Life

The inaugural Art Festival on Ford held over three days from June 24-26 in Ganmain was a resounding success. Several local artists and community groups such as the Art Society and Craft Cottage exhibited their creative works in the Ganmain Hall ... Lush Creative Galleries threw open their doors with artists Linda Nolan and Jody Graham welcoming visitors to view their paintings.

Take only photographs, leave only footprints  is an established bushwalking and 4WD principle. Unfortunately, instagramming your bushwalk has led to many people building tiny cairns of stones so they can photograph their “artwork”. But it is not art, it’s vandalism.

Geoff Helisma. Everyone loves a success story, especially if it’s someone they’ve known or with whom they’ve brushed elbows - the Lower Clarence’s Ry X, who is on the cover of the June 17 French Rolling Stone magazine, is one of those success stories and, potentially, he might soon become a global name on the lips of music lovers, as well as makers and shakers clamouring for a piece of the action.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui says she is thrilled that Cape York received its fair share in the 2022-23 state budget ... “In this year’s budget we are making record investments in health, education, jobs, renewables, and community services like police, fire and emergency services,” Ms Lui said.

In episodes 5  and 6  from the second season of the award winning short radio and podcast series  From the Embers,  we check in with two different communities on their resilience journeys. Episode 5, 'Right Fire Wrong Fire'  goes to the  South Coast of NSW where  the mega fires of 2019/20 destroyed 1.5m hectares of Yuin Country, killing countless animals, plants, and insect species.

Australia and England will play for a new trophy when the two nations face off in next month’s eToro England Series; the Ella-Mobbs Cup named after two iconic Rugby figures from each nation. Mark Ella is a Wallabies legend. The first indigenous Captain of the Wallabies, the Fly Half is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted players in Australian Rugby history.  

Kate Foran. Next Friday is the annual Territory Day celebrations, a rare day on which Territorians can indulge their love of fireworks, as residents are still allowed to purchase fireworks to set off themselves. It is a heap of fun and much loved by many. There is a down side, however.  

Maldon residents Lauren Adele Stevens and her Dad, Ian Stevens, have once again headed off to Cambodia to continue working at Lauren’s Phnom Penh office with her local Cambodian team ... Alongside our WASH projects, Community Generation will commence a new project delivery of up-skilling and training local Khmer peoples with life-changing plumbing and maintenance skills delivered by fully qualified Australian plumbers,” Lauren said.

Chris Oldfield. Naracoorte's iconic garbo Gary Carter will give his final wave from the helm of a $450,000 state-of-the art truck on June 29. Switching off his 6am alarm each day, he is possibly the district’s longest-serving and happiest garbo.

Ford Street in Ganmain will be transformed into a collection of art galleries over three days between June 24 to 26. The inaugural Ganmain Art Festival on Ford event has been organised by Myfanwy Collette and her stepdaughter Rosemary Ashton.

A most unusual “sporting” event was held at the Coleambally Football/Netball Club recently when the club hosted a successful inaugural ferret race meeting. Seymour man Martin White from Whitey’s Ferret Racing Club provided the competing animals.

‘To see the community and regions being prosperous instead of being diminished will always bring me happiness.’ - Neil Eagle AO ... Neil’s involvement in water policy started in the early 60s, the group that formed was the Murray Valley Water Diverters, which covered from Albury right up to the Menindee system. From the outset, Neil was the secretary of that organisation, a role that continued for 30 years before becoming chairman, continuing to advocate for sensible water policy and a fair go.

Funding has ended for two male youth worker positions in Evans Head. The positions were funded by the Federal Government’s Safer Communities program ... “Unfortunately, we have had to say goodbye to Josh, Toby and the Mobile Youth Van service, this decision was not ours, the program was sadly no longer funded.”

Tickets for the iconic Woodford Folk Festival go on sale Wednesday 22 June at 12 midday ... Woodford Folk Festival is known for its diverse programme which includes music, circus, cabaret, comedy, talks, workshops, ceremonies, yoga, dance, street theatre, installations and a dedicated children’s festival. With over 2,000 performers, Woodford Folk Festival is the largest gathering of artists and musicians in Australia.

Emma Pritchard. The local man lovingly referred to as “Swainy”, recently won the John P Toomey Song Writing Award at the Dusty Boots Music Festival in Narromine for Guitar Pick’n Man, an original song which tells the true story of his marriage break down, love of beer, especially Tooheys, and his passion for country music.

Cape York residents and tourists are being encouraged to cover up and wear insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites after the Japanese encephalitis virus was detected in feral pigs near Skardon River. JEV cannot be spread from the pigs to humans, experts say, but are transmitted by mosquitoes.

“The Spirit of the Bush competition attracts photos from every corner of the country and reflects every part of life on the land. It’s mesmerizing to see the highs and lows of farm life reflected in action shots, sweeping horizons and moments of quiet reflection” : John Warlters, Rural Aid CEO.

Prominent Cairns trainer Stephen Massingham is unlikely to be recognised by regular bush punters at Laura this weekend, but it's not because he's rarely sighted at the non TABs. "I've lost 45kg," ... The rapid weight loss hasn't led to a loss in ability, with the Far North's top trainer still knocking up winners across the region.

Queen Elizabeth’s representative for Queensland has given Cooktown and its annual Discovery Festival the royal thumbs up after visiting the Cape over the weekend. Her Excellency, the Honourable Jeannette Young and her husband Graeme Nimmo were eager participants ... Highlights of the weekend were the markets, with hundreds flowing through the stalls over the weekend, the street parade, inaugural 4x4 muster, the sunset soiree and fireworks, all capped off by the reenactment on Sunday morning.

The world’s most remote music festival – the Birdsville Big Red Bash – is set to return in just over two weeks (July 5-7), drawing more than 9,000 festivalgoers to the remote red sands of Queensland’s Simpson Desert for an epic line-up of outback entertainment and live Australian music acts including Jimmy Barnes, Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers, Kate Ceberano, Shannon Noll and many more.

The City partnered with the Kwinana Social Club and the Medina Residents Group to celebrate the life of one of Kwinana’s historic figures, Margaret Feilman, with a unique artwork designed specifically for the area and installed on the external wall at the Club on Pace Road, Medina. At sixteen, Margaret became the state’s first female architectural cadet.