Life

A new bike library will link Orelia Primary School students with unclaimed bikes from WA Police to encourage physical activity. An exciting new bike library concept aims to leave a positive legacy in Kwinana by linking unclaimed or donated bikes with students at Orelia Primary School.

Quill. Who said Friday the 13th is supposed to be unlucky? It certainly wasn’t for Donald’s Annual P & A Show, which opened its gates on Friday for two days of fun for the whole family ... Of particular interest, and new to the Donald Show was Stewart Bryant’s literally cracking performance.

Gina Murray. We are going through a time of change within our church. Our Rector (i.e. the Rector for the whole Parish of Lismore) has relocated to Gosforth and we are currently without a full time incumbent ... We are a very small congregation (usually about 15) and three years ago, the Grafton Diocese gave us notice that we had three years to increase our numbers or face closure.

Who would have thought that buying a ticket in a raffle would turn a woman’s life around? Eight years ago, Kerry Turpin bought that ticket from Kirra Hartland, a volunteer with  Evans Head Marine Rescue. Kirra is “very persuasive”, Kerry said. And that’s how Kerry became a volunteer.

The smell of smoke from the Bean Creek fire sat heavy in the morning air at Mallanganee as the local RFS unit mourned the loss of one of its members. The  NSW Rural Fire Service  said the RFS “suffered a great loss with the tragic passing of senior deputy captain John Holmes”. John was battling the Bean Creek Fire, about 15km north of Bonalbo, when he had a heart attack...

Mandurah, Western Australia’s largest regional city, has been named a finalist in the 9th annual international City Nation Place Awards alongside Fiji, Cape Town, Iceland, London, Switzerland, and others. The only Australian city named in the category for Best Communication Strategy – Tourism, Mandurah is one of eleven finalists in recognition for its outstanding 'BIG reasons to visit Mandurah this summer' campaign in 2022/23.

The exhibition is of Orthodox icons and includes pieces from eleven Australian collections, including six public institutions: Mona, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Art Gallery of South Australia, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Sydney, and the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, Caboolture.   Contributions from private collectors come from Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, and London ... This exhibition is the most significant collection of Orthodox icons presented in Australia that can be recalled ... The overall effect is surely one of surprise for the uninitiated and awe inspiring for the person who understands the genre.

Back in 2021, the Birchip Cemetery Trust received $22,000 from the Department of Health’s Cemetery Sector Governance Support Program to upgrade the original lawn cemetery and a further $18,000 from the “Cargill Cares Cropping for the Birchip Community” program ... concrete plinths could be installed in all six rows of the initial lawn cemetery to rehouse the plaques that used to sit on individual concrete blocks or directly on the lawn.

The planned Gardens of the Downs tour for Greenmount and Vale View has been altered due to the lack of rain. The three gardens at Greenmount will no longer be open for viewing, although the garden of Tonia and Paul Grundy at Vale View will still be open ... Ponder life next to the raked dry garden bed or delight in the small waterfall and stream that flows to a scenic pond with water lilies in bloom.

Talented local singer and songwriter Lee ann Weekes has released her first single and it has already brought her some success. Lee ann lives at West Haldon and her first single, Don’t Talk to Strangers is a song she wrote paying tribute to the beauty of her aunt’s unconditional love for her husband (Lee ann’s uncle), who courageously battled the effects of dementia before his passing in 2022.

Corryong College teacher, Stephen Learmonth ... has undertaken his own project to record the biographies of other servicemen from the region and the Corryong Courier will be printing a selection of these stories in the lead up to Remembrance Day this year on November 11 ... Frank Leslie Butler was born on the 13th of April, 1919 at Tallangatta, Victoria.

The delightful country garden at St Mary’s Vineyard with its hundreds of roses and many dry-stone walls is a fitting location for the annual Limestone Coast Plant and Trade Fair ... Over the years plants and bulbs suitable for the soil and climate have been planted and now hundreds of roses, bulbs, iris, hardy perennials, trees and shrubs surround the classic homestead and outbuildings, adding colour and texture throughout the year.

Kim & Peter Gibson. Nhill Lions Club's annual garden walk is fast approaching, with gardens open in Nhill and District ... Several gardens this year are country gardens as well, but a fantastic add-on offered this year includes a free courtesy bus to visit the country gardens open ... Werona -What was once a paddock became the Muller’s home and garden in 2015.

Situated in the Goomburra Valley The Long Neck Farm has now re-opened. Tanya and Corrie Ross of Long Neck Farm tell us that the renovations are now complete so the welcome mat is out ready for visitors to call in and enjoy the fun attractions and facilities.

Baked beans. That’s the secret to a long and happy life according to Kenneth "Ken" Weeks ... the Clarence Valley’s oldest resident, and the country’s oldest known living man, had his love of the humble dish immortalised courtesy of Heinz Australia, who commemorated his milestone by personalising 300 cans of his favourite food in his honour.

Karin Donaldson asked well-known artist and teacher Uncle Eddy Harris how his life as an artist developed ... " In 1988, I started painting lizards and turtles on sandshoes. People who were interested in Aboriginal people and our practices were interested in what I was doing and they started buying them."

The Vintage Drivers Club of Victoria organised a tour through parts of Western NSW with a stay of a couple of days in White Cliffs. The Club had liaised with the White Cliffs Historic Vehicle Club and met for an evening meal at the Pub.

Shitbox Rally Spring 2023 – Port Douglas, Qld to Adelaide, SA via Birdsville. 500 people in teams of two will leave Port Douglas on  Saturday 14th  October 2023  in the morning. Then after 7 days of driving over 3,000kms on dusty, mostly unsealed roads they will cross the finish line in Adelaide, SA on Friday 20th  October…..however, some cars simply won’t make it.

In the realm of artistic expression, Linda Gallus stands as a luminary whose work transcends conventional boundaries, inviting audiences to perceive the world through her unique lens ... In a style reminiscent of the iconic Sydney Nolan, Gallus seeks to weave elements of mystique and unpredictability into her art.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) is marking the momentous 80-year anniversary of its Charleville Base this October. Established in 1943, the Charleville Base services a waiting room of more than 622,000 square kilometres, connecting the residents of this significant South-West Queensland region to leading, and often lifesaving, health services ... As part of the 80-year anniversary, the RFDS (Qld) will also celebrate the individual 20-year anniversary of two of its nurses, Joanne Mahony and Diane Dowrick.

Of all the things that I get asked the most when mentoring a leader – is to help them when they are feeling vulnerable. The chances are we will all feel daunted or overwhelmed at some stage in our lives. Challenging times will always impact our confidence. Life is uncertain. At some point, we will feel vulnerable, uncomfortable, and unsure of ourselves. This is a normal phenomenon.