SA

My journalistic work in the Territory began early on Christmas Day 1974, looking down from the aircraft of Deputy Prime Minister Jim Cairns onto the Northern Territory capital that had been all but annihilated by Cyclone Tracy.

The age-old appeal of flying a kite provided plenty of fun for young and old at Ardrossan recently when the Adelaide Kite Flying Association put on a display on the clifftop near the town’s foreshore. The event was held by Ardrossan Progress Association in conjunction with the local Christmas street party on December 20.

Joanna Tucker. The first cohort of interns for the new Rural Doctor Program has been welcomed to the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network at Wallaroo Hospital. The RDP is designed to support and encourage junior doctors to pursue generalist training pathways and medical careers within Yorke Peninsula.

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Rachel Hagan. If you have only visited the iconic Harry Butler Red Devil Memorial and thought you have seen all Minlaton has to offer, you better turn back and make another stop to check out the Minlaton Museum. Inside the historical 1889 building, the near 150-year-old history of the colonial town is jam-packed into two rooms, and set out to resemble the old Trehearne general store which once occupied the museum’s space.

Rachel Hagan. Sadly, the Coobowie osprey nest is down from six birds to just three, but osprey experts say there is a silver lining among all the bad news. Earlier on in the year, there was an osprey chick which wasn’t expected to make it in such a large nest and it, unfortunately, died, leaving the nest with three healthy chicks.

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A new model of Thylacoleo, Australia’s once-fearsome carnivorous marsupial lion, was unveiled at the Victoria Cave visitor complex at the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves ... The updated fossil model, a new installation at the Caves’ Megafauna Experience, features for the first time the missing tail bone and other anatomical features of the backbone revealed by Flinders University Palaeontology researchers in recent years.

Many essential service providers, including the government, are “abandoning” rural towns like Naracoorte in South Australia … We asked Naracoorte Lucindale Council mayor Patrick Ross, Minister for Regional Development Clare Scriven, Shadow Minister for Regional South Australia Nicola Centofanti, and Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin why our towns are losing essential service providers and what needs to be done to help our frustrated communities.

In a Galilee far, far away…. The Sunrise Christian School Naracoorte held its 2024 Christmas musical at the Town Hall last week. The musical, an interplanetary exploration to discover the Glory of God throughout the universe, and beyond, focused on showcasing the true meaning of Christmas.  

A new grant is set to enable a Riverland tourism business showcase the region’s environmental sites to increased numbers of visitors ... Canoe the Riverland operator Brenton Carle said the grant would enable the purchase of a 12-seater pontoon boat to conduct tours with larger groups.

Introducing rules surrounding earlier indicative pricing and accepted tonnages would benefit Riverland wine grape growers, according to senior local politicians in attendance at a recent industry inquiry ... Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone said suggested changes surrounding a mandatory code – including the earlier release of indicative prices – would provide growers with more business certainty before annual vintages.

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Rachel Hagan. From farmhand to company director, local entrepreneur Tyson Adams went out on his own, taking a big financial risk, to bring his new career and mobile app FarmTrak to life ... Gulfview Grain’s Todd Woodley was one of Tyson’s first clients and has now fully subscribed to the app because of how effective it was to keep on top of his seed and storage inventory.

Wilson McShane. Fifteen years after a turf pitch was established at Arthurton Oval, the venue has never looked better, says Arthurton curator Ross "Rosco" Atkinson. Before he took over as the oval’s curator, Rosco oversaw the Arthurton bowling green for 27 years; however, this has now been replaced with artificial turf.

Sarah Herrmann. An exhibition featuring works by two Narungga artists has been recognised with a statewide award. Saltbush Country, a Country Arts SA curation of seven regional Indigenous artists’ works, won the Outstanding Regional Event or Project ... Narungga sisters Deanna Newchurch and Lynette Newchurch worked together to create a major element of the exhibition — a possum-skin cloak thought to be the first of its kind made in more than 100 years.

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The 2026 South Australian Country Swimming Championships are coming to the Port Pirie Aquatic and Leisure Centre, running from 4–7 January 2026. This highly anticipated event, secured by the Port Pirie Regional Council, will showcase the best of regional swimming talent while bringing families, supporters, and the wider country swimming community together in the heart of the region.

Robyn Schinckel. Fact: At least twice a day a RFDS crew will land in the Limestone Coast to airlift a patient. Fact: Today, the RFDS deliver more than 380,000 episodes of care across Australia every year - equivalent to assisting someone every two minutes. The Foster Street Garden Party was an absolute triumph – a collective effort that raised $21,830. hese vital funds will help keep the RFDS flying.