Family

The patriarch of one of Riverina’s best-known families has been given a photograph of his mother he did not even know existed taken 120 years ago after the precious portrait nearly ended up in a Central Coast rubbish tip. Former Narrandera resident Don Durnan, 92, was overjoyed when the beautiful old image, called a carte de visit, was handed to him by Federal Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack.

Key details about the proposed $12m Yipirinya boarding facility remain unclear while the Federal Opposition has further assured its support for the project in a meeting with the school’s board of Aboriginal elders. Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, and Shadow Minister for Education, Senator Sarah Henderson, said the school is “like a family” when they visited the campus.

Since she was a child,  Navanka Fletcher has helped her nan set up the district produce exhibit at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Her nan Lyn Cregan, 76, has been involved in setting up the Northern District exhibits for 30 years.

Lachie Allen is just four and his big sister Milla is six. When Mila led Lachie to a win on the little white pony Pixie at the recent Equestrian Festival at Warragul, there was hardly a dry eye in the house ... “On the day Milla kept saying how proud of Lachie she was and kept reminding him to sit straight like a soldier, point his toes to the stars and look up."

Daphne and Archie met in the Spring of 1945 at the Spring Creek Hall Dance. The two were enjoying their night dancing away with alternating partners to the Jolly Miller Waltz.

The end of term 1 and Easter is fast approaching, and the local children in Birchip are enjoying a number of Easter traditions that make this time of year all the more fun and exciting ... The Birchip playgroup children had lots of fun on Friday in the park scavenging for eggs and were delighted with their results, as they devoured the chocolate and played in the ever-popular Morton Bay Fig trees and on the playground equipment.

The Tennant Creek Fishing Club’s annual Family Fun Fishing Day made a comeback at Lake Mary Ann last weekend. The weather co-operated wonderfully, with little wind, warm and sunny as around ninety people came out to the lake to discover the joys of fishing.

Childcare users in regional Queensland have waited more than 12 months to access services, according to a new study released by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI). The RAI Childcare Study ... focused on accessibility, availability, affordability and quality of childcare and its impact on workforce participation, liveability, population attraction and retention of staff in the Maranoa and Western Downs regions...

Australia’s leading NDIS online therapy provider, Therapy Connect, is virtually stepping into the classroom, providing early intervention and diagnosis to children in remote communities and slashing years off patient waitlists. It is estimated that around 180,000 children in rural NSW are in desperate need of childhood development services that are not available in their region.

Titilua Ikenasio. A new child-friendly eating place ‘The Yard’ Cafe has officially opened on East Street Narrandera, bringing with it new flavours and a new look ... Owners Cass and Oz Fikri are no strangers to the world of hospitality ...

Serena Kirby. About 30 people volunteered to have their heads shaved before 200 supporters at a recent ovarian cancer fundraiser at the Denmark Boating and Angling Club. The ‘Shaving Noggins for Suzie’ event was held as a way to show support for lifelong local Sue Sinagra who is fighting Stage 4 ovarian cancer.

Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation launched its regional report on family violence at Nyinkka Nyunyu ... The Working Group uncovered that the Barkly suffers significant levels of all forms of violence which is often going unreported due to a community belief that violence is tolerated.

Jo Mason (nee Collins) ... The Collins family has a significant place in local history, being the earliest settlers to still have family living in the Upper Murray today. John Collins and his wife Sarah Luke came to Australia from Hampshire, England in 1839 on board the ship Susan, with their seven children.

When Dino Polese was three years old, he went looking for his father Angelo in the banana crops at Naughtons Gap. He got tired and fell asleep under a tree. “They came and found me,” Dino said. “They” refers to the Italian community who settled in Naughtons Gap near Casino between 1945 and the late 1970s.

When Moulamein local, Shantal Sherman, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of this year, it was the last thing she expected to hear ... What she didn’t expect to have to do was travel for basic follow up wound care, when her hometown is supposed to have an operational, functional and staffed community health service ... Shantal said she can’t believe the deterioration in rural health care and the lack of empathy and concern shown for patients.

For the first time this century, expecting mums in Weipa and the surrounding community will be able to give birth in a local hospital when a new service begins early in 2023. The Weipa Hospital has a fully equipped birthing suite and a top team of staff lined up to welcome Cape York’s newest arrivals.

Supt Mark Grieve. From a policing perspective, the Barkly region has much to be proud of as we look to close out 2022. We’re leading the Territory in the reduction of crime with Tennant Creek specifically ... When it comes to reducing crime, it’s important to realise that whilst police play a significant role, ongoing education and engagement is key.

Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation. Our Elders’ Yarn Up group happens once a month, with Elders coming in to express their concerns and their love for children and families ... Last week, Marlungku-Kari Child & Family Centre celebrated its last Elder’s Yarn Up meet for the year.

CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, is part of a nappy recycling trial announced today to help address the 1.5 billion disposable nappies that end up in Australian landfill each year ... The trial has been underway in South Australia since July 2022 and uses anaerobic digestion to turn the organic materials in used nappies into nutrient-rich compost, as well as bioenergy which is captured and used to power the recycling process.

With the support of the Cape community, Ukrainian refugees Tatiana and Victor Malysha have returned to their home in war-ravaged Zaporizhzhia. Coordinated by Cooktown couple Eric and Jola George, the community has fundraised to give Tatiana and her son Victor, who has special needs, a monthly allowance while they were forced to live apart from her husband to escape fighting in Zaporizhzhia.

Sam’s memoir tells the story of his journey from farmhand to farmer. Along the way, it also explores the changing nature of farming, the complications of farm succession, and less traditional approaches to agriculture ... I had tears well up at some points, and laughed out loud at others.

Ben Evans settled on his 2,600-acre Mellool farm just two months ago ... His entire property, bar six acres, is underwater ... Daniel Monk, has never seen floodwater inundate the area as widely or as quickly ... Marcus and his wife, Bree, have 90 per cent of their 4,000ha farm inundated at Mallan ... “I have never seen so much water ever,” said Ken Spence.