Life

Joanna Tucker. "Our primary mission was to utilise our skills and existing expertise to provide assistance to US teams who have been battling these fire complexes since July. Our secondary mission was to provide learning opportunities, and to understand how (the US experience) may improve our existing capabilities and strategies when managing fires in SA": Kadina CFS volunteer Justin Baxter.

Why is it that school teachers feel the need to torture the parents of their pupils? ... younger son for some reason decided to learn the violin. The teacher even let him bring it home to practice ... Ode to a Violin ...

Andrew Bayles’s early aerial photograph speaks for itself. Every available parking space had been taken up well before football’s senior grand final ... On Saturday, Donald delivered a “double whammy” with a record-breaking grand final day alongside the Borung Highway, as well as a widely broadcast race meeting on the Donald racecourse, little more than a stone’s throw away from the football, netball and hockey.

Ivanhoe is forming a car club, the Ivanhoe Historic Car Club. Founding members of the club are wanting to put the call out, for people to dust off their old vintage beauties sitting in their sheds, and join up.

Southern Air Ag owner and chief pilot Jason Law is one of five people who operate successful businesses at the Naracoorte Aerodrome ... Mr Law said a Naracoorte Aerodrome Users group had formed in a bid to provide accurate and relevant information to the council that “reflects the needs of aerodrome users”. The group were disappointed by the disconnect and lack of understanding regarding day-to-day operations and requirements of the aerodrome users, and council staff who were charged with its governance.

Leaders from eleven community groups across Australia have shared their stories about the projects their communities embarked on in the depths of the drought that affected so much of Australia over the last decade. The stories can be heard on FRRR’s new Tackling Tough Times Together podcast.

At the risk of needing a ‘spoiler alert,’ the story of Warren Davies – The Unbreakable Farmer – deserves to be told. It’s not just about surviving adversity but managing the struggles we often push aside. These issues, like stubborn bindii, can stick with us and spread their impact if ignored.

Recently an episode of Radio National’s ‘The History Listen’ discussed the kangaroo dogs that were first bred about 1800 in Sydney by crossing Scottish deerhounds with greyhounds. Their ability to hunt and kill kangaroos provided early colonists with a plentiful supply of fresh meat.

It seemed natural that café owner Katrine Elliott would reflect and become nostalgic when speaking about the closure of the business that she has steered through more than 17 years. The iconic Berryman’s Café and Tearooms will cease operations on Sunday 29 September and hold a clearing sale in the following week.

The 75th anniversary staging of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers kicks off tomorrow, 13 September and will continue for a few action-packed weeks until 7 October. This four-week celebration showcases Spring gardens in full bloom, exciting foodie experiences that’ll make your palate blossom, kids’ entertainment that will plant smiles all around and music that will have your spirits flowering with joy.

Menang elder Aunty Vernice Gillies and Menang man Larry Blight will lead guided walking tours along the Kwoorabup riverbanks at the Kwoorabup River Festival [on Saturday 21 September] ... This cultural and environmental experience aims to help everyone better appreciate the Kwoorabup River and the Wilson/Nullaki inlet as they paddle, row and swim through the events of the day.

Serena Kirby. A committee has been formed to help secure an electric commuter van. The move is to reduce social isolation, created by Denmark’s lack of community transport. This commuter van will offer a green transportation option for community groups and residents.

Serena Kirby. David Wright was named as the Inaugural Denmark Cattle Farmer of the Year at the recent Drought Muster Buster held at The Dam ... The award was part of a broader event organised by Raintree Farm owner Steve Birkbeck, who wanted to create ‘a reason to celebrate in a time of stress and trouble for the farming industry’ ... An integral part of the event was the discussion of issues surrounding bushfires by a panel of local experts.

The outstanding success of the 2024 Man From Snowy Bush Festival has been a testament to the dedication of board members and volunteers over a challenging period, chairman Cameron Jackson highlighted at the recent annual general meeting. "The past two years once again were not without their challenges and of course change can often be the hardest thing to manage," he said.

When Alexa Leary, who grew up in Yamba, was fighting for life in intensive care after an extremely serious 2021 cycling crash that almost claimed her life, her parents engaged a fortune teller who predicted she would survive and compete at the Paralympics. But the fortune teller didn't predict Alexa would become the golden girl of the 2024 Paris Paralympics by breaking the world record and taking home two gold medals...

Over the Father's Day weekend I was out having a family lunch at a restaurant full of families celebrating father’s day, recognising their fathers and grandfathers. It got me thinking about my dear Dad, and how I have fathered my children and now grandchildren.   Being a dad is the most rewarding – challenging – difficult – all-consuming leadership role any father undertakes - There is no rule book. There is no greater leadership challenge than parenting.

When I sat down with Gregory Andrews in the cool of the New Crown Hotel in Hay’s main street, it was following an incredibly blustery trek of 170 kilometres across the Hay Plains. On the day he arrived in Hay, the strong September winds and a flat tyre had delayed his arrival from Balranald by several hours ... Travelling solo, on an eBike, Mr Andrews spoke passionately about his trip around Australia and the reasons behind it.

A mayoral chain worn by the late OJ Smith has been returned to Hay. “It needed to come back home,” former Hay resident Noelene Martin said ... Noelene and her husband, Rod brought the chain to Hay over the weekend after having it framed, and presented it to Council on Monday morning.

An innovative portrait project at Uniting Caroona Yamba by renowned local artist Harry Westera is uniting residents and staff, fostering a friendly community and preserving precious memories ... When his wife Grace, a Pastoral Carer at Caroona Yamba suggested he volunteer he took up the opportunity, and in 2 years he has hand drawn 91 portraits of residents, 52 of which adorn the walls of Caroona, with more being added regularly.

Rachel Hagan. With improved detection and diagnosis, the number of men surviving prostate cancer is thankfully increasing, however, this means the psychosocial impact is expected to affect more people as the population grows and ages. Yorke Peninsula Prostate Cancer Support Group leader Robert Kidd knows first-hand how secretive some men can be about diagnosis, after his own father kept his troubles with the disease to himself.

Kyogle chef Shelly Snadden cooked her heart out at the Sample Food Festival in Bangalow ... Kyogle councillor Danielle Mulholland was by her side in the My Mayor Rules cook-off. Kyogle mayor Kylie Webster was unable to attend so former mayor Danielle stepped up.