Community

Chibo Mertineit ... The protestival was longer, bigger and better and there was a large contingent of Northern Rivers residents who joined, organised and facilitated ... Overall, there were 7000 people over eight days, 33 volunteer teams with over 1000 volunteers doing 4500 shifts, cooking 20,000 meals and having 130 spokespersons (delegate of your group) representing 2000 people and meeting twice a day for decision making. It was just huge, and there was such a positive and friendly atmosphere at this drug-free event.

Victoria Mathew reckons her name should be Mrs Christmas. She really loves Christmas – the mother of six children and grandmother to six started making Christmas decorations when she had her first child. “Christmas is my passion,” Victoria said. “I love everything about Christmas. It’s when I shine brightest.”

Robyn Schinckel. Fact: At least twice a day a RFDS crew will land in the Limestone Coast to airlift a patient. Fact: Today, the RFDS deliver more than 380,000 episodes of care across Australia every year - equivalent to assisting someone every two minutes. The Foster Street Garden Party was an absolute triumph – a collective effort that raised $21,830. hese vital funds will help keep the RFDS flying.

Locals and visitors made another huge turnout for this year’s Allora Bush Christmas celebration.

Aussies still love their local libraries, with recent data from the Australian Public Libraries Statistical Report 2022-2023 showing a rise in borrowing and in-person library visits ... Recently, Fulton Trotter Architects developed a self-serve library kiosk in a residential suburb development in Port Macquarie to cater for community reading, nestled close to the community’s playground.

Jenny Pollard. The spirit of Christmas glowed bright at a packed Rex Theatre last Sunday night, as the annual “Carols” brought families and the community together for the widely loved end-of-year celebration. Embracing both the traditional and contemporary, the message of unity rang out loud and clear as music and song brought the Christmas message of hope alive through the school presentations, the singing of favourite carols and the upbeat address by Pastor Tom Ayars, from Connect Church.

In weather that could only be described as tropical, around 30 people attended a very hot and humid Murray Plains Meat Co-Operative open day on Friday December 6. After nine years of advocacy planning and cooperation with Murray River Council the micro abattoir has come to life.

Tracey Deehan and David Greenhill at the Corryong Post Office are getting into the festive spirit as part of the Towong Council’s ‘December on Hanson’ promotion which features cutouts out of local identities in the main street.

Kaniva’s Community Hub came alive for the annual Christmas Carols last Friday, welcoming young families and people of all ages. Despite the inclement weather, the event saw a full house, preceded by Santa photos, face painting and a meet and greet with Santa on the oval.

It isn’t just the trees, blossoming shrubs, and well tendered to veggie patches which are growing in the Yamba Community Garden. After applying for and subsequently receiving a grant of close to $14000 through the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF) last month, the popular recreational area in Wattle Park is set to expand by 200m2, creating additional space for more Clarence Valley residents to enjoy outdoor activities while fostering an inclusive environment and promoting sustainability within the Lower Clarence.

Birchip is aglow with holiday cheer as the town sparkles under dazzling Christmas lights and festive decorations ... There is another exciting reason to keep it local this festive season, with over $3000 worth of Big Bucks and prizes up for grabs in the annual Birchip Big Bucks Promotion.

This Christmas, the spotlight is on the 17,390 local businesses across the Toowoomba region, as Groom’s Gifts, spearheaded by Groom MP Garth Hamilton, returns for 2024. Groom’s Gifts supports small businesses and rewards shoppers in the lead-up to Christmas.

Patricia Gill. Shamara de Tissera began to play the harp as a young woman when pregnant with her son and no longer able to do eurythmia ... With her move to Denmark and first performance directing the Hildegard Harp Meditation at the Brave New Works Festival in January, she brought a wave of interest in the instrument.

Honor Auchinleck. Artist Simon White’s mural ‘The Men and their Mounts’ in Corryong tells the story of the bush horses or brumbies and the stockmen who mustered and brought them down from the High Country and the bush-covered hills surrounding the Upper Murray before the First World War. The breeders of the Remounts and Walers often turned the young horses out into the bush to toughen them up and then brought them back in as four-year-olds for sale to buyers for the British Army in India.

Making every step count, close to 100 Clarence Valley residents joined members of the Iluka-Woombah Rotary Club on November 29 for a twilight walk to raise awareness of domestic and family violence and the devastating impact it has on communities around Australia. Organised as part of the global campaign 16 Days of Activism, an annual event aimed at eliminating violence against women and young girls while promoting respectful relationships, the initiative received an outpouring of support throughout the coastal village.

Rachel Hagan. Price is a town with a deep history and has been a key part of Yorke Peninsula, but one key feature it has been missing is a museum — that is until now. By mid to late January, the Price Museum will be structurally ready to go ... Price Progress Association secretary Karen Newbold says it all needs to be finished by April 20, 2025, and she is confident all the work can be achieved by that deadline.

The butchers at Metcalf Quality Meats in Evans Head, Tom Karry, Jacob Lane, Mark Simeoni, Riley Stothard, Nathan Scully and Wade Goldthorpe, grew moustaches to raise money for men’s mental health. Wade said the young fellas didn’t stand a chance in the moustache-growing race.

The remarkable achievements of 2024 Paris Olympian bronze medallist Matthew Denny will be celebrated with two significant legacy projects in Allora. The local community was invited to vote on two proposals. Naming the Allora Cricket Grounds discus ring after Matthew Denny, creating a walking path in Dalrymple Park, featuring markers that highlight the distance of the various records achieved by Matthew Denny.

The Newstead solar project that was launched in August is rolling out and has been holding regular information sessions at the Newstead Rural Transfer Centre. The project, a partnership between Renewable Newstead and retailer Flow Power, centres around the newly operational Newstead Solar Farm.

Q: What do Carols by Candlelight, the Easter Parade, Maldon and Baringhup Show and almost every other major event in town have in common? A: The fantastic musical presence of the Maldon Brass Band, that’s what!

The president of the Corryong Show committee reported to the recent annual general meeting that an enthusastic band of helpers and improvements to the show site have ensured the future of a great community event. "We have ticked the boxes with what we had aimed and hoped to achieve with our Spring Show," Evan Nicholas said, "with great attendance from our community and also from afar.

Bailee White, daughter of Steve and Sarah White will leave soon to enjoy a "White Christmas" in Canada as the Lions Club of Nhill Inc. Youth Exchange Student for 2024. Bailee will be hosted by Mark and Sherry Pettapiece in Ontario Canada ... Their daughter Mikaela was fortunate enough to visit Australia in July this year and had a wonderful time.