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Quill. Tuesday's mid-week meeting at Donald and District Race Club was one that reminded me of the perks of my job as the local race reporter; what a glorious day ... There was a buzz of excitement around the grounds with Harry Coffey's win total sitting at 997 prior to the first of his eight races on the day.

Madison Eastmond. A long-serving Riverland veterinarian has been awarded as the best practitioner in Australia. Recognising close to 50 years of animal care, and 40 years of service to the local pet population, Riverland Veterinary Practice (RVP) principal vet John Hammond received the 2025 Australian Small Animal Veterinarians (ASAV) Roger Clarke Practitioner of the Year Award in August.

A huge honour for Allora local pianist Oscar Briggs who has been accepted into the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University in Brisbane. At the age of 3 years Oscar started learning and playing the piano with music teacher Lesley Telford. Now aged 18 years Oscar is living the dream...

When Kirsten Sivyer was a child she’d copy pictures of animals with elaborate accuracy and add little descriptions about the animal’s features, habitat and lifecycle. At one stage she thought she’d go on to be a vet but it turned out that all that drawing practice was the seed for the other career she eventually followed.

A vivid ode to Country and an intimate portrait of an Aboriginal elder’s final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his homeland, scarred by the largest contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.

Two Corryong locals were celebrated at the recent Ambulance Victoria (AV) Hume Staff Recognition Awards, taking home official recognition for their years of outstanding service providing pre-hospital health care and education to the community.

Soon after Chris Olive’s son Ben was born, a man asked him to join the SES. That was in 1984. Forty years later and Chris is recognised for his long service at Kyogle SES Unit at a presentation in Lismore on November 1. 

Mitch McKinney isn't a professional runner ... by his own admission, he's not particularly a runner at all. Yet this 38-y/o ordinary Australian achieved something extraordinary; running 1,132 km from the red dust of Broken Hill to the sea breeze of Newcastle, completing a marathon every single day for 29 days straight.

Brendan Atkins. "On a knoll commanding a wide view of peaceful mountain, reef and sea, there stands a monolith, erected to the memory of Allan McCulloch, naturalist, an outstanding figure in the history of the island", says cinematographer Frank Hurley in Jewel of the Pacific, his 1932 travelogue about Lord Howe Island.

West Wimmera Shire Council has named Serviceton's Les Millikin as the 2025 Senior Citizen of the Year ... Since moving to Serviceton in 2002, Mr Millikin has made an enormous contribution to the local community through his volunteer work at the historic Serviceton Railway Station.

Helen Hobbs. While many locals already know how much time and care Les Millikin puts into maintaining the Serviceton Railway Station, it's clear that visitors from across Australia — and even overseas — have noticed too. Online reviews tell a story of a man whose quiet dedication has left a lasting impression on hundreds of travellers who've stopped in at the historic station.

Naracoorte’s Peter Anderson is set to represent Australia — and his hometown Naracoorte — on one of the biggest martial arts stages in the world. In a remarkable achievement, Peter has been selected as a judge for the prestigious IKO Matsushima World Karate Championships in Maebashi, Japan, this November.

Marine biologist Kat Mason may have only been in Australia a matter of months, but her connection to the ocean runs deep. Raised in Bournemouth, a coastal town in the south of England, Kat’s early years were filled with an appreciation of the ocean but it was a childhood stint in Florida that truly sparked her curiosity about marine life.

Originally from Perth, Flight Lieutenant Hayden Krammer was back at Pearce air base this week at the controls of a C-27J Spartan ... The C-27J, which bridges the gap between army helicopters and bigger air force aircraft, was in Perth taking part in flying activities as part of the preparedness and integration exercise Amarok reach ... WGCDR Porche ... said Defence was getting back to pre-Covid 19 coverage.

The woman behind the counter at White Cliffs' only shop moves with quiet efficiency, her smile genuine as she serves customers who've become friends. At 53, Jacqui Portch radiates a contentment that comes from having weathered life's worst storms and emerged not just intact, but flourishing ... Jacqui's story begins in the tobacco fields of Rhodesia, where her father's farm stretched across rich red earth just outside Salisbury.

You betcha! Joan Boardman Sinclair recently celebrated her 90th birthday milestone by saddling up and heading bush with packhorse in tow. The acknowledged 'Queen of the High Country', riding in her father's stock saddle, still believes the world is a much better place from the back of a horse.

Patricia Gill. You hear the air raid siren, see the window shudder and rumble and it (the sound) hits you in the chest, then all of a sudden there's this smoke coming up." While serving as a media security adviser in Ukraine, Jesse McNeilly watched through his hotel window as a rocket hit in the city of Kharkiv.

Joey Reedy is a stock agent, bullock driver, bush poet and budding auctioneer all at the tender age of 18 but can now add one of the nation's up and coming teamsters to his bow. Joey was the winner of the inaugural Tim Peel Cup at the 2025 Good Old Days Festival at Barellan on 5 October.

Ken holds the current titles of Australia’s oldest living person and the oldest man ever, as verified by the global authority on supercentenarians, LongeviQuest. He’s lived through two World Wars, the Great Depression, five global pandemics, the arrival of television, the internet, and even AI—and now Kenneth (Ken) Weeks is set to celebrate his 112th birthday on Sunday, 5 October 2025.

On September 9, Mancel Gray Giddings, OAM, was presented with his Order of Australia Medal at a ceremony at Government House, officiated by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria. It was a truly special occasion, and Mancel was delighted to once again put his beloved Wycheproof on the map!

Grafton based intensive care paramedic Peter Maxwell clocked off from his last shift on Sunday after a rewarding 44-year long career with NSW Ambulance which also saw him meet his wife. But Mr Maxwell said he never had a burning ambition to join NSW Ambulance, his career came about by circumstance.

Spring is here and it’s time to start planting your vegetable garden. It’s also the perfect time to take inspiration from other gardeners who are passionate about what they grow and how they grow it. Many of us can only dream of being self-sufficient in regards to fruit and vegetables but for avid gardener, Artha Holmes, this dream is a daily reality.