It was a wonderfully fitting tribute to have Petah Stone and his 100-year-old accordion play at the centenary celebration of the CWA WA in Armadale this month.
His tunes delighted guests while they grazed on a sumptuous feast of homemade treats.
But delight turned to horror, when Petah returned from a set break to discover his beloved instrument had disappeared.
An opportunistic thief had discovered the treasure on their meanderings through the Minnawarra precinct.
In a flurry of determination, CWA members, Examiner Newspapers photographer Richard Polden and local member Hugh Jones formed a search party to track down the priceless squeezebox.
Thanks to the vigilance of a local business owner, the thief was discovered and the precious instrument returned to its rightful owner.
Petah paid his gratitude with an encore performance and all celebrated the happy ending to the day’s escapade.
Photographs – Richard Polden
