#17 Central West Lifestyle | Winter 2017

WINTER

A warm welcome awaits you

Coonabarabran & Gilgandra town feature

WONDROUS

Warrumbungles Popular Dubbo artist KYAH WILSON

Country gardens

TO INSPIRE

PEOPLE • HOMES • GARDENS • FOOD • AGRICULTURE • STYLE • EVENTS • TRAVEL CULTURE • BUSINESS • AND MORE FROM OUR BEAUTIFUL REGIONAL AREAS

Showcasing the best of rural and regional New South Wales

• Selling in every auction sale week • Leading wooltrade broker • Forward contract with Riemann • Offering Auctions Plus wool • Accredited & modern rehandle • Cash settlement on small lots • Merchandise • Shearing finance • Web access to client account • One competitive flat rate for all bales • Comprehensive market reporting • Detailed clip analysis

Since taking over our family farm I have been using Jemalong wool exclusively to market our annual woolclip. Using a combination of the traditional auction system and the internet based Wool Trade™ we have been able to take advantage of any upward movements of wool prices. This is due to personalised attention to detail and flexibility due mainly to Jemalong understanding our needs as a business.

- Simon Squire-Wilson, Tiverton, Harden, NSW

CENTRAL WEST LIFESTYLE PTY LTD

CONTENT COVERAGE AREA

trading as Central West Magazine ABN 151 6322 9418 ADDRESS PO BOX 1050 DUBBO NSW 2830 PHONE 0429 441 086 FAX 02 6867 9895 WEBSITE www.centralwestmagazine.com.au FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/CentralWestLifestyle PUBLISHERS, ACCOUNTS & ADVERTISING Elizabeth & Alex Tickle info@centralwestmagazine.com.au EDITOR Elizabeth Tickle editor@centralwestmagazine.com.au CHIEF WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER Jake Lindsay shotbyjake@hotmail.com ART DIRECTOR Zora Regulic artdirector@centralwestmagazine.com.au

DISTRIBUTION Central West Lifestyle magazine is published quarterly (available at the beginning of each season) and distributed to selected newsagents and retail outlets within the Central West and in the bordering regions of the Far West, North West, Southern Highlands, Canberra, Goulburn, Northern and Eastern suburbs of Sydney, in addition to a selection of other rural and coastal areas of New South Wales.

Subscriptions and back issues are also available to read online, on desktop and mobile devices.

Unsold magazines are distributed to cafes, health waiting rooms, quality hotels/motels, bed and breakfast establishments, hair and beauty salons and tourist outlets.

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE To order a subscription or back issue (mailed or online), visit www.centralwestmagazine.com.au. © Central West Lifestyle Pty Ltd 2017 All Rights Reserved No part of this magazine may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

While every care is taken in the publication of Central West Lifestyle magazine, the publishers will not be held responsible for omissions, errors or their subsequent effects.

Pegasus Print Group, is an environmentally responsible printing company that is committed to helping achieve a sustainable environment.

To underscore our commitment to environmental sustainability, Pegasus Print Group has achieved FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) accreditation as well as being ISO 14001 accredited. Paper and paper-based materials carrying the FSC symbol can be tracked back to their source, guaranteeing they come from forests which are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations.

Pegasus Print Group is also an accredited ISO 9001:2008 supplier, which ensures each step of our production process is aligned with world’s best practice to deliver the finest quality possible.

Together, these accreditations offered by Pegasus Print Group, offer our clients a guarantee that their printed products are produced by world’s best practice environmental and finest quality standards.

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1 – 16 July 2017 Ignite the Night – 1 July Brew & Bite – 8 July Illumination McDonald’s Bathurst Ice Rink Ferris Wheel Live Music Carousel Local Wine Craft Ale Boutique Food

bathurstwinterfestival.com.au

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winter 2017 150

TOWN FEATURE

12 COONABARABRAN We visit a town characterised by starry, starry nights and a colourful and caring community.

66 GILGANDRA Stories abound as we are welcomed into this wonderful Central West shire with open arms.

GARDENS

144 ARRAMAGONG WEST Patience, persuasion and persistence have made this spectacular garden what it is today.

150 HILL VIEW This inspiring, tranquil garden in East Guyong has been built to last.

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STYLE

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156 EWE TWO STYLE Trangie's Ewe Two on Dandaloo is at the forefront of fashion.

158 HERO PIECES Make a bold statement in your home with an eye-catching decorative piece.

160 HANDY HOUSEHOLD HINTS Terrific tips to try around the home.

163 KYAH WILSON Adorning this artist's home are artefacts of love and warmth and family connection.

166 HOT STUFF Winter can be wonderful with high-quality heating solutions.

176

FOOD

176 SEASONAL RECIPES Hearty winter dishes to warm your guests.

182 COUNTRY COOKING Pies and puddings are the perfect comfort foods.

TRAVEL

172 CANADIAN ADVENTURE The Canadian Western Agribition is renowned for being one of the biggest and best purebred beef expos in the world.

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EXPERIENCE

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REGULAR FEATURES

188 UPCOMING EVENTS 206 OUR ADVERTISERS 208 THE LAST WORD Coonabarabran barber Johnny Franklin is in the business for the long haul.

ON THE COVER WINTER

A warm welcome awaits you

Coonabarabran & Gilgandra town feature

WARRUMBUNGLES AT DAWN: The Breadknife is an iconic rock formation in the Warrumbungle National Park.

Photography: Ilya Genkin

WONDROUS

Warrumbungles Popular Dubbo artist KYAH WILSON $12.00 inc GST >

WINTER 2017 VOLUME 17

608002

190 TEMORA MAGAZINE LAUNCH CWL celebrates its Autumn launch in terrific Temora.

194 FORBES FIRST Forbes hosts The Legend of Ben Hall movie premiere.

196 DIGGING IN Canowindra dines out en masse.

198 ONE-STOP SHOP When it comes to weddings, Dubbo RSL has it all covered.

200 WEDDINGS The Central West's blushing brides and gallant grooms tie the knot in true country style.

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EVENTS

WEDDINGS

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124 BUSHRANGER SERIES We head to Forbes to follow the fate of Ben Hall.

128 YOUNG ACHIEVER Agriculture in Australia is in good hands, thanks to the likes of Mandurama farmer Stuart Tait.

132 DUBBO CHRISTIAN SCHOOL This Dubbo school is empowering its students to realise their unique potential.

139 MACQUARIE HEALTH COLLECTIVE Teamwork and quality of care are at the core of this health initiative.

136 LIFE BEGINS AT 70 Moving to a retirement village can signal the beginning of a new and exciting stage of life.

140 DUBBO DENTISTS This husband and wife team is ensuring smiles all round.

143 THE COFFEE CLUB We chat to coffee king Greg Wynne.

169 CHURCH STREET CAFE Dubbo's Church Street Cafe is offering tantalising tapas.

170 ULTIMATE DIGITAL Making sure you're seen and heard.

186 BATHURST HERITAGE MOTOR INN Quality accommodation in the heart of Bathurst.

Country gardens

TO INSPIRE

PEOPLE • HOMES • GARDENS • FOOD • AGRICULTURE • STYLE • EVENTS • TRAVEL CULTURE • BUSINESS • AND MORE FROM OUR BEAUTIFUL REGIONAL AREAS

Showcasing the best of rural and regional New South Wales

W I N T E R publisher’s letter

FROM THE PUBLISHERS

welcome to winter “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

– Edith Sitwell

Temora Council General Manager Gary Lavelle, Jane Lavelle, Temora Council Deputy Mayor Cr Graham Sinclair, Lorraine Sinclair, CWL Publisher Alex Tickle, Temora Council Mayor Cr Rick Firman, CWL Editor Elizabeth Tickle, Temora Council Economic Development Officer Craig Sinclair.

CWL team member success: Lorraine and Ian Hills, "Leawarra", Guyra, after winning the Most Successful Exhibitor in the Wool Section at the 2017 Royal Easter Show.

Image courtesy of The Land newspaper.

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With great excitement we present to you our 110-page feature on Gilgandra and Coonabarabran (the Warrumbungle Shire).

There is so much to see and do in this magnificent part of the world.

As you read about the visionaries and characters of this area, together with the innovative and inspiring businesses here, you too will feel compelled to visit.

We must express our appreciation to both councils responsible for taking the first step in creating this shared feature and to their staff for their collaboration.

The Autumn magazine featuring the incredibly interesting and innovative town of Temora has sold at an unprecedented rate. Not only have the locals in and around Temora bought their share and many more but centres throughout the state have seen vigorous sales.

The Town Feature editions seem to bring out an incredible sense of pride among residents and it is quite uplifting to see this reaction within communities.

Part one of our Bushranger Series in the Autumn 2017 CWL featuring Rylstone- Kandos (the Lady Bushranger) was very well received and we welcome Greg Powell as a contributor. Greg, author of the book Bushranger Tracks, is passionate about the bushranger history and in this edition we feature Ben Hall and his exploits in the Forbes area. This is complemented by the Forbes showcase of the premiere of the film The Legend of Ben Hall, some months ago, found in the social pages, page 194.

Again, we enjoyed taking CWL to the two April open days at the awe-inspiring Iandra Castle at Greenethorpe. We sold many back copies of CWL but more importantly, we engaged with many of the visitors on the day.

We have made several trips to the towns of Junee and Coolamon, which combine to make up our Feature Towns in the next edition. Both very welcoming, these towns have so much to offer and so many reasons you would want to visit, again and again!

Jake Lindsay (CWL Features Writer and Photographer) will be capturing the wonderful stories and images from these unique towns and you will see the fruits of his labour in over 100 pages of our Spring magazine.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to visit our Facebook page and check out our Instagram, where Anna Tickle (Social Media Manager) dedicates considerable time to profiling the contents of each new edition.

It was wonderful to see Country Cuisine Writer Lorraine Hills and her husband Ian, from Guyra, experience such success with their superfine wool at the Royal Easter Show.

Congratulations to you both on this fine achievement!

Sixteen editions ago, we started our journey to cover the stories, the people, happenings and beauty of the Central West. Now, lured by the wonder of the vast and diverse surrounding areas, we are pushing the boundaries to show you even more in addition to our home region. We are very excited to move into adjoining areas and bring new and fresh Town Features that you may know little about. Based on this new focus, we will be featuring Gunnedah in our Summer 2017 edition and Yass in Autumn 2018.

To our amazing advertisers and readers, thank you for your loyalty and unwavering belief in our product and your valued ongoing support.

Relax, find a cosy and comfortable spot to unwind and enjoy this Winter edition of Central West Lifestyle.

Warm regards, Elizabeth & Alex Facebook “f ” Logo

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W I N T E R Jake’s message

From the boundary gate Greetings and salutations to all our esteemed readers, including ye ole faithfuls who have been with us on this amazing tour of inland NSW from day one!

For me it was always going to be fun compiling the CoonaGilgandra feature – two country towns on the banks of the Castlereagh River and divided by the mighty Warrumbungle range.

As a lad who grew up in Coona, it’s been wonderful to finally come home and write the stories as a local and not just a blow-in for a few weeks!

For the past few months I’ve met up with dozens of interesting locals content about their lot in life. It’s one of those things I love about my job – meeting people with a healthy can-do attitude despite setbacks and daily struggles.

You don’t need self-help books here, you merely have to take a stroll down the main drag. The idea is not to be rushed (you may miss something) and the characters mysteriously appear from the most unlikely of places!

We’ve tracked down some real crackers and there is something for everyone – poignant love stories for the romantic, heart-breaking stories from the war and yarns about gifted artists (and we’re not just talking about the painting variety).

Then there are local business owners, some who have been here all their lives and others who made the decision to move to the country, bringing new skills and revenue to town. Equally important, they bring new personalities and a shared belief that the town they’ve just moved to really is a good town worthy of their investment!

(Maybe we should chat to Australia’s richest woman who has been quietly snapping up Binnaway farming properties like a true cattle baron).

You can have all the historic buildings in the world but the real treasures in every town are the people, the unsung heroes who bring joy to others.

On a different note, let’s chat about the weather. In Temora we had the wettest winter on record and doing the rounds this time experienced some stifling heat waves, leading to the devastating fires that destroyed 23 homes and most of the village of Uarbry.

It is so soul destroying but strong local communities will help ease the pain. I’ve driven through the Warrumbungles many times and am constantly reminded that the people living on its fringes are strong and resilient, much like the ancient landscape itself.

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I’ve met new blood making the town their own and people who have carved out a career on the land since their pioneering fathers first set up camp.

It was a pleasure renewing old friendships out at “Tannabah” where the Knight family have quietly gone about their business for six generations, similar to the Chandler family in Gilgandra.

While writing a yarn about the Orbital Swing Band I was talking to 78-year-old Graham Martin who played in Frank Bourke's White Rose Orchestra.

During our talk he mentioned there was one young lad who visited his place to have a blow on the trumpet – wait for it, nearly 50 years ago!

“It was supposed to help his lungs but he’d get so red in the face I thought he’d explode.” I suddenly realised he was talking about me.

One of the amazing things about living in a small country town is the connections between the locals. Everybody seems to know everybody and they all have a story to remind you from days gone past.

I was a young bloke unsure of my future direction until Rita England introduced me to the joy of photography and the wonders of the darkroom. This led to my first cover on the Coona Times (of the Anzac Day march) and my disastrous attempts at covering the 1981 Unicorns rugby league grand final.

My film didn’t load properly and I missed the obligatory brawl that exploded right in front of me during the first half. By the end of the second half I had it all in the can – despite having to shoot the victorious team with a 300mm lens (meaning my subject and I were separated by the length of the entire field!).

Later the pressure got to me and I botched up the processing.

Somehow I finally managed to retrieve a few shots but memories of that fateful day haunted me for years!

A few months later I left town to discover the “big wide world” and only recently returned. Back to the same room, only this time with neighbours with chooks and dogs (there’s nothing better than waking up to the sound of a rooster).

At the end of the day I believe Coona and Gil are “fair dinkum” country towns on the Castlereagh that service strong and resourceful farming communities. With friendly locals, easy parking and a great selection of shops, visiting these towns is always a buzz but actually living in one of them has become a privilege.

Cheers, Jake

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WINTER 2017 CONTRIBUTORS

meet your team

ELIZABETH TICKLE

GINA CRANSON Sub-Editor

AMANDA O’SULLIVAN Home & Style Writer, Photographer

ZENIO LAPKA Photographer

JAKE LINDSAY

Publisher, Distribution, Advertising

Chief Writer & Photographer

KATE BOSHAMMER

ZORA REGULIC

MITCH BRAKENRIDGE

HAYLEY MAUDSLEY

JANE SANDERSON

Business Strategist

Household Hints Writer

SUE MEIKLE

Social Photographer

PAUL & ANNE LOVERIDGE Seasonal Food Writers

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ALEX TICKLE

Publisher, Editor, Advertising

Art Director

Writer & Social Media Manager

Wedding Writer

Home & Style Writer

XANTHIE KERIN

ELIZABETH SWANE

LORRAINE HILLS

ROBERT I BRUCE

HEATHER CROSBY

Country Cuisine Writer

JOHN CURLEY Accountant

ANNA TICKLE

Advertising Designer

KIM GRONER & GLEN WALDRON Travel Writers

Photographer

Garden Writer

GREGORY POWELL

Bushranger Series Writer

Writer

I must admit I was sceptical when Elizabeth and Alex Tickle, publishers of Central West Lifestyle, approached me about running a Town Feature on Temora Shire.

Flicking through the glossy pages of the impressive back copies of magazines that had been sent to me as a teaser, I could see why so many other towns had participated, however I wasn’t sure how councillors in Temora Shire would respond. I prepared myself for a hard sell.

To my surprise, they embraced the concept and entrusted me to work with CWL to produce a magazine that would make all residents proud. What ensued was six months of collaboration with the helpful team at CWL. We started by brainstorming which local stories we thought best represented the social fabric of our community. We wanted to showcase the shire’s best assets but we also wanted to provide recognition to some of the unsung heroes. We decided to mix in a couple of quirky surprises too.

Features writer and photographer Jake Lindsay did an amazing job at eliciting the story behind each individual and business to be featured. He also captured the shire looking its best after the exceptionally wet winter of 2016.

The end result was fantastic. Since the official launch party in February 2017 we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from those featured in the magazine, the local community and visitors who have travelled to Temora as a result of reading the magazine. Apart from being a great promotional tool for the Temora Shire, the magazine has provided a discussion point and a keepsake for current and former local residents. The long-term return on investment for a quality production that has so many wide-reaching benefits is immeasurable.

YOUR LETTERS The Central West Lifestyle magazine feature on Temora Shire has been, already, an overwhelming success! The positive feedback from both locals and visitors alike has been fantastic. The publication, including the articles and photos, is of a very high quality.

This is a publication that can be kept for the rest of time. Council believes our financial contribution to the CWL magazine has been a worthwhile investment, already at this relatively early stage.

We are most grateful to the CWL team, especially Elizabeth Tickle. Council also warmly thanks our own Economic Development Officer Craig Sinclair. He has done a sterling job in coordinating our end.

For me, the most heart-warming read was the tribute to our surviving World War II veterans. They really are some of Temora Shire’s treasures!

When one reads our feature, no matter if you are a Temora Shire citizen or not, you will be inspired. This whole experience has only made us all even more proud (if that’s possible) to belong to our very special Temora Shire.

Craig Sinclair, Economic Development Officer, Temora Shire Council

This publication is in a class of its own. The photographers, writers and design team are to be congratulated on continuing to impress with every issue. I even enjoy reading the advertisements! At last, a classy publication that tells the real stories of our great Central West. Thank you, CWL, for inspiring us all to get out there and explore our great region!

Congratulations to you all.

Natalie Snare, Snare’s Newsagency, Dubbo

#CentralWestLifestyle

Cr Rick Firman, Mayor Temora Shire Council

Every edition of Central West Lifestyle is eagerly awaited to see which area is being showcased and to discover what unique people and fabulous hidden treasures are within our region.

Each edition is polished with engaging stories from across the Central West. It feeds my appetite to explore more locations that I never knew held such charm. Congratulations to the entire team who deliver such a sought-after treasure. You make us all so proud of the region in which we live.

A beautiful shot from @hart_bar “Central West Lifestyle. It’s the perfect mag to add to any coffee table!” Thanks ladies!

Lisa Thomas, Wellington

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A great shot by @stuart_tait taken at his Mandurama property.

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T O W N F E A T U R E Coonabarabran

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Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Coonabarabran TOWN FE ATURE WORDS & IMAGES: SHOT BY JAKE

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shire magic from the Mayor of Warrumbungle Shire When Coonabarabran was first established as a stopover point, visitors were welcomed with a pannikin of rum and a tasty stew.

Our modern day offerings are quite different but our hospitality still holds.

Warrumbungle Shire is one of great diversity – a diversity of landscape where the rugged mountains stretch from the Great Dividing Range in the east to the western plains; where it is said that the mountains reach up to touch the stars; where people warmly welcome strangers and proudly share their lifestyles and aspirations. Match all this with the diversity that comes from being an amalgamated shire with differing community needs and a beautiful landscape that tells stories of hardship, technology, volcanic eruption and positivity.

Warrumbungle Shire covers an area of some 12,000 square kilometres with a population of just over 9000 residents and takes in the townships of Coolah and Dunedoo in the south east, Mendooran, Binnaway and Coonabarabran in the west and Baradine in the north west.

Coonabarabran is the administrative centre of the shire and is also known as the Astronomy Capital of Australia.

There is no question that Warrumbungle Shire experiences the four seasons. Recent bushfires – the Sir Ivan Fire in the Coolah and Dunedoo areas and the previous

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Wambelong and Redbank Bushfires at Coonabarabran – show how ferocious our summers can be. And in winter, mornings can start at well below zero, followed by cool to moderate days with warm sunshine. It is nothing to experience a minus six and a plus 17 all in one winter’s day – a range of 24 degrees. Spring and autumn are also clearly defined seasons. Fresh leaves and feed in paddocks begin to show in early spring and the golden hues of autumn show their strength and remind us all that our evenings do cool off. No local goes out at night without a sweater in the car – even in summer.

The indigenous history of the area is obvious as you drive through and take a closer look – Keeping Places in Coonabarabran and Baradine, the Sandstone Caves in The Pilliga, Tara Cave in the Warrumbungles, King Togee's grave just out of Coolah and the interesting town names and rivers remind us all that before Europeans established in the area Aboriginal people lived as one with the land.

Living and playing in Warrumbungle Shire can be as exciting as you choose it to be.

Come and share our lifestyle with us. Visit for a day or stay a week – you are always welcome and who knows, that week may even turn into a new lifestyle venture for you.

Peter Shinton, Mayor of Warrumbungle Shire

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

where the sky’s the limit Come and experience the beauty of the landscape that surrounds the quirky towns of the Warrumbungle Shire. With our rivers snaking their way from high in the mountains through rich alluvial farming land to the Western Plains, we are proud to welcome visitors.

The shire boasts a number of firsts, and the recent declaration of the Warrumbungle National Park as Australia’s first Dark Skies Park reflects the value of astronomy research undertaken at Siding Spring Observatory and the importance of maintaining an unpolluted night sky for scientific research and also for our own future.

The strength of community spirit is seen in each of our towns.

Coolah on the Coolaburragundy River is the home of the Black Stump, a map point that marked the edge of civilisation in the early days of establishing European settlement. It’s a small town with a strong sense of history and an industrious little community of people making a difference.

Dunedoo has the Talbragar River in full flow, creating havens for the black swans after which the town was named. The Golden Highway through Dunedoo is said to be the life blood of this town but the recent Sir Ivan Bushfire certainly showed that community spirit overcomes all adversities.

A little further west is Mendooran, the “oldest town on the Castlereagh”, a quiet village with a huge heart that pulses through the community.

And thence to Binnaway, a town famous as a junction for steam rail and home of the White Rose Orchestra, which was a dance band that travelled to far-flung corners of the state to provide an evening’s entertainment for the locals. Binnaway is located on the Castlereagh too and also the home to former NSW Labor premier Jack Renshaw, whose legacy to the community generated a great love for the man.

Coonabarabran, home to the country’s premier optical and infrared astronomical observatory, Siding Spring, represents the perfect blend of technology and environment. The source of the mighty Castlereagh River lies in the Warrumbungle Range and while the river is young as it winds its way through Coonabarabran, the “river of sand” gains momentum to flow in all four directions before emptying into the Macquarie in the west.

At Baradine, changes in management of the “million wild acres” that we know as The Pilliga, and the Brigalow Assessment have seen a small timber industry service town grow into a tourism community with attractions that depict natural history and indigenous and European culture.

Warrumbungle Shire is a partner with neighbouring shires in a new project to have the region designated as one of Australia’s first UNESCO Global Geoparks. This designation will support a growth in GeoTourism so that Warrumbungle Shire will bask not only in AstroTourism but GeoTourism development too.

Adding to the major towns and villages of the shire are many small villages and sidings still providing special experiences and welcoming lifestyles. It is said often that Warrumbungle Shire is a safe place, a good place to grow a family, and a great place to return to ... time and again. CWL Images: D. Kirkland

COONABARABRAN CWL 15

days gone by Coonabarabran

Images supplied by Coonabarabran Historical Society 16 CWL COONABARABRAN

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

star studded

From the bright lights in the dark sky to the many characters that bolster a strong and steadfast community, Coonabarabran features an all-star cast.

COONABARABRAN CWL 17

land of plenty With its spectacular rock formations and stunning stargazing opportunities, Warrumbungle National Park is a superb camping destination.

The Warrumbungle National Park is an area of ancient volcanic activity, forested ridges, barren spires and deep gorges. The park was founded in 1953 and added to the National Heritage List in 2006 in recognition of its unique geological and biological values.

The 23,312-hectare park is home to over 520 species of native plants, 311 native animals (including the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby) and Aboriginal sites of cultural significance for the Gamilaroi and Weilwan people.

It is an ideal destination for the bushwalker, camper, photographer, astronomer, birdwatcher or those who simply enjoy watching sunlight change the colours on a cliff face.

In January 2013, a major bushfire affected 90 per cent of the park. Progressive reconstruction of visitor infrastructure is still under way.

Most major walks and camping areas have been restored and are open to the 30,000 visitors who come to the park each year.

In 2016, the park was declared Australia’s first Dark Sky Park, highlighting the park as an ideal place for stargazing.

Sometimes referred to as the place where “East meets West”, the Warrumbungle Range supports plants and animals of the moist east coast and dry western plains.

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In spring, the sandstone areas often produce remarkable displays of wildflowers such as wattles, peas and heaths more commonly associated with coastal areas.

The diversity of landform, microclimate and associated vegetation provides habitat for many animals including large populations of eastern grey kangaroos, wallaroos and emus and 19 of Australia’s 55 species of parrots.

The rocky spires and domes visible throughout the park are all that is left of a large shield volcano that was active 13 to 17 million years ago. The lava overlays sandstone areas that are remnants of the 150 million-year-old Pilliga Sea. Weathering of these rocks has left the harder trachyte plugs towering over the wooded slopes, the best example being the 90-metre-high rock wall known as the Breadknife.

For thousands of years before European settlement, Aboriginal people regularly visited the Warrumbungles – a Gamilaroi word meaning crooked mountains.

Evidence of Aboriginal camps is widespread and usually indicated by stone flakes from stone tool production.

Throughout the park there are remnants of past farming practices. Camp Blackman is located on the original Belougerie

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Homestead site, which was owned by the Blackman family until added to the park in the 1960s.

The park hosts a comprehensive program of walks, talks and tours as part of a Discovery Program. Led by Discovery Rangers, the program caters for all ages during the autumn and spring school holidays and on demand.

The Crooked Mountain Concert has been held annually in the heart of the park, delivering an evening of music from a variety of genres and artists in a breathtaking setting below Belougery Split Rock.

May Fleming has worked at the park since 2011 and is the Visitor Centre manager.

“The Park would have to be one of the most amazing places to work,” she says.

“The spectacular scenery, unique volcanoes and diverse flora and fauna make it a truly special place. I never tire of driving through the mountains to meet visitors from all parts of the globe, making every day a completely new experience.

“I spend a lot of my leisure time, with or without my family, exploring on and beyond the walking tracks into the canyons and climbing rock formations for the promise of another spectacular view.”

The Warrumbungle National Park is one of the region’s top tourist attractions and never fails to deliver. CWL

ABOVE: The majestic view of the Warrumbungle Mountains.

WARRUMBUNGLE NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTRE The temporary Visitor Centre in the Warrumbungle National Park provides a range of visitor information, souvenirs and an interpretive display about the park. It is the ideal starting point for your Warrumbungle adventure into one of the state’s most popular national parks.

Chat to our friendly staff for information on the many walking tracks, wildlife, best volcanic remnants in the park, picnic spots and camping tips. Basic provisions (ice, milk, drinks, sweets and basic groceries) are available.

It is open daily from 9am to 4pm but closed Christmas Day. John Renshaw Parkway, Coonabarabran Phone: (02) 6825 4364 www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

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from Germany, with love A backpacker with a dream and an indomitable pioneer spirit has carved out an inspirational life in the Pilliga.

Thirty years ago when German backpacker Maria Rickert was shown a huge tract of land half an hour west of Coonabarabran, she knew instinctively she’d found her utopia.

In the ensuing years she has managed to transform the dry Pilliga Scrub into a proverbial oasis. It’s known as Barkala Farm, but in reality it’s more like a small frontier village.

It’s where the lives of countless individuals, many of them German WWOOFers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), have been enriched and nurtured.

Today it’s home to the bustling Pilliga Pottery and a sensational respite for travellers, but back in 1986 it was an undeveloped property with no infrastructure bar an old fibro house and a couple of sagging sheds.

Sitting outside the Blue Wren Cafe on a balmy summer evening, surrounded by outdoor terracotta pieces, pots, planters and massive Ali Baba urns, Maria begins her amazing story.

It all started when she, husband Richard and infant son Johannes embarked on a backpacking trip to Australia, a country she barely knew apart from TV episodes of Skippy as a child.

They spent a night camping in the majestic Warrumbungle Mountains. Here, she says, the silence spoke to them.

They had only been in the country a few weeks but that one night under the stars was a game-changer. The pristine air and enchanting landscape had them thinking in overdrive, and by morning they had decided to immigrate.

Later that day they visited a Coonabarabran real estate firm and inspected several local properties for sale, the last of them being a 4500-acre farm surrounded by a forest the size of Belgium.

Madly in love and open to the concept of wild, new horizons, Maria and Richard were about to take the biggest plunge of their lives.

Despite only having a tourist visa and a rudimentary grasp of English, they checked their finances. They scraped together a $500 deposit, which they handed over to the surprised elderly farmers, Phil and Phyllis McDonaldson.

They vowed to return and fulfil the contract, but it was going to test their resolve to the limits.

Up to this point they were working on adrenalin and gut instincts but it was hard to ignore what they would be leaving behind – a successful pottery and textile business and a 600-year old home where Maria’s family had been dairy farming for generations.

Of more immediate concern was the paltry amount left to tide them over for the final six weeks of their dream holiday.

Far from crestfallen, they camped on the property, chewing over endless possibilities while surviving on herbs, soups and spinach – even resorting to a strange concoction of stinging nettle pie on the campfire. >

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Everyone shares Maria’s indomitable determination and abides by her rules – never give up, dare to dream big and believe in the virtues of a hard day’s work.

ABOVE: Maria Rickert is the driving force behind Barkala Farm.

FACING PAGE: Maria Rickert with her family in front of the old school house with Eva, Bernhard and partner Marianne Pichler and Johannes with his wife Regina and young Johanne.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

COONABARABRAN CWL 21

For the family and happy band of workers, the farm has developed into a spiritual place where everybody contributes to the running of the pottery, farming enterprises, cafe and restaurant, and a commercial greenhouse that supplies most of their fresh vegetables.

Maria still can’t believe her impetuosity all those years ago. Life in Germany was good for the former Kindergarten teacher, but this strong-minded woman thrived on change, challenge and adventure. There would be no turning back.

But she knew then that if she could persevere long enough, and with strong support from Richard, family and fellow believers, she’d create something out of nothing.

The pair returned home and tackled mountains of paperwork. One year later, after selling everything they owned, Maria was suddenly informed of a serious difficulty with her pregnancy. On the eve of their planned departure, her doctor advised her to stay put.

With flights already booked, Richard made the heartbreaking decision to go on alone. Six long months later they were reunited and Richard was introduced to his second son, Bernhard.

Over the years, new buildings were added and the enterprise grew into a dream bigger than either could have imagined.

Today Barkala Farm has trebled in size from the original holdings, and life has never been busier, with guests and staff arriving from all over the world.

There are many reasons why visitors make the 30km trip out to the farm. Most are there to see the renowned pottery – to watch demonstrations of the potter’s craft or choose a beautiful piece to buy and cherish, be it a decorative mug, plate, vase or mighty urn.

Pottery is the mainstay of the enterprise, but others come to get a taste of a working farm. Many choose to spend a night or even a week in one of the five accommodation cottages with beautifully crafted bush furniture.

There are many activities to choose, from including pottery classes, bushwalking in the nearby mountains and caves, bird watching, cow-milking or horse riding. Others come to brush up on their German or simply chill by the pool.

For the family and happy band of workers, the farm has developed into a spiritual place where everybody contributes to the running of the pottery, farming enterprises, cafe and restaurant, and a commercial greenhouse that supplies most of their fresh vegetables.

Along the way this tight-knit community has learnt to appreciate the values of family, friendship and solidarity.

Everyone shares Maria’s indomitable determination and abides by her rules – never give up, dare to dream big and believe in the virtues of a hard day’s work.

Throwing in the towel was never an option, even at her lowest ebb when Richard parted company and returned to Germany in 2004.

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Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Over the years Maria and her three children (Eva was the last after the two boys) have carved their own signature trademark into the buildings dotted around the main camp.

Their latest project involves a complete overhaul of Coonabarabran’s historic Royal Hotel. By 2018, they will be serving beer from their own brewery, German meals and providing accommodation in the heart of town.

With a strong backbone and a can-do attitude, Maria is many things to many people – a savvy businesswoman, a trusted sounding board and a solid rock to Johannes and his delightful German wife Regina, Bernhard and German partner Marianne Pichler and Eva, who recently returned home to join her brothers after several years practising law.

Johannes is a master potter but can turn his hand to almost anything. He is an artistic ironworker with his own forge, a skilled mechanic and a maker of fine beer, but his greatest love is his farm work, particularly the livestock and machinery.

Bernhard has inherited his father’s creative soul. He is a builder and works with natural materials to create beautiful spaces with unexpected features, always with a calming, down-to-earth appeal.

Eva is proving a handy asset with all the legal paperwork associated with reinventing a country pub. Her natural charm and outgoing personality are an asset to every facet of the family business.

Julie Squire is another invaluable team player who designs and engraves the artwork at the pottery.

She’s been working at the farm for 25 years and is considered “one of the family”, having started out as the governess for the children in the School House.

The Pilliga Scrub was never going to be an easy place to make a living but what Maria and her family have achieved is more than a living – it’s a life. She and Richard raised a family of skilled owner-builders and bush lovers who enjoy sharing their haven with others.

Maria feels that her lifestyle nourishes her spirit and her spirit allows her to live that lifestyle, regardless of the setbacks and challenges.

Barkala Farm is testament to her steadfast belief that anything can happen if you roll up your sleeves and stick to your guns. CWL

ABOVE: Some of the exquisite work from Pilliga Pottery; the paved courtyard outside the pottery and cafe complex is an oasis of greenery and terracotta, enclosed by the clay buildings and low stone walls.

FACING PAGE: Maria with one of her designs; master potter Johannes at work; the commercial greenhouse, which supplies fresh produce for the cafe.

Barkala Farm - Home of Pilliga Pottery & Blue Wren Cafe.

Family friendly farm stay, pottery art gallery & workshop, with camping available

Open 7 days ph:02 6842 2239 /PilligaPottery, pottery@tpg.com.au Coonabarabran, 23km north, turn off Newell Hwy www.barkalafarmstay.com.au

COONABARABRAN CWL 23

KNIGHTS OF OLD The Knight family, a familiar name in the district for 163 years, has proved it is here for the long haul.

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Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

The Knights are made of stern stuff. It all started in 1854 when John Knight and his pregnant wife Louisa sailed from Southampton to the new colony. Gold had been discovered and hopeful punters were arriving in their thousands from all over the world.

But John wasn’t looking for gold. He knew vast tracts of land were opening up all over the country and wanted to grab his own slice of the pie for his large family that would surely follow.

After their perilous voyage on board the Tantivy, John and Louisa embarked on an equally hazardous journey to the tiny settlement of Belar, where John first commenced work as a storekeeper.

It would be a further six years before the scattering of buildings on the banks of the Castlereagh River, 30km away, would be given the name of Coonabarabran.

Neighbours were few and far between and little things like Louisa’s sewing needle were highly cherished items that others could use providing it never left the premises.

The Knights lost their first child but went on to have another dozen, including John Knight Jnr, born in 1854 and reputedly the first white baby the local Aboriginal population had set eyes on.

A corroboree was staged to honour his arrival.

The family acquired “Tannabah” in 1862. In 1886 the property, by then almost 25,000 acres, was divided up for closer settlement.

John and Louisa were able to split the land among their children, with John Jnr settling on “Hollymount” (now run by descendant Warwick Knight and wife Julie), while “Tannabah” was handed down to youngest son Alf. Alf ensured the spiritual home of the dynasty would be an ongoing success, buying more land and showing his family that a good life could be had on the reliable 30’’ rainfall despite the long haul to town.

Alf’s son Noel was born in 1910 and, like his forebears, produced medium-fine wool for English woollen mills.

He started a Devon stud herd but his ambitious plans were thwarted by the advent of WW2.

Noel answered the call of duty, and ended up with Bomber Command, serving as a navigator on board Lancaster bombers at the height of the Allied bombing offensive over Germany in 1943-44.

Noel survived his tour of operations, was presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross by King George VI, and made his way home to the rugged mountain country he loved.

He stood for state parliament in 1950 — a particularly wet year that made voting next to impossible for those living in the bush.

Jack Renshaw was declared the winner and Noel settled back to a bachelor’s life on the farm.

One night at a function at the Coona Golf Club, he met a Sydney girl who had only recently arrived in town. Despite the 17-year age gap there was an undeniable connection.

Sally Jarman suffered from asthma and poor health, and her doctor advised a move to the country.

Scanning the Sydney Morning Herald, the 21-year-old noticed a secretary’s job going for Coonabarabran solicitor Don Beit. Her weekly wage was equivalent to the price of a fat lamb.

Although she’d never heard of the place she took the plunge, arriving at Tooraweenah airport on a converted DC3.

“The rest is history,” she says quietly.

The much-loved family matriarch, now 90 and living with her dog Freddy at the Cooinda Village, enjoyed an interesting childhood — born in Kent with her formative years spent in Egypt before the family returned to Australia in 1937. > RIGHT: John Knight, aged 70, stands atop a rocky crag and surveys the mountains he had known so well for 50 years; Sally Knight, family matriarch; Sally and Noel on their wedding day.

FACING PAGE: Mustering the sheep at “Tannabah”.

COONABARABRAN CWL 25

Sally says her courting days commenced at the Imperial Hotel on Friday nights, when all the farmers came to town to share a welcome drink with fellow men and women from the land. With her good looks and genteel manner she soon stole the heart of the tall and handsome war hero.

This city girl had no idea what was in store for her. She still laughs remembering the time she discovered “something rather odd” in the back of Noel’s new Chrysler ute.

“There were these awful-looking animals I’d never seen before — they looked ready for death. Noel quietly informed me they were freshly-shorn sheep! It’s a wonder he persevered with me.”

Having no electricity was a challenge in the early days and being on a party line (the Warkton exchange was one of the last operating in the state) had its moments but Sally soon felt right at home among the horses, dogs and livestock.

Then there was her family, which now included Peter, Tony, Jenny, Christopher and Stephen. The boys, like their father, attended the Kings School, Parramatta, during the 1960s and 70s.

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They were good years. The wool industry was in great shape and the Knights became synonymous with country hospitality during regular weekend tennis bashes.

It wasn’t just the thrill of swinging a racquet but more an opportunity for like-minded families to socialise and enjoy a leisurely day at the foot of the scenic Warrumbungles.

Noel was always old school. Instead of motorbikes he preferred saddling up his trusty steed to amble though the countryside like his forebears had done. It was a time for clearing the head while observing the country first hand. >

ABOVE: The old Tannabah homestead has never looked better.

BELOW: Shearing is a busy time for Louise and Stephen Knight; Sebastian Knight carries on a proud tradition at Tannabah.

FACING PAGE: Stephen Knight, a quietly spoken wool producer with a lifetime’s experience on Tannabah.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

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After a lifetime in the mountains, Sally and Noel moved down the hill to nearby “Girrawa” in 1988 after their youngest son Stephen married Baradine girl Louise Deans and became the new custodians of “Tannabah”.

Noel was still riding tall in the saddle when he died at the age of 79.

Sally is proud of her children’s achievements. Apart from Chris, who spent his working life in the bank and the Department of Agriculture, and Jenny, who lives on the coast, her boys are continuing in their father’s footsteps.

Peter and wife Trish run a large Devon herd on nearby “Coonamon”, the breed favoured by Noel prior to the war.

Tony runs sheep on “Burrumbuckle” with wife Marie, while a fifth generation of Knights on “Tannabah” are keeping the dream alive.

Stephen and Louise’s son Sebastian lives nearby on “Main Camp” and has been helping out for the past 10 years. Brother Alexander is working through a double degree in ag and business in America, while

28 CWL COONABARABRAN

sisters Eleanor (a speech pathologist in Wagga Wagga) and Amelia (studying teaching at Newcastle) all love coming home when they can.

Sally Knight now has 12 grandchildren and the future of “Tannabah” looks secure despite the constant challenges of living on the land.

Only a few years ago a fire resulted in the loss of stock, fences and pasture. Then 800 sheep perished after eating a poisonous plant.

But the Knights are a resilient lot. There may be only half as many workers and twice as much land to work but they are producing treble what they used to.

Born in the same year as Queen Elizabeth, the family matriarch quietly sits back in her chair and reflects on her long and fortunate life.

“Taking that job in Coonabarabran 66 years ago was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she says with a contented smile. CWL

ABOVE: Stephen Knight feels right at home in the Tannabah woolshed.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Ride of her life Baradine horsewoman Lucy Taylor will team up with two friends to retrace the steps of Genghis Khan in the epic Mongol Derby.

To ride in the world’s longest and toughest horse race requires horsemanship skills, physical endurance and a sense of adventure.

Baradine’s Lucy Taylor has all the above, and she’s teamed up with two equally equipped friends, polo players James Lester and Alex Barnet, to tackle the gruelling 1000-kilometre Mongol Derby in August.

For the past three years, Lucy has worked as a groom on the polo scene, spending half the year in England and the other half in New Zealand for their respective seasons. She returns home to her family’s 7000-acre cattle property 40km out of Baradine in between.

All three contenders are in their 20s. James hails from Perth and Alex from Toowoomba.

Riding anywhere from five to 10 horses daily is the norm for Lucy, so it’s fair to say her riding fitness levels are high, something she says she’ll be thankful for come August.

The race through the Mongolian Steppe recreates the horse messenger system developed by Genghis Khan in 1224.

“I remember looking over my shoulder while galloping across the sparse Mongolian wilderness and being mesmerised by the landscape. The Mongolian culture is so remarkably intact, and it was enlightening to stay with locals in their ‘gers’ (semi-permanent tents), eat meals with them and experience their way of life throughout the race. The Mongol Derby was a priceless experience.”

The course changes every year, and is kept secret until shortly before the race begins.

The $13,000 entry fee provides the rider access to 30 Mongolian horses, a support team, pre-race training, and access to the support stations along the way. Riders must change horses every 40km at the support stations, and vets monitor the welfare of the animals.

“Riding in the Mongol Derby will be a seriously mentally and physically challenging feat, but James, Alex and I are confident it will be an incredible experience,” Lucy says.

“We’re all country kids with an appreciation for much-needed medical services in rural areas, so we’ve chosen to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.”

Along with 37 others, the team will be riding semi-wild Mongolian horses brought in for the event, at night staying with local herders or camping out under the stars.

“With base camps every 40 kilometres, we’ll be trying to average around 130 kilometres daily, taking care not to push our horses too hard,” she says.

Last year’s three-way-tie winner, central Queenslander Will Comiskey, raised $16,000 for the RFDS, and has offered Lucy some valuable advice.

“The best tip Will gave me was to really pay attention to the horses you pick at the beginning of the race, and to become familiar with them,” Lucy says.

“James, Alex and I all love the horse scene, so we saw this as an amazing opportunity to do something a little different, travel to a new place and raise money for charity.

“We have a GoFundMe page where anyone can donate to our cause, which will be a great help for us to cover the costs of the journey.” CWL www.gofundme.com/the-3-amigos-take-on-mongolia Words: Anna Tickle Images: Polo Pictures UK & Richard Dunwoody Photography

Will Comiskey, Mongol Derby 2016 Three-Way-Tie Winner

ABOVE: Lucy Taylor is confident the Mongol Derby will be an incredible journey.

COONABARABRAN CWL 29

STARS COME OUT TO PLAY The Siding Spring Observatory and its world-class staff have put Coonabarabran at the centre of the universe.

Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran is Australia’s premier spot for checking out the universe, with 48 telescopes and 17 observatories.

The Australian National University’s Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics operates its research telescopes and hosts other institutions at this spectacular location next to Warrumbungle National Park.

The Siding Spring Observatory houses an astronomy exhibition, which the 20,000 annual visitors are encouraged to explore.

Here you’ll find hands-on activities and information about the universe, the solar system and the research activities undertaken by astronomers at the site.

Peter Verwayen Senior operations officer Peter Verwayen says the Siding Spring Observatory with 35 staff on-site is a small, tight community.

During a devastating bushfire on January 13, 2013, Peter was the last man out, locking the gates at the bottom of the mountain with trembling hands.

“I got the order to evacuate and had to ensure the site was clear,” he says. “I managed to throw a few personal items from my home into the car and literally tore down the mountain.”

The observatory was saved thanks to water-bombing choppers and the gallant efforts of firefighters but the scars are still there four years later.

“Losing everything I owned was a blow but the fire actually forced a lot of positive changes. I found a wife and in April 2017 enjoyed a memorable honeymoon in Iceland,” he says.

The maintenance manager is one of six living on the mountain and wouldn’t have it any other way.

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The Australian Astronomical Observatory houses the Anglo-Australian Telescope, which is the largest optical telescope in Australia.

The AAT is four storeys high and holds a 3.9-metre, 16-tonne ceramic glass mirror. Inside this massive dome is a visitor viewing gallery open to the public and free of charge.

From the gallery you can see the telescope and read about its history and the discoveries made with it.

The annual Star Fest celebration is held on the first weekend in October. It’s your chance to explore the whole site, talk with astronomers about the universe and the research being undertaken.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Peter Poulos Peter Poulos from iTelescope.Net helps operate the world’s biggest network of publicly accessible remote telescopes – an amazing achievement for a small Australian company that started in 2003 with a single telescope.

“We enable anybody with curiosity about the universe and an internet connection to explore it, study it or just take amazing images,” he says.

Apart from Siding Spring Observatory, there are three similar observatories in Spain, California and New Mexico, making it easy to log on to an iTelescope under a dark sky any time of the day.

Peter is the observatory and systems manager for about 40 telescopes, all closely monitored from his cottage office on the mountain.

“It’s a dream job for a bloke who started out as a kid with a tiny telescope in his Canberra backyard. Working with amazing telescopes for a living is indeed a rare pleasure.”

Only a handful of people do a similar job in the country.

“We farm the sky and export night skies. You no longer need your own expensive telescope. You can rent ours from anywhere in the world,” he says.

“We enable people, particularly school students, to participate in science and take images from their classrooms.”

The internet-based observatory has thousands of members paying subscriptions, which helps fund the operation.

Peter says it’s hugely satisfying working under the largest roll-off roof observatory in the world and regards himself as a lucky man.

Doug Gray Doug Gray manages the team responsible for preparing the main telescope at SSO for operation every night of the year.

Doug’s career has taken him around the world, including a decade in the Canary Islands.

In California he worked on a massive 30m telescope.

Although based in Dubbo, Doug often stays at the observatory during the week.

“My job is varied and no two days are ever the same,” he says.

“It’s all highly complex but the challenge of keeping up with cutting-edge technology makes it worthwhile.” >

ABOVE FROM TOP: Peter Poulos with some of his telescopes under the giant roll-off roof observatory at Siding Spring; Doug Gray and his team have the task of keeping the telescope ready for operation every night of the year.

COONABARABRAN CWL 31

The Australian Astronomical Observatory houses the Anglo-Australian Telescope, which is the largest optical telescope in Australia.

Mark Willis The stars always seem to line up for Mark Willis.

The Englishman was here from Liverpool and by chance met a stranger at Coonabarabran’s local pizza shop, who sponsored his emigration plans while offering employment.

For the past five years Mark has been based at SSO, living with wife Vanessa and two young children at the foot of the mountain (the original home, owned by Vanessa’s parents, was destroyed in the 2013 fire).

The former electrician today travels around the world installing and maintaining telescopes for the Californiabased Las Cumbres Observatory – the largest robotic telescope network in the world with nine sites and 25 telescopes to its name.

Soon Mark will pack his bags for Tibet, which at 5200m will become the company’s highest site.

“Our telescopes are all robotic and you don’t look through them with an eyepiece. Instead you log in via your computer, enabling our telescopes to be accessed from anywhere on the planet,” he says.

“Kids can look at night skies while sitting in their classrooms.”

The Liverpool lad loves life in Coonabarabran and the stars at night that seem to guide his direction. CWL ABOVE: School students with tour guide Amanda Wherrett stand in awe of the mighty telescope.

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Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

after the fire It has not been an easy journey but cafe owners Elaine Gardiner and Trish Lithgow are proud of how far they’ve come.

Next time you are motoring up the mountain to the worldrenowned Siding Spring Observatory or the Warrumbungle National Park, don’t miss the sign to Tibuc Gardens Cafe.

It’s a beautiful place where guests can chill out in the sun or gather inside the air-conditioned eatery as owners Elaine Gardiner and Trish Lithgow whip up something delicious to tantalise the taste buds.

It’s spacious, airy and all very new, belying a story of incredibly bad timing.

It all started in late 2012 when Elaine and Trish embarked on a massive tree change from Darwin to their scenic 20ha bush block in the foothills of the Warrumbungles.

They were only months away from opening their new venture when disaster struck in the form of a massive bushfire that wiped out dozens of homes including their cafe and one accommodation block.

The homestead and studio apartment (formerly the workshop for the gallery) were miraculously spared but the darkest day in Coonabarabran’s history drastically set back their plans.

“We never considered throwing in the towel,” says Elaine, a woman who has come to know the meaning of intestinal fortitude.

While up north she was a director on various boards and Chair of the Ord Irrigation Co-Op for 16 years while growing bananas and sugarcane with her late husband on their Kununurra farm.

There are plenty of stories to tell after 25 years of living in the outback, not to mention a few interesting years in the United States.

Trish also comes from a farming background, loves the nursing profession and currently works at the Coonabarabran Hospital.

“I’ve been nursing all my life and always will. It’s a connection to people, much like cooking and hospitality but in a different way,” she says.

“I love the mountains, the splendour of the night sky and the beauty of a close-knit rural community where neighbours look after each other.”

It was this strong community spirit that helped them through after the fire and continues today. It took two years for the cafe to be rebuilt but the wait was worth the effort, with a total redesign taking advantage of the scenery.

In late 2014 the two friends finally opened their doors for business. More peaceful times have prevailed and they are now revelling in their new lifestyle as word spreads about their little oasis.

Both locals and visitors enjoy driving out for a relaxed meal or coffee and cake in the tranquil mountain setting.

Groups, families or couples wishing to take in the hilly surroundings for a night or two have the choice of either the self-contained cottage or studio apartment. Both are kept immaculately clean and tastefully decorated with all the mod cons.

The cafe is open from Thursday through to Monday. Private functions are also catered for.

The home-cooked menu features pies, sausage rolls, tasty burgers, chicken schnitzel, melts on homemade bread and a selection of tasty cakes and slices.

All main courses come with fresh seasonal salads. Most dietary requirements can be met, including gluten-free meals.

To wash it all down, Tibuc Gardens Cafe offers a selection of wine and beer, a good brew of tea or coffee, or in the hotter months a smoothie, freshly squeezed juice or milkshake.

The Siding Spring Observatory is down the road. Further along is the National Parks Visitor Centre where the affable staff will assist in selecting an amazing walk to match your level of fitness.

Tibuc Gardens Cafe stands as a story of hope and courage but most of all it demonstrates the resilience for which country folk have long been admired. CWL ABOVE: Elaine Gardiner and Trish Lithgow.

Tibuc Gardens Cafe and Accommodation Situated in a quiet location 22kms from Coonabarabran, three kilometres from the entrance to the Warrumbungle National Park and six kilometers from Siding Spring Observatory.

The licensed cafe specialises in fresh food cooked on the premises, including gourmet pies, sausage rolls, burgers and main meals with seasonal salads.

The cafe is available for private functions. Both the cottage and the studio are self contained accommodation.

74 Tibuc Road Coonabarabran 2357 Ph 0455 112 535 A/H 02 6842 5967 tibucgardens@gmail.com www.tibucgardens.com

COONABARABRAN CWL 33

here to stay Since taking over the reins of the four-star Acacia Motor Lodge, Bob and Sheree McGill have brought a new level of country hospitality to Coonabarabran.

It’s a long way from Kilkivan, the small Queensland country town west of Gympie where the McGill family ran the Nargoon Charolais stud and feedlot for nearly two decades.

The lingering drought through most of their married life, interspersed with the odd flood, was enough to finally tip the scales.

It was time to look for another way to make a living for the family.

After keeping the farm in the family for 99 years, Bob and Sheree made the gut-wrenching decision to disperse the herd and sell the land.

For the sake of their sanity they decided to start afresh in the motel business, following a strong recommendation from their trusted accountant.

“Our accountant was actually going to buy it himself,” Bob says.

“If it was good enough for him, it was good enough for us.”

The pair didn’t bother looking elsewhere and after only one visit had made up their minds.

The stud dispersal was held in mid 2014 with the motel takeover less than a week later. Fortunately, they had a few whirlwind days with the former owners to familiarise themselves with the logistics of running a 23-room motel, new computer system and upmarket restaurant.

Being specialists in the bovine industry didn’t count for much in their new enterprise and the pair had to learn quickly.

“Now we’re all settled and the kids love it,” says Sheree, who started her working life as a vet nurse in Brisbane.

The children, Maddie, 14, and Lachie, 12, are both talented horse riders with a handful of steeds on a small property just out of town.

Both could ride before they could walk. Maddie recently won her age group at Sydney’s Grand National against competitors from all over Australia. Not to be outdone, Lachie was runner-up Boy Rider at the fiercely competitive under-17 years category at the 2016 Brisbane Ekka.

The Coona Expo is a busy time of the year, both for the motel and the children, who love the chance to meet and compete with other riders from across the state.

Healthy competition is in the genes. Bob and Sheree exhibited the supreme champion pen of six steers twice at the Ekka. Their broad ribbons hang proudly in reception.

Now that they have got cattle breeding out of their system, the McGills are ploughing all their energy into the motel and restaurant, long regarded as one of the town’s premier dining spots.

With a delicious a-la-carte menu created by talented chef David Cooper, the restaurant is open for dinner from 6pm Tuesday through to Saturday.

It’s an intimate 40-seat venue serving tasty bistro-style food.

For starters, try the BBQ Octopus Salsa or the Pacific Oysters before selecting Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks, Eye Fillet Mignon or Sticky Pork Belly.

The decor in the restaurant befits their country background. In the corner is a huge round timber table that Bob crafted from a blue gum log found after a flood. The legs are from the verandah posts of the old homestead, while the chairs are emblazoned with their brand J5Y. “Our goal is to serve tasty fresh food and provide atmosphere for a romantic dinner or group get together,” Sheree says. On Saturday nights guests relax to live music from talented harp player Mary Cragg.

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Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

The motel is on the Newell Highway close to the Bowling Club, two hotels and shops within the CBD. “Coonabarabran is known as the astronomy capital of Australia,” Bob says. “And we’re within close proximity to one of the state’s most accessible national parks. With an average of 70 per cent clear night skies, stargazers have beautiful views of our solar system.”

Acacia Motor Lodge features 23 luxury rooms, and spacious guest rooms include standard, deluxe, and family suites all boasting queen beds, reverse-cycle air conditioning, en suite bathrooms and complimentary Austar, WiFi and continental breakfast.

The motel has undergone many improvements during the short time Bob and Sheree have owned it.

Their biggest renovation is currently under way with the refurbishment of 10 rooms and 23 bathrooms.

“It’s a major expense but a rewarding one,” Bob says. “The recent updates will keep the motel at its four-star rating, making it the best place to stay in town.

“After all it’s not just about a friendly face and good service, it matters what’s inside the rooms.”

The McGills have slotted in to their new life like old hands and are thankful the motel business is drought tolerant.

“Moving here was the best move we’ve made and we look forward to welcoming you soon,” Sheree says. CWL ABOVE: The McGills are all competent horse riders and love nothing better than an afternoon family ride.

FACING PAGE: Bob and Sheree McGill in their front reception; Maddie and Lachie draped in champion ribbons at the Coonabarabran Show.

COONABARABRAN CWL 35

T O W N F E A T U R E Coonabarabran

SADDLING UP TOGETHER

Repairing saddles is traditionally a job reserved for men, but try telling Barbara Thompson that.

The Coonabarabran saddler has been tending to leather work and repairs for an unbroken 54 years and shows no signs of slowing up.

Husband Kevin was originally in the building game but swapped his nail gun for a sewing machine and leather punch in 1994, joining forces with his wife to establish Saddlery by Thompson.

From humble beginnings in a garage at home making and repairing horse rugs, they have quietly built a reputation as quality saddlers.

Today they operate from their base in the main street, attracting fellow horse enthusiasts from throughout the district as well as visitors passing by on the busy Oxley Highway.

It’s a business they both thoroughly enjoy and one that complements their lifestyle – they run Quarter horses on their Kalimna Horse and Equestrian Centre on the edge of town.

There’s not much these two can’t repair, be it saddles, bridles or tarpaulins and everything in between. Recently they’ve added their own range of crafted leatherwork, including stylish and durable leather and canvas bags and swags.

Kevin also does a great job in the automotive upholstery department, including car, tractor and motorbike seat covers, tonneau covers and canopies.

Barbara’s working career started as a 16-year-old in 1963 at the Rural Bank in Parramatta, but the place affected her health.

On doctors recommendations she looked elsewhere, landing a job at a saddlery in

Castle Hill. It wasn’t the most conventional line of work for a young city girl but Barbara embraced it with steely determination.

After six years of learning the ropes she fell for the charms of the fun-loving builder who had bought a block of land from her parents.

They married in 1970 and a few years later moved to the North Coast where Kevin was still in the building game. In 1979 they bought a saddlery in Gloucester, and Barbara had to prove herself once again.

“People would come in and say ‘can I see the saddler’. It wasn’t easy when you get old-timers used to men doing the work.

EQUIPMENT FOR HORSE AND RIDER

Address : 64 John St Coonabarabran Phone : 0414 243 697

36 CWL COONABARABRAN

They’d later see Kevin at the pub and he’d say ‘unless you want it fixed by nail and hammer you’d best see my wife’,” she laughs.

Eventually she became accepted among the local farmers and horse fraternity but when 30 of her horses were poisoned by Crofton weed it was time to pull up stumps.

Kevin and Barbara moved west to Coonabarabran 30 years ago and never looked back.

“It’s a friendly little town with no traffic lights,” Kevin says. “The more you take part, the more you are included.” CWL ABOVE: Kevin and Barbara Thompson.

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COONABARABRAN CWL 37

Donna the astronomer A star in her own right, Donna Burton has always set her sights high.

The astronomy capital of Australia is the ideal base for Donna Burton, who has been looking skyward for as long as she can remember.

The astronomer fell in love with the sky at an early age growing up across the west of Queensland, NSW and South Australia as a “Drover’s Brat” learning the constellations and various skylore stories.

“Wonder, fascination and awe are certainly part of the experience, but if that was all of it I’d soon get bored,” she says.

“I like to memorise the sky in order to see what’s different.

I go comet and nova hunting, looking for that change. Pattern recognition is something that comes naturally to me.”

In many ways it’s one big game played on a giant canvas.

“Checking out the solar system can be great fun but you need patience to stay up all night,” she laughs as she demonstrates the ease of setting up one of her portable telescopes.

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When she isn’t probing deep into the clear night skies for which Coonabarabran is famous (especially during spring and autumn when the hours are a little more conducive to stargazing), Donna runs her computer shop, Born2Fly. She is also a commercial pilot and president of the Chamber of Commerce, allowing her time to follow her true passion at night.

“There is always something happening up there,” she says with a knowing grin.

Donna made history as the first Australian woman to discover a comet in 2006. A year later she discovered another, both named after the Siding Spring Observatory where she spent a decade working as a support technician and astronomer for the Australian National University (ANU).

As well as working in one of the world’s most respected observatories, Donna is the national co-ordinator for the international group Astronomers Without Borders.

“I love discovering new things, which explains my love of astronomy,” she says. “There are only two largely unexplored regions on earth: deep volcanoes and the depths of the ocean.

“I dislike heat and loathe sharks so the skies were always going to be a pretty safe alternative.”

Her fascination with planets and galaxies began during long droving trips with her father in western Queensland nearly 50 years ago.

Camped out in a swag for weeks on end, the school-shy teenager developed a lifelong habit of peering into space, starting with the Milky Way and Southern Cross.

“With our naked eye on a good night we can see about 6000 stars,” she says. “With a telescope we can see multitudes more, easily up to 100,000. In reality there are more stars out there than grains of sand on the planet.”

Despite quitting school at 15 after years of correspondence and School of the Air, Donna appreciates the importance of a good education.

Years later she finished her HSC via correspondence and in 1994 commenced a science degree at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ).

Her insatiable quest for knowledge continues today, undertaking a PhD in AstroPhysics at USQ where she is Adjunct Astronomer at the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences.

She has written a number of papers for various astronomy journals and authored several small books relating to the planets, Pluto and Australian astronomy history.

Donna also writes for Australian Flying, Australia Sky and Space and has a weekly column in a number of NSW regional newspapers.

Her passion and knowledge of her chosen field has enabled her to become a presenter for school, seniors and various community groups such as Probus clubs, U3A and visiting astronomers from around the globe.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Her fascination with planets and galaxies began during long droving trips with her father in western Queensland nearly 50 years ago.

Donna has taken part in the Sydney City2Surf and various triathlons, raising funds for her favourite charities. She also cycles in the beautiful Warrumbungle hinterland.

Over the years Donna has travelled to more than 40 countries, always expanding her knowledge and gaining inspiration from everyone she meets.

She hopes her efforts behind a telescope will encourage more girls to study science and discover for themselves the marvels of the universe.

It is one of the reasons she established Coona Astro Ventures, to introduce school children and seniors to a new world up above.

Her night-watching duties have taken her to places like Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Dubbo and Gunnedah and she soon hopes to initiate her star-grazing program on board cruise ships.

“Most discoveries are made by looking. I star gaze whenever I get the chance but it’s a lot more fun sharing my interest with others.” CWL

Family and Senior friendly star gazing sessions.

Milroy Observatory CoonaAstroVentures Call 0428 288 244

FACING PAGE: Donna Burton “has telescope, will travel”.

ABOVE: Milroy Observatory.

COONABARABRAN CWL 39

ABOVE: Some of the Expo committee include (standing) Graham Enks, Bob Fenwick, Jacqui Clifton, Abbey Blackburn, Kevin Sharp, Rebecca Moxham, Brenda Grant, Jeff Abbott, Shaen and Richard Blackman. Back row: Kylie Deshon, Duncan Graham, Harry Clifton, Lucy Evans and Lisa Moody.

GIDDY-UP

Coonabarabran is home of the North West Equestrian Expo, Australia’s largest interschool equestrian event with an action-packed five days of competition.

In June 2017 Expo celebrates its 25th anniversary, a tremendous achievement for the community and a far cry from its humble beginnings as Coonabarabran High School’s Ag Skills Day in 1991.

This year nearly 600 competitors were expected to converge on the showground from nearly 100 high schools. With them came teachers, parents and millions of dollars worth of horse flesh, camping gear and horse floats of every size and description.

These days Expo is run by a body consisting of representatives from Coonabarabran High School, Warrumbungle Eventing, Pony Club and the Showground Trust who work closely with various head stewards drawn from the local equestrian community.

The high school canteen uses “The Hut” to operate over the event, generating significant funds for the P&C as does the local Rotary Club.

Each year over 120 trophy rugs are donated, mostly by local businesses who send representatives to attend the presentations. Some of these supporters have been donating for 25 years. The much prized “Expo Rugs” with the embroidered emblem can be seen at equestrian events throughout the state.

40 CWL COONABARABRAN

The funds generated by Expo are ploughed back into the community. The new Hut building, toilet block and cattle shed have all been wholly or partly funded by Expo. The local high school has received over $100,000 in funding for projects throughout the school that enrich the learning environment for all students.

In 2008 a full upgrade of the cross-country was undertaken to ensure the course was up to a standard recognised by Eventing NSW. As a result the Warrumbungle Eventing Club was formed and now hosts an annual event for riders of all ages.

Many of the early competitors would not recognise the course today with its new water jump and clever use of portables. The one unique feature remains the iconic gallops through the beautiful Australian bush.

Richard Blackman is a qualified course designer and technical delegate and officiates at events throughout NSW. He is also a life member of Pony Club and the inaugural life member of Expo.

Richard and wife Shaen have invested many hours into the cross country course since its inception and have seen it develop from a bush track to a course accredited by Eventing NSW.

The committee is supported by a number of head stewards, all passionate and knowledgeable in their fields. An army of local helpers assists with cross country and jump judging. Local business owners, while busy with the influx of visitors to town for the week, try to get to the showground to watch their sponsored event and be involved in congratulating the winners.

Duncan Graham followed his interest in show jumping from his own pony club days and as a parent to become show jumping head steward, capably assisted by Julia Anderson, a passionate former expo parent keen to remain involved in the event.

Duncan and Julia work with internationally recognised course builder John Valance, who worked at the Rio Olympics, to build challenging and safe courses during Expo.

The polocrosse competition has been part of Expo since its inception. Head steward Kylie Deshon, an Australian Polocrosse Association coach and active player, is assisted by her sister and former captain of the Australian women’s polocrosse team, Tanya Hollows. >

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

“Over the past 25 years, the Expo has attracted many young riders excelling in a variety of disciplines.”

COONABARABRAN CWL 41

The standard of the polocrosse A Grade final is such that the winning school has the bragging rights as the NSW school champion.

Hacking has also been a part of Expo since year one and head steward Lisa Moody competes at local and Royal shows throughout NSW. The Gower Family Trophy presented to the overall winning school team of riders recognises the tremendous influence of the late Gwen Gower and her family’s long association with Expo.

With over 100 teams entering the competition the overall winners are of a very high standard. Scone High School and Calrossy have won this trophy on two occasions.

Team barrel racing is one event Expo calls its own. Bob Fenwick assisted by James Forbes puts over 100 teams of three around the drums each year. The top 10 schools are often only separated by a second, so close is the competition.

Harry Clifton and Louise Knight run the sporting section with riders competing in five events, including the Stockman’s Challenge that tests different skills of horse and rider.

Shannon Mathews draws on her stock horse background in running the popular Work Horse Challenge, ably assisted by Chris and Jess Cormie.

Over the years new events have been added to the program, including team penning with Sue McGoldrick, with cattle sourced from her brother's property. This event gives riders a chance to demonstrate their stock mustering skills and provides an interesting challenge for the city riders and their horses.

Horseball, described as a cross between rugby and netball on horseback, is not for the faint-hearted. Expo parent and national coach from Tamworth, Victor Colette, has steered this event over the past three years to increasing popularity.

Former Expo competitor Lucy Evans is the head steward for a dressage competition held at the racecourse. Lucy recognised that not every rider is necessarily confident at jumping and sporting and provides a more genteel alternative.

In 2016 she ran a dressage to music competition that proved so popular it has been incorporated into the main program.

Combined Training is an event developed for riders not keen on cross country but still wanting to compete in showjumping and dressage. This section is capably run by former Coona Pony Club members and Expo parents Jackie Crossing and Rosemary Nankivell.

The Warrumbungles Way, yet another unique Expo event, is run by former Expo rider Mick Doolan. This event has a set

42 CWL COONABARABRAN

of tasks that reflect a day in the life of a stockman in the Shire. The freestyle section sees riders demonstrate amazing horsemanship skills and is always popular with spectators.

In the Team 6 bar, riders in teams of four score a point for their team each time they clear a jump but are eliminated after a rail or stop. The jumps get higher each round with the final fence up to 1.45m.

Brenda Grant is the go-to person for sponsorship and trade stands while Jacqui Clifton oversees the presentation ceremonies throughout the event and the final parade. Both Brenda and Jacqui were Expo parents for many years.

Former high school principal and Expo chairman Kevin Sharp is in charge of stabling. He comes with a strong background in hacking, winning many champion awards on the Central Coast and competing at Sydney Royal.

Expo treasurer, accountant and former Expo parent Abbey Blackburn is the official scorer. It’s a mammoth task that sees thousands of competitors entered into a computer program that decides the champions on the final day.

As the dust or mud settles after the final parade – a spectacular sight of riders parading behind their school banners – the committee and head stewards meet for a debrief and plan for the next year’s event.

It really is a gigantic team effort centered around participation, having fun and making new friends. The top riders in every discipline are given the opportunity to excel with many going on to become household names. CWL

ABOVE: Coonabarabran always puts on a strong display in the parade on the final day of Expo.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

sisters’ kitchen rules “Sisters doing it for themselves” could well be the catchphrase for two siblings cooking up a storm at Sisterellea’s in Coonabarabran.

The popular eatery is run by Pam Pino and Julie Byast, who are making a name for their friendly style, pizzazz and great homecooked meals.

A good brew of Coffee Bean (made in Dubbo), a congenial atmosphere and a great selection of lasagne, soup, quiche, pies and spaghetti bolognaise have diners coming back for more.

It’s not just the locals who enjoy visiting Sisterellea's. The girls estimate that nearly 80 per cent of their trade comes from travellers who appreciate time out in a welcoming environment.

Two sparkling chandeliers at each end of the cafe reflect the Melbourne upbringing of the sisters of style.

Julie arrived here 23 years ago after a Coonabarabran holiday that obviously impressed her. Pam joined her sister five years ago.

Two other siblings have also made the move from Melbourne.

Having spent most of her working life in finance, Julie was keen to run a business she could share with her sister.

Just over two years ago they identified an opportunity for a coffee shop that remained open during the normally quiet weekends.

They bought the well-known Lunchbox, changed the name to Sisterellea’s and are now open seven days a week from 8am to 5pm.

The venue can hold private functions for up to 30 people and the girls also cater for events and organisations.

“It’s not really that much different to my old career,” laughs Julie.

“The same type of clientele, just offering different things.”

The fun-loving girls, with five children between them, both appreciate the quiet and laidback lifestyle that Coonabarabran offers.

“In many ways you have to create your own fun, but there’s always something happening,” Pam says.

“The secret to longevity in this game is getting through the point that our doors are open every day.” CWL

ABOVE: Sisters Pam Pino and Julie Byast love working together at Sisterellea’s.

COONABARABRAN CWL 43

you reap what you sow Bob Freebairn has spent 50 years improving the lot of local farmers, and now he is practising what he preaches.

It was 1967 when a young Bob Freebairn arrived in Coonabarabran.

Armed with rainfall and temperature statistics from the Bureau of Meteorology, the town’s new agronomist was ready for business.

Half a century later, much of Bob’s working life has been devoted to helping local farmers transform their light sandy country into highly productive agricultural land.

Discovering Serradella as a light soil pasture was the game-changer.

He also led a team developing pasture fertiliser programs throughout central and northern inland NSW and played a major role in the adoption of summer-growing perennial grasses on light country.

“I had a great job,” he says. “In the days before computers, it was an important job informing farmers about the latest technology.

“Many farms were called ‘poverty farms’ and it was time to find plants that were acid soil tolerant like Serradella, our first major breakthrough.

“Being a district agronomist was in many ways like being your local GP – each had to know his limitations. I worked with about 50 district agronomists across NSW and before long we developed a combination of tropical grasses and a better understanding of soil fertility.”

With the world population predicted to almost double in the next 80 years, Bob says there’s mounting pressure for increased productivity from our rapidly diminishing agricultural land.

44 CWL COONABARABRAN

“Thousands of properties in this area are comprised of light sandy and sandy loam country, generally acidic and low in inherent fertility,” he explains.

“Before my time, agronomists experienced little success with pasture improvement or cropping on much of this country. In fact, much of this farmland was regarded as fairly useless.

“Research into pastures and crops for the Pilliga scrub region – the giant sandstone landmass stretching from Narrabri and the Pilliga to well south of Coonabarabran – typically ended in failure.”

During the 1960s, many new farmers moved to the Coonabarabran district, including a large contingent from South Australia. They cleared an additional 30,000 hectares, but it was costly and productivity was poor.

The discovery of Serradella as a viable pasture evolved from a research program begun in 1968. By the late 1970s, Bob and his colleagues knew they were on a winner and today you’ll find the “miracle” pasture everywhere.

“Modern technology has changed the way we farm. Growing appropriate crop and pasture varieties, acidic soil correction and the adoption of sound grazing and cropping management practices has helped agriculture to be managed in a sustainable and profitable manner.”

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Bob, always a quiet achiever, is still working as an agronomist in Coona 50 years after first arriving.

After a lifetime spent helping others with his intrinsic knowledge of soils, pastures and crops, Bob was finally able to tick a few boxes from his own bucket list.

He became an independent consultant after a stellar 42-year career with the Department of Agriculture, and these days travels throughout the district speaking at conferences and seminars, including an annual field day on his 285ha property “Kingswood”, Purlewaugh.

Farming is in the blood and it was always a dream to one day have his own property.

Bob’s grandfather was one of the country’s pioneer sharefarmers at Greenethorpe. His father married a Bondi school teacher and spent his life on “Kingswood” while their four children, including Bob, all attended university.

Bob studied agronomy at Wagga Wagga (now Charles Sturt University) as a cadet with the NSW Department of Agriculture.

It was a good investment as Bob spent the next 42 years with the department before branching out as a consultant 11 years ago.

He is revelling in his steer fattening enterprise on “Kingswood”.

The property supports about 230 mostly Angus steers, which are bought at 250kg and turned off within a year at 500kg. Bob says it’s possible to run such numbers thanks to the rejuvenated land, with all pastures growing Serradella and other legumes.

Farming these days, he says, is a lesson in economics, having a solid business plan and preparing for the dry times.

“We know our costs of production and our gross and net returns.

A lot of people now think buying a farm is impossible, but you can still buy one for less than the price of a Sydney home.”

What he lacks in personal experience, Bob makes up for in enthusiasm and local knowledge.

“Having known so many local farmers, you learn what works.

Having researched crops and pastures all my working life, the farm gives me a chance to actually apply all that knowledge to my own enterprise.”

With three children – William a lawyer, Andrew an accountant and Merryn a speech pathologist – and eight grandchildren, Bob and wife Sue, a retired nursing director at Cooinda, are living the dream.

When he is not farming or on the road, Bob still enjoys his other great love – writing about agriculture. In 1972, he started a column in the Coonabarabran Times and has kept coming up with new ideas for the past 40 years.

The late chairman of Rural Press and local farmer Rod Black later suggested he start writing for The Land. His well-read “Down to Earth” column documents his thoughts on pasture and crops, soil management, innovative farm practices and profitable agriculture.

Bob is still happily tapping away on his computer 37 years and 1800 editions later. In between he has also helped write more than 120 publications.

To add to a life well-lived, when Coonabarabran formed a rugby side in the early 1980s, Bob became an ardent supporter.

As a former player he was quick to lace up the boots once more, this time as a referee, spending two decades blowing his whistle in towns like Coonamble, Lightning Ridge, Cobar and Brewarrina.

Bob has rubbed shoulders and shared stories with countless farmers throughout his life. Now he is one and can finally practise what he preaches. CWL FACING PAGE: Bob Freebairn has been an agronomist all his working life.

ABOVE: Some of his cattle doing well on improved pastures at his Purlewaugh farm.

COONABARABRAN CWL 45

a breed apart This veteran grazier doesn’t need an opinion poll to tell him the best cattle for his cause.

The old saying “Once a Hereford man, always a Hereford man” couldn’t ring any truer for Coonabarabran cattle stalwart Jim Clifton.

This hardened old grazier has been breeding Herefords for nearly 50 years and, with son Frank, runs one of the largest herds in the district on “Hillgrove” and adjoining “Mount Warwick”.

The Hereford breed originated in Herefordshire, England. The first shipment to Australia arrived in Hobart in 1826. By the 1900s they dominated grazing throughout the country, from the arid inland to the snow-capped peaks of the south.

46 CWL COONABARABRAN

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

The breed began falling out of favour in the 1990s as the Angus took centre stage, but try telling that to Jim, a sentimental type of bloke who has always had a soft spot for his beloved white-faced cattle.

It’s been a long and winding journey but Jim has plenty of time to reflect on his association with the breed and life in general from the verandah of the family homestead.

It all started with his father Bob, who was working with the Bank of NSW in Sydney when he enlisted for WW1.

While serving with the 17th Infantry Battalion, Bob was mentioned in dispatches by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig and in 1917 awarded the Military Cross for bravery under fire with “complete disregard for his personal safety”.

“The wounded soldiers were carted back to England for recuperation before being sent back to the mud-filled trenches,” says Jim, a keen reader, golfer and history buff.

During one such stopover Bob met a South African lass, Alice, and they married in England shortly after the armistice. Back on home soil, he drew a soldier settlers block on the outskirts of Purlewaugh, arriving by train from Dunedoo and driving out to the farm in a T-Model Ford.

Their first home was a typically modest affair shared by Bob’s brother Bill, who stayed for a further 46 years.

“They lived on the smell of an oily rag for the first few years,” says Jim. “The rabbits certainly helped them out. Their skins would bring a few bob, and there were millions of them.”

A substantial homestead was built for 600 pounds in 1930, the same year Jim appeared on the scene. He has lived there most of his 87 years and is keeping well despite a new pace-maker and cancer scare.

Jim did his early schooling by correspondence but with the advent of WW2 his father again enlisted. His only son was sent to The Shore School, North Sydney, for the next seven years “to get an education”.

In his class of 30 were 28 high-spirited lads from the bush.

“We were loaded with common sense and didn’t have much time for Greek, Latin and poetry,” he says with a grin.

The farming business out at Purlewaugh was never easy, particularly in those early days before Superphosphate and pasture improvements. Many of the farmers taking up soldier settlement blocks in the area went broke.

But Jim’s father was a determined sort of bloke, even if he was a hard task-master from the “old school” way of thinking.

“When he gave a command he was that sharp he’d snap a half inch bolt, but he was a good teacher,” laughs Jim. Initially they ran a small mixed cattle herd of 50 head, mainly to control the noxious darling pea.

“We ran country into the fringe of the Pilliga Scrub and soon discovered the hardiness of the Hereford in dry regions,” he says.

“Coupled with their drought-tolerance, they are high in fertility with good growth-rates and a famed temperament.”

By 1970, Jim had switched entirely to Herefords. By then his father had retired to Sydney and Jim, with wife Shirley, was busy raising Robert, Alison and Frank and improving the farm.

Applying Superphosphate was a big game changer. Local agronomist Bob Freebairn used to tell him: “Jim, if you don’t top dress I’ll come to your clearing sale!”

It was a valid point and Jim still listens. Just like he did to the late David Spencer from the famed Ironbark Hereford stud, Barraba.

“He took me under his wing early on in the piece and told me that regardless of breed it was crucial to get the top genetics from the best available bloodlines,” says Jim. He used Ironbark bulls for the next 40 years but recently has been buying polled bulls from the Nivison family, Yalgoo stud, Walcha.

Jim has always loved his life on the land and helping out the community, serving as president of the local show and Coona picnic races during the 1980s. He was also a councillor and the often hilarious camp commandant at the local pony club.

During all that time he’s maintained a strong affinity for his beloved Herefords, which he says are still holding their own, regardless of current trends.

“We’ve stuck by our Herefords for the past half century for one simple reason,” says Jim with a satisfied look. “They are the most profitable breed for our business.” CWL

ABOVE: Jim Clifton in front of a photo of his beloved Whiteface herd.

FACING PAGE: An Ironbark bull helps improve the genetics of the herd.

COONABARABRAN CWL 47

salts of the earth

Pure salt from ancient caves in the Himalayas is proving a boon for local farmers.

A very long time ago, salt was worth its weight in gold.

With 84 trace elements, it’s beneficial for the growth and health of humans, livestock and pets, which explains why farmers Locke and Melissa Wright established Salts of the Himalayas in early 2011.

The idea for the business was unearthed by Locke’s father and New England grazier Tim Wright during a cricketing tour of South Africa in 2010.

“Dad saw Himalayan salt being fed to livestock, and on his return home purchased a few salt licks to feed to his own sheep and cattle,” says Locke.

“He found they greatly improved their coats, productivity and overall condition.

“We also work with livestock and understand the importance of good nutrition to enhance productivity and performance.”

Locke did some research and discovered that the genuine salt licks were hard to obtain and often substituted with artificial varieties that lacked the full nutritional value.

Searching the web, he discovered that about 200 million years ago the crystalised sea salt beds in Pakistan were once covered with lava and enveloped in snow and ice for millennia.

The salt was preserved in an untouched, pristine environment, and it is believed that the pink salt is the purest on the planet without any toxins, chemicals or pollutants.

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Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

teaching our children well

Locke figured he was on a good thing and began importing in small quantities. With increased demand, he now lands between 80 and 100 tonnes of hand-mined raw salt from Pakistan’s salt caves each year.

The salt is shipped to Brisbane and stored in depots in Uralla and at Pursehouse Rural, Coonabarabran, before being sold in bulk, bags or even sachets for cooking.

“It’s cheaper than the blocks made in Australia and works out to be about 75c per DSE (dry sheep equivalent) each year,” Locke says.

With over 30 different salt products under the Salts of the Himalayas banner, Locke now sells to farmers, butchers, restaurants and savvy home cooks across the nation.

He attends field days throughout NSW to promote his products and, being a farmer himself, can vouch for their benefits.

“The minerals contained in the salt are absorbed into the blood stream making it easier to metabolise,” he says. “With all those natural minerals, it packs plenty of punch.”

Himalayan salt lumps are cost effective, weather tolerant and improve dry feed intake. They also help keep livestock cool in summer and warm in winter.

Sue McGoldrick has been farming all her life, just as her forebears have been doing since Morgan Redden set out from Ireland to become one of the early settlers on “Coolcappa”, Coonabarabran, in 1875.

Redden worked on the Gulgong goldfields before joining forces with fellow Irishman Patrick Morrissey to cart much-need supplies from Mudgee to the emerging township of Coonabarabran.

Until Sue’s husband Terry’s passing, the pair had farmed for some 30 years on “Bimbadeen”, Purlewaugh, running Dorset sheep and 300 Angus cross Limousin cattle.

The McGoldricks established the Bimbadeen Park Dorset Horn stud in 1981 and the Coolcappa Poll Dorset Stud a few years later.

And for nearly four decades Sue has shared her rural knowledge as an agriculture/science teacher, currently at St Lawrence’s Primary School, Coonabarabran.

“We start them young,” she laughs.

The McGoldricks have been taking students to the Sydney Royal Easter Show with their sheep for decades and have enjoyed plenty of success.

One year their champion ram was sashed by Princess Anne, providing a great buzz for the kids under their charge.

Sue says the sheep seem to relate to the kids.

“They become big pets and are extremely quiet after being broken in — it’s almost like having a pet dog.”

Daughter Melissa followed in her parents' footsteps and for the past two years has been teaching agriculture, primary industries and textiles to secondary students at Baradine Central School.

She met her husband, Locke Wright, at Condo B&S and have a three-year-old daughter, Charli. CWL

ABOVE: Locke Wright, daughter Charli, Sue McGoldrick and Melissa Wright with young lambs.

FACING PAGE: Locke and Melissa, pictured with Charli, have great hopes for their salt licks.

84 FIRST QUALITY MINERALS FOR LIVESTOCK AND HUMANS

Mobile: 0447148276 shop@saltsofthehimalayas.com.au Purlewaugh Road Coonabarabran 2357

Stockist for: Himalayan salt stock blocks, salt on a rope, lamps, tealights, onyx mortar and pestle, bath/shower products, cooking plate, table salt and books

COONABARABRAN CWL 49

CREATIVE ENERGY

Dunedoo’s celebrated art show has taken a back seat this year.

Art Unlimited is one of the most eagerly awaited events on the regional arts calendar.

Unfortunately, as a result of the catastrophic Sir Ivan Bushfire around Dunedoo, Coolah and Cassilis in February, the organisers of Dunedoo’s annual art show have had to cancel the 2017 event.

The priority for the community now is to focus energy and resources on measures to assist in recovery.

The fire destroyed 54,000 hectares, 5000 stock, 35 homes and impacted 138 landholders.

It will take many months for affected infrastructure to be replaced and volunteer efforts will concentrate on helping those who lost homes, livestock, farmland, crops, fencing, machinery and farm buildings.

Art Unlimited will return in May 2018.

The competition’s main hanging art award is the Pro Hart Prize donated by Raylee Hart in memory of her late husband, the outback art legend dedicated to making art accessible to people in regional and remote areas.

Nine years ago Dunedoo’s Lions Club embraced Pro Hart’s vision and set about elevating the town’s art and craft show into a quality art event of regional significance.

In giving the local community meaningful engagement with the visual arts, the event has brought a new confidence and pride to the district.

Art Unlimited has also had positive economic spin-offs for the town of just 800 residents, with visitors coming to stay, eat and shop in the town while enjoying the exhibition and buying art.

Opening night attracts more than 300 guests from all over the Central West, North West and Western Plains regions and is the highlight of the year on Dunedoo’s calendar.

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Each year the Art Unlimited competition attracts around 500 entries from artists, photographers and ceramicists from all parts of Australia, vying for the $3000 first prize in each of the categories.

Other prizes include the Peabody Wilpinjong People’s Choice Prize and Orana Arts Indigenous Artist Prize, which both offer $500. The Janace Holmes Family Memorial Prize is $250 and ABC Western Plains awards $250 worth of ABC merchandise to the work that best depicts the western region.

Penny Stevens, one of the organisers, says nearly one in three Australians live in regional, rural and remote Australia. She makes the point that regional art is not second class art, it is first class art that is building stronger communities in regional locations.

“The ability of art and culture to strengthen community interest, pride and amenity is well documented,” she says.

“Art Unlimited offers regional and metropolitan artists an opportunity to pursue excellence while contributing outcomes in our community and region that go far beyond the art itself.

“It’s an event that had the courage to refresh its vision and direction and, in doing so, to enrich the lives of entrants and audiences.”

Regional Arts Australia NSW and the local region’s Orana Arts have provided encouragement and expertise, giving Dunedoo an identity that is now widely recognised. CWL www.artunlimitednsw.com.au.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The 2016 Pro Hart Prize for Hanging Art, Night Romp, by Nancy Hunt, Narrabri; last year’s Art Unlimited Photography Prize, The Last Drop, by Mal Carnegie, West Wyalong; winner of the 2016 Art Unlimited Ceramics Prize, Jar, by Geoff Thomas, Gilgandra.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

for all occasions Prezzies is a gift shop that keeps on giving.

Coonabarabran sisters Rhonda Jewiss and Leonie Jenkins established their award-winning gift shop, Prezzies, in 1989.

Prezzies started out as a hobby for the sisters, but it has since grown into much more than that. In 2000, the flourishing business moved into bigger premises where they are located today.

In 2006, the business was named Best Gift Shop in NSW and the ACT. “We enjoy a strong local customer base at Prezzies, as well as travellers that return year after year,” Rhonda says.

“We place a large emphasis on catering for all special occasions with a diverse and unique array of gifts, from a 90th birthday, right through to decorator items for a christening.”

Prezzies mainstays include French country nighties, beautiful leather handbags and bags by Didgeridoonas, and even macramé wall hangings. Luxury gift items like jewellery, hand creams, candles and a whole host of other goodies are also on offer.

“We love staying on top of the latest fashions and stocking Prezzies with the most exciting new offerings,” Rhonda says.

Rhonda and Leonie travel twice yearly to trade fairs in Sydney and Melbourne, to keep abreast of the new season’s colours and styles.

The sisters also travel widely with a close group of friends, and the women have to date visited China, India, Vietnam, Egypt, Africa, Turkey, Greece and Russia, to name but a few. On her travels, Rhonda finds inspiration for fashion and style at Prezzies, and she is always on the lookout for fresh new ideas.

Rhonda has also travelled to England with husband Gordon to visit their daughter and one of six grandchildren. Gordon and Rhonda also have two sons, living in Kiama and Gunnedah.

When she’s not travelling, Rhonda enjoys involvement in local community organisations. She is a member of the Coonabarabran View Club as well as the Coonabarabran Arts Council.

“I believe having such a strong connection with our community has really helped us see the business through droughts, the bushfire in 2013 and other tough times, and we’ll continue to support Coonabarabran.” CWL Words: Anna Tickle

ABOVE: Rhonda Jewiss loves working at Prezzies.

THE LITTLE GIFT SHOP OF THE T WO SISTERS Prezzies opened 28 years ago by sisters Leonie & Rhonda We stay up to date with fashion & colours of the season by visiting trade fairs twice a year in Sydney and Melbourne.

Prezzies is in the centre of town. We can help you choose your gift and we can wrap it free of charge 36 John St, Coonabarabran NSW 2357 Phone: (02) 6842 2660

COONABARABRAN CWL 51

JUST JACK His life is playing out like an opera, which is fitting when you are a tenor and Coonabarabran’s latest musical sensation.

Twenty-one-year-old Jack Ayoub will tell you that opera is far more interesting than his own trials and tribulations, but his story – there is despair and there is triumph – is extraordinary.

Losing both parents when just a schoolboy was hard enough but being an only child compounded the experience (his older four half-brothers were raised in different households).

It was sink or swim. Jack chose to swim and concedes that growing up in a small country town actually moulded him into the strong, robust character he is today.

His mum Sandra was diagnosed with breast cancer when Jack was just five years old. Six years later the cancer presented in her bones.

“One day we were driving to Gunnedah, listening to the radio and singing along, when she turned off the music. My heart sank as she reached for my hand and said ‘You know I won’t get through this’.

Fortunately they shared many heartfelt conversations in preparation for the unthinkable. On her birthday, the two were alone in the hospital ward where she’d spent most of her working life as a nurse. Jack sang Happy Birthday and later, still holding hands, she gently took her final breath. Jack was 12.

With bitter resentment creeping into his system, schoolwork suffered as his morale plummeted to new depths.

“It felt different having only one parent. Everyone would say ‘poor Jack’ and I really hated that,” he says.

Meeting teacher Duncan Graham in Year 10 helped steer him around. “He is a gifted educator with great life experience and a deep respect for his students. He reinvented my idea of school,” Jack says.

About the same time, something entirely unexpected happened that helped fill a void.

Jack attended an Andre Rieu concert in Newcastle. On the way home, the concertgoers stopped at a store to buy his CDs. Jack’s roving eye instead found a copy of The Three Tenors in Rome.

“It was shining at me and, although I’d never heard of them, I bought the album and couldn’t wait to get home and play it,” he says, erupting into song.

“The emotion, passion and power of hearing Jose Carreras sing E La Solita Storia Del Pastor, the story of a poor shepherd boy, was an overwhelming moment.

“For the first time in a very long time emotion flooded through me, which changed my perspective and direction. It was in that intense moment that my goal of becoming an opera singer was confirmed.”

Jack was soon imitating the voices of the three great tenors.

“Dad was confused by all this Italian screaming nonsense.

At every opportunity I was in front of the mirror, mimicking their vocal style and singing at the top of my lungs.

“I remember Dad frequently raising his own voice – and in no uncertain language – to convey he couldn’t follow the races at the other end of the house.”

Before long Jack developed an interest in music at school, becoming among the first to attend Coonamble’s Moorambilla Festival.

“Some people thought that this must have been my definitive musical moment, singing with the boys choir, but they were wrong,” Jack says with a grin.

Despite his foray into singing, Jack was still learning to process grief. By the end of Year 12, however, he’d developed an insatiable appetite for knowledge.

Jack says his relationship with his dad Max, a roof plumber, was always tense but grounded in love.

“He feared my life as an opera singer would be as uncertain as his own life had been,” Jack says.

Days before Christmas three years ago, when Jack had just turned 18, he returned home from a camping trip to find his father’s lifeless body in the hallway. He had suffered a heart attack.

Although he still experiences tremendous loneliness, Jack also feels strangely liberated. “This life is well and truly my own, without any obligations or restrictions. After Dad’s passing there was nowhere to hide and in many ways that helped me.” >

“The emotion, passion and power of hearing Jose Carreras sing E La Solita Storia Del Pastor, the story of a poor shepherd boy, was an overwhelming moment.”

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Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

COONABARABRAN CWL 53

Show time Jack’s first major performance was in front of a packed Sydney Town Hall audience the day after his HSC. “It was a duet from Bizet’s opera The Pearlfishers. Despite shaking in my boots I felt prepared for the task at hand,” he says.

Dressed in tails and with a full orchestra behind him, he remembers drawing on the combined emotions of sadness and loneliness on the one hand and strength and resilience on the other.

By all accounts it was a great success.

Now in his fourth year at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music, his hard work is beginning to pay off.

“I went there with no theoretical musical background, with kids who had been having piano lessons since they were five,” he says.

“I’m good at putting on an air of confidence that I don’t really have.

I could excel at the singing but the theory was killing me.”

But there was no turning back. With time, Jack mastered the International Phonetic Alphabet and can now read to sing various languages, including German, which he loves despite the difficulties.

Often all the long hours of practice in solitude comes down to a single show and the chance to touch the emotions of the audience.

Singing the Bernstein Mass at the Sydney Opera House was a pivotal moment in his musical journey. The music was about the journey of faith – not just in a religious sense but faith in life.

At another concert performance of Mahler’s Resurrection symphony, the sheer power of the music was very moving.

“I remember singing the last note and the tears were rolling down both mine and the conductor’s face. The audience exploded into a standing ovation.”

It’s hard not being affected. “My goal is to use the gifts given to me to help others – to make others feel something and, in a broader context, to advocate for a fairer and more just world.”

While he admits he is far from being a household name, he is convinced his time will come. There is no plan B. “Success is not optional. It’s going to happen, in whatever form,” he says with utter conviction. “There are plenty of reasons to become a successful opera singer. It’s not just the voice but about understanding life – and my life will be multi-faceted.

“I will be an international opera singer, give talks and may even get into politics – it simply requires enormous intestinal fortitude, confidence and a lot of hard work.”

Jack says some mistake his confidence for arrogance. “I operate as a sole entity – it’s just me. People that know me say ‘hey, that’s just Jack’, which is rather endearing.

“If I hadn’t lost my parents I may not have had the strength to tackle life head on. If I didn’t go through my darkest moments I may not have been drawn to the light.”

Coming home Throughout Jack’s musical journey, the Coonabarabran community has been very supportive.

“It’s always special coming home to perform,” he beams. “They say it takes a village to raise a child and that’s certainly been my case. Coming home is my way of thanking all those who continue to believe in my journey.

“It’s not about prestige, money or fame. I hope they come as a consequence, but it’s really about having a positive effect on somebody.

If I’m singing in front of 5000 people and there’s one person who is affected by the music, then that’s great. That’s the goal.

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“What I’m trying to do is operate on a whole new level above language. It’s purely emotional, and story-telling at its best.”

Jack admits it’s not the easiest thing owning up to your dreams.

“One of the hardest things in life is to make the declaration of who you want to be and what you want to do,” he says.

“Ultimately you put yourself in a vulnerable situation. At school I sheepishly admitted I wanted to be an opera singer and feared the worst reaction but my declaration was met with intrigue.

“Now I say ‘I’m just Jack’. Steven Fry said people should consider themselves verbs instead of nouns. I think it’s silly to say ‘I’m an opera singer or a doctor or a lawyer’ – it’s too defining. Being true to yourself is a far greater achievement.

“The thing is I don’t want to be exclusive to anybody. Some people feel that opera is an intellectual exercise but really it’s a purely emotional one, which we are all capable of understanding.”

Jack has this year been selected as a young ambassador for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, to help reach out to younger audiences.

As for role models, Jack likes the underdog who gets up.

“Like him or loathe him, Paul Keating left school at 14, never went to university and became one of Australia’s greatest prime ministers,” he says.

“Anything is possible. It’s all about believing in yourself – for better or for worse – and following your dreams with curiosity and passion.”

After years of being told his dream was impossible, Jack Ayoub is proving his doubters wrong.

By the time you are reading this, Jack should hopefully be singing his heart out at an intensive two-week summer school in Verona, Italy. Next year he will start his Masters degree.

His parents may not be here to spur him on but you somehow know that when he takes to the big stage they’ll be looking down on him, bursting with pride. CWL

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

all together now It’s on for young and old as the band swings into action.

There’s nothing like a band to galvanise a community, and Coonabarabran has one of the best.

The town’s Orbital Swing Band was reformed after the demise of the original Coonabarabran Brass Band in the 1960s.

It has about 20 musicians ranging in age from a 10-year-old trumpeter to a 78-year-old saxophone player.

The band rehearses every Thursday at the local primary school with a huge repertoire of songs to draw from.

The concert band was established thanks to the efforts of Wilf McBeth, a former deputy principal of Coonabarabran Public School.

“There is nothing like getting on the same wavelength as others who appreciate and love music,” says musical director for the last decade, Di Suthons.

“Without the band there would be no outlet for individual musicians. It’s a rather unique feeling being encouraged and supported by a musical group.”

The band brings immense joy to those attending functions like Australia Day, the opening of the art exhibition during the local show and Senior Citizens Week.

The band is also active during late night Christmas shopping and school musicals, and proudly leads the Anzac Day march.

Occasionally they are joined by the local men’s choir, which Di established several years ago.

“One of the strengths of the band is the mix of people, from the youngest junior through to old hands adding a diversity of skills and talents,” says Di. “Everyone has a common goal of achieving a good musical performance while developing new friendships.”

Di is something of a musical legend herself, having been a

music teacher at Coona High for almost 40 years.

She cites Mark Walton, the former head of the woodwind department at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, as a huge supporter of the band.

“He has encouraged his young students to come to the bush and teach various musical instruments,” she says.

One of her more experienced members is Graham Martin, who brings a lifetime’s experience of entertaining. He started playing the tenor horn when he was 16 and for decades played with Frank Bourke and his famous White Rose Orchestra.

He was the 23rd member of Frank’s highly respected outfit and remembers recording albums at the studio on his Binnaway property.

These days the 78-year-old plays the saxophone but recently took up the piano and enjoys playing for the golden oldies at the Cooinda retirement home each Sunday.

After more than 60 years of making music, Graham is still able to pump out a good tune.

“Sometimes I can be feeling a bit off when attending band practice,” he says, “but I always come home feeling rejuvenated.

It’s quite amazing how music can cure any ailments.”

Anyone interested in joining the band or men’s choir can contact Di on (02) 6842 2264. It’s a guaranteed way to make new friends and feel part of the community. CWL

ABOVE: Orbital Swing Band members: Back row: Di Suthons, Vincent Morrissey, David Tighe, Graham Martin, Sam Baker, Caleb Smith, Hannah Smith, Margie McKinnon and Sherelle Moore; Front Row: Pam Lee, Jan Keppie, Clayton McKinnon, Milly Smith and Kynan Baker.

COONABARABRAN CWL 55

a fashion icon Lesley Kelly has a head for business and a heart for fashion, which helps explain why Chalkies has developed into Coonabarabran’s number one clothing store.

Over the years Chalkies has been nominated for various awards and was voted among the top 10 clothing retail outlets in country NSW, based on style, price and customer service.

It comes as no surprise to owner Lesley Kelly’s faithful regulars, who love dropping in to check out the latest outfits from some of the country’s leading suppliers, including RM Williams, Stockyard, Akubra, Gordon Smith, Miss Anne, Goondiwindi Cotton and Vivid International.

Lesley says it took a while to get there but she is “gloriously content” working in a business she has enjoyed since her early days on “Ravenswood”, Coonabarabran.

Growing up on the farm with her parents holds many fond memories for the soon-to-be octogenarian. For the first decade of life Lesley was an only child before her mother Lillian took on the onerous task of raising nine nieces and nephews while working as a wool classer.

Her mother was barely 16 when she promised to love, honour and obey Fred Harris. She stuck to her marriage vows for a staggering 75 years, passing just a few years shy of her 100th birthday.

“My nan was a tailor with a keen eye for fashion,” Lesley tells me from her comfortable four-bedroom home above Chalkies. Her mother was a gifted sewer who encouraged her to follow her dreams.

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“I can remember as a little girl Mum made me two beautiful dresses. They were smocked bodice and blue and pink crepe de chine,” she says like it was yesterday.

From an early age all Lesley ever wanted was to work in the clothing business. After finishing her schooling at Coonabarabran High she began her career as a 16-year-old in Billy Malouf’s fashion shop.

Within two years she was married to local dairy farmer Phillip Kelly, who owned the Homeleigh Dairy on Timor Road. Before long she was milking cows at three in the morning before going to work – something largely unheard of for a married woman in the 1950s.

Lesley later spent decades helping out at Thelma’s Fashions, Norman Paul’s and The Fashion Shop before finally setting up Chalkies 20 years ago in the two-storey building with its distinctive balcony.

It was erected by Gunnedah’s McDonagh family in 1911 and used as a general merchandise store, carrying furniture, clothes, food, materials and drapery. Over the years it has served many purposes with many owners, including Bruce Rushton, the Karskens family, Colin Neate and Bruce Searle.

The unusual name was derived from Chalkie Player, who purchased Sam Woo’s Menswear about 40 years ago. It was a name that everybody knew and a natural fit for Lesley’s new business.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Lesley was thrilled to finally have her own shop and has worked tirelessly ever since, with strong support from her daughter and business partner Liselle Abbott, a local teacher soon heading to Gunnedah.

Her other two daughters are Debbie Kelly, a special-needs teacher and computer programmer in Wingham, and Kristen Kelly, who occasionally works at Chalkies and lives in Bugaldie.

These days the shop is managed by Sue Harper, who has been on the team for 10 years, and family and friends including Wendy Kelly.

“My best advice for all the smaller retail shops is ‘good things come in small packages’. I think this is very true. You need passion and have to work hard to always improve things. Eventually you will see it not as a job but something you love doing.

“If I had any words of wisdom it would be to look consistently for your unique selling point. Try to make it a VIP experience for each and every customer because if you don’t know what they want you won’t sell anything.”

Lesley says you can’t just be a shop. “Public expectations are high and you need to look after your customers. After decades in business I often know what my customers want and can visualise their requirements.”

She believes that if you can start a conversation with somebody and gain their confidence, nine times out of 10 they will walk out the door with something.

Visual merchandising is another important aspect. Lesley and her team change window displays at least every 10 days to attract customers.

“Being online is vital. I am proud to have mastered Facebook and understand the public have plenty of choices, which means we have to try and always keep up.”

Chalkies also advertises in the local paper and utilises a blackboard out the front of the shop to promote forthcoming events in the town.

On Saturday mornings Lesley stages impromptu fashion parades. It’s a fun element for the younger ones in town and often a springboard to bigger things.

“We had a fashion parade and high tea in the pub before Christmas and had 90 people drop in for a look. Fashion parades are my favourite things. We have them in various nearby towns and it’s always good for sales and publicity.”

It’s not all work and no play for Lesley, who raises the bar when it comes to being involved within the community. The locals frequently marvel at her energy levels.

She enjoys bowls, ballroom dancing at the old Eumungerie hall, near Dubbo, and music and drama.

“I’ve always loved being involved with sport,” she says. “I started playing tennis when I was five out on the farm. Everybody had a court out the back in those days.”

She also collects antiques and artwork, a lot of it from the 1920s era. Out the back of the shop is a range of antiques and collectables for sale, most of it on consignment.

Although she’s been in fashion for more than 60 years, Lesley still likes to keep up with fashions and is a regular reader of Ragtrader.

“Here I am still doing the same thing and always will be,” she says with a contented smile. CWL

ABOVE: Lesley Kelly has been involved in fashion all her life.

FACING PAGE: Sue Harper and Lesley Kelly at the front of Chalkies.

COUNTRY: RMW, Akubra, Goondiwindi, Jacaru, Brigalow, Baxters, Doggers, Belts, Ties, Wallets.

CITI: Vived, International, Miss Anne, Orientique, Ricky Renee, T/S, Gorden Smith, Elegante, Slade, Jo Ro. GLAMOUR: Gorgeous Deb Dresses, Bridesmaids, Mother Of Bride.

ACCESSORIES: Race Hats, Gloves, Bags, Jewellery, Scarves.

38 John Street Coonabarabran.

Phone 02 6842 1460 Fax. 02 6842 4424 Mob. 0401 161 962

OUTBACK: Antiques, Collectables and Memorabillia.

DRY CLEANING IS ALSO AVAILABLE Open Mon-Fri 9-5 Sat 9-12.30

COONABARABRAN CWL 57

enjoying the view Coonabarabran View Club knows how to get things done and have fun doing it.

Members of the Coonabarabran View Club (Voice Interest and Education for Women) are celebrating their 21st year.

It’s an active club with 36 members from a broad range of ages, adding to the diversity of the group.

With over 16,000 View Club members nationally, it was only a matter of time before Coona came on board.

“Our club started after one of our locals heard an ad on the radio.

She rang the number advertised and in six months our club was formed. That was 1996 and we’ve never looked back,” president Sherree Conn says.

The group meets each month for dinner and informal mid-month morning teas at various restaurants, clubs and coffee shops in town.

Members have enjoyed many functions including an Olympics Games night, complete with medal ceremony and floral bouquets, and a sixties night where they dressed to the nines.

They’ve also visited the Pilliga Pottery Centre and been entertained by opera singer Jack Ayoub.

“While our aim is targeted at friendship and gathering knowledge, we also have a lot of fun and laughter along the way,” Sherree says.

The group is involved in many fund-raisers and assists The Smith Family in the Learning for Life Fund (LFL).

“The Smith Family have proven that through education we can reduce the risks of poverty. With the LFL project we are currently assisting four underprivileged young Australians reach their full potential and attain their goals through education.”

Funds are raised through raffles at meetings, the Driver Reviver initiative and selling Lions Club Christmas cakes.

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The View Club is known for its many acts of kindness.

“During the Wambelong fires in 2013 one of our inaugural members lost her home and all her belongings,” Sherree says.

“When other clubs heard of this they came from far and wide, assisting with trailer loads of furniture and other useful household items to help her and her daughter’s family.

“They got a new home but now face an even tougher hurdle – Helen, our member, has Motor Neurone Disease.

“This wonderful lady is soldiering on and taking it in her stride.

View Club members help her out with car travel and other little things when she needs us.”

There are also interclub activities with Gunnedah, Tamworth, Manilla and Narrabri, broadening the club’s friendship base and being aware of the wider communities within easy driving distances.

“We also have conventions where all View Clubs in the state can come together and celebrate the wonderful organisation and what it stands for.”

The View Club is open to all women and you will be welcomed with open arms and a smile. CWL

ABOVE: Fay Chapman, Robyn Lee, Lorraine Clements, Diane Spittles, Sally Cormie, June McWhirter, Mathea McCowage, Rhonda Jewiss, Helen Meldrum, Heather Edgell, Bev Rayner, Sue Patrick, Leonie Jenkins, Sue Jackson, president Sherree Conn and Judy Clancy gather for a shot at Xanadu, Coonabarabran.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

feeding a demand There is something for everyone at Tastebuds.

Tastebuds on Dalgarno is a dream come true for the growing number of vegetarian locals and visitors to Coonabarabran.

The popular cafe was established by chef Celia Canham in late 2015 in response to a growing hunger for healthy and wholesome meals.

The Tastebuds menu is four pages long but instead of hamburgers and steak sandwiches expect something nutritious like a tasty “facon and egg roll” or “thicken wrap”.

“We have an amazing variety of fresh salads, protein-enriched meals such as salt and pepper mushrooms, cauliflower nuggets and Mexican patties with salsa,” Celia says.

In the drinks department patrons can choose between breakfast smoothies or perhaps a herbal tea or a cup of the delightful Fair Trade coffee blend from Russo’s, Dubbo.

Celia admits she couldn’t survive without the strong support from her mother Kim Canham and her passionate staff, all dedicated to a healthy lifestyle.

The girls are run off their feet supplying alternative food for those living without red meat, poultry or seafood in their diet.

Her produce ticks all dietary requirements. On one side of the shop you’ll find fresh fruit and vegetables from local producers, with a truckload arriving direct from the Sydney markets on Wednesdays.

The other half of the shop contains various seeds and grains.

There are drums of everything including blanched almond flakes, Celtic sea salt, sesame seeds, coconut and sorghum flours, dried apricots and organic wheat grain.

There’s even unhomogenised milk from a Tamworth dairy.

It may be a long way from her former jobs at Cardians cafe, the day care centre or as head chef at Siding Spring Observatory but Celia is convinced she and her team are on the right path to a healthier and better lifestyle.

“Each new year countless people resolve to lose weight and eat healthy meals,” Celia says. “Tastebuds is meeting the need in supporting people with this lifestyle.

“We all know that wholesome vegan foods are healthful and nutritionally adequate with a range of health benefits. People who eat plant-based meals are less likely to suffer from obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer.”

The farm girl from “The Duke” in beautiful Buguldie – the historic village at the foot of the Warrumbungles – certainly believes in what she sells.

As she serves a customer, the song Smooth Operator by Sade drifts gently through the cafe. It somehow seems rather appropriate.

Perhaps Celia and Kim should change their surname from Canham to Cando or Canhave.

After all, their ability to read the market and follow their gut instincts has resulted in a healthy business that many people simply can’t get enough of. CWL

ABOVE: Kim and Celia Canham believe healthy food can change lives.

on Dalgarno Unique to the Central West and Coonabarabran, Tastebuds is a vegetarian health food shop and cafe. We specialise in all dietary requirements.

We also have fresh organic fruit and vegetables, bulk nuts, seeds, grains, fresh juices, smoothies and fair trade coffee.

Dine in or take away Monday to Friday 7.30 - 5.00 and market Sunday 3/48 Dalgarno Street Coonabarabran, NSW, 2357 Phone: 0431 862 357 (Across the road from Woolworths) Tastebuds on Dalgarno

COONABARABRAN CWL 59

little beauties

Baradine, Binnaway, Mendooran, Dunedoo and Coolah are living proof that good things come in small packages.

Coonabarabran is surrounded by many smaller towns and villages, including Baradine on one side and Binnaway, Mendooran, Dunedoo and Coolah on the other.

Baradine is located in the heart of the Pilliga Forest, once known for its sawmills that cut the termite-resistant cypress pine. Farming is strong in the rich Goorianawa Valley.

Derived from the Aboriginal word for “red wallaby”, Baradine was settled by pastoralists in the late 1830s and proclaimed a village in 1865.

The rather quaint name of Binnaway, from an Aboriginal term meaning “peppermint tree”, was a bustling railway town in the 1920s, acting as a vital transport link for timber and grain.

The first landholder in the area was Charles Naseby, who claimed 50 acres in 1869. The village was initially set up on his land with a town plan laid out in 1876.

Renshaw Street is named after former NSW Premier Jack Renshaw, who grew up in the area. Binnaway was also home to Frank Bourke’s famous White Rose Orchestra.

With a population of about 500, the town is similar in size to Mendooran, first visited by surveyor John Evans in 1815. Two years later it was John Oxley’s group that passed through the area while conducting one of the first inland expeditions.

It is believed the name was derived from a local Aboriginal tribal leader named either “Mundo” or “Mundoo”.

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The village was called Mundooran until the arrival of the railway around 1915 when the name was changed to Mendooran.

The agriculture-based town of Coolah was first settled by pastoralists around 1840. It is one of a number of towns claiming to be “Beyond the Black Stump”. Not surprisingly, Coolah is adamant that it is the home of the real “Black Stump”.

The town is a service centre for the surrounding rich Liverpool Plains, which are noted for their grain crops, cattle, mixed farming, prime lambs and wool.

Dunedoo is well known to travellers due to its distinctive name (dunny being the colloquial word for toilet). Although plans for a “Big Dunny” were quashed, the delightful town still boasts a huge wheat silo and impressive main street.

Dunedoo functions as a service centre to the surrounding district. The town was founded during the 1840s and was originally known as Bolaro and later as Redbank.

The population grew substantially after the construction of the Gwabegar railway line and the opening of passenger services in 1910. Bolaro Post Office opened in 1876 and the town was renamed Dunedoo in 1909.

All of these settlements have their own unique flavour and are all well worth a visit next time you are travelling. CWL ABOVE: Hotel Dunedoo.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

The Baradine Hotel.

The Mendooran Hotel.

The Royal Hotel, Binnaway.

Baradine Community Hall.

Coolah Memorial School of Arts.

Pilliga Forest Discovery Centre, Baradine.

The Coolah Valley Hotel, Coolah.

The Exchange Hotel, Binnaway.

COONABARABRAN CWL 61

FAMILIAR TERRITORY

Ruralco Property and its subsidiary Davidson Cameron Real Estate are making strong headway in the Coonabarabran property market.

As one of 10 branches across northern NSW, the dynamic Coonabarabran sales team offers experience, local knowledge and a can-do attitude.

One familiar face on the scene is stock and station agent Stewart Rodgers, who has witnessed plenty of change since beginning his career with JR Renshaw & Co in 1970.

In those days, the fortnightly sale day at the Binnaway saleyards was the highlight of the rural social calendar.

Technology has come a long way since his early days when telegrams were sent out to the livestock buyers, advising sheep and cattle numbers on offer.

In 1971 the company introduced scales to weigh cattle in kilograms, becoming the first agency to do so west of the Blue Mountains.

“We had a conversion sheet for buyers so they could convert it back to cents per pound, making it all rather confusing,” he says.

After more than two decades learning the ropes, Stewart branched out on his own, setting up a successful agency in Coonabarabran before finally selling to the expanding Davidson Cameron firm in 2004.

Going solo involved long hours with holidays unheard of. The nearby Imperial Hotel became a “second office” when the grazing fraternity came to town on Friday nights.

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“Much business was done over a few quiet drinks but those days are long gone,” he says with a grin.

There is no longer any regular livestock at the Coonabarabran saleyards and only the spasmodic store sale at Binnaway.

Once an agent always an agent. Although semi-retired, Stewart is still a regular in his old office, still helping and guiding the team with his 47 years of experience.

“We all respect and appreciate his vast knowledge of the local market,” says Davidson Cameron branch manager Jane McWhirter.

“He is a great mentor with more contacts than probably anybody in town.”

Jane came to Coona as a young girl when her father John Whitehead arrived in the mid 1960s to take on the role of shire engineer.

After school she worked for the Commonwealth Bank in Sydney for two years before returning to her local branch for another 15 years. When the operational side of things was discontinued she was offered a redundancy package.

After time-out with her three young children in Binnaway, she eased back into the workforce with an administration role with Binnaway Stock & Land, later taken over by Elders.

Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

Over 14 years Jane estimates she and her team have sold almost 600 of some 1300 homes in Coonabarabran.

It didn’t take long to realise she had a natural flair for real estate.

After completing a real estate course in 2000, she moved back to Coona and commenced work with Stewart, a family friend for over 40 years.

In 2010 Jane was appointed branch manager for Davidson Cameron and now works alongside property manager Wendy Woodham and Jodi Cormie in administration.

The branch has come a long way since 2004 when there were six listings and no website. Today the team manages over 50 listings and 176 rental properties and are leaders in the Coonabarabran and surrounds property market.

Over 14 years Jane estimates she and her team have sold almost 600 of some 1300 homes in Coonabarabran.

It helps being community minded. During that time she’s been president of Ladies Golf, is on the Coonabarabran Cancer Support committee, Palliative 4 People group, Community Safety program committee and the Health Services Board.

Husband Mark, the council fleet manager and father of her three children, sadly died from cancer in late 2015.

“With the support of my sister Carolyn and children, it was decided to refurbish a palliative care room at the local hospital and a fundraiser group of like-minded people was formed,” she says.

“We had a goal to reach $20,000 but it soon became evident that the community was fully behind the idea and we ended up raising nearly five times that amount.”

This huge effort earned the group “Palliative 4 People” the Warrumbungle Shire 2017 Community Event of the Year award.

“It was also very therapeutic achieving this result for the community.”

Jane has noticed a shift in recent years with a growing number of younger people, many in business, wanting to become involved within the community.

“If they don’t participate they fully realise they could lose some of our town’s facilities and organisations.” CWL

ABOVE: Branch manager Jane McWhirter; Stewart Rogers will soon clock up 50 years as a stock and station agent.

FACING PAGE: The team at Davidson Cameron & Co.

BREATHTAKING, PANORAMIC VIEWS 102.3 HA COONABARABRAN NSW This is an amazing block of 250 acres (102.3Ha) and if you are looking for a perfect building spot, close to the town this could be for you! There is an amazing number of grass trees, beautiful walking tracks, abundant bird-life and animals amongst the natural bush land.

A cleared site at the top of the hill offers panoramic views to the district and the Warrumbungle Mountains and Siding Spring Observatory.

Also the property zoning allows for subdivision into 2 parcels of land. Stunning “Award Winning White Design” plans for 2 dwellings are available with the property Power has been placed on the block. 2 dams. This block is located only 5km from main CBD of Coonabarabran.

For your inspection and price please contact: Jane McWhirter 0428 422 255 jmcwhirter@dcco.com.au

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rocking on Some of the rarest fossils on the planet can be found at Crystal Kingdom but none with a history like the current owners.

The showcase has been a labour of love for Wolfgang Bredereck and wife Nola, who have been avid fossil and mineral collectors for more than 50 years.

When the opportunity arose in 1996 to buy Brian and Janet Head’s fabulous rock and fossil collection they couldn’t refuse.

Instead of retirement the Brederecks launched into a new career that has kept them busy seven days a week for the past 21 years.

Now aged 85, Wolfgang feels it’s finally time to get the rocks out of his head and smell the roses.

A “For Sale” sign sits out the front of the Newell Highway attraction, and the pair hope to sell their museum, home and giftware shop as an ongoing concern.

Looking at this bearded, bespectacled old-timer reveals little about an extraordinary life that began in a small German town similar to Coonabarabran.

Wolfgang was a baby when Hitler seized control in 1933, but it was not long before the Nazi regime affected his family.

As teenagers, he and his three brothers joined the compulsory Hitler Youth movement and forced to swear obedience to the Fuhrer.

By the time war erupted, two brothers were already soldiers of the Third Reich – one a motorbike courier in the Baltic while the other served on the Russian front and miraculously survived a sniper shot to the head.

As the war dragged on the Allies commenced massive bombing raids, initially over strategic military targets. The only bomb he saw, however, was the one inadvertently dropped in a nearby paddock, creating much mirth among the locals.

Owning a clothing store meant his mother was able to swap clothes on the black market for small food parcels. Wolfgang’s father, by now a policeman, knew by early 1945 the tide had turned against them.

Anticipating the inevitable onslaught from the Russian troops rapidly advancing from the east, he worked out an exit strategy.

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Coonabarabran T O W N F E A T U R E

“The church bells tolled at midnight, the signal we had to go,” recalls Wolfgang in his thick German accent. He and two brothers piled on several layers of clothing and with their governess and a female companion stepped out into the bitter -20 degree cold.

Much to their horror they discovered they had missed the last train out of town by only a few minutes.

With tension mounting by the hour, they were afraid, desperate and cold. They jumped into a passing cattle train but it shuddered to a halt in the middle of nowhere.

The carriages were uncoupled and the engine sped off into the darkness. Thirteen-year-old Wolfgang and his companions didn’t know what to expect in the silence that engulfed them.

As snow fell outside the temperature plummeted. They looked at their meagre possessions bundled into a leather suitcase and shook their heads in disbelief.

By the time they were rescued by an army train the following day, they were starving and near frozen. The Russians, close behind, had already reduced their town to rubble.

Their new destination was close to a factory making V2 rockets, the last-ditch “secret” weapon manufactured by the Germans. As a result the city was bombed incessantly.

With his mother now with them, the group fled once again, ending up in a small fishing village on the Baltic Sea. After the German surrender the entire district became a giant POW camp.

The British destroyed all the fishing boats to eliminate any chance of escape, and life became a daily struggle.

Somehow the family had all survived their darkest days and for the next few years lived on a basic diet of fish and turnips — two foods Wolfgang still can’t bear to look at.

Life took on a new meaning even though they’d lost everything.

“I only had one pair of trousers and when they were washed I couldn’t go to school,” recalls Wolfgang, gently shaking his head.

“It’s funny the little things you remember 70 years later.”

He made plans to study agriculture and was accepted into university but there was a three-year waiting period. To fill in the gap he decided to see the world.

While some of his compatriots went to Sweden or France, Wolfgang was determined to distance himself as far from battered Europe as possible.

In 1953 he and a brother, John, who is still living in Orange, arrived at Albury’s migrant detention centre with several pounds in their pockets and the dream of a brighter future.

Already thousands of their countrymen were working on the country’s biggest engineering project, the Snowy Mountains Scheme, but the brothers opted for contract work with the hope of further travel.

Aged 22, Wolfgang was soon learning the art of clearing and burning virgin country at “Mt Bullaway”, Bugaldie.

He later picked peas in a market garden near Coonabarabran.

After his brother left to work in Neilrex, Wolfgang teamed up with a fellow immigrant and went fencing.

Neither of them had a clue what they were doing but determination and a willingness to learn kept them going. There was little animosity from the locals and life was getting better by the day. Later Wolfgang took up share farming in the fertile Goorianawa valley.

Meanwhile Nola Shapcott was growing up on the family farm at the foot of the Warrumbungles. She was the tomboy in a family of four girls and loved riding her pony during stock work.

She was only 16 when she first met the confident German who had driven his mate out to her property for a spot of rabbit shooting. While the new Holden ute might have been a novelty, Nola only had eyes for the handsome fellow behind the wheel.

Wolfgang soon became part of the family and the girls all loved him, despite his poor English, dislike of horseflesh and limited prospects.

Later this year the pair will quietly celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

No doubt they will be surrounded by their eight grandchildren and three children including Paul, a lofty achiever in the aviation industry and based in Brisbane; Rosalie, who runs a crystal shop in Lake Macquarie; and Simon, who works with traffic safety in Adelaide.

Their greatest wish is now finding somebody to take over Crystal Kingdom so that Wolfgang and Nola can finally put their feet up for a long overdue rest. CWL

ABOVE: Wolfgang’s German passport; Nola and Wolfgang on their wedding day.

FACING PAGE: Nola and Wolfgang have seen thousands of customers come through Crystal Kingdom.

World Class Mineral and Fossil display, Gemstone jewellery, Crystals, Minerals and Fossils for sale 16 Chappell Ave Coonabarabran ph 6842 1927 Open 8am to 5pm every day except Xmas day

COONABARABRAN CWL 65

T O W N F E A T U R E Gilgandra

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

Gilgandra TOWN FE ATURE WORDS & IMAGES: SHOT BY JAKE

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caring and sharing from the Mayor of Gilgandra As a child raised on a farm, I was always attracted to the bright lights of town, be it on a shopping outing or one of those special nights at the pictures. Fast-forward 30 odd years, after working in the city and large regional centres, my wife and I returned to our hometown of Gilgandra with our young family to take over a family business.

The bright lights were perhaps not so bright and the picture theatre was no longer there but as a family what we did discover was a caring, giving, considerate community that provided a wonderful environment in which to live, conduct a business and, more importantly, raise a family.

It is great to be able to partner with our good friends at Warrumbungle Shire Council and our new friends at Central West Lifestyle to highlight the Gilgandra District to you in this issue.

Gilgandra is unashamedly a rural support centre located at the junction of the Newell, Oxley and Castlereagh highways, situated halfway between Melbourne and Brisbane. Winter crops, fat lambs, wool and cattle are our lifeblood, well supported by a growing industry of machinery dealerships, manufacturing and fabrication and veterinary services. Our urban centre of Gilgandra and our two unique villages, Armatree and Tooraweenah, service our shire population of 4500.

Gilgandra has a long and proud history of volunteering and community support, dating back to the World War I Coo-ee recruitment march of 1915 to more recently, in response to the Sir Ivan Bushfire at Dunedoo where residents of Armatree, population of under 100, organised a fund-raising auction in support of the fire victims that saw over $66,000 raised.

Not to be overlooked, visitors to the Oncology Unit at Dubbo Base Hospital would be familiar with a plaque that acknowledges the residents of Tooraweenah for their efforts in raising the funding that enabled the establishment of the patient/carer accommodation units, and the Gilgandra and District Cancer Fundraisers

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whose efforts were so successful that instead of raising sufficient funds for refurbishment of the old unit, actually raised enough to ensure the construction of a new oncology unit.

Historically, Gilgandra, being on the border of Wiradjuri lands has significance as a meeting place for the aboriginal peoples of the Kamilaroi, Wailwan and Wiradjuri tribes.

The 15 per cent of our population who identify themselves as being of aboriginal descent are proud contributors to our community.

Special mention must be made of local elder Ralph Naden, who for many years has organised and provided cultural training at his Balladoran cultural camp, 15 kilometres from Gilgandra.

Gilgandra Shire Council is unique in local government circles in that not only does it provide the traditional roads, rates and rubbish services but it is also responsible for the operation of two aged-care facilities including an extensive retirement village, the provision of supported accommodation for 30 people with disabilities and associated day activities, plus the provision of supported employment for up to 21 disabled employees. Council has a detailed history in managing community care and supporting the provision of other government services into our community, which has aided the local availability of health, education and policing services. As an elected body, council is committed to the sustainable delivery of services and progress to our community.

It is suggested that a community can be judged by the way it deals with its members who are sometimes less fortunate. I am immensely proud of the tolerance and caring nature of the Gilgandra community and regularly receive positive feedback from visitors in this regard.

As Mayor of this wonderful community, I conclude by extending an invitation to the readership of this fantastic publication to visit and experience our community, our businesses and our welcoming locals.

Cr Doug Batten, Mayor of Gilgandra

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

small communities, big hearts Gilgandra Shire is a happening place with plenty on offer to keep its loyal locals and visitors happy.

The Gilgandra Shire covers 4500 square kilometres, and 4600 lucky people get to call the shire home. Gilgandra is the rural service centre to a strong agricultural-based economy and services the villages of Armatree, Curban and Tooraweenah.

While agriculture is still the engine that drives the shire’s economy, the community has worked very hard on areas such as health and aged care, education and other essential services.

Tooraweenah is the southern gateway to the magnificent Warrumbungle National Park and is working hard to service the visitors to the National Park as they travel through the village on Tourist Drive 1. The drive is a fully sealed route linking Tooraweenah, the National Park, Siding Spring Observatory and on to Coonabarabran, a beautiful picturesque drive well worth the detour off the Newell Highway.

In recent years the village of Armatree has seen a revitalisation centred on the popular Armatree Hotel. A strong, vibrant community now gathers at many popular community events held at the hotel.

Another showcase of the community spirit, passion and co-operation is the Curban Community Hall. Fifteen years ago it was an old country hall that was destined to become a story of what used to be. Today it is a showcase for community-managed

facilities. It attracts numerous private functions and is a testament to the determination of the people around Curban and their desire to remain a strong, supportive, connected community.

Over the past five years, Gilgandra Shire Council has been working towards making the community investment ready by developing industrial land, residential land and improving community infrastructure to make Gilgandra an attractive place to live, invest in and visit. Council has recently sold a number of lots in the Gilgandra Industrial Park, and Gilgandra Veterinary Clinic was the first business to relocate into a wonderful facility that is a credit to them.

For a small community, Gilgandra offers visitors a strong retail and professional services sector. From giftwares to hardware, butchers, banks and cafes, the businesses in Gilgandra offer a relaxed, convenient shopping experience. A modern IGA supermarket and a Target Country, along with a newly renovated Toyota dealership, support the retail sector.

Visitors to the Gilgandra Shire will be welcomed by friendly locals who are keen to share their passion and love for this community.

Whether it’s a day trip to visit an exhibition at the Gilgandra Art Gallery or an overnight stay to experience the region, the Gilgandra district will be a pleasant surprise where you will discover and leave with experiences that inspire you to return. CWL GILGANDRA CWL 69

days gone by Gilgandra

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

heart & soul Community spirit is alive and well in Gilgandra Shire, which is bound to welcome you with open arms.

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A HAPPENING PLACE Drivers along the Newell Highway will have no trouble locating the beautifully designed Coo-ee Heritage and Visitor Information Centre – a “must stop” for all visitors to Gilgandra.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

Known affectionately as the CHC, the Coo-ee Heritage and Visitor Information Centre is much more than a place to pick up a few brochures.

The centre, built in 2001, features rammed earth walls and floors, corrugated iron and water tanks. It brings two cultures together in a peaceful and artistic manner, providing a truly enjoyable experience for both locals and visitors.

At your disposal will be one of over 40 local volunteers ready to provide knowledge on the best the shire has to offer.

CHC is not only a living museum but is also the cultural hub of the community.

The Gilgandra Art Gallery showcases local, interstate, community and travelling exhibitions. A variety of mediums and styles are presented including photography, ceramics, paintings, drawings, waste to art, metal, glass and printmaking.

From June 21 to August 6 local artist Veronica Hannelly presents Splashes of Colour, including paintings, drawings, watercolours, inks and acrylic.

Then from August 9 to 17, the Gilgandra Museum and Historical Society will celebrate 50 years and the Coonamble Ceramics Group will showcase its talent from September 20 to November 5.

Holding pride of place within the centre is the Coo-ee March Gallery. Come along and join the Coo-ees on the march that inspired the British Empire and put Gilgandra on the map during the darkest days of WW1.

Follow their journey in pictures and words and imagine the heat, dust and flies combined with surging patriotism as they marched all the way to Sydney, a distance of 330 miles.

“When Britain called for soldiers, with back against the wall, Gil coo-eed for the Coo-ees and they answered the call.

They buckled on their armour and hastened to the fray, and took the fences in their stride along the Castlereagh”.

Excerpt from a poem written by Jack Moses.

Visitors can take a walk through the Joy Trudgett Gallery and experience a cultural insight into Indigenous communities and view the fascinating shell and fossil collection.

Wishing to expand on the excellent work achieved by founding members of the local historical society, Shirley Marks is aiming to provide a research room at the CHC for those wishing to research anything pertaining to Gilgandra or the history of its people.

For the most part their work goes unnoticed but members are continuously working at preserving memorabilia from our past for those who will follow, wanting to know how Grandma or Grandpa lived all those years ago.

You may also wish to take a stroll into town along the Windmill Walk – a beautiful avenue of trees and windmills that meanders along the banks of the Castlereagh River.

There are picnic facilities along the walk with cafes and service stations on the other side of the road offering a variety of meals.

The centre is open to the public seven days a week from 9am to 5pm and is a great place to pick up boutique food and works from local artists and authors.

Bus and school groups are welcome and encouraged to make a booking at the Gilgandra Visitor Centre on (02) 6817 8700. CWL FACING PAGE: The Coo-ee March in Sydney in 1915 and the Coo-ee Heritage and Visitor Information Centre.

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a blast from the past Gilgandra's Rural Museum boasts a host of fascinating artefacts.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

Just 200 metres down from Gilgandra's Coo-ee Heritage Centre is the Rural Museum.

The museum has 35 volunteer members, including many men from the Coo-ee Village who spend hours restoring old machinery.

The museum has a wonderful collection of agricultural artefacts, historical buildings and fascinating stories.

This year is a big year for local history buffs, marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of Gilgandra’s first museum and the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Rural Museum.

One of the founding members of the Gilgandra Museum & Historical Society, Joyce Wise, celebrates her 100th birthday later this year and still maintains a keen interest in all things historical.

Joyce’s husband Allan was the main instigator of the society and was president for many years.

Many changes in venues and activities have occurred over the years, with the society continuing to preserve the history of Gilgandra and district.

History is not just the past, but is made every day, and members endeavour to record this for the future.

To celebrate their achievements, an exhibition will be held in Gilgandra Art Gallery during August/September 2017, with an Open Day to be held at the Rural Museum.

Visitors are invited to learn more about the group’s activities.

Just look for the huge windmill out the front. The Rural Museum is open weekends and school holidays between 10am and 4pm. Admission: adults $4 and children $2. CWL www.ruralmuseum.org.au

FACING PAGE: There is a huge range of tractors from yesteryear on show.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The Rural Museum has a huge band of volunteers including former drover Philip Godber, Herb Reynolds and current president Jack Burrell; some of the old machinery; the world famous Howard Rotary Hoe, created in Gilgandra.

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T O W N F E A T U R E Gilgandra

branching out Gilgandra and District Community Bank® represents a clever investment of the close-knit community’s time and energy.

It’s business as usual for the Gilgandra and District Community Bank®, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

“When the bank opened in 2006, Gilgandra had experienced the effects of the major banks withdrawing services from rural communities,” says Shire Mayor and one of the bank’s volunteer directors, Doug Batten.

“The uncertainty created by the closure of branches and reduced operating hours by the major institutions spawned the creation of a steering committee that canvassed local support. With the assistance of our partners Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, we created the town’s own community bank.”

The bank is administered by a board of local residents who bring with them a variety of skills including business, accountancy, legal, farming, local government and real estate experience.

“The Gilgandra community acknowledges that decisions made in regard to the running of the bank are made locally and based on the best interest of supporting the local community and not primarily on the bottom line and vested interests of institutional investors,” he says.

The bank is administered by a board of local residents who bring with them a variety of skills.

“In various government forums it is regularly acknowledged that communities with a community bank have a certain resilience and a capacity to be sustainable. The success and profitability of our bank in Gilgandra is living proof of that acknowledgement.”

The Gilgandra and District Community Bank® is the only bank in town open from 9am to 5pm five days a week, making available a full suite of financial services to the residents of the district.

“The bank provides career opportunities and training to local people, employing four branch staff from tellers to full service and business lenders,” local newspaper publisher and director Lucie Peart says.

“It also has an agri-business arm in Rural Bank and a full suite of wealth, insurance and telco options.

“In our 10 years of operation we’ve injected over $300,000 into the local community by way of grants, donations and sponsorship.”

A recent innovation by the board was the employment of a Mobile Relationship Manager, Robyn Floyd, who is based in the nearby regional centre of Dubbo.

Robyn previously worked as the Gilgandra branch manager for several years and now provides loan services to clients in the Dubbo region.

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The growth in Dubbo is perfect for the bank to extend its operations and mantra to support community. Mobile lending is a newer concept to the Bendigo Bank, giving clients the flexibility to arrange their financial needs around their busy lives.

Robyn can discuss terms and complete documentation with clients at times and places that suit them, be it at home, work, on the farm or the local coffee shop.

“It’s something that aligns with the community bank ideals of breaking the ‘traditional banking culture’ while supporting the community and clients in different and more meaningful ways – a structure that many financial institutions are trying to emulate,” Lucie says. CWL

ABOVE FROM TOP: Directors Lucie Peart and Doug Batten with mobile relationship manager Robyn Floyd, Dubbo; staff members Rochelle Harmer, Nancye Freeth and Darren Jackson.

Gilgandra & District Community Bank ÂŽ Branch

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natural born farmers For the Chandlers of Gilgandra choosing a career path was not a difficult decision.

Many modern-day farmers have university degrees to back them in a career in agriculture in the 21st century.

Gilgandra’s Chandler family has bucked the trend and demonstrated that simple hard work and a desire to “get on with the job” can pay off.

All three of the Chandler brothers, Scott, Rowan and Andy, finished school at Gilgandra High in Year 10 and have gone on to be happy, successful and resourceful farmers.

The boys couldn’t wait to join their parents, Max and Wendy Chandler, on “Bowenleigh”, the Gilgandra property taken up by their grandfather Norman in 1939.

It’s easy to see why. Driving into the property it’s obvious the men take considerable pride in being well organised on their sandy loam/self-mulching black soil country, which comes with a reliable 21-inch (525mm) rainfall.

The men have developed a number of sound farming practices that make them better equipped to handle dry years.

An on-farm silo storage holds 2000 tonnes of grain, which means they rarely buy stock feed. Each year all the oats are kept and 200 tonnes of barley.

It’s a tight-run operation and the Chandlers are known as forward thinkers in every aspect.

Over the years the family has slowly acquired a conglomeration of properties totalling nearly 4000ha, on which they jointly run prime lamb, Angus cattle, lucerne hay and cropping enterprises.

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The Chandler men all have their unique strengths and work together as a unified team despite living independently.

Scott, the oldest, breeds Dorsett rams for the prime lamb enterprise and lives with wife Sandra on “Avondale”.

Then there’s Rowan, a handy welder and husband to Chantel.

They live on “Yalcogrin”, the original block taken up by Max’s grandfather Stephen in the 1890s, with children Jack, Sarah and Sam. Andy is the go-to man in the mechanical department and occupies the old homestead on “Bowenleigh”, while Max and wife Wendy live nearby in a new home where the clan gathers each week to enjoy one of Wendy’s roast dinners.

Max has been on the farm all his life and still manages to put in a solid day’s work in his 70th year.

“I always hoped the boys would come home but these days it’s pretty unusual to get all of them back. In my father’s day it was almost expected. Dad was one of eight and they all became farmers or married farmers.”

Over the years Max has witnessed tremendous change.

He remembers his father towing an eight-foot plough behind a team of Clydesdales before tractors came along without cabins, air-conditioning, GPS or radio.

“Back in those days we were quite content with a little transistor radio with a little cord running up to your ear,” he laughs.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

Over the years the family has slowly acquired a conglomeration of properties totalling nearly 4000ha.

These days the family use modern Case tractors, mainly thanks to the support from the local dealer Wide Land Ag in Gilgandra.

During his lifetime he has also seen land increase in value from $52/acre to almost $1200/acre.

“We’re fortunate that we can share the overheads,” Max says. “Instead of four tractors and four drivers we use only one of each.”

In 2007 the men built a 600 meg dam using a scraper, grader, front-end loader and excavator, giving them a reliable water supply all year round.

It is filled whenever the Castlereagh River gets a decent flow and used to irrigate 100 acres of lucerne, which is cut monthly and bagged in the chaff shed, requiring five men in the process.

“It’s all about value-adding,” Rowan says. “We sell a few hundred bags of 25kg lucerne chaff each week to local produce stores, the horse fraternity and stud stock producers.

“We still produce the big round bales, which are good for storage purposes and feeding stock but awkward for getting on a truck. We had the choice to switch to a square baler but opted for the chaff cutter instead.”

Rowan inherited his father’s love of running, especially the long distance variety and has competed in the City to Surf along with a few sprints in the Gilgandra Gift.

He’s also the artistic one in the family, creating stunning sculptures from scrap metal. His works of art surround his homestead but Rowan is typically modest when it comes to sharing his secrets.

“I’ve got no idea how I got into it,” he says. “I just wander down into the shed at winter time when there’s nothing on TV and see what I come up with.”

The Chandler family has a long and proud history of farming in the Gilgandra Shire and with the latest crop of juniors – the sixth generation of Chandlers on the land – is definitely here for the long haul. CWL

FACING PAGE: Three generations of the Chandler family – Max, Andy, Sam, Jack, Sarah, Rowan and Chantel. Scott and Sandra were away at a wedding.

ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Andy and Rowan Chandler; Max and Wendy Chandler have established a farm capable of keeping all their sons viable, independent and happy; the Chandlers run 4000 ewes on their property, producing prime lambs for the Dubbo market; Rowan with one of his sculptural creations.

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READ ALL ABOUT IT The Gilgandra Weekly is defying the downward trend in newspapers thanks to the belief of its young editor.

The Gilgandra Weekly has been delivering local news to residents for more than a century.

Current proprietor Lucie Peart, 30, took over the reins in early 2016 after two years working as a journalist for long-serving editor Marion Ferrier.

The former television and hospitality worker found herself in Gilgandra after meeting husband and local cabinet maker Stuart Peart in a London pub.

Lucie is continuing the tradition of reporting news and community events to locals, just as newspapers have done in the town since 1904.

“Reporting on community news is a historically important job for future generations,” she says. “Once you lose that, the whole verbal and written history of the area disappears.”

The former Canberra woman says it’s a real team effort, with Gilgandra Newspapers providing employment in a specialised field.

Phil Mackie is the production manager and attends to the printing duties. After 35 years in the role, he knows his Heidelberg printing presses inside out.

Other team members include Michael Wilson in administration and cadet journalist Daniel Pickering. Along with various contributors, they make the paper what it is today.

“We report on all the different areas of our community, things that wouldn’t make the cut in the big city,” explains Lucie.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

“There is something very tactile about reading a newspaper – maybe it’s just the nostalgic feeling but reading words on the page and cutting out articles like you’re a famous person and putting it on the fridge is something that people still do.”

Lucie and her team print their own paper (and a few others from the western region) as well as personalised stationery, invoice and business books, calendars, flyers, invitations and cards, using both digital and offset printing.

“Although we print just over 1000 papers for a population of about 4500, I think our readership is much higher when you consider each paper is often read by three or more members of the household,” she says.

The 2016 Young Citizen of the Year recipient is often asked why she invested in such a disrupted and declining industry.

“Community news is about more than selling newspapers. Local papers are such an important part of the town’s social fabric and history,” she says.

“Although the basis of the printing industry is set in the 20th century, we are steadily moving forward and applying new technology to our business. We are also looking at an online presence and already use social media.”

Lucie clearly thrives in her role as editor of the “local rag” and living on a property about 30km from town.

“My job has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to witness many different aspects of such a vibrant, diverse, and supportive community,” she says.

“I have really been welcomed into the town and enjoy participating in various community events like the 2015 Coo-ee March Re-enactment.” CWL

“Community news is about more than selling newspapers. Local papers are such an important part of the town’s social fabric and history.”

FACING PAGE: As one of the youngest newspaper proprietors in the country, Lucie Peart sees a strong future for local news; Phil Mackie has been printing the local paper for 35 years.

ABOVE: Editor of The Gilgandra Weekly Lucie Peart with cadet journalist Daniel Pickering.

CWL ad US2outline 600_Layout 1 9/02/2017 3:23 PM Page 1

Sales and promotion items

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Carbonless books Handouts and reports envelopes Letterheads Business cards Brochures Invitations Newspapers Catalogues and show schedules Gift vouchers

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In full colour - digital and offset Publishers of

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CAN-DO ATTITUDE Orana Living is all about allowing residents’ abilities to come to the fore.

Janelle Lummis has been looking after people with disabilities for nearly 30 years.

“I studied Child Care after school and one of my first jobs was working in the disability services sector where I learnt the joy of helping others less fortunate,” she says.

In Gilgandra Janelle is manager of Orana Living, responsible for the accommodation and supported living arrangements of 28 clients from all over NSW with high to low care support needs.

“At Orana Living we promote home, heart and community, with as much independence as possible within our six group homes (housing from two to six people in each) throughout town,” she says.

“In my role I’m constantly ensuring clients have their needs met. They lead a lifestyle we are all entitled to lead, regardless of their disability, and attend community events, go to work, work experience, the club and help with the internal shire mail.

“With the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme it is important we highlight the benefits our service is able to offer our clients.”

Dougie Irving loves his independence and regularly goes home to the family farm in Warren to participate in farm activities like harvest and shearing.

He works one day a week at IGA and spends the remainder of the week at the recycle centre, Carlginda Enterprises, with a tight-knit group of 18 workers mostly from Orana Living.

“I work on the conveyor belt sorting out paper, tins, plastic (including milk, water and soft drink varieties) and glass bottles,” he says proudly.

The team crushes 65,000 cans or 35,000 plastic bottles into one tonne PT bales, processing about 500 tonnes each year.

As an avid footy fan, Dougie presents an encouragement award named after him at Gilgandra High speech night each year.

He also presents a trophy for the most improved player at the Gulargambone Rugby Club.

Nancy Skinner came to Orana Living 40 years ago and also works at the recycle centre, alongside recent newlyweds Wayne and Leah Bartlett.

“It was Gilgandra’s royal wedding,” says Janelle of their 2016 nuptials. “It took a big effort by a lot of people to make it happen.” Nancy was the bridesmaid and the couple couldn’t be happier.

Wayne has notched up 20 years’ employment and is proud to provide a service the community needs.

“We don’t focus on their disabilities but rather their abilities,” Janelle says. “They are really no different to you or I – they just require some extra help to achieve their goals.” CWL

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ABOVE FROM TOP: Community Services director Matthew Wilson, Amanda Wieland, Wayne and Leah Bartlett and policy and training officer Kylie Gibson at the recycling plant; casual worker Kylie Louie with “Mr Gilgandra”, Dougie Irving, at Carlginda Enterprises; Nancy Skinner and Orana Living manager Janelle Lummis in one of the community homes.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

RACE FAVOURITE When Bob Foran called his first horse race at age 13, it was clear to all and sundry that he was on the right track.

It’s the start of the 2017 Coonabarabran Cup and Bob Foran scans his well-trained eye over the gallopers at the far end of the track.

Gripping his binoculars, he falls into a familiar rhythm.

“The runners are going into the barrier stalls. They’re locked away. Red light’s on. They’re off and racing.”

Bob is in his element. He’s been calling races throughout northern and central western NSW for over 65 years and is a much-loved figure to generations of punters and the racing fraternity.

Nowadays, with the advanced communication network, his calls are heard by millions through Sky Channel telecasts, which are broadcast across Australia. > GILGANDRA CWL 83

It’s a far call from his early days as a little tacker growing up in Gilgandra, a town he loves with the same passion as the nags.

Being an only child, he entertained himself by playing marbles and racing toy cars in his backyard.

Being raised in a horse racing family – his father Vic and grandfather Jim Foran were highly regarded local trainers – it was a fairly natural progression to staging races using his toys as makeshift horses.

“Dad would take his yearlings down to the Easter sales and I remember as a nine-year-old kid using my marbles to call races in front of my unsuspecting aunties,” he says.

When he was older he got his mates to run around the paddock while he sat perched on a 44-gallon drum, calling the race into an old jam tin.

“They’d have a drink in the trough and then I’d send them round again,” he laughs.

Although he dreamt of one day being a jockey an opportunity arose at a 1952 local meet that changed his life.

At the last moment the normal race-caller called in crook.

His father stepped in for one race before handing over the mike to his talented but inexperienced 13-year-old son who had an old pair of binoculars.

Brushing aside any nerves, the country’s youngest racecaller rose to the occasion and a legend was born. Soon young Bob was travelling with family, bookies or jockeys to bush races throughout the district, much to the envy of his incredulous school pals.

“In Coonabarabran I received some guidance from the then editor of the Coonabarabran Times, Frank McKeon, who took me under his wing and steered me in the right direction.

“I called races from anywhere and everywhere – the back of the grandstand at Warren, the top of a forked tree at Baradine and even the back of a truck at Trangie.”

For six decades Bob has broadcast races throughout the state – from Cowra to the Queensland border, from Cobar to Tamworth and everywhere in between.

In that time he’s called over 1000 races including more than 40 Coonabarabran Cups and an incredible 60 consecutive Gilgandra Cups.

He has been a regular identity on the picnic races circuit, called the trots, football games, the Gilgandra Gift footrace, cycling and even a camel race – not a bad effort for a bloke who confesses to being colour blind!

In between race-calling duties, Bob spent 42 years as paymaster at the Gilgandra Shire Council and 23 years with the local fire brigade.

In 1974 he took over the family horse training business from his father, stabling 120 horses over the course of his career.

His greatest success was with legendary grey Border Ghost, which “ran like the wind” and clocked up 50 wins.

He also trained crowd favourite Baerami Craig, which achieved almost cult status for running at the back of the field for most of the race before suddenly changing gears.

Much to the excitement of the crowd he’d often come from an impossible position to run down the front runners.

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BOB HAS CALLED OVER 1000 RACES INCLUDING MORE THAN 40 COONABARABRAN CUPS AND AN INCREDIBLE 60 CONSECUTIVE GILGANDRA CUPS.

GILGANDRA HOME OF THE COO-EE MARCH A man for all seasons Although he has spent a lifetime with horses, Bob was also a gifted sportsman. He played competitive tennis, golf and rugby league and even had a go at rugby, playing his first game at age 51 for the Dubbo Kangaroos at Walton on Thames.

But it was cricket that he really enjoyed, playing for NSW Country in 1961-62 as a spin bowler with Doug Walters.

Back then he marvelled at the talents of Alan McGilvray, the doyen of Australian cricket commentators. He even applied for a job with the ABC and made it to the final cut but his dulcet tones were destined for the gallopers.

In winter he loved lacing up the boots for the Gilgandra Panthers. One wet Saturday the footy was cancelled and the boys drove to Dubbo to watch a game.

Among the throng of supporters was the daughter of a punter and bookmaker. Her name was Shirley Crowley. The sparks flew and next thing Bob had left the footy to watch the striking redhead play basketball.

“He was the most handsome bloke I’d ever set eyes on,” Shirley says. Her father insisted she return home early but his cautionary words fell on deaf ears.

It was love at first sight. Fifty-six years of married life hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm for each other, despite ongoing health issues that have affected them both.

Now only a few months short of his 80th birthday, Bob can’t believe he is still in the game.

“I look forward to calling the races,” he says. “It keeps me motivated and I love catching up with people I only see once or twice a year.”

With so many accolades to his name, it’s hard pinpointing the highlights of his long and illustrious career.

Bob pauses and rolls his eyes. “Meeting Shirley was the best thing that ever happened to me but coming a close second was calling the races at my 50th Gilgandra Cup,” he says.

“They sent out 450 invitations and it was a complete and utter surprise. I knew nothing about it and no risk, it was my proudest moment.”

The betting stand was named after him. “Having that done while you are still alive was pretty special,” he says.

During his stellar career, Bob has witnessed plenty of change. “In the early days the racetracks were very dusty and I saw horses go down but thankfully no jockeys were killed,” he says.

“When I started, the judge called any tight finishes. It was a bit like cricket umpiring – he called it the way he saw it.

When cameras were first introduced it could take five or six minutes to get a result but these days it’s instantaneous.”

Bob has won the highly prestigious Award for Excellence at the Racing NSW Country Awards, had a race named in his honour and achieved all there is to achieve.

He says he could never have done it without the love and support of his wife and children, Paul, Petah and Bobbie (and their partners) and seven grandchildren.

Bob Foran is one of nature’s true gentlemen – humble, personable and eternally grateful for the chances he’s been given. But it’s not over yet as Gilgandra’s proudest son just keeps on keeping on. CWL

Stop for a coffee or stay for the night.

Museums | Art gallery | Boutique shopping | Southern gateway to the magnificent Warrumungle National Park

gilgandra.nsw.gov.au

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

a prickly subject When you are cruising through Gilgandra, it is impossible to miss the bizarre sight of hundreds of cacti reaching towards the sky – thanks to one man and his inherent love of succulents.

Lester Meyers began growing cacti during his primary school days and is still growing them – 43 years on the very same block of land! Each of his thousands of plants has been grown from a tiny seed.

“I was always a keen gardener but what really attracted me to the cactus plant were their sharp spikes,” he says. Today Lester boasts at least 1000 varieties in his prize collection, all with difficult-topronounce names that roll off his tongue with consummate ease.

Some of the cacti are only 5cm high while others can reach up to 18 metres tall. During winter, Lester places black plastic buckets on the top of the larger cacti to prevent frost damage to the head of the plant.

“Having a cactus in your garden is not everybody’s cup of tea,” he admits. “Those that do are very enthusiastic while others, like me, are totally hooked!”

As if to demonstrate this point, a young couple arrive from the Gold Coast to meet Lester to get the low-down on his prickly subjects. They have driven nine hours to meet the cacti master and are keen to secure some of his hardy plants for their home.

“This is the only place we’ve heard about with plants of this size and age,” says David Pike, who works in the construction business.

“Lester has put Gilgandra on the map,” echoes partner Renee Litonjua, who works in interior design. “Cacti are an easy-care,

drought-tolerant plant that aren’t seen in many places, which is why we find them so appealing.”

Lester considers it a private collection, which he is happy to share with fellow enthusiasts, especially on weekends.

“It’s my hobby. I was a carpet layer for nearly 50 years around Gilgandra and this is my project to keep me going during my retirement years,” the confirmed bachelor says. “There are too many plants to name a favourite. It’s really like one big family.

They all receive the same treatment.”

Once established, the cacti require minimum fuss but you have to maintain a regime of checking, especially in the early stages, for disease and the usual garden pests. Some of the larger plants can last up to 1000 years in the wild, while some of the smaller varieties have a shelf life of only 10 years.

At 75 years young, Lester concedes that when he is too old to manage his cacti farm he will start looking for a passionate collector, like himself, to continue the proud tradition of growing one of the oldest plants on earth. CWL

ABOVE: Lester with some of his beloved cacti.

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a sensory experience An occupational therapy practice in a renovated church is providing high-standard care for patients.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

With over 21 years' experience specialising in Paediatrics and Sensory Processing Disorder, Melinda Beveridge’s private Gilgandra practice, Sensory Moves Paediatric Group, offers quality family-centred occupational therapy services.

Melinda grew up at Gilgandra and, upon graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy (OT) in 1995, returned to offer her services in the Central West.

Today, she lives on a property at nearby Armatree with her husband Angus and children Harriet and Hamish.

Melinda and Angus operate their third generation Wyuna Merino Stud alongside a Poll Hereford breeding and mixed cropping enterprise.

With both children now in Sydney at boarding school, Angus and Melinda’s time is divided between the OT business, their stud and grazing operation, and time with the children.

“Paediatrics is a specialisation that has interested me since my final university clinical placement in India working in a remote hill station with children and families,” Melinda says.

“It was an enlightening experience that formed the start of my passion for paediatrics.”

Melinda’s love for her field couples well with her connection to rural and regional communities.

Her paediatric OT role in Dubbo as a new graduate saw her working with babies and children with learning, co-ordination and behavioural difficulties. She relished the opportunity to work in rural communities, travelling to outlying areas by vehicle and plane.

Fast forward to 2012, and Melinda was presented with the opportunity to purchase the former Church of Christ building in Gilgandra. A family renovation project ensued to create a specialised therapy home for Sensory Moves Paediatric Group.

“The beautiful space is a calm environment that instantly puts families engaging in OT services for the first time at ease,” Melinda says.

“We have created a “sensory gym”, utilising best practice and equipment sourced here in Australia and from the United States.

There is only one other clinic in Sydney that I am aware of that can provide what has been uniquely created here in Gilgandra.

“I absolutely love coming to work in ‘the church’. It is functional, fun, and supports achieving the best outcomes for clients.”

The practice expanded over two years ago to offer a second therapy room in Dubbo.

“Our clinic understands the issues faced by families living in rural and remote areas,” Melinda says.

“I absolutely love coming to work in ‘the church’. It is functional, fun, and supports achieving the best outcomes for clients.”

“With clients travelling from Leeton, Tamworth, Cobar and Walgett and many communities in between, it's not uncommon for some of our clients to travel up to three hours one way for a visit. Our approach takes this into consideration by making the most of our time in consultation.”

Melinda is passionate about ongoing training and education.

Most recently, she has completed study and obtained certification from the University of Southern California.

“I enjoy providing mentoring to younger therapists, as well as conducting education seminars for parents, therapists and educators,” she says.

“Providing classroom consultation to students and educators, including consulting weekly to the Gilgandra Preschool, is also a highlight of my week.”

When she’s not practising in the business, Melinda, alongside her husband Angus, enjoys staying involved with rural and metropolitan shows by exhibiting in wool and Merino sheep competitions. She also judges Showgirl competitions, and at the 1997 Sydney Royal Easter Show was named runner-up while representing Gilgandra Show Society.

Melinda says she’s grateful for the service she can provide for the Central West.

“It is an absolute privilege to work with rural and remote children and families,” Melinda says.

“It is incredibly satisfying and exciting, knowing families are able to access effective, specialised therapy services in our local community – and our community in turn is able to reap the benefits.” CWL Words: Anna Tickle Images: Belinda Wilson Photography

FACING PAGE: Melinda in the renovated Church of Christ building that is now a specialised therapy home for Sensory Moves Paediatric Group.

Specialised Occupational Therapy service for babies and children experiencing challenges in relation to sensory, social, emotional, learning and play development Melinda Beveridge 98 Warren Road, Gilgandra NSW 2827 admin@thepaediatricgroup.com Phone: 0429 485 815

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ART IMITATES LIFE

Judy and Joe Shalhoub have led a life as beautiful and varied as the artworks they create.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

There’s no shortage of artistic talent in the Shalhoub family, with Judy a gifted painter and Joe the creator of stunning pieces crafted from glass.

They both share a strong belief that art comes in all forms and is meant to be shared and enjoyed.

It’s been a long and interesting journey for both of them. Judy’s father, Jack Keogh, worked on the ships at Garden Island during the war years and later became a pest exterminator in Albury where she spent her formative years.

Judy’s first job was working on the telephone exchange. Soon after, aged sweet 16, she met a handsome Lebanese saxophone player at a local dance.

After their 1965 marriage in Albury, they moved to Joe’s home town of Gilgandra, where Joe had built a lovely home adjacent to his parents.

His father Tony had emigrated from Lebanon in 1926 after being sponsored by the father of former NSW Governor, Marie Bashir.

The Lebanese had it all worked out, setting up drapery and footwear stores in various country towns throughout western NSW – the Corbans in Coonabarabran, the Shalhoubs in Gilgandra and the Doumanis in Coonamble, Cobar and Bourke.

“They all did very well and there was a big need for their stores,” explains Joe. “But over the generations they all drifted to Sydney leaving just us, the last of the Mohicans!”

Joe has strong connections to Gilgandra, having been born around the corner at Chinnock Private Hospital during the Second World War. He was only 12 when the devastating 1955 floods hit town, reaching a height of nearly six feet in Miller Street.

Many of the locals spent the night on rooftops while others caught in the swiftly rising waters in the main street scrambled to one of the two-storey buildings in town.

Two men lost their lives and countless others were left homeless.

The flood made worldwide headlines, and the town received a message of condolence from the Pope.

“Disease was rampant and all us kids were forced to get out of town,” recalls Joe, who ended up in Albury with extended family.

His six-month stint turned into six years while his parents tried to rebuild their lives.

“They had a clothes shop and lost all their stock. It took a decade for them to get back on their feet.”

Joe and Judy have made a good life for themselves in Gilgandra.

Judy loves singing, hitting the high notes as a soprano with the “Harmony Singers” in Dubbo each week as well as participating in the local theatre group, Gilgandra Alive.

Her real passion, however, is painting, having joined the Gilgandra Arts Society in 1975 while daughters Amanda and Melinda were still at school.

Over the years she has painted hundreds of works in oils, acrylics, water colours, mixed media and pastels, many of them expertly framed by Joe and lining the walls of the home.

Judy is always taking photographs of scenes around her.

“I love to create and interpret my own angle from a given photo,” she says.

“My paintings are very personal. I love the fact they are all different and not painted to a proven recipe. Experimenting and trying new things is all part of the fun.” >

ABOVE: Joe with some of his work; Joe and Judy on their wedding day in 1965; The 1955 Gilgandra flood.

FACING PAGE: Judy loves to paint and has decorated her house with her work; Joe Shalhoub is one of those rare breed of men that can turn his hands to anything.

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A lot of his inspiration comes from his grandfather, a stonemason in Lebanon who later moved to Albury and became a builder.

Each year Judy attends and presents workshops and enters her works in four or five art shows around the district. She won the Outback Archies in Coonamble and recently pocketed $3000 for her winning entry in Dubbo’s Western College Art Prize.

Joe has always been good with his hands, having built five homes, seven blocks of flats, two shops and an arcade.

He is also a skilled cabinet maker, glazier, pilot, flight radio operator, powder man, brick layer, concrete pourer and floor tiler.

In his younger days he wasn’t afraid of “going hard” and often had five jobs on the run.

To cap it all off he played sax in a band called “The Rockets”, which entertained Friday night crowds in towns like Bourke and Byrock. Such was the hospitality in these outback regions, often the boys wouldn’t get home for days!

It is in his glass work that all Joe’s skills come together. Once he painstakingly assembles his pieces Joe heats them up in his kiln where the glass softens and fuses together.

Joe began with small flat objects like coasters and tiles before moving on to curved plates, platters and bowls. Not content he went even further, exploring more complex techniques.

“It all started off with my lead lighting,” he enthuses. “I like to work outside the square – the brighter the colour, the more outstanding it becomes and the easier it is to sell.”

Now aged 74 and with 13 years' experience of working his glass kiln, Joe still loves “fiddling with things” and the challenge of creating something unique.

A lot of his inspiration comes from his grandfather, a stonemason in Lebanon who later moved to Albury and became a builder. They were the best of mates, almost like brothers.

“I could very well have ended up like him but my maternal grandfather insisted stonemasonry was bloody hard work. In those days there were no forklifts and all the stone was manhandled.

It was very punishing on the body.”

Joe’s never been afraid of hard work and his amazing creations from glass have brought great joy to thousands of people from all over the country through regular joint exhibitions with Judy.

This hugely talented yet humble artist shares his skills with the younger generation.

“We’re creating a country of zombies with all these young kids who can’t get off their computers,” he says. “They have to learn there is much more to life than Facebook and video games.”

The Shalhoubs have led exemplary lives in Gilgandra and have demonstrated that the best things in life happen when you let the creative juices flow and step out of the square. CWL

LEFT: One of Judy’s paintings; this beautiful vest took Joe over 500 hours of work to create. With 9mm thick glass it was fired in the kiln at least six times.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

full of beans

Debbie Welsh and her husband Michael were confident of success when they introduced metropolitan-style café culture to Gilgandra 12 years ago.

The Next Grind Coffee Shop and Gallery has been embraced by locals and a steady stream of travellers making their way between Melbourne and Brisbane on the busy Newell Highway.

Debbie, a former Newcastle resident with a background in nursing, and Michael, a qualified baker, knew Gilgandra was ready for something different.

“In the beginning we were the only place in town offering espresso coffee,” Debbie says.

“People love our coffee and Michael’s wonderful pastries, cakes, meat pies, fresh breads and pastas.

“He makes everything from scratch and gets up at 2am to ensure freshly baked menu items are ready when we start serving breakfast from 6am.

Michael stops work around 10-11am and our chef continues through the afternoon.

“The Next Grind menu ranges from restaurant standard meals like honey rosemary steak and chicken breast stuffed with brie, through to lighter options including quiche and focaccia.

Cakes and pastries and hot and cold drinks are popular throughout the day.”

The coffee shop and gallery features artworks by Judy Shalhoub, a talented painter who has been part of the cultural fabric of Gilgandra for decades, and Red Tractor Designs gift lines created by Rachael Flynn from Mudgee.

Located near the Gilgandra Visitors Centre, The Next Grind shares premises with Totally Wild Glass Garden plant nursery.

“The two businesses complement each other and the ambience is lovely,” Debbie says.

“Visitors are often surprised to find a metropolitan sanctuary in the heart of regional NSW, and overseas tourists frequently remark that our pastries are as good as what is on offer in France.”

Debbie and Michael have a passion for tourism and understand that visitors are important to help sustain the economy of their town.

The Next Grind has won a significant number of state, regional and local tourism and business excellence awards, including best NSW and ACT café, outstanding innovation, people’s choice most popular business and best customer service.

The café and gallery is open from 6am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday, 6am to 4pm Saturday and 9am to 4pm Sunday. CWL Words: Heather Crosby

ABOVE: Michael and Debbie; Debbie with staff from The Next Grind Coffee Shop and Gallery.

Breakfast and Lunches Giftware | Large off street parking Homemade cakes, pastries, pastas and pies

“A Cosmopolitan Sanctuary in the Heart of Regional NSW”

Open:

Tues to Fri 6am - 5pm | Sat 6am - 4pm | Sun 9am - 4pm

Newell Highway, Gilgandra

6847 2707 GILGANDRA CWL 93

T O W N F E A T U R E Gilgandra

a cooee for the elderly These hostel residents receive assistance and support with their day-to-day needs while maintaining their independence in a safe and warm environment.

With an average age of 85 years, the 50 residents of the Cooee Lodge Hostel revel in the little things, like a comforting hand, a welcoming ear, an interesting book or a nice cup of tea.

Cooee Lodge manager Kerry Butler knows all of them. With a staff of 34 at her disposal, it’s her job to keep the residents well and happy in their sunset years of life.

“I love working with the elderly,” she says. “I find them enlightening, entertaining and at times challenging!”

Kerry and her crew welcome residents into a relaxed homelike environment where they are respected and encouraged to participate in group activities.

“Our dedicated staff help promote their self-esteem, enabling our residents to live their lives to the full and within their physical capabilities.”

Sally Temple works in administration and has seen many changes over her 14 years at the hostel.

“It’s a privilege to help families through the transition into aged care. For many families it can be a tough time,” Sally says.

Kerry says people enter care for many reasons, some during a time of crisis.

“Many don’t like losing their independence and are fearful of moving into the next stage of their lives,” she says.

“Sometimes they make the decision themselves. The best advice is to be informed about the services available within the community. Check with your local service providers.”

The elderly residents like the slow pace of the hostel and are encouraged to join in organised activities like bingo, playing cards and sing-alongs.

The hostel has 40 single units, however adjoining rooms suitable for couples are available on request. Each room has individually controlled reverse cycle air-conditioning, en suite, plus ample wardrobe, drawer and bench space.

A 10-bed Special Care Wing built in 2007 provides assistance with daily living activities, nursing care and support with health, physical and social needs for those residents suffering from dementia or needing extra care.

Next door to the hostel is the Cooee Lodge Retirement Village, located in a beautiful rural setting close to town and the hospital.

The village offers a range of affordable accommodation to cater for the elderly, including 61 self-care villa units. CWL

ABOVE FROM TOP: Former Tooraweenah journalist and grazier Charles Bennett, 88, catches up on his reading with Sarah “the carer” Wieland. Charles published the Dungog Chronicle, which was in the family for 116 years; Judy Stone has been playing the piano since she was six and was happy to belt out Show Me The Way To Go Home.

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Cooee Lodge Retirement Village is located in a beautiful rural setting in close proximity to the CBD and Hospital The Village offers a range of affordable accommodation types to cater for the elderly including: • 61 self care Villa Units • 40 bed Hostel • 10 bed Special Care (Dementia) Wing • Community Home Care Packages For further information on Cooee Lodge Retirement Village, to arrange an inspection or to request a complete information package, please contact the administration staff: Phone: 02 6817 8744

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worth the visit B&B owners Laurie and Sandy McGrath are understandably house proud.

Chinnock B&B has enjoyed a rich and colourful history, serving at various times as a Gilgandra private hospital, boarding house and block of flats. For a brief period it was even home to a massive indoor marijuana crop!

When retired farmers Laurie and Sandy McGrath bought the property, it housed six separate units with five bathrooms, six toilets and six kitchens.

They recognised the potential of the building and over 12 months pulled it apart, room by room, until they had produced a comfortable, stately home.

Learning of their great hospitality, a B&B owner across the road would occasionally send a guest over when they were booked out.

After he moved, they felt the next logical step was to establish their own accommodation venue, with “Chinnock” opening its country doors to travellers in 2005.

“People come as strangers and leave as friends,” says the ebullient Sandy, who fusses over her guests like a trusted old friend.

The historic building began life as a private hospital called “Idleigh”, built by one of Gilgandra’s earliest doctors. After changing hands, it was renamed Chinnock Private Hospital, which over the years had four different addresses in town.

Many of Gilgandra’s earliest residents were brought into the world by Matron Rendall and her staff.

The story goes that Matron Rendall called the hospital after a Canadian wind of that name that blows in the spring. The hospital was closed by late 1951and new owner Enid McDonald used her business acumen to turn the building into a boarding house and later a block of flats.

Many people lived in the house, but perhaps none as colourful as the two who claimed they were going to open an art gallery there.

Instead, the old place was closed up with blankets covering the windows and a string of visitors coming and going in the dead of night.

Eventually, the place was raided and police found a sophisticated hydroponic set-up covering two of the bigger rooms with huge bags of “weed” stuffed inside the chimneys!

The next owners were a couple called Sefton, who renovated the flats while trying to keep within the style and structure of the original building.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

The McGraths took over in 2003. Sandy was initially sceptical but once she noticed the 12-foot pressed-tin ceilings and six-inch-wide polished floorboards she became a convert.

She and Laurie had spent the past decade running a Dorper stud at “Bundally”, Bindoon, an area Laurie fell in love with during the early days of their marriage.

He promised his wife they’d one day live there. In 1992 that promise was fulfilled and the Victorians moved across the border to continue their life on the land.

Laurie suffered an aneurysm just before retirement and it was time to begin the next chapter of their lives. The McGraths purchased 25 acres on the edge of town to run a scaled-back version of their sheep enterprise while they tackled renovations on “the big house”.

Laurie, a larger-than-life character, put his carpentry skills to good use, building two big sheds – one to house their cars and the other a workshop where he makes anything from rocking horses to fabulous leather belts.

There’s no stopping the former councillor, shearer, rodeo and polocrosse rider, who not only grows vegies, breeds parrots and budgies but makes his own sausages!

Sandy is the gracious host of the B&B, managing with calm authority. Guests say it’s better than home and it’s easy to understand why.

“Chinnock” has indeed come a long way and the McGraths are justifiably proud to offer this style of accommodation in Gilgandra.

While their three children are unlikely to take over (they all have professional careers), one of their six grandchildren might well take up the challenge in the years ahead. CWL

“Chinnock” has indeed come a long way and the McGraths are justifiably proud to offer this style of accommodation in Gilgandra.

FACING PAGE: The beautiful hallway of Chinnock B&B has 12-foot pressed-tin ceilings and six-inch-wide polished floorboards.

RIGHT: Laurie and Sandy McGrath.

Chinnock Bed and Breakfast Quality Bed and Breakfast style accommodation in the heart of Gilgandra. True Aussie hospitality, comfy beds, air conditioning and lovely welcoming hosts.

Your home away from home.

(02) 6847 0470 12 Morris St, Gilgandra sandy.mcgrath@bigpond.com

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STANDING FIRM

Business partners Leeane Terlich and Merilyn King are proud to be carrying on a legal firm that’s been operating in Gilgandra for more than 100 years.

The women took over Kelly & Astill in March 2013, continuing a fine tradition that started in 1915 when Vincent John Kelly kicked off the firm.

The university-educated Frank Astill later joined him. In 1939, after completing his schooling at St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, Vincent’s son Len joined the team.

He wasn’t there long before enlisting with the RAAF and serving in Europe as a gunner during WW2. Len was posted to Lancaster Squadron 463 with an all-Australian crew (his pilot was Keith Hants and the two kept in contact for the following 50 years).

In 1946 Len was discharged from the forces and returned home on board the Acquitania via South Africa. He sailed past Melbourne on Melbourne Cup Day and was greeted by his mother and aunty in Sydney. Sadly his father had died only months earlier.

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He returned to civilian life in Gilgandra, throwing himself into community events. Racing was in his blood and Len loved the excitement, colour and company of a day at the races.

He was a Life Member of the Gilgandra Jockey Club, the Gilgandra Services Club and the Bowling Club (which he helped establish).

During his long association with Kelly & Astill, Len provided a wonderful legal service to the town. After a lifetime devotion to Gilgandra and its people, Len retired in early 2007 after a staggering 68 years with the firm.

He worked almost up to the time he died in 2009 at the age of 88 and is remembered as a focused and courteous man, punctual to a fault. The Len Kelly Drive was named in 2010 as a mark of deep respect.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

Len worked almost up to the time he died in 2009 at the age of 88 and is remembered as a focused and courteous man, punctual to a fault.

Leeane, likewise, has spent a lifetime working in law firms, starting as a 17-year-old in Albury and later working in leading law firms in Melbourne and Sydney. After studying externally, she was admitted as a solicitor in 1988 and practises mainly in the areas of property and commercial law, wills and deceased estates.

“No two matters are ever the same and it’s interesting work,” she says.

Merilyn King, a born and bred local, commenced work at Kelly, Astill & Baker in 1995 as a legal assistant and has been working at the firm for 22 years.

She enjoys the legal side of things so much she is currently studying for a law degree by correspondence at Sydney University.

Completing the all-female team is part-time legal secretary Joy Howard and enthusiastic school student Brianna Edwards.

“Merilyn and I both feel that it’s vitally important to keep services such as ours in a country town and I think the community appreciate having us here,” Leeane says.

Merilyn agrees wholeheartedly. “Gilgandra is a great town with a very progressive shire council and lots of sporting and community things happening all the time.”

The women support the community in various ways.

“We are fierce competitors in the annual main street competition for best Christmas window display and support numerous local sporting and social events including the Len Kelly Cup at the local races,” Leeane says.

Although the firm has changed its name and address several times over the past century, the commitment to serving the local region has never faltered.

“Our firm practises in a wide range of legal areas and I believe we offer a service that is as good and quite possibly better than bigger places including the Sydney CBD.” It is estimated nearly half of all Australians die without a will.

“A will takes effect when you die and covers things like how your assets will be shared, who will look after your children if they are still young, any money you would like donated to charity and even instructions about your funeral,” Merilyn says.

“It is important to keep your will valid and up to date as your legal rights change, specifically if you marry, divorce or separate; have children or grandchildren; if your spouse or beneficiaries die or if you have a significant change in financial circumstances.

“As a special offer to readers, we are offering 10 per cent off our standard price for a will, power of attorney and enduring guardian documents on mention of this article.”

Powers of attorney and enduring guardian documents govern how you will be cared for – medically and financially – if you are unable to make those decisions for yourself in the future. CWL

FACING PAGE: Merilyn King and Leeane Terlich sponsor the Len Kelly Memorial Maiden Handicap each year at the races.

FROM TOP: President of the Gilgandra Jockey Club Andrew Schier with Jenny Quigley (Len Kelly’s niece) and Merilyn King (on behalf of Kelly & Astill) at a recent race meeting; a young Len Astill prepares for war; business partner Leeane Terlich has spent a lifetime working in law firms.

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raising the bar A reborn pub is once again the beating heart of a country village thanks to the work of Ash and Libby Walker.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

It’s a Friday night and the Armatree Hotel is rocking. Publicans Ash and Libby Walker have plenty to celebrate but with a bar full of thirsty patrons it’s not the time to break out the bubbly.

It’s exactly 10 years since they took over the bush pub and transformed it into the popular watering hole it is today. It’s also five years to the day since AMPS Agribusiness (located next door) opened their doors.

Throw in GrainCorp and that pretty well sums up the businesses in Armatree, a rural village off the highway between Gilgandra and Coonamble that’s home to 29 residents.

As the sun sets, men and women of all ages drift in for a chin-wag. One local farmer is getting hitched on the lush green lawn out the back in less than 24 hours and his mates have gathered to enjoy his last night of freedom.

A backpacker from Estonia, Raili Metshein, is on her first shift but having no trouble keeping the amber fluid flowing.

Ash and three local farmers, Dean Ferguson, Greg Younghusband and Nigel Allen, are thrilled with today’s Coolah hay drive for those affected by the recent Sir Ivan Bushfire. The load included 19 trucks with over 500 big bales.

“Everybody chipped in and we just co-ordinated the whole thing,” says Ash. “It’s been a great effort from the small communities of Armatree, Curban, Gular, Gilgandra and Tooraweenah.”

As the night progresses, Lib brings out home-cooked pizzas for the hungry hordes. Only hours earlier she and Raili had put together over 100 for the weekend.

In her green Stockyard shirt emblazoned with the pub name, Libby is a warm-hearted and gregarious pint-sized host. She comes from the O’Brien clan (her great grandparents came out from Ireland in 1883 during the great potato famine) and grew up on “Warraweena”, a typical sheep and cropping farm near Warren.

She was undertaking her nursing studies at uni when she met this “big bald bloke” at the Birdsville Races. Being a plumber, Ash had actually carried out some work at her parents’ home in Mudgee after they retired from Warren.

They survived their first date at an AC/DC concert and over a few red wines during Easter 2006 the topic of the pub came up.

Lib and Ash had changed into fancy dress at the pub en route to a cousin’s 21st.

The former owner had been there 26 years and was keen to pass the baton on to younger people with the drive and skills to restore the pub to its former glory.

Exactly one year after their wedding Lib and Ash moved upstairs and started renovations, ripping up the old lino, painting and refurbishing each of the eight rooms.

The accommodation is great for contractors and social groups (like car and motorbike clubs) who want to get away to enjoy a relaxed night out with good tucker and a few cold beers.

Mudgee builder Darren Orth got to work on remodelling downstairs. The Jarrah bar is just one of the many improvements. In fact Ash and Lib spent more on doing up the pub than the purchase price but right now that’s the last thing on their minds.

Thanks to hard work, outgoing personalities and a solid business plan, these two very unlikely publicans have turned the 88-year-old hotel into a flourishing success.

“The pub used to do a keg and a half each week,” says Ash proudly. “In summer we’re now going through about 16 kegs.”

The pub also employs nine casual staff and is booked months in advance for a variety of functions.

It’s a great result for Ash, who has been on Gilgandra Shire Council since 2012 and is the current Deputy Mayor.

“Everybody has an opinion about local government,” he says, “but I don’t think you should comment until you get in the trenches and have a go.”

These two very unlikely publicans have turned the 88-year-old hotel into a f lourishing success.

With local politics out of the way we discuss more refined topics.

“I enjoy a beer as much as any man but never imagined for one moment I’d be pulling beers in an old bush pub with my name above the door,” laughs Ash. “I mean who hasn’t dreamed of owning his own pub?”

He’s on a roll. “The pub is the pillar of the community and we’ve got a pretty fair idea of what’s going on around here. We deal with births and deaths, weddings and special events on a daily basis.”

Ash and Lib lived upstairs for the first three years and rarely enjoyed a day off. With two young children, Anna, 5, and Neve, 3, demanding their attention, they now rent a nearby farmhouse.

“We love the community but we’ve achieved what we wanted here and feel it’s now time to spend more time with the kids and pursue other interests,” says Ash, “which explains why the pub is now for sale.”

The locals will never be able to thank them enough for giving them a pub to be proud of. CWL

FACING PAGE: Libby and Ash Walker (front) and patrons of the Armatree Pub assemble for a group photo.

T H E F A M I LY F R I E N D LY H O T E L

We specialise in weddings, social Club parties, client functions, birthday and engagement parties and Christmas parties.

Tel: 02 6848 5805 Merrigal Street Armatree NSW www.armatreehotel.com.au THIS BUSINESS IS FOR SALE

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A FEATHER IN HIS CAP Andrew Schier’s poultry business is no paltry business.

“Why did the chicken cross the road?” It’s a question that has plagued mankind forever but Gilgandra’s 2016 Citizen of the Year, Andrew Schier, reckons he just might know the answer.

With 23,000 chooks under his wing on the family property “Rosewood”, Andrew understands better than most what goes on inside a chicken’s head. Right now, with the temperature a sizzling 45 degrees, it’s all about staying cool and calm.

As we talk, Andrew shows me his five big chook sheds, which he constantly monitors, checking on food and water. He can’t afford to let his chooks get ruffled under any circumstances.

Today the fans are on full throttle and a high-pressure mist, which cools by evaporation, brings relief. If it gets any worse he’ll bring out the hoses and put crushed ice in the water.

“You can’t stress them and we’ll do whatever it takes,” he says with utter conviction. “They can handle most conditions but definitely do best in dry mild weather with low humidity.”

In the colder months he’ll spend $25,000 keeping the birds warm and even more feeding them.

Each day his chooks consume over two tonnes of feed, mostly a mixture of home-grown wheat and barley.

To add a bit of variety the birds enjoy a further mix of soya bean, fish and meat meal, various amino acids, salt and limestone.

Over their eight weeks of life the complex diet comprises starter, grower and finisher rations.

“Once you’ve grown the frame you’re looking for more meat to put on the carcass. You don’t need as much protein and are looking for carbohydrate-based feed.”

The main thing is to get the diet right, otherwise the birds don’t grow properly and can experience health problems.

“You don’t want them to be sleeping at night without any feathers. They need the right feed balance for all those ingredients so they feather and grow properly.”

The adult chooks are butchered at a small abattoir near the homestead when they hit eight weeks. Each week Andrew sells about 5.5 tonnes of meat (about 150,000 chickens annually) to select butchers and IGA stores throughout the Central West and Canberra under the brand of Gilgandra Poultry.

The chickens need to be moved from the factory to the shop front in less than 24 hours to maximise shelf life, giving him a competitive edge on Sydney producers.

Being located in the centre of the grain belt also provides a reduction in input costs in relation to freighting feed to the farm.

It’s a competitive and intensive business but Andrew, with a dedicated staff of 12, has the experience and laid-back personality to handle the relentless pressure.

“It’s a bit like a dairy farm – you’re always on the job 14 days a week,” he says. It’s all about providing an optimum environment for his feathered friends.

The litter is removed after each batch of chickens is processed and composited for 12 months before being spread over the 440ha farm.

Gilgandra Poultry has been sourcing day-old chickens from Cordina Chicken Farms in Sydney since beginning operations 32 years ago, with 5000 freshly hatched chickens arriving each fortnight.

“Their hatchery produces 200,000 day-old chickens each and every day of the year and we are their largest independent customer,” he says proudly.

It’s a busy schedule but Andrew enjoys the challenges, as does his school teacher wife, Meichelle. In a former life he was a teacher himself, having taught for three terms in Portland before returning to “Rosewood”, established in 1965 by parents Barry and Margaret.

Margaret continues to live on the farm after the passing of her husband and is a doting grandmother to twin 18-year-old girls Lily and Sophie and their little sister, Olivia, 12.

Andrew says he couldn’t imagine a better place to raise his young family.

“Gil is a friendly little community. Being at the junction of three highways means there’s plenty of travellers passing through and they always get a good welcome. We all look out for each other.”

Despite keeping busy with his cattle, chickens and crops, Andrew still finds time for the horse racing industry and for 21 years has been president of the Gilgandra Jockey Club.

He also heads up the Western Racing Association, is vice president of the Gilgandra Sporting Club and a popular MC at various community functions.

As for that age-old riddle about chickens crossing the road, well you might have to talk to Andrew about that. He has a few suggestions but is still grappling with what came first – the chicken or the egg! CWL

FACING PAGE: Poultry farmer Andrew Schier, “Rosewood”, Gilgandra, with some of his chickens.

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shoppers’ paradise If you’re travelling through Gilgandra and you’re in need of some retail therapy, you can’t go past local gift shop This N That.

With an enormous range of giftware, women’s jewellery and accessories, plus Darrell Lea chocolates for the sweet tooth, it’s likely you won’t leave without purchasing a few goodies from owner Donna Foran.

Donna grew up in Gilgandra, and upon leaving school worked in the town’s department store. Her love for retail grew, and after marrying, she purchased a store of her own in the town’s main street.

Donna and husband Phillip have a mixed farming operation 40 kilometres out of Gilgandra towards Armatree. Their four children have each undertaken interesting fields of work and study, with Sarah studying Speech Pathology in Sydney, Ashley studying Forensic Science in Canberra, and Rebecca working in London as an Occupational Therapist. Their son, Luke, has returned home to the farm after completing a Primary Teaching degree.

Donna loves being able to provide an enjoyable shopping experience for her customers.

Giftware - Jewellery - China - Stationery Darrell Lea Chocolates - Body Products Handbags - Wallets - Baby Products

“Owning my own business for the past 11 years has given me a fantastic, diverse pastime, particularly as our children have grown up and moved away for university and work,” Donna says.

This N That has a wonderful, welcoming vibe, and Donna loves being able to provide an enjoyable shopping experience for her customers. For her, it’s about creating an atmosphere where shoppers can feel great.

“We have a great range of gifts and homewares, and locals and travellers alike just love perusing the store. There really is something for everyone here.

“We are proud to stock well-known beauty brands like Crabtree & Evelyn, MOR, and Tilley, to name a few, plus other brand names like WoodWick candles and Scanpan cookware.”

Donna’s sister-in-law, Dianne, and locals Karen and Sarah work at the store with Donna and are happy to accommodate your gift shopping needs. CWL Words: Anna Tickle

(02) 6847 0500 17 Miller Street Gilgandra, NSW 2827 /ThisNThatGilgandra

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ABOVE: Donna Foran and Dianne McCutcheon love making things happen at This N That.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

CAN-DO KIND OF GIRL

Listening to people’s stories and helping them to look and feel terrific is more than just a job for Hayley Carmichael of I Luv Hair in Miller Street, Gilgandra.

Hairdressing is a passion Hayley has enjoyed for more than 30 years.

“I love people and have never regretted my decision to leave school at the age of 15 to start an apprenticeship,” she says.

“I was fortunate to train with some of the best hairdressers in Dubbo and spent 18 very happy years with Michael Martin at Martin Place for Hair.

“During my time with Michael I travelled overseas for 2½ years and worked at three top salons in London.

“The experience I gained was tremendous.”

After returning to Australia Hayley continued working at Martin Place for Hair. She then married Collie farmer Phil Carmichael and started her own business in Gilgandra.

“I loved being back in my hometown and ran Hayley’s Hair Studio for nine years before deciding to take a break to spend more time with our children.

“Four years ago I started I Luv Hair.

I work in the salon from Tuesday to Friday and enjoy the rest of the week on the farm where we produce wheat, oats, canola, cattle and goats.”

Hayley was always destined to become a hairdresser.

She performed her first haircut – on herself – at the age of two and spent her childhood happily inventing new hairstyles for an array of dolls.

“I have always enjoyed the creativity of hairdressing,” Hayley says.

“It’s an interesting profession and I have developed some lovely friendships with clients. I am also proud to say that I have trained quite a few apprentices who are still doing well in the industry.

“Clients come to my salon from a wide area, including Dubbo. In many cases I have been dealing with multiple generations of families, seeing them through all the stages of life from childhood to adulthood.

“Hairdressing styles and techniques have changed significantly in 30 years and during that time trends have gone around in circles.

“I enjoy working with female and male clients of all ages and still get a real kick out of seeing people walk out the door happy with a fresh new look.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby

ABOVE: Hayley and a happy customer.

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A way with clay Geoff Thomas doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. When he is not farming at “Rangoon”, Gilgandra, he likes to expend some creative energy in the kiln shed.

While there are a few wood-fire potters living on rural properties and dabbling in some agricultural pursuit, Geoff Thomas is the exact opposite – a wheat, sheep and cattle farmer who just happens to love making ceramic pots.

He began potting in 1972 and is largely self-taught apart from several workshops and a study group tour to Japan in 1983.

Geoff later taught ceramics part-time for several years at TAFE in Gilgandra and Warren.

The first question is why. Geoff replies with an old potting quote from Ken Allen that resonates close to his heart.

“What is the work of a potter? It’s putting something around nothing and making nothing useful.”

Geoff often thinks about this play on words when he steps into his pottery near the homestead he has lived in for the past 43 years.

“When you make domestic pots it all makes sense,” he says with a wry grin. “The only reason a jug exists is to put something in it.”

Geoff has made thousands over the years although, judging by the hundreds littered outside, not all make the grade.

Thankfully, he insists, he makes a living primarily from his first cross ewes and not his pottery.

“It’s a bit like running the Border Leicester rams. You keep the tops but the rest, although they’re still good, don’t seem to go anywhere.”

This skilful artist has been making jugs, plates, mugs and bowls for 45 years simply because he loves the challenge of getting it right.

Although he gives away plenty of beautiful pieces to family and friends, he keeps the best for joint exhibitions in Sydney, where his work is keenly admired and collected.

Only recently he had his first solo exhibition at the Kerry Lowe Gallery, Newtown. It was a proud (if not long overdue) moment for Geoff and his supportive wife Jenny and their three adult children.

Success often comes down to his choice of clay. Being a farmer means that Geoff, more than most, understands the importance of working with good soil.

After decades of trial and error he now demands only a certain variety of clay when he sits down next to his pottery wheel to craft his next masterpiece.

Much can go wrong but that, he insists, is all part of the journey. His enthusiasm for pottery is still as strong as the day he started.

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“In 1972 I went to my first Outreach class and made a pot, which I still have somewhere out the back,” he says as he manipulates a moist ball of clay.

As the pottery wheel spins, Geoff’s experienced hands are hard at work, squeezing and gently pressing the clay downward and inward in perfect rotational symmetry.

Later when he is satisfied, the finished work will end up in one of his three kilns and heated at extreme temperatures to remove all water from the clay.

“I made two of my wood kilns,” he says proudly. “They feel better than the new electricity-fangled ones. There’s no technology and the chimney does all the work.”

It’s the way it’s been done for thousands of years and Geoff rarely tires of the procedure.

The complexity of combining clays with compatible glazes suitable for different firing techniques presents challenges in a medium that is part art, part chemistry.

“I once read that wood kilns are very jealous mistresses,” he laughs. “But if we hang in there long enough together we eventually get there!”

A lot of patience and a clear mind are two prerequisites for breaking the mould.

“I love making lots of things but my favourites are the small bowls, which are useful on so many levels.”

Geoff has been supporting the local bush fire brigade for nearly 50 years but his true inspiration comes from working in one of the oldest professions in the world. CWL

ABOVE: Geoff Thomas at his wheel.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

A FAMILY AFFAIR The Thomas family have maintained a presence in Miller Street, Gilgandra, for over 50 years running a stock and station agency alongside a successful real estate business.

The Thomas story begins with Moses Thomas, the legendary family figurehead who wheeled his wheelbarrow from Victoria to Gilgandra in the early 1900s.

Martin Hamilton Thomas, better known as Mick, was the second youngest of his 14 children, born on a farm in the Bearbong district in 1920.

It was a time when the land was still worked by horse teams and farming was a back-breaking and repetitive way to earn a quid.

Like most young men of his era, Mick left school early to begin his “real” education at a pavilion within the Gilgandra showground.

For two years every Wednesday, he pedalled his bike 28 miles into town and back to gain his wool-classing licence.

After three years at Sydney’s Grazcos Wool Store he returned home to work in shearing sheds throughout the district.

Having formed strong relationships with many farmers, Mick opened a stock and station agency in Gilgandra in 1948.

M H Thomas operated as a booking office for stock going to Dubbo saleyards and became a popular meeting place for farmers and their families when they ventured into town.

In 1949, Mick married local girl Gladys Hickman, who helped run the agency, and had three sons – Geoffrey, Gregory and Wesley, who all went on to become directors of the company.

During the late 1950s, Mick started selling stock in the Dubbo saleyards. After a year, Narromine agent Bill Ballhausen asked if he could form a partnership.

That very afternoon, Country Producers Selling (CPS) also elected to join. Within days the various businesses had morphed into CPS Thomas Ballhausen & Irvine, an agency still trading in Dubbo under principal Wes Thomas.

Mick ended up as Gilgandra Shire president in the mid-1970s and was a farmer representative on the Rural Assistance Board for 12 years, while Gladys was heavily involved in the Girl Guides.

Meanwhile, M H Thomas agency rented premises in various Miller Street locations until 1997 when it purchased R S Pizzey Real Estate and acquired permanent premises at 31 Miller Street.

With the business came its sole employee Helen Oates, who teamed up with Gregory’s wife, Alison, and Geoffrey’s wife, Jenny, for many productive years.

In mid-2016, the business merged with Gilgandra Real Estate, with Bryce Thomas the current licensee in charge.

Bryce acquired his stock and station licence in 2001.

His livestock sales team includes father Wes, brother Callan, Sam Christianson, Dave Larkin and Phillip Tunk. In the office, Cheryl Batten is in charge of property, Sandra Lawford covers administration and Kayla Flannery is the new trainee.

The business, now called M H Thomas and Gilgandra Real Estate, sells residential and commercial properties throughout the region and manages a portfolio of investment properties.

Geoff, Greg and Wes Thomas and their children have all grown up in the district and continue the fine tradition of farming and auctioneering as they have done for generations.

Bryce and his wife Shannon have two young children, Hattie and Flynn, so expect to hear more of the Thomas family in the years to come. CWL

ABOVE: Bryce Thomas, the current licensee in charge, with staff members Kayla Flannery, Sandra Lawford and Cheryl Batten.

M H Thomas has been servicing the Gilgandra and district communities for over 50 years.

Real Estate – Property Management – Residential, Commercial and Rural Sales Stock & Station Agent – Auctioneers 31 Miller St Gilgandra NSW 2827 Phone: (02) 6847 2489 Mobile 0484 332422 email: realestate@mhthomas.com.au website: www.realestate.com.au

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TALK OF THE TOWN A speech pathologist is breaking down communication barriers in the district.

Natalie Mudford enjoys working with children and adults with speech, language, communication or swallowing difficulties and believes it’s vital having speech pathology services close to home.

Let’s Communicate Speech Pathology Services provides speech pathology assessment, early intervention and training throughout the Central and Far West areas of NSW. Although based in Gilgandra, Natalie services Gulargambone, Warren, Nyngan, Dubbo and other towns on request.

“I am a big believer in making intervention engaging,” she says, “and focusing on the individual needs of my clients and their families.”

Natalie arrived in Gilgandra in 2005 and worked with a government department until setting up her own practice in 2014.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

“The speech and language program I oversee at Gilgandra Preschool allows me to make a real difference for the children, providing a good head start with literacy skills before starting school.”

The youngsters participate in small language groups that target skill development, working on their understanding of sounds and how they go together.

“The next step is story-telling and getting them familiar with following instructions while building their understanding of concepts.

Using books we build their vocabulary and broaden their knowledge of the world.”

Natalie says the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme marks an exciting time to be an allied health professional.

“For the first time families are able to have a real say in who they would like to access for therapy services and how they would like them to be delivered.”

As an approved NDIS provider, Natalie is excited about providing services that can make a real difference to everyday lives.

It’s been quite a journey getting to this point.

After university pracs in Townsville and Katherine, city born-and-bred Natalie knew she was destined to work in the country.

“I am a big believer in making intervention engaging.”

Her first job was in Dubbo in 2002 before moving to Gilgandra and marrying Brian Mudford, whose family have been farming in the district for over a century.

With four children under the age of 10, life on “Nianbah”, near Armatree, is very different from growing up as an only child in Sydney.

“When you live in a rural community, you are a part of something very special. It seeps into your soul,” she says.

“I feel privileged to work and travel around our region, visiting towns and meeting and working with resilient community-minded people to achieve better outcomes.

“Over the last 14 years I have specialised in disability, with a strong belief that communication should be accessible to everyone. I have enjoyed providing individuals with the skills to communicate, opening up a whole new world for them.”

Natalie finds it’s difficult pinpointing an exact moment that led her to becoming a speech pathologist.

“It was more a combination of moments that just make it feel so right to be doing what I’m doing,” she says.

“It’s the first time I make a picture exchange with a client, or the first time I see a client use a voice output device to tell their mum they love them.

“It’s the first time a client says their name and people understand what they are saying, or when they go from saying only one word to producing whole sentences.

“When you see the impact that small things have on the individuals you work with and the pure happiness and expression of achievement on their face, I know I am doing the right job.”

It’s definitely a career requiring a mixture of skill, patience and compassion.

Apart from doing the farm bookwork, Natalie also runs a disability training and consultancy business with three other partners called “Elephant in the Room – Training and Consultancy”.

It’s a hectic but satisfying life that Natalie thrives on. CWL FACING PAGE: Natalie with her children Chloe, Alison, Benjamin and Eliza; speech pathologist Natalie Mudford during a routine therapy session with Amity Chapman, while her mother Nicole looks on.

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Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

first class treatment Gilgandra Veterinary Clinic offers state-of-the-art facilities to pet owners and farmers.

With 16 years' experience as a veterinarian, Dr Nadine Allan and her specialised team at the Gilgandra Veterinary Clinic live by the creed “to help all creatures great and small”.

The clinic is housed in a new complex designed by Nadine and her husband, Nigel.

The practice is staffed with two veterinarians and three to four nursing staff, and the work ratio is about 70 per cent small animals and 30 per cent larger.

“We pride ourselves on customer service, compassion and understanding of client needs, with skills to provide excellent patient care,” says Nadine.

With these values at the forefront, the business has expanded over the past decade, leading to the creation of the new facility in the town’s industrial area.

“Years of hard work as a single vet practice, juggling raising a family and continuing to provide care to the Gilgandra district’s wonderful clientele have allowed the business to expand and require the implementation of our dream premises,” Nadine says.

“Nigel and I spent several years designing and planning the construction of our clinic and are immensely proud of the result.

There are very few practices this side of the Blue Mountains offering such modern facilities.”

Nadine grew up in Tamworth, where her father is a chiropractor and her mother a former teacher.

After graduation from the University of Sydney in 2000, Nadine worked at the Gilgandra Veterinary Clinic for 18 months followed by a stint at the Scone Vet Hospital.

“I had the pleasure of working with some of the best equine vets in the field but decided a pure equine practice wasn’t for me,” she says.

“I missed the variety of work and people associated with a mixed practice, so I spent a further three years at the Dubbo Veterinary Hospital.”

After marrying local farmer Nigel Allan, of “Greenwood”, Tooraweenah, Nadine bought the Gilgandra practice in 2006 and has been enjoying the challenge ever since.

The new building features dedicated dog and cat wards, imaging suite, lab facilities, operating theatre and an isolation ward.

“The new clinic is built for now and into the future ,” says Nadine, who can be heard each week on local radio station WAR FM, where she informs listeners about animal health issues.

“We recommend all pet owners bring their pets in at least once a year for a general health check and to discuss immunisations, diet and nutrition, and parasite control,” she says.

In 2016 Nadine was joined by Dr Carola Maier, who moved to NSW after graduating from James Cook University in Townsville.

Carola enjoys the contrast from her hometown on the Atherton Tablelands, where her family run a dairy farm, to the “wide open spaces and typically dry weather” of Gilgandra.

“I thoroughly enjoy working with cattle but have developed a strong rapport with small animals,” she says.

The women make a formidable team. Nadine says the district offers a wide variety of work – from cats and dogs, guinea pigs and birds to horses, sheep and cattle.

“It’s great being able to spend time outdoors and contribute to the success of farming enterprises through sound advice at critical times,” she says.

Her three young girls, Billie (9), Tia, (8) and Georgia (5) are no strangers to the busy veterinary lifestyle.

“Many a time clients have nursed one of my babies while I treated their animals, my eldest daughter having attended her first cow caesarean at four weeks of age.”

Nadine still has a passion for horse work but admits in this kind of work you “don’t get to pick and choose”.

“I’m very proud to be able to offer a high standard facility in Gilgandra. It’s a great rural community where everybody looks out for each other,” she says.

“I hope that our contribution to the business community has flow-on effects to help secure the town’s economic future.” CWL

FACING PAGE: Dr Nadine Allan loves her business, the Gilgandra Vet Clinic.

ABOVE: The all-female team at GVC includes vets Nadine Allan and Carola Maier, vet nurse Leslee Burrell, Nikki Church in administration and student vet Caitlin Stachowski.

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for the love of horses David and Sue Wilson’s Glen Lee ASH Stud is testament to years of hard work and commitment, and their accomplishments to date are worthy of the highest commendation.

Gilgandra’s David and Sue Wilson are well-known flag bearers for the Australian Stock Horse (ASH), and their prominent successes over the years reflect a lifelong love and passion for what is known as “the breed for every need”.

At 17, David established his stud, Glen Lee – a name that was to be synonomous with the stock horse breed, backed by traditional, heritage bloodlines.

A heralding moment within David’s vision was the purchase of iconic sire Rivoli Ray in 1979. Bought for $30,000, Rivoli Ray was the most accomplished stallion in Australia at the time.

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When David first met his wife Sue, another horse enthusiast with riding in her blood, so began a great partnership and a fantastic team.

Originally from Moss Vale, Sue has won national rider and horse titles, and in 1998 was the first woman to win the campdraft at Canberra Royal. She has a keen interest in fostering youth and organises women’s riding clinics in Gilgandra.

Today, they both breed, train, compete, judge, coach and administrate together, exuding the same passion they started out with.

Spanning 3600 acres at Gilgandra, Glen Lee has a beautiful stallion, Glen Lee Rivoli Mytech, standing at stud.

Mytech’s mother, Glen Lee Rivoli Donna, was a one in a million mare. The winner of 58 open campdrafts (79 wins in total), and helping David to win an unprecedented 10 ABCRA open campdraft rider titles, Donna was special.

“Donna had a great temperament and she was tough, with a big heart. She produced foals with the same incredible attributes that we continue to value today,” David says.

“We strive for superior bloodlines, type and temperament in our breeding program.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

Glen Lee Rivoli Donna was a one in a million mare and the winner of 58 open campdrafts (79 wins in total).

“We only keep horses with the characteristics that allow them to stand up and do well in their training environment.

“The most correct horse we’ve ever bred was Glen Lee Rivoli Ray Tech – he was our pin-up stallion and thankfully we’ve been able to retain some of his wonderful qualities in his progeny.”

David also offers personal coaching onproperty; a great opportunity for local riders to gain new skills.

David and Sue’s daughter Paige is in Year 12 at a Sydney boarding school, and while she too is passionate about horses, she is also a hugely capable high jumper. Paige came home from the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa with a bronze medal and has won three national titles.

Paige, along with David and Sue’s niece, Amy Wilson, have competed with great success and remain heavily involved in the breeding and training operation at Glen Lee today. CWL Words: Anna Tickle Images: Julie Wilson, Narelle Wockner and Rustic Rural Photography

FACING PAGE: Amy Wilson, Sue Wilson and Paige Wilson.

ABOVE: Paige with her bronze medal from the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa; Sue riding Glen Lee Aria at the ASH National Show, Scone 2009.

Contact: David Wilson Glen Lee ASH Stud Phone: (02) 6847 1447 Mobile: 0427 275 753 ASH Rego: 171813 DOB: 02/08/2003 Colour: Bay Sire: Barona Hornet - HSH (Winner of 16 Campdrafts) Dam: Glen Lee Rivoli Donna - HSH (Winner of 58 Open Campdrafts) Service Fee: $2,200 (inc. GST) Live foal guarantee. Plus agistment and vet fees.

Winner of multiple Leds. Hacks, Workings and Campdrafts from limited starts. Bloodlines have shown success overseas. Mytech’s progeny are winning and placing in Leds, Hacks, Workings, Cutouts and Campdrafts at State, National and Royal level.

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LIFE LESSONS

Gilgandra High School has a long and proud history, with a strong tradition of staff dedication and parent engagement.

With 250 students from the town and surrounding district, including Tooraweenah, Eumungerie, Curban, Collie, Bearbong, Balladoran, Breelong, Biddon and Armatree, Gilgandra High School has built strong and lasting relationships with families.

And student well-being is an essential part of the school philosophy.

“We nurture our students, developing them through high expectations, strong and rigorous learning initiatives and well-being programs,” Principal Neal Reed says.

“These emphasise citizenship and positive and healthy relationships.

As our school motto says, Nil Sine Labore – Nothing Without Effort.”

The success of the agriculture program rests on strong school and community links. Agriculture teacher Teresa Standing has developed a number of opportunities to showcase the school and its students within the wider community.

“Showing livestock has been a very rewarding exercise,” she says.

“The students develop animal handling and showmanship skills while learning about stock behaviour.

“Utilising this training gives them a definite advantage in the show ring. The relationship they make with the animals and other team members is invaluable.”

Over the years strong support has come from Dick Carmichael (2003-2008), who donated Poll Herefords for the National Steer Show; Bull (Ian) and Fiona Lambell (2009-2012) with Shorthorn steers for the Northern Schools Steer Show and Max Dench (2013-present) with Fleckvieh cattle for the National All Breeds Bull and Heifer Show.

In the sheep department, the school is indebted to Craig and Jenny Bradley (2010-present), who donate Border Leicesters for local shows including Mendooran, Gilgandra, Coonamble, Wellington and Dubbo.

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The junior judging program promotes a variety of skills from public speaking to animal judging. Strong support has come from Graham and Allan Smith (Merinos), Jenny Bradley and Paul Alchin (meat sheep), Max Dench and Randall Carlow (cattle) and Andrew Mills (fleece).

Working with the University of NSW since 2012, GHS has been selected as the hub for the pilot Beyond Borders project, a program aiming to inspire students to consider achieving a university level education.

GHS highly values this relationship, with students continuing to excel in all areas and producing young citizens who are outstanding ambassadors for the school and community.

A developing aspect of the school curriculum is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), designed to prepare students for a rapidly changing industrial and economic landscape.

“It is also important because of the message it sends to our female students – that STEM careers must involve women and schools must encourage students to think about careers from an early age,” Neal says.

Each year at the annual Presentation Day awards, scholarships are donated to students to further their educational opportunities.

GHS is also focused on learning spaces, encouraging students to work collaboratively to develop and challenge knowledge.

Classrooms are being updated to provide the best resources possible for a 21st century education.

Sports participation is actively encouraged. The school boasts a strong record in hockey, rugby league, athletics, swimming, netball, touch football and basketball.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

A principled principal

The Windmill Carnival is a well-known basketball event hosted by the Gilgandra community and the school works closely with the organisers to support its place in the community.

Creative and Performing Arts is an equally important part of the school curriculum.

“With the Coo-ee Memorial March Re-enactment, the art department was involved with creating artworks to help students better understand the sacrifices made by families within the community,” Neal says.

“Every year we are excited to see the students achieve in ways they did not think possible, unearthing talent and forging strong community relationships along the way.” CWL

FACING PAGE: Celebrating the 2016 Single Cup victory are the School Captains Kathryn Alchin and Isaac Mills; Gilgandra High School participates in various rural shows throughout the year. The school is fortunate to have excellent support from local producers Jenny and Craig Bradley, New Armatree Border Leicesters. The Bradleys provide sheep to the school for students to look after, and compete with at local shows. This provides students with valuable hands-on agricultural experience. Pictured is the 2016 Gilgandra High School Show team.

ABOVE: Gilgandra High School places considerable focus on agriculture.

As part of the program students have the opportunity to attend steer competitions and local shows. In 2016 Gilgandra High School achieved an outstanding result winning Champion School at the National All Breeds Junior Heifer Show, which was held at Dubbo. Pictured are the team captains Chloe Bunter and Connor Whiteman.

Gilgandra High School Principal Neal Reed grew up in south west Sydney and studied education at the University of Sydney before his appointment to GHS as an English/History teacher in 2002.

After two years he followed his dream to complete a Master of Arts (International Relations) at UNSW before returning to GHS and working his way through the ranks to become principal in 2016.

“I feel privileged to work with such a dedicated staff and community who deeply value education,” he says.

Neal is married to local girl and fellow teacher Jessica and is living the dream on acres on the edge of town.

“We have a vegie patch, chickens and sheep, which all help our two-year-old daughter grow and thrive,” he says. “Gilgandra is a perfect place to raise a child. For a country town the amenities and clubs are second to none.”

Neal says living in a country town has provided many opportunities to grow as a person (he is deputy captain with Fire and Rescue NSW) and develop a genuine appreciation of the local spirit.

“I am indebted to the community for the honour of being the high school principal, for the opportunity to be involved with community organisations and for the warmth of being ‘adopted’ by them. I hope I can give back half of what the town has given me.”

In his spare time Neal enjoys playing the classical and bass guitar and tinkering with old farm machinery and classic cars.

‘OPEN YOUR MIND TO NEW POSSIBILITIES’ Court Street Gilgandra Phone: 02 68 472 276 www.gilgandra-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

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the ties that bind

The history of Australia’s first people is something we should all know and be proud of, says Chloe Wighton.

Chloe Wighton was born and bred in Gilgandra, and her ancestors go back 40,000 years.

It is a history the Wiradjuri woman is incredibly proud of, and a story that she believes, if properly nurtured, can be a unifying force for all Australians.

Already with a Bachelors degree in Archaeology from the University of Sydney, Chloe, 24, is currently studying towards a Masters in museum studies.

“My early education in Gilgandra and my Aboriginal heritage have driven me to want to understand more of that history and to try and share it with others,” she says.

“There’s always that one moment you remember that somehow shapes who you are. For me that defining moment was starting Year 3 at Gilgandra Primary School and learning about Australian history.

“I’ve always been interested in history and one day after school rushed home to tell them that Australia was discovered by Captain Cook. They told me my teacher was wrong.

“I remember this moment well because it made me realise I wanted to study history or archaeology and learn about the true history of my ancestors.”

Chloe says she appreciates her people have been part of this nation’s history for thousands of years.

“We have the oldest continuous culture on this planet. It’s just not my history but our history. The Egyptian pyramids built over 2000 years ago are but a drop in the ocean,” she says.

“It is something I am immensely proud of and I want to share that with the rest of Australia.”

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Chloe hopes to ensure community members and property owners she visits understand the importance of preserving ancient artefacts.

“By properly managing any artefacts or sacred sites they come across, they are in fact participating in an important conservation effort to protect this country’s ancient history.

“That’s why I am also campaigning with RECOGNISE, to ensure that we acknowledge the history of the First People, the longest continuous culture in the world, in Australia’s Constitution.

“It’s something all Australians can be proud of and together we can pass that legacy to the next generation.

“At the moment it doesn’t mention the first Australians and still has elements of racial discrimination. We want to get it upgraded to recognise our values and the only way to change this is through referendum.”

The RECOGNISE movement was started in 2012 and this year is the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, in which Australians voted overwhelmingly to amend some racist sections of the Constitution.

“Hopefully this will be our year,” she says with a smile.

Chloe says she loves studying but is unsure where she might end up. She is currently writing a 17,000-word thesis on the policies and attitudes towards indigenous remains.

“I understand why people are proud of this country but as an Aboriginal person I need a full understanding. It all comes back to education.”

Chloe is now in her sixth year of study and life couldn’t be much better with her partner George Rose finishing off a career in rugby league and their son George being born in 2015. CWL

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

THE GOOD OIL ON EMUS There are more emus than people running around the little village of Tooraweenah, thanks to the efforts of one couple who have an affinity with the “big bird”.

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At the turn of the century there were over 200 licensed emu farms in NSW but today only a few remain, including Emu Logic, run by Phil and Penny Henley on their 500-hectare block “Macanbar”.

Over the past two decades Phil and Penny have tried various ways of making a return from their large, feathered friends, which grow as tall as humans and require an equally high fence to keep them safe from predators.

Phil says an emu produces about 10kg of meat, long considered a delicacy for Asian and eastern European immigrants who are known to be more experimental with their cuisine.

“Your typical Aussie associates emu meat with tucker for working dogs but the foreigners seem to like eating anything gamey and can’t wait to sample emu meat, which has twice the iron and zinc than beef,” Phil says.

“The Americans feed it to their athletes to get iron into their system, but the dark-coloured meat is not for everyone.”

Emu oil is a major by-product when the birds are slaughtered at three years.

It’s beneficial to those with arthritis or varicose veins and babies with eczema or nappy rash. It’s also a soothing remedy for sore joints, insect bites and dry skin.

“It is a well-known historical fact that the Aborigines feasted on emu flesh. A lesser known fact is that they would rub the oil on their skin before battle to make them more nimble,” Phil says.

“If they had a crook knee, for instance, they would spear an emu and wrap the skin and fat around the wound.”

By attending field days and market days, the Henleys receive instant feedback on their emu products.

“Many times we see people hobble up to us, try our products and come back later with a big smile on their faces, feeling pain free,” Penny says.

“It’s these feel-good moments that keeps us motivated. We probably wouldn’t do it otherwise.”

In 2016 the family changed direction, concentrating on tourism, meat (including a new line of emu jerky) and a range of off-shoot enterprises like emu oil soaps and lip balms, emu feathers, hides and eggs.

“We can produce the oil but without promotion we’re thrown in the deep end,” Penny says. “We are at the stage where we need help getting to the next level, which requiries a major marketing campaign and new distribution outlets.”

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In the meantime it is business as usual, feeding and checking their inquisitive animals with powerful legs, long necks and sharp beaks. Emus are known to hit speeds of up to 50km/h in the wild but in captivity are relatively tame.

“The girls are the boss in this game and quickly work out who’s who among themselves. They do all the fighting and are the aggressive ones,” Phil says.

Emus are not monogamous and fighting among females for a mate is common. Females can mate several times and lay several batches of eggs in one season.

In the wild the dark green eggs hatch after eight weeks and the young are nurtured by their fathers. Out on this emu farm the chicks are hand raised and fed grain.

“To get an emu fat in the wild, you need a much bigger area for them to roam in. Even then they’d run it off and never fatten. The other option is to put them in the wheat field,” Phil says.

It’s hard distinguishing the males from the females but Phil says they have a different sound – the males make a grunting sound like a pig while the females make a loud booming noise.

The tourism side of the enterprise took off quite by accident. After getting a steady flow of internet inquiries they put a sign out the front and now open the farm to families, photographers, school groups and overseas visitors, typically from Germany and Switzerland.

“Not all of our farm is devoted to emus and we do have other animals, such as goats, sheep and cattle, as well as a number of varieties of ducks and chooks,” Penny says.

“We look after our emus with care, right from the time the eggs hatch through to when they become adult birds. Visitors can expect to see the incubator for the eggs, our hatchery, chick pens and adult birds.”

Phil and Penny’s adult children, Daniel and Nicole, are never far away as old man emu – a cultural icon featured on our national coat of arms – continues to flourish at the foot of the Warrumbungles. CWL

ABOVE: Penny and Phil Henley have stuck by their emus for more than 20 years.

FACING PAGE: The emus cut a dashing figure at the foot of the Warrumbungles; the emus are naturally inquisitive animals in the wild; the dark green emu eggs hatch after eight weeks; the Emu Logic road sign that greets visitors to the emu farm.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

EMUS ARE KN

OWN TO HIT S P

WILD BUT IN C

EEDS OF UP TO

APTIVITY ARE

50KM/H IN TH E

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pioneering spirit From squatters to famous aviators, a never-say-die attitude defines the folk of Tooraweenah.

The village of Tooraweenah at the base of the Warrumbungle Mountains started out in 1837 as one of squatter Andrew Brown’s runs covering 16,000 acres.

The first store was built to provide supplies for shepherds and drovers pushing stock north.

Following the Land Settlement Act of 1861, the Tooraweenah Run was broken up into smaller holdings, which enabled settlers and their families to move into the district.

A turning point in the town’s development came by chance with the unscheduled arrival of famous aviator Arthur Butler, who ran out of fuel on his record-breaking solo flight from England to Australia.

He landed in a paddock and taxied his tiny monoplane up the main street to Garling’s Garage, where he refuelled at the petrol bowser, meeting his future wife in the process.

Arthur felt the village was strategically located for an airport and in 1938 Butler Air Transport was established, complete with terminal, hangar, workshops and a gravel and grass airstrip.

It was the first commercial airstrip west of the Blue Mountains and with it came new possibilities.

Flying De Havilland Dragons, the business commenced an inland airmail and passenger service linking Charleville and Sydney via Cunnamulla, Bourke, Coonamble and Tooraweenah.

Roads and motor cars improved and by the 1950s buses were transporting children to the village school.

Infrastructure expanded to include electricity, bridges and sealed roads but Tooraweenah was in a state of decline as the population moved to larger centres in search of work.

The 100 or so locals remaining are strong in community spirit and have ensured the survival of the quaint historic buildings.

The local show in October and the caravan park both draw in plenty of visitors, but the glue that binds the village together is the 106-year-old Mountain View Hotel.

New owner Ashlee Jenkin has lived in the district all her life and has managed the Gulargambone Bowling Club and pulled beers at the Armatree Hotel.

When the pub opened in 1911, owner John Murray incorporated a branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia and kept the beer cold by putting wheat bags over the kegs.

In 1916, the Kookaburra Recruiting Rally and March commenced in front of the hotel, with many locals signing up to serve.

During the 1960s, the hotel was condemned and the licence suspended. In typical fashion, the locals bought the hotel and had the demolition order revoked so trading could resume.

In 1968, Chips Rafferty graced the pub’s verandah during the filming of The Exterminator, the fifth episode of Woobinda for Channel 9.

Today the pub continues as a meeting place for locals and visitors, especially the cricket team, which has been belting the opposition for six in recent years.

One business recently celebrated its 70th anniversary.

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Geoff and Leila Rohr opened their first business in town in June 1947, starting in a small shop now known as the Red Geranium.

It serviced the needs of the local community along with the other business houses in Tooraweenah at that time.

The business grew slowly, gradually getting big enough to move to the larger building next door, which is still operating today as Tooraweenah Trading Co. The business sold groceries, clothing, straw brooms, woolpacks, fence posts and everything in between. It was what you would call a one-stop shop.

Gilgandra T O W N F E A T U R E

Geoff moved with the times, going out of groceries and concentrating on rural hardware and later building supplies, which is the main focus of the business today.

Over 66 years, Geoff saw his business grow from one small shop in Tooraweenah to five businesses in neighbouring towns.

Geoff died in 2013 at the age of 87.

His son Peter has been in the business since 1985 and oversees the running of all the stores, which employ nearly 50 staff and some casuals.

“We are lucky to be family owned and operated, giving the best possible service to all our valued customers,” he says. CWL

ABOVE: In 1938 Butler Air Transport was established; the village from the air; the local hotel is a popular meeting place for locals; Tooraweenah Trading Co is celebrating its 70th anniversary; the Red Geranium as it stands today; the hotel pictured in 1893.

FACING PAGE: The Mountain View Hotel’s new publican Ashlee Jenkin pours a beer for third generation local Brian Estens; the directors of the Tooraweenah Trading Co, Lester Thurston and Peter Rohr, are proud of their long association with Tooraweenah.

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W I N T E R story name

BUSHRANGER SERIES - part 2

hall of fame

The Central West Region has a rich and fascinating heritage and no more colourful history can be found than in the stories of our bushrangers. Over future issues of the magazine, author and bushranger historian Gregory Powell will guide us along the tracks of the bushrangers, to gain an appreciation for the spirit of the times and to perhaps be inspired to get out and explore the haunts of those wild lawbreakers of our past. In this edition, we head to Forbes to follow the fate of Ben Hall.

Benjamin Hall senior dabbled in stock theft to provide for his large family of eight children in the Hunter Region. When the law closed in he headed west to the Lachlan River district, taking some of his children including young Ben. Benjamin senior returned to the Hunter in 1851, bringing most of his young family back with him, but not young Ben. At 14, he decided to stay on the Lachlan. He probably never saw his parents again.

Ben worked as a stockman on western properties and eventually went into partnership with his brother-in-law John McGuire on a successful property south of Forbes. He married Bridget Walsh in Bathurst in 1856 and they had a son, Henry, in 1859. Ben was a successful supplier of cattle to the goldfields until he came under the influence of bushranger Frank Gardiner.

Eugowra Rocks.

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On April 14, 1862, William Bacon and his drays were on their way to Forbes from Lambing Flat when they were suddenly attacked by Frank Gardiner, assisted by others including Ben Hall.

Ben Hall was arrested at the Wowingragong race track and tried for the incident but was acquitted due to conflicting evidence. He would escape conviction once more before turning to an open life of crime.

Later as a bushranger, Ben Hall often attended the races at Wowingragong. He may have been in attendance in January 1865 when Inspector Pottinger rode in one of the races in the hope of luring the bushrangers out in the open. Pottinger was dismissed from the force because of that race and was accidentally mortally wounded on his way to Sydney to try to clear his name.

A small roadside plaque marks the approximate location of the race-track south of Forbes. Look for the historic plaque indicator on the left just past the right-hand Condobolin turnoff. The small plaque is a short distance in.

On June 15, 1862, Frank Gardiner and seven desperate men were in hiding among the huge granite boulders at Eugowra Rocks, intent on taking the cargo on the gold escort coach travelling from Forbes to Orange.

It was all over in minutes. The four stunned and wounded troopers as well as the driver were able to make their escape while the bushrangers plundered the overturned coach of ÂŁ14,000 in notes and gold. It was only by luck that no one was killed as the gun battle had been extremely fierce.

Back to the Weddin Mountains rode Frank Gardiner, John Gilbert, John O’Meally, Alex Fordyce, John Bow, Henry Manns, Dan Charters and Ben Hall. Their victory would be short-lived, however, as the NSW Police Force was reorganising itself to meet the bushranging menace head on. The new Police Regulation Act, 1862, came into being on March 1 of that year.

Krasovski Dmitri/Mongione/Shutterstock.com

Intentionally damaged portrait of Ben Hall.

story name W I N T E R

The Yamma stool, Forbes Museum.

Eugowra murals.

Forbes Cemetery.

Bushranger TRACKS

Escort Rock is now a declared Ben Hall NSW Heritage Site and is located 4.6km east of Eugowra along Escort Way. There is a roadside picnic area with information board and a walking track through the paddock to the battle site at the Rock.

The Eugowra Historical Museum and Bushranger Centre is also worth a visit but has restricted opening times. The town’s bushranger murals are exceptional.

For the next two years, coaches crossed the Lachlan Plain. The months of March and April 1865 saw the long bushranging war nearing its conclusion. Most of the original Gardiner-Hall gangs were dead or in prison.

The Felon’s Apprehension Act was to be brought against Ben Hall, John Gilbert and John Dunn. If they failed to surrender themselves at Goulburn Gaol by April 29, they would soon after be declared outlaws and could be shot on sight without warning by anyone.

The gang returned to their home terrain around the Forbes area.

On March 25 Gilbert and Dunn robbed Jones’ store in Rankin Street, Forbes, and later in April they raided nearby Yamma station. Horses were taken and as if the impending doom was foreseen, Gilbert carved the names of the three proposed outlaws in a stool for posterity. Time had nearly run out.

In early May 1865, the gang separated temporarily to deal with business, relatives and friends before a possible relocation to Queensland.

The trio had planned to rendezvous on Billabong Creek between Forbes and Bogan Gate. Gilbert and Dunn arrived first and acting on information given by an informer, a police party arrived soon after. Gilbert and Dunn slipped away shortly before Hall arrived, unaware that the police were observing his activities. He camped for the night while the police moved into position and at first light Ben Hall met his fate as the police pounced. While walking to retrieve his horse he was challenged by Sub-Inspector Davidson.

Hall began to run and the police opened fire, cutting him down and ending a long and lawless career. The body was taken to Forbes and buried outside the cemetery.

On May 10, Gilbert and Dunn were officially declared outlaws.

Ben Hall had avoided this designation by five days. Gilbert was shot on May 13 and Dunn was captured on December 26 and later hanged.

Ben Hall’s death site and grave are now declared Ben Hall NSW Heritage Sites. The grave is well marked in Forbes Cemetery in Churchill Street. The death site is marked by a large information sign 25km from Forbes in Ben Hall Road at Yarrangong. It is best to seek directions from the Visitors Centre.

Forbes Historical Museum in Cross Street contains the wellpresented exhibition Ben Hall – The Myths Behind The Legend as well as artefacts such as half of the Yamma stool. The Railway Arts and Visitor Centre in Union Street houses the “Ben Hall Experience” room as well as the Ben Hall Discover the statue. Both have audio-visual historic sites of our wild presentations. CWL Broken Hill

Gregory Powell is the author of www.newhollandpublishers.com

Gregory Powell combines his interests in bushwalking and history to explore historical and scenic regions on foot. He is the author of books exploring the Snowy Mountains, the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley and has published four bushranger locality books.

Greg was a founding member of Hunter Bushrangers (formerly Rovent Historical Re-enactments), a living history group formed in 1969 which performed at public events all over the state until 2009.

Bushranger Tracks, published by History / Travel

Ben Hall's death site at dawn.

New Holland in 2016.

Gregory Powell

Read about the Ned Kelly gang, Captain Starlight, Ben Hall and many other bushrangers of our colonial past.

With a keen imagination, the historic locations can transport the modern explorer back to the wild days of the early settlement when gold glittered, guns blazed, and men and women struggled.

Bushranger Tracks is the result of Gregory Powell’s continuing passion for Australian history and, in particular, the bushranger era. This is possibly the most extensive book detailing bushranger sites ever published.

Bonshaw

Enngonia

Tenterfield

Bushranger Moree

Collarenebri

Millie

Walgett

Brewarrina

Bourke

g rlin Da

Inverell

Namo i

Gundabooka National Park

Newton Boyd

Ollera

Narrabri

Boggabri

Quambone

Gunnedah

Manila

Carroll

Nyngan

Tamworth

Quirindi

Breelong

Murrurundi

Coffs Harbour

Armidale Uralla

Bendemeer

Blandford

Port Macquarie

TRACKS Narromine

Merriwa Ulan Gulgong

Dubbo

Wellington

N E W

Parkes

Barrington Tops

Wollombi Orange Bathurst Blayney Hartley Cowra Carcoar Blaxland Jenolan Caves SYDNEY Bigga Abercrombie Caves Bringelly Thalaba Binda Bargo Wombat Narrawa Wallendbeen Wollongong Goulburn Mittagong Wingello Yass Gunning Wantabadgery Collector Gundaroo

Mossgiel

S O U T H

Scone

Forbes

Wingham Gloucester

Dungog Stroud Mudgee Singleton Paterson Rylstone Maitland

Kandos

Newcastle

Eugowra Canowindra

Mt Wheogo

Lach

Grabine W A L E S Grenfell Koorawatha

la n

Griffith

Temora

Leeton

M ur ra y

Jerilderie

Deniliquin

Young

Narrandera Junee Wagga Wagga Lockhart

Walla Walla

Inglewood

Bendigo

Castlemaine Ballarat

Heathcote

Wooragee Beechworth Glenrowan Benalla Greta Euroa Whitfield Avenel Stringybark Creek Mansfield

A.C.T.

Tumbarumba

colon ial past Peechelba Wangaratta

Buninyong

Bungendore

Kyeamba

Henty

Braidwood Majors Creek Mudmelong Batemans Bay Krawarree Jinden Nerrigundah Cooma

Mt Kosciuszko

V I C T O R I A Wallan

Egerton

Hurstbridge MELBOURNE

Bairnsdale

Geelong Cape Schanck

Gregory Powell

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W I N T E R story name

farming’s young gun The fertile soils of Mandurama provide for an array of successful farming operations, none more progressive than that owned and managed by Stuart Tait and his family.

Nearing 40 years on the family farm, the Taits currently run 1500 head of Angus cattle on their 1600-hectare property “Ridge End”, including 600 breeders and 700 head of trade stock.

In the past few years, like most who have realised the reward in diversification, they’ve also included cropping on the farm agenda.

And like many who have seen the benefit of utilising fresh young minds in agricultural enterprises, they’ve relished having Stuart back home to oversee things on the farm.

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Following the completion of his secondary schooling as a boarder at Kinross Wolaroi in Orange, Stuart spent a year working as a jackaroo on Mardie station in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

He returned home a changed young man, and decided to bite the bullet and head down to Marcus Oldham with some school friends to study Farm Management.

Lured by the prospect of practical experience, and in his own words “keen on dirt and tractors, rather than economics”, Stuart thrived during his time at the ag college.

story name W I N T E R

“I loved my time at Marcus. The business management and decision making skills I gained there have stuck with me for good, and it was great to be around like-minded people with a love for ag,” he says.

“It wasn’t uncommon for a group of mates and me to grab a six-pack of beer a couple of times a week and sit around to talk about farming in the evenings, because learning about it all day long just wasn’t enough.”

Stuart spent his final year studying at Lincoln University on New Zealand’s South Island, and working on a high-country station three days a week in exchange for rent, allowing him to ski and play football.

Not long after his study adventure ended, Stuart asked the burning question of his parents.

“I’ll be home by next Christmas – can you give me 12 months?”

With no qualms from his family, who knew he’d return having had more than a handful of character-building experiences, he headed to Northern Australia.

A five-month stint working on a dozen different cattle stations across the north saw him bull-catching in the Kimberley and buffalo-wrangling in Arnhem Land, followed by a wheat harvest back at Gilgandra, Stuart returned to Ridge End in November 2014.

“Somewhere between New Zealand and Arnhem Land I worked out that farming was what I wanted to do,” Stuart says.

“The land around Mandurama is some of the most fertile and productive in the region, with a climate well suited to growing grass, so we’re incredibly lucky.

“My true passion lies in growing the best crops and pastures we can, and seeing the results from putting cattle on it is satisfying.

“A mix of livestock production and cropping has worked well for us, creating a more stable business, which can better ride out fluctuations in different markets.”

As of January this year, Stuart is a director of the farming enterprise, a title he takes very seriously.

“I’m grateful for the large degree of responsibility my parents have given me to run the farming operation. They’ve made me feel incredibly welcome, and we’ve been able to work well as a team,” he says.

“Something I’m really looking forward to is working out how we can drive our productivity by re-evaluating our systems, and being more flexible with our variable climate.

“Like any other farmers though, we’re constantly learning, and we’re always open to considering new ways to improve our operations.”

Stuart’s agricultural ambitions haven’t gone unnoticed. He was awarded a 2017 Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship, which will allow him to travel overseas to research his study topic, based around integrated beef and cropping systems.

In March last year, Stuart also established a farm discussion group that he chairs, for young farmers in the ManduramaBlayney district.

“The group is a good social outlet for farmers in the region – we get together once every second month to share our ideas to help better our businesses.

“It’s not about pushing agendas, rather it’s about collaborating and seeing things from a different perspective.”

It’s hard to look past Stuart Tait for confirmation that agriculture in Australia is indeed in good hands. CWL Words: Anna Tickle Images: Stuart Tait

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TEMORA AMBULANCE MUSEUM Showcasing the heritage of the Ambulance Service in Australia

A feature exhibition of the TEMORA RURAL MUSEUM A beautifully presented showcase of Australia’s changing country lifestyle Other highlights: Sir Donald Bradman’s First Home, Temora Rock & Mineral Museum, Willo’s Wiradjuri Keeping Place, A working collection of tractors & stationary engines

Hoskins St, Temora, Ph: (02) 6978 0020 Main St, West Wyalong, Ph: (02) 6972 1777 Sherriff St, Forbes, Ph: (02) 6852 3257

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Open 7 days: 9-30am to 5-00pm Group bookings welcome | Catering available Annual Exhibition 2nd Saturday of March each year 29 Junee Rd., TEMORA | Tel. 02 69 801 224 Email: ruralmuseum@temora.nsw.gov.au

MUSIC • FOOD • ADRENALINE SPORT • HERITAGE • CULTURE

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Saturday brunches during Summer.

SIGN UP TO OUR MONTHLY ‘WHAT’S ON’ GUIDE WWW.TEMORA.COM.AU CWL 131

A BRIGHT FUTURE Dubbo Christian School is proudly encouraging and empowering its students to realise their unique potential.

This year marks 30 years since Dubbo Christian School moved to its current location in Sheraton Road, Dubbo. Having commenced operation in 1983 in borrowed premises at the former St Mary’s School in North Dubbo, the school has grown from 44 students and two staff members to a teaching and learning community of 570 students and almost 80 staff.

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Set in beautiful grounds, the school has expanded in recent years to include a pre-Kindergarten program for three- and four-year-olds (pebbles and PREP), Pumula Lodge Boarding Hostel for high school students as well as management of Wellington Christian School, a K-6 school on the banks of the beautiful Bell River just 30 minutes along the highway towards Sydney.

Dubbo Christian School’s mission from the beginning has been to provide high quality schooling that is Bible-based and Christcentred, partnering with parents in the nurture and development of the children entrusted to our care. A dynamic Christian learning environment exists, where all work together to engage and motivate students as all strive to fulfil their unique potential.

Since 2015, we have managed Pumula Lodge, which has opened the opportunity for students in Years 7-12 who live in rural or remote areas to access the great education available at DCS by boarding through the school week. Students travel home to be with their family each weekend. With full-time house parents, supervised outings, allocated study time, pastoral and academic support, all meals as well as transport to and from Dubbo Christian School, many families from places such as Quambone, Coonamble, Gulargambone, Binnaway, Nyngan and Warren and beyond appreciate the home away from home atmosphere that Pumula Lodge provides. Boarding capacity is limited to 16 students.

At school, boarding is overseen by the Deputy Principal and our on-site Boarding Coordinator.

education W I N T E R

Dubbo Christian School is a thriving, well-resourced educational facility. With an 800-seat auditorium, library resource centre and gymnasium, computer labs and other specialty learning areas, a strong academic, sport, creative arts and cultural program provides a well-rounded and enriching schooling experience from pre-school right through to the HSC. The recent purchase of extra land will allow for future expansion.

Our brand new uniform shop is now operational, as are our designated school psychologist, careers and IT spaces. A recent carpark upgrade is now complete and additions to the Science Block as well as to the pebbles PREP area have been planned.

DCS has a positive, caring school culture that flows out of a commitment to Christ. Our school is about partnering with parents to prepare students for life now and after school through academic preparation, service, faith and character.

Picture your family as part of the great Dubbo Christian School learning community – call the Registrar, Sharon Simons, on (02) 6882 0044 (ext 153) if you need more information or would like to take a look around our school or boarding facility. CWL Images: Wendy Merrick Photography & Ben Adams

FACING PAGE: A warm welcome awaits your child at Dubbo Christian School; an 800-seat auditorium hosts a weekly whole-school assembly.

RIGHT: Excellent facilities and beautiful grounds are a feature of Dubbo Christian School; five-day home-style boarding is available for Year 7 and over.

A PRE-SCHOOL, A PRIMARY SCHOOL, A SECONDARY SCHOOL AND A BOARDING SCHOOL ALL IN ONE! Dubbo Christian School was established in 1983 and offers Bible-based and Christ centred schooling for children from 3 years of age to Year 12. Five-day boarding is also now available for students in Years 7-12 from rural and remote areas.

Call us today to see why DCS would be a great choice for YOUR family.

DUBBO CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 141 Sheraton Road PO Box 1216 Dubbo NSW 2830 enrolments@dubbocs.edu.au | www.dubbocs.edu.au | 6882 0044

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Co-Educational

l

Independent

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Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12

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Boarding from Year 7

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For more information call 6331 3911 or admin@saints.nsw.edu.au

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All Saints’ College Bathurst

Eglinton Road Bathurst NSW 2795 Telephone +61 2 6331 3911 Email admin@saints.nsw.edu.au www.saints.nsw.edu.au

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Retirement is a journey, not a destination Needs and wants change as the years go by and we grow older, but needing to move into a retirement village does not mean it’s the end. Retirement is just the next chapter in life and it can be extremely fulfilling.

For a long time, retirement villages have wrongly been associated with aged care or nursing home facilities, when in fact they offer and proactively encourage people to live independently.

As we age our family homes sometimes don’t suit our changing needs and that is where smart design, convenient locations and the no-maintenance environment that retirement villages offer become an appealing choice.

Oak Tree recognises that today’s retirees are looking for a smaller house located within their home town. That is why each Oak Tree village is close to all community and medical facilities. Couple this with the security of gated communities and recreational facilities that residents can use at their leisure, and retirement village living moves away from the notion of being aged care. From experience, the Oak Tree Retirement Group can attest that you don’t stop living when you move into a retirement village – life just gets easier.

With a strong regional focus when selecting the location of its villages, the Oak Tree Group is expanding throughout the Central West with new communities in Dubbo and Mudgee, allowing seniors to retire peacefully in the towns they feel the most comfortable in.

More than a third of the population in regional NSW including the Central West is over the age of 65. This highlights the need for affordable and accessible housing options for retirees in rural areas.

For many to attain an improved lifestyle, communal living represents the most cost-effective option. Downsizing to a village in many cases releases cash for residents to invest and live on while enjoying a maintenance-free lifestyle.

Another benefit of retirement living at Oak Tree is that each home has been thoughtfully designed with the future in mind.

General maintenance and repairs are organised by a Village Manager who oversees all aspects of the Village operations. The maintenance costs are shared by the residents in the form of a low weekly fee. The fee covers all operating costs including council rates, water, building insurance and recreational facilities.

fay’s story Since becoming Oak Tree Armidale’s second resident, Fay Cluley has a new lease on life. Her family believes Oak Tree is a good fit for everyone.

Married for 58 years, Fay was the full-time carer for her late husband Bert and after his passing decided to move into a smaller residence with little or no maintenance, finding Oak Tree hit the mark.

“She wanted somewhere she could feel safe and secure." Fay's daughter Gail says.

“Since moving into Oak Tree Mum is regaining her independence and her zest for life. The new property has no maintenance issues and she is very comfortable and secure."

The village may only be in its early stages but the first 20 villas are sold and soon more residents will join Fay in the village.

“We feel more relaxed that Mum is living in a safe and secure environment,” Gail says.

“Not having to pay stamp duty has been a big saving and the purchase price is very reasonable in today’s property market.

Mum is starting to socialise again after being a full-time carer for Dad; she has more energy and is very positive about her future.

“The transition to relocate to Oak Tree was made so easy and we are so happy for Mum." CWL For more information about Oak Tree Retirement Villages please phone 1300 367 155.

FACING PAGE: Oak Tree Armidale resident Fay Cluley.

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wellbeing W I N T E R

“After my husband passed, my children encouraged me to downsize to a home which would be more manageable.

We looked around at different villages and I decided I liked Oak Tree best – it’s perfect.”

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We stock a wide range of designer optical frames and sunglasses for adults and children.

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wellbeing W I N T E R

collective action

The Central West is being treated to a positively integrated healthcare service.

Macquarie Health Collective is embarking on a new and exciting chapter following the move into a new property at 165 Brisbane Street, Dubbo.

The transition marks an expansion of the existing multidisciplinary framework for which the collective is well-known.

Operating out of Dubbo, Narromine and Peak Hill, and with support services in Warren, Trangie, Wellington and Gilgandra, the collective is a far-reaching collaboration founded by director and psychologist Tanya Forster.

Tanya is looking forward to building the range of health services available to individuals and families in the Central West.

“It’s an exciting time for Macquarie Health Collective, with a new, bigger space that offers better functionality and a greater number of rooms that are purpose-built for each of our disciplines,” Tanya says.

The collective has two new team members, psychologist Bianca Smith and dietitian/exercise physiologist Mel Matheson, who will add considerably to the existing services of psychology, occupational therapy and speech pathology.

“Working collaboratively has been a really positive approach for healthcare in our region, and Macquarie Health Collective will continue to provide a wonderful, integrated service for the Central West,” Tanya says.

Words: Anna Tickle Images: Clancy Job

ABOVE: The Macquarie Health Collective team: Tanya Forster, Karen Wallace, Hannah Jeffery, Charlotte Grey, Mel Matheson and Bianca Smith.

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SMILES ALL ROUND A genuine affection for people and a commitment to excellence are the driving forces behind the success of husband and wife dentists Dr Amjad Aghdaei and Dr Antonia Lalousis.

The metropolitan-raised proprietors of Dubbo Family Dentists have never regretted their decision to relocate to regional NSW. They love the relaxed way of life in Dubbo, the pleasure of walking to work, and the opportunity to build strong relationships with patients from many outlying areas.

Antonia, from Brisbane, and Amjad, from Wollongong, met at a medicine versus dentistry rugby match while undertaking their dentistry degrees at the University of Sydney.

Amjad, who completed his studies one year prior to Antonia, made a move to Dubbo that was to be a long-term decision for them both.

It was a special move for Antonia, whose family made Dubbo home when they migrated to Australia from Greece some 60 to 70 years ago.

“Coming to Dubbo was quite a sentimental journey for me,” she says.

“My grandparents had a supermarket in South Dubbo and over time family members eventually relocated to Brisbane.

“There was always a lot of talk about Dubbo when I was growing up.”

Amjad and Antonia consider regional NSW an easy place to live, saying “Dubbo is all we could wish for and more”.

Amjad and Antonia are committed to providing the best dental care for Dubbo and greater western NSW.

“Our aim is to help with everything from general and preventative dentistry to cosmetic dentistry and everything in between.”

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wellbeing W I N T E R

“We are very family focused,” Antonia says. “For us, the patient always comes first. That is why we open on Saturdays and offer an after-hours emergency service.”

The couple are especially happy with their collaboration and complement each other perfectly as dentists and business partners.

They have a particular interest in state-of-the-art equipment, including intraoral cameras. They also use a highly specialised computer-aided CADCAM for the design and creation of dental restorations.

Dubbo Family Dentists’ patients also benefit from overhead televisions and Netflix programs in each well-equipped surgery.

“We want people coming to see us to feel comfortable and relaxed,” Antonia says.

“Our aim is to help with everything from general and preventative dentistry to cosmetic dentistry and everything in between.”

Amjad and Antonia have purchased a home in Dubbo where they enjoy gardening, cooking and the company of their dogs, Toledo and Sintra.

The couple are expecting their first child in August. CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Elizabeth Tickle

Level 1, 282 Macquarie St Dubbo

FACING PAGE: Dr Amjad Aghdaei and Dr Antonia Lalousis with their beloved labradoodles.

ABOVE: The team at Dubbo Family Dentists: Dr Amjad Aghdaei, Dr Antonia Lalousis, Rebecca Smith, Bernadette Kent and Dr Maher Farag.

6882 5444

www.dubbofamilydentists.com.au CWL 141

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dining W I N T E R

full of beans It’s a Wynne-win situation for this café owner and the coffee lovers of Dubbo.

Greg Wynne isn’t your average Coffee Club franchisee.

With 30 years’ experience as a project surveyor in Australia and overseas, he certainly doesn’t fit the typical mould of a hospitality professional. Nevertheless, he’s made it his business to give the people of Dubbo the ultimate food and coffee experience. And if the bustling Coffee Club Dubbo is anything to go by, he’s doing a mighty fine job.

Greg returned to his hometown of Dubbo seeking a tree change from his former city lifestyle in Brisbane, where he worked in a high-pressure role for a construction surveying company.

“I really enjoyed working as a project surveyor, and was lucky enough to work on some incredible projects like the Lane Cove Tunnel, and travel overseas to Vancouver and London,” Greg says.

“I also spent eight years of country surveying with my brother-in-law, Graeme Astley, who established Imrie, Astley & Associates, Dubbo, in 1983.

“It’s certainly been an interesting and rewarding career.”

By the end of 2014, Greg felt it was time for a lifestyle change, and chose to open his own café in the newly developed section within Orana Mall in September 2015.

“The Coffee Club is a highly professional franchise that I frequented during my time in Queensland, where they are more widespread,” Greg says.

“My goal was to provide a welcoming, open venue where anybody can sit down, grab a paper and enjoy a nice big breakfast at any time of day.

“Today, we offer a huge variety of delicious meals, coffees and drinks in a pleasant and convenient setting, right near the carpark at Orana Mall.”

Greg says the decision to return to the Central West was perfect for him, allowing him to spend more time with family, and build on hobbies like racehorse breeding and kayaking.

“You can’t beat the country lifestyle. I’m looking forward to a great year of developing the business and doing more of the things I enjoy.” CWL Words: Anna Tickle Images: Elizabeth Tickle

ABOVE: Greg Wynne at the counter of his cafe; a selection of tempting desserts.

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sustained

beauty

In an unforgiving climate with limited access to water – the stock take priority over gardens – how does a landscape architect plan and design a garden when they are both designer and client? The answer at “Arramagong West” is patience, persuasion, persistence and a whole lot of determination on the part of Catriona and John Glanville.

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gardens W I N T E R

“Arramagong West” near Grenfell has colourful early settler history, dating back to 1839 when emancipated convict Patrick O’Meally took up a lease and farmed here, raising a family including son John, who later joined bushranger Ben Hall’s gang.

The Weddin Mountain Inn was built, and later burnt by police in 1863 to dislodge “harbourers” of bushrangers. In 1910 Thomas Blaney built the current Edwardian-style house, sited between three creeks – the Tyagong, Emu and Burrangong. Situated down by a creek on the western end of the property, the house and garden are exposed to frost and westerly winds though have never been touched by floods.

Early photos indicate Thomas Blaney planted palms and the major trees around the house in 1910, including the stately date palms (Phoenix), towering fan palms (Washingtonia), handsome Chilean wine palm (Butia capitata) and now enormous Bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii), which sits proudly outside the house boundary.

John Glanville's family bought Arramagong in 1973, and Catriona says her mother-in-law has gardened here since then, but the layout of the garden remained as it had for years with little change as farm work and raising a family took priority. >

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Stately date palms mark the passage of time in this well designed garden; a long view of the front garden – gravel pathways wind among colour filled garden beds, punctuated by a grand Chilean wine palm; blush pink ‘Pierre De Ronsard’ roses with blue and mauve perennials in a well mulched bed; densely planted hedging, pretty apricot toned roses combined with perennials; Landscape Architect Catriona Glanville.

FACING PAGE : Rich indigo hues of Salvia ‘Nemerosa’ with statice and a pair of mature ‘Swanes Golden’ pencil cypress flank the side pathway.

“Th o m a s Bl an e y pl anted palm s an d th e m ajo r trees aro un d th e h o u se in 1910.”

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“I h a v e d e s i g n e d th i s i n b i t s a n d p i e c e s , a s s p a c e , f i n a n c e s a n d re s o u rc e s h a v e b e c o m e a v a i l a b l e .”

In 2006, Catriona and John moved into the homestead from a cottage on the property, and in 2007 commenced the long journey of recreating a garden as six years of drought had taken its toll.

Catriona seized the opportunity to redesign more sustainably using her expertise and knowledge as a landscape architect, designing the garden in stages, measuring and marking out areas before digging began.

“I had a clear vision, but it has taken a long while to see it come to reality,” she says.

“Every part of this garden is designed, but not like I’d design for a client where it would normally be done all at once. I have designed this in bits and pieces, as space, finances and resources have become available.”

This garden is designed to be appreciated from within the house, and to open up and maximise the long view from the house towards the Weddin Mountains to the north.

“In summer it’s simply too hot to spend time in the garden, other than watering, so the views out from the house windows are important.”

The garden has been built in stages during the cooler months of the year – a sensible approach as the water requirements of new plantings were easier to manage and allowed young plants to establish their roots before the really hot weather arrived.

The eastern side of the garden is the most protected, and here roses, hedges and pretty pink and purple perennials create a lovely picture in a semi-formal parterre style garden.

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Decomposed granite pathways, edged with bricks, designed around the existing stately palm trees add an all-important structural element to the garden. Off the pathways, generous garden beds are filled with a selection of dry tolerant perennials, low shrubs and ornamental grasses. Strap leaf plants like Beshornaria, gladiolus and Watsonia provide contrast among the plantings. The design incorporates only two small areas of lawn, where Catriona has used a native Zoysia turf called ‘Nara’, which has very low water requirements and remains green most of the year.

On the western side of the garden there’s a tree avenue with Manchurian pears. An open area has been designed as a dry gravel garden featuring three different kinds of gravel as ground cover, with a raised mound and clumps of perennial grasses. It has a very modern, contemporary feel, offers visual contrast to the rest of the garden, and under the “folly” (a wrought iron arbor designed by Catriona) is a nice spot to sit in the late afternoon.

The topsoil in the garden is varied, with heavy clay underneath.

Catriona and John’s strategy has been to incorporate organics sourced from the farm such as composted sheep manure shovelled from under the shearing shed and lucerne or pea straw to enrich the soil. This and thick straw equals “good soil preparation that will stay with you, and allows water to penetrate”, recommends Catriona.

John and Catriona have done most of the work themselves with the exception of brick edging and steel-edged paths. Two palms have stone edges reused from the original garden. Decomposed granite for the paths was sourced from the hill. John milled

gardens W I N T E R

Arramagong pine for the verandah boards, and built the new garden fence to the north, where Catriona designed and commissioned new gates to suit.

“I water to keep things alive, not for lush growth,” says qualified horticulturalist Catriona.

Plants have to be super tough to survive here on minimal watering, so selections include predominantly but not exclusively Mediterranean plants. Hedges provide protection and structure within the garden. Top hedging selections include aromatic rosemary, hardy Japanese box (Buxus microphylla var microphylla), sweetly perfumed silverberry (Eleagnus x ebbingei), dwarf myrtle (Myrtus communis ‘Compacta’), spindle tree (Euonymus), pink diosma, silvery cotton lavender (Santolina), bay (Lauris nobilis) and winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima).

Perennial plants are an important element in the garden – selected for hardiness, sun and drought tolerance. Low-spreading growth habit, varying foliage colours and textures make great plants, even before they put on a brilliant, long-lasting floral display. Most die down or are pruned with the hedge trimmer in winter, bouncing back to fill the spaces as the warmer spring weather arrives. Among Catriona’s favourite peformers are pink statice (Limonium peregrinum), yellow Jerusalem sage (Phlomis), Savia especially ‘Nemerosa’ , silver foliaged Artemesia, emerald green Euphorbia wulfenii, spreading Teucrium betonicum, yarrow (Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’), blue beard (Caryopteris ‘Heavenly Blue’) and tall catmint Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’.

“I tend to experiment a lot in the garden and try different plants. If they die, they make room for something new or different.

Generally I like a riot of colour and find stronger colours hold better in the heat,” Catriona says.

Looking across the palette the only colour lacking is bright orange – which appears in summer.

“There isn’t a lot of shade here, so paler roses bleach in the heat.

Stronger pinks look lovely and there’s predominantly red in the view from our bedroom window to complement the interior.”

The wide verandahs surrounding the house are a wonderful spot to sit and drink in the garden’s delights and the vistas beyond.

However we get the feeling there won’t be much sitting – unless it’s at the drawing board – as plans for this garden include a studio office, a new vegie garden and a propagation area so Catriona can produce her own plants. CWL Words: Elizabeth Swane Images: Robert Bruce

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Fenced for protection from wandering stock, the garden has several welcoming entry gates; a deep blue arbor over the back gate sits well with pretty pink roses, blue, mauve and silver perennials; this semi-formal parterre with low hedges is a lovely space to sit and admire the garden and the views beyond; deep ruby pink rose ‘Manou Meilland’ and rich indigo Savia ‘Nemerosa’ alongside the parterre hedging; a rich tapestry of colour and texture with a backdrop of the Weddin mountains.

FACING PAGE: The western side features a contemporary dry garden design incorporating gravel surfaces and strappy leafed border plantings.

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Perennialle Plants in Canowindra is a unique nursery offering a rare collection of frost and drought tolerant shrubs, perennials, and other garden plants.

Alongside the nursery, the inspirational garden is a delight to visit and showcases the plants offered for sale.

The garden is designed to display the plants through the seasons and changes throughout the year.

The gorgeous garden shop stocks high quality garden tools, giftware and designer homewares; all sourced for their beauty and practicality.

The nursery, garden and shop are open Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and at other times by appointment.

Perennialle Plants is also an online nursery. The website, www.perennialle.com.au offers plants and garden tools for mail order delivery. Plants are carefully packaged and posted weekly.

52 Rodd St, Canowindra NSW

p: 0427 077 798

e: plants@perennialle.com.au CWL 149

a VIEW to the FUTURE Geoff Hull and Terri Jorgensen have created an inspiring and tranquil garden that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

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gardens W I N T E R

Home for Geoff Hull and Terri Jorgensen for the past 33 years has been “Hill View�, East Guyong. The circa 1895 colonial bluestone house sits 950 metres above sea level, with views eastwards to Bathurst and Mt Canobolas in the west.

Originally just four rooms, over the three decades the couple have sympathetically added to the original house to make it a beautiful and liveable country home. Deep, wide verandahs surround the house and an elegant light-filled conservatory brings the outdoors inside year round.

On the site of a former mixed orchard, the 11-hectare (32-acre) property was planted with pears, apples, plums, almonds and walnut trees between the 1940s until industry rationalisation saw most of the fruit trees removed in the 1970s. Fortunately, some of the mature walnut trees were preserved, and these form a huge canopy of summer shade and wind protection on the southern side of the house. Remnant almond trees can be seen among the avenue of established trees lining the driveway. Other mature trees including oak, ash, Ginko, hawthorn and a gnarled olive reflect 150 years of settler occupancy at Hill View. >

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The elegant reflection pond under a wisteria and rose archway; Geoff and Terri with their daughter Sophia and granddaughter Florence in the parterre garden; a combination of open lawns, trees and semi formal gardens creates tranquility; established trees lining the driveway include a stunning cerise hawthorn; paved brick pathways invite exploration; a light filled conservatory overlooks a semi formal garden; roses feature on arbors and ‘Clair MatinĘź against a wall.

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gardens W I N T E R

The two-acre (.81-hectare) garden has developed over the years, and Geoff and Terri’s design has been based around how the family wanted to use and enjoy the garden. Practicalities, like screens to the south and hedges in the west to offer a protection zone from the blustery winds, and open lawn areas for play are well considered.

The result is a very well-proportioned garden with a mix of formal areas surrounding the house and more relaxed outer zones that create natural charm and invite exploration by young and old alike.

Taking inspiration from renowned Australian garden designers, there’s a touch of Edna Walling about the stone walls, level changes and rambling roses dripping their blooms from arbors above.

To the side of the house there are influences from more formal designers such as Paul Bangay with trimmed green hedges, wide stone steps, rock walling and a gravel detention basin. But this isn’t just about looking good, there’s functionality, as the rock walling is used to create different levels, the tall trimmed Leyland cypress hedge offers wind protection, and the gravel detention basin channels water away from a low point near the house.

Just beyond the gardens wrapped around the house, the sound of tinkling water draws visitors to the elegant reflection pond under a rose and wisteria covered archway. Edged with large pots filled with flowering hydrangeas, this part of the garden has a formal European influence. There’s a heady fragrance wafting from the wisteria blossoms cascading from the arches and strappy foliaged Louisiana irises decorate the pond. Cheeky self-seeded foxgloves popping up through the surrounding pathways, and violets naturalising in the gravel hint at nature constantly challenging a gardener’s desire for order.

Stone flagging and brick pathways radiate from the wide verandah, leading through garden beds filled with roses, flowering shrubs, lovely perennials and drifts of annuals like honesty (Lunaria). Here and there are arbors to walk under smothered in climbing and rambling roses such as coppery pink ‘Albertine’, creamy blush ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’ , coral pink ‘Lorraine Lee’ and pure rose pink ‘Constance Spry’. During spring, flowering shrubs including mock-orange (Philadelphus) and headily fragrant lilac mingle with the roses in these soft and pretty garden beds.

Silvery-grey foliaged plants such as germander (Teucrium), French lavender and ground cover lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) add color contrast and texture among the shrubbery.

From the newly renovated kitchen there’s a view out to a parterre garden with low English box and Lonicera hedging, crunchy gravel pathways, an elegant teak bench and a central feature urn planted with ‘Silver Waves’ succulents. Accessed either via an arched hedge or garden pathways, the parterre is protected from the wind by surrounding taller hedges, and deciduous trees offer dappled shade in summer and allow the sun to penetrate during the colder winter months.

Further away from the house, adjacent to the old timber out buildings, is a fenced vegetable patch edged with aromatic Rosemary Tuscan Blue. A lean-to houses the chickens.

The garden has no irrigation system, so relies mostly on rain water. Dam water pumped via a windmill up to two holding tanks can be run down into the garden. CWL visited during the 2015 Millthorpe Garden Ramble when the whole area was lush and green in response to plentiful early spring rainfall. “It’s been a great year for gardens,” Geoff said at the time.

Although now well established, a lot of hard work has been undertaken by Geoff and Terri to create this beautiful garden.

As Terri says, “You can’t buy a garden, you have to make it yourself!”

Together they have constructed all the rock walls, done all the paving and stone flagging, planted the hedges, and removed trees when wind and wet feet took a toll on six large trees and three massive gums. Stringy bark poles used to construct the rose arbor were part

“ Yo u c a n’ t b u y a g a rd e n , y o u h a v e to m a k e i t y o u r s e lf.”

of the old roof from the original house. The well proportioned arches over the pond were welded on site, and fences have been moved and repositioned as the garden outgrew its boundaries.

Now semi-retired, Geoff spends some time in the garden most days and enjoys the changing seasons. Autumn is his favourite time, when the climate is softer and there’s a more restful feel within the garden. During winter, the garden’s structural elements are clearly defined among the bare trees, and the hedges look amazing with a dusting of snow.

When their four children (Alexander, Sophia, Oscar and Arabella) were younger, the garden was a wonderful playground with cubby houses and swings, plenty of places to play hide and seek, hunt treasure and explore. Now the children have all grown and left home, it’s lovely to see their daughter Sophia return to visit with their first grandchild, Florence, cradled in her arms. Another generation will enjoy this wonderful tranquil garden, as this is a place of inspiration and is filled with joy and hope for the future.

The annual Millthorpe Garden Ramble is on November 4 and 5 and showcases gardens in Millthorpe and surrounds. CWL For information go to: www.millthorpevillage.com.au.

Words: Elizabeth Swane Images: Robert Bruce

ABOVE FROM TOP LEFT: A timber stile for access to outer paddocks; Australian Bred ‘Lorraine Lee’ rose; the fenced vegetable patch has raised timber beds and a protective hedge of ‘Tuscan Blue’ rosemary; scented wisteria blooms drip from archways in spring.

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W I N T E R style

hide and chic Ewe Two on Dandaloo is at the forefront of fashion.

With a collection of cowhide, clothing and accessories any woman would envy, Ewe Two on Dandaloo is quickly becoming known as Trangie’s must-see fashion stopover.

Every season’s range looks a little different to the last, and store owner Trish Phillips likes keeping things fresh and on-trend all year round.

“We pride ourselves on having a fantastic array of unique products for all ages,” Trish says.

“Cowhide has been an incredibly big seller for us over the past 12 months, and it seems to only be growing more rapidly in popularity.

“From cowhide furniture like ottomans and armchairs, to floor rugs, right through to handbags, clutches, earrings and even cases for smartphones and tablets, our assortment of cowhide products is only limited to our imagination.”

With plenty of colour and pattern, striking cowhide makes a perfect statement piece for any outfit, if the demand is anything to go by.

Ewe Two enjoys a strong social media presence, with many of their customers engaging with the store via their Facebook page and Instagram feed.

“We’ve certainly focused on the late teens/early 20s demographic with our clothing and accessories range, while still carrying classic labels for the mature age group,” Trish says.

“We have developed a small garden centre next to the shop, which stocks a growing range of outdoor furniture and fountains. It’s a nice addition to the existing store.

“Our customers love all the well-known brands like Glasshouse candles, Sybella jewellery and our Pukara Estate condiment range, and it’s a great place to shop if you’re looking for a perfect gift.”

Trish has enjoyed her new journey, having taken on the store from previous owner Julie McAnally in February 2016, who started the business back in 2003. Today, they enjoy working together and travel to trade fairs in Sydney and Melbourne to remain at the forefront of fashion and style.

Take a look at the Ewe Two on Dandaloo Facebook page for a sneak peak of some of their gorgeous products. CWL Words: Anna Tickle

ABOVE: Trish Phillips and Julie McAnally.

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Suzie Hope Designs Australia’s original and best quality made to measure padded ironing board covers.

Enjoy the ease and comfort of using the best fitting and most durable, washable and attractive padded ironing board covers and ironing accessories.

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www.rickfirmansmenswear.com.au CWL 157

W I N T E R home & style

picture perfect

Artwork makes for a magnificent hero piece, and can be a solid investment.

Art can provide a dramatic focus in any room – the larger the better. Artwork is a beautiful design element that can be enjoyed forever and it has the ability to make you feel many different emotions.

Image: Kirsten Jackson, Artist

DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS

Statement pendants really can bring the wow factor and have the potential to transform a room.

PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE A hero piece is an investment but it needn’t break the bank to take the limelight. Choose wisely, and you’ll have a statement piece of furniture that you’ll love forever.

It’s a great idea to select the hero piece and then design a living, dining room or bedroom around it to ensure that all other elements in the room complement it. The hero piece should provide inspiration and help determine the style of the room.

Other examples of hero pieces include a great rug, pendant light or unique sideboard. Once you have purchased and placed your hero piece, you can build your overall design from this starting point.

Take the opportunity to use the colours in the artwork or rug and build the room to complement. When styling a room in your home, often the challenge is getting the proportions right.

It is important when styling the spaces in your home to personalise them and to decorate with what you love.

Words: Xanthie Kerin

WHAT LIES BENEATH

A beautiful rug is a must have. You can use a rug to anchor furniture in a room and to add a touch of softness. Image: Kirsten Jackson

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Pendant light/Diplomedia/Shutterstock.com

Let your imagination run wild with simple ideas to give your styling an edge.

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W I N T E R home & style

Handy Household Hints WITH HAYLEY MAUDSLEY

bedtime glory

USE YOUR NOODLE

As winter approaches, you may be starting to bring out the flannelette sheets.

To minimise the pilling that commonly occurs with this particular type of bedding, when washing them, fill the fabric softener section in your washing machine with pure white vinegar. This will soften and reduce the amount of pilling.

Boots are out, polished and ready to wear this winter. To keep them upright and in shape when not in use, a pool noodle is very effective. Simply cut the pool noodle carefully with a sharp knife to fit inside the boot. It will stand tall immediately and will also be inconspicuous hidden inside.

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,

for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:

it is the time for home.”

-Edith Sitwell

fair and square

IN THE CLEAR If you live in a cold climate, you may suffer from your car windscreen fogging up or having ice on it from time to time. Keep a small cloth bag of salt in your car glove box, and when the windscreen is wet from the cold, just rub the cloth bag over the windscreen and/ or the other windows. Then the next time you go out to your car, the windows won’t be covered with ice.

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1. Take the fitted sheet and put your fingers along the shorter end corner elastic, joining them together making it a long rectangular shape.

2. Put your pointer finger in the two corners of the sheets and meet the corners together.

Now it will be folded to a square shape.

3. Lay on a surface and fold across three stages lengthways.

4. Then fold across three stages again to create a square.

1

2

3

4

Sheets/Quality Master/Shutterstock.com

Folding a fitted sheet does not have to be such a daunting task. You can fold a fitted sheet to look exactly like a flat sheet by following these easy steps.

We stock a range of womens clothing wallets and clutches, giftware, candles, jewellery and a collection of clothing and giftware for the new baby.

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home & style W I N T E R

Everything is Relative Adorning the home of artist Kyah Wilson are artefacts of love and warmth and family connection.

Soft morning light streams across the field outside the studio where mixed media artist Kyah Wilson spends her time creating contemporary rural artworks. Her rustic studio is ideally located just steps from her family home in Dubbo, which she shares with husband Bernard and their five children, Zae (20), Joden (18), Kobi (16), Naite (11) and Seb (9). Vast country views with cattle grazing in the adjoining paddock provide much of Kyah’s inspiration for her art and her styling. >

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W I N T E R home & style

How would you describe your style?

My style is eclectic. I have no particular style as it is a bit of everything thrown together. I am drawn towards antique, rustic pieces and curios, which have some history behind them. I also love a little bohemian style, which includes hanging chairs, plants and Persian rugs.

What do you love about your space?

I love that most of the pieces I have collected in the studio have a family connection or were found on this property. I love the view as the seasons change, the winter mist that rises from the river in the early morning as it settles across the paddocks and the golden light that beams through the studio on dusk.

Share a story about a special piece in the room.

I have wool stencils from my grandparents’ property, which I treasure because they bring back significant memories from my childhood of holidays on their farm. I would watch my family work tirelessly and be blissfully unaware of the outside world.

LEFT: Kyah’s grandparents’ wool stencils are stored carefully beside a blue console and an old window frame from the original demolished homestead has been given a new life as a light fitting.

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story name W I N T E R

“I love the view as the seasons change, the winter mist that rises from the river in the early morning as it settles across the paddocks and the golden light that beams through the studio on dusk.”

What is your most treasured possession in this space?

My family photos that adorn the studio walls are very special to me. Some are Polaroids from the 1970s and ’80s. There are two Polaroids of my dad that I look at often while swinging in my hanging chair. He passed away late in 2015 from brain cancer and these two photos in particular are irreplaceable.

What advice do you have for those decorationg their homes?

I think all spaces take time to evolve. You should only purchase/source what you love. Mix and match all of your elements and then add some timber for warmth, rugs and throws for texture. I sometimes bring the outside in, which adds a bit of quirkiness. I have a gum tree branch as a hat stand, watering cans as vases and naturally shed deer antlers as decoration. I am, of course, an admirer of original artwork. I do not own a blank wall. I look forward to purchasing other artists’ pieces in the future, however for now only my pieces are adorning them. I feel that having a sense of individuality always creates a successful and interesting space. CWL Words and images: Amanda O'Sullivan

ABOVE FROM TOP: Kyah’s dogs, Duke and Stanley, are regular visitors to the studio; a hanging chair, which is surrounded by family photos, provides the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of green tea; foraged branches and leaves fill old bottles on a shelf overlooking Kyah’s collection of paints.

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W I N T E R home & style

turning up the heat There’s no better time than the lead-up to the chilly winter months to consider high quality heating solutions.

Since 1876, Pivot Stove and Heating have specialised in their craft, providing gas log fires, wood heaters and cookers to homes across the country.

Tammy Heywood and her husband James Freeman have established their own store at Dubbo, in addition to Pivot’s existing headquarters in Geelong, and more recently, in Melbourne and Perth.

Building on the brand’s excellent reputation and strength in the market, the couple have helped customers across the Central West add style and functionality to their homes through stove and heating solutions.

Originally from Peak Hill, Tammy began with Pivot Stove and Heating as a sales and marketing manager in Geelong, where she and James lived at the time. Incredibly, she was Pivot’s first employee in 150 years, building on the “husband and wife” team of Greg and Tammie Parker-Hill.

“The name ‘Pivot’ came about as Geelong’s nickname – historically, old sailing ships could come almost right up to the city and dock, loading wool, grain, fertilisers and gold, thus being a pivot point,” Tammy says.

“I learnt the art of heating very quickly, and established a great relationship with Pivot’s owners, Greg and Tammie.

“Finding ourselves in the midst of a digital boom, I built on my studies in graphic design and marketing to help Greg expand the small store online, which really put Pivot on the map.”

In February 2015, Tammy and James opened Pivot’s Dubbo store, and today they proudly provide the Central West and wider region with quality heating solutions.

“We import an excellent range of woodfire stoves and fireplaces from the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and we also showcase Australian products,” Tammy says.

“Going off the grid, or being independent of using electricity, has been a strong consumer focus of late.

“We love helping our customers fulfil this goal, by showing them it’s possible to use wood fuel for heating and cooking utilities, all the while making some stylish additions to their homes.”

Utilising Pivot’s 150-year history and experience in the business has given Tammy and James an edge for engaging customers who appreciate Pivot’s leading expertise and product range.

“We’re proud to be a part of the Pivot family, and we thoroughly enjoy working with our community, and showing our customers how style meets technology, great products and advice.” CWL Words: Anna Tickle

LEFT: James Freeman and Tammy Heywood.

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Crampton’s bring the store to your door For almost 30 years we’ve offered a free measure and quote service with our home service van.

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www.pivotstove.com.au CWL 167

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For more information about what West Wyalong has to offer and upcoming events visit

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dining W I N T E R

Dining with a Difference

Church Street Café (CSC) Bar & Restaurant is venturing into new territory for Dubbo’s dining scene, impressing locals and travellers alike.

CSC’s inspiring and diverse menu ensures everyone is catered for, and paired with its convenient location on the corner of Church and Macquarie streets, there’s no wonder it’s quickly becoming so popular.

Mother and daughter team Julie Cross and Errin Williamson began the conversion of the premises in 2013, and opened the doors in February 2014, building on a vision for a café that would provide something a little different.

They wanted to offer customers a great deal of choice when dining out, including healthier options, while maintaining value for money.

While CSC has only recently opened for dinner, their staple breakfast and lunch offerings are still available, and customers can continue to enjoy their quality coffee throughout the day.

Julie, who grew up in Bourke but has spent most of her life in Dubbo, says that the team prides itself on the quality of the food and service at CSC. “We have recently expanded our premises, with the existing café now a restaurant and bar as well,” she says.

“We are constantly changing our menu to highlight what’s in season, and to celebrate the best local produce of our region, which our customers love.

“Our dinner menu is a tapas style designed for sharing with friends and family and includes dishes like salt and pepper cauliflower, soft shell crab, pan-fried Haloumi and five-spiced squid, just to name a few.”

Julie’s daughter Errin is an award-winning chef who has always dreamed of having her own café, and has been a mainstay of the evolving CSC project.

“Errin’s vision for CSC, including creating a fresh, modern menu that transforms eating into an experience, is what you see in our café and bar today,” Julie says.

“Most recently, she won the 2016 Dubbo Chamber of Commerce Rhino Award for Young Entrepreneur of the Year, which is a credit to her efforts in our business.”

“Our dinner menu is a tapas style designed for sharing with friends and family.”

CSC is a real family affair, with Errin’s builder husband Vince being instrumental in the design of the café, and Julie’s husband Warwick also lending a hand in the business. Julie’s son, Jack, is an adult apprentice chef at CSC as well.

The team is passionate about giving back to the community wherever possible, and last year the CSC pitched in to do the catering for over 500 people at the local fund-raising event Stars of Dubbo.

With an energetic team of 25 and vision to boot, Julie and Errin plan to grow the business with excitement for the future of CSC. CWL Words: Anna Tickle Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Julie Cross and Errin Williamson; pan-fried Haloumi; al fresco dining at Church Street Café.

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W I N T E R business

SIGNS OF THE TIMES Ursula Lindner-Ellis is in the business of bright ideas.

Turning dreams into reality is what life is all about for Ursula Lindner-Ellis from Ultimate Digital in Dubbo.

Recognised as a leader in branding, graphic design and signage, her company plays a crucial part in the marketing mix for businesses and organisations keen to make an impact.

Ultimate Digital is all about simplifying the process of branding and visibility.

Ursula and her team are passionate about creating solutions, raising awareness and standing out from the crowd.

“We combine all the elements of branding, design and signage to produce strong statements and lasting impressions that best reflect the visions of our clients,” she says.

Ursula thrives on being involved in the journey from concept and design through to manufacturing and installation.

“I love the creativity of coming up with ideas, tapping into what people want, and making the concept happen by pulling together all the elements,” she says.

Ursula never considered herself to be a creative person during her early years growing up in Coonabarabran. Life revolved around sport and aspirations of becoming a professional golfer.

At age 18 she headed to America on a golfing scholarship before returning to Australia and joining the police force.

After six years stationed in Dubbo and Wellington, Ursula was keen to try something new. She became involved in signage and fell in love with the creative side of the industry.

When Central West Signs came up for sale, Ursula purchased the business and put herself through the trade. Rebranded as Ultimate Digital, the business has gone from strength to strength.

“The possibilities of what we can achieve are as endless as our imaginations,” Ursula says.

“We take the hard work out of design challenges and pride ourselves on delivering slick, eye-catching and effective branding for our clients.”

Ultimate Digital’s signage creations draw attention in Dubbo and around central and western NSW. “The very essence of our company is customer value, pursuit of perfection and empowering people,” Ursula says.

“One of the ways we do this is by giving back to the community through signage sponsorship of organisations including the breast cancer Groovy Booby Bus and the IWRA river repair bus.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby

ABOVE: Dom Stewart and Ursula Lindner-Ellis hard at work creating solutions at Ultimate Digital.

LEFT: Ursula and examples of complementary branding.

TAKE YOUR BRANDING TO THE NEXT LEVEL Our talented creative team of graphic designers and sign-writers come up with design solutions that will make your business stand out.

UNIT 2, 57, DOUGLAS MAWSON DR, DUBBO, NSW, 2830 - 02 6884 5949 www.ultimatedigital.com.au

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144 Brisbane Street Dubbo NSW 2830

Phone: (02) 6884 7354 www.grapevinecafe.com.au OPEN 7 DAYS

The Grapevine Cafe has great coffee and great food. We offer an indoor or outdoor dining experience with full table service. Situated in a beautiful heritage listed building with a spacious courtyard.

GALLERY MUSUEM CAFÉ COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE 76 WINGEWARRA STREET DUBBO NSW 2830 westernplainsculturalcentre.org 02 6801 4444

At Countryman Motor Inn our service is paramount, ensuring your stay is an enjoyable one. Relax after your journey at the Lions Pride Cafe and Restaurant, the perfect setting to catch up with family and friends.

The Lions Pride will make all your occasions special with friendly service and a wide variety of tantalising meals.

The Lions Pride Restaurant is open 7 nights a week, cooking from 5.30pm till late.

47 Cobra St, Dubbo Countryman Ph. (02) 6882 7422 The Lions Pride Ph (02) 6884 3333 countrymandubbo@bigpond.com

www.countrymandubbo.com.au

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W I N T E R story name

Best on Show

Do you have a passion for agriculture and a desire to travel?

Would you like to do both by attending an event regarded as one of the best and most sought-after agricultural marketplaces in the world?

Introducing Canadian Western Agribition . . .

The Canadian city of Regina, Saskatchewan, plays host every November to Canadian Western Agribition (CWA), which is renowned for being one of the biggest and best purebred beef expos in the world.

Running over six jam-packed days, the event is not limited to cattle, with displays and livestock sales also featuring commercial cattle, bison, horses, goats and sheep. An extensive entertainment program is not to be missed, with a nightly pro-rodeo, heavy horse pull, jousting plus the latest addition, the running of the bulls. And if that’s not enough to do, there is plenty to look at throughout the massive tradeshow.

Each year, CWA attracts more than 100,000 visitors from over 70 countries across the globe. Although it is first and foremost the sheer quality of the displays that attracts international guests, CWA also runs a second-to-none international visitors program, in conjunction with the Canadian Government, which provides funding to prospective buyers from overseas. They are prepared to reimburse a maximum of 50 per cent of your travel costs (up to $1500 Canadian) following a simple application process. It’s so refreshing to visit a country where the government truly embraces agriculture and truly values the impact that it has on the economy.

One of our main highlights as breeders who show beef cattle in Australia, is watching the four intense days of cattle judging and, in particular, the skill-set that the Canadians have in preparing and presenting their cattle for the show ring. They are some of the best in the world. All judging culminates on the final evening where “the best of the best” battle it out for the Supreme Female and Bull of the Show. Our shows just don’t compete in terms of the theatrical display that takes place in the arena.

But more importantly as stud cattle breeders in Australia, we use this event first and foremost to analyse various beef enterprises so that we can identify genetic opportunities that would complement

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and benefit our own beef operation here at home. Agribition is only the first step in this process by giving us a taste of what breeders have to offer. From here, endless opportunities have arisen through the contacts we have made, enabling us then to visit some of their ranches and travel their beautiful country!

Leaving some spare time outside of Agribition is therefore a must on this trip. From a skier’s dream holiday destination in Whistler, British Columbia, to the phenomenal Rocky Mountains in Alberta to the rolling plains of Saskatchewan to the historical Old Montreal, there is plenty to remind you of home but also some unforgettable sights that you will only find in Canada! One of our favourite destinations is Banff National Park and Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains. If you’re really lucky, you’ll see some of the local residents in the form of moose, big horn sheep and bears, just to name a few! It’s well worth making the effort to travel across from Regina to see!

For those feeling adventurous, a driving holiday in Canada in November can be exciting enough on its own. Tackling driving on the other side of the road is challenging, and then add to that ice and snow! If you are a little wary though, rest assured that Canadians truly are some of the most hospitable people in the world, and make great tour guides!

We are lucky enough to be involved with Agribition in the role of their Australian ambassadors, here to guide any interested Australian producers (not limited to beef farmers) in registering to be a part of the international program and also to help you gain the most out of your trip to Canada.

For those interested, Canadian Western Agribition is running from November 20 to 25. If you would like any additional information on this program, feel free to contact us at: info@elitecattleco.com.au. CWL Words and images: Kim Groner & Glen Waldron

travel W I N T E R

LEFT TO RIGHT, FROM TOP: Lake Louise is a must-see; a Charolais bull at home in the snow; a well presented bull in the show ring; the Agribition Charolais cattle sale; Banff is a popular tourist attraction; Glen and Kim with the Canadian National Guard; judging of the supreme beef cattle exhibit; a wildlife overpass on the way to the Rocky Mountains.

FACING PAGE: Cattle at sunset in Saskatchewan.

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ONCE A YEAR OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST & PREMIER PRIMARY INDUSTRY FIELD DAYS

BLACKJACK ROAD, GUNNEDAH, NSW

TUES AUG 22

WED AUG 23

THUR AUG 24

2017

Showcasing over 3000 companies… You’ll see the biggest range of state-of-the-art agricultural machinery, implements, information, lifestyle and technology. It’s your once in a year opportunity to visit the greatest rural marketing event in the nation.

FREE ADMISSION FREE PARKING TUESDAY – WEDNESDAY 9AM – 5PM, THURSDAY 9AM – 4PM PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

(02) 6768 5800 | www.agquip.com.au | agquip@fairfaxmedia.com.au

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ORGANISED & PROMOTED BY

Lucknow Skin Shop and Boot Barn is a family run business

spanning four generations. We have a 45 year history of manufacturing sheepskin boots and two generations of wool classers - so we’re not just your average retailer, we know sheepskin inside out.

At Lucknow Skin Shop and Boot Barn we stock Thomas Cook and Wrangler Clothing for all ages, Moda Immagine ladies fashion and RM Williams Stockyard.

We have a wide range of boots and leather accessories for the colts and fillies too, in all the latest styles and colours to keep you looking great.

4601 Mitchell Highway, Lucknow 2800 OPEN 7 days 9:00 to 5:30 Phone orders welcome 02 6365 5330 Visit www.lucknowskinshop.com.au if you just can’t make it in-store.

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W I N T E R story name

hearty central Wholesome, substantial, flavoursome dishes are staples of our winter diet.

Here are some favourites to share with family and friends on a cold night.

SEARED BUTTERFLIED QUAIL WITH THAI INFLUENCE Serves 6 This dish is best eaten with fingers or minimal cutlery. Put out some finger bowls and extra napkins for guests so they can enjoy the dainty quail. This lovely quail entrée will feature for the first time on The Quarry’s winter menu this year.

6 quails 1 bunch coriander, finely chopped (leave some lovely leaves for topping the quail dish) 4 chopped shallots, white part only ½ cup chopped parsley 1 tbsp crushed garlic

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2 red birdseye chillis, finely chopped Juice of ½ fresh lime 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 150ml olive oil 200ml fish stock 2 tsp red wine vinegar 1 packet dried shallots 1 bag store-bought salad mix Sea salt Fresh lime wedges 1. Place parsley, coriander, garlic, shallots, chilli, soy, oyster sauce and lime juice in blender and mix, adding oil slowly for a thick paste.

2. Coat quail in this and refrigerate for two to three hours to marinate.

3. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

4. Heat a little oil in a large pan and sear the quail, two at a time, skin side down for three minutes. Turn over and cook for another three minutes. Set aside while cooking the remaining birds.

5. Place frypan on heat again and, when hot, deglaze with fish stock and add vinegar, swirl to reduce a little.

To Serve 1. Scatter lettuce mix onto six plates.

Take each quail, cut into four pieces and place on salad.

2. Spoon a little of the deglazed sauce over each dish.

3. Top with dried shallots and a little fresh coriander.

4. Serve some sea salt and wedges of fresh lime separately for guests to add themselves.

storyrecipes name W I N T E R

SLOW-COOKED LAMB SHANKS WITH PARSNIP MASH Serves 4 Cowra lamb slowly baked over a few hours should be ready to fall off the bone when serving. Parsnips cooked into a mash work wonderfully with lamb. Don’t skimp on the butter; add more if you think it needs a little extra richness. Serve with a bowl of some beautifully fresh steamed greens.

1 tbsp olive oil 6 French trimmed Cowra lamb shanks 1 diced brown onion ¼ bunch diced celery 400g can diced tomatoes 1½ litres beef stock, more or less, depending on baking dish size 1 bay leaf 10cm sprig fresh rosemary, chopped 2 carrots, roughly chopped 2 cloves crushed garlic 1 cup blanched and skinned broad beans ¼ cup chopped continental parsley 2 tbsp tomato paste 4 peeled and chopped parsnips 1 large peeled potato for mashing 100g butter 100ml milk Salt and pepper to taste 1. Heat oil in a large frypan and gently cook the carrot, onion, celery and garlic until soft and aromatic.

2. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, half the beef stock and bay leaf. Swish all together then pour into a large baking pan.

3. Clean and dry the frypan, add a little more oil and heat to very hot.

4. Sear each lamb shank to brown and get a little caramelisation on the meat.

5. Add the browned shanks to the baking pan. Deglaze the frypan with the remaining beef stock, add this to the baking pan.

6. Cover baking pan with foil and cook in 180° oven for two hours. Remove foil and ladle off two cups of liquid for your sauce.

7. Add rosemary and two more cups of beef stock. Reduce heat to 140°, replace foil and cook for another two hours.

8. During this time, strain reserved liquid and refrigerate so fats can solidify and then be removed.

9. Par boil the potato and parsnip until soft enough to mash. Strain and then add hot milk, butter and seasoning and mash to a creamy consistency.

10. Remove the solid fat from the reserved liquid. Reheat your skimmed sauce, thicken if required with a little cornflour mixed in water.

To serve 1. Remove foil from pan and add the broad beans to reheat.

2. Place a serving of mash on each plate and top this with a lamb shank. Strain off the remaining vegetables and add to each plate, then add sauce and chopped parsley to garnish.

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W I N T E R recipes

STICKY DATE AND FIG PUDDING WITH HOT CARAMEL SAUCE Serves 8-10 Substantial, warm and scrumptious, what more could you ask for on a cold winter’s night.

One of my earliest recipes, this has appeared every now and then on our pudding menu over the past 30 years.

It is wonderful to serve when the winter chill sets in. This pudding has been requested by our regular diners over the years and is remembered fondly by many.

1. Preheat oven to 190°c.

2. Line a square cake tin with foil and spray with oil.

3. Cook dates and figs in water until they reach a jam consistency.

4. Stir the butter and bicarbonate of soda into the warm date mix.

5. Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar together till combined.

6. Beat the flour into the egg mix.

7. Spoon and whisk the date mix into the egg mix.

8. Pour the mix into the lined cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until pudding is firm to the touch.

9. Remove from the oven, let sit for 20 minutes in the pan and then turn over onto a board topped with parchment paper.

Peel off the foil, place a board on top and hold both boards together and gently turn over on to the right side. Remove the top board and parchment paper.

Cut into wedges.

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Caramel Sauce 300g brown sugar 300ml cream 250g butter 1 tsp vanilla essence 1. Place all ingredients into a saucepan, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes.

To serve Cut the date pudding into wedges, top with hot caramel sauce and serve with vanilla bean ice-cream. You should have some caramel sauce left over so pour this into a heated jug and take to the table for those guests who simply must have more sauce!

Recipes and images: Anne & Paul Loveridge

Crockery, cake stand and knife supplied by Unearthed Homewares, Cowra (www.unearthedhomewares.com).

Date & Fig Pudding 160g stoned dried dates 80g dried figs 250ml water 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 60g butter 2 eggs 190g sugar 190g self-raising flour 1 tsp vanilla essence

Honey Mustard DRESSING Rosie’s Honey Mustard Dressing is more than just a dressing Gluten and preservative free, handmade with all natural ingredients. 100% Australian owned and made.

0427 418 861 Warren, NSW

Whip an ordinary meal into an extraordinary taste sensation

Perfect with fish, red meats, chicken, green salad and as a marinade. Order online today

www.rosies.net.au

Restaurant & Cellar Door Lunch Thu - Sun from noon Dinner Fri & Sat from 6.30 Cellar Door Thu - Sun, 10 - 4 7191 Boorowa Rd, Cowra 02 6342 3650 quarry@bigpond.net.au www.thequarryrestaurant.com.au

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• Magazines • Papers • Cards • Gifts • Stationery • Darrell Lea

www.parkesnewsagency.com 284 Clarinda St, Parkes NSW 2870 Phone: 6862 2296

HENRY PARKES CENTRE Visitor Information & Museums

Henry Parkes Centre & Parkes Visitor Information Centre Newell Hwy, Parkes | 02 6862 6000 | www.henryparkescentre.com.au 180 CWL

OPEN 7 DAYS

O R I E N TA L H O T E L & O R I K I T C H E N • Fantastic NEW RENOVATIONS incorporating various INDOOR & OUTDOOR dining & bar spaces

• BOUTIQUE BEERS & ciders on tap, plus a large selection of LOCAL WINES

• FUNCTION ROOMS & function menus

• LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Saturday nights

• Famous for its food the “ORI KITCHEN” features Aussie Grass Fed steaks & burgers, classic pizzas, fish & chips plus a wide range of Modern Australian fare. Don’t miss our homemade desserts

• SPORTS BAR, TAB & outdoor smoking lounge • Pub Style ACCOMMODATION • 3 Bedroom SELF CONTAINED COTTAGE accommodation next door

Corner of Lewis & Mortimer Streets Mudgee P: 02 6372 1074 E: enquiries@orientalhotel.com.au W: www.orientalhotel.com.au

Cosy accommodation for up to 38 guests in 16 individual rooms

The home of Red Hen catering

Inviting BBQ courtyard and guest lounges. Function rooms available for hire.

Savour in-house catering from RedHen Hospitality. Self-catering facilities also available. Huge cooked country breakfast included in room tariff.

Located in the heart of Temora’s main business precinct, with off-street parking

173 Hoskins Street, Temora, NSW 2666 E tmccrone@dodo.com.au M 0428 781 133 T 02 6977 4565

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W I N T E R country recipes

classic country comforts The best winter offerings are sometimes the simplest, and easy pies and puddings are the perfect way to warmly welcome dinner guests to the table.

EASY MEAT PIE This easy meat pie is perfect for a quick winter lunch or special family get-together.

800g good-quality mince 1 large onion, diced 1 cup carrot, diced 2 tsp white pepper 1 tsp mixed herbs 2 tbsp tomato sauce 2 cups beef stock 3 tbsp plain flour 1 cup baby peas 1. Brown the mince in a little oil, put aside.

2. In a little oil, fry the onion, carrot, white pepper, herbs and tomato sauce. Mix well.

3. Add two cups of beef stock.

4. Mix the plain flour into a paste and then stir into mixture.

5. Add a cup of frozen baby peas and fold together.

6. Put all into a pie dish and place a filo sheet on top. Decorate for presentation.

7. Cook in 180-degree oven for a few minutes and then take oven up to 200 degrees for a half hour. Watch colour as it cooks.

GOLDEN SYRUP STEAMED PUDDING This magic pudding is a fabulous, comforting dessert to enjoy on a cold night.

100g soft butter ½ cup sugar 3 tbsp milk 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1½ cups SR flour 3 tbsp golden syrup 1. Beat butter and sugar till creamy then add eggs, one at a time.

Add flour and milk, a little at a time until all is mixed.

2. Prepare steamer by greasing well. Put the golden syrup in the steamer then place mixture on top. Level mixture.

3. Place a double sheet of cooking paper around top and seal tightly to keep any moisture out.

4. Place a saucer in the bottom of boiler then place the steamer in boiler and half fill with hot water. Bring to boil and cook for two hours.

5. Leave in steamer for a few minutes then tip out.

6. Just before serving drizzle a tablespoon of warm golden syrup over the top of the pudding.

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WARM SMOOTH EGG CUSTARD Enjoy this with your Golden Syrup Steamed Pudding or with your favourite fruit such as raspberries.

1 cup full cream milk 1 egg 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1. Whisk all ingredients together.

2. Stir over low heat until the custard coats the back of the spoon. I like to use a wooden spoon.

3. Remove from stove quickly and cool.

4. Can be poured while warm over your favourite pudding or fruit.

Recipes and images: Lorraine Hills

Outstanding service & advice to our clients in all aspects of livestock, rural property & real estate sales Selling livestock at CTLX CARCOAR & CWLE FORBES Darren Connick: 0439 663 732 Lindsay Fryer: 0428 104 132 119 Peisley St Orange (02) 6362 4755

View our current listings at www.mccarrons.com.au

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gift ideas

An exciting range of

Celebrating 71 years as Dubbo’s printer Corporate stationery and promotional material. Trade compliance and record books. Personal printing from invitations to family histories. Experienced graphic designers in-house.

Visit our boutique gift shop...

Specialty Paper, Envelopes, Invitations & Party Accessories. Selected Gift Items. Children’s Toys for Creative Development. Boxed Stationery and Cards. Greeting Cards, Wrapping Paper and Ribbons.

Phone: 02 6882 1233 166 Brisbane Street, DUBBO NSW 2830 admin@printingworks.com

www.printingworks.com

DESIGN - PRINT - PAPER - GIFTS

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Like us for all your gift ideas and new stock arrivals

ARCADIA CROOKWELL Our unique business brings to you multiple shops all contained in a beautifully restored building in the centre of Crookwell

Antiques & collectables, ladies clothing and jewellery, alpaca products, hand dyed wools, patchwork items, handmade candles and soaps, organic teas, giftware & homeware.

OPEN 10AM - 4PM Thu to Mon • 77 Goulburn St Crookwell 2583 0407 254 954 • arcadia.crookwell@yahoo.com.au

69 Goulburn Street Crookwell, NSW (02) 4832 2319

Pinn Cottage Bed and Breakfast is a beautifully restored 19th century bluestone cottage in the township of Crookwell.

A perfect country retreat or romantic getaway.

Enjoy your own private gardens. The accommodation is located within walking distance to Crookwell town centre, shops, golf, squash and tennis courts.

Contact Terry to make a reservation: 0421 457 135 / info@pinncottage.com.au www.pinncottage.com.au

Unique country style gifts, homewares, accessories & clothing

STOCKIST FOR Clothing: Betty Basics, Elm, Fate, LTB Jeans, Sass, Wish. Billie Shoes. Handbags & Wallets: Black Caviar, Journie, Pratten, Status Anxiety, 00Z00 watches.

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W I N T E R stay

Bathurst's best Bathurst Heritage Motor Inn has been recognised for its exemplary hospitality.

SLEEP WITH US!

luxury in

BATHURST SHORT-TERM • LONG-TERM Brand new rooms Gymnasium Spa suites

Self-contained Studios Family Cottages

Join our many regulars who are in the know for the best place to stay in Bathurst

Easy two block walk to the centre of Bathurst to enjoy fine dining restaurants and award winning hotels

The team at Bathurst Heritage Motor Inn is celebrating with pride, having been named the top-rated accommodation in Bathurst at the 2017 trivago Awards.

As the world’s largest online hotel search site, trivago bases the awards on 175 million ratings from booking sites across the world.

Along with owners Marlene and Grahame Spurway, newly appointed managers John and Kay Hall are excited about the win.

John and Kay relocated from Sydney to be closer to family in the area, and bring 30 years’ experience in the accommodation and hospitality industries.

“We were delighted to see the motel receive such a significant award,” Kay says.

“It is a testament to all the hard work the owners, management and staff have put in over the years, and we will continue to make every effort to create a comfortable accommodation experience.”

With accommodation options rated four, and four and a half stars, there are a range of choices from fully self-contained cottages, to luxurious king spa suites, deluxe units, family rooms and corporate rooms. For families, interconnecting units and twin bedding options are ideal.

“The brand new deluxe units and suites are some of the best luxury accommodation Bathurst has to offer, all boasting kitchenettes, with king or queen beds,” Kay says.

“Our complimentary continental buffet breakfast adds convenience for everyone staying in our four-star rooms.

“We also have three fully renovated heritage cottages with kitchen and laundry facilities for a great home-awayfrom-home feel.”

Bathurst Heritage Motor Inn caters for small or large groups, and with ample parking on site, buses are most welcome.

It’s just a short stroll to the Bathurst RSL Club, where all guests can enjoy a complimentary drink, and only two blocks to the CBD. “Our regional city has plenty to offer travellers of all ages, and Bathurst Heritage Motor Inn is the ideal accommodation stopover,” Kay says.

“We are still enjoying the excitement of being named the top-rated accommodation in Bathurst for 2017, and we’re looking forward to a great year ahead.” CWL Words: Anna Tickle Images: Phil Murray

BATHURST HERITAGE MOTOR INN

102 Stewart Street, Bathurst Tel. 02 6334 3433 www.heritagemotorinn.com.au

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ABOVE: The award winning Bathurst Hertiage Motor Inn.

Fish River Roasters provides speciality coffee from around the world to cafes and restaurants in the Central West, Blue Mountains and around Australia. Our award winning coffee is supported by barista training and espresso machine repairs and maintenance.

We would like to thank the cafes and restaurants that stock our coffee and the coffee drinkers of the region for their support.

fish river roasters 67 corporation avenue bathurst 2795 02 6331 7171

2016

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W I N T E R events

upcoming events Gulargambone Show 3 JUNE

Gulargambone Showground Sharee Spora (02) 6848 750 073 spora5@bigpond.com Facebook: Gulargambone Show Society Inc.

60th Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts 8 – 12 JUNE

Main Street, Grenfell Grenfell Visitor Information Centre (02) 6343 2059 www.henrylawsonfestival.com.au

Rosto Merriwa Festival of the Fleeces 9 – 11 JUNE

Merriwa Jan Sinclair (02) 65401301 jsinclair@upperhunter.nsw.gov.au www.festivalofthefleeces.com.au

Henry Lawson Heritage Festival 9 – 11 JUNE

Various locations in Gulgong Charles Vassel (02) 6374 1209 smalltownsgulgong@hotmail.com www.visitgulgong.com.au

Parkes Picnic Races 10 JUNE

Parkes Racecourse, Eugowra Road, Parkes 0417 237 068 Facebook: Parkes Picnic Races

Unearthed - Gulgong Arts Council Exhibition (In conjunction with Henry Lawson Festival)

10 – 11 JUNE

Gulgong Memorial Hall Herbert Street, Gulgong Toni Morrison 0488 741 860 artscouncilgulgong@hotmail.com www.gulgong-arts.com

Taralga Art Show 10 – 12 JUNE

Taralga Memorial Hall Jan Green (02) 4840 6101 greenjs@harboursat.com.au Facebook: Taralga Art Show

Coonamble Rodeo & Campdraft 10 – 12 JUNE

Coonamble Showground Josephine Elliott 0429 049 100 jo_2904@hotmail.com www.coonamblerodeoandcampdraft. com.au

Iandra Castle Open Day 11 JUNE

Corner of Iandra Rd & Tyagong Hall Rd, Greenethorpe Rod and Bev Kershaw (02) 6383 9241 info@iandracastle.com.au www.iandracastle.com.au

Lazy River Estate Winter Pop-up Markets

Grabine Freshwater Fishing Tournament

Grenfell Kart Club Bob Hinde Memorial Festival Of Kids

Lazy River Estate, Dubbo Kelly McCutcheon (02) 6882 2111 events@lazyriverestate.com.au www.lazyriverestate.com.au

Grabine Lakeside Mandi Smith (02) 4835 2345 grabinefishing@gmail.com www.grabinefishing.com.au

Bogolong Circuit Henry Lawson Way, Grenfell Craig Sargent 0428 693 365 www.grenfellkartclub.org.au

Quambone Polocrosse Carnivale

Mayfield Garden Winter Festival

Quambone Sports Ground Marg Garnsey moblar1@bigpond.com Facebook: Quambone Polocrosse Club Inc

Mayfield Garden, 530 Mayfield Road, Oberon (02) 6333 1313 info@mayfieldgarden.com.au www.mayfieldgarden.com.au

11 JUNE

Grenfell Rugby Club Golden Oldie Rugby Game Locals v Expats 11 JUNE

Grenfell Rugby Union Field (R.B. Bembrick Oval), Grafton Street, Grenfell Gavin Johnson 0418 274 423

Queen’s Birthday Bonfire & Fireworks Display 11 JUNE

Wyangala Country Club (02) 6345 0855 wyangalacc@activ8.net.au www.wyangalacountryclub.com.au

Gulgong Gold Cup Races 11 JUNE

Gulgong Race Course Diane Thompson (02) 6374 0226 thompspndm1@bigpond.com

Zonta Antique Jewellry & Vintage Fair 16 – 18 JUNE

Orange Function Centre Frances Young 0407 952 675 francesyoung5@dodo.com.au

25 – 27 JUNE

1 – 2 JULY

Yulefest (Christmas in July) at Jenolan 1 – 29 JULY

Jenolan Caves Jenolan Caves House 1300 76 33 11 www.jenolancaves.org.au

Music On The Mount David Concert 2 JULY

Kennedy Park, Loch Erin Road, Mount David Rod and Alexandra Tuson (02) 6337 9679

XXXX Gold Winter Race Meeting

Weddin Workshop Weekend

2 JULY Mudgee Race course Colleen Walker (02) 6372 6035 colleen@hwy.com.au

17 – 18 JUNE

Mid-Western Dance Festival

(Celebrate Henry Lawson’s 150th Birthday)

Grenfell Visitor Information Centre (02) 6343 2059

Truffle Hunts

17 JUNE – 12 AUGUST

Lowes Mount Truffiere, Oberon xan927@bigpond.com www.lowesmounttruffles.com.au

Reflections - Grenfell Art Gallery Exhibition 20 JUNE – 30 JULY

Grenfell Art Gallery 88 Main Street, Grenfell (02) 6343 2059

21 JUNE

Dubbo Showground Kate McDonald (02) 6773 3022

Gunning Patchwork Weekend Gunning Margaret Jenkinson (02) 4845 1617 gunningpatchworkweekend@gmail.com www.gunningpatchworkweekend.com

Wellington Pony Club Annual Pony Camp 24 – 27 JUNE

Geurie Showground Sam Deshon 0408 406 934 s.deshon@bigpond.com

Grenfell Rugby Club’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations

8 JULY R.B. Bembrick Field, Grafton Street and Grenfell Country Club, Gooloogong Road Facebook: Grenfell Panther

Winter Wonderland

Ausmectin Red Angus & Simmental National Show & Sale

24 – 25 JUNE

6 – 11 JULY Mudgee Public School Hall Emma Yule 0457 711 169 mudgeedancefestival@hotmail.com

10 – 23 JULY

Blayney and villages Melanie Monico (02) 6368 2104 mmonica@blayney.nsw.gov.au www.brandorange.com.au

Mudgee Small Farm Field Days 14 – 15 JULY

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15 – 30 JULY

Kangaroo Valley Artists – Grenfell Art Gallery Exhibition 1 AUGUST – 10 SEPTEMBER

Grenfell Art Gallery, 88 Main Street, Grenfell (02) 6343 2059

Grenfell Active Festival 5 – 6 AUGUST

Grenfell Elite Energy (02) 4423 7775

Cowra Wine Show Public Tasting 5 AUGUST

Cowra Showground (02) 6342 1977

Sculptures By The River Macrame Workshop 12 – 13 AUGUST

Lazy River Estate, Dubbo Kelly McCutcheon (02) 6882 2111 events@lazyriverestate.com.au www.lazyriverestate.com.au

Mudgee Readers Festival 12 – 13 AUGUST

Various locations around Mudgee Portia Lindsay 0422 227 539 info@mudgeereaders.com www.mudgeereaders.com

Ranch Sorting

19 – 20 AUGUST

Dubbo Showground Indoor Arena Lonnie Henderson 0418 774 121 David Egan 0438 912 537 Facebook: Ranch Sorting Dubbo - RSD

Burraga Sheep Show & Country Fair 26 AUGUST

Burraga Showgrounds Charles Lamburn (02) 6337 0325 lamburn@optusnet.com.au

Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC) Ulan Road, Mudgee Steve Garland (02) 6372 3899 info@mudgeefielddays.com.au www.mudgeefielddays.com.au

Dubbo Stampede

Oberon Old Tiges Black & Gold Ball

Green Day

15 JULY

Oberon RSL Club Georgia Varlas oberonoldtiges@gmail.com

Do you have an event that you would like included in our magazine?

E M A I L : e v e n ts @ c e n t ra l w e s t m a g a z i n e . c o m . a u

15 – 17 JULY

C o m p i l e d b y H e a t h e r C ro s b y

27 AUGUST

Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo contact@dubbostampede.com.au www.dubbostampede.com.au 31 AUGUST

Mudgee Showground Vivien Howard 0488 224 025 vhoward@niche-eh.com All events are subject to change and we recommend contacting the organisers to confirm details.

BLAYNEY & VILLAGES • Barry • Carcoar • Hobbys Yards

• Kings Plains • Lyndhurst • Mandurama • Millthorpe • Neville • Newbridge

Indulge your senses ...Share our history #historicvillages #warmwelcome

www.visitblayney.com.au www.blayney.nsw.gov.au/VisitorGuide

Blayney Shire Visitor Information Centre 97 Adelaide Street, Blayney • Ph 02 6368 3534 • Fx 02 6368 4360

S S A L C D L WOR

E G N A R O N I R E T N I W 1

2

1. The Merchant of Venice - Bell Shakespeare Friday 7 and Saturday 8 July - Orange Civic Theatre 2. Artist Profile: Australasian Painters 2007-2017 Saturday 8 July to Sunday 10 September - Orange Regional Gallery

Image: Ildiko Kovacs, Over the Gap, 2015, oil on plywood, 180 x 180cm. Courtesy of the artist and Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney.

3

4

3. We’re going on a Bear Hunt - Live on stage!

Thursday 3 and Friday 4 August - Orange Civic Theatre 4. A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Melbourne City Ballet Wednesday 30 August - Orange Civic Theatre

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CWL AUTUMN 2017 LAUNCH Temora A mood of pride and jubilation was in the air as more than 100 locals from Temora helped launch the Autumn 2017 edition of Central West Lifestyle at the Temora Agricultural Innovation Centre on Saturday, February 18.

Excited guests filled the rustic granary, which was decorated beautifully with Australian flowers by local florist Edwina Sinclair. Fine food by Michelle Seymour Catering was thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by all in attendance. Live music by Dubbo performer Haleigh Hing created a celebratory mood.

The launch was attended by Mayor Rick Firman, Deputy Mayor Graham Sinclair, Council General Manager Gary Lavelle, councillors, council senior staff, advertisers and many local identities. The group celebrated the great beauty, history, culture and entrepreneurial spirit found in Temora and its surrounds.

“Flicking through the magazine evokes a great warm feeling as there is page after page of the diverse characters that make up our beautiful community,” Temora Shire Mayor Rick Firman said when officially launching the magazine.

“This is an inspiring and heart-warming publication and I’m grateful to Temora Shire Council staff and the team at Central West Lifestyle for putting together a magazine that will become a proud family keepsake for all residents for years to come.”

Following the launch, record-breaking sales took place in the first few weeks with an astonishing 1400 copies sold in Temora alone.

Vigorous sales continued across many areas of the state. CWL Words: Elizabeth Tickle Images: Sue Meikle

Temora Mayor Cr Rick Firman, Temora Deputy Mayor Cr Graham Sinclair, Lorraine Sinclair, Cr Dennis Sleigh, Margaret Sleigh, Temora Council General Manager Gary Lavelle, Jane Lavelle, Doreen Wiencke, Cr Dale Wiencke, Temora Council Economic Development Officer Craig Sinclair, Cr Max Oliver, Cr Lindy Reinhold, CWL Publisher Alex Tickle, Claire Smith, CWL Editor Elizabeth Tickle, Cr Ken Smith.

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events W I N T E R

Ray and Belinda Cheney with father, Ray Cheney.

Tracey and Taz Rundle with Bill Spiers, Temora Rural Museum.

Barbara Meacham, Bruce Robinson, Janet Robinson and Robert Meacham, all from Temora.

Young High School Principal Keith Duran, with wife Stephanie Cooke, Stephen Cooke and Marie Cooke, from Temora Flower Centre.

Carolyn Marsh, Riverina Family Chiropractic, with Fay Baun and Andrew Robinson, Temora Capital Chemist.

Rowan Bromfield, Carriageway B&B, Ariah Park, with Bev and Allan Gallagher, Temora Truck and Tractor Service, and Bruce Robinson (back).

Kim Sandgren, Dee and Paul New with Peter Harper, Temora Aviation Centre.

Gary and Jane Lavelle with Nicole and Annabelle Christie, Temora Veterinary Clinic.

Deb Davidge and Janette Goode, both from Deb's Jewellery, with Kelly Harper.

Teresa and Paul McCrone, Patchwork Inn B&B.

Jone Pavelic, Courthouse B&B, Temora, with Dr Rachel Christmas, Temora Medical Centre.

Kylie Dunstan, Temora Agricultural Innovation Centre, Liz Grant, Anne Cooper, with Lorraine Sinclair.

Irene and Ken Harpley, “Bodalia�, Temora.

Max Mannion, Gary and Belinda Mannion with Gerry Mannion.

Gary and Annie Hartwig, Roundabout Bakery.

Pam Rees and her father, Tom Woods, with Zora Regulic, CWL Art Director.

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COURTHOUSE COTTAGE B&B

Courthouse Cottage is one of a kind as it is the only Federation Home accommodation offering luxury bed and breakfast in the heart of Temora

158 DeBoos St Temora P: 02 6978 1911 courthousecottagebandb@gmail.com

www.courthousecottage.com.au

Marie and Stephen Cooke

244 Hoskins Street Temora NSW 2666 02 6977 1788 Monday – Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm Saturday 9.00am to 12 noon

www.nativebotanical.com.au 192 CWL

Established 1980 Servicing Temora and District A long established local family owned funeral service Understanding your individual needs and providing a quality, respectful and caring service 24 hours 7 days Pre-Paid and Pre Arranged Funeral Specialists 02 6977 1332 | 0428 848 543 | 0418 437 635

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W I N T E R events

PREMIERE OF THE LEGEND OF BEN HALL Forbes

Forbes Shire Council, in partnership with Pinnacle Films, presented the world premiere of The Legend of Ben Hall in Forbes on November 12, 2016.

The world premiere attracted a crowd of more than 700 people, and Mayor Graeme Miller said it was a fantastic night.

“We are so pleased that the world premiere was held in Forbes as the movie really brought the history of Ben Hall to life,” he said.

“It is a great film and director Matthew Holmes did a fantastic job.”

The Legend of Ben Hall was released in cinemas on December 1 and continues to be shown in cinemas across Australia.

In the heart of Ben Hall country, the people of Forbes were among the first in the world to see the Australian film, ahead of a regional and metro tour that saw the cast and crew travel to Griffith, Young, Orange, Bathurst, Goulburn, Canberra, Wollongong, Tamworth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Bendigo, Shepparton, Geelong, Adelaide, Gawler and Murray Bridge.

Shot in locations across regional NSW and Victoria, The Legend of Ben Hall is a visceral, action-packed epic that tells the story of one of the most wanted men in Australian outlaw history.

After years on the run in outback Australia, Ben Hall and his infamous band of outlaws decide to ride again in order to steal enough cash and gold so they can flee to America and greener pastures. The reunited gang prove unstoppable until one fateful day, while holding up a mail coach, a police sergeant is shot dead in a brutal gunfight. With the bounty on their heads growing and nowhere to go, Ben and his gang must now fight to the bitter end.

Credits: Director Matthew Holmes (Twin Rivers) and actors Jack Martin (in his feature film debut), Jamie Coffa (TV’s Gallipoli, The Lucifer King), William Lee (in his feature film debut) and Callan McAullife (The Great Gatsby, I am Number 4). CWL Words and images: Amy Millerd, Forbes Shire Council

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Actors Joanne Dobbin (Biddy Hall) and Jack Martin (Ben Hall).

Forbes Councillor Phyllis Miller with Director Matthew Holmes.

Forbes residents Annalise Teale, Frankie Parry, Forbes Shire Councillor Susan Chau, Rachel Hayes and Beth Walker enjoyed the film.

Dell Byron, Jennifer Birchall and Sarah-Jane Miller.

Mayor of Forbes Cr Graeme Miller introduces the film.

Stars of the show, Callan McAuliffe, Jamie Coffa, Director Matthew Holmes, Jack Martin and William Lee.

Spring issue SPRING 2015

JUNEE & COOLAMON Available September 2017

Subscribe to experience the magazine in print or online: www.centralwestmagazine.com.au

Plainsman Motel 22 Sheriff Street, Forbes NSW 2871 Ph 02 6852 2466 | Fax 02 6852 3237 comforbes@exemail.com.au Reception Hours: Mon to Fri 7am - 9pm | Sat to Sun 8am - 9pm

• Free Wi-Fi available • Room From $ 108 • Two Bedroom Flat $ 180 • Disable Room Available

RESTAURANT OPENING HOURS Monday to Friday: Breakfast 7am – 9am | Saturday and Sunday: Breakfast 8am – 9am

Forbes is Ben Ha

Bushranger Country retrace the steps of Australia’s most notorious bushranger Ben Hall Experience - www.finditinforbes.com.au

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W I N T E R events

100 MILE DINNER Canowindra The 2017 Canowindra@Home 100 Mile Dinner was a fabulous success.

With rain threatening all afternoon, the evening cleared to a perfect temperature for dining and dancing in the beautiful main street of the historic village of Canowindra.

Three hundred guests dined on culinary delights created by well-known chef Kim Currie of The Zin House, Mudgee. Visitors drank matched local wines and danced the night away to the fantastic sounds of Trouble with Johnny and singer Cecelia Rochelli.

Canowindra@Home Members Fumie Shortman, Nick Links-Fisher, Sam Statham, Marg Wallington, Helen Tinney, Michele Porter, and Shaley Allen.

Cheryl Whitty, Kay Smith and Kate Eggleton, all from Cowra.

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Words: Michele Porter Images: Anna Tickle

Ingrid O’Ryan and Olivia Boog, both from Canowindra, with Sami Grant, from Orange.

Dawn Simpson, Batemans Bay, with Anne Ward, Canowindra.

Sisters Isabella, Annarose and Ingrid O’Ryan, Canowindra, with Christo Tancred, Orange.

The main street came alive with open shops, restaurants and hotels encouraged to “piggy back” on this great event.

Guests hailed from Sydney, Canberra and surrounding towns. It was a great reflection on Central West tourism, showcasing what a small town can do with a significant volunteer effort and an even bigger community spirit. CWL

John Tait, Mandurama, and Sam Stranger, Canowindra, with John Rowlands and Chris Hardman, both from Mandurama, and Michael Fagan, also from Canowindra.

Skye Robson, Canowindra, with Imi Inder, Wellington.

Nicole Hardman and Jo Tait, both from Mandurama, with Vanessa Fagan and Anna Stranger, both from Canowindra, and Megan Rowlands, also from Mandurama.

Jo and John Tait, Mandurama.

Molly Johnson and Tom Reid, both from Muringo.

the

closet cowra clothes and and accessories fullfullof ofclothes accessories

Taste wines in our unusual strawbale winery. Tasting platters and meals available if booked, or bring a picnic.

NOW IN BOOROWA Yarra Trail • Namastai • Foil • Frank Lyman • Goondiwindi Cotton Gordon Smith • Laura K • Ping Pong • Hammock and Vine Jump • Corfu • See Saw • Philosophy

Now stocking After 5 and Special Occasion Wear

OPEN Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm Shop 2 / 37 Macquarie St, Cowra 2794 02 6342 2478, thecloset@bigpond.com

Stay in the newly renovated Winery Cottage, a beautifully restored pise farm house overlooking the farm, vineyard and olive grove.

82 Lawrences Rd, Canowindra 0427 936 054 wallingtonwines@gmail.com www.wallingtonwines.com.au

Country Gardens MOTOR INN

Cowra’s little gem

Rooms:

Facilities:

Located at the edge of town on an acreage, it is the perfect place to relax and unwind. There are 18 luxurious, clean, comfortable, ground floor units to choose from. Park at your door, off street parking for coaches and trucks. Heated pool and BBQ in Australian native gardens.

• Family Suites (2 Bedrooms) • Spa Suites • Executive Suites (King beds & bath/shower) • Deluxe Queen Suites • Disabled Suite • Some Smoking Suites available

• • • • • • •

Breakfast Room Service Free Unlimited Wireless Broadband R/C Air Con & Elec. Blankets Direct Dial Telephone Coffee/Tea/Hot Chocolate Facilities Wide Screen TV’s (16 Channels) Mini Snack Bar

a. 75 Grenfell Road (Mid Western Highway), Cowra p. 02 6341 1100 e. cgmcowra@bigpond.net.au w. www.countrygardensmotel.com.au CWL 197

Wedded bliss Brides and grooms need not stress about their wedding arrangements when Dubbo RSL is involved.

Planning your own wedding can be an incredibly thrilling experience, full of choice and anticipation. But for some couples, outsourcing can relieve pressure and ensure things go seamlessly on the big day.

Dubbo RSL offers an exciting all-inclusive wedding package, with four fantastic reception venues to choose from, impressive on-site accommodation, a memorable dining experience plus countless added extras.

Sharon Doick, events manager at Dubbo RSL, says the package is an exciting proposition for couples planning their wedding in the Dubbo area.

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“Dubbo RSL Club boasts some of the most comprehensive facilities available in NSW,” she says.

“Our central location on the corner of Brisbane and Wingewarra streets offers convenience, especially for those who live out of town.”

The RSL has a selection of stunning venues for wedding receptions, none more so than the popular outdoor terrace.

“Our outdoor terrace features an awardwinning retractable roof that opens up to reveal a starlit sky,” Sharon says.

“Coupled with fairy lights and classic white interior décor, it makes for an impressive venue.

“Our outdoor terrace features an awardwinning retractable roof that opens up to reveal a starlit sky.”

weddings W I N T E R

“Alternatively, three indoor function rooms including the Auditorium, Starlight and Jacaranda rooms, can cater for 30, right through to 300 people.”

A range of catering options is available, including two- and three-course dinners, as well as buffets and cocktail food. With impeccable service and bars in each function room, the RSL has it all covered.

The RSL also has its own top-end restaurant, One 7 Eight Dining & Bar, which makes for an exquisite evening out prewedding. A finalist in the Clubs NSW Chef’s Table Awards for the past three years running, the restaurant is the epitome of fine dining in Dubbo.

For wedding guests, the four-star Dubbo RSL Club Motel is directly opposite the RSL, offering ultimate comfort and great service.

A courtesy bus also ensures guests living in Dubbo get home safely at the end of the night.

Adjacent to the RSL is a recently refurbished three-bedroom heritage cottage, perfect to accommodate the bride and her attendants as they prepare for the big day.

The RSL Health Club’s Bridal Boot Camp has been especially designed for those looking to improve their fitness ahead of the big day, and provides one-on-one personal training.

“Another great service we provide is an on-site hair salon, Superior Style Hair, and a fantastic mobile makeup artist who can come to the cottage on the big day,” Sharon says.

“Wedding hampers and accessory hire are also available, including chair covers, centrepieces and more.

“With so much taken care of prior to the big day, our aim is to ensure your wedding is just as it should be - incredible!”

Offering great advice and services at affordable rates, Dubbo RSL truly leaves no stone unturned in providing a fantastic wedding package. CWL Words: Anna Tickle

“For wedding guests, the four-star Dubbo RSL Club Motel is directly opposite the RSL.”

FACING PAGE: The outdoor terrace looking stylish for a wedding.

ABOVE: Entry to the four-star Dubbo RSL Club Motel and right, one of the rooms.

Corner of Brisbane and Wingewarra Streets Dubbo NSW 2830 Phone: 02 6882 4411 Fax: 026881 8062

/DubboRSL

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W I N T E R weddings

DICKINSON + CLARK Bridget Dickinson and Andrew Clark’s wedding took place at Andrew’s family property, “Springfield”, Cowra, on October 4, 2016.

Bridget wore a custom-made French lace and silk satin crossover bodice gown designed by Luomo. Lucerne and wheat paddocks set the scene for a romantic outdoor wedding, with champagne and canapés in the beautiful garden following the ceremony.

As the sun was setting, guests moved into a magically fairy-lit marquee provided by Moggas, where they dined on a two-course meal beautifully catered for by Eat Your Greens, Eugowra. Dessert was a three-tiered wedding cake, which was made and exquisitely decorated by the couple’s sister-in-law, Laura Clark. Dancing followed late into the evening, with guests entertained by the eight-piece Vibe Wedding Band.

Andrew was accompanied by his brothers Anthony, Martin, Simon and Geoff Clark. Bridget’s bridesmaids were her close friends Louise East, Bree Bateman, Claire Loughman and Megan Howe.

The couple enjoyed a surprise honeymoon to Noosa and Tahiti, organised by Andrew, before making their home in Lindfield, Sydney.

Photographer: D.A. Yates Photography and Design

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Parkes

‘The Wedding Suit Specialists’

/whiterocksilver

@whiterocksilver

Ph 0419 482 449 www.whiterocksilver.com.au CWL 201

W I N T E R weddings

ELLIOTT + WESTCOTT Jake Westcott and Natalie Elliott were married at Peak Hill on October 15, 2016.

Jake Elliott, Elisha Edwin, Jarrod Westcott, Brenden Westcott, Jake and Natalie Westcott, Lizzie Watts, Emilie Clarke, Cass Edwin and Michelle Westcott.

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High school sweethearts of eight years, Jake proposed to Natalie on Lighthouse Beach in Ballina while on a getaway before Jake was due overseas for his job.

Jake was away for 10 months, arriving back in September 2016, with just enough time to finalise the wedding plans.

The ceremony was on Jake’s family property at Peak Hill under a tree with spectacular views of the countryside.

The reception was held in a marquee adorned with fairy lights in the middle of a wheat paddock on Natalie’s family property in Parkes. Dish Catering provided an abundance of wonderful food for the 110 guests in attendance.

The couple spent their honeymoon cruising around the South Pacific for eight nights before settling back into their home in Brisbane.

Photographer: Belstar Photography

Paleface Arcade, 242 Hoskins St Temora, New South Wales (02) 6977 4122 info@debsjewellery.com

www.debsjewellery.com

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W I N T E R weddings

Jamie Embleton, Jennifer Browning, Claire Berry, Ross Theobald, Sarah and Hamish Steele, Vanessa Armstrong, Grant Rouland, Laura Dwyer and Ben Thomas.

DWYER + STEELE Sarah Dwyer and Hamish Steele were married at “Athol Gardens”, Blayney, on November 5, 2016.

Surrounded by 85 family and friends, the bride and groom enjoyed an outdoor wedding while musician Clancy Pye serenaded guests.

Sarah’s bridesmaids were Claire Berry, Jennifer Browning, Vanessa Armstrong and sister Laura Dwyer. Hamish’s groomsmen were Jamie Embleton, Ben Thomas, Ross Theobald and Grant Rouland.

The bridal party was dressed by J & J Brides & Formals, Orange, and Bent Threads Menswear, Bathurst. Legall Patisserie Cafe, Bathurst, crafted Sarah and Hamish’s wedding cake while Ivory Rose Botanicals, Bathurst, provided the beautiful bouquets. A finishing touch to the day was a 1966 Mustang convertible courtesy of Mustangs of Bathurst Wedding Cars to ensure the bridesmaids arrived in style.

The couple enjoyed a road trip through New Zealand before returning to their small farm at Lyndhurst.

Photographer: Natalie Bailey Photography

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Onsite Jewellers | Designers | Manufacturers | Repairs & Remodelling Retailers of Modern & Contemporary Jewellery

Whitneys Jewellers have been hand crafting diamond engagement rings for 4 generations.

Their master jeweller can delicately restore, repair or resize your precious jewellery on site in a minimum time.

Visit Whitneys Jewellers at 149 Talbragar Street Dubbo NSW Tel: 02 6882 4620 www.whitneysjewellers.com.au

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“A new and unique function space created for the people of Parkes and the Central West to celebrate and be entertained.”

NOW TAKING BOOKINGS • www.therailwayhotelparkes.com.au

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Our Advertisers WINTER 2017 We encourage our readers to support our advertisers.

The magazine could not exist without them, and their loyalty shows their commitment to the communities of the Central West.

2 FAT LADIES

Lucknow, 6365 5437 2fatladies.com.au

ACACIA MOTOR LODGE

Coonabarabran, 6842 1922 acaciamotorlodge.com.au

ADAGIO MILLS

Orange, 0422 425 424 adagiomills.com.au

AGQUIP

Gunnedah, 6768 5800 agquip.com.au

ALEX&RIA DIGITAL

Dubbo, 0449 570 961 alexandria.digital

CHOICES FLOORING

BY BRIGHTS

Bathurst, 6331 4866 choicesflooring.com.au/ store/bathurst

CHURCH STREET CAFE BAR & RESTAURANT Dubbo, 6884 0790 cscdubbo.com.au

COOEE LODGE RETIREMENT VILLAGE Gilgandra, 6817 8744

COONA ASTRO VENTURES

Coonabarabran, 0428 288 244

COUNTRY CARRIAGE B&B

GILGANDRA AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY BANK BRANCH Gilgandra, 6847 1502

GILGANDRA HIGH SCHOOL

MEGAN O’CONNOR CATERING

GILGANDRA NEWSPAPERS

MILLTHORPE GARDEN NURSERY

Gilgandra, 6847 2022

GILGANDRA SHIRE COUNCIL Gilgandra, 6817 8800 gilgandra.nsw.gov.au

GILGANDRA VETERINARY CLINIC

Gilgandra, 6847 1129 gilgandravets.com.au

Temora, 6973 1221 countrycarriage.com.au

GLEN LEE ASH STUD

ALL SAINTS’ COLLEGE

COUNTRY GARDENS MOTOR INN

GRAPEVINE CAFE

Bathurst, 6331 3911 saints.nsw.edu.au

ANGULLONG WINES Panuara, 6366 4300 angullong.com.au

ARCADIA CROOKWELL

Crookwell, 0407 254 954

ARMATREE HOTEL

Armatree, 6848 5805

BARKALA FARM - HOME OF PILLIGA POTTERY & BLUE WREN CAFE Coonabarabran, 6842 2239 barkalafarmstay.com.au

BATHURST HERITAGE MOTOR INN

Bathurst, 6334 3433 heritagemotorinn.com.au

BATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL Bathurst, 6333 6110 bathurst.nsw.gov.au

BETTAFRAME AND TRUSS

Dubbo, 6881 8544 dubborooftrusses.websyte.com.au

BILLABONG COTTAGE

Cowra, 6341 1100 owracountrygardensmotel.com.au

COUNTRYMAN MOTOR INN Dubbo, 6882 7422 countrymandubbo.com.au

COURTHOUSE COTTAGE B&B Temora, 6978 1911 courthousecottage.com.au

CRAMPTON’S CARPETS

Dubbo, 6882 8911 cramptonscarpets.com.au

CRYSTAL KINGDOM

Coonabarabran, 6842 1927

CULTIVATE ADVISORY

Narromine, 0428 890 151 cultivateadvisory.com.au

DAVIDSON CAMERON REAL ESTATE

Coonabarabran, 0428 422 255 dcco.com.au

DEB’S JEWELLERY Temora, 6977 4122 debsjewellery.com

DUBBO CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Oberon, 6336 5144 bluemts.com.au/billabongcottage

Dubbo, 6882 0044 dubbocs.edu.au

BISHOP’S COURT ESTATE

DUBBO FAMILY DENTISTS

Bathurst, 6332 4447 bishopscourtestate.com.au

Dubbo, 6882 5444 dubbofamilydentists.com.au

BLACK GOLD MOTEL

DUBBO PRINTING WORKS

Wallerawang, 6355 7305

BLAND SHIRE COUNCIL

West Wyalong, 6972 2266 blandshire.nsw.gov.au

BLAYNEY POST OFFICE B&B Blayney, 6368 2466

BLAYNEY SHIRE COUNCIL Blayney, 6368 3534 visitblayney.com.au

BOB BERRY REAL ESTATE Dubbo, 6882 6822 bobberry.com.au

BUDDENS B&B

Rockley, 6337 9279 buddens.com.au

BUDGERIE BRAFORD STUD

Gulargambone, 0428 438 253

BYRNE CLOTHING

Parkes, 6862 1408 byrneclothing.com.au

CEREMONIES BY AARON

Dubbo, 0400 002 019 ceremoniesbyaaron.com.au

CHALKIES

Coonabarabran, 6842 1460

CHILL-RITE

Dubbo, 6885 2254 & Orange, 6361 4442 chill-rite.com.au

CHINNOCK BED & BREAKFAST Gilgandra, 6847 0470

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Dubbo, 6882 1233 printingworks.com

DUBBO RSL CLUB

Gilgandra, 6847 1447

Dubbo, 6884 7354 grapevinecafe.com.au

GREENTREES PRESERVES Orange, 6361 4546 greentreeshouse.com.au

HAY’S GIFT & GARDENWARE Parkes, 6862 4002

HOCKEY’S ACCOMMODATION

Millthorpe, 0421 121 937 hockeysaccommodation.com.au

I LUV HAIR & BEAUTY Gilgandra, 6847 1880

IRONBARK ESPRESSO BAR Blayney, 0408 461 937 ironbarkespressobar.com

JEMALONG WOOL

Forbes, 6851 4000 jemalongwool.com.au

JN STRANEY & SON

Condobolin, 6895 2501 jnstraney.com.au

KAMARLEY & ME HOMEWARES & GIFTS

Temora, 0419 287 735 kamarleyandme.com.au

KATE JONES @ ONE NINETEEN Orange, 6361 4390 katejonesatonenineteen.com.au

KELLY & ASTILL

Gilgandra, 6847 1842

KLR MARKETING

Bathurst, 0428 953 925 klrmarketing.com.au

Dubbo, 6882 4411 dubborsl.com.au

KRISTY’S COTTAGE

DUNK INSURANCE

KUBOWICZ BUILDERS

West Wyalong, 6972 3963

Young, 1800 219 496 dunkinsurance.com.au

Mudgee, 6372 4200 jkbuilders.com.au

EASY LIVING FOOTWEAR

LACHLAN SHIRE COUNCIL

Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange 6332 3822 elfshoes.com.au

EWE TWO ON DANDALOO

Condobolin & Lake Cargelligo 6895 1900 heartofnsw.com.au

LET’S COMMUNICATE SPEECH PATHOLOGY SERVICES

Trangie, 6888 8268 ewetwo.com.au

Gilgandra, 0410 507 479 letscommunicatespeech.com.au

FISH RIVER ROASTERS

LUCKNOW SKIN SHOP & BOOT BARN

Bathurst, 6331 7171

FLORIST LA FLEUR

Condobolin, 6895 4231

FLOWERS HERE

Wellington & Dubbo, 0410 363 429 flowershere.com.au

FORBES SHIRE COUNCIL Forbes, 6852 4155 forbes.nsw.gov.au

FRANK SMITH WORK CLOTHING & SHOE REPAIRS Bathurst, 6331 7544 gottheboot.com.au

GARIAN WHOLESALERS Dubbo, 6884 1166

Dubbo, Wellington & Cobar, 6884 4077 maxastrioptometrists.com

Gilgandra, 6847 2276 gilgandra-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

ALL OCCASIONS

West Wyalong, 0427 722 373

MAX ASTRI OPTOMETRISTS

Lucknow, 6365 5330 lucknowskinshop.com.au

McCARRON CULLINANE Orange, 6362 4775 mccarrons.com.au

M H THOMAS & GILGANDRA REAL ESTATE Gilgandra, 6847 2489

MACQUARIE HEALTH COLLECTIVE

Dubbo & Narromine, 6815 9900 macquariehealthcollective.com.au

MAJOR’S MULCH GARDEN CENTRE

West Wyalong, 6972 4052 majorsmulch.com.au

Gilgandra,0418 362 158

Millthorpe, 6366 3131 millthorpegardennursery.com.au

MUDGEE SMALL FARM FIELD DAYS

Mudgee, 6372 3899 mudgeefielddays.com.au

NARELLAN POOLS WESTERN PLAINS

RICK FIRMAN’S MENSWEAR

THE OUTLOOK CAFE

ROSIE’S HONEY MUSTARD

THE QUARRY RESTAURANT & CELLAR DOOR

Temora, 6977 2021 rickfirmansmenswear.com.au Warren, 6824 2055 rosies.net.au

ROUNDABOUT BAKERY

Temora, West Wyalong & Forbes 6978 0020

ROYAL HOTEL CONDOBOLIN Condobolin, 6895 2009

ROYAL HOTEL WEST WYALONG West Wyalong, 6972 4337 royalhotelww.com.au

SADDLERY BY THOMPSON

Dubbo, 6884 3117

Coonabarabran, 0414 243 697

NATIONAL DENTAL CARE

SALTS OF THE HIMALAYAS

Dubbo, 6800 1195 nationaldentalcare.com.au /practice/dubbo

Coonabarabran, 0447 148 276

OLD ERROWANBANG FARMSTAY

Gilgandra, 0429 485 815

Carcoar, 0400 667 231 olderrowanbangwoolshed.com

ORANGE CITY COUNCIL Orange, 6393 8250 orange.nsw.gov.au

ORIENTAL HOTEL

Mudgee, 6372 1074 orientalhotel.com.au

OUTSCAPE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Grenfell, 6343 8288 outscape.net.au

PARKES NEWSAGENCY Parkes, 6862 2296 parkesnewsagency.com

PARKES SHIRE COUNCIL Parkes, 6862 6000 parkes.nsw.gov.au

PATCHWORK INN B&B

Temora, 0428 781 133 patchworkinntemora.com.au

PEACOCKE ACCOUNTANTS

Dubbo, 6882 3933 peacockeaccountants.com.au

PERENNIALLE PLANTS

Canowindra, 0427 077 798 perennialle.com.au

PINN COTTAGE

Crookwell, 0421 457 135 pinncottage.com.au

Dubbo, 6884 7977

Cowra, 6342 3650 thequarryrestaurant.com.au

THE RAILWAY HOTEL

Parkes, 6862 1553 therailwayhotelparkes.com.au

THE SCOTS SCHOOL Bathurst, 6333 4702 scots.edu.au

THE WHITE PLACE

Orange, 6363 1160 thewhiteplace.com.au

THIS N THAT

Gilgandra, 6847 0500

SENSORY MOVES PAEDIATRIC GROUP

THOM, DICK AND HARRY’S

SIDING SPRING OBSERVATORY

TIBUC GARDENS CAFE & ACCOMMODATION

Coonabarabran, 6842 6211 sidingspring.com.au

SISTERELLEA’S

Coonabarabran, 6842 2822

STOKE HOUSE CARCOAR Carcoar, 6367 3235 stokehousecarcoar.com

SUZIE HOPE DESIGNS

West Wyalong, 6972 0393 tdhww.com.au

Coonabarabran, 0455 112 535 tibucgardens.com

TOP PADDOCK

Crookwell, 4832 2319

TOYOTA CENTRAL WEST GROUP

Mittagong, 0438 423 824 suziehopedesigns.com

Central West, 6882 1511 toyota.com.au

TASTEBUDS ON DALGARNO

TRADESMART BUILDING SUPPLY CO

Coonabarabran, 0431 862 357

TATTYKEEL

Oberon, 6335 8116 tattykeel.com.au

TEMORA & DISTRICT FUNERAL SERVICE AND NATIVE BOTANICAL Temora, 6977 1788 nativebotanical.com.au

TEMORA AVIATION MUSEUM Temora, 6977 1088 aviationmuseum.com.au

TEMORA CAPITAL CHEMIST Temora, 6977 2026

TEMORA EX-SERVICES CLUB, GOLDTERA MOTOR INN & KOREELA PARK MOTOR INN Temora, 6977 2433 temoraexservices.com.au

Young, 6382 3111

ULTIMATE DIGITAL

Dubbo, 6884 5949 ultimatedigital.com.au

WALLINGTON WINES

Canowindra, 0427 936 054 wallingtonwines.com.au

WARRUMBUNGLE NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTRE

Coonabarabran, 6825 4364 nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

WARRUMBUNGLE SHIRE COUNCIL

Coonabarabran, 6849 2000 warrumbungle.nsw.gov.au

WE KNOW TRAVEL

TEMORA MEDICAL COMPLEX Temora, 6977 3600 temoramedical.com.au

Parkes, Dubbo & Orange, 6862 2466 weknowtravel.com.au

PLAINSMAN MOTEL

TEMORA RURAL MUSEUM

WEST ORANGE MOTORS

PLANNING POTENTIAL

TEMORA SHIRE COUNCIL

PIVOT STOVE AND HEATING Dubbo, 6885 2479 pivotstove.com.au

Forbes, 6852 2466

Orange, 0412 395 668 planningpotential.com.au

Temora, 6977 1291

Temora, 6980 1100 temora.com.au

Orange, 6361 1000 mbwestorangemotors.com.au

WESTERN PLAINS CULTURAL CENTRE

TEMORA TRUCK & TRACTOR SERVICE

Dubbo, 6801 4444 westernplainsculturalcentre.org

POISED

THE CLOSET

WESTERN PLAINS WINDOWS & GLASS

Cowra, 6342 2478 theclosetcowra.com

Dubbo, 6884 8818 wpwg.com.au

PRESSED TIN PANELS

THE COFFEE CLUB ORANA MALL

WHITE ROCK SILVER

PLC ARMIDALE

Armidale, 6770 1700 plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au West Wyalong, 0427 757 141 poised.net.au Bathurst, 6332 1738 pressedtinpanels.com

PREZZIES

Temora, 6977 1098

Dubbo, 6882 0347 coffeeclub.com.au

Coonabarabran, 6842 2660

THE HUB

QUALITY INN DUBBO INTERNATIONAL

THE LION’S PRIDE

Dubbo, 6882 4777 qualityinndubbo.com.au

RAY WHITE RURAL TEMORA Temora, 6978 1008 raywhiteruraltemora.com.au

REDAGAPE GUESTHOUSE Millthorpe, 0448 626 391 redagape.com.au

Bathurst, 6332 1565 Dubbo, 6884 3333 thelionspride.com.au

THE NEXT GRIND COFFEE SHOP & GALLERY Gilgandra, 6847 2707

THE OLD MILL CAFE

Millthorpe, 6366 3188 theoldmillcafe.com.au

Blayney, 0419 482 449 whiterocksilver.com.au

WHITNEYS JEWELLERS

Dubbo, 6882 4620 whitneysjewellers.com.au

YLAD LIVING SOILS

Young, 1300 811 681 yladlivingsoils.com.au

YOUNG EYES

Young, 6382 4000 youngeyes.com.au

ZEST BYO

Temora, 6978 0332

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MARKETING & GENERAL PUBLICITY

– Dr Antonia, Dubbo Family Dentists

– Beth Hearn, Beautiful Image

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CWL 207

W I N T E R the last word

the long and the short of it Coonabarabran barber Johnny Franklin, AKA Chimp, is still working his monkey magic . . . after all these years.

It’s been 50 years since I first sat in Chimp’s chair. To be honest, I didn’t actually sit in the chair, but on a small wooden bench placed on the chair – an essential tool-of-the-trade for vertically challenged little tackers in the swinging sixties.

Chimp, who also answers to the name of Johnny Franklin, remembers the day well. “Another snotty-nosed little kid that cried his heart out,” he laughs, as I take my place in the queue in his tiny office next to Coonabarabran's Imperial Hotel.

It’s one of the few jobs where everybody is on an equal plane and this congenial barber thrives on the laid-back atmosphere.

There’s no airs and graces here. Chimp is always ready to hear the latest weather report, the weekend’s footy results and what’s happening around town.

“You could write a bloody book,” he laughs.

Not that he would. “What’s said in the chair, stays in the chair.”

On a shelf lies an old tin of Johnson & Johnson baby powder. It was there on my first visit all those years ago and is still used today.

The kids’ bench sits below, ready for action.

Chimp has to be the most relaxed businessman in town. After close to six decades of snipping away, he is quietly thankful he didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps and become a mechanic.

After being “kicked out of school” at 14, Chimp picked up the scissors, serving the first part of his apprenticeship with Billy French before finishing with Digger Jackson.

When he branched out on his own, a haircut would set you back four bob (decimal currency was still seven years away). These days he still only charges $10, perhaps one of the cheapest cuts in the country – all this and you get hair trimmed by a local legend!

Many older locals would remember his first shop around the corner, featuring the traditional red and white barber’s pole. It was between Boysie’s Butchery (reputedly the oldest building in town) and the old movie theatre.

Chimp paid $50 a month rent and was going steady until the 1970s when long hair was in and barbers were out. Not all survived those testing times.

208 CWL

Over the decades Chimp has yarned to thousands of men – from all ages and all walks of life.

Indeed, Chimp is the last man standing, outlasting each of the four barbers who once plied their trade in town.

He earned his nickname while auditioning for the primary school football team. “My mates reckoned I looked like a chimp and it stuck.”

There’s definitely some monkey business going on here if the stuffed monkeys piled up in one corner are any indication. This strange phenomenon was started by wife Sandra on a wedding anniversary and is well-known to the local male population.

Finally it’s my turn. I opt for the traditional “short back and sides” but Chimp intuitively knows anyway.

Although he hasn’t changed his appearance much in decades, there are signs of wear and tear. “The legs aren’t holding up too well,” he confides, “but they’re still good for my weekly game of bowls.”

Everyone in Coonabarabran knows and loves the irrepressible Chimp. The jovial man with a wicked sense of humour still works four days a week and aims to continue plying his trade for as long as possible.

Success for him seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. CWL ABOVE: Chimp reckons he’s got the best job in the world. Jake gets another trim from Chimp, 50 years after his first haircut by the larrikin barber.

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Contact your local Central West Dealer for more information.

Armstrong Toyota (West Wyalong) 02 6972 2400 armstrongtoyota.com.au Bathurst Toyota 02 6334 2224 bathursttoyota.com.au Cobar Toyota 02 6836 4007 parkestoyota.com.au

Cowra Toyota 02 6342 1988 cowratoyota.com.au

Lean & Bennett (Lithgow) 02 6352 2211 leanandbennetttoyota.net.au

Orange Toyota 02 6362 2988 orangetoyota.com.au

Dubbo City Toyota 02 6882 1511 dubbocitytoyota.com.au

Macquarie Toyota (Warren) 02 6847 4266 macquarietoyota.com.au

Parkes Toyota 02 6862 9777 parkestoyota.com.au

Forbes Toyota 02 6851 1644 forbestoyota.com.au

Mudgee Toyota 02 6372 1799 mudgeetoyota.com.au

Gilgandra Toyota 02 6847 2106 gilgandratoyota.com.au

Nyngan Toyota 02 6832 1477 nyngantoyota.com.au

Ron Stubberfield Toyota (Wellington) 02 6845 2522 ronstubberfieldtoyota.com.au

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