begins. Ships cannot begin the scenario in reverse.

The map is fixed; any ship trying to move off the edge will take five damage points to the facing shield and come to a complete halt.

The organisers will supply maps, playing pieces and SSD sheets (and energy forms, movement charts, etc). Players must supply all other material (e.g. themselves, paper, pens, favourite dice …)

The next two sections “The following rules will be used” and “The following rules will not be used” are overly detailed, and have not been included.

Ships To Be Used In The Tournament:

See the tournament rulebook for SSD’s and specific rules for each race to be used in the tournament.

Note: Andromedans and Tholians will not be used in this tournament (this is a change from the official tournament rulebook) unless another Judge can be found to rule on these races. The final decision on whether or not these races will be played is to be announced at the PARSEC Organisation meeting on the Friday night of the Convention.

Judges Board:

As of this writing the only Judge for this tournament is David Bent. Any others wishing to help in this tournament are asked to contact either the Gaming Subcommittee or David Bent on, or before, the first night of the convention.

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Swancon seventeen – November report – Hello Again

Posted on 13 November, 2018 by australian sf-history

Transcription of pages 3-4 of the Swancon 17, Festival of the Imagination, November Progress Report. Which is apparently the one after the July Progress Report. This is one of the reports made out of folded A4 sheets. This is the introduction stuff.

Hello Again

This Progress Report is intended as a “getting you up to date” fact-rich publication which includes almost exclusively new material. For those of you who haven’t seen the July Progress Report, we’d be happy to send it to you if you write (or phone) and ask for it.

The big news since July concerns Guests. Basically, there’s lots of them. Without de-emphasising our Principal Guests Terry Dowling and Nick Stathopoulos, SwanCon 17 has managed to attract several other notable personalities to the ranks. Besides Dr Philippa Maddern (who was mentioned in the July Report), we now have three new Invited Guests.

There were three arrows on the left hand side, each pointing towards a paragraph with a specific guest.

Sean McMullen, Australian Writer and Bibliographer (soon to see his collection Call to the Edge released from Aphelion Publications), will be appearing on numerous panels and discussions throughout the Con.

Lucy Sussex, Author of My Lady Tongue and Other Tales will be assisting Phillipa at the Writers’ Workshop (before the Con) and will also be attending SwanCon as a guest and panelist.

Grant Stone – Perth’s own media-SF Superstar – will be attending as a guest at 17, in recognition of his service to SF over the years. We hope to see Grant even more heavily involved (if that’s humanly possible) this time around.

To top it all off, SwanCon 17 will feature a Special Gaming Guest in Paul Kidd, well-known Designer of Albedo and Lace&Steel and prominent member of “Furry Fandom”. Paul will be heavily involved in not only the gaming stream (PARSEC) but the Conference and social streams as well. We hope Paul’s wide-ranging interests (he’s also written and published fiction) will help to attract people across those “traditional boundaries” between the various parts of our genre, and we’re sure he’ll prove a fascinating and informative guest.

For those of you who are interested in such esoteric topics as MONEY, you’ll be pleased to know that SwanCon 17 is doing extremely well. Membership is way up (as you’ll see from the list later in the Report) with over 100 members as of publication – most of them attending – and we’ve been granted funding from the WA Department for the Arts. What does this mean to you as a member or potential member? Well, for a start, we’re able to hold down the membership cost to the existing $45.00 rate, at least until the First of January 1992. As well, we’re looking at all kinds of freebies at the Con itself – but more on that count later. Preliminary programming has reached an advanced stage, as you’ll notice in later sections of the Report. In particular the Anime Matsuri programme is looking great, with over 24 hours of fully subtitled or dubbed material to hand. This represents a wide selection of the finest of Japanese Animation currently available in English, and will show off the astonishing variety and quality of the sub-genre.

Nifty New Stuff:

SwanCon 17, in its quest for innovation and experiment, will feature a few surprising additions to the traditional attractions of a SF/F Convention. Besides our heavy emphasis on Discussions over Panels (our “Don’t just sit there – do something” theme) and the sophisticated multi-streaming (there will always be something to do at 17!), there’ll be a variety of other attractions to keep you away from sleep, social contact, eating and sanity.

Quasar (the “Live Action Space Game”) will run almost continuously through the evenings and nights of the Convention. Through the generosity of the management of Quasar Northbridge, equipment will be available for use by Convention members, and several organised sessions each evening will provide a marvelous introduction to the game.

For those of you who thought Cyberpunk was Science Fantasy, come along and try The Net first hand. OK, so it’s not a consensual reality yet, but the Internet (or Usenet as it’s also known) is certainly the first step on the path. This international network of computers provides access to fascinating folks world-wide, and discussions on what is effectively a giant conferencing system range from SF, Computers, Sport, and Jokes through the latest discoveries in Biotechnology, Physics and Artificial Intelligence to Forums on Women’s Issues, Atheism, Conspiracy Theory and Sex. There will be a Net-terminal located in the Fan Lounge for the duration of the Convention, with experts available to help you and answer questions. Why not Jack In and see what the future will be like?

For those of you more concerned with the “Literary” side of things, Aphelion Publications should be staging a Pre-launch of the forthcoming collections of two of our guests. Blue Tyson (the sequel to Rynosseros) by Terry Dowling and Call to the Edge by Sean McMullen will be officially launched at SynCon (the 1992 National Convention in Sydney in March), but SwanCon members will have a chance to see the cover art (by Principal Guest Nick Stathopoulos) and talk to the authors about their work at this exclusive event.

We think you’ll find a lot at SwanCon 17 that you’ve never seen before at a Con, and we’re sure you’ll enjoy the difference – if you’re not too busy enjoying everything else, that is.

What about this "Other NatCon" stuff, then? What are we trying to do – steal members from SynCon? No way! SynCon is the official Australian National Convention for 1992, and we’re not arguing; in fact it’s likely quite a few of us will be attending SynCon. It’s sure to be a great Convention. So, what, then, are we suggesting? Only that if you’re a keen Convention attendee, there’s more than one Con that’s worth attending – that you’ll kick yourself for missing – in 1992. SwanCon 17 is going to be huge. Just take a look at our guest-list, our membership list. Have a glance at the program, the video and gaming streams, the social stream, the outdoor stream. Have no doubts – this Con will be as “Nationally Significant” as any NatCon, and the fact that it’s not a NatCon isn’t going to hold us back!

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SwanCon 17 Programme Leaflet

Posted on 30 October, 2018 by australian sf-history

(StudlyCaps convention titles: positively correlated with British spelling of “Programme”.)

This is a single A3 sheet on a heavy paper stock. The paper is off-white, with a slightly greenish hue and a very slight texture. It’s folded in six: first folded in half to two A4’s, and then folded in three in the typical leaflet style. The opening panel is a cover declaring this to be the


SwanCon 17

Programme Leaflet

Incorporating
Anime Matsuri, PARSEC and
the 17th Annual Western Australian Conference on
Science Fiction and Fantasy


The back panel, in this fully folded state, is a map of The Ascot Inn Convention Centre. Opening the leaflet up a little, the two panels to the left of the map are the program(me) for the Friday, from 17:00 to 7:30am the following morning.

Opening up all the way, the other side of the sheet has its text rotated 90 degrees, so we have a two A4-page spread, with Saturday on the left and Sunday on the right, from 8:30am to 7:30am.

Closing up again, the two panels to the left of the title panel cover Monday’s program.

The programming rooms were Oak, Epsom, River, and Ledger; and the program grid also had columns for “Hotel Video” and “Other”.

“The River Room column has been left blank to allow on-the-spot programming for the PARSEC gaming stream (much of which should be accomplished by the end of the Friday Night meeting.)” (There was a PARSEC meeting scheduled on Friday at 20:30 in the Oak Room.)

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SwanCon 17 – Anime Matsuri

Posted on 16 October, 2018 by australian sf-history

page 9 of the SwanCon 17 Progress Report (unnumbered; dated July 1991) features details of the video stream. At the top, there is a logo containing some Japanese calligraphy and the word ‘ANIME!’; to the right of this are the words “Anime Matsuri” and “the Video Stream with a Japanese Flavour”. The article continues:

The Video Stream at SwanCon 17 will comprise three components:

  1. Japanese Animation on the Big Screen Video System
  2. General features on the Big Screen Video System
  3. Mini-festivals and marathons on the Hotel Video System

For the sake of simplicity, we’re calling the whole video stream “Anime Matsuri” (which simply means “Animation Festival”), even though there’s obviously a lot more to it than the title might lead you to believe. Below is a listing of some of the elements you’ll probably see in each of these components of the video stream.

Japanese Animation –

Anime Matsuri will feature the Best of AnimeCon.

Huh? AnimeCon is the first world convention of Japanese Animation, to be held in San Jose California in August this year. Up to half-a-dozen members of JAFWA, the Perth Animation Group, will be going to AnimeCon, and the committee of that convention have offered to assist them in any way possible to videotape the absolute cream of the three, simultaneous, 24-hour video-streams of Japanese Animation showing at the con. This material will be made available to SwanCon 17, and you can be assured that we’ll be able to show you the very finest in subtitled and dubbed “Japanimation” – the best in the world.

More often, peoples’ knowledge of Japanese Science Fiction comes through their comics, or Manga. Popular examples include Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Appleseed, Lone Wolf & Cub, Gunhed and Akira. Many of these Manga exist as “Anime”, and will be shown as part of the Anime Matsuri (a highlight being, of course, Akira in English).

These films and Manga represent only a small part of the whole range of the Japanese Animation Movement, and a film like the stunning Tombstone for Fireflies begins to show the true versatility of the medium.

at the bottom of the page is a line drawing of an Anime style young person lying on their front, looking up at a seated cyborg from the Appleseed Anime.

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SwanCon 17 – Hotel and Venue

Posted on 9 October, 2018 by australian sf-history

Pages 10 and 11 of the SwanCon 17 Progress report (unnumbered; dated July 1991) contain information about the venue, and a full page map of the venue, including accommodation areas, pool, and location of the river. Halfway down the page of text is a logo for the hotel, reading “Ascot Inn” and “on the Swan” with silhouettes of two flying swans in the centre. Below the logo are the address and contact details, including Fax and Telex. The rest of the article:

The primary Venue for the Festival’s Events is the Ascot Convention Centre, Belmont. It’s only fifteen minutes (real travelling time, not hotel-blurb travelling time) out of the city, at the end of a quiet side-street, on the Swan River. It’s a five minutes walk from Great Eastern Highway (where a regular bus service runs), and less than five minutes drive from a multitude of fast-food outlets, Chinese restaurants and shops, and it has a fine on-site bar, bistro and restaurant. The rooms are good motel quality and cheap, and the convention facilities are the best we’ve found in Perth (why we’ve never had a Con there before, we cannot imagine; the next two years have followed our lead already, and 18’s a NatCon!).

Accommodation at SwanCon 17 is $50.00 per room per night. This is a special deal, arranged by the Committee for the Con. The number of rooms available at this rate is limited and many are gone already, so we’re asking that people book as early as possible to avoid disappointment. We’re hoping that we get sufficient response to book both wings of the Hotel (see map, opposite), but even if we don’t we’ll have an entire wing to ourselves (the river wing), so room parties, corridor parties, stairwell parties (sadly, there are no lifts), balcony parties, cupboard parties, and almost anything else you can think of will be OK by us and the management. Of course, if we get both wings, those who do want to go to bed early (or even to go to sleep early) will be separated from the “party wing” by the pool courtyard.

As you’ll see from the map, the venue itself is very compact, with the “Oaks” and “Derby” rooms being used as the main programming rooms, the “Epsom” as the Fan Lounge and Hucksters Room and the Ledger Room (a purpose build audio-visual mini-theatre) as the Video Lounge. Access to the accommodation and the river foreshore is incredibly convenient. Simply, this is a great Convention Centre.

Please note: although the Ascot Inn is the venue for SwanCon 17, it’s not the venue for the Writer’s Workshop, which is being held at St Columba’s College on the preceding weekend. Also, the Education Seminar, while being held at the Ascot Inn, will occur at the beginning of December, 1991.

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SwanCon 17 – Progress Report Jan 1992 – page 8

Posted on 5 October, 2018 by australian sf-history

Transcribers notes: There’s some pretty dodgy stuff in this one. I’m happy to say that the WA fannish community has become more generally accepting of diversity, so please don’t take anything here as indicative of current attitudes.

More Rules to Learn and Sing

Policies

No, those aren’t the things that drive around in carsies wiff ickle pwetty bwue lights, they’re things committees write down and show people to ensure their later admissibility as evidence. Thus, you’ll see them again in the Programme Book (’cause the Ascot wouldn’t let us spraypaint them on the Convention Room Walls) and probably pay just as much attention to them there as I’m sure you will here. (How do I get away with this stuff?)

Smoking in the Convention Rooms
We recommend lubricant; almost anything will do, although vegemite tends to dry the mouth if used in quantity. For that other type of smoking, there’s always the outside. Preferably outside the 12-mile limit. Not offending anyone am I?

Weapons
We recommend adherence to the Laws and Statues of the State of Western Australia. It’s always worked for us. If you’re within the law, you’re welcome at SwanCon 17. If you’re unsure about the law, ask a member of the committee; our interpretations will doubtless prove informative. If you’re outside the law, you may find yourself enjoying a peaceful weekend away from all your friends, and a little out of pocket to no great effect.

Children
SwanCon 17 doesn’t cater for kids. That may be cruel and callous of us, but then we haven’t made any special allowances for disabled people either, so we’ve already set a bad precedent. Simply, with 200 people to look after, we feel that the care of the four of five children who will be in attendance at the Con (including the young daughter of Sean and Trish McMullen – our guests) is best handled by those with more training than we do: their parents. There’s no charge for bringing children under the age of twelve to the Con, but they will not be permitted in the Video Lounge (The Ledger Room), and you may be asked to quiet or remove a noisy child from any event at the convention which requires quiet. We’d love to have been able to organise something for the kids, but time was simply not available. We apologise if this inconveniences anyone.

The Auction

John McDouall, star auctioneer of many previous SwanCons has graciously agreed to run the Auction again this year. We’ll try to produce some kind of auction sheet before the event (although we can’t make any promises), so obviously we’d appreciate you getting material to us as soon as you possibly can. Registration will be accepting materials (with Full Name, Address and Reserve Pricing, clearly marked) from the time the Con opens on Friday until late Sunday evening. The Con will take 15% of total sale price, with the exception of items auctioned to benefit Fan Funds or other conventions.

Past Memberships

Besides the full Attending Membership for the Convention, two other methods of payment will be available.

  • $10 will buy you a half-day membership; entry to the Con for the Morning (9:30am to 4:00pm) or the Evening (4:00pm to 9:30am).
  • $20 will buy you a full-day membership, running from the time of purchase to the start of programming on the next day (9:30am).

Note that you never pay more than $50 to attend the Con: any money you’ve spent on part memberships can be used towards a full Attending membership later.

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