Life

A helping hand: Former Denmark Citizen of the Year Roger Seeney is a strong believer in helping others and contributes to his community in many ways, including as an organiser of the annual Black Dog Ride, a national charity that raises awareness of depression and suicide prevention. He recently spoke to Serena Kirby about his life and the struggles which have shaped him.

After a two-year hiatus the national economy benefited from a $100 million injection from the biggest and most successful Henty Machinery Field Days on record ... Held on September 20-22, the 59th annual field days featured 14km of outdoor shop fronts from over 800 exhibitors on over 1200 sites.

Senior Australian of the Year 2022 and former Narrandera resident Valmai Dempsey of Canberra was one of ten Australians representing Australia at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last week. Ms Dempsey, a St John Ambulance ACT Volunteer for more than four decades, has been a passionate advocate for first-aid training for learner drivers.

Kirstin Nicholson. Presenting ribbons to champion terriers, sorting grain, rubbing shoulders with racing’s greats and fine dining were all part of Giorgi Boucher’s Melbourne Royal Show experience last weekend. Giorgi wasn’t there purely for the thrill of the show, though, she was there for the Rural Ambassador Award state finals. Giorgi won the Rural Ambassador Award at the Cohuna Show in March, then won at the Northern District Agricultural Shows Association regional finals.

Age is no barrier to doing what you love. Artist Anthea Moffat turned 90 as her exhibition  The Painted Years  opened at the Roxy Gallery in Kyogle this month. There is still time to see her work ... The Painted Years  is a body of paintings that are “partly my background of where I have lived and an exposition of the joy of life,” Anthea said.

The Estimated Resident Population (ERP) of Australia grew by 0.5  per  cent in the March  2022 quarter, to be 0.9  per  cent higher than a year earlier ... Queensland had the fastest growing population over the year to March  2022, followed by Western Australia and South Australia. Annual population growth in New South Wales and Victoria increased from the previous quarter, while growth in the Northern Territory was slow but positive.

Rockhampton Regional Council will be launching a Systematic Animal Inspection Program across all properties within the Rockhampton Local Government Area ... “This program allows Council to ensure that animal owners are following all relevant Local Laws, which are intended to protect the welfare of animals...": Planning and Regulation Councillor Grant Mathers.

Anyone wanting to sign a condolence book for Queen Elizabeth II in the northern suburbs can do so at Chocolate Drops in the Yanchep National Park. Pearce MHR Tracey Roberts, who arranged for the condolence book to be at Chocolate Drops, said those wishing to sign the condolence book could do so between 9.30am and 2.30pm until Sunday, September 25 and then between 9.30am to 4.30pm during the school holidays.

‘Room 4 a Roomie’ is an innovative pilot project which aims to address an accommodation shortage within the Kingston District Council area. We are partnering with Ray White Kingston to match potential tenants with suitable accommodation.

Angela Willsmore. Falls in older people are a serious health concern. In South Australia, SA Health reported in a March 2020 report that 47 people are admitted to an SA public hospital every day due to an injury caused by a fall ... Earlier this year, Good Country Physiotherapy commenced a falls prevention pilot program at Longridge Aged Care.

I was unexpectedly, and in the end pleasantly, surprised to find a story that is as much about 1950s and 1960s Australia as it is about one young woman’s experiences. It is the north-west Western Australia of Aboriginal missions, of cultural clashes, of extremes in temperature and of distance, of hardships tempered by moments of joy, of connections made and still treasured more than half a century later.

If you are wondering why there is a labour shortage across the Western Australia wheatbelt then check out some of the jobs on offer across the state and what they are paying ... I’m going to try to make the case that we need to lift what we pay but also ensure we offer a safe interesting experience so we can grow the pool of working holiday markets that will consider working on grains farms.

Outback road condition information will be even easier to access for travellers on SA unsealed tracks thanks to new QR code signage being installed at key locations across northern South Australia. The large QR codes are being installed on existing road condition signs, within mobile phone range, across the state’s unsealed road network to provide direct access to the Outback Roads Warnings webpage.

Bec Bignell is a storyteller who believes the best stories are those that are grounded in truth. A writer, actor and film producer, Bec grew up on a farm outside Kojonup, three hours south-east of Perth and her most recent screen story ‘Homespun’ was born from a desire to present a more authentic portrayal of life beyond the city limits.

Sarah Martin. The Bloomfield bushman who found a missing hiker after four days in dense rainforest near Home Rule said she was exactly where he expected her to be. Amos Dick has spent a lifetime walking the mountainous jungle around Rossville and his hometown of Bloomfield and said he and fellow rescuer Jeremy Edwards found Juliana Castrillon at the spot they had pinpointed before starting their search.

If determination has anything to do with it, Darwin's Luke Purtill, whose mum says he has as much hardware in his body as “the bionic man”, may be riding for Australia in Germany next year ... “Luke’s goals are to be selected to represent Australia at the Special Olympic World Games,” his mum, Robyn, said. “It’s not just about winning though. Luke knows he wins every time he gets on a horse and would like to inspire every rider, regardless of ability to have the courage to reach for their dreams and be the best you can be.”

Prepare your pre-loved goods, your home, unit, garage, street or the school yard as the Scenic Rim community joins in this year's national festival of pre-loved stuff. Residents are invited to do their part towards building a circular economy and hold their own event over the Australia-wide Garage Sale Trail events held on 12 - 13  and  19 - 20 November...

Health leaders gathered on 16 September for an emergency health summit in Lismore to urge the State and Federal Governments to immediately support healthcare services in the region ... “It’s been more than six months since the floods devastated the region and many healthcare service providers have yet to recover”: AMA President, Professor Steve Robson.

“The Treasure Trove has always aimed to sell beautiful, clean, affordable clothes and household items that are ‘preloved’ rather than tired and obviously second hand. We must have done something right because apart from our lovely regular locals, we have customers visiting from Perth and are now on the op shop tourist holiday trail": Ann Callen, Gingin Community Op Shop secretary.