Source : ABC NEWS
In the winter of 1999, an old indoor volleyball centre was fully gutted and transformed into a skating rink.
Twenty-six years later, that same building is now known as one of the last, purpose-built rollerskating rinks in Western Australia.
At the time, the sport of rollerskating was thriving, with rinks all over the state.
Artistic skater Susan Brooks was coaching at Skateway, a now-closed rollerskating rink in Bunbury, south of Perth.
She says that’s when she got the idea to open her own rink with a focus on coaching artistic skaters.
Susan Brooks (right) with her first Tiny Tots’ class at the Bunbury Skateway in the early 1990s. (Supplied: Susan Brooks)
“Skating in the 80s and 90s was epic and there were rinks everywhere,” she said.
“I remember learning to skate at the Morley Rollerdrome and having to wait two hours just to get into the building.
“And in Bunbury my coaching business had started to grow and that’s when I decided I’m either going to do this properly, or I’ll need to find another career and move back to Perth.”
It took 12 months for Brooks to open The Rink, which required the construction of a brand new skating floor and importing dozens of pairs of skates.
She said at the time, it was one of the only buildings in the area.
Opened in 1999, Bunbury’s The Rink is one of the last remaining rollerskating venues in WA. (ABC South West: Pip Waller)
“It was all bush so we often had fires. A few times I had to stay at the rink all day and all night because I was terrified something would happen to it,” Brooks said.
In 2025, it is one of the last remaining, purpose-built rollerskating rinks in WA and is quietly churning out national champions.
Australia’s best artistic skaters
Bunbury artistic skater Andrew Beattie was introduced to the sport when he attended a birthday party at the skating rink about 2011.
At nine years old, it was the first time he’d ever skated.
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“I had no balance or coordination and I couldn’t let go of the barrier,” Beattie said.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh I’ve got wheels underneath me. How do I move, how do I navigate?’
“But when I let go of the barrier it was like freedom and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m skating’. It was the beginning of a milestone.”
Fast forward to 2025 and Beattie is now known as Australia’s top artistic skater.
He says artistic skating is similar to figure skating on ice.
Beattie learnt to skate at The Rink in Bunbury and is now Australia’s top male artistic skater. (Supplied: Andrew Beattie/Raniero Corbelletti photography)
“There’s a lot of focus on skating to the music, the movements of the body and the ability to move across the floor gracefully and smoothly.
“My first competition was in Bunbury and that’s where I got my first bronze medal.
“I remember saying to my mum and dad, ‘I just want one medal’. And now I’ve got more than 200.”
Laura Cameron has been skating for 18 years and is one of Australia’s top five female artistic skaters. (ABC South West: Pip Waller)
Laura Cameron, 24, from Busselton is one of Australia’s top five female artistic skaters.
Like Beattie, she began skating in Bunbury as a child.
“I remember I attended a general session and that was it, I was hooked,” Cameron said.
“It didn’t take me long to realise that this sport could lead to state and national representation.
“And I thought, ‘Wow, I can represent my country doing the sport I love? That’s surreal.'”
| WORLD COMPETITORS FROM BUNBURY | DISCIPLINE |
|---|---|
| Aleesha Hanczakowski | Inline free skating |
| Allira Hanczakowski | Figure skating |
| Ebony Cassady | Dance skating |
| Andrew Beattie | Dance skating |
| Laura Cameron | Dance skating |
Cameron told the ABC she works three jobs to fund her skating career.
She says there’s “nothing better” than rolling, smiling at the judges and having your photo taken.
“If you want to look like a ballet dancer, perform like a Broadway professional and be as fit as a CrossFit athlete, then this sport is for you.”
The last, purpose-built rink
In the greater Perth area, there are four rollerskating rinks, including one that reopened in 2023.
The rink in Bunbury is one of the last in regional WA that was purpose-built for the sport.
Brooks (second from the right) with some of Bunbury’s top artistic skaters. (Supplied: Susan Brooks)
Brooks says Bunbury’s rollerskating scene is going strong, but skating isn’t what it used to be.
“It used to be your typical, recreational past time, but a lot of rinks are closing,” she said.
“And we’ve certainly had our peaks and flows, but we make it through.
“I’ve really worked hard for this rink but I’ve loved every day.
“That quote, find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life? That’s 100 per cent me.”
Katherine Goldsworthy has big plans for the venue in 2024. (ABC South West: Pip Waller)
Going forward, the rink in Bunbury will continue to operate.
Manager Katherine Goldsworthy has since introduced sensory skate and theme nights to attract more skaters to the sport.
