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Brendan grew up at Trevenson Park horse stud in Baringhup, working with his dad ... Brendan has been a member of the CFA since he was 16-years-old and has been the Captain of the Baringhup CFA for the past 23 years, making Brendan the longest serving Baringhup Captain.

Scott Osmond has driven 499 winners during his 27-year career in the gig, and he hopes to bring up his 500th winner in the coming weeks. “It would be nice to bring it up,” Osmond said.

Kirstin Nicholson. “She’s not a lollipop cow, she mixes it with the others, but then she likes to get dressed up and get fancy and do well for us": Steven Hore, Elmar Holsteins.

Kendall Jennings. On a hot summer day at Barham’s Riverside Park, locals were treated to a world-class experience when former world and current Australian champion Jaydyn Coggins held a sport stacking demonstration and coaching session on Wednesday, January 5.

Sharon and Graham Collins live on an organic farm in the curve of the hills at Peacock Creek. Englishman Graham calls himself an accidental farmer, he’d never planned a life on the land. His wife Sharon grew up on a dairy farm in Cornwall in England and she described herself as a ‘”compassionate farmer”. They raise and sell English black pigs, have cattle, sell duck and chicken eggs and recently got some goats.

“One of the first things I did when I moved here was a funeral in Rheola. I was doing the committal at the cemetery, ‘ashes to ashes’ when a massive flock of sheep moved next to us. I thought I’m not in Glebe anymore!” Darcy, born and raised in Sydney, moved to Maldon early last year to become the Minister of the Anglican Church, which includes Ministering in Newstead and Inglewood.

Serena Kirby. Denmark's Dr Virginia Longley has served 50 years as a general practitioner and has seen radical changes in medicine and patient care ... “Being able to look after my own patients and basically care for them from birth to death is a privilege. It’s of great benefit to the patients too as they can see their ‘own’ doctor."

“I just do it to pay the dogs back for what they have given me in a lifetime,” said Ian O’Connell, legendary dog trainer as he sat atop the sheep yard fence at John Lolicato’s Tullakool property Whymoul ... this seven State Championships trialling champion and judge, farmer and former shearer demonstrates how to work with his four-legged companions with nothing but love and admiration.

Kylie Thomas said it would take time for the Kyogle community to get used to having a new mayor. “I want people to know that I’ve been here a long time. I’m known in this community. I’m a team player and I have no outside agenda,” Kylie said.

A giant of the Cape York fishing industry has pulled anchor on his long-standing career. Alan “Fish” Philliskirk was a pioneer of the fishing guide business in Cape York – along with a couple of others – and is one of the reasons why Weipa is now one of the most desirable fishing destinations in Australia, if not the world.

When Hank and Sue Bower first arrived on Lord Howe Island 14 years ago, the island was overgrown with weeds and feral animals were threatening the survival of some of the island’s unique endemic species.

The Whiporie shop closed three months ago and left the community having to travel to Casino or Grafton for supplies. On Monday it reopens with new owners. Dianne and her husband Shaun Ashen live in West Bungawalbin. They lost their home in the 2019 bushfires and have since rebuilt. They were looking for an investment property when they saw the shop at Whiporie.

Ali Bohn. “I wanted to make the bathrooms a nice, bright space to go when you’re feeling flat and I thought a nice mural of flowers would look really good": Barham Public School Captain, Shaylah Carter.

With her brother John Bligh and Allan Michael, nine years ago Mary Bligh had her sights set on turning the Commercial into a true local pub with no pokies, “bloody good food” and live music featuring local talent. And she did.

Lieutenant Sebastian Jingle has become the first known Indigenous Australian from the western Cape to commission as an officer in the Australian Army Reserve. The proud Traditional Owner from the Yupangathi and Teppethiggi lands graduated in November through the Army Part-Time Officer Commissioning Program.

A flower farm by the Richmond River sounds ideal. Planting and picking daisies, gladioli and sunflowers on a sunny day as the goats and Belted Galloway cows munch grass and a chatty duck wanders the 30 garden beds. It sounds idealistic but it’s a lot of hard work. Suellen Thompson and Gray Pritchett moved from Brisbane in March to the 70ha old dairy farm on the Coraki Woodburn Rd and set up Field and Flower.

Aurukun mayor Keri Tamwoy was last week honoured with the National NAIDOC Award for person of the year, paying tribute to her commitment to community. In an emotional acceptance speech, recorded remotely due to the pandemic, Cr Tamwoy said the award was recognition for a lot of people in Aurukun.

If Alan Lyons isn’t fulfilling his duties as clerk of the course at racetracks around the state, there’s a good chance you’ll find him at his Strathalbyn stables training ex-racehorses for the next stage of their career ... preparing them for clerk of the course positions. “The first thing is to take them away from what they’re used to,” Lyons said.

I first came to Lord Howe Island via Middleton Reef on board my friends prawn trawler “Sea Dreamer” in 1975. Unfortunately, the “Sea Dreamer” was wrecked on the Clarence River Bar with loss of life of my friend in 1979. Yamba was the home port for “Sea Dreamer”.

“When I got Penny, it was just after my third operation on my leg. I was sad and frustrated, but she gave me the motivation to start living my dream. I couldn't wait to get off my crutches and start riding again. Penny was being trained to be an Olympic dressage horse, but she sustained a leg injury that she meant could no longer be an elite athlete. After a rest, she is sound and can be ridden, so she is like me now": Travis Newman, 13, cancer survivor and scholarship recipient.

Annabel Harz’s new book, 'Journey into the Shadow and Sunshine', is being launched at the Book Wolf on Friday 26 November at 6pm ... Her art and poetry are a blend of works from adolescent through to adulthood and are a powerful portrayal of the depths of depression and despair that many are able to relate to.

Kirstin Nicholson. As the Cohuna Golf Club prepares for the Stuart Appleby Pro-Am next week, we talked with home grown hero, Stuart Appleby, about his journey from local Cohuna lad to household name and international golfing legend. It was when his parents took up golf that Stuart Appleby was introduced to the game. As a 14-year-old, he played cricket and football, but it was golf that caught his eye and stole his heart.