Rickshaws gift to add spice

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous local person, Broome’s premier cultural festival Shinju Matsuri now has a fleet of rickshaws to add flavour to events this year.

Shinju president Jillian Philp said festival organisers had been looking to hire the seven pedal-powered rickshaws from local businessman Glenn Moore when an opportunity to buy them came up.

She said a long-time local person had offered to buy them and gift them to the festival. “It only took two phone calls,” she said.

“A real classic case of community generosity towards something that will be such an asset and bring some fun to Chinatown.”

Mr Moore bought the rickshaws last year to demonstrate his new business, Broome Bizarre Bazaar on Dampier Terrace, and ran guided Chinatown tours with them, with the intent to later on-sell them.

“I’m really pleased, Shinju seems to be their rightful owner,” he said.

“When they rocked up to deliver food at Shinju’s Long Table Luncheon last year, the whole crowd got to their feet – that’s pretty unique, to be received by people of Broome in that fashion, and it certainly resonated with me.”

Mrs Philp said the rickshaws would fit perfectly with Shinju’s new focus on Chinatown’s history and culture.

She said Shinju could make a minimal profit from hiring them out at other events.