Family

War Widows Day on 19 October is now an official National Day of Commemoration first initiated in 2024 by the Commonwealth Department of Defence in collaboration with the Australian War Widows Inc. and Families of Veterans Guild. This is a special day of tribute dedicated to acknowledging and honouring the service and sacrifices of Australian war widows.

Barrel Farm is one of Albany’s newest food and beverage venues and its creation was just a labour of love and very much a family affair. Owned and operated by the Buxton family, Barrel Farm has been the decades-long dream of parents, Peter and Peg Buxton ... Situated on one of Albany’s old dairy farms, it is a creative blend of old and new.

“This motion is fundamentally about the mental health of our children, it’s about the emotional stability of our children. It is about their cognitive and physical development. It is about their social development. This motion is about PLAY.”

Nathan Lyon has gone on a regional roadshow into New South Wales, back to where it all started, in his childhood community. Growing up in Young, and playing for Goulburn, Canberra, and Wagga Wagga, Nathan wants to give back to his community that has done so much for him. This week he hosted a children’s cricket clinic ...

The Stay and Play Photography Competition, in partnership with Nexus Airlines, invited photographers of all skill levels to enter photos that convey the essence of why families should holiday in Geraldton.

People living with age-related illnesses are falling through the cracks of a system designed to support the elderly ... Carer’s exhaustion and burn out, jeopardized safety, greater pressure on hospital emergency services, family conflict, incidents and accidents, delayed medical intervention have all reached breaking point for sufferers and carers thanks to a backlog of unprocessed applications.

In a compassionate reversal of a previous decision, the Naracoorte Lucindale Council has this time unanimously agreed to waive all cemetery fees for children up to the age of 10, excluding the cost of plaques. This motion, which had been rejected in May, received full support from elected members in the council meeting held on July 22.

As Australia marks DonateLife Week, and local neighbourhood houses in Buloke encourage everyone over the age of 16 to sign up, the Hogan family from Birchip have shared their life-changing moment and the gift of a kidney from father to son.

Launch of ground-breaking new first aid app, the All Hands Lifesaver app. “We wanted to put access to immediate help in every parents' pocket across Australia, removing some of the barriers rural and regional people face when it comes to both first aid education and access to emergency healthcare”:  Grace Larson, co-founder of charity The Sisterhood Project and paediatric intensive care nurse.

Families in Barham now have greater access to quality care for their school-aged children, with the launch of a new Out of School Hours (OOSH) service at Barham Public School. Driven by strong community feedback about the lack of childcare options in the region, the service has been established by Intereach in partnership with Barham Public School and its Parents & Citizens Association.

The family of former Hay student Alicia Little have launched an appeal for co-operation between courts across state borders. The family says the Justice for Alicia Little Campaign focuses on urging Australian authorities to work together to roll out a national domestic violence offender database.

Eliza Pike. Perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) affects up to one in five mothers and one in ten fathers across Australia – and for the seven million people living in rural and remote communities, these challenges are often intensified by barriers to mental health care ... With Gidget Foundation Australia seeing a 132 per cent increase in clients accessing perinatal mental health counselling since 2020, access to timely, specialist care has never been more important.

Yorke Peninsula dementia support program, Memory Lane Cafe, has been saved by several small community groups which have generously donated funding to keep not one, but two cafe programs running for another year ... the group has grown from just 10 people to about 60 regular attendees who visit the travelling cafe each month.

The Allan Labor Government has cut critical health support for rural children in Western Victoria, axing the award-winning By Five Early Years Initiative in the latest state budget. Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur MP, condemned the decision as a direct attack on families already battling limited access to paediatric care.

A group of Naracoorte residents gathered at the Town Square last Friday to express their disappointment at the Naracoorte Lucindale Council’s decision not to waive burial fees for children under the age of 10. The community demonstration reflected growing frustration over the council's stance, which many believe lacked compassion for grieving families.

Allora recently hosted a session at the Allora P-10 State School with an aim to create more awareness and empower members of the community about the early warning signs of coercive control.

Rockhampton Regional Council, in partnership with the Queensland Government, has officially opened a new Changing Places facility at Southside Pool, ensuring more people in our community can enjoy a day out with dignity and ease ... provides essential amenities for people with extra support needs, including a ceiling hoist, an adult-sized change table, and additional space to improve safety and comfort.

Domestic violence perpetrators in Queensland who repeatedly use violence or abuse to control others in relationships can now be charged with the new offence of coercive control. The new criminal offence applies to acts of violence or abuse forming a course of conduct committed from today (26 May) and carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.

On Sunday, 11th May, the Allora Showgrounds was a sea of purple as 58 riders and 76 beautifully presented horses gathered to support a truly meaningful cause. Across both Showjumping and Dressage, there was a total of 159 entries. Funds raised went to Protea Place.

We put out the call, and you answered – hidden abuse is happening right now in our town. "The nice neighbour you have next door - and have known your whole life - isn't always who you think they are behind closed doors," one person told us. "It happens in 'good' families too," said another.