Arts

Country music on horseback will rev up Narrandera tomorrow night when multiple Golden Guitar winner, Tom Curtain, rides in to the Narrandera Showground ... Tom is an official ambassador for Dolly’s Dream, and uses his music and shows to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and wellbeing in rural communities.

We’re so excited to share with you the information that we'll be running a series of events for our community in late February… all part of the Lord Howe Island Festival!

When Dino Polese was three years old, he went looking for his father Angelo in the banana crops at Naughtons Gap. He got tired and fell asleep under a tree. “They came and found me,” Dino said. “They” refers to the Italian community who settled in Naughtons Gap near Casino between 1945 and the late 1970s.

A diverse curation of the very best local and international arts talent and events will bring focus to Castlemaine, spotlighting the wealth of the region while bringing visitors from across Australia and overseas to experience this renowned family-friendly, fun, and accessible seventeen-day event.

The Mungkarta community is celebrating 35 years since Traditional Owners took their country back in a Native Title Land Claim. In commemoration of the 1988 Mungkarta Land Claim, the school and community gathered local artworks to display at Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre.

Palm House in Maldon is an impressive example of a pristine, well-preserved heritage home with all the Victorian charm that is part of Maldon. Situated on High Street, south of the township, serving as a B&B and loved home for Andrew and Amanda Fedorowicz, the residence is a step back in time.

An emergency services leader and a passionate musician have taken out Gannawarra Shire Council’s 2023 Australia Day Awards. Kerang Fire Brigade captain Ramon Steel was named Gannawarra Shire Council’s Citizen of the Year, and Deaken Fawcett presented with Council’s Young Citizen of the Year Award.

The prestigious Sydney Dance Company joined forces with NORPA last week to mentor young dancers from the Northern Rivers in a week-long dance intensive held at Southern Cross University in Lismore. Working with Sydney Dance Company's Teaching Artists, 30 local dancers aged 13-18 years from across the region were taught Sydney Dance Company choreography and repertoire as well as learning how to develop and express their own experiences through contemporary dance.

We are thrilled to announce that Festival of Small Halls is heading out on their Autumn Tour 2023: Port Fairy Folk Festival to Lake Gkula and we would love it if you would join us again ... There are 18 communities across Victoria, ducking into New South Wales and South Australia, flinging open the doors of their halls and welcoming you in this March and April.

Artist Donna Mitchell has been drawing and painting since the age of eight, with portraits her speciality. She now shares her knowledge and skills by conducting art classes for kids and adults ... "Since moving to Hendon in 2022, we have enjoyed the simpler lifestyle that comes with living in the country."

Allan Trounson, 91 years young, is helping restore a very old rocking horse with his mates at the Maldon Men’s Shed ... This horse’s owner wants to keep it as a reminder of her childhood and has tasked the Men’s Shed with the restoration of this beautiful piece of history.

Cambooya Hall is now the second venue to host classes by Kiyua, a not-for-profit organisation working with children and youth, building confidence and self-esteem through performing arts. Kiyua Kids come from all backgrounds and cultures and enjoy classes every Saturday during school term.

Whether you are an avid bird watcher or simply a casual admirer I highly recommend adding this to your bookshelf for ready reference. Trust me, you’ll need it - as some people may not believe you when you tell them about some of the avian oddities described.

Chris Oldfield. SA taxpayers, not ratepayers, will fund a 30 per cent budget blow-out for a mural on the back of the new Naracoorte Public Library facing Ormerod St. Cr Peter Ireland said the mural looked “fantastic” but questioned “why” there was a budget blow-out?

If you’re stocking up your summer reading pile, Vikki Petraitis’ debut novel The Unbelieved should definitely be up for your consideration ... My flight was only an hour but I got halfway through the book in that time, as the story grabbed me and wouldn’t let go ... The twist near the end that I was waiting for came, but it was multilayered and not predictable or easily puzzled out.

Patricia Gill. Historian Malcolm Traill officially launched Ian Osborne’s book, The Osbornes of Group 41 Carmarthen, at the Osborne farm on December 4. The event marked the century since Ian’s grandparents, Group Settlers George and Edith Osborne, took up the property and a century since the 15 Group Settlers arrived in the district.

An insight into how Christmas in our region was celebrated in the past can be found in Steele Rudd’s On Our Selection, Chapter XXVI, which ends with this: “All night they danced—until the cocks crew—until the darkness gave way to the dawn—until the fowls left the roost and came round the door—until it was Christmas Day!”

Anyone who wanders into Narrandera Showground on January 28 and 29 next year will be forgiven for thinking they have stumbled into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. A Weekend With Max Festival, based on the popular Mad Max genre movies will take place over two days.

A History of the Castlemaine to Maryborough Railway  is a recently published book written by Ken James and David Langley. At 428 pages, it’s a doorstopper of a book that is painstakingly researched, well-illustrated and comprehensive in its scope. For railway tragics and history buffs, it’s a must-buy; and for others, it’s a cracking good read.

The large number of Darling Downs locals who help make up the throng at Woodfordia for the annual Woodford Folk Festival will notice a touch of luxury has been added for a lucky few this year. Twenty luxury glamping tents with ensuite bathrooms and kitchens have been launched with the help of $1.2 million from the Queensland Government Growing Tourism Infrastructure fund.

The Melbourne Grammar School Symphony Orchestra will be performing at the Morundah Paradise Palladium this Saturday as part of a tour of 11 regional locations this month. Travelling over nine days and 3200 kilometres, the tour provides a wonderful opportunity to experience a full orchestra live in these towns.