Community

Though the weather was as wet and grey as predicted, the inside of the Memorial Hall was the complete opposite; bright, warm, and full of colour for the Donald Multicultural Festival! ... Enjoyed by all, and an event that tries to get bigger and better year after year, this year’s festival showcased how every community is built by so many people.

Brendan Atkins. "On a knoll commanding a wide view of peaceful mountain, reef and sea, there stands a monolith, erected to the memory of Allan McCulloch, naturalist, an outstanding figure in the history of the island", says cinematographer Frank Hurley in Jewel of the Pacific, his 1932 travelogue about Lord Howe Island.

This year, for the first time, Assistance Dogs Australia pups will be featuring in the Grafton Jacaranda Festival Parade on Saturday 1 November, resplendent in purple crowns and accompanied by the ADA team, their community carers and Serco staff. 

After two decades of independent operation in Barham, New South Wales real estate gun Lauren Polkinghorne has joined the Ray White network. The Ray White Barham principal is eager to bring together local expertise with national backing in a move that promises exciting opportunities for the Murray River community.

The controversy enveloping Clarence Valley Council was raised in the NSW Legislative Council last week, when Dr Amanda Cohn unleashed her opinion under parliamentary privilege, putting local Government Minister Ron Hoenig on notice. The statement follows the polarising “Wrecking Ball” leaked internal Clarence Valley Council email concerning a ‘suggested’ Council staff skit in the award-winning Jacaranda Festival.

West Wimmera Shire Council has named Serviceton's Les Millikin as the 2025 Senior Citizen of the Year ... Since moving to Serviceton in 2002, Mr Millikin has made an enormous contribution to the local community through his volunteer work at the historic Serviceton Railway Station.

Helen Hobbs. While many locals already know how much time and care Les Millikin puts into maintaining the Serviceton Railway Station, it's clear that visitors from across Australia — and even overseas — have noticed too. Online reviews tell a story of a man whose quiet dedication has left a lasting impression on hundreds of travellers who've stopped in at the historic station.

Saturday 25th October, Wilcannia hosted the Prepare to Play Outback Rugby Gala Day. Outback Rugby League gave special thanks to Olivia Whyman for acknowledging her ancestors and people in language.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Significant infrastructure upgrades at Renmark's Bookmark Creek – allowing for improved natural water flows, better conditions for native fish and other species, and greater recreational opportunities – have been completed.

This spring, don’t just declutter, transform your tired textiles into something meaningful for the environment. To champion National Recycling Week, Sunshine Coast Council has teamed up with BlockTexx® to hold a community textile recycling event, ‘Give a Sheet® for the Planet’.   

Navigating through the forms and criteria for help with flood impacted homes can be complex and difficult. The NSW Reconstruction Authority, through the Resilient Home Program, is offering assistance for residents to protect their homes from future damage — whether that’s by raising, retrofitting, rebuilding or relocating their properties to safer ground.

Port Pirie Regional Council is delighted to announce that the State Government, through the South Australian Tourism Commission’s (SATC) Drought Relief Regional Event Fund, has committed support for Our Youth / Our Festival, a brand-new community celebration designed and delivered by young people in Port Pirie.

On Saturday, 11th October, history came alive in the Allora Community Hall. With the support of Qld Government and COTA, the Allora & District Historical Society (ADHS) hosted a Bridal Extravaganza and High Tea showcasing over a century of Allora bridal fashions.

The Mallee Root Round Up has once again proven that country people know how to celebrate, with 750 guests exuding enthusiasm and a strong sense of fun and excitement all weekend. Marking 20 years since its re-birth, the Ball, which ceased in 1997 and was revived in 2005, drew people from all across Victoria and as far away as the middle of New South Wales.

it's almost a picnic atmosphere," according to motor enthusiast Bob, who loved the camaraderie of the Mount Tarrengower Historic Hillclimb on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October in Maldon. "It's not terribly commercial," Bob told the TT [Tarrangower Times], while peering into the engine of Doug's 1949 MG. "And everybody knows everybody."

Gulf and North West deserve service, not continued failures, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter has said. Mr Katter reiterated his call for genuine reform to air transport services in the region, noting that the fleet that the new American owners have acquired is not fit for purpose in the Gulf.

Aboriginal communities across NSW are working with Forestry Corporation to integrate cultural burning into government bushfire management frameworks. These local partnerships, under the Federal Government-funded program Fire, Country and People, aim to strengthen community resilience to major bushfire events and improve land management practices across traditional Aboriginal lands.  

Lockhart and District Community held another very successful and enjoyable Spirit of the Land Festival on the weekend of 11 and 12 October. It is 19 years since the first very small festival was held during one of Lockhart's most challenging droughts. Over the years it has grown into a vibrant community event.

Much needed rain yesterday put smiles on farmers' faces and also gave them a reason to head along to the opening of the new A-G Warehouse Store in Corryong along with local residents. More than 20 supplier partners were onsite ranging from seed, harvest supplies, fencing, animal health, farm supplies, workwear and stockfeed companies.

A record 2,600-plus entries made last Thursday’s Nhill Show a standout, with strong fields across art, craft, photography, cooking, LEGO, metalwork, wool, grains, shearing and horses. (Last year drew about 2,200.)

A Riverland man is searching for answers after his wife died on the Renmark airport tarmac, while waiting hours for a critical air ambulance last month. After suffering a heart attack on the evening of September 20, on the family's Renmark fruit block, 76-year-old Jane Logos was taken to the Berri-based Riverland General Hospital and waited until nearly 4am for an attempt to transfer her to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC), before tragically passing on the tarmac.

As community excitement begins to grow as fast as the purple petals on the famous jacaranda trees which line the streets of Grafton start to blossom, thousands of visitors from across the country and overseas will journey to the Clarence Valley over the next two weeks to share in the history of the annual festivity while immersing themselves amongst local attractions and jollities throughout an exuberant 10 day program.