Arts

A giant Mallee Wood Scorpion has won the 2025 Moulamein Art Gallery sculpture competition in the large section. The entry by Rhys Mortensen and Marty Horn was constructed using many different types of scrap material, including gears, cogs, heavy chain and the pressure plate from a clutch.

The Charlton Courthouse Gallery was very busy over the June long weekend as visitors poured in for “Pieced Together – A Collaboration of Charlton & District Quilters”. Despite chilly temperatures and the “welcome” rain, people travelled from across the district to see the exhibition – a testament to the dedication of quilters and their love of sharing and celebrating each other’s work.

Photographer Jodie Harris is a finalist in the 2025 National Photographic Portrait Prize ... Jodie is a photographer of Yamatji and Wajari descent and she lives and works on Bundjalung Country in Kyogle ... “Photographic portraiture is something I continue to be drawn to for its enduring power to tell a story.”

They did it. Organisers of the World’s Biggest Happy Dance were thrilled to see 468 people groovin’ to the song Dancing in the Street at Kyogle Showground yesterday, Saturday, June 14. The previous record for a happy dance in Singapore was 448.

Nimbin Artist Gallery's artist of the month is Clare Johnson, aka Miss Prissy ... Her works reflect an appreciation of the simple joys of life and also reflect her sense of the absurd.

Patricia Gill. Denmark artist Melissa Boughey's painting, State of Flux, Symbiosis, won the 2025 Omnia Art Prize announced in Toorak, Victoria recently. Melissa, who heard about the win while at home, said she had felt overwhelmed: "There were long distance tears over the phone. I'm touched and surprised."

Sunshine Coast people have an incredible passion and love of the region’s beaches and hinterland. It’s part of our lifestyle, influencing how we live and connect in our communities. Strong Community portfolio councillor David Law said it was the foundation of our culture and identity - and had been for the people of this region for thousands of years.

A series of short films titled Adaptation Stories will be screened at Kyogle Cinema on Sunday, June 29 at Kyogle Cinemas ... The films highlight how people are adapting to climate change and includes farmers, First Nations leaders and young changemakers.

Residents who have taken the train from Castlemaine Station in the past few months will have noticed scaffolding and works taking place at the nearby Castlemaine Goods Shed which is managed by Castlemaine State Festival. The Festival announced an update on Thursday 29 May, saying that the maintenance and upgrade project is on track to be completed by the end of 2025.

Nancy Whittaker. The fifth Maldon Portrait Prize exhibition of finalists will be held at the Cascade Art Gallery from Thursday 5 to Sunday 29 June. It is open to all artists who have lived or are living or working in Australia. The Maldon Portrait Prize 2025 has attracted an exciting range of entries…

A local photography enthusiast has been commended for her entry in the 2025 Camera House Landscape Awards. Jennifer Fennel was recognized for her photo Mt Isobel, Hanmer Springs, New Zealand.

Fifty-one people attended the official opening of the Echoes of Time photo exhibition by Narrandera photographer Mark Wilkie. Patrons had the opportunity to see a selection of Mark's photos taken while on assignment as a newspaper photographer in Europe and the Middle East and travelling through South East Asia.

The winner of this year’s prestigious Poets of Penola (POP) Acquisitive Art Prize is Xavier Mouche for his work “A Ballad of Rhythmic Patchwork”, an artistic interpretation of the poem “The Hoofs of the Horses” by William Henry Ogilvie.

Hay Library continues to grow in popularity, with an increase of 24 per cent in borrowers in March compared to the previous month and a slight decrease in April due to the two long weekends. In a comprehensive report to Council, the Library Team Leader noted 11 new members, a registration renewal and a busy month with community activities.

Jenny Oldland. As work towards the opening of Edithburgh’s Vietnam War Memorial Walk gathers pace so too does the interest for the project’s opening celebrations, with tickets for the Behind the Lines concert, headed by John Schumann and The Vagabond Crew, selling fast.

Who will read my books when I die? So many much loved and often read, from my childhood onwards are in the bookcase. So much learned from them, so many dreams and other worlds to travel through.

"The Bluff" is definitely an unputdownable crime novel filled with deception, betrayal and greed. If you’re after a crime thriller that will keep you guessing right to the end and one that gives you plenty of other topics and issues to think about then "The Bluff" should be high on your reading list.

The band Palinola has officially released its debut EP Static Divide, marking a major milestone for the talented trio with strong roots in the Darling Downs. Band members: (left) Ambrose Barton on bass, (front) Patrick Back singer-guitarist and (right) Brady Wilson on drums.

Exhibition Curator Ozan Fikri said he recently had the pleasure of meeting with fellow Narrandera resident Mark Wilkie and their conversation took an unexpected turn when he mentioned his roots in Cyprus ... Mark is set to share his work with the community in a special exhibition featuring 14 of his voyeur pictures.

“We’re really excited about partnering with talented artist Claus Stangl and believe the portraits he’s created bring to life the hidden creatures in our soil in a really fun, educational and unique way”: Alicia Doherty, Kellogg's ANZ.

On Monday 31st May 1875 a large group of Greenmount District locals gathered for the opening of the new Emu Creek State School and waited patiently for the official opening by well known politician Mr W. H. Groom ... It is very doubtful if Mr Groom, the first Head Teacher, Cornelius O'Brien or anyone gathered there that day, would have guessed that one of the 40 students enrolled would go on to be one of Australia's most loved writers.

Artist James Voller recently returned to the Rainbow Llew Schilling Silo to further develop his concept for art activation at the Silo once construction works are complete ... The Rainbow Silo presents a new challenge though, with the inclusion of internal art activation within one of the Silo bins - a first for the popular Silo Art genre.