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History

The idea of WA Week was initiated on 14 June 1972 and was at first to be known as Local Products Week.  The name was quickly changed to WA Week.

The purpose was primarily to increase the volume of Western Australian manufactured goods, to promote their sales and to provide more jobs for Western Australians. The 'Week' was also to be a total community involvement project designed to focus attention on all aspects of Western Australian development – arts, culture, tourism, sport, industry, education, commercial, innovation, technology, historical, etc.

The events of the 'Week' were to: inspire in our people a maximum degree of community involvement and a maximum degree of aspiration to improve their living and working habits and environment.

The first WA Week was introduced in June 1973.  It was seen as an initiative that would:

  • Emphasise stability within the people of Western Australia
  • Create confidence for the future
  • Make people aware and proud of the achievements that have been accomplished by Western Australians
  • Hightlight the history, assets and potential of the State
  • Encourage in our people an awareness of what they can do for their own benefit by improving their performance in every field, and helping their State to grow
  • Foster a spirit of teamwork and cooperation
  • Be a celebration of Western Australia by Western Australians, for Western Australians

WA Week was held during the week before, or immediately following, the Monday of the Foundation Day long weekend – the first or second week of June.  The week was known as WA Week then West Week.

WA Week was essentially a community based event appealing to people’s sense of pride in their State and a vehicle for organisations and individuals to celebrate their State.

A WA Week Foundation was established in 1981 and was:
open to organisations and individuals who have a generous attitude to community events and a desire to foster happenings which are Western Australian in origin or character.  Foundation members each contribute toward a fund which is used to subsidise the WA Week program.  Their contributions are used to supplement the official funds available and to ensure that a full programme of events can be carried out.  Members of the Foundation help ensure that the programme maintains impetus and imagination.

In the late 1970s, the WA Week Council included an Ambassadors Committee, WA Week Ambassadors and Regional Ambassadors comprising people from various industry, service and interest groups such as advertising, arts and culture, banking, religions, sport, public relations, volunteers, youth, indigenous groups, media, manufacturing, mining, trade, education, tourism, environment, history and heritage, hospitality, trade unions, rural communities and the regions, women’s groups, industry.  There was also a World Ambassador representing expatriates and other nations.

The WA Week Council coordinated the event offering:

  • Free publicity for participants’ events
  • Branding, identity, inclusion, equity, opportunity
  • Small community grants to kick start or enhance an existing event
  • The use of common decorations – flags, bunting, banners, printed logos, certificates, Kit of Ideas, school kits, shelf-talkers for retailers, recipes and merchandise with logos including balloons, stickers, posters, caps, t-shirts, place mats, coasters, disposable tablecloths
  • A central WA Week Expo in Forrest Place where participants could take a stall, perform, display and promote their enterprise or region
  • Icon and key events
  • Consultancy, advice and the sharing of resources
  • Linkages and partnership opportunities
  • Event management and production training

Activities included:

  • Theme Days: 
            Monday – Public Holiday Foundation Day – was 1st or last day 
            Tuesday – Day of Friendship and Flowers 
            Wednesday – Day of Pioneers 
            Thursday – Day of the Arts – then became Day of all Nations 
            Friday – Day of Trees 
            Saturday – Day of Sport 
            Sunday – Day of Thanksgiving
  • Some years had nine days of celebration and also included a Day of Youth or a separate Day of Friendship and Day of Flowers
  • A printed supplement in The West Australian with a calendar of the weeks events, feature articles, pictures and stories
  • Go for WA Made
  • Citizen of the Year Awards
  • Foundation Day Dinners throughout the State
  • Pioneer luncheons throughout the State
  • Fantasy of Flowers
  • West Week Literary Awards
  • Swan Spectacular
  • WA Week Expo (Forrest Place)
  • West Week Travel and Leisure Expo (Forrest Place)
  • Citizenship ceremonies
  • Tree planting ceremonies
  • WA Week Art Exhibitions
  • State wide shopping centre promotions and displays
  • Food and beverage promotions
  • Openings of historical buildings and historical tours and walks
  • Metro and Regional events under the umbrella of WA Week
  • Schools included WA Week in their annual program
  • CitiFest

The aim of WA Week has been described as:
reinforcing the sense of heritage from the past, progress in the present, and commitment to those who will follow us in the future; encouraging the maximum involvement of the people of Western Australia, individually or through their respective organisations, to demonstrate the part they are playing in the life of Western Australia to provide a reason to be proud of the achievements of the past, the solid growth of today and the prospects for a richer and more productive future.

Slogans/Strap lines included:

  • Western Australia’s Most Important Week
  • WA Week is for Everybody
  • Together We Make the Difference

Annual themes included:

  • Lucky Living in the West
  • See Your State in ‘88
  • Discover WA for Yourself
  • Catch the Spirit
  • The Sea
  • A Century of Gold
  • Together Today & Tomorrow
  • We’re Feelin’ Glad all Over
  • WAY ’79 - G’Day WA
  • Living in Harmony
  • Celebrating our Community

The last WA Week was held in June 1994.  In September 1994 an Ideas Fest was held to review WA Week and the WA Week Council.  It was agreed that the 'Week' had lost strong support, relevance and focus and that awareness should be raised of Foundation Day (1 June), Proclamation Day (21 October) and Australia Day (26 January) as three days of significance to Western Australia.  In addition to highlighting these three days, additional projects and events that strengthened pride, identity, inclusion, community spirit and celebrated achievement would achieve better and lasting outcomes if they were developed and presented throughout the year rather than in just one celebratory 'Week'.

Following wide consultation WA Week was retired and the name of the organisation (the WA Week Council) was changed to Celebrate WA to reflect and embrace a year round program of involvement with cultural and community development.