Ali Bohn, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper

August 18 marked almost 60 years since the Battle of Long Tan, reported as one of the most horrific conflicts by Australian soldiers in the Vietnam War. The date is now being acknowledged as so much more than the battle itself, with greater focus on the sacrifices made by all who fought in Vietnam.

Just like the ever-changing weather, our feelings experience many elements; stormy and gloomy, sunny and bright, cold and dark, sometimes all at once ... Barham Public School is proud to be running the Seasons for Growth program, a program designed to help provide support to children and young people experiencing uncertainty, change and grief.

People living with age-related illnesses are falling through the cracks of a system designed to support the elderly ... Carer’s exhaustion and burn out, jeopardized safety, greater pressure on hospital emergency services, family conflict, incidents and accidents, delayed medical intervention have all reached breaking point for sufferers and carers thanks to a backlog of unprocessed applications.

It is every golfer’s dream to achieve a hole in one, and for two local ladies, that dream came true just days apart last week when enjoying a day on the green at Barham Golf Club. Kerang’s Jan Harry was first to hit the mark 2 weeks ago during the Saturday competition ... just four days later, it happened again, but this time it was with Koondrook local Lexie Ewen...

You have been up since 5 am, you have slaved in the kitchen since the sun came up, you have handed out presents and broken up squabbles between the kids, you have eaten enough to feed a small village, twice, you have smiled and entertained more than Hugh Jackman and now you have come to your favourite part of Christmas Day – bedtime!

Overlockers and sewing machines, hot glue guns and paper mâché formations worked overtime last week to prepare costumes for the 2024 Book Week Parade at Barham’s Riverside Park. For those time-restricted or creatively impaired, it was a flying trip to costume shops to gather all the bibs and bobs needed to help bring book characters to life!

Tick the box for Yes or No. The handwritten note we would have our friends pass on to those we were sussing out as potential ‘boyfriends and/or girlfriends’ when we were at school ... With the introduction of smart phones and other handheld devices, social media and a whole lot of angry, jealous, nasty, cruel and self-indulgent sick human beings, we are now faced with a new type of bullying called ‘sexploitation’.

Put your head down with hard work and determination, and you will reap the rewards. That is precisely what Melanie and Glenn Faul of Barham IGA decided to do when they purchased IGA (formerly known as Murray Goulburn) 12 years ago.

Going behind the scenes of River Daze on Saturday afternoon, I was fortunate to be able to have a quick chat with headline act, Shannon Noll, just before sound check ... For Noll, who was born and bred in the country NSW town of Condobolin, it was his first time in Barham and being a country boy, he was prepared for an enthusiastic crowd.

The Local Health Medical Trust and the Barham community are excited to welcome two medical students for the next two weeks ... Having both come from the hustle and bustle of the biggest cities in Australia, Jake and Daniel relish the quieter way of living, with Barham already welcoming them with open arms.