Community

Madison Eastmond. High attendance and exhibitor numbers, along with great weather conditions, all came together for a successful 66th edition of the Riverland Field Days last weekend. The Riverland Field Days welcomed exhibitors, vendors, and guests from the region and beyond to Barmera ... with more than 10,000 people attending across the two days, and 225 booked sites ...

Baaka, our new Cultural and Art Centre, looks wonderful! All of us who've been on guided tours inside it are excited about what it will mean for Paakantji people, the town of Wilcannia and our whole region.

Innovative youth mental health and suicide prevention program, Live4Life, was first conceived and developed in the Macedon Ranges in 2010 — a groundbreaking response to a reported increase in anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide amongst young people in the rural communities of the shire. 

Dalgarno Street, Coonabarabran, will burst into life on Saturday 20 September 2025, as Warrumbungle Bloomfest returns with an evening of light, music, food, and community spirit under the night skies of Australia’s only Dark Sky Park. Now in its second year, Bloomfest is completely free and family-friendly, making it one of the most accessible festivals in regional NSW.

Claire Coulter is the market coordinator of the monthly Tabulam markets. She uses the word community a lot when she talks about the growth of the markets. Because community matters to her.

For four days a year, pride in The Centre's art closes "the gap" as people, black and white, from near and far, stream in to Alice Springs for Desert Mob. They celebrate ancient stories kept alive on paper and canvas, on clay vessels or as sculptures made from metal, wire or grasses.

"This year we have a full line-up of 30 acts for the stages, a Youth program, a Children's Festival program and Workshops! Cape York Folk Club Inc. are proud to present headliners like Anthony Forrest, Fat Picnic and Kingfisha, who will have the crowd pumping to sublime reggae, dub and modern rock!

More than 500 farmers, advisers and industry representatives converged on BCG’s Main Research Site on the Sunraysia Highway, Birchip, for the 2025 Main Field Day ... Alongside the recognition and reflections, the day showcased hands-on trial tours, expert presentations, and discussions on disease control, herbicide innovation, yield optimisation and soil management.

The scent of blooms and blossoms — coupled with longer, warmer, sunnier days — signals the start of spring and for many, a change in mood ... And while Health Direct, an Australian government-funded source of health advice, reckons that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is rare in this country, there might also be a sense that wintry depression is starting to drift away.

A 30-strong platoon of volunteers recently completed a significant planting project at Playles Hill Park in Corryong. In seven days, the industrious group amassed more than 280 hours of work ... One hundred locally extinct and critically endangered Banksia canei have also been included in the plantings.

We see them every year; the friendly, happy, patient people who bring with them the adorable menagerie of cute and cuddly animals. Year after year, they travel over to the Hay Show, so the community's children can enjoy animals they might not always get to see and pat up close.

Chels Hood Withey. A week-long homeless camp outside Minister for Recovery, Small Business and the North Coast, Janelle Saffin’s Lismore office ended after the MP refused meeting with housing advocates, and called police on constituents seeking help with the homelessness crisis. The camp was established by community members made homeless by recent NSW Reconstruction Authority evictions, skyhigh rents, and unaffordable homes.

The Limestone Coast is facing a worsening homelessness crisis, with Naracoorte among the towns where families, young people, and older residents are being pushed to the brink by rising housing costs and limited rental availability ... The [Naracoorte] News caught up with ac.care’s Homelessness and Community Services senior manager, Trish Spark, to discuss the issue...

Renowned Australian comedian and actor, Damian Callinan returns to the Gannawarra next month as part of his tour celebrating the iconic community icon – the town hall. As part of his Hall Stories tour, the creator of the hit Netflix movie, The Merger will celebrate the importance of the Lake Charm and Murrabit halls with each community during two shows supported by Gannawarra Shire Council.

Phillip Island is revving up for an action-packed month of October, packed with marquee events across Bass Coast, including the Rip Curl GromSearch Phillip Island, the Australian SUP Titles, and the headlining MotoGP™ from 17 October to 19 October 2025 at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

Mildura has been selected as one of just 19 towns across Australia to receive a community piano through the ABC’s Pop-Up Piano initiative. To mark the Year of the Piano, and the launch of ABC iView series The Piano, the ABC put a call out for communities to apply for the gift of a pre-loved instrument.

They love being Australians – and they loved being at Donald’s Foletti Caravan Park for a five-day break, despite the early Spring weather. Pictured are members of the “Humpy Club”, whose caravans, “Aussie by Design”, are the product of “Humpback Caravans”, of Wallaroo, South Australia.

There was a full house at the launch of Mount Alexander Wildlife Watch incorporated Sunday 31 August. Local Councillors Rosalie Hastwell, Lucas Maddock and Deputy Mayor Toby Heydon turned up in support of the group's inaugural event – a key note talk by Prof. Darryl Jones of Griffith University on the subject of wildlife crossings.

The 19th NHMA National Machinery Rally, Australia’s largest display of working heritage equipment, and the Steaming Under the Southern Cross event took place at Kingsthorpe last week.

It wouldn’t be a 20 year celebration of the Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival without a stellar line-up of special guests and an exciting programme to match! With this year’s theme “A Celebration of Stories”, special guests include multi-award winning actress, author and former Geraldton local Tasma Walton, novelists Catherine Greer and Stefanie Koens, musician and crime author Dave Warner, and so many more.

Murrumbidgee Council Mayor Ruth McRae OAM has expressed deep disappointment at the closure of Coprice's Coleambally facility from 1 September 2025. Cr McRae described the news as devastating for the community and said it was disappointing to see the withdrawal of a business, particularly one that has helped drive the region's agricultural sector.

Gunbower Racing Club is taking a big punt on itself – and the payoff would be huge. But more for Gunbower Lions Club and Echuca Regional Health’s Wellbeing Centre, because there’s $50,000 up for grabs as part of the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep.