The twelve words of Christmas
Bruce Stewart. On Christmas Eve, 1906, Reginald Fessenden made the first radio broadcast in history … "A Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord". Luke 2: 11. These are the first words spoken on radio in human history.
Gath legend continues
Peter Hibberd. At Charlton last Friday, Brian Gath at the tender age of 79 years drove another winner. And in a career spanning over 60 years and over 3,500 winners, this is an amazing feat.
Bush Poetry – Tangmalangaloo
Michael Darby, Bush Poetry Champion of Australia (2023), recites the famous Australian Christmas poem, Tangmalangaloo, by John O'Brien (Msg Patrick Hartigan). Audio produced by audio engineer, Peter Kukura.
Carols capture Christmas cheer
Jenny Pollard. A mix of the traditional and the contemporary had Carols at The Rex hitting the right notes as Charlton celebrated the lead up to Christmas with a message of hope and a whole lot of fun and colour at last Sunday night’s “glowing” event.
Narrandera’s festive season begins with Lions big weekend
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas with the Narrandera Lions Club gearing up for their usual festivities to help residents and visitors celebrate the festive season. Lions will be hosting the annual Narrandera Carols in the Park...
Grong Grong netballer selected in NSW side
Netball NSW has unveiled the netballers who will represent the State at the 2024 National Netball Championships and among them is Grong Grong’s Emily McPherson, who plays for Wagga Wagga. Emily has been chosen in the 2024 NSW 17U team...
Mighty Murray
The Murray River holds a special place in many hearts and minds of locals. The river brings life to the landscape and the people who live and rely on her. After a trip down the Murray River from Barham to Wellington in South Australia and back, retired land surveyor David Laughlin was left with reflections of natural beauty, lessons from the past and current management by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Six leadership lessons I learnt climbing a mountain
It’s not every day you have the opportunity of trekking up Africa’s highest peak with your daughter ... The six lessons I learnt climbing Mt Kilimanjaro (whilst obvious in the cool light of day) were acquired and reinforced through experience. Learning by doing is the most effective and powerful teacher of life’s lessons. These lessons have application in everyday team scenarios.
Carols in the Park
In a balmy atmosphere, both weather and spirit, a good crowd of locals gathered to enjoy and share in the blessings of Carols in the Park. It has been many years since this event was last held at Baker Park, and the traditions of those earlier years were honoured.
Regions’ race towards VAD a damning indictment on Qld Govt: Katter
Regional and rural Queenslanders are seeking access to voluntary assisted dying (VAD) services at a rate that is almost double their inner-city counterparts – a revelation that should send a shiver down the spine of anyone who cares about the equitable delivery of healthcare, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter has said.
Isi Campbell – Making waves
Isi Campbell is doing what most teenagers only dream of… she’s travelling the world to go surfing ... Isi’s wins have been many including being named as last year’s WA Junior Surfer of the Year and collecting the 2022 Under-18 Girls State Championship Title. She has also achieved a silver medal as part of Team Australia at the International Surfing Association’s World Junior Surfing Championships in El Salvador.
Lucindale Survivors survive and conquer Shitbox Rally
Erin McWaters. In November 2022, Shannon and Erin were handed the keys to the Autumn 2021 Shitbox Rally AU Falcon of local Lucindale Survivors Rohan Giles and Andrew Wilks, and began their fundraising campaign to get the face-lifted Sherlee the Shitbox off the Port Douglas start-line on October 13th 2023 for the Spring 2023 Rally, bound for Adelaide via Birdsville.
No staff
The opening of a new daycare facility in Naracoorte has hit a speed bump. There are no qualified staff to man the facility ready to open at the old TAFE site in the township. The new daycare centre, with a capacity to accommodate up to 80 children, has been developed by Tony Dawson of Robe.
Health tax “fatal” for some GP”ˆclinics
The State Government’s new health tax is another hit for rural and regional communities, with many GP clinics facing the risk of closure. Labor recently reclassified tenanted medical professionals as employees, not contractors, for payroll tax. This move has left clinics grappling with debts often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as the tax has been backdated up to five years in many instances.
A celebration of mobile eye care
Established in 2013, the Flying Doctor Mobile Eye Care service delivers comprehensive, accessible eye examinations to rural Victorian communities ... Despite the fact that more than 90% of vision impairment is preventable or treatable, missing regular eye health checks or treatment is too often a reality of rural living, and risks more serious future health concerns.
After six months closed, Maldon Caravan Park now open
If you have guests arriving for Christmas and over the summer break, Maldon Caravan Park is once again an option for accommodation. After more than six months of closure, Gay and Des Stormon were brought in to have the Park ready for the recent Maldon Folk Festival.
How’s business? Le Sel, Maldon’s petite French deli
“Well, it’s very interesting because before Le Sel I’d never been in hospitality at all. Le Sel has been a totally different direction. I spent about 45 years of my life mainly doing interior restoration work, spending a lot of time in Melbourne, doing historical restoration, working for the National Trust and so forth. Then we came to Maldon": Serge, Le Sel.
Family cooks up a keen contest
On Sunday the inaugural Lebner family bake-off was held in memory of family matriarch and renowned cook, Enid Lebner. This year’s challenge was one of Enid’s favourite recipes and a diverse field of entrants lined up for the hotly contested Yo-Yo Classic trophy.
Shearer continues to make strides
Lockhart female shearer Nicki Guttler continues to make a name for herself in the male-dominated field of shearing ... Nicki started off shearing in the Open competition as the only female competing and surprised even herself by coming sixteenth out of 35 leaving quite a few seasoned Open shearers in her wake.
“The doctor won’t see you now…“
Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) is once again under the spotlight as the Barham Hospital had been left with no doctors after the contractual arrangement with Ochre Health ran out on November 30 ... Having the multimillion-dollar facility sitting idle due to a bureaucratic standoff has greatly frustrated local doctors and distressed patients seeking treatment.
Allora lights up for Christmas
Congratulations to The Allora Community Circle for organising a wonderful Bush Christmas again this year. With the support of local sponsors and business houses as well as the community involvement Allora turned on a memorable event including the official lighting of the Community Christmas Tree ... It was an amazing experience as the kids flocked to see and touch a real live reindeer.
Salvation Army’s Kaniva Corps closure
“The Salvos have played an important part in the Kaniva community for a long time, so it is sad to see them leaving. From the fellowship the church offered to the much-loved Op Shop and the many times they provided outreach and help, often completely unheralded, their departure will undoubtedly leave a hole in the community”: Tim Meyer, West Wimmera Mayor.
