Youth

Local star athlete Georgia Foster has sprinted her way to an incredible triumph at the Colgate North Island Games in New Zealand, bringing home not one, not two, but three gold medals! Competing in the Under 15 category, Georgia dominated the track, taking first place in both the 100m and 200m, and delivering a stellar performance as the anchor for the victorious 4x100m female relay team.

Rotary Club of Iluka Woombah President, Craig Budd said the 2025 Pignic Races were the 10th year the of the prestigious event, which raises money for children’s charities ... Before the first "official" race the "fresh batch" of 7 racing pigs were introduced to the growing crowd and sent on a trial run of the course.

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.

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.  

Maldon Kids Club Christmas Concert was absolute pandemonium, according to the coordinator of the event, Reverend Darcy Vaughan. The usually unflappable Rev. Darcy was challenged in every direction; the play featured 25 kids and a pony ... And what is the story with the robot, you ask?

Three St Francis De Sales Regional College students were presented with NSWCCC Blue Awards for excellence in school sport at the annual CSNSW Sports Awards ceremony in Sydney. Evie Henley (Australian Rules), Darcy Mimmo (Australian Rules) and Timeeka Coleman (Basketball) were recognised for excelling in their chosen school sport pathway in 2024.

Congratulations to Cambooya State School student E.J. Morris, who recently won the National Under 12 mini bull ride category at the National Finals Rodeo in Canungra. E.J. had an extremely successful year and went into the National Final series in the lead, eventually winning the category with a lead of more than 600 points.

Six swimmers from the Clarence Valley represented the Maclean Manta Rays Swimming Club at the 2024-25 Speedo NSW Senior State Age Championships earlier this month. Held at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre between December 6-12, the event attracted some of the best athletes from across the state.

What does fifty million dollars’ worth of hope feel like? Just ask Allora’s Benjamin and James Mason who, along with parents, Hayley and Mark, recently joined a national delegate of one hundred brave Type 1 Diabetes advocates as part of JDRF’s "Kids in the House – KITH" program, to address members of parliament in Canberra.

On November 29, twenty students and four staff flew to Cambodia to immerse themselves in a cultural experience and to participate in community service ... The group spent three days at a school in Siem Reap renovating and painting both the classrooms and the outside of the school.

Tweed Regional Museum is excited to announce the launch of its latest exhibition, How to Draw a Dinosaur, an innovative fusion of science and art bringing the captivating world of dinosaurs to life. The exhibition celebrates the creativity and collaboration that help us imagine and understand the dinosaurs that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.  

Year 7-11 students from Barham High School had a taste of the theatre, acting and stepping out of their comfort zone with the Bell Shakespeare artist in residence program. Working with the famous Australian national touring Theatre Company Bell Shakespeare, students were offered a chance to immerse themselves in Shakespeare texts at the Golden Rivers Theatre Group home at the Faulkner Pavillion in Barham.

Wilson McShane. After starting her drag racing career nine months ago, Harvest Christian College, Kadina, student Bailey Hawke claimed her first-ever victory at the South Coast Nationals (junior dragster) in Portland, Victoria, at the weekend (December 7 and 8). Hawke, 13, began drag racing in March and has since had seven runner-up performances across Australia.

Lachlan Dand. It is little secret for those who have completed year 12 studies that it’s one of the biggest years some can face, as high schooling days draw to a close. With exams, prom, and graduation all wrapped up, students at the Renmark High School (RHS), have one piece of official duty left. Students will head to the Gold Coast this Sunday morning for the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup, which was previously held in Canberra and Melbourne, running until 15 December.

A West Wimmera Shire Council survey on maternal and child health and support playgroup services has highlighted the overwhelmingly positive experiences from families in the community. The survey, which gathered responses from parents and caregivers from across the shire, showed strong satisfaction with the support and care currently provided.

The irony is rich: this bill will likely create a generation of kids who are not just social media experts but also adept at cybersecurity and very comfortable breaking the law. Well done, Canberra, for teaching Australia’s youth skills that will take our kids deep into the dark web where everything and anything is available.

Karen Medlyn. That’s a wrap! The 2024 Donald High School Energy Breakthrough Team and “It’s a Goode Thing!”, completed an impressive 485 laps, covering a total distance of 766.3 kilometres. The 24-hour endurance has students pedalling over a specific circuit, through the streets of Maryborough.The debut of the new trike was thrilling ...

The Allora P-10 State School Awards Night was held on ... celebrating 157 years of local schooling. The evening recognised the sporting, cultural and academic achievements of students from Years 7-10 and graduation of the Year 10 cohort of 2024.

Skills funding policy must be reshaped by the Australian, state, and territory governments to enable more students in remote, rural and regional areas to take up skills training, according to the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), the peak body representing independent skills training, higher education, and international education providers.

Narrandera High School student Tahlia Gilbert has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to Aboriginal education in NSW public schools at the 19th annual Nanga Mai Awards. Tahlia’s award was the outstanding all-rounder student of the year in NSW’s secondary education.

Paris Rose Brailsford, a 21-year-old youth advocate from the Clarence Valley, proudly represented her region at the first-ever NSW Youth Summit held in Sydney ... The Summit brought together participants from diverse regional and metro communities, cultural backgrounds and life experiences.