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Town’s story told to a worldwide audience

Shannon SmithAlbany Advertiser
Jon and his new Turkish friends in Kashan, Iran.
Camera IconJon and his new Turkish friends in Kashan, Iran. Credit: Supplied

Locals are on a mission to spread the word about the history-rich town at the bottom of WA.

Albany author Jon Doust was fed up with people not knowing where his home city was, so he started the Albany on the Map project in 2014.

On his travels around the globe, Jon takes and shares photos with strangers holding a sign which points to Albany.

On a trip to Iran last month, Mr Doust had a chance meeting with a group of Turkish tourists.

He was in a small tour party of people from four continents, wandering through Tabatabaei House in the ancient city of Kashan, when he noticed the new arrivals — a much bigger party, all speaking the same language.

The tourists set themselves up for a group photograph, so he offered to take the shot and asked them where they were from.

With the photograph taken, Mr Doust asked if they could pose for one more shot with him holding his Albany on the Map sign.

“Well, that changed everything,” he said.

“I launched into my Albany spiel, a place they had never heard of and had no idea of what was coming.

“They all knew about Gallipoli, of course, but they had no knowledge of this city in the deep south of WA that named its harbour entry after their great founder, Kemal Ataturk, and that there was a statue of him to welcome ships in.

“It turned out they were a group of doctors, mainly paediatricians, on a late-in-life adventure.

“They could not contain their glee at the news I offered and many have promised to visit Albany.”

... and again in Vietnam.
Camera Icon... and again in Vietnam.
Three Dutch tourists high in the mountains of Georgia.
Camera IconThree Dutch tourists high in the mountains of Georgia.
Albany on the Map in Peru.
Camera IconAlbany on the Map in Peru.

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