Life

Kirstin Nicholson. The negative effects of lockdown are widespread with people and organisations having to cancel events, celebrations, travel and appointments ... “It is a concern both financially and mentally. This is what happens, it’s not just the financial side of things, it’s the mental strain on our staff and on ourselves. Every time you stop, you lose your momentum; you lose your drive. "

Chris Oldfield. The SA Government can spend up to 10 times more on each locum it employs in the Naracoorte Hospital than it pays a local GP for the same 24-hour shift. Around the State it does the same, spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on locums and fly in fly out doctors rather than finalising contracts which enable local GPs to work at their home town country hospitals.

Eliza Berlage. A budding auctioneer from Lucindale will compete for a national title, after judges named him state runner-up. Despite only beginning his training this year, Nathan McCarthy placed second in the South Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association Ltd Young Auctioneer competition in Naracoorte this month.

A variety of performers, entertainers and attractions from all across WA will be featured at this year's event, including Freestyle Motocross FMX Demos, Live Music from Fieldsy, Oompah! and a range of local artists, as well as roving performers coming up from Perth

There is no other place in the world that compares to the awe-inspiring, soul-stirring, up-close whale watching encounters that you will find in Hervey Bay. Between July and November, thousands of humpback whales travel the ‘humpback highway’ and arrive in the calm, protected waters of Hervey Bay.

One echidna. One night. Locked in a bottle shop. What could possibly go wrong?

Emma Pritchard. Since the Lawrence Museum was forced to close in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Museum VP Roz Jones said the facility has undergone a significant restoration and transformation ... Several new attractions to the museum's impressive collection include a historical, agricultural and social tribute to early life in Lawrence, two 100-year-old wagons previously used by the dedicated brigades at Grafton Fire Station, a carpenter’s workshop displaying tools of the trade throughout the last century, and an arrangement of beautiful locally made clothing from several eras.

This is a beautifully presented and illustrated book which is a timely reminder to older children and to adolescents of the need to be aware of bullies and how they can attack a young person’s self-esteem in order to gain control over their emotions – sometimes with devastating consequences.

A ‘warm’ COVID-19 vaccine suitable for remote and resource-limited locations lacking access to cold storage supply chains is one step closer following an international collaboration between scientists from India and Australia.

Catherine Grimley. The Community Lawn sale remains a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Even though it was a little quiet, stallholders still served the needs of locals looking for something different or tasty, with Wan’s Asian food, hand-made earrings from Barkly Bliss and baked goods from the CWA ladies amongst others.

Sadly, it has become painfully clear that our political leaders have lost the capacity, and even, it would seem, the willingness, to compare the impacts of varying public policy positions. The evidence of this is in the crude lockdowns which provide an opportunity for politicians and bureaucrats to look like they are 'doing something' and that they are 'in control' when in fact neither proposition is correct.

Kirstin Nicholson. “I’d like to say I was elated, but the reality is, with everything that’s been going on, even after we had booked them, I still wasn’t necessarily sure that we would end up on a flight. You try not to get your hopes up because in this whole thing there is no guarantee,” says Kate Slater.

Gabrielle Duykers. After almost 20 years behind the bar, Jack Jennings and Rhonda Brown say they are excited to get their weekends back, as they rejoice in the successful sale of the Bushman’s Arms Hotel ... Upon reflection of his time in the industry, Mr Jennings said pubs had been unfairly given a “bad rap” in recent years. “I think people forget the good that pubs do for the community,” he said. “Over the years we’ve sponsored nearly every sporting group going around and even the sporting groups from out of town. Pubs are a centre of a community, they’re fantastic for the communication of people, and in really small towns when the pub dies, the town dies.”

Farmsafe Australia recently launched a new campaign, aimed at reminding farmers of the roles that they play in shaping a safe, healthy and productive working environment on their farms. The campaign highlights the opportunities that farmers have to be mentors, teachers and supporters and how demonstrating those leadership styles may reduce or eliminate psychosocial risks on their farm.

Casino is about to get fresh with its own weekly farmers market. John and Frieda De Kleuver are organising the market for the Casino Lions Club. The plan is to hold a market every Saturday morning at Crawford Square in South Casino, starting in September.

Butchers inside major supermarkets could soon become extinct. No more stopping for a friendly chat about the cut of your meat with the butcher while you shop ... The Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union said the change would see qualified butchers ‘redeployed’ into other roles at the supermarkets.

Emma Pritchard. As the horses paraded in the mounting yard, entrants in the Maclean Bowling Club Kids and Family Fashions on the Field smiled proudly and stood elegantly as they displayed their finest styles for the judges.

Jamie Kah has earned titles like Metropolitan Jockey of the Year and Provincial Jockey of the Year in South Australia, and currently leads the Victorian Jockey Premiership. Jamie did not become one of the best jockeys in Australia overnight. She has put in a lifetime of hard work and devotion to horse riding, and she attributes much of her success to her time in Pony Club.

Olympics veteran Patty Mills says he understands the privileged position he is in to be one of the two flag-bearers for the Australian team at Tokyo. “As a proud Kokatha, Naghiralgal and Dauareb-Meriam man it’s incredible. A very passionate moment I can feel in my bones,” Mills said after the announcement that he and Cate Campbell will lead the Aussie team at the opening ceremony.

John O'Donnell. After the large bushfires impacting on towns and cities in recent years, it is opportune to review potential bushfire protection opportunities for towns and cities across Australia ... The focus of this document is on exploring all opportunities to best protect towns and cities from bushfires, optimising resident safety and optimising firefighter safety.

Expect to be taken on a journey of resilience and recovery, a celebration of life and community at the upcoming exhibition Woven that begins on 21 July at The Centre Beaudesert.