Yaegl Elder’s portrait defaced
Geoff Helisma. A mural of Yaegl Elder Uncle Ron Herron, painted as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations, was vandalised over the weekend. “It’s unacceptable and a kick the guts for our mob as we try to raise our profile in Yaegl Country, following our successful native title claims,”: Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation’s CEO, William (Billy) Walker
Locals voice concerns amidst restricted birthing services at GBH
Emma Pritchard. The Clarence Valley Independent hit the streets last week and asked members of the public to share their thoughts after the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) revealed Grafton Base Hospital (GBH) had no on-site obstetrician, or available locums to cover shortages, and subsequently, expectant and birthing mothers were being referred to Lismore Base Hospital and Coffs Harbour Health Campus.
Yamba sports talent shines on international stage
Rodney Stevens. The sporting talent of Yamba was on show on the international stage over the weekend with former Buccaneer’s junior Jed Holloway earning his first Wallabies cap, plus Cameron Pilley and cousin Donna Lobban playing for bronze in the mixed doubles squash.
Local WWII veteran receives centenarian memento
Emma Pritchard. After celebrating his 100th birthday earlier this year, Clarence Valley resident and World War II veteran George Smith enjoyed another distinguished occasion on July 29 when he was presented with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) commemorative memento to honour him as an RAAF centenarian. Born in Strathblane, Tasmania, on March 1, 1922, Mr Smith grew up on his family’s dairy farm and joined the RAAF as an 18-year-old following the outbreak of WWII.
Sweet success for HoneyBee Hives
Clarence Valley business HoneyBee Hives are buzzing with excitement after being announced as the runner's up in the 2022 Australian Rural Business Awards, for the Excellence in E-Commerce Award. The awards are designed to recognise the strength, resilience, and talent of small business owners in rural and regional areas who have, in the last few years alone, gone through droughts, bushfires, mouse plagues, floods, lack of tourism and a global pandemic.
CVC objects to NSW Government’s RFS ‘cost shifting’
Geoff Helisma. Councillors unanimously supported a mayoral minute (MM) tabled at the July 26 Clarence Valley Council (CVC) meeting, to “advise the NSW Audit Office, as requested by Local Government NSW (LGNSW), that CVC will not conduct the stocktake of Rural Fire Service (RFS) assets and will not record assets on CVC’s financial statements”.
World class skatepark to open at Yamba
Rodney Stevens. "It now not only has such a diverse range of new obstacles, ramps, stairs, rails, flats, and lots of fun, creativity-inspired skateable elements, but also boasts a super advanced and fast three-metre-deep clover-style bowl to rival any skate park on the east coast of Australia": Clarence Valley Council Manager Open Spaces and Facilities Peter Birch.
Adyi ngadya arraygi ngulungginy, ngamiiga
Geoff Helisma. Translated from the Yaygirr dialect (historically spoken near the mouth of the Clarence River) these words are: ‘Hello there, how are you; this is Yaegl country. I remember my Elder men and Elder women.’ On Friday July 22, as part of the NAIDOC Week exhibition of Yaegl Elders portraits at the Yamba Museum, a book was launched, Keeping our Stories - Stories from Yaegl Country.
