WASFF information

Where has WASFF come from?

Since 1976, a Western Australian Science Fiction Convention, called Swancon, has been held in Perth every year. As time went on, Swancons generally became bigger, more money was involved with each one and any profit from a Swancon was informally handed onto the next Swancon committee.

Unfortunately one Swancon made a huge financial loss. The people on the committee involved with that Swancon were all personally liable for the loss. So an incorporated body was conceived, to protect individual Swancon committees from personal liability for any losses, and to protect and administer money raised from profitable cons to benefit the members.

WASFF was born - the Western Australian Science Fiction Foundation.

What WASFF is and isn't

• WASFF is an incorporated body.
• WASFF is not primarily a fund raising body. Fundraising is usually carried out by the convention committee of each Swancon.

What has WASFF done?

• Since the incorporation of WASFF, no one has been personally liable for any losses as a result of a Swancon losing money.
• WASFF has consolidated various Swancon funds from a number of different sources into a centralised bank account.
• WASFF has collected together words of wisdom from various people about what to do and not to do when running a convention. This is collected in this Red Book.
• The Mumfan awards: WASFF designed and printed certificates for this award, framed them and presented them to all past recipients.
• Tin Ducks: WASFF investigated a number of possibilities for formalising these awards, and presented a number of options to the Annual General Meeting.
• WASFF has jointly sponsored Short Story competitions at various Swancons.
• WASFF has centralised the keeping of an up-to-date database of addresses for Swancon committees to use.
• Receipt books have been designed and printed for the use of each Swancon Committee.
• Bank accounts have been opened for each Swancon committee.

There's more about WASFF here.