Family

Barham is in the midst of a childcare shortage crisis, with a wait list of 90 at the Barham Early Learning Service alone, with 75 per cent aged in the 0-3 years old bracket. It is estimated that 45 per cent of the children in Barham, Koondrook, Moulamein and Wakool have been unable to be placed in a childcare facility.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Families are being informed about contents of the upcoming 2025 sex education program at Renmark High School (RHS) ... The 2024 controversy – which saw year 9 RHS students exposed to the concepts of bestiality and incest without prior parental knowledge – surfaced again ...

Bushfires are stressful enough, but having a zoo of 500 animals and 23 staff adds a whole new level for the Treweek family. Former Wakool family Mark and Lisa Treweek and their kids Cooper and William have finally been able to open their 52-acre Halls Gap Zoo after the challenges of the Grampians bushfire. Their second fire in 12 months.

The loss of a parent is devastating. Losing both is unimaginable, but photographer and horse lover Sarah Wheeler is turning her grief into hope for others suffering from liver, pancreatic, stomach, bile duct and oesophageal cancers.

Serena Kirby. Denmark GP Alex Sleeman is learning to walk again after sustaining serious spinal injuries from a tractor accident on his property last September ... “I plan to do everything I used to do but I’ll just do it a bit differently and good luck to anyone that tells me I can’t do something.”

I am a co-founder and Chair of a business (My Word) that enables families to capture the life stories of their loved elders. Storytelling is the oldest and most accurate way to pass on history and wisdom. To know where you have come from is to know who you are ... The elderly, with decades of life behind them, offer unique insights into what it means to lead effectively and meaningfully.

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.”

A West Wimmera Shire Council survey on maternal and child health and support playgroup services has highlighted the overwhelmingly positive experiences from families in the community. The survey, which gathered responses from parents and caregivers from across the shire, showed strong satisfaction with the support and care currently provided.

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.

Serena Kirby. Denmark's CWA is bridging the generational gap with its Nanna’s Next Door initiative. The intergenerational playgroup is the brainchild of local mum Megan Sutton who believes that the Denmark CWA is the only branch offering this type of program ... "Some of these women may not have held a baby in decades and there’s certainly something special that happens when they hold a baby."

The tree was beautiful and we loved it. It was a maple that was young and growing when we moved here after the fires, and was part of many different trees on the property, all quite immature ... Boy did it grow.

One 11 year-old Jack Russell female named Elizabeth, for scaring her parents and causing trouble. Worming day...dogs line up for treats...

Between Halloween events held at Wyreema the weekend before last and at Westbrook on Halloween night, well over a thousand local children participated in community events ... 1,400 kids were counted at one house, including likely a few repeat customers, and overall over 1,000 kids plus parents, meaning upwards of 2,000 people taking part in the festivities.

Kenneth “Ken” Weeks, the Clarence Valley’s oldest resident and the country’s oldest known living man, celebrated his 111th birthday earlier this month at his residence at Whiddon Grafton. With his loved ones by his side, Mr Weeks enjoyed a low-key affair this year after his 110th birthday in 2023 was commemorated in spectacular style by Heinz Australia who personalised 300 cans of his favourite food, baked beans, with his portrait in his honour.

An award-winning local policeman says the district needs to come together to “break the cycle” of domestic violence that exists in our community. Naracoorte’s Senior Constable, Chris Mailley, who works in supporting domestic and family violence victims, says, “just one incident is too many”.

Like many city folk, the Sipou family once wondered if country life was for them. But they quickly discovered that life in Coleambally, which sits in the Murrumbidgee Council area, was full of incredible rewards and brimming with opportunity ... For the Sipou’s, it was the lack of affordable housing in Sydney that prompted them to look further afield.

This years theme “Encouraging Dreams” was built on the last years Fashion Parade theme “Dream Big”. Thirty five children took part in the parade and a number also took part in the warm up circus act ... Mary is working on raising the awareness that the key word in the program is “RESPONSIBILITY”. Everyone is responsible for their own actions ...

It's a simple truth that our family has always been Ford fans. For as far back as I recall the cars have been descendants of the original Henry... I recall driving off in a new model way back and hating leaving my treasured XC at the dealership ... My son has told the person who is taking him that Yuri is indestructible, surviving the 2014 bushfires and saving our dogs ...

Serena Kirby. An increase in children experiencing mental health crises and presenting at the region’s emergency departments has led to a new crisis response service. Run by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, the acute care response team will be based in Albany but will cover Denmark and the Great Southern.

‘Flight of Fancy’ essentially refers to an idea that is out of reach, impractical and implausible. So for the Kaniva Lions Club in late 2023 and early 2024, the idea of hosting a Debutante Ball was just that…A Flight of Fancy.