#20 Central West Lifestyle | Autumn 2018

20th Edition

AUTUMN

Harden Murrumburrah

Yass Valley town feature

CELEBRATING THE ANZACS

A garden of excellence: “Owendale”, Narromine

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

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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.

Central West Lifestyle showcases authentic content from across rural and regional New South Wales. The heart of the magazine is in the Central West of the state, but a great story knows no boundaries.

We are continually amazed by the innovation, inspiration and spirit that we find time and time again in communities both within the Central West and further afield. It is our passion and privilege to bring these stories to you.

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE To order a subscription or back issue (mailed or online), visit www.centralwestmagazine.com.au. © Central West Lifestyle Pty Ltd 2018 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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Autumn 2018 TOWN FEATURE: YASS VALLEY 12

roximity to Canberra is just one of Yass Valley’s many P alluring attributes – stunning scenery, rich history, colourful characters and a strong community spirit among them.

150

116

GARDEN

140 “OWENDALE” Judy and Tony Barlow’s Narromine garden is a haven for flora, fauna, family and friends.

STYLE

150 SLEEP EASY Tips on how to fashion yourself a five-star bedroom.

154 SERENITY NOW We visit Ian Birrell’s character-filled country home – once the Emu Swamp Methodist Church.

FOOD

170 AUTUMN MENU Recipes for a fabulous three-course autumn extravaganza.

176 COUNTRY COOKING One-pot wonders for the country cook.

TRAVEL

182 HEAVENLY CREATURES The Galapagos Islands are an animal lover’s paradise.

EXPERIENCE

114 C OURAGE UNDER FIRE The amazing story of Bill the Bastard.

116 BRONZED AUSSIE LEGEND Recognising Australia’s greatest war horse.

120 DOUBLY DELIGHTFUL Exploring Harden and Murrumburrah.

126 GARDEN PARTY The glorious Mayfield Garden is home to AutumnFest.

132 DIFFERENT STROKES People are drawn to Jude Fleming’s art classes.

136 LONG STORY Warren newsagents have plenty of stamina.

160 TO THE LETTER Dubbo Printing Works encompasses quality and tradition.

162 ONE STEP AHEAD Robyn McLennan puts her customers’ feet first.

166 FUTURE PROOF Mike Crowley & Associates help businesses help themselves.

174 DELIVERING THE GOODS Byng Street Local Store is becoming an Orange institution.

180 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT Gulgong B&B’s owners have embraced the town and its history.

150 170

198

EVENTS

190 C WL SUMMER ISSUE LAUNCH Gunnedah turns out to celebrate in style.

192 WELLINGTON OPEN GARDENS Six stunning properties on show.

194 COLLECTOR’S EDITION LAUNCH A night of reflection and celebration in Orange.

198 WEDDINGS Gallant grooms and beautiful brides tie the knot.

20th Edition

AUTUMN

REGULAR FEATURES

4 CWL

Harden Murrumburrah

Yass Valley town feature

$12.00 inc GST

772201

608002

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AUTUMN 2018 VOLUME 20

9

196 U PCOMING EVENTS 206 O UR ADVERTISERS 208 T HE LAST WORD Robyn Sykes is spreading the word about life on the land.

CELEBRATING THE ANZACS

A garden of excellence: “Owendale”, Narromine

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

ON THE COVER

LAND OF PLENTY A peaceful rural scene on “Euralie” Yass, a superfine wool growing property owned

by Paul Simons.

(Page 22 Town Feature) Photographer: Shot by Jake

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A U T U M N publishers’ letter

FROM THE PUBLISHERS

welcome to autumn “Autumn has always been my favourite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”

– Lauren De Stefano

Welcome to Autumn in the Central West and the regions beyond. What a magnificent and colourful season we are all privileged to enjoy!

Gunnedah Feature – Summer 2017 It was a very exciting time for the team at Central West Lifestyle and the many Gunnedah area residents who embraced the Summer edition so enthusiastically! Extremely strong sales were experienced by John and Ann Sturgess, owners of the Gunnedah Newsagency, as well as in outlets right across the state.

It is so satisfying to see the attractions and uniqueness of the beautiful regional centres such as Gunnedah reflected in the pages of our magazine. Even more satisfying is seeing this exposure translated into visitation benefiting the entire local economy.

Team Christmas Party Our wonderful CWL team enjoyed a night of reflection and camaraderie in December at the gorgeous Blayney function venue Athol Gardens. Our sincere thanks to Karen and David Somervaille for their warm hospitality. Due to the diverse geographical location of many of our team members, the team Christmas party provides a great opportunity to meet up, share our trials and tribulations and celebrate how far we have come.

This Autumn publication marks our 20th edition and five years in business. A big thanks to all councils, advertisers, newsagents and readers who have so faithfully and generously supported us throughout our five-year journey. We look forward to being able to bring you many more editions of Central West Lifestyle.

Alex and Elizabeth Tickle, Publishers of Central West Lifestyle with Judy Chaffey and Cr Jamie Chaffey, Mayor of Gunnedah.

Collector’s Edition Volume 1 After a most successful launch in late September at Kate Jones@one nineteen restaurant, Orange, the Collector’s Edition Volume 1 has met with very positive approval. We are told it has been purchased in multiples and has been gifted to relatives and friends to enjoy into the new year. This edition will continue to sell in newsagents and selected outlets throughout 2018 and makes an ideal gift for special occasions or as a keepsake showcasing 50 of the best stories featured in the first 18 editions of Central West Lifestyle.

Yass Valley Feature This 100-page feature on the stunning Yass Valley has been an absolute joy to research and photograph.

The town of Yass and surrounds provide a kaleidoscope of experiences for the residents lucky enough to call the area home as well as the many visitors to the area.

Thank you to the Yass Council for their commitment, vision and foresight in collaborating with our magazine.

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Federal member for Calare Andrew Gee with Tina Gee and Alex and Elizabeth Tickle at the Collector’s Edition launch in Orange.

Winter 2018 Feature – Narrabri How exciting it is to go home to Narrabri and work on featuring this busy and inviting town, as well as the adjoining towns of Wee Waa and Boggabri. I (Elizabeth) grew up on our family property in the Rocky Creek Valley, about a 50-minute drive east from Narrabri and so I have many childhood memories of this gorgeous area.

We hope you can enjoy this, our 20th edition and continue to promote all there is on offer in rural and regional NSW.

Warm regards, Elizabeth & Alex

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Instagram @centralwestlifestyle

A U T U M N Jake’s message

stories in abundance G’day trendsetters.

Congratulations! We’ve all survived another hot Christmas to bring you edition No.20 featuring the captivating Yass Valley.

Yass is an old town with buildings dating back to the 1830s. In this edition you’ll take a guided tour through two of them: “Cooma Cottage” and “Cliftonwood”. These stellar Yass River properties were built when the town was in its infancy and stand today as relics of a bygone era when the horse was king and a good set of stables was just as important as a soft bed.

Both historic properties have magnificent stables and a fascinating connection to the great Australian explorer Hamilton Hume, who features in so much of the history of Yass.

In this edition we’ve scored a scoop with one of the country’s most recognisable faces and his secret rural hideaway in Gundaroo. He’s a great man with a big heart – thanks for having me, Dick Smith!

You will read about sculptors, poets, winemakers and perhaps Australia’s oldest sheep breeder. You will also meet a tenacious wombat lover, a glass blower from Binalong and one of the country’s great music composers (think Picnic at Hanging Rock).

When you’ve ploughed through all that you can read the story of the great bucking bull Chainsaw and the cowboy who saved him from our dinner plate.

I’ll even throw in some romance, with an inspiring story of a beautiful young country lass left crippled after tragedy on the road.

Her heartfelt message is to pull over when tired. Nothing is worth the consequences for you and for others.

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As we head into autumn, my favourite time of the year, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the countless people who have shared their amazing stories with us over the past five years. We’ve covered dozens of NSW rural towns and cities and unearthed some cracker bush yarns along the way.

The ingenuity, persistence and plain hard work that so many of you sink into your businesses never ceases to amaze me. It’s never easy and wasn’t meant to be but hopefully at the end of the day you have something/someone good to come home to.

Mother has just arrived home safe and sound after a mini cruise.

In her early 80s she reckoned it was excellent value and great for a break, even if most of her fellow shipmates were half a century younger and in permanent party mode!

The point being that we all need something to look forward to!

Instead of a big ship, pack your suitcase and visit these towns we have brought you. Find out why the locals love living there. I can assure you that glorious Yass won’t disappoint.

In the meantime, keep focused on the goal line and enjoy our very latest efforts.

Till the chilly winter winds bring us together once more, I’m off on the wallaby!

Cheers, Jake

ABOVE: Aerial shot of the stunning countryside surrounding Yass.

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AUTUMN 2018 CONTRIBUTORS

meet your team

ELIZABETH TICKLE

Publisher, Editor, Advertising

JAKE LINDSAY

Chief Writer & Photographer

ANNA TICKLE

GINA CRANSON

KATE BOSHAMMER

ZORA REGULIC Art Director

Writer & Social Media Manager

AMANDA O’SULLIVAN

ELIZABETH SWANE

ZENIO LAPKA

JANE SANDERSON

LORRAINE HILLS

CATHERINE PLAYER

HEATHER CROSBY

Sub-Editor & Proofreader

Home & Style Writer, Photographer

ROBERT I BRUCE

Advertising Designer & Business Strategist

Garden Writer

Country Cuisine Writer

Photographer

JOHN CURLEY Accountant

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ALEX TICKLE

Publisher, Distribution, Advertising

Photographer

NICOLE BONFIELD Travel Writer

Writer

Wedding Writer

JOHN BALTAKS

Travel Photographer

Writer

Your first collector’s edition is superb, and testament to the calibre of work your team constantly delivers.

CWL has put our region on the map and has no doubt been a revelation to the many city readers fortunate enough to feast their eyes upon a copy.

I can only imagine the amount of work required to bring about such a world-class product and therefore you must be in need of a very relaxed and rejuvenating festive season. I wish you well in that and trust you relax and make wonderful memories with your loved ones.

Tracey Robinson, Dubbo

We would like to express our gratitude to Elizabeth and Alex Tickle and the CWL staff for their efforts in producing such a beautiful magazine.

CWL has continued to offer their support to Iandra Castle since our first feature in Spring 2014 and more recently The Collector’s Edition 2017.

The ongoing exposure from the magazine has increased awareness and interest in our open days and general visits.

We have found that visitors to the area actively seek out Iandra and use CWL magazine as a tourist guide to the local region.

We enjoy the varied features of each edition and look forward to new areas covered so thoroughly.

Keep up the hard work.

YOUR LETTERS It was with great delight I read the Summer 2017 edition of Central West Lifestyle, which allowed us the opportunity to showcase our wonderful and diverse shire in a beautifully presented publication.

The feature has captured the true essence of our people and our places, and what makes us unique, as the land of opportunity.

The launch of this issue illustrated the abundance of opportunities in our region and told inspiring stories of the people who make up our community.

The magazine has not only become a talking point among locals, it has also created marketing and tourism opportunities – sharing and celebrating our vibrant community with other regions across NSW. Congratulations to Alex, Elizabeth and the Central West Lifestyle team for producing a publication that Gunnedah Shire and many other regions can be proud of for years to come.

This feature makes me proud to call Gunnedah home.

Rod and Bev Kershaw., Iandra Castle

I have worked with a number of your team in respect of the Bill the Bastard article in this edition.

I compliment you on the very high professional standards you all bring to the magazine and say thank you for all of your help in getting our article to print.

I enjoy your magazine and I have described it as the Reader’s Digest of the National Geographic. What I mean by that description is, the photography and printing standards are similar to those of the National Geographic, top quality, yet Central West is like the Reader’s Digest – the articles are not too long and most interesting to read.

I also think you do an excellent market research job understanding what your wide group of readers are looking for.

Once again, thank you and well done.

Jamie Chaffey, Mayor, Gunnedah Shire Council

Bob Laing, Harden

I have now had the pleasure of reading all of your issues of CWL, and your ability to capture the true essence of country living is inspirational.

Some stories have made me laugh and others have made me cry but all have shown the resilience of country people and their communities, making incredible reading.

Congratulations and thank you Elizabeth, Alex and your talented team for producing such an informative and inspiring magazine showcasing country NSW and its citizens.

The Spring edition featuring the shires of Coolamon and Junee, which is my home territory, surpassed expectations, leaving me more proud than ever of living where I do.

If I could introduce a law it would take the form of compulsory reading of your magazine as in doing so you can’t help but appreciate this blessed country we live in.

#CentralWestLifestyle

A great story well worth sharing @carthianhill

Margaret Seymour, Marrar

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12 CWL YASS VALLEY | YASS

Yass Valley TOWN FE ATURE WORDS & IMAGES: SHOT BY JAKE

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 13

Yass appeal fro m th e Mayo r of Yass Va l ley

Welcome to Yass Valley, a thriving community made up of eight diverse towns and villages: Binalong, Bookham, Bowning, Gundaroo, Murrumbateman, Sutton, Wee Jasper and Yass.

Yass Valley has transformed into a growing, modern and regional community. We are known for our rich agricultural heritage, lively food and wine scene and our delightful country villages and towns, where our connected community know their neighbours and love the wide open spaces and fresh country air.

As Mayor I am proud to have called Yass Valley home for over 25 years, with my husband’s family one of the many local families who have lived in the area for many generations. On a daily basis I am reminded why people choose to live here. We are a region of individuals who work together to create a united, friendly and welcoming community.

Yass Valley is an easy three-hour drive from Sydney and less than one hour from Canberra, so we have the wonderful benefit of a rural lifestyle with the ability to access arts, history, medical and other services of a big city without the stress of having to live there.

In small regional towns and villages across Australia it is the people that make them special. It is the way people rally behind a cause or volunteer endless hours to local community organisations, sporting clubs, community events and festivals and local emergency services.

“In small regional towns and villages across Australia it is the people that make them special.”

Cowra

To Oberon

Grenfell Lake Wyangala

Koorawatha Bribbaree

Tuena Bigga

Greenethorpe

Wombeyan Caves

Murringo

Young

Binda Laggan Taralga Wombat

Boorowa

Crookwell

Harden

Bowral

Grabben Gullen

Murrumburrah Galong Cootamundra

Binalong Towrang

Bowning

Goulburn

Yass

Bookham

Marulan Tallong

Gunning

Jugiong Bungonia

Collector

Lake Burrinjuck

Lake Bathurst

Murrumbateman Gundaroo

Sutton

Lake George

Gundagai To Melbourne

Windellama Tarago

Wee Jasper

Bungendore

Canberra

Tumut

Queanbeyan Braidwood

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In 2013, four months after being elected to my first term as Mayor, the rural community of Bookham was devastated by a bushfire that burnt 20,000 hectares, took 19 days to extinguish and affected 58 separate farms. Our community was left reeling but it was the way that we came together to combat this devastation that demonstrated to me what this community was made of and that we could handle any adversity that was thrown our way.

From local charities and support networks, sporting clubs to major events, it is our community that are on the frontline to provide amazing opportunities for our residents and the many visitors who travel to Yass Valley.

The tireless volunteers that we have working to make our community better are the people that make Yass Valley an amazing place to call home.

We are honoured to be given this opportunity to showcase our backyard in the Central West Lifestyle Magazine.

I would like to dedicate this Yass Valley feature to the amazing members of our community who donate their time, for the benefit of others, to make this area such a wonderful place to live.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to readers and encourage you all to visit Yass Valley and all that we have to offer.

Cr Rowena Abbey, Yass Valley Mayor

capital goods Proximity to Canberra is just one of Yass Valley’s many alluring attributes.

Yass Valley is in the Southern Tablelands of NSW, a regional area boasting a proud Aboriginal, strong colonial and innovative agricultural history. Yass Valley is located 280km southwest of the Sydney CBD, 600km northeast of the Melbourne CBD and 60km north of the Canberra CBD. Yass Valley has traditionally been inhabited by the Ngunnawal and Wiradjuri tribes. The Yass area was first seen by Europeans in 1821, on an expedition led by Hamilton Hume, and by 1830 settlement had begun.

Yass Valley is an area of 3999 square kilometres and adjoins five other NSW local government areas and the Australian Capital Territory. Yass was one of the sites proposed for the federal capital after 1901 and in 1956 was the first mainland Australian town to introduce fluoride to its water supply.

Yass Valley was born “off the sheep’s back” and while agriculture has been the backbone of our community, we are seeing new and innovative businesses standing up and being recognised nationally and internationally.

Sharing a border with our nation’s capital, Yass Valley residents have unique work and education opportunities while living in a rural environment. The daily commuter and school transport options available make Yass Valley accessible and convenient to live in the rural countryside and still work, study or play in Canberra.

The topography of the region is extremely diverse, ranging from the dramatic and beautiful hills, valleys and waterways of the Wee Jasper area, to the huge expanse of Burrinjuck Dam, the rolling hills of Binalong and the vast plains of Yass and Murrumbateman that are home to some of the finest wool and wine country in Australia.

Yass Valley is blessed with some truly stunning scenery and delightful country villages, bursting with unique experiences, where you’ll never be short of things to see and do. Nature lovers will be impressed with the range of outdoor experiences on offer – from exploring caves and bushwalking, to strolling through our parks and gardens, camping and water sports on Burrinjuck Dam. History and heritage buffs will love the region’s connection to early rural Australia, which can be experienced at our museums,

historical sites and antiques centres, including Cooma Cottage, once home to famous explorer Hamilton Hume.

Yass Valley is brimming with talented artists, sculptors, designers and creators following in the tradition of our forebears including two of Australia’s best-known poets, Banjo Paterson and John O’Brien, and trailblazing author Miles Franklin.

Yass Valley Council supports and delivers a range of services and facilities to meet the social, recreational, educational, cultural and family needs of residents and visitors. Such facilities and services, combined with the welcoming and friendly locals, wide open spaces and wonderful experiences on offer, make Yass Valley a sought-after location for people wanting to live the good life, or just escape for a short break.

If you are looking for a new destination to live, work or play, Yass Valley has it all and we look forward to welcoming you! CWL For more information visit www.yassvalley.com.au.

ABOVE: Burrinjuck backwaters (Image: Kim Nelson); Wee Jasper Caves (Image: Geoff Kell).

FACING PAGE: On the outskirts of Yass, Cooma Cottage has a fascinating history linked to the early development of the town.

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 15

lasting impression Proud and strong, the early buildings of Yass have stood the test of time.

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Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

Festivals & Events Take a look at what’s on offer in the beautiful Yass Valley and schedule a visit to coincide with one of our fabulous annual events.

Best of the Canberra region

yassvalley.com.au/events

March , April & May

Year Round

Yass Show March / April

Yass Community Market 1st & 3rd of month, 10am - 1pm Sat

Harvest Festival April

Wine, Women & Song May

St Augustine’s Hall and grounds, Meehan St, Yass

September & October Turning Wave September

Murrumbateman Moving Feast October

Sculpture in the Paddock Sept / Oct

Murrumbateman Field Days October

Tulip Top Gardens Sept / Oct

Gundaroo Music Festival October

Murrumbateman Village Markets 2nd & 4th of month, 9am - 1pm Sat Recreation Grounds, Barton Hwy, Murrumbateman

November Classic Yass Hills of Hall Spring Wine Festival Yass Rodeo Bowning Country Fair

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 17

T O W N F E A T U R E Yass Valley | Yass

days gone by Yass Va l ley

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Images kindly supplied by the Yass and District Historical Society.

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

CLASSIC YASS Classic Yass is a much-loved event for vintage car enthusiasts and their families, showcasing automobiles, memorabilia, and popular music from days gone by, held over the first weekend in November. Promoted by the Yass Antique Motor Club, Classic Yass is a family-friendly and fun event, bringing together everyone’s favourite parts of “the good old days” in an idyllic setting in the historic town of Yass. Featuring cars from the early 1900s through to the ’70s, fashion through the years, music, market stalls, plus the much anticipated Billy Cart Derby, there is something for everyone to enjoy. CWL For more information visit www.classicyass.com.

Yass Valley Information Centre Local wine, gourmet produce, gifts, maps, brochures, refreshments.

1300 886 014 259 Comur St, Yass NSW 2582

Open Monday – Sunday 9:30am – 4:30pm *Closed Good Friday & Christmas Day

yassvalley.com.au

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 19

TRAIN OF THOUGHT Yass Railway Museum takes visitors on a ride through the town’s transport history.

The town of Yass was established well before the railway came to town in the early 1870s. Well, almost to the town. The railway was extended from Goulburn to Yass but didn't come through the town because of the difficulties involved with crossing the river.

Thanks to community pressure, a tramway was built connecting the mainline, about 4km away at Yass Junction, into town.

Yass became one of the few towns in the country to boast such a sophisticated mode of transport.

Passengers had their last ride in 1958 and 30 years later the tramline became non-operational to railway traffic.

"The station is built on the ground for economical reasons," railway museum president Bob Frank explains. "The station master built a platform to allow ladies in their petticoats to enter the carriage.

We claim it is the shortest platform in NSW." Bob well remembers the train chugging down Dutton Street when he was a boy, along with the

20 CWL YASS VALLEY | YASS

circus coming to town via rail and the carriage from the tech college that helped educate rural communities in different technical skills.

"This has always been a huge sheep area," says Bob, a former mechanic. "For many years the wool was carted by rail to the Sydney markets."

By the 1960s the railways had been largely replaced by the automobile and life would never be the same.

The museum was opened in 1992, nearly 100 years after the building of the Yass tramway. It has been run by a small committee of volunteers keen to keep the history of the rail alive.

Secretary Bill Pigram, a former engineer, says his group would love to one day reopen the tramline for tourism.

In the meantime, you'll find plenty of history at the Yass Railway Museum, open every Sunday from 10am to 4pm and on special occasions and public holidays. CWL

ABOVE: The Yass Junction Railway Station.

FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A train chugs past homes in Dutton Street, Yass, during the mid 20th century; President Bob Frank feels right at home in the Railway Museum; the 140-year-old locomotive provides a fitting backdrop to the museum; viaducts support the XPT; the miniature train station.

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 21

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Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

Simons says

Paul Simons AM has lived an exemplary life of ships, shops and sheep.

Paul Simons has sailed the seven seas, climbed to the very top of the corporate ladder and now runs two sheep properties on the Southern Tablelands and Hilltops regions – all managed with the same steely resolve to do it once and do it right.

It's even more impressive when you realise Paul has just turned 90 and is arguably the oldest fine wool grower in the country. It's been one long tumultuous journey for a Welsh lad born to working-class parents Cecil and Beatrice Simons in Swansea, who both lost their fathers at an early age.

Right from the start, Paul had it drummed into him the meaning of sacrifice and devotion to duty, beginning with the sinking of his father's ship at Gallipoli. Cecil and the surviving sailors were swiftly given rifles and ordered to fight the Turks entrenched in the escarpment that lay before them.

During the slaughter there were periods of inactivity and in one such moment he struck up an unlikely friendship with Colonel George Haines. Years later, during the Depression, a chance encounter by Paul’s father led to a life-saving labourer's job on an oil refinery outside Swansea.

Little wonder that the Colonel became Paul’s godfather. On the advice of his brother in Chicago, Paul's father later became a vacuum cleaner salesman. They were like the mobile phone of today – everybody had to have one.

“During this time there was huge unemployment in southern Wales. We'd drive to the Welsh valleys and see all these starving, freezing miners. They used to stand along the railway line hoping the railway engineers would throw them some coal. Life was fairly grim,” Paul says. >

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 23

T O W N F E A T U R E Yass Valley | Yass

Paul says he learnt much of his business acumen from Marks & Spencer in London. “In my view they are the best retailers in the world with a certain knack for doing business.”

Home life was no better. Paul's only sibling suffered frightful fits and had to be tethered during the day. It was a huge family problem. "My father couldn't stand it and took to the booze leaving mother with the sole responsibility of caring for him, administering opium every night to put him to sleep," Paul says.

In 1935 his despairing parents sent him away with friends to the Empire Exhibition in Glasgow, while his 14-year-old brother took his last breath.

By then Germany had started their Nazi movement and Britain was again preparing for war. In 1937 his father once more signed on the dotted line for King and Country, serving another 10 long years at sea. During the dark days of WW2 with his father constantly on the move, Paul attended six different high schools, making learning difficult.

Besides, there was still a war to be won even if it was in the final stages. He was only 17 and brimming with confidence when he signed up as a cadet with the British Merchant Navy. "I can't say I achieved much in the war but in those last few months, the Allies sank 150 U-boats for the loss of only five ships," he says quietly, pulling out one of his trademark cigars.

After meeting his future wife Gwenda Grant in Sydney at war’s end, they maintained contact via letters. In 1949 he disembarked in Fremantle, made it to Sydney and worked in the Australian Merchant Navy for a further five years. During this time, he studied accountancy by correspondence, knowing he'd need something to fall back on when he made it back to shore.

His life at sea finished once wife Gwenda gave birth to a son.

His first job was keeping the books for a rubber company making car tyre retreads and Dunlop Volley tennis shoes. "I can still remember the production cost was 20.3 pence for a new pair," he says with a grin. "In the shops they would sell for four pounds!"

Already his mathematical mind was working in overdrive.

One year on, Paul was bored after a decade navigating the high seas. In late 1954 he was accepted as a Woolworths trainee manager, starting at the very bottom of the ladder in the Glebe warehouse unloading trucks by hand. Supermarkets, pallets and bulk handling were unheard of.

Within 18 months he was appointed store manager, enthusiastically devouring every aspect of retailing. Twenty years later he was appointed Woolworths' youngest director before advancing to the joint general manager's position.

In 1977 he was sponsored by the company to complete an Advanced Management course at Harvard University – a huge turnaround for a fellow who had been told by his final school, Gowerton Grammar’s Headmaster, Dr James – “Simons, you’ll never amount to anything”.

It wasn't a great time to be on the board, however, and Paul grappled with the executives over such things as excessive pay packets.

He resigned because of a serious conflict of interest at board level, which occurred when he was conveniently absent at Harvard University. “I couldn't agree with the board’s ethical standards and wrote a letter of resignation, leaving after 24 years with nothing but my own super contributions.”

Immediately there was a flood of offers. A Hong Kong retail company asked him if he thought Franklins Supermarkets might be a good investment. He had six months to come up with an answer. In mid-1979 he became the new Franklins boss, forsaking a six-figure salary for a five per cent share of increased profits.

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Within eight years turnover soared from $300 million to $3.5 billion, making Paul a very wealthy man. But it wasn't over yet. There was still plenty of charm and integrity left in the tank of this tough but fair competitor.

In the meantime, IEL, which owned approximately 17 per cent of Woolies, was turning over $50 billion in Australia but still losing $12 million on the bottom line. IEL’s Board stumbled across Paul's Harvard business plan and invited him to enact it and reverse the company's fortunes. Paul by then had retired from Franklins in 1987.

He agreed to come on board as executive chairman, in charge of 100,000 employees across the country. Things went well until Gwenda was taken ill with cancer during an Italian vacation in 1989, finally succumbing to the disease in 1992.

“I was going to chuck the job in but my wife insisted I stay. So, I kept going until 1993 when Woolworths was floated on the stock exchange – the biggest initial public offering in Australian corporate history. A billion shares traded for $2.50. Two years later, I retired.”

“During these years he was judged Businessman of the Year and Retailer of the Decade, received an Honorary Doctorate from Griffith University and made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his "significant contribution to the retailing industry in Australia”.

Paul says he learnt much of his business acumen from Marks & Spencer in London. "In my view they are the best retailers in the world with a certain knack for doing business.

They never cut corners or sell doubtful items and are always fair with their people."

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

Now it's all behind him and Paul is more at home keeping an eye on his superfine wool Merino flock at “Euralie” in the Good Hope district. It’s a million miles away from the Woolworths boardroom and there's plenty of time for reflecting on an interesting and varied life so far from his Welsh homeland.

Paul retired to the farm a few years after he left retailing. He and Gwenda had always felt a strong connection to Yass. Gwenda’s aunt was Sir Walter Merriman's wife, Lady Kate. She and Gwenda were both raised at “Elizabeth Fields”, on the Yass River.

After noticing “Euralie” advertised for sale in The Australian Financial Review they were both keen for an inspection. The property was part of extensive land grants given by the federal government to Hamilton Hume, Australia's foremost early explorer in the late 1830s. “In 1982 we contacted the agent who advised us not to waste our time. It was run down and there was a drought well in evidence when we visited,” Paul says.

“I asked Bruce Merriman how does one value a farm and he told me you should be able to run four dry sheep to the acre in a good season.

In those days one dry sheep to the acre was equivalent to $100 so I put in a $600,000 bid for the 1500 acres. Within 24 hours I was the proud owner of a farm of which I knew nothing about.” Within a few years, Paul had added an adjoining property of 1000 acres, “Wyndarra”.

Fortunately, he found men with the right qualities like the late Bill Privett and Malcolm Jones, who has diligently worked on the property for 20 years. Malcolm travels out to the farm each day before sun up to supervise the 6000 superfine Merinos that annually produce about 140 bales of 15-18 micron wool.

The other part of the equation is partner Lyndall Eeg, who worked with Paul at Woolworths in corporate communications. “She’s still a communicator, now facilitator and brands ambassador (local and overseas)”, says Paul, forever the wily strategist still calling the shots.

“There's an old saying: If you want to be successful, surround yourself with people who make you look good,” Paul says with a smile. “In that regard, I've been most fortunate with wonderful teams at both Woolworths and Franklins. I certainly couldn't be doing what I'm doing now without the support of Lyndall and Malcolm – plus my Sydney-based business manager, Margaret Forge, who’s worked well for me for over 45 years.”

Paul’s key beliefs are: Be fair with work colleagues and properly reward them, and share any good fortune you have with others in your local community and beyond.

“That we do not fully process wool in Australia any more is shameful," he says. "Respect for the land and animals is a priority.

Non-mulesing for us has reaped financial benefits.”

Despite recent open-heart surgery, Paul Simons is feeling energised. He's thinking about his children – David (a busy general surgeon in Taree) and Margaret, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild, and visiting the Old Dart for perhaps one last time.

Then he might sail his 16-metre schooner berthed in Hobart into the sunset – a fitting gesture for an endearing and humble old Welshman. CWL FACING PAGE: Paul Simons AM with partner Lyndall Eeg and farm manager Malcolm Jones; Paul in his naval days and toasting another success in the corporate world during the 1980s.

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BIG BUSINESS

There is always action aplenty at the South Eastern Livestock Exchange.

A project in the making since 2008, the South Eastern Livestock Exchange (SELX) is NSW’s newest and most technologically advanced livestock selling centre, with the first hammer falling in August 2016.

At the intersection of seven highways and arterial roads, SELX is just off the Hume Highway in Yass.

Construction of the $15 million, 16ha worldclass, regional livestock selling centre took 313 days. With a roof spanning five rugby fields, 86km of steel railing and 524 selling pens, the facility has the capacity to sell 3800 cattle and 30,000 sheep on any given sale day.

Extensive research into the design and functionality of the saleyards has achieved a facility focused on animal safety and wellbeing, environmental sustainability and workplace health and safety.

Twelve “Foundation Agents” sell out of the state-of-the-art centre, with prime lamb and sheep sales every Wednesday and prime cattle every Thursday. Special store cattle sales for cow and calf units, weaners and anything that goes back to feedlot producers are held on the last Friday of every month.

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Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

In its first 12 months of operation, SELX sold close to 73,000 cattle and is ranked as Australia’s seventh largest cattle market. In the same period, 745,000 sheep and lambs were sold, making SELX the fourth largest market in NSW, with the centre trading over $164 million in livestock in its first year.

“Large centres like SELX, which are attracting larger numbers of livestock from up to four hours away, are proven to create more competition, with vendors achieving higher prices,” SELX Administration Manager Tom McCormack says.

“With a roof covering the entire facility, soft flooring in the cattle and multispecies pens and improved animal handling practices ensure the livestock sold at SELX lose less yield and achieve better selling results.”

SELX is right on top of new technology that helps streamline the business and selling process for both agents and vendors.

“Before the sales start we tablet book our sale to create a catalogue electronically,” Tom says.

“The agent advises us of the numbers in each pen and then we add the buyer and price, which all goes straight into our online software. As the last pen is sold and checked off, the buyers’ and producers’ information is available.”

The SELX team is leading the industry with this technology and it’s a far cry from the old days when transactions could often drag on for weeks.

The first 12 months of operation were very successful, but the yards are not resting on their laurels, continuing to push the barrow when it comes to traditional livestock marketing.

“We are now one of Yass Valley’s largest businesses and with this comes the responsibility to give back to our region,” Marketing Manager Gill Elphinston says.

“At our 12-month anniversary, SELX celebrated by announcing eight scholarships with the Country Education Foundation. It was our way to give back and to help rurally based students with their studies or expenses associated with achieving their career goals.”

The first SELX/CEF scholarship was awarded to Meg Perceval, Harden, who is studying Vet Technology at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga.

SELX will also be assisting a student from Boorowa, who will be moving away from home to become a firefighter, with more scholarship recipients to be announced throughout 2018.

Joining the SELX brand in 2018 is the organisation’s second venture, the Western Victoria Livestock Exchange (WVLX), Mortlake, which commenced trading in January. CWL

SELX is right on top of new technology that helps streamline the business and selling process for both agents and vendors.

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SOUTH EASTERN LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE

#HAMMERTIME www.selxnsw.com.au

Located at the intersection of seven highways and arterial roads, just off the Hume Highway in Yass NSW. State-of-the-art technology is revolutionising the buying and selling experience at SELX. With a roof and elevated walkways agents, vendors and buyers operate in year-round comfort.

An onsite truck wash provides ease and convenience for livestock carriers.

Soft flooring ensures vendors achieve better sales results and less yield loss.

SELX has arguably Australia’s best sale yard café.

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SOUTH EASTERN LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE • YASS, NSW 0409 948 639 www.selxnsw.com.au

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

HUME

sweet home Cooma Cottage houses important Australian pioneering history.

His name is attached to a Canberra suburb, a federal electoral division and a major highway connecting Sydney and Melbourne, but Hamilton Hume is equally remembered for Cooma Cottage, his ancestral home in Yass and one of the earliest surviving homesteads in southern NSW. The original section of the cottage was built by pioneering pastoralist Henry O’Brien and his younger brother Cornelius before being purchased for 601 pounds by the famous explorer in 1840, along with 100 acres of prime Yass River frontage.

After his exploring days Hamilton was determined to make a bold statement to reflect his new status as a prominent pastoralist. Over two decades he built extensions to the original dwelling, adding his own version of Palladian-style wings and a Greek Revival portico.

Today Cooma Cottage is owned and managed by the National Trust, and stands as a glowing representation of colonial architecture in early Australia.

The immediate landscape remains virtually unchanged since the 19th century although the sprawl of Yass is catching up, with busy roads passing near the front gate.

Walking through the building you can almost feel the presence of Hamilton Hume, who discovered the Murray and Darling rivers and forged an overland track between Sydney and Melbourne, effectively opening up the Melbourne area for future settlement. >

Walking through the building you can almost feel the presence of Hamilton Hume.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The homestead was built as the town of Yass was taking its first infant steps; an aerial shot depicting the grand design of Cooma Cottage; explorer Hamilton Hume who lived there most of his life; the back of the homestead looking over the Yass River.

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Today Cooma Cottage is owned and managed by the National Trust, and stands as a glowing representation of colonial architecture in early Australia.

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

Travelling was in the blood. His Irish father, Andrew Hamilton Hume, was a convict superintendent, surviving a hellish passage across the Pacific to arrive in the new colony in 1790 with convicts and supplies for the struggling settlers.

After time at the Norfolk Island penal settlement he moved back to Sydney where he married Elizabeth and had four children, including sons Hamilton and John.

The young brothers teamed up with an Aboriginal lad and explored the Illawarra region, some of the most inhospitable country in the colony. John was later killed by bushrangers near Gunning in 1840, the year Hamilton settled in Yass.

From all reports he wasn’t your typical English explorer, dazed and confused by the vast landscape and its many challenges.

Being born in the colony, Hamilton possessed skills in bushcraft that helped guarantee the success of his many bush excursions.

In 1824, he teamed up with William Hovell for a journey that would test their resolve to the very limit but make both of them household names. This expedition discovered the overland route between Sydney and Port Phillip, on whose shores Melbourne now stands.

The two made the journey at their own expense, except for some packsaddles, arms, clothes and blankets provided from government stores. Each brought three servants and between them had five bullocks, three horses and two carts.

Most of the journey was through heavy mountain country with several rivers to cross. Hamilton's courage, resourcefulness and bushmanship were important factors in overcoming their many obstacles. After an 11-week journey they reached the present site of Geelong.

The journey home took a further five weeks and they arrived exhausted and out of supplies. Both men were granted 1200 acres of land, small compensation for such important discoveries.

In November 1828, Hamilton journeyed with Charles Sturt into western NSW, where they discovered the Darling River, the Murray River's longest tributary.

Being a drought year, it was a constant struggle to find water and only great bushmanship saved the party. Charles was hoping his friend would have joined him on his second expedition in late 1829 but Hamilton was harvesting and couldn't get away.

Hamilton Hume had finished his work as an explorer and spent his remaining days with wife Elizabeth at Cooma Cottage until his death in 1873. CWL Clydesdale image: Chris Broers

THIS PAGE: Various rooms of Cooma Cottage have been returned to their original condition.

FACING PAGE: An outbuilding near the homestead; the historic stables are still used; Cooma Cottage is once again home of the mighty Clydesdale.

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LARGER THAN LIFE Creating and communicating are among sculptor Al Phemister’s greatest talents.

Sculptor Al Phemister became chairman of YASSarts in 2015 to help promote artists and the art scene in his area.

He loves the Yass community, finding unwanted materials, recycling bits of old junk and creating events and partnerships.

“It all comes from talking to people. Talking and sharing ideas is probably my greatest talent along with my own dose of self-belief – after all, if you don’t believe in yourself nobody else will.”

Many would argue that his flair for creating weird and wonderful objects is his greatest gift.

Right now he is frantically finishing off a “pear” made up of over 400 horse shoes to be exhibited at the forthcoming World Polo Championships in Richmond (and rumoured to be attended by members of the UK Royal Family).

His studio is adjacent to the 1853 cottage he and wife Sara bought 20 years ago. They've spent two decades transforming the grounds into a delightful “fairy garden”, studio and home for themselves and children, Hannah, an aspiring photographer, and musically gifted Jack.

Sara is an artist who specialises in paints and mixed media. Her work is all over the house while Al’s work is set among the garden and miniature outbuildings.

Coming from a long line of builders, Al has always been confident when it comes to building.

“I don’t look at things and say this or that can’t be done but rather adopt an attitude of figuring out ways to overcome obstacles,” Al says.

“That’s how I approach my art, my finances and my life in general.”

By trade he is a greenkeeper and horticulturist but Al has tried his hand at many things, which is how he became a sculptor.

“We were on a south coast holiday and saw a teepee used for growing sweet peas. I knew I could build one and was thinking Sara, the artistic one in the family, could make the sculpture on top.

“I even found her the materials but after a few weeks I could tell her heart wasn’t in it so I just did it myself,” he says with a grin.

In the early days Al was experimenting with wire sculptures and steel until a mate dropped in with a bag of old horseshoes that changed his direction.

“I was initially sceptical as to what to do with them,” Al laughs.

“I ended up making the outline of a pear from the shoes and called it A Pair of Shoes – a play on words. It was the start of something big.

“I was the first person to design and make them, even though there are now several copy cats. People telling me copying my art is a backhanded compliment but I’m sick of the compliments.”

Al has made dozens of “pairs”, exhibited overseas and sold all over the globe. Two are in public collections in the UK and Kuala Lumpur, while another sits on the lawn of the nearby Clementine Restaurant.

As a regular exhibitor, Al is used to clocking up the miles. In 2017 he exhibited on the beach at Currumbin, Queensland, and in Toorak, Victoria, and everywhere in between.

“I've won prizes but the real benefit is getting my work out there and being seen by new audiences.”

From his workshop, Al creates decorative forms from everyday and industrial objects. His dandelion series are each made from up to 400 concrete bar chairs welded together, stand more than two metres tall in the landscape and seem to gently move in the breeze.

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Al takes hard, rusted, steel forms and imbues them with a sense of gentleness and movement.

The dandelions and pears have been his signature trademark for years but now Al is branching out into all manner of things, such as his sunglasses.

He often toils late into the night, especially with looming deadlines and tries not to think about the day two years ago when his studio burnt down.

“I sat and watched it burn, unable to do anything. Being a former fireman, it was hard to stomach. I lost everything, including 25K of sculptures that were about to be shipped out.”

It was a bitter loss, coming just weeks after losing his best mate and founder of YASSarts, Kim Nelson.

“I was contacted the day after by the high school offering their facilities. It made me recognise the importance and generosity of my community.” CWL

ABOVE: Al Phemister at work in his Yass studio.

FACING PAGE: Al with some of his creations in the garden; some of Al’s work is on show at Clementine’s Restaurant, including one of his famous “pears” and a series of dandelions.

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

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BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL The YASSarts Sculpture in the Paddock has become a highly anticipated annual attraction.

In partnership with the National Trust, the annual spring event brings the heritage site of Cooma Cottage and grounds alive with sculptures by school students and artists from within the community and further abroad.

In 2013, the National Trust-owned property, once owned by the famous colonial explorer turned pastoralist Hamilton Hume, became home to Australia’s newest sculpture expo.

This historic farm was chosen for its rolling hills and splendid visual curtilage. It stands as a fine example of colonial architecture and a monument to the development of the Merino fine wool industry.

The fine wool heritage of the Yass region is also celebrated through a local consortium’s purchase of the 2014 Sculpture in the Paddock exhibit Roundabout Sheep by local artist Roger Buckman, installed in a roundabout outside Tootsie Cafe and Gallery.

The 2015 exhibit Think Tank, inspired by renowned artist and YASSarts creator the late Kim Nelson, is a labyrinth placed on the cover of an in situ in-ground water tank. It has become a permanent fixture in the grounds, used for guided meditation gatherings and quiet contemplation.

Anyone travelling the Barton Highway near Capricorn Estate can see Melanie Lyons’s 2013 exhibit Forgotten installed at the Jeir Creek rest area. The petals are made from the bonnets of cars and serves as a memory of a friend killed in a car accident.

The winner of the 2016 Sculpture in the Paddock Prize, an imposing bull figure titled Rampage by Tobias Bennett from Leeton, described by judges as “a masterpiece in steel manipulation”, was purchased by director of the South Eastern Livestock Exchange, Brendon Abbey, for his front lawn.

In the garden of Clementine Restaurant, Yass, diners can enjoy Al Phemister’s Dandelion Series, exhibited in 2014 and his A Pair of Shoes, 2016.

These are just a few examples of the direct effect Sculpture in the Paddock has on the wider community.

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The idea was conceived by local sculptors Al Phemister and Duncan Waugh as an item on the 2013 YASSarts Weekend Program. It was fortuitous that the Yass Valley Shire boasts an unusually high proportion of sculptors – some of national and international standing.

Last year attracted 33 artists from across the eastern seaboard and there is every chance they will return for the $3000 plus prize money and glory on offer at the 2018 event. CWL For further information visit www.sculptureinthepaddock.com.au.

Images: Hannah Phemister

ABOVE: Some of the works on display at Cooma Cottage.

YASS ACCOMMODATION

CONTEMPORARY, SPACIOUS 4 STAR MOTEL 02 6226 1158 Modern 4 star accommodation with the well-known EWE’N ME restaurant on site. Stylish and updated rooms with kitchenettes/microwaves. Spacious family rooms, two-bedroom suites, fully self-contained cottage and spa suites. Free Foxtel & internet, pool, BBQ area and guest laundry. Great location 400 metres to Yass CBD. Thunderbird Motel offers 24 hour check in.

EWE’N ME RESTAURANT The Ewe ‘n Me delivers a relaxed and modern dining experience.

With dishes ranging from expertly sourced and prepared steaks, to slow cooked wonders, and modern dishes, we deliver quality through the best locally sourced produce. Fully licensed and seating up to 70 people, the Ewe n’ Me is the perfect venue for a quiet dinner or a celebration with family and friends.

264 COMUR STREET YASS NSW 2582 PH: 02 6226 1158 | www.thunderbirdmotel.com.au

TOP FLIGHT The Thunderbird Motel in Yass pampers its guests with top-class facilities and renowned fine dining.

Thunderbirds are go! That's the unofficial catchcry at Thunderbird Motel, the 32-room four-star motel that resembles a mini resort right in the heart of Yass.

Located in the main street, barely a block from the CBD, the Thunderbird has been a haven for visitors and travellers for decades.

These days the motel is home to Tony and Christine Weekes, who love their job and just happen to be very good at it.

The motel has claimed many awards, including the 2017 regional winner (Southern Highlands and Tablelands region) of Star Ratings Australia.

With a staff of 18, the motel runs efficiently with a high occupancy rate, which means Tony and Chris are always meeting a broad range of visitors every day from all over the country.

Although relatively new to the hospitality business, it hasn't taken the pair long to adapt to their new lifestyle.

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Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

Tony was driving buses for about 30 years and was looking for a new challenge, while Chris, who was bookkeeping for Landmark in Yass, scored a similar job at the motel in 2013.

The motel is currently owned by a property investment group based in the Blue Mountains. Tony joined Christine and the team in early 2015 to take over the management role.

Located within the motel is the well-patronised Ewe'n Me Restaurant, which seats up to 70 patrons. Head chef Ben Weiss runs a tight ship and diners can expect the best of fine cuisine.

“We source local produce including local beef and Junee lamb along with fresh seafood," Chris says. “A lot of guests tell us that the dining is up there with the best of Sydney." A full room service menu is available.

The air-conditioned rooms offer all the modern amenities including a flat screen TV, DVD player, microwave, refrigerator, free Wi-Fi, and hairdryer and free toiletries in the en suite bathrooms.

When they are not working, Tony and Chris enjoy hitching up the caravan and visiting their three children and their own families in three different states! CWL

FACING PAGE: Chris and Tony Weekes are on hand to ensure your stay at the Thunderbird will be a memorable one; expect great food at the Ewe’n Me Restaurant; the swimming pool is popular in summer.

ABOVE: The motel is large enough to feel like a mini resort; the view from the restaurant.

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taking the bull

BY THE HORNS

Rodeo stalwart George Hempenstall never expected it to be an easy ride.

Who hasn't heard the name Chainsaw, the big brindle Brahmancross bull with a reputation for making mincemeat of those brave enough to sit on his back?

Only nine plucky riders managed to stay on board the “White Ghost” for the mandatory eight seconds. All are living rodeo legends.

One proud cowboy who rode time on the Bucking Bull of the Year (1987-94) and lived to tell the tale is Yass rodeo bull contractor George Hempenstall.

After a bone-crushing handshake, George says he drew Chainsaw eight times during his rodeo career but stayed on him only once for a $360 win at the 1989 Finlay Rodeo. The bull later exacted revenge at Beenleigh, driving a horn through George's chest and splitting his head open.

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“He could get a lot of air underneath him,” says cool-as-a-cucumber George as he chews his plug of tobacco and contemplates life from beneath the brim of his well-bashed black Akubra.

“He always had a bad wriggle in him and you never knew what he was going to do next. He was a real thinker, always able to counteract whatever you were doing on top of him.”

George rode over a thousand bulls in his career – and there were plenty of good ones – but none had the attitude, sheer power or personality of Chainsaw.

But there was something else about this bull that few would know. George shakes his head as he recalls first laying eyes on him in the Homebush saleyards, near to where he worked at the old wool stores.

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

He was a 15-year-old-kid still finding his place in the world.

Since the death of his father a few years earlier, young George was determined to take risks and live life to the full, spending his teenage years riding track work and getting up to all sorts of mischief in country Castlereagh, near Penrith.

“Me and the boys used to jump off a big cliff down on the Nepean River,” he says with a daredevil grin. “When the river was in flood we'd ride big logs down the river, which was both scary and stupid.

We were proper bush kids.”

Before long George drifted into the world of rodeo and liked what he saw. He quit school at 14 and with the help of a few mates built a set of yards to buck out steers. His heart was set on winning a few belt buckles in the rough and tumble world of professional bull riding.

It wasn't long before the boys tired of the steers. It was time to up the ante. The saleyards were just across the railway line and George instructed an old meat buyer to buy the restless young bull for his mates to practise on.

“I paid $185 for him and probably spared him from the meatworks,” George laughs. This crazy bovine, however, was no laughing matter.

“We had a wooden chute at Castlereagh and you couldn’t have done a better job of destroying it with a chainsaw,” he grins.

“So that's how he got his name.” > ABOVE: An iconic Mike Kenyon shot of the mighty Chainsaw being ridden by champion bullrider Darren Brandenburg in 1987; George Hempenstall on Chainsaw in his bull-riding days; some of the many bulls bred for rodeo.

FACING PAGE: George has been a rodeo contractor since the early 1980s.

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“Bulls are like family. You raise them from babies. I play music down in the yards so they get used to loud noises.”

The boys had clearly bitten off more than they could chew.

“He was way too rank for us and I sold him in 1986 for a couple of grand to Johnny Condon, a contractor in Yass. Later Gary McPhee turned him into the most famous bucking bull in Australia.”

They retired Chainsaw in 1994 after winning the national title one last time, deciding the old boy had done enough. No doubt many pro riders would add the word “damage” to that phrase.

During his career George travelled twice to America to compete on the lucrative rodeo circuit, the first time as a 16-year-old rookie.

It was tough going and on one occasion he was gashed badly by a dew claw (the little notch on the back of the hoof) that caught him above the eye.

He returned for another three-month stint in 1997, based in Texas.

“I won a little bit but could never quite get my head around the whole thing,” he says. “And the injuries were piling up. I broke my nose five times, got screws in both shoulders, busted a few ribs and got plenty of stitches but nothing really major. I was very lucky.”

It was time to hang up the rope and concentrate on the business of breeding good athletic bulls for the Australian rodeo circuit.

George and brother Richard started supplying rodeo stock soon after buying 200 acres of prime country near Yass in 1985. It proved a shrewd investment and over nearly 30 years the value has increased tenfold – not that this means much to George.

His delightful mother, Joan, 94, lives in the old homestead, a daughter is building a “mansion on the hill” and George lives the single man's life in the cottage after the breakdown of his marriage six years ago.

“She reckoned I loved the bulls too much and she was probably right,” he concedes.

“Bulls are like family. You raise them from babies. I play music down in the yards so they get used to loud noises and over time you get to know them.

“These bulls have a good life – I wish my life was as sweet as theirs! They are flat out working a couple of minutes a year, often bucking off a rider in seconds. They are well fed and looked after, as any cattleman looks after his livestock.”

George runs about 90 bulls, one of about a dozen contractors in NSW. Anything from 10 to 15 bulls are sold each year to other contractors for between $4000 and $5000, while others are sold for breeding, particularly those with a title or two after their names.

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“Bulls are the main priority, more important than us mere humans,” George says with a grin. “Most rodeos are at night time and we may finish the rodeo by say 11pm and then we have to feed and water the bulls before driving home, which can sometimes take up to six or seven hours.”

Rodeos run from September through to the end of April before the PBR Finals in Sydney in July for the best bull riders and rough stock.

With his three adult children happily ensconced in government jobs, George has been left with his beloved bovines.

“The bulls get along well most of the time but with that much testosterone in one paddock eventually something has to give,” he explains with a knowing look.

“Crooked Nose got me up against the fence a few months ago and put a horn through my leg requiring 28 stitches. Another bull came through the cruiser door,” he says, as though it's all part of the job.

“Other than that they are generally well mannered.”

George has collected more trophies than you can poke a stick at but the memories, friendships and opportunities forged along the way mean much more.

There have been many good bulls since Chainsaw – Rayban, Lab Rat, Sid Vicious, Chaingang and Hell Boy were all champions in their day.

There are no plans of retirement, despite the hard and often dangerous work. “The bulls are getting faster and I’m getting slower,” he laments quietly. It's the way it goes for all cowboys at some stage.

Recently his kids surprised him with tickets to the PBR Finals in Las Vegas for his 50th birthday. It was almost 35 years since discovering Chainsaw, the rank old Brahman that could either make you or break you.

I can't help feeling that Chainsaw might have achieved a bit of both when he took on George Hempenstall, the tough, nuggetty, black-hatted cowboy from Yass who lives and breathes rodeo. CWL

ABOVE: George Hempenstall has won plenty of buckles and trophies during a lengthy association with the sport of rodeo – both for riding and breeding; the bulls are well maintained on his Yass property.

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

courts of APPEAL Established in 1898, the Yass Lawn Tennis Club (YLTC) is older than Canberra and still the go-to place to swing a racquet on Saturday afternoons.

Nearly 120 years after foundation members first donned their whites, Yass Lawn Tennis Club boasts some 80 members, including 40 regular players who keep the rich history of the club alive.

“Many of our current members are fourth and fifth generation of early members,” says social event coordinator Michele Whitters. “It is particularly pleasing seeing couples and families, sometimes with three generations of players, coming for a hit.”

Starting on one court near the hospital, the club moved to the very private Fifield Lane address in the early 1930s with the five clay courts and lively clubhouse all going strong after nearly nine decades. Working bees are held during the year to help maintain the ageing property.

Members come from all areas of the Yass Valley, ranging in age from 21 to players in their 70s. The late John Taplin was still

swinging a racquet at 85 years (and they’re still talking about his trademark drop shots).

One proud member, Dee Bush, has been with YLTC 40 years, winning the A grade singles in 1979, 1982, 1986 and 1989. “In those days we had triple the membership with dozens of little children playing up the back,” she says.

“We love coming here for good organised tennis. It’s all about community and friendships on the best clay courts in the district.”

President Shane Parker has been at the helm for the past five years. He says the blokes put up the nets and maintain the courts while the girls bring a tempting plate for afternoon tea. Irrepressible tea lady Valerie Jones has been on the job for 20 years and always brightens the place up with fresh flowers.

The old clubhouse has hosted some great parties in its day, including the highly

anticipated picnic race weekend during the heady days of the 1970s and ’80s.

After a black-tie ball at the Memorial Hall, punters would back up for a black-tie dinner dance at the tennis club. Good times with good people. Races were on the Friday with tennis on the weekend for those who could handle the pace.

The good old days may be gone but the small bar still opens for big functions like Christmas in July. At such functions they use the cutlery and crockery emblazoned with the club insignia.

Over a cuppa, these fun-loving hipsters discuss favourite players, both past and present. John McEnroe, Lew Hoad, Margaret Court, Yvonne Goolagong-Cawley were admired in days gone by while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal get the nod today.

In this historic and friendly tennis club, you’re a champion just for turning up. CWL

ABOVE: Valerie Jones has been tea lady at the club for 20 years.

LEFT: Front: Ruth Parker, Lorraine Glover, Kerry Foran, Kerry England, Dee Bush, Michele Whitters. Back: Blair Howden, Shane Parker and Edgar Mongan are all seasoned pros at the Yass Tennis Club.

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 41

SELLING POINT

Yass Real Estate’s belief in the area’s attributes makes business a pleasure.

Yass Real Estate has been operating since 1975. With nearly 100 years of combined local experience in the team, a strong commitment to unique personal service, honesty and reliability has continued to ensure that the best possible result is achieved for their clients.

Agency principal Michael Gray and business manager Lorraine Gray work alongside an outstanding and highly motivated team of professionals, who have continued to produce outstanding results for their clients in commercial, residential and rural sales as well as property management.

Michael and Lorraine have lived in the Yass Shire for 28 years, involving themselves in various sectors of the community and have always believed that you only receive what you give back.

The Gray family, including their sons, have a long history serving in the Rural Fire Service and they all recently received their 25-year service medals.

Michael was also the founder and past president of the Yass Progress Association and has served on various Council 355 committees. Michael has also served on the committee for the REINSW Rural Chapter.

Before their life in real estate, Michael and Lorraine spent decades in the agricultural industry both as graziers and in the stock and station agency industry in Yass and surrounding regions.

Michael also enjoyed a stint as a wool auctioneer in Sydney.

Michael and Lorraine attribute the success of their agency to the dedication of their team, including Edwina Brown as residential sales manager.

And there is a strong focus on the property management side of the business, with a large portfolio of 200 properties meticulously managed by property manager Carly Scanes and her team.

With Canberra only a 45-minute commute and Sydney just three hours away, Yass and Murrumbateman have become popular choices for people looking to work in the city while still enjoying an easy escape to the country. Green rolling hills and open rural landscapes are an attractive drawcard with many new residents moving from Sydney and coastal towns.

Yass has retained much of the charm of a country town where a friendly wave and local shops are still at the heart of the community.

The area boasts amenities such as supermarkets, medical centres and state-of-the-art child care centres and aged care facilities, as well as primary and secondary schools and buses into Canberra for those looking to enrol their children in a private school.

An active community helps to draw the local district together.

Murrumbateman, located in the heart of the wineries, has continued to see positive growth with an expanding village centre and a number of exclusive rural-residential estates such as Jiparu, Walgrove and Kirketon catering to the hobby farmer and equestrian. CWL

ABOVE: Lorraine and Michael with team members Edwina, Carly and Emily.

“GREEN ROLLING HILLS AND OPEN RURAL LANDSCAPES ARE AN ATTRACTIVE DRAWCARD WITH MANY NEW RESIDENTS MOVING FROM SYDNEY AND COASTAL TOWNS.” 42 CWL YASS VALLEY | YASS

We are local people with local knowledge of Yass, Murrumbateman and surrounds.

Property Sales Very easy, we come to you, offer a free market appraisal of your home or property, discuss advertisings options, methods and information for selling your property.

Your property is highlighted as a Feature Property on www.allhomes.com.au - exclusive to Yass & Murrumbateman Real Estate only.

Sales Contacts: Michael Gray Edwina Brown

0409 311 127 0429 327 059

Property Management We also specialise in property management for residential & commercial, renting made easy.

Property Manager: Carly Scanes 0417 294 918 Office: 206 Comur Street, Yass Phone: 02 6226 1922 Email: reception@yassrealestate.com.au Website: www.yassrealestate.com.au

FULL THROTTLE Tayla Jones was just a toddler when she first showed tremendous talent on two wheels.

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Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E Born to ride, Tayla Jones is now carving up a big name for herself on the gruelling American circuit. The adrenalin-charged 22-yearold has the sporting world at her feet. Her biggest win was snagging the GNCC title in 2017, America’s Premier Off-Road Racing Series since 1975.

“Ever since I was a kid I wanted to race in America, and to win in my first year was amazing,” says Tayla from her caravan in North Carolina, which she bravely tows up and down the coast during competition.

“The pro women’s class over here is highly competitive, and racing against these women pushes me to be better. The GNCC is the biggest and most highly sought after title so winning that is definitely one of my biggest achievements.”

The Yass speedster loves competing, being in front and riding very fast.

“The adrenalin kicks in when you’re flying through trees knowing one wrong move could wipe you out. Surviving all that gets the blood pumping,” she says.

Tayla moved overseas in early 2017 to fulfil her dream of competing with the best. She’s on a two-year contract with the winning KR4 Husqvarna team who compete at all the top-level shows, including the International Six-Day Enduro (ISDE) through bush and desert.

“It’s the ultimate race, the Olympics of the sport, speeding through the bush on natural tracks and going over logs, rocks, creeks and hills,” she says.

The Aussie golden girl spends three days a week training on her Husqvarna 250cc and cycles or works out in the gym every day to stay fit.

“The extra training makes a huge difference. Everyone thinks riding a motorbike is just sitting down and twisting the throttle but there’s a lot of physicality to it,” Tayla says. “Getting around the courses standing up uses a lot of energy and lifting your 105kg bike up off the ground is never easy.”

She can change two tyres and an air filter in her 15-minute work period during a race, something even her mechanical-minded father doubts he could match.

Proud parents Shane and Bronwyn Jones live in Yass. They’ve guided their daughter every step of the way and shared her many triumphs and occasional disappointments as well as the inevitable mishaps.

“Tayla is a smooth rider, and despite a few crashes I’ve learnt to handle the stress,” Bronwyn says. “She broke her leg in America but still finished the race, coming second. She flew back to Australia and got pins, plates and screws inserted to get her leg back in working order.”

The former speedway enthusiasts recognised Tayla’s uncanny riding ability at age three when they gave her and brother Jesse a Pee Wee 50 to scoot around on. Their daughter loved it from day one and within a year was competing in the Nippers classes at local meets.

She grew up racing motocross and track all over the country, with Shane clocking up 50,000km a year in the process. Trips to Perth were not uncommon. Often an exhausted Shane would arrive home at 2am or 3am before starting work at either the newsagents or the garage.

Once she hit 16, Tayla started competing in off-road events, including the FINK desert race in Alice Springs. She earned the title Queen of the Desert after winning the race in three consecutive years.

“Motorbikes and girls don’t generally go together but this one does,” Bronwyn says. “Tayla is very focused with a never-say-die attitude in what can be a dangerous sport.

“On two wheels she’ll happily jump 10 feet off the ground but don’t try and put her on a rollercoaster. It’s her only fear. She’ll fly anywhere, in any size plane and is cool, calm and relaxed in all situations but a ride on a rollercoaster – I don’t think so.”

Now that she’s travelling so much, Bronwyn’s just glad that Tayla has learnt to navigate her way through airports.

“We never dreamed she would come so far,” Shane says. “We knew she was good but we sometimes shake our heads at her achievements. It’s really quite remarkable that a young girl from Yass has taken on the best in the world and come out in front.”

Now that Tayla Jones is dominating America, her next big step may be Europe for the world Enduro series. No doubt she will be followed every step of the way by her family and 16,000 faithful Facebook followers. CWL ABOVE: Champion rider Tayla Jones in action; Tayla’s parents Shane and Bronwyn Jones with media clippings of their daughter’s exploits; Tayla started early on her Pee Wee 50.

FACING PAGE: Tayla is making huge inroads on the American circuit.

Images: Ken Hill.

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 45

A HEALTHY

relationship Customer wellbeing is at the core of Peter and Angela Miller’s work.

They’ve managed busy pharmacies in Sydney, Brisbane and London but now Peter and Angela Miller can add country practice to their resume.

Prior to coming to Yass in 2004, they worked briefly in Sydney but felt something lacking in their professional lives. They weren’t feeling a “connection” with their customers.

Peter’s father, Russ Miller, a Temora pharmacist for 30 years, suggested they move to a smaller, rural community where they would develop a strong rapport with local families.

Yass ticked all the boxes so they bought the existing pharmacy from the Doyle family, who had been operating from the same premises since 1927.

Since then, Miller’s Pharmacy has continued the Doyles’ great legacy: getting to know the locals, their health and specific needs.

“With a staff of 14, many of them long-term, we are here to work as part of your health team, providing a great range of services and customer advice,” says Angela, whose particular interest is weight management and general health, particularly infant health.

Miller’s Pharmacy

Miller’s Pharmacy Yass is a family owned and operated independent pharmacy with a strong local focus.

Our highly experienced team provides an innovative and comprehensive range of pharmacy and health services, which includes a sleep apnoea clinic, compression garment service, diabetes and asthma management, wound care and much more.

We also carry a beautiful range of giftware.

Peter and Angela were good mates at university before reconnecting in London.

Prior to their UK experiences, Angela spent 18 months managing a Brisbane pharmacy while Peter spent two years working with his father in Temora. He, too, was keen to travel abroad, later working in London’s top hospitals and gaining exposure to the very latest practices.

After moving to Yass, they tied the knot and are now proud parents to Georgina, 11, and Madeleine, 9. Peter loves skiing and regularly takes his girls for a day trip to the Snowy Mountains.

Before his pharmacy days, he was a pilot and ski instructor in Canada and the French Alps.

The pharmacy provides many services including a sleep apnoea clinic, saving patients a trip to Canberra. The staff also help with compression garment fittings and standard health checks for diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol.

While picking up your medications, there’s a great range of quality health and beauty products available at competitive prices.

“Yass has a great sense of community and has everything from traditional land owners, hobby farmers through to the public servant sector,” says Peter, who started as a Temora delivery boy, dropping off medicines from the back of his pushbike.

“We still do complimentary deliveries to the aged care facilities and for patients unable to make it in,” he says.

Angela says that in the country it’s often hard to see a doctor.

“Many come to us as the first port of call, for a chat and some moral support – so if you’re not on top of your game, it’s time to drop in.” CWL

FREE HOME DELIVERY

112-114 Comur Street, Yass (02) 6226 1264

46 CWL YASS VALLEY | YASS

ABOVE: Angela and Peter Miller are the gifted pharmacists spearheading Miller’s Pharmacy.

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

a spoonful of sugar

A mother and daughter team are enjoying sweet success at their feel-good cafe.

Dolcetto is an Italian word that roughly translates to “the little sweet one”. At Cafe Dolcetto it could easily apply to “two little sweet ones” – the successful mother and daughter team that is Noelene Garner and Leigh Robinson.

Noelene often thinks about the word. “I prefer to think it’s about me but it comes from the Italian region that grows grapes,” she laughs as she serves up the cafe’s most requested meal, the all-day breakfast with eggs, bacon, gourmet sausage, roast tomato, sautéed baby spinach, mushrooms and hash brown served on buttered toast!

Talented chef Trent Saltmarsh has been with the girls from the beginning and towers over them like a vigilant hawk. What they lack in height they surely make up for in love – love of fresh food and coffee, love of happy staff and customers and love of life.

Running their own business has been a lifelong dream for both women. Leigh was the former bistro manager at the Yass Soldier’s Club while Noelene had retired after 30 years in the public service.

“We both thrive on hard work and were keen to get into our own business,” Leigh says.

They knew the cafe well, having spent many fun hours there during Noelene’s visits from Canberra. One day the girls discovered it was for sale and by late 2016 they were the proud new owners.

“Richard Branson once said if someone offers you a great opportunity, grasp it with both hands and learn as you go,” Noelene says.

Her daughter agrees. “Mum has never been in hospitality but is very good at keeping people happy – for us this is vitally important. We want everyone who leaves here to be in a great mood.”

Their cafe has been a popular social hub for locals for 25 years, first as Maggies and for the past 14 years as Cafe Dolcetto.

Located in a century-old building (formerly a funeral parlour and shoe shop), the cafe is a refreshing pit stop for travellers who have the choice of dining inside, in the courtyard out the back or al fresco style on the street.

“In Yass, people have time to talk,” Noelene enthuses. “Big cities can be very impersonal but the people that come here enjoy a laugh and joke. This place has a warmth about it, which is very special.”

With a busy team of 11 staff, Cafe Dolcetto has become renowned for its great Gusto coffee, although none of the family claim to be coffee drinkers. That doesn’t stop Leigh rising each morning for a 6am opening for commuters to Canberra requiring their daily coffee fix.

The girls know all their regulars by name and are well acquainted with their coffee requirements and favourite meals.

With a strong interest in Eastern philosophy, Noelene recently spent time in Nepal.

“It is such an amazing country. There had just been an earthquake and the locals were so vibrant and happy despite many of them having lost their homes,” she says.

“At that moment I realised our cafe is really about community and creating a pleasant place where strangers arrive and leave as friends.” CWL

ABOVE: Leigh Robinbson and her mother Noelene Garner (front row) with chef Trent Saltmarsh and staff members Steph Cribb and Madi Anderson.

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 47

INSIDE & OUT Having grown up at “Cliftonwood”, owner Tony Wade knows every nook and cranny of the historic homestead.

One of the oldest properties in Yass is forever linked to famous Australian explorer Hamilton Hume, who outlaid the magnificent sum of 72 pounds and 10 shillings for a picturesque river block on the outskirts of the fledgling settlement in 1840.

His sister Susannah and her husband John Watson built the “Cliftonwood” homestead and lived there for the first 15 years as the town gradually took shape around them.

The men were partners in a steam mill, known as Watson’s Mill, which operated below the home on the Yass River until the disastrous 1870 flood washed it away.

Grain for the mill was stored in Watson’s Bottle, a huge underground grain storage tank built by convicts in the 1840s.

Featuring blue granite rock walls and 40 rows of bricks forming the dome, it’s the only underground silo of its type in the region and one of only a few left in the country.

When Hamilton died at the equally historic “Cooma Cottage” (on the other side of town) in 1873, his wife Elizabeth became the new custodian, moving in with her sisters until joining Hamilton 13 years later. She lies buried next to her famous husband in the old town cemetery adjoining the farm.

Prominent Yass businessman Alexander Shaw lived on the property with his wife and eight children from 1902 until his death at age 93 in 1940. The former Yass mayor was a man of strong character with a bold vision for the town.

48 CWL YASS VALLEY | YASS

In his later years he was a familiar figure riding up and down the main street on his trusty old steed, whip in hand, forever taking a keen interest in the town’s development.

In 1948, a third family took up residence when Max and Ivy Wade bought the 120-acre farm for 6750 pounds after many years of leasing.

Growing up on the property with sister Wendy was never considered a big deal for current owner Tony Wade, who has devoted most of his 70 years to breeding and fattening cattle on adjoining properties. Tony’s wife Sue is widely known through her local giftware store, Comur House.

Although it’s been a long time since they lived in the “big house”, preferring to live in a new home built nearby, Tony still gets nostalgic when he recalls growing up there in the 1950s.

There was little time to appreciate the true history of the home.

“When I was a child I didn’t understand the significance of the property in the scheme of the town’s history,” Tony says. “I was too busy growing up to notice anything else.” > ABOVE: Tony Wade has come to realise the historical significance of the property he has grown up on.

FACING PAGE: The brick stables; the rear of the homestead overlooks the Yass River; the “Cliftonwood” homestead and outbuildings are a fine representation of life in the 20th century; Tony’s mother, Ivy, was a gifted painter in her later years and many of her artworks are still on display; the old kitchen, with peeling paint, is still in its original condition.

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

“There was little time to appreciate the true history of the home. When I was a child I didn’t understand the significance of the property in the scheme of the town’s history.”

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 49

“I just love living here and would much rather be with my cattle than cavorting around the world in retirement.”

Like his mother, Tony walked everywhere. His mother survived quite well without ever owning a car licence and walked the kids to and from school every day and carted her groceries home on foot.

In between managing the household and organising the children, she worked tirelessly alongside her husband on the farm.

For years, in the freezing winter months, Ivy wrapped the children in towels for their bath in the former servants’ wing adjacent to the homestead. Typical of early houses, the original kitchen was separate from the main house to guard against the dangers of fire.

The open cooking fire, original fuel stove and iron cooking pots all remain intact and untouched. Tony remembers as a small boy sitting cosily beside the fire on a cold Yass night while his mother cooked over the fire.

In the pioneering days, food from the kitchen was taken along the covered walkway to the back verandah and passed through a servery into the dining room.

The flagstone courtyard at the back of the house is flanked by outbuildings – the original kitchen, dairy, laundry and maids’ quarters on one side and a beautiful bluestone building on the other, consisting of two rooms, possibly used for guests.

The original well still stands near the back door. In the early days water was hand-pumped into an overhead tank to supply the house.

Looking back towards the house are the original servants’ bells.

Ivy spent a remarkable 62 years in the home, the longest period by any owner. From all accounts she was an extraordinary woman.

After Max died she began a new and very active chapter of her life, becoming a member or volunteer for almost every club in Yass.

In her 80s she took up the computer, learnt the BAS system and was soon doing all the farm’s bookwork on spreadsheets.

After her passing in 2011, aged 94, Tony began grasping the true historic value of his former family home, built nearly 180 years ago when the town’s population was fewer than 300 souls.

Since discovering old documents pertaining to the property (they’d been sitting in a solicitor’s drawer undisturbed for 150 years), Tony has developed a new appreciation for the homestead and antique pieces that lie within it, including a bed once owned by Hamilton Hume.

“Antique Farm Machinery Club members, dressed in period costume, had a great re-enactment at the old stables,” he says.

“Sheaves of hay from the wagon were unloaded into the attic, where the feed for the Clydesdales was once stored.”

In recent years Tony has opened the home to visitors, including 650 in a single day from the touring National Trust.

“I enjoy people coming here and showing them around. I just love living here and would much rather be with my cattle than cavorting around the world in retirement,” he laughs.

Not many 70-year-olds are still handling big bullocks on their own. With slower reflexes, he knows there’s an element of danger but fear has never stopped this veteran cattleman.

Perhaps it’s simply in the blood – just like “Cliftonwood”.

Tony and Sue’s three children, who all lived in the old homestead as youngsters, have found their own careers outside of farming.

Tony is unsure of the future but is adamant the unique history of the property should be preserved for future generations. CWL

LEFT: The old laundry; view from the air; inside the old stables with cobblestone flooring; inside Watson’s Well.

50 CWL YASS VALLEY | YASS

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

FULL OF BEANS

Kaffeine 2582 is proving to be a hit with the coffee lovers of Yass.

What happens when you throw a fun-loving lawyer, teacher and health inspector into a creative melting pot? You get a funky little retail outlet in Yass that doubles as a trendy cafe with attitude.

Since 2012, when the three women established Kaffeine 2582, business has been brisk and it’s easy to understand why.

Fortunately, the locals are glad to share the great space with the many passing motorists looking for their daily caffeine fix.

They all come for the friendly vibe, healthy food and with a name like theirs, you’ve got to say some pretty magical coffee!

“It used to be much smaller with one room closed off and we saw great potential in the place,” says Emma Luckie, who runs the business with her sister-in-law Carrie Luckie.

The women are married to the Luckie brothers, Jamie the builder and Ben the carpenter. Their mother-in law, Heather Luckie, helped make the dream possible.

“Nothing in Yass was open on Sundays, at least not before 9am, and we saw an excellent opportunity to make a difference,” says Emma, a former primary school teacher in Lennox Head.

Carrie, a health inspector for Yass Council, was ready for a change and with no prior experience the girls ploughed their energies into their new enterprise, turning up from 7am to 4pm during the week and 8am to 3pm on weekends.

Inside Kaffeine 2582, one room is dedicated to their small retail outlet, with homewares, jewellery, gifts, art and large tables perfect for catch-ups, meetings and relaxing.

The handy husbands have built a new pergola for up to 30 diners and their healthy menu has a growing band of followers.

The girls and their 11 staff are ready to serve you up a great meal in an upbeat environment that has made Kaffeine 2582 the flavour of the year! CWL ABOVE: Louise Hill, Eilish Jones, Carrie Luckie, Emma Luckie and Tracey Preston are part of the great Kaffeine team.

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 51

BLESS this house When you step into Comur House you feel the love and passion that’s been poured into this upmarket homewares, fashion and gift shop.

Comur House in Yass has been the life and soul of Susan Wade for the past 15 years, an inspirational local who has fought hard to keep the doors open during a journey that’s severely tested her resolve.

In 1995 she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and in the next two years undertook chemo, radiotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

“There were many trips back and forth to Sydney for treatments,” Susan explains from the store she just can’t keep away from.

“My daughter Mandy and I took time out whenever we could, using shopping as a distraction. During rehab we travelled the region and were inspired by the Shabby Chic/French Country styles that were in vogue at the time.

“We wondered if we could ever pull off a similar venture in Yass and there were many sleepless nights before we finally made a decision.”

Mandy, then 28 with a four-year-old son, felt the timing couldn’t be better.

“With Mum on the road to recovery, we had spoken on many occasions about the vision of a beautiful shop filled with exquisite homewares and gifts. Looking back, I think the vision for the shop was a way of ensuring future hope for Mum.” In 2002 they secured an ideal location in the main street.

Everything fell into place and their vision became a reality.

“We settled into the shop and automatically fell into roles that suited our strengths and passions,” Susan says. “Mandy tended to the displays and I did the buying and bookkeeping. Our greatest inspiration came from seeing our satisfied customers.”

It was a very happy mother/daughter working relationship for nine years, stepping through all the trials and successes of any collaborative business venture until Mandy needed to spread her wings (she’s currently a manager at Curtin Dental).

Always a lover of fashion, Susan introduced a wonderful collection of well-known and new inspiring fashion labels in 2012 to complement their lifestyle store. Since the closure of On Trend Fashion Boutique in early 2017, the team have taken on much-loved labels like Yarra Trail, Jump and Ping Pong.

“We keep an eye on trends and what’s new and exciting in the industry,” she says. “We check stringently for quality and price when we do the buying. After 15 years we’ve developed a true understanding of what our customers are looking for.”

Mandy agrees the shop brings equal doses of satisfaction, pleasure and hard work.

52 CWL YASS VALLEY | YASS

Yass Valley | Yass T O W N F E A T U R E

“We k e e p a n e y e o n t re n d s a n d wh a t’s n e w a n d e x c it i n g i n th e i n d u s t r y.”

“I marvel at Mum’s strength, determination and positivity.

Always searching for the latest trends and must-haves, she is blessed with exquisite taste and a business-savvy mind. She is well researched and always shops with her customers in mind.

“I frequently pop in to refresh displays and say ‘hi’ to our loyal customers, and find myself renewed by each visit. I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to be involved in something that continues to be a successful and beautiful journey alongside my beautiful Mum.” In the past two years Susan’s health has taken another beating with open heart surgery and thyroid cancer but her indomitable spirit keeps her going.

“Fortunately I inherited a strong disposition so illness has not kept me down for long. With a love and passion for running a tight ship and having my finger on the pulse at work has definitely helped in the healing process,” Susan says.

“I am fortunately surrounded by wonderful loyal staff in Kelli, Ange and Marie and a daughter who frequently returns to create the beautiful displays that make the space so special.”

This walking miracle is an inspiration to all. Susan still loves to travel and recently treated herself to a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, travelling on her own and enjoying the spectacular scenery with fellow travellers.

Husband Tony Wade prefers tending to his cattle on their historic property “Cliftonwood”, built before the town of Yass was even thought of. They lived in the old homestead for several years until their three children arrived. After a few moves the family settled into a new home on the property.

“I am enormously grateful for the continued support from family, especially my husband who does an incredible job maintaining and fitting out, my friends and our wonderful customers both in a personal and professional capacity,” Susan says.

“The local community has also helped in my recovery. Small communities are wonderful at being there for each other.” CWL

FACING PAGE: Susan loves working in her boutique shop.

ABOVE: There is something for everybody at Comur House.

Comur House

homewares, fashion & gifts to inspire....

116 Comur Street, Yass NSW 2582 Ph: 02 6226 1411

Images: Abbie Melle

YASS VALLEY | YASS CWL 53

REAL RESULTS

Andrew and Sophie Curlewis and their team take great pride in pairing people with the perfect property for them.

The team at Yass Valley Property is young, dynamic and ready to turn your dreams into reality. Principals Andrew and Sophie Curlewis and their close-knit team have become adept at achieving results and changing lives.

Andrew’s father, Peter Curlewis, an agent with 40 years’ experience, established the business in 2005 for a few of his older, established clients. There was no shop front but that all changed when son Andrew and wife Sophie took on the business and established a presence in town.

Although relatively new to real estate, Sophie brings a refreshing and positive spin to the team.

As well as being a mother to Adelaide, 14, Willow, 10, and Hubert, 5, Sophie is an accomplished ceramic artist, having studied for a BA in Visual Arts at ANU. She is currently building a new studio where she intends to spend her spare time.

“Having a creative outlet allows me to remain fresh for my job in property management,” she says with a smile.

Having grown up on “Warroo”, the family property on the Wee Jasper Road, Sophie is familiar with the Yass district and enjoys property management, working under the guiding hand of property manager Loren Blundell.

Loren spent 13 years with the NAB before joining the team in 2014. Today she manages 120 plus properties for landlords and tenants.

“I love the diversity, especially the routine inspections. We have rural properties in many of the surrounding villages,” she says. “The market is hot at the moment. Only a few days ago I advertised a property and it was leased 24 hours later. If properties are well-priced and presented in top condition, they will move.”

“The team at Yass Valley Property was chuffed to win the 2017 Employer of Choice Award from the Yass Business Chamber.”

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Office manager and PA to Andrew, Alice Cox has been with the team nearly four years.

Originally from Canberra, she thrives on the great atmosphere and friendly environment.

The team at Yass Valley Property was chuffed to win the 2017 Employer of Choice Award from the Yass Business Chamber.

Principal and residential, commercial and rural sales manager Andrew has become accustomed to working with accomplished women in his small team and predicts a bright future for Yass and district.

“With solid sheep and cattle prices, cashedup Canberra public servants and Sydney vendors looking for lifestyle properties, we are kept well and truly on our toes,” he laughs.

Forever a rugby enthusiast, he still occasionally laces up the boots for the odd game with the Yass Rams, but of primary concern, for the moment at least, is finishing off the renovations in their main street address. CWL ABOVE: Yass Valley Property principals Sophie and Andrew Curlewis, flanked by property manager Loren Blundell and office manager Alice Cox.

in her GLORY

Tootsie owner Michaela Pothan finds beauty in the most unlikely places.

Tootsie Fine Art & Design boasts excellent coffee and cakes but it’s the atmosphere and eclectic mosaic pieces that really steal the show.

In a former life, Tootsie was the Hume Service Station, built in 1937 as one of the first all-night servos on the new Melbourne to Sydney run. When Caltex leased the building in 1959 they tore down the eye-catching art deco facade.

The property was owned by one family, passing through the generations until purchased in 2013 by Chris and Michaela Pothan, who set about restoring the vacant building to its former glory.

In early 2014, they ripped out the petrol tanks and erected a facade as per the original architectural plans. After two years of renovating, the Tootsie Fine Art & Design studio was finally opened for business. >

ABOVE: Tootsie was a former service station built in 1937; one of the many mosaic creations painstakingly created by artist Michaela Pothan.

FACING PAGE: Tootsie creator Michaela Pothan.

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“Tootsie was the name given to my grandfather’s 1929 Chevy Tourer, which was rusting in the paddock,” Michaela explains.

“As a youngster I virtually lived in that car, seeing myself as a gangster and dreaming of my future.

“When I was 10 he gave me the car, which I still have. It’s gathering dust in my garage – way beyond repair and kept purely for sentimental reasons.”

A few years ago the old farmer died just a few years short of his century but not before Michaela had told him she’d found Tootsie.

“For me, Tootsie was always a place for dreaming. This place, too, was like Tootsie – old, decrepit and in need of lots of money, love and time.”

The project has developed a life of its own. Today there is a cafe and wonderful exhibition space, workshop and sculpture garden for artists and art lovers of many mediums to present their work and passions to the public.

The garden includes a community mosaic patchwork made by dozens of art lovers from all over the world. After three years it is still a work in progress, involving people of all ages and skill sets.

Michaela says after her children Ayden, 16, Tahlia, 14, and Jasper, 12, Tootsie’s been the best thing she’s ever accomplished, following almost 15 years in horticulture and managing her husband’s concreting business.

Visitors stand in awe as they view the Aladdin’s Cave full of charming and unique pieces, many of them mosaics painstakingly created by Michaela and involving hundreds of tiny individually cut pieces of glass.

“My passion comes from recycling old stuff that no one wants any more, including this building. All the mannequins were found at the tip. I suppose I just like making things from what others call junk.”

The life-size horse, High Ho Silver, was given to Michaela by her husband on her 40th birthday. In response, she created a beautiful mosaic saddle.

There are rhinos everywhere. “After my husband bought me the horse, I bought him a life-size rhino, which sits majestically in a paddock on the farm,” she says.

“My business card, tea towels, gift cards and gallery tags all feature rhinos. Our tip jar goes to people who are saving rhinos at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo.” The rhino phenomenon is a tribute to the late artist Kim Nelson, who was instrumental in encouraging her to chase her artistic dreams.

“I love the place and rearrange it constantly,” says the revitalised mother, talented artist and proud gallery owner. CWL

RIGHT: The rhinoceros is featured throughout Tootsie and is a fitting name for her cafe; High Ho Silver features a stunning mosaic saddle; artist Michaela Pothan creates beautiful mosaic artworks from mannequins.

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DARLING Clementine Much-loved Yass restaurant Clementine is making a name for itself for all the right reasons.

There are two myths surrounding Clementine, the warm and vibrant regional restaurant in the heart of Yass. No, it’s not named after Winston Churchill’s wife, and yes, they recently scored a prestigious “hat” in the national Good Food Guide.

It’s a big thumbs up for hard-working husband-and-wife team Adam Bantock and Brooke Sainsbery, who have transformed a 65-year-old white weatherboard home into a stylish “feel good” restaurant and intimate wedding venue.

There is nothing quite like dining, al fresco style, on the deck with the lush lawn leading up to views of the historic Lovett Chapel.

“The hat is a reward for all our hard work and reaffirms that what we’re doing in the kitchen, we’re doing well,” says Adam, who met his wife on a golf driving range before taking her on a five-year sabbatical to Asia.

Working alongside each other in leading restaurants in Hong Kong, life was engaging, dynamic, culturally exciting and loads of fun. But living in a high-rise apartment was never part of the long-term plan.

“THEIR CUISINE IS MAKING HEADLINES IN THE FOOD JOURNALS BUT ADAM DESCRIBES IT SIMPLY AS GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED FOOD.” “Coming from manic concrete jungles, we just wanted some space to grow with open fields and blue skies,” says Brooke, a part-time occupational therapist.

It took them 18 months to find a place where they could live and operate a restaurant. They saw immediate potential in the former doctor’s property and after a year of renovations opened in late 2015.

“We moved here five years ago and quickly fell in love with the place,” Brooke says.

“We’d lived in Murrumbateman for a few years while working in Canberra and knew it was the perfect place to raise our young family and start our business.”

Their cuisine is making headlines in the food journals but Adam describes it simply as good, old-fashioned food. “It’s a

European style bistro menu, very simple – four mains, four entrees, changing the menu every week. It’s basically what I like cooking,” Adam says.

“It’s a great little community. Most of our friends, like us, are fairly new to Yass.

There’s a lot of creativity and we love seeing others follow their dreams and develop new businesses in the town.” CWL

ABOVE: Brooke Sainsbery and Adam Bantock are the hard-working pair behind Clementine; the award-winning restaurant.

LEFT: The cuisine at Clementine is making headlines in food journals.

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fresh, local fare It’s rather befitting that you’ll always find top quality meat at Thyme to Taste in Yass.

For 100 years until the 1980s, the building served as Pitts Butchery.

Andrew Dodds and partner Lee-Ann Sutton arrived in Yass in 2007 and set up Thyme to Taste in 2012.

After careers in telecommunications, the pair were ready for something a little more earthy. Today they have created a small and intimate venue that is perfect for musicians and poets as much as foodies and wine lovers.

“Making the move to Yass and setting up our business has been an exciting challenge,” Andrew says.

“Originally we were more of a deli/produce store but the cafe side of things just took off as everyone discovered the great coffee being served.

“It’s only now we’re reconnecting back to why we opened the shop, concentrating on the cheese and meats and bringing the best products to Yass for others to enjoy.”

Fresh sourdough bread and pastries sourced from Canberra’s top bakeries are available. There’s Jersey cow milk, cream and yoghurt from Tilba Tilba, olive oil from the Yass region, local free-range hams and bacons as well as free range eggs.

“Our customers love eating fresh locally produced food, like our smoked trout bruschetta. Our menu changes on a regular basis in order to promote the seasons, and the best in the region.”

“OUR MENU CHANGES ON A REGULAR BASIS IN ORDER TO PROMOTE THE SEASONS, AND THE BEST IN THE REGION.”

Thyme to Taste is licensed with a specific interest in local offerings from the many wineries in the area and craft beers from the region.

Next time you are in Yass, make sure you drop in to Thyme to Taste and give your tastebuds something to look forward to.

The place is open seven days a week with a day off for Andrew and Lee-Ann to recover on the last Sunday of each month. CWL

ABOVE: Lee-Ann Sutton and Andrew Dodds are the familiar faces at Thyme to Taste; there’s plenty of seating both inside and out for patrons.

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world of difference Merchant Campbell’s mission is to source and provide a wide range of interesting, beautiful, well-designed and functional home furnishing and lifestyle products to bring style and beauty into people’s lives.

With three children, one still at school, Margot is making every second count. Since becoming active on Instagram and Facebook, she is delivering goods all over the state.

“Most of my products here are one-off. They are all unique and not mass-produced,” she says.

“We strive to grow our business with the same honesty and integrity used to source our products – with pride, elegance and a sense of fun.” CWL

ME

ABOVE: Margot Shannon is kept busy at Merchant Campbell; some of the beautiful lifestyle products sourced both locally and all over the world.

TC HAN AMPBE RC P U R V E Y O R O F W O R L D LY G O O D S

LL

Having just returned from her second buying trip to India, Merchant Campbell owner Margot Shannon has gone to extraordinary lengths to procure the right merchandise for her new store in Yass.

Living by the shop’s logo “Purveyor of Worldly Goods”, she thanks her forebear Robert Campbell for the business name.

As one of the first businessmen in the colony and a founder of what is now known as Westpac Bank, Merchant Campbell, as he was called, was known as the Father of Australian Commerce.

Campbell came to Sydney in 1798 via Calcutta, where he and his brother had established a trading company, supplying the infant colony of Sydney with livestock and goods from India.

Upon moving to Sydney and setting up stumps at Campbell’s Cove, he built the warehouses at The Rocks. Campbell later took up land at Limestone Plains (now Canberra) and built “Duntroon”, named after the family estate in Scotland.

Travelling and trading is in Margot’s blood. Apart from India, she has also conducted business trips to Indonesia and is planning future forays into south-east Asia. On each trip she tries to meet the people who create the goods and hear their stories.

“That way I can tell the story behind the product or where I found it,” she explains.

Merchant Campbell opened its doors in August 2017 with a container of Indian goods alongside locally sourced products such as Quandialla Candles and baby rugs made by Margot’s mother-in-law Barb Shannon (who once famously made one as a gift for Princess Diana’s first child, Prince William).

The shop is overflowing and even the woolshed at home is full of recent imports, which will need to be moved out prior to shearing.

The store was established to complement existing businesses in Yass. “My shop adds to the choice and helps us become a destination for all the day-trippers from Canberra and surrounds,” Margot says.

It also helps that her overseas trips have effectively cut out the middleman, meaning she can offer her wares at a better price.

“I have a very supportive husband,” she sighs. “He hates shopping at the best of times but is buoyed by the fact I now shop for business!”

Running Merchant Campbell has proved a steep learning curve for Margot, who spent nine years working in politics with former State MP Katrina Hodgkinson.

The senior staffer has fond memories of her time there. “I learnt at lot and have a profound respect for politicians, who all firmly believe they can make a difference.”

When the electorate office moved to Young, Margot took the opportunity to direct her energies into the two pursuits she has always loved: shopping and travel.

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little people,

BIG IDEAS Yass Little Learners (YLL) is an innovative, family-owned early learning centre, delivering the highest quality early education and care to the families of the Yass Valley.

Yass Little Learners (YLL) is an innovative, family-owned Early Learning Centre, built to deliver the highest quality early education and care to the families of the Yass Valley.

The philosophy to “nurture, inspire, achieve” is fully embraced by the 30 local staff and independent contractors who maintain the 100-place centre for children aged from six weeks to six years.

“For us it’s all about reaching every child’s potential through acceptance, respect and trust,” co-owner Jenny Grundy says.

“The children are inspired to respect each other, their community and value the environment in which we live, giving them countless opportunities to understand and explore through an emergent curriculum.

“The staff at YLL firmly support the notion that children need families, educators and communities to collectively support their healthy development and wellbeing.”

Jenny likens it to a traditional African proverb that suggests it takes “a village to raise a child”.

The two million dollar project comes with strong community support.

“Our new facility has enabled many local Yass parents/carers to return to work, ensuring a positive work/life balance for their families,” Jenny says.

“When we were in the building phase we listened to the local parents who suggested it would be a good idea to open the centre for longer hours to allow for the commute of some parents to Canberra for work.”

As a result, the DA was adjusted to reflect operating hours of 7am to 7pm, creating a “win win” for all stakeholders.

The centre provides an extra-curricular activity (included in the fees) each day including Sporty Mites, Yoga with Skye, Mighty Mites Health and Music through the Goulburn Regional

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Conservatorium’s “Melodia” program. Other fee inclusions are five nutritious meals cooked on-site, nappies, formula, sunscreen and a backpack on enrolment.

Yass Little Learners boasts an abundance of both indoor and outdoor spaces. Of particular note is the inclusion of two transition rooms. A Tiny Tots room allows the transition from Nursery to Toddler so that children at 17 months can move to a room that allows them to develop more independence and a sense of agency, before the leap to the Toddler room (2-3yrs) and similarly a Junior Preschool room that transitions 3-yearolds out of the Toddler space and prepares them for the rigours of the Preschool environment (4-6yrs); an environment of preparation for “big school”.

The centre affords a dedicated art room, encouraging creativity in a confined space, and this room also doubles in the late afternoons as the Out of School Hours (OOSH) room. Shortly after opening, YLL procured a 12-seater bus that has given YLL the opportunity to pick up the “schoolies”, transport to and from the local schools and is an essential and welcomed service for many families. The bus has also enabled visits to local businesses like an alpaca farm and various Canberra attractions, including the walk-in bird aviary and Dinosaur Museum in Gold Creek.

The bus also affords an invaluable transport option for many local families. YLL encourages and supports, in any way it can, the opportunity for all children to have access to quality early learning.

Jenny says a child’s sense of identity is developed through connections with family, community, culture and environment. “At YLL, children are given opportunities to visit the local nursing home and engage with the elderly, along with regular visits to the library and community dental clinic. Visits to and from the local Police and Emergency Services are always a big hit.”

YLL further embraces community through sponsorship of local sporting teams, Yass Show Society and membership of the Yass Chamber of Commerce. Other close relationships have developed with Yass Family and Community Services, Anglicare and Mission Australia in their collaborative support of families at risk.

Together with wages, groceries and consumables, YLL injects close to $1million into the local economy each year. They support various charities including Paramedics Australia, Red Nose Day, Westmead Children’s Hospital Gold Telethon, Jeans for Genes day and a local charity, “Maya’s Rest”.

It’s been an exciting and nerve-wracking ride for Jenny’s daughter Jess, too, who moved to Yass in late 2015 to help facilitate the build and allow her to immerse within the community.

She was to stay for six months after opening to ensure a smooth transition to a permanent director, but stayed for 18 months, after falling in love with the local families and wider Yass community.

Moving away from her family and partner David Sim was a big deal to this family-driven young woman. David and Jess shared the travel between Sydney and Yass until March 2017 when she moved back to Sydney. Three weeks later they were engaged with a fairytale Mosman wedding celebrated in February 2018.

Life is a journey, and the passionate owners of Yass Little Learners hope to inspire the children of the Yass Valley to be the best young people they can be by delivering the best in early education and care.

“As Nelson Mandela once said, education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,” Jenny says. CWL FACING PAGE: Jess Sim and mother Jenny Grundy are committed to providing the best early education at Yass Little Learners; extra curricular activities are a fantastic fee inclusion at Yass Little Learners.

EARLY LEARNING CENTRE AGES: 8 WEEKS - 6 YEARS HOURS: 7AM - 7PM

“NURTURE INSPIRE ACHIEVE” Phone: 02 6226 2982

www.yasslittlelearners.com.au

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T O W N F E A T U R E Yass Valley | Yass

Combining finance, asset and risk insurance, succession planning and business advisory all under the one roof, Sprout Ag is a one-stop financial services company that understands the industry like no other.

The core value centres on the sustainability of rural communities.

“We value where we live and believe profitable agribusiness leads to thriving rural communities,” CEO Troy Constance says from his office in Yass.

“In order for family-owned multigenerational businesses to be sustainable into the future they must be profitable.

“Our aim is to remove the frustration of dealing with multiple financial providers and act as an independent partner to your business.”

These days business is more complex than ever.

“As productivity becomes more reliant on new technologies, we’re committed to helping you realise the best for your business through relevant and dynamic digital tools,” Troy says.

It’s exciting, cutting-edge stuff and a far cry from his early days driving trucks and headers on farms in the Riverina, Moree and the American wheat belt.

“It wasn’t until I started working for a bank in Scotland that I gained a certain satisfaction from helping people and working in a team environment,” he says.

Back in Australia, Troy combined his finance and farming experience to secure an agribusiness banking graduate position, spending the next 12 years in locations across Australia.

“I’ve always enjoyed learning and understanding the unique cultures of each family business and how they are successful.

It all comes down to the leadership of the grandparents and parents that set the pathway for the next generation.”

Sprout Ag was started in 2016 with 15 of the best agribusiness financiers selected from various NSW and Queensland locations.

“We are agnostic on which suppliers we use and match that to client requirements. We have opened up the market in Australia by using a combination of alternate financiers as well as traditional banks,” Troy says.

“A bank simply recommends their own products, which are not always in the best client interest. We have five times as many options, backed by our expertise and understanding of a client’s business.”

The main benefit of using Sprout is their independence and flexibility, as they are not aligned to just one lender.

SEEDS OF SUCCESS

Sprout Agribusiness is Australia’s first fully integrated financial services firm.

“Our people are settled in their communities and are a constant in that person’s business, where banks constantly turn over their people,” Troy says.

“The game has changed where there are a lot more specialist financiers who can really help during those high growth stages such as grain, livestock, wool and inventory where the traditional banks in Australia are not interested.”

Like their name suggests, Sprout Ag is all about helping businesses grow.

“We see it as the best solution to succession planning in the future. Those families who grow the ‘size of the pie’ can generally facilitate succession and have that family legacy continue for generations.”

Troy is married to Zoe, whose family have been in the Yass district for over 100 years.

They have children, Anthea, 8, and Fletcher, 4.

“Yass is very centrally located, next to Canberra, with the best airport in the country, and adjacent to our favourite Hume Highway.

I always enjoy coming back to Yass to relax and most of all see the family,” Troy says.

“I like that my children are growing up in a country lifestyle with great people and a strong rural community.”

For those wanting to grow their business, Sprout Ag has the answers. CWL Image: Camilla Duffy Photography

ABOVE: Troy and Zoe Constance with their children Fletcher and Anthea.

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

It’s a fun lover’s paradise at Lake Burrinjuck.

Lake Burrinjuck is a nature and water wonderland on the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee River, about 60km from Yass.

The park attracts an estimated 50,000 visitors a year, some for water sports but many for some of the state’s best bushwalking, birdwatching and picnicking in 75ha of unspoilt natural playgrounds.

Constructed over more than 20 years, Burrinjuck Dam remains one of the world’s largest irrigation dams, an engineering feat providing water for crops, river flows and town supplies.

The famous Hume and Hovell walking track passes through the park and is a delight to explore. Get up close and personal with the native wildlife or satisfy your thirst for adventure by enjoying your favourite water sports on the dam.

It’s also the home for Reflections Holiday Parks’ Burrinjuck Waters, a great place to bring the family for a relaxing holiday.

“A lot of fishermen frequent the park,” Burrinjuck Waters park manager Dean Brind says. “Fishing enthusiasts will be thrilled with the variety on offer including murray cod, golden perch (yellow belly), trout and redfin.”

Dean says that stays during non-holiday periods are typically two nights, with more visiting midweek.

“Easter time is full of families with the popularity of camper trailers and small caravans growing every year. Water skiers, wake borders and water sport usage increases during the warmer months,” he says.

Dean and wife Wendy came to the park in 2011 and haven’t looked back. Wendy is a hairdresser while Dean came from the building game as a carpenter and site manager on construction sites.

“It gets a bit hectic at times (typically Easter and Christmas) but you have to work somewhere, why not here,” he laughs. “Everybody loves the friendly wildlife, with plenty of kangaroos, parrots and rosellas for that up-close experience.”

“Fishing enthusiasts will be thrilled with the variety on offer including murray cod, golden perch (yellow belly), trout and redfin.”

For those with more energy there are a myriad of recreational activities for your pleasure. Enjoy a game of volleyball or a hit of tennis with family and friends. There’s plenty of wide, open spaces for frisbee, golf, cricket, tip or red rover. Choose your own adventure and light up a cosy campfire at this fabulous inland location.

Immerse yourself in the rural scenery or explore the surrounding area, with limestone and crystal caves at Wee Jasper, nearby cool climate wineries and the vibrant town of Yass. CWL

ABOVE: An aerial shot of Lake Burrinjuck explains why the place is so popular; what could be better than a cabin at the foot of the lake.

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T O W N F E A T U R E Yass Valley | Binalong

accentuate the

POSITIVE Sam Longmore is a country girl blessed with the total package – looks, personality and drive.

She runs her own small business, has fallen in love and lives with her partner on a sheep farm near the village of Binalong. The only difference between her and any other 24-year-old is her wheelchair, inherited after a routine trip home four years ago went disastrously wrong.

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It had been a long shift at the Canberra nightclub where she’d been working and Sam Longmore was looking forward to a wellearned rest after three big days. As things panned out, Sam got her rest – three months in a hospital bed, after falling asleep at the wheel and rolling her car into a fence. A second sickening accident on her way to hospital left her paralysed on her right side, from her collarbone down to her toes.

Sam says there’s no point dwelling on the series of tragic events that unfolded that fateful early morning. No amount of feeling angry, frustrated or bitter will make her legs work. It’s easier, she says, focusing on the small miracles that come her way, like Ernest, her playful Irish Terrier, a Christmas present from her boyfriend.

“My story isn’t my accident. It’s what happened afterwards,” she says quietly over a cuppa in the kitchen of the spacious homestead, “The Lagoons”. To regain her sanity Sam took up knitting, which has become her daily dose of therapy.

It was never going to be easy. “I obviously can’t hold the needles together. It took a while to figure out my own system but I got there in the end with the help of a pole,” she laughs, revealing a steely determination to get on with life. >

FACING PAGE: A great team: Sam Longmore and partner Jude Bannister share a positive outlook on life.

ABOVE: Jude and Sam thrive on country life and believe anything is possible with love and commitment.

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“Knitting was my creative side coming out.

It’s calming and gives me time to drown out any negative thoughts.”

Word is quickly spreading about her lovingly made Ohh Bull Dust Australian wool blankets, jumpers, beanies and scarves, sold on Facebook and Instagram accounts and at boutique markets throughout the district.

“After what happened I had to re-evaluate what I could do with my life,” Sam says. “I’ve always been creative, which I get from my mum. I like to do up old furniture, paint and draw. Knitting was my creative side coming out. It’s calming and gives me time to drown out any negative thoughts.”

There are other side benefits. “At one stage I thought I was losing my ability to have conversations with others without it always coming back to the accident. When I go out now it’s mostly about what I’ve produced, which is totally refreshing.”

Thanks to her occupational therapist in Canberra, Sam has learnt to drive, using a modified knob on the wheel for blinkers, lights and wipers and an accelerator on the left side of the brake.

Getting behind the wheel again was a daunting prospect but Sam tackled it like everything else in life. Regaining her independence was a major priority.

“I’ve always been an independent person and don’t really like having to rely on others,” she says. Many people have helped since the accident, none more so than partner Jude Bannister and neighbouring farmer Libby Elliot. With Sam’s new licence she can visit family and friends, including her mother Narelle in Junee and father Russell Longmore in nearby Binalong.

Sometimes she drives to Galong, where she grew up on a farm.

“I was into motorbikes and climbing trees,” she smiles. It’s been a gradual process but Sam now finds it therapeutic working on the farm, surrounded by peace and tranquillity.

If she needs cheering up she thinks of her beau, Jude. He’s got the look of a wild Irishman, and worked as a pilot for many years on the million-hectare Commonwealth Hill Station in South Australia.

“When I first met Sam at the Harden races I barely got three words out of her. It took about six weeks before she could hold a conversation,” he laughs during morning smoko.

Sam gradually got over any misgivings and the romance hotted up. Within six months they were living together. Three years later they are still learning new things about each other.

“It’s fun and often challenging,” Jude says. “If she has her mind set on something don’t tell her it can’t be done. There’s no real hassles, it’s just let’s get on and do it and if you can’t do it one way we’ll find another way.”

Jude says he barely notices the wheelchair. “It’s all second nature and a fairly normal relationship I’d reckon,” he beams.

Sam smiles back.

They make a great team. Recently they holidayed in Bali, possibly the worst place for wheelchair access. “We learnt patience and that we can do anything if we put our minds to it,” Sam says.

Jude jumps in. “Probably the most challenging part is when Sam gets down in the dumps and there’s really nothing I can do to help.

It’s easy enough for Sam to tell others how she is feeling but unless you happen to be in a wheelchair yourself it’s virtually impossible to understand.”

When you have use of only one arm and it’s not the hand you traditionally write with, even the simplest tasks take on a whole new level. Try writing with a different hand or putting on a bra one-handed.

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Of course, there are frustrating moments but this young woman is intent on getting on with life, drawing inspiration from Turia Pitt, the marathon runner and part-time model almost burnt alive in a Kimberley grass fire.

Sam says she chose to share her personal story in a bid to change hearts and minds, urging drivers to seek regular rest and to save themselves – and others – from crippling injury or death. “Don’t take your life for granted. You literally don’t know what’s around the corner,” she says. CWL ABOVE: It’s challenging when you have the use of only one arm but Sam Longmore loves working on her popular Ohh Bull Dust range.

Yass Valley | Binalong T O W N F E A T U R E

knowing the score Binalong’s Bruce Smeaton has gained international renown writing music for film and television but his thirst for knowledge transcends the world of entertainment.

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Being invited to score the ABC television mini-series Seven Little Australians was a huge turning point in the career of Australian composer and proud Binalong resident Bruce Smeaton.

The ABC gave him the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the show is still screened around the world and earning royalties.

His first Hollywood movie came about after recording the score for the movie The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith in London with the National Philharmonic Orchestra at Anvil Studios.

“News of my score spread and as a result I was offered the movie The Silent Flute. I stayed on in London to compose and score the film,” Bruce says from his comfortable convent in Binalong.

Later would come film scores for Willie Nelson and Steve Martin movies.

“To actually hear the music I’d only previously heard in my head come to life with a full-blown orchestra was something I will never forget,” he says.

There are countless stories that easily roll off the tongue of this prolific composer, whose music has reached us through countless movies, television series, documentaries and advertisements over the past half-century.

He won the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Best Original Music Score award for The Cars That Ate Paris (1974), The Great McCarthy (1975) and The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) along with a host of awards for his advertising and television work.

Acquiring such a reputation was no mean feat. Most of the lads from school followed their father into the same profession but not Bruce Smeaton, who grew up believing his father had died during the war (the awful truth revealed decades later when a policeman informed him of his father’s recent passing).

He barely knew his two older brothers – a motorbike racer and a soldier who fought in the dying stages of WW2 before serving in Korea and Vietnam – and lived with his mother, who ran a convalescent hospital during the war and later an old folks home.

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Bruce estimates he has written, orchestrated and produced over 2500 commercial music tracks.

Bruce left school at 15, keen to step out into the world. He’d already started thinking about writing music but had no formal plan of attack. “I had no idea how to make it happen and never met anyone who did,” he says quietly.

“As a musician you can turn up with all sorts of degrees and diplomas but the only thing that counts is that you can actually do it. It’s a bit like welding – either you can weld or you can’t – and it’s the same thing with composing.

“The first thing is figuring out whether you are a performer or a composer. For a while I thought I may be a performer but I never got the same level of satisfaction that a performer usually gets. It took me years to discover that I was meant to be a composer.”

During his early days playing baritone saxophone for the esteemed RAAF Central Band in Laverton, Bruce had time to experiment with various instruments to see how they worked.

“If you are going to write music you need to understand the mechanics of every instrument. I began seriously composing while in the band, writing it in my spare time, copying it that night and having it played the following day.”

Even from a young age Bruce knew that musicians were among the first to lose their jobs during a credit squeeze.

“The taxi drivers would be the first to go, followed by the musos.

The hard part was learning how to make a living from writing original music,” he says.

“We were a colony of England and were never set up to do anything except supply raw materials and then buy back the finished article. We weren’t supposed to be writers and musicians.

Yass Valley | Binalong T O W N F E A T U R E

A quieter world

“It was a very different world back then – all the composers were dead and came from Europe. Interesting enough, few of the great composers were English and this caused me to turn to Europe and America.”

Initially, nobody wanted Bruce’s music. Then one day television arrived and he realised the jingles on the commercial channels like the famous I like Aeroplane Jelly had to be composed by someone and he began thinking “why not me?”.

Scraping together some coin, he put some of his music down to tape and marched up and down St Kilda Road in a desperate bid to find work. Heartache greeted him at every corner. No advertising agency wanted to be the first to use him.

Finally in 1963, Bruce was asked to score a cat food commercial and got his foot in the door in an exciting new industry. Each commercial was a mini-lesson in budgeting, scheduling, costing, recording and giving the client exactly what they wanted.

Some compositions took hours to create and assemble, sometimes minutes and other times weeks or even months. “How long does it take to fall in love?” he asks. “Sometimes it’s quick and easy and sometimes it takes time to happen.”

From those humble beginnings Bruce estimates he has written, orchestrated and produced over 2500 commercial music tracks.

You name it and Bruce Smeaton probably did it. He composed, orchestrated and conducted about 95 film and TV scores both here and in places like New York, London and Paris.

“Without the commercials I could never have scored Seven Little Australians and without that I could never have been able to work professionally in America with the highest standards in the world.”

These days life is a lot slower in Binalong, population 500 and not far from Yass. For a sleepy village Binalong claims a few notable characters including Banjo Paterson, who grew up on a nearby property, and bushranger “Flash Jack” Gilbert who ended his life in a hail of bullets.

Bruce has officially retired from scoring movies but still composes music most days of most weeks, usually orchestral or for recital.

His great support throughout most of his career has been wife Mary, the health service manager at the Yass Hospital. Their two children, Polly, 37, in Melbourne, and Barney, 35, a mechanical engineer in London, left home years ago and Bruce is left with his books, all 14,000 of them, laid out like a library in the study.

He especially loves second-hand books, collected during musical assignments in countries all over the world.

“When I grew up there were only ever a few books lying around at home. My love of reading came from school. A big Scotsman, a giant rugby player, was the English literature teacher and he got us to read Shakespeare.”

Dwarfed by the books are his two prized pianos. One is kept for purely sentimental reasons – it’s been like his right hand since the 1960s and Bruce wrote most of his early music on it.

“There’s always been a real passion to learn,” he says. “I have to know how things work.” This explains his love of restoring and driving the small French Amilcars from the early 1920s, which he says are “technically interesting, fun to drive and tough as old nails”.

“I do as much of my own work as I can and that includes engine, electrical and coachwork. It’s a great break from the music rattling around in your head,” he laughs.

“The accelerator pedal is the middle one of the three. It only has brakes on the rear wheels and you have to work on it all the time – a bit like playing the piano. Owning one is not just a matter of liking how they look and having some spare cash.”

Bruce and Mary love travelling and have already clocked up 63,000km in the sporty automobile. During a 1990 car rally they stumbled upon their unique and spacious home on a stopover in Binalong.

“At the time we were living in Melbourne and thinking about a tree change when we stumbled across the old convent. It had closed in 1967 and was occupied by a family,” Bruce says.

“Before that I’d always lived on the beach – sometimes it’s rough and sometimes it’s smooth but it’s pretty much always the same.

In the bush you have the seasons, the clouds, the quietness, the parrots, the crops . . . it’s the perfect place for me.”

It’s also a rather poignant place to reflect on his long and distinguished career. Bruce says his proudest achievement was being able to live the life of a composer while residing in Australia and being part of a developing culture we now all enjoy.

“Those of us who stuck it out are rarely recognised for doing so but we know what we did and boy-oh-boy aren’t we proud of it,” he laughs.

“The other great moment was discovering I was a writer and not a performer – that I was able to hear music in my head and write it down.”

Bruce Smeaton still has music ricocheting around his head.

It’s a tap he can’t turn off, which is probably a good thing for this quintessential composer who refuses to grow old. CWL

FACING PAGE: Octogenarian Bruce Smeaton can’t get the music out of his head and still works each day.

ABOVE LEFT: Bruce and wife Mary love touring the countryside in their French-made Amilcar; the Smeatons discovered the former convent in Binalong during a 1990 car rally; Bruce has been one of the most prolific music producers in Australia.

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Yass Valley | Binalong T O W N F E A T U R E

A DELICATE BUSINESS An obsession with the magic of molten glass has propelled Peter Minson to international acclaim.

“To be good in this line of work you need a good eye, lots of patience and a degree in madness,” glass blower Peter Minson quips.

Just like the pieces he meticulously creates, this artist is one of a kind – small in stature but huge in skill, perseverance and dedication to his craft.

From his studio in Binalong, a historic village 30 minutes from Yass, an unassuming Peter continues to work and share his secrets with others hoping to experience the magic of his everyday world.

You’ll find him at the same table, day after day, year after year, creating beautiful one-off pieces – some commissions and others that will be offered for sale in his studio and coffee shop, run with his partner of 20 years Lindsay McDonald.

“I am continually seduced by the properties of glass,” he concedes during a short break from the gas torch. “Glass is bright, shining and hard when cold but is completely transformed when hot and molten.

“To be able to dream of shapes and colours and see them appear, as if by magic under intense heat and in my hands, provides the ultimate job satisfaction.”

As a young man Peter never had to think about his calling in life.

His grandfather and father emigrated from England in 1926 to help start Australia’s radio valve industry and from the age of 13 he was working in the family glass factory in Sydney.

“I helped make the scientific and medical items like pipettes, burettes and condensers. It was very exacting. That’s where my accuracy comes – I learnt to measure things using my eyes.”

In 1979 Peter was invited to study furnace glass blowing in Sweden at Orrefors and Kosta Boda for seven months. On his return he set up in a studio at Paris Creek Craft Workshops, near Adelaide.

After living in the forests of Sweden, Peter was back in the country, blowing furnace glass and teaching others a trade dating back thousands of years.

After a few years he returned to Sydney to help his father with the family business but the traffic, pollution and hustle and bustle of the city proved too much after years in the bush.

About the same time, Peter’s sister and husband in Harden were looking for a new challenge. With a combined effort they established Binalong Tearooms and a glass blowing studio in nearby Binalong.

Seven years later the partnership wound up and his partners moved on. By then Peter had fallen in love with the Binalong community and moved to a new location two houses up the street.

“I love what I do and love working with glass. It’s a magical material but it’s not the easiest way to make a living,” he says.

“We used to make all our glass in Australia 40 to 50 years ago but these companies were bought by overseas concerns and some sections shut down. They still make bottles and window glass but nothing that I can work with.”

This means Peter imports glass from Italy, Germany and America. To offset the costs he conducts classes and sells at the Canberra Glass Works and Craft ACT. His work has been represented at Wagga’s Australian Art Glass Collection since 1983.

Peter has two sons but neither of them has taken up the proud glass-blowing family tradition.

“I may well be the end of the line but I’m working on my teenage grandson,” he laughs. “Unfortunately it’s the same old story – there’s just not a lot of money in the glass game.”

Nevertheless it’s been an interesting career spanning six decades. Peter says he wouldn’t change a thing. He’s exhibited in Sweden, Japan and America and in 1995 was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship.

More importantly, he has learnt to ply his trade in front of thousands of curious visitors to his studio.

“Overseas I probably get more acclaim than here in Australia because they have a much longer history of recognising art glass than down here,” he says. “But we are getting better and many Australian glass blowers are now being recognised for their outstanding work here and internationally.”

Peter is still working in his mid 70s but has no plans of retirement, at least not while there are new and exciting opportunities to explore like the Australian bird series and his spectacular Bonsai trees in glass.

Next time you are in Binalong, make sure you drop in and visit this committed glass blower in action. It’s not something you see every day. CWL ABOVE: Glass blower Peter Minson has been working with glass all his life.

FACING PAGE: There’s not much Peter can’t create from glass, including unique hand-crafted champagne flutes, miniature swans or even intricate glass bonsai trees.

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SHEEP THRILLS The Henderson family is reaping the rewards of an unflinching commitment to Merino breeding.

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Yass Valley | Bowning T O W N F E A T U R E

Sheep breeders have mustered in force at the 10th annual Grogansworth ram sale, arriving down the Hume Highway and taking the turn-off towards Boorowa.

With all the feel of a spring racing carnival, the fresh morning air is abuzz with anticipation. Hosts Kim and Rocky Henderson are mixing freely with buyers, agents and long-term clients. The pair have spent a lifetime breeding Merinos and raising their family on this Bowning land.

The stud was established in 1985 with the family currently joining 800 stud ewes in addition to their 3200 commercial ewes.

Over the years they’ve seen the wheel turn full circle from crippling prices and drought to record highs and feed aplenty.

“Sale-oh, sale-oh”, cries stud stock auctioneer Paul Dooley as he gets to work knocking down the stars of the show, 100 fine-medium wool rams.

He’s working his magic in front of buyers congregated under a giant marquee on the lush front lawn of the homestead. It’s sale time, Henderson style!

The market conditions at the 10th annual ram sale in October are among the best Kim can remember since moving here from western Victoria as a young man with his father in 1965.

In those days the property was covered in dead timber and totally unimproved. With an old Fordson tractor he cleaned it all up before embarking on a regular fertiliser program. With the Boorowa River slicing through the middle of the property it’s considered ideal breeding country.

Sale day is their biggest day of the year, and today comes with a big announcement: Grogansworth sheep classer Ian Marwedel is stepping down after a mammoth 32 years at the helm.

There are other not-so-dramatic changes quietly taking place.

Kim and Rocky’s only son, George, is being eased into a role that will one day see him take over the reins as studmaster. > FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Rocky Henderson with daughter Jacqueline, husband Kim and son George at the ram sale; a typical Grogansworth ram; auctioneer Paul Dooley kicks off the sale; veteran sheep classer Ian Marwedel, on the eve of his retirement, presents his decades-old work boots to great mate Kim Henderson.

RIGHT: Bill Frew, Delta, Yass; Geoff Henderson, Schute Bell, Goulburn with Bowning farmers Paul Watchorn, “Merrylea North” and Sam Weir, “Ildemere”; Peter Weston, “Googodery”, Cumnock inspects a ram before sale; Rosie Mitchell and Caroline Spittle, “Kingslea”, Bookham with Neville and Diana Exon, Canberra.

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They will be big shoes to fill but George, a natural, confident and down-to-earth third-generation wool man, is more than up for the task. For the moment, however, he is happy working alongside his father while wife Alanna quietly does her bit raising a future workforce.

In stud circles, timing is everything. Choosing a quiet moment, just days out from the hype of the sale, she gave birth to their third child, Richard, who joins Annabel, 4, and Henry, 2, as the next possible line of Bowning sheep breeders!

Like everything, George takes it all in his patient stride. Just as he did on the massive Brunette Downs station on the Barkley Tablelands. It was 2002 and he was straight out of school fulfilling his dream of working in the Northern Territory.

For a change of pace he jackerooed on “Uardry” on the salt bush plains of Hay, attended Marcus Oldham, Geelong, and served as a grain broker in Melbourne.

Then he got the girl and came home! Wool and sheep prices were at a low ebb and the country was languishing in drought.

All that, however, is long forgotten as the rams, including 20 new polls, average $2080 – up a tidy $400 on the previous year.

“The prices reflect confidence in the Merino industry, and shows the Grogansworth genetics focused on heavy cutting finemedium wool sheep with good carcase is meeting the demand,” Kim says.

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Gathered around the kitchen table a few days later, the jubilation of the sale is slowly beginning to fade as the talk drifts to the approaching Melbourne Cup. With a sheepish grin, George reveals he met Alanna on Darby Day at Flemington.

Finding your future wife at the races seems to be a Henderson tradition started by Kim, who met his wife at the Mt Garnett races over 40 years ago (family rumour has it he was quietly studying the form guide when a certain well-presented Weipa school teacher caught his eye).

George has two sisters who retain a keen interest in farm affairs from different parts of the world. Jacqueline is a primary school teacher in Albury while Anna works in the travel industry, based in London with her husband and two young daughters.

With cattle to check, sheep to move and lamb marking the next big activity, the Hendersons are glad they stood by wool when others were exiting in droves.

It’s a great extended family that works, indeed thrives together (except when the topic turns to football). Three generations of Hendersons and a story that just keeps getting better. CWL ABOVE: George and Alanna Henderson with their children Annabel, Henry and Richard; Kim Henderson and wife Rocky; Grogansworth Merino ewes and lambs on the run.

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

Our selling charges dont rise as the value of your wool does. Contact us now, and discover the advantages of marketing your clip with Jemalong Wool.

• Selling in every auction sale week • Leading wooltrade broker • Forward contract with Riemann • 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

T O W N F E A T U R E Yass Valley | Bowning

mews WORTHY

Steeped in history, Mayfield Mews also offers all the delights of the modern world.

Mayfield Mews, Bowning, is an authentic historic precinct due to its association with both Henry Lawson and Archer, the famous racehorse forever linked to the Melbourne Cup. Henry Lawson spent a lot of time between 1899 and 1914 at the adjacent Mayfield House and local council records cite he was often seen on the front verandah in discussion with Banjo Paterson.

Henry’s aunt, Phoebe Stear, was married to Richard Stear, who owned the Bowning General Store, next door to Mayfield House.

Mayfield House was built circa 1850s and was originally known as Albury House. Phoebe was a daughter of Henry and Harriet Albury. Another of their daughters was Louisa Albury – Henry Lawson’s mother.

The original stables are where Archer is reported to have stayed on his epic journey to Melbourne in 1861, when he won the first ever Melbourne Cup. He went on to repeat the trip in 1862 for his second consecutive victory.

Today the Mews is a lively hub for fine coffee, traditional home baking, fresh healthy light meals, high quality gifts and a delightful garden centre.

Mayfield Mews is highly regarded for the finest high tea experience in the region, where everything is home made and served in abundance. High tea bookings are essential as each element is cooked to order, sourcing local condiments and preserves. High tea is available for a minimum four people, Thursday to Sunday with three days’ notice required.

Mayfield Mews is a unique experience, steeped in history. Not a fast food takeaway café, it is where fresh regional, traditional, homebaked and hand-made delights stand out to make this precinct a must visit for morning or afternoon teas and light lunches. CWL Visit www.mayfieldmews.com.au.

ABOVE: Book in for High Tea at Mayfield Mews, it’s sure to delight!

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Yass Valley | Bowning T O W N F E A T U R E

BLESSED ARE THE

FLEECE MAKERS Lualto Alpaca Stud’s Tim Toshack and Graham Lugg are boldly making their mark in a fledgling industry.

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Alpacas have opened up many doors for great mates Tim Toshack and Graham Lugg, who struck up an amazing friendship 30 years ago while working together at Canberra TAFE. Before they were esteemed alpaca breeders, the lads began life as gardeners in a Bungendore nursery. After five years they headed bush.

In 2003 they found 25 acres near beautiful Bowning and were contemplating what to do next when an alpaca stand caught their eye at the Murrumbateman Field Days. It didn’t take long to figure these four-legged grass eaters might well be cheaper than a new ride-on mower and a lot more interesting!

Keen to learn more about these intriguing animals, they later secured a stud male and 10 females from Victoria to establish the Lualto Alpaca Stud.

It sounds South American (where the breed originated) but the name is a clever combination using the first two letters from their surnames and the word alpaca.

By 2006 their little enterprise had mushroomed to 100 head.

With growing feed bills they needed to expand, finding a perfect 110-acre block 20 minutes down the road.

These days it’s serious business indeed, with nearly 200 alpacas spread over the farm. The alpacas are trouble free to handle, with well-positioned laneways to facilitate mustering.

“The first question people ask is do they spit,” Tim laughs. “I often tell them to stick around and find out for themselves! The truth is camels, alpacas and llamas are all camelids, so they all spit – usually at each other.”

Alpacas are renowned for their fleece and shorn by a professional alpaca shearer who can whip through 80 head in an easy day.

The renovated shearing shed is perfect for the alpacas, which typically cut about 1.5kg of saddle fleece – a good quality fleece fetches about $22 a kilo.

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Yass Valley | Bowning T O W N F E A T U R E

“The first question people ask is do they spit.

I often tell them to stick around and find out for themselves!”

Tim spends four days a week in Canberra managing a corporate and finance sector while Graham divides his time between farming duties and skirting and preparing fleeces to be turned into knitting yarn.

These days the men not only breed alpacas but have developed a growing side business, Australian Alpaca Yarn, sourcing fleeces from some of the best alpaca studs in the country.

The fleeces are scientifically grid tested to determine micron and skirted to eliminate unwanted fibre and contaminants before being baled and shipped for processing in New Zealand.

They process up to two tonnes of fleece each year, with the yarn being sold through an online shop and at selected craft markets.

In a bid to fully appreciate the qualities of the soft-handling, hard-wearing alpaca yarn, Graham taught himself to knit, crochet and weave.

“Tim and I have seen great advancements within the alpaca industry in the past decade and understand what’s required when purchasing the most suitable fleeces,” he says.

The alpacas are sold as pets (from as little as $250) or sheep guards, particularly wethers that don’t have the requirements to become a stud male.

“Given that it’s a fledgling industry, don’t expect to become rich overnight,” Tim warns with a grin. “ We love the alpacas because it suits our lifestyle and provides an opportunity to meet creative people who enjoy using our alpaca fibre.” CWL

FACING PAGE: New alpacas on the scene; Tim Toshack and Graham Lugg with alpaca fleece; each animal has its own personality.

ABOVE: Graham and Tim in the store room with an alpaca garment. The alpaca yarn is delivered all over Australia.

100% Australian Alpaca Yarn Shop online for a wide selection of colours available in 50gm balls or on cones in 1, 2, 4, 8 Ply and Boucle.

www.australianalpacayarn.com.au We produce quality yarn by using only the best Australian alpaca fibre.

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Gundaroo There ain’t a more quaint little village than this.

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Yass Valley | Gundaroo T O W N F E A T U R E

VILLAGE Spectacular fireworks featured at the 2017 Gundaroo Music Festival with the small rural community rallying together to raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

This year an estimated 3000 music lovers converged on the outskirts of the village for 12 hours of non-stop entertainment. The event had everything from wine tasting, food and produce stalls and local arts and handcrafts to a fully catered VIP and sponsors tent.

Young ones were kept busy in the kids zone, featuring jumping castles, face painting, super heroes and a petting zoo.

The festival is the vision of talented local musician Scott Windsor, who sadly passed away from MND in 2015. The festival continues as his legacy.

Organisers aim to raise awareness of this devastating condition and provide funding for equipment for those diagnosed with it.

There could be no more scenic location than Gundaroo, first explored by Charles Throsby and Joseph Wild during their travels through the Yass River valley in 1820.

Governor Macquarie granted the first white settler, Peter Cooney, 30 acres (12ha) in 1825. Settlement proceeded quickly and by the 1840s there were nearly 400 residents utilising the Harrow Inn, post office, school, Anglican church and police station.

In 1852 gold was discovered in the district, the last big news for 160 years until The Nest solved the accommodation crisis!

Apart from that, little has changed, which is exactly what makes Gundaroo such an interesting place to live and visit. There’s a great pub, enchanting restaurant, pizzas in a quaint set of old stables and if you’re lucky, even a music festival to keep you satisfied! CWL

Stallholders did a lively trade as the music rocked on.

celebration

There was plenty of live music to entertain the crowd.

ABOVE: Ava and Luke Warren, Gundaroo, enjoying the Pumped Up Parties.

ABOVE: Canberra visitors Rob Tonkin and Lucy Bitmead.

Lucy Josue, Sydney, Grace Boffa, Melbourne, local singer George Goodfellow, Liam Clark, Gundagai, Immi Passas, Sydney, and Tom Sloane, Orange.

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THE AMAZING

GRAZING Dining is always a pleasure at Grazing, a chic country restaurant and function centre carving up a healthy reputation for its stunning weddings, old-world charm and award-winning cuisine.

The Grazing team ply their trade in the historic 1865 Royal Hotel in the sleepy and delightful village of Gundaroo and are ticking all the boxes when it comes to a memorable dining or wedding experience.

Owners Kurt and Tanya Neumann love working in a space that has diners oohing and aahing from here to the national capital, an easy 30-minute drive away. Visitors also travel from Sydney, particularly the Bowral area, to enjoy a special meal in a beautiful part of the world.

The husband and wife team have been run off their feet since taking over the business six years ago. They live with their two daughters in Queanbeyan and drive out to Gundaroo four times each week.

Tanya looks after the back of house, coordinates weddings, functions and other large groups. The kitchen is where Kurt performs his magic, working alongside four others.

Then there’s front of house, a full-time manager and up to 20 casual staff. “It certainly keeps us on our toes,” Kurt says with a grin. “We certainly couldn’t do what we do without our great team.”

In 2013 their hard work was recognised by their peers when Grazing was judged Restaurant of the Year in the ACT Restaurant & Catering Awards.

The headlines screamed “Sophisticated country dining at its best” but Kurt says the place works thanks to the fireplaces and ambience of the 162-year-old former hotel that for many years greeted visitors on horseback.

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Yass Valley | Gundaroo T O W N F E A T U R E

Alongside the restaurant is a purpose-built function centre called the Stone Room, which accommodates up to 140 seated guests for a formal wedding reception or up to 250 guests for canapés.

Grazing’s love of all things food and wine ensures each wedding, function or intimate dining experience is nothing short of perfect.

The menu changes regularly to reflect the seasons and to showcase the best of what the region has to offer.

Stunning wedding photos are to be had within the heritage grounds or from various historic and charming backdrops within the village, which has several accommodation options to end your perfect day.

Grazing focuses on the best of Canberra and district’s food and wine.

“Our philosophy with food is simple,” Kurt says. “We aim to serve interesting food, using the freshest possible ingredients, focusing on combinations of textures and flavours that harmoniously come together.”

Complementing their innovative menu is an extensive list of the finest Canberra wines. From crisp Rieslings to mouth-filling Pinot Gris, or the velvety smooth complexity of Shiraz Viognier, their wine list highlights the well-deserved reputation for diversity the region has to offer.

“Food is something you can never know enough about. I’m always looking forward, searching for new flavours, techniques and combinations,” Kurt says as he shows me around.

After school he had no idea what he wanted to do for a career, for a time working behind a bar, enjoying the night life and learning the merits of team work.

A chef got him in the kitchen door where Kurt developed a love and passion for food that has never deserted him. He genuinely loves cooking and is humbled by the way his food brings people together, especially on big occasions like weddings.

“It’s rather nice to think they come here through a shared love of good food and family,” he says.

With an uncompromising vision of outstanding regional food, wine and service, it’s no wonder Grazing has become a unique and unforgettable destination.

Remember to call well in advance if you’re hoping to book a date in the frenetic wedding season from September through to March. CWL

ABOVE: The historic Royal Hotel, established in 1865, is the home of Grazing; expect some fancy cuisine.

FACING PAGE: Friendly co-owner Kurt Neumann and the historic hotel that’s played a significant role in Gundaroo’s history.

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a warm welcome

Gundaroo has a new feather in its collective cap with the establishment of The Nest.

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Yass Valley | Gundaroo T O W N F E A T U R E

Visitors to Gundaroo can enjoy affordable, quality accommodation at The Nest, where no expense has been spared.

All of the five new apartments – Heron, Magpie, Rosella, Kestrel and Cockatoo – are different, particularly the latter, built for those with disabilities.

Then there’s the warm and inviting Clemenger’s Cottage, built in the late 1800s as the original Post Office and Post Master residence before becoming Mrs Davis’ Store.

The self-contained units are modern and spacious with free Wi-Fi, tall ceilings, country-style furnishings and stove, large fridge and king-size bed. All up, there’s accommodation for 16 adults.

Guests wake up to a complimentary breakfast, either continental or the popular cook-your-own, with eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast and juice.

Building The Nest has been a committed family affair from day one.

It all started when Don Gleeson, a mechanical engineer working on a Darwin gas plant, invested in the struggling Gundaroo Post Office and grocery store in the village’s quiet main street.

With no mail deliveries, the 300 village households and neighbouring 100 farming families visited the store on a daily basis for the essentials – mail, milk and newspapers.

Scotty and Jess Evans took over the management and have poured their heart and soul into Gundaroo’s “Friendly Grocer”, making it once again the vibrant hub of the small community.

To ensure future visibility of the store from the main street, Don purchased the empty block next door. But what to do with it? Enter Don’s sister Lana Mitchell, who lives nearby on her mother’s farm “Moondani” and works as the national communications manager for the RFDS in Canberra.

“We wanted something commercial to provide a healthy-looking main street,” she says. “The first thing we did was to survey

“It was important to be embraced by the community.

We’re a local family and not some big city property developer.” the village. The overwhelming response was that Gundaroo needed short-stay accommodation.

“Grazing were having two or three weddings each weekend but without a motel, one B&B and a couple of rooms out the back of the pub, it was a major concern.”

The Mayor cut the ribbon to officially open The Nest in late 2015. The Gleeson family invited the community to drop in and inspect their handiwork after a two-year build.

“It was important to be embraced by the community. We’re a local family and not some big city property developer,” Lana says.

Don and Lana’s mother Sylvia Gleeson is the perfect hostess. She loves looking after people and is particularly good with details.

Gundaroo now covers all bases when it comes to dining. There’s the classic pub meal, five-star dining at Grazing, gourmet pizza at the Cork Street Cafe (in the stables of the former Police Station) and Scotty Evans who regularly cooks up a storm for guests when the others take a break on Mondays and Tuesdays.

“The fireplaces are something nobody else offers,” Lana says. “We were advised by Grazing of the allure of their fireplaces, so we installed wood fire heaters in each of our villas.

“Our point of difference is being high end without the exorbitant price tag. Our prices start from $170 and go up to $240 for the bridal suite in Heron.”

Guest books are full of positive feedback, ditto with Trip Advisor, where they have received a Certificate of Excellence.

“Roosting Rewards” were recently introduced to entice guests back to The Nest and Gundaroo, which some local agents are already calling the new Berrima. CWL

ABOVE: Gundaroo local Lana Mitchell has helped create appealing accommodation in Gundaroo.

FACING PAGE: The five self-contained units are located behind the head office; a typical spacious room; historic Clemenger’s Cottage, built in the late 1800s and now used for accommodation.

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T O W N F E A T U R E Yass Valley | Gundaroo

spreading his wings Down-to-earth high-flyer Dick Smith cherishes the charmed Gundaroo life.

I can see him in the sky, circling his plane around the farm before executing a perfect landing on his private runway.

Stepping out of the Cessna Caravan is business entrepreneur and record-breaking aviator Richard Harold Smith AC, known across the country as Dick Smith.

On this beautiful spring day he is visiting his 3500-acre working farm “Bowylie” near the historic village of Gundaroo. Dick has kindly agreed to show me around the farm that he and wife Pip purchased 23 years ago following his term as chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority.

It’s a private spot where Dick can relax and catch up and talk animal health and cattle prices with his farm manager, Ben Haseler and wife Sally, who have been with him since his foray into farming.

Being well acquainted with the ways of journalists, Dick offers some helpful advice: “I talk very fast and have a short attention span, so ask me anything you want and record our talk on your phone.”

Our humble philanthropist is clearly in an ebullient mood, whistling cheerfully as we walk past a monstrous new hangar that houses various Smith flying machines and a huge “Welcome Home Dad” banner.

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Only yesterday, he tells me, he was on the Nullarbor delivering a speech on the 100th anniversary of the joining of the Indian Pacific railway line. Yes, it’s a good life.

As we round the corner a series of older hangars comes into view, looking like they’re straight out of an old movie set.

“The story I tell my friends is that they were built in the 1920s. We actually got the people who designed a number of the War Memorial displays to design them with an old theme,” he says with a grin.

Inside is the perfect recreation of a WW2 Biggin Hill flying clubhouse and a “nice place for my flying friends”. It’s the exclusive Bowylie Club, where aviators gather to tell tall stories and raise a glass to courageous pilots and explorers who have gone before them.

On the wall is a huge world map with coloured lines arching from end to end. They represent Dick’s five around-the-world flights, twice by helicopter and three times by fixed wing. In case he missed anywhere, he then drove Pip 40,000km across the planet, completing the ambitious trip in 2½ years. > ABOVE: Dick Smith has always been fascinated by aircraft.

FACING PAGE: Dick Smith has flown in balloons and aircraft all over the planet but is equally happy guiding his train throughout the property; the hangars house the Bowylie Club and flying memorabilia.

Yass Valley | Gundaroo T O W N F E A T U R E

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“ There are no regrets. I was a failure at school before selling electronics and did very well.

Then I started Australian Geographic and did very well.”

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Yass Valley | Gundaroo T O W N F E A T U R E

The frequent flyer may not have earned any bonus points but he did set world records as he pushed the boundaries of human endurance. Along the way there were a few close shaves, like the time he was flying down the coast of Burma in horrendous weather and almost crashed into a headland.

Perhaps he will divulge such near-misses at the dinner he has planned for the evening. Among his esteemed guests will be a visiting American flight training expert, the owner of Dymocks Books, the first Australian to climb Mt Everest and a Canberra naturalist . Most will fly in during the afternoon for the event.

Dick says his favourite place in the world is Antarctica – “there are very few people, just beautiful wilderness”. A close second and a little closer to home is the remote Cooper Creek in South Australia.

On the walls are countless photographs and paintings, including family shots of daughters Hayley and Jenny at pivotal moments in their lives.

It’s easy getting a touch nostalgic in this place but Dick is a man on a mission. “Come on, I’ll take you for a tram ride,” he says, as he strides out the door. Two kilometres of well-laid tracks lead off into the distance.

It’s not something you see every day – one of our greatest living Australians traversing his picturesque farm via a railway line! Dick has always done things a bit differently. As he stands alone at the front of the controls with a contented smile, it’s easy thinking he’s one of those good-natured blokes who just happens to have done very well for himself.

He’s also a man who enjoys giving. Just weeks earlier he got the Albert Namatjira copyright back to the artist’s family and the Aboriginal community at large, paying a small fortune in the process. Namatjira was the leading Aboriginal artist during the 1950s and the first Australian Aboriginal to be granted citizenship.

“Luckily I knew the right people and in 15 minutes was able to get it back. It’s the best thing I’ve ever been involved with,” he says modestly.

We arrive at the homestead platform but the energetic 73-yearold is keen to experience the whole ride. We continue through the immaculately presented gardens and historic out-buildings with the Yass River on one side. Hundreds of Angus cattle and Merinos graze nonchalantly in the paddocks.

The rambling old homestead, built in 1850, has been extensively renovated and is fit for royalty – including the King of Sweden, His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf, and a former Australian Governor General, who have experienced the joys of “Bowylie”.

We drop in for a cuppa in the new wing of the home. As you’d expect, sitting next to the toaster is Dick Smith cereal, an Aussiemade product he happily endorses.

With his phone ringing constantly, I can tell he’s busy, super efficient and remarkably calm.

“Fire away,” he says, tucking into some Dick Smith OzEmite on toast.

I should ask about growing up in Sydney with a salesman father and stay-at-home mum or how he was considered academically hopeless with a speech defect, calling himself “Dick Miff”.

What about the 1978 April Fool’s Day attempt to tow an iceberg from Antarctica into Sydney Harbour as a fresh water supply?

I might inquire as to what he was doing on a London doubledecker bus that jumped over 15 motorcycles or his thoughts on climbing one of the seven summits, flying over the world’s tallest mountain or discovering the wreck of the Kookaburra aircraft.

But I don’t, preferring to have him talk about his connection with the historic village of nearby Gundaroo.

“I walk down the main street all the time,” he enthuses. “In fact I was in the pub last night. I love the place and don’t want it to change.

We don’t want to spoil Gundaroo and other places like it. There will be pressure to subdivide the land and I think that’s a terrible thing.”

I think I’ve started something.

“I’m concerned about Gundaroo expanding, Canberra expanding – indeed the population of the entire country expanding. By the end of this century with our current growth rate there will be over 100 million people in Australia and 11 billion sharing the planet.”

Australian immigration is one topic he is extremely passionate about and he wants all Australians to fully understand the issues of overpopulation.

“There’s no plan. No major political party has any policy on population. They should tell the truth that we can’t have perpetual growth in a finite world,” he says firmly.

“Many people won’t have jobs because of automation and robotics, forcing people to live in tiny cubicles like termites or battery chooks in 100-storey buildings. I despair for our young children. It will very likely be a disaster for them.

“Thanks to utter greed, the business community wants endless growth but everything in nature lives in balance. If you look at the pink galahs or sulphur-crested cockatoos, the numbers I’m told will be the same for millions of years because they live in balance.”

Dick Smith is frustrated by the lack of inaction and has appeared countless times on our TV screen strongly expressing his concerns.

I ask if there is a book on his life and times in the pipeline and yes there is. It’s being written by a friend and will be called A Fun Way to a Fortune.

“It’s a good name for me. I’ve had lots of fun and never really fallen out with people. There are no regrets. I was a failure at school before selling electronics and did very well. Then I started Australian Geographic and did very well. Then probably my best days when I started flying and adventuring,” he says candidly.

“Thankfully, I could always afford the safest equipment. That plane I flew twice around the world is simple and reliable, even if it has only one engine.”

These days he is down to two planes and a chopper. He used to have a lot more but has been selling them and giving the money away. “I do it purely for selfish reasons – it makes me feel good.”

Impressive words indeed from a humble and kind Australian who failed school, skipped university and went on to make an international name for himself in business and aviation. CWL ABOVE: Dick Smith with the drum given to him by great mate Fred Brophy on his 70th birthday.

FACING PAGE: Flying into his property; the homestead; Dick and wife Pip have shared many great adventures; the Homestead station; expansive lawns surround the homestead.

YASS VALLEY | GUNDAROO CWL 91

MOTHERING NATURE It’s a long and winding road out to meet Donna Stephan OAM, who refused to sit idle as wombat numbers were decimated by disease, road accidents, rogue dogs and bullets.

When CWL drops in for a quick visit to the Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary, Gundaroo, Donna Stephan is busy in the lounge room feeding her charges. For visitors, many from overseas, it’s a familiar sight.

Today wombat lover Jane Chalmers from Picton is enjoying her own one-on-one wombat experience after husband Sam came good with a surprise birthday gift.

Donna talks quietly as she feeds four-month-old Fiona, before switching the bottle to 10-month-old Orla, who once fitted in the palm of her hand after her mother was shot.

“When furless they are known as pinkies,” she explains. “They become joeys once they have a full body of hair. Once out of the pouch they’re known as young wombats.”

Donna’s 200-acre, self-funded sanctuary specialises in rehabilitating injured, orphaned and pet wombats. Having been raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Donna says she always yearned to see wombats in the wild. When she first stumbled across one struck by a car, it was a profound experience.

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“I will never forget the look in that wombat’s eyes and it still causes a tear. From that moment I wanted to make a difference.

Someone had to step up. There’s a need for someone to care for these animals, otherwise I wouldn’t be as busy as I am.”

It was the start of a new and unusual calling.

“We raise orphaned wombats and teach them the necessary skills so that they can be released back into their natural habitat where they belong,” she says. The sanctuary was initially established to deal with injured wombats but over the years a lot more orphans or “pet” wombats have turned up.

“Pet wombats take a lot of time and dedication to reverse the damage done by humans but every wombat deserves the chance to live where it belongs.”

Donna plucks Rose, all 175 grams of her, out of her wombat blanket. She’s another orphan whose mother was hit by a car, and Cleopatra, an illegal pet dumped over the fence.

Each has their own personality and hard-luck story. “They are highly intelligent and totally underrated,” Donna says. “But don’t ever

Yass Valley | Gundaroo T O W N F E A T U R E

confuse them with pets. While they may appear friendly, wombats are powerful, aggressive and fiercely territorial marsupials.”

Soldier, the sanctuary’s biggest resident at a whopping 40kg, had been beaten with a tyre iron and suffered brain damage. He’s become a permanent fixture at the sanctuary.

Donna tries to limit herself to seven hours of “wombat play” a day to focus on being a mother to young daughters, Jade, 7, and Bec, 5, who are accustomed to sharing their house with the furry-nosed visitors.

All in all it’s a typical day but at any time the phone may ring, triggering a call to action. One Saturday she had eight wombats brought in, followed by nothing for two months. It’s the nature of the business.

“We can put down 40 a week through mange, illegal shooting and car collisions. Out of that we may not get to save one. Then it can go quiet,” she says.

Donna says she typically rescues between 60 and 100 wombats a year, with 900 or more “dug in” over her sanctuary.

She admits it’s often painful to watch but it’s never dampened her resolve to save the wombats. If anything, it’s only strengthened her belief that just one person can make a world of difference.

“My ultimate goal is to release them into a permanently safe environment but it could take years getting to that stage.” In the meantime she does what she can, keeping up the daily supply of nine litres of milk, hard feed and fresh-cut grass.

She’s currently feeding out 82 bottles a day for 19 wombats needing food and medication. Other times it’s double that number.

It’s been a remarkable journey and Donna still can’t believe how it all happened, especially the $5000 a month in milk, food, infrastructure and medical bills.

The decision to buy the land and build the sanctuary came as a shock to family and friends. “Everyone told me I was crazy and that I’d lost the plot but for me this is heaven,” she says.

“My life is far from normal. But if you’re going to do this you have to be totally committed. For an animal that kills for territory, the rehabilitation program has to be right – you just can’t release them anywhere.”

Wombats can be here for up to three years, depending how young, injured or traumatised they are. Some never leave due to injury or age.

“Our work includes relocating wombats, assisting councils and farmers and encouraging co-existence in our ever changing world,” she says.

“We have seen big changes over the years in terms of wombat location, injuries and stress on populations. Education and community involvement will help with the preservation of the species long term.”

You can become a Wombassador and pay $10 a month to help Donna with ongoing costs. If you love, like, are interested in or just want to learn about wombats, follow her remarkable crusade on Facebook. CWL

ABOVE: Donna Stephan OAM shares wombat feeding time with wildlife enthusiast Jane Chalmers; there are dozens of wombats of varying ages that require specialist care.

FACING PAGE: Donna possesses a remarkable relationship with her wombat charges.

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FACING PAGE: Family affair: Logistics man, Michael Olinder, Vineyard manager Michael Shaw, Cellar Door manager Tanya FACING PAGE: Family affair: Logistics man, Michael Olinder, Vineyard manager Michael Shaw, Cellar Door manager Tanya Olinder, Boss Ann Shaw and vigernon Graeme Shaw; grape growing in Murrumbateman; cellar door Olinder, Boss Ann Shaw and vigernon Graeme Shaw; grape growing in Murrumbateman; cellar door

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Yass Valley | Murrumbateman T O W N F E A T U R E

SHAW & CERTAIN One of the most awarded wineries in the Canberra region is about to take the cellar-door experience to a whole new level.

Wanting to enhance the visitor experience at the Shaw Vineyard Estate, one of 14 cool-climate wineries in the Murrumbateman district, Graeme Shaw and family made the bold decision to build a multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art cellar door.

The architect-designed building, purpose-built to help guests better enjoy their wine, is due to open in May 2018.

“We’ll have sit-down, structured tastings providing a more interactive tasting experience with the customer,” winery founder Graeme says.

They can also cater for larger groups in a separate area. Visitors will still be able to enjoy matching their food and wine, as the existing bistro/cellar door space will operate solely as a restaurant.

“These new facilities will give us the opportunity to present our wines in a more engaging way and showcase our amazing property in a more professional light.”

The Shaw family knows a few things about family business. From the building industry to the wine industry, the family has come a long way in an incredibly short time.

Their wine journey began in the 1990s while running a successful commercial construction company in Canberra. They were building the Kamberra Winery for BRL Hardy, then the largest cool-climate wine production facility in Australia.

As part of that process the family learned about practical winemaking and built a relationship with Hardys. This led them to being contracted to grow 32ha of grapes during an exciting growth phase for the wine industry.

“Fortunately, we had a great property for grape growing, as we were privileged to be only the second family to own ‘Olleyville’, a historic 700-acre fine wool grazing property first settled in the mid 1800s,” Graeme says.

“To this day we honour this history by naming our Reserve red wines ‘Merriman’ after George Merriman, an original lot owner on the property who made Murrumbateman wool world-famous.

“The ‘Isabella’ Reserve Riesling is named after Isabel Anderson, part of the Pateman family from whom we purchased the property in 1998.”

The first job was to undertake extensive soil analysis of the property. Results confirmed some great potential vineyard areas with optimum conditions for growing the classic varieties of Riesling, Semillon, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

While the vineyard was planted in 1998 they all undertook viticulture courses, including Graeme. The intention was to continue selling most of the fruit to Hardys and keep the very best for their own small label.

After being purchased by the world’s largest wine company, Constellation, Hardys suddenly withdrew from cool-climate growing regions.

This led to the family taking matters into their own hands, investing in a well-established winemaking facility that could easily handle their total fruit production and bottle the wine under their own label.

“This provided some great advantages,” Graeme says. “We could be as hands on as we wanted to, while having the expertise of a very experienced and successful winemaking team to draw on.

“The last few years have been incredibly satisfying. We’ve been blessed with many loyal customers and some great wine show results.”

Like all family wine businesses, it’s a team effort and each family member has a number of roles.

Ann and Graeme’s son Michael has worked in the business from its inception and is responsible for the vineyard in consultation with Graeme.

Graeme is also directly involved in the viticulture and winemaking. He travels to China several times each year, developing new markets and promoting his annual turnover of 15,000 cases of Australian wine.

Graeme and daughter Tanya are responsible for the blending of all the wines. Tanya manages the cellar door operations, export processes and marketing along with a great support team.

Tanya’s husband Michael Olinder manages the logistics side of the business along with the accounts and domestic distribution.

Michael can also be seen operating the grape harvester at vintage.

Wife Ann ensures the grounds are well manicured at all times and provides valuable cellar door support.

“We all work together with one aim: to make and market the best cool-climate, Canberra region wines possible,” says Graeme, a man of strong conviction and unshakeable faith in the wine industry. CWL

ABOVE: Graeme Shaw predicts a big future for his cool-climate wines.

FACING PAGE: Family affair: Logistics man Michael Olinder, vineyard manager Michael Shaw, cellar door manager Tanya Olinder, director Ann Shaw and vigernon Graeme Shaw; grape growing in Murrumbateman; cellar door manager Tanya Olinder loves sharing her family wines with visitors.

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T O W N F E A T U R E Yass Valley | Murrumbateman

MURRUMBATEMAN The Yass Valley knows how to please food and wine lovers alike.

moving feast

The Murrumbateman Moving Feast is set among the vines, at wineries scattered throughout Murrumbateman, only half an hour from Canberra and just under three hours from Sydney.

Celebrated over the long weekend in October, visitors and locals alike can indulge in mouthwatering savoury and sweet tasting plates, matched perfectly to delicious, nationally and internationally recognised wines.

The Moving Feast showcases some of Murrumbateman’s finest. It is a weekend spent meandering from winery to winery, tantalising your taste buds while taking in the fresh country air and breathtaking scenery. It presents the perfect opportunity to explore the Yass Valley region and be a part of the not-to-be-missed roving degustation. CWL For more information visit: www.makersofmurrumbateman.org.au.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The Murrumbateman Moving Feast is celebrated across various wineries in Murrumbateman and surrounds; Shaw Vineyard Estate; Long Rail Gully Wines; The Vintner’s Daughter.

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SIMPLY VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO ORDER WWW.CENTRALWESTMAGAZINE.COM.AU Orders can also be made by contacting us PHONE: 0429 441 086 EMAIL: info@centralwestmagazine.com.au

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FACING PAGE: Walker Beer directors Alice Weinthal and Stacey Cooke.

feats

OF CLAY

Making beautiful, timeless pottery pieces is never “just a job” for highly gifted ceramic artist Susan Hill. It’s her life, art and passion.

The Hillgrove Pottery in Murrumbateman is where Susan Hill’s creative streak comes to the fore – out in a shed among the gum trees, where the quiet ebb and flow of life is only interrupted by the sound of chirping birds in the wild.

The pottery was established in 2011 and Susan is building a strong reputation for her ridiculously good oven-to-table stoneware creations and one-off exhibition pieces. Primarily wheel-thrown, all pieces are assembled and decorated by hand, using traditional methods overlaid with a modern design aesthetic.

Hillgrove makes a wide range of products in a variety of glaze collections. Every piece is unique and the high-fire process adds an unpredictable and distinctive touch of personality.

After finishing a Diploma of Ceramics and three years of full-time training at Sturt Pottery in the Southern Highlands during the late 1990s, Susan married and moved to Cronulla with her husband Derek Hill, a learning and development consultant with the Department of Agriculture, now retired, and an accomplished pottery hand/builder.

Susan completed a Bachelor of Graphic Design (print media) from Sydney Graphics College in 2003 but her skill behind the potter’s wheel was put on hold as life got in the way. It took a while getting here but Susan says the wait was definitely worth it.

“I wanted to be a traditional potter, not a hobbyist, and we needed space,” she says. “When Derek was transferred to the Canberra office we needed to relocate. The moment we saw this

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property we knew it was meant for us and made an offer on the spot. Our offer was accepted by the time we drove home. It was meant to happen.”

The first thing they did was build an American barn to house the studio and 32 cubic-foot, commercial gas kiln. It takes Susan a minimum of two weeks to fill the kiln with over 200 of her latest works before they are bisque-fired. The pots are then coated with glaze, fired again to 1285°C, then left 36 hours to cool down. It’s studio pottery on an industrial scale, which explains how prices are kept down.

“I was taught to learn from the best and to aim for the highest, to throw well and throw fast – and time myself,” she says. “I learnt how to price my work to keep it affordable. I continually refine my skills and aesthetics. It’s a lifelong process. No two pieces will ever be identical because the hand-made process is an artistic process.

It’s not work, it’s fun.”

Susan says pottery is definitely a solo vocation. “I can go for a whole week without talking to anybody, just listening to my Roman history podcasts. I feel very fortunate and count my lucky stars every day.”

These days she frequently works 10-hour days. Expect to meet her in clay-splattered clothes. “As any artist knows, it’s imperative to have passion and self-discipline. If I don’t throw in the morning, I feel like my day is wasted,” she says.

“Working with clay is a meditative and calming experience.

Once you have trained, your hands have muscle memory and because you have done it so many thousands of times you could literally do it blindfolded.”

Susan is always testing new designs, gaining inspiration from other potters all over the world. “There is a loose-knit, friendly and supportive community among professional potters. We connect and converse regularly through social media.”

Her work has sold to America, Canada, Germany, the UK and Ireland but Susan also sells through the shop in Parliament House, the gallery at Hillgrove and at many local markets.

Aside from her four alpaca, two dogs, two chooks and one husband, there is not much time for other interests or hobbies. In her spare time, she reads new pottery books, tinkers with her glaze recipes or tests fresh, new designs. She is also looking forward to returning to Rome in 2018 to research ancient pottery. CWL

ABOVE: Susan Hill creates pieces that end up in homes all over the world.

FACING PAGE: Susan is a gifted ceramic artist who thrives in her bush setting.

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HEALTHY OUTLOOK Bronwyn Hadley believes there’s no time like the present to turn things around.

Living in bodies that don’t function well is on the rise and it’s having a bigger impact than ever on all facets of life – not being able to run around the park or throw a ball with the kids; having difficulty performing the most basic of movements like getting up out of a chair; or meandering around the office at such a slow pace that office productivity is compromised.

Perhaps you’re having such a poor night’s sleep that you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel just spinning day after day. How is this happening when we live in a world overflowing with healthy diets, fitness gurus and more gyms than ever before?

The answer lies with dynamic transformation specialist Bronwyn Hadley, a highly motivated trainer who pulls no punches when it comes to taking charge of our health.

“Our approach at Clearview Coaching is focused and realistic,” she says. “My programs are based on cutting-edge research with science-based principles and proven teaching techniques. There are no gimmicks, silly diets or ridiculous exercise schedules.

“I offer a program that systematically addresses the underlying problems and reasons why people have failed in the past to achieve the body of their dreams. And people fall in love with this new lifestyle.”

Since joining forces with Mick Hadley 10 years ago there’s been no stopping this pocket rocket, especially once her husband converted a Murrumbateman shearing shed into a fabulous four-bedroom home with a small group fitness studio.

It is here Bron fulfilled her dream of becoming a professional trainer after 26 years in human resources within the Department of Defence.

“When I opened the studio my clients often commented on how spectacular our views were,” she says. “The night skies are the best.

The Milky Way goes straight over our property and in the distance we can see the haze of Canberra. On a clear night the Southern Cross looks like it was painted in the sky.

“I felt I really needed to share it with others on a much larger scale. I told my husband I needed to come up with something aligned with my business to share the view and sky with the world.”

It was only a matter of time before Yoga Under The Stars was born, a seasonal event running from November to March. Over the past few years Bron estimates more than 600 yoga enthusiasts have attended one of her sessions, including a group of Vinyasa devotees who drive from Wollongong.

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From the gym side, Bron works on three basic principles: build muscle, burn fat and fuel your body with the correct food. It sounds so simple but there’s an awful lot of us getting it wrong.

“Too many are buying into these fad diets and it’s destroying their health. Short-term results are exactly that – short term, and people wonder why they stack on more weight than they originally had.

“They are simply destroying their metabolism.

I teach people the skills of how to eat properly six times a day (and yes, you read correctly), exercise for three per cent of the week (maximum of three to four hours) and develop a healthy mind-set that’s sustainable for the rest of our lives.”

Building muscle is the cornerstone of her program. “If only people understood just how important muscle is to our wellbeing. It is the foundation of a healthy immune system and we now know having more muscle helps fight serious illnesses like cancer, dementia, osteoporosis and diabetes.”

One of her popular strength and conditioning classes is specifically for over 50s, helping them get moving and stay stronger through lifting weights.

Clearview Coaching is more than just a fitness studio. Bron is building a community where people come together to support one another and forge friendships while getting fit.

Bron knows the struggle. “Many years ago as a single mum, I had my hands full raising four children and working full-time,” she says. “I totally understand that people don’t have time to spend copious hours in the gym pumping weights and attending spin classes, and nor should they.

I can show people how to do it right, with longlasting results that will become a way of life.”

Her next challenge is to get on stage as a body builder. “I want to show women over 50 that they are not over it, far from it. I want to demonstrate by my own example that it’s never too late to make a start and do something that excites and scares you at the same time.”

Bron is also super excited to be launching her new 12-week Corporate and Online Nutrition Program in 2018.

“Not only will I be able to change the lives of individuals but I’ll also be able to make an impact on a much grander scale by creating a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.”

Don’t wait another day. It starts right now with a call to Clearview Coaching. No matter what your age or fitness level, Bron has the right training and nutrition package for you. CWL

ABOVE: Yoga Under The Stars has taken off at Clearview Coaching and Fitness Centre; with fabulous country views, exercise has become a lot more enjoyable.

FACING PAGE: Dynamic instructor Bron Hadley is dedicated to fitness.

Images: Vision 24 Photography, Bert’s Photography and Susan Cooper

YASS VALLEY | MURRUMBATEMAN CWL 101

MUSHROOM magic University graduates Ian and Helen Chu were well and truly in the dark when they ventured into the mushroom game a decade ago.

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Yass Valley | Murrumbateman T O W N F E A T U R E

With plenty of research and intestinal fortitude, Ian and Helen Chu have become the successful operators of Majestic Mushrooms, a state-of-the-art mushroom farm near Murrumbateman.

Within a decade, production has risen from two to 20 tonnes per week, with their mushrooms found in many top Canberra fruit shops, supermarkets and restaurants (about half are sold to Canberra wholesalers and retailers with the rest destined for the Sydney and Newcastle markets).

The Chu family and their 20 casual workers, many of them immigrants, work diligently day in, day out to get the mushrooms out on time. It all works like clockwork and there is no margin for error.

Sometimes Ian and Helen scratch their heads and marvel at just how far they’ve come – but not for long.

The two came from very different cultural backgrounds. Ian’s family emigrated from Hong Kong to Hobart in 1975 before moving to Canberra. While studying for an Electronic Engineering degree at Canberra University, he met Helen, an aspiring school teacher.

Helen’s family had escaped war-torn Cambodia during the brutal Khmer Rouge dictatorship. Arriving in Australia with nothing but the clothes on her back, the eight-year-old was unable to speak a word of English.

She grew up in Sydney in a very strict, traditional household where arranged marriages were the norm.

“Education was my form of escape and I studied very hard to break the vicious cycle of poverty in our family,” she says.

Ian followed Helen to Sydney where they eventually tied the knot (a story in itself) and spent the next decade working in their respective professions.

A car accident forced Helen to find a job offering greater flexibility with her working hours. A newspaper advertisement for a mushroom farm in Windsor provided the impetus for change.

They were bitten by the mushroom bug.

Helen came home and devoured anything she could find on the topic, but it would be a long time before they started growing them.

Before they even got going the partnership collapsed and they lost everything. The Chus were determined to carry on, this time on their own.

Their inherent love of Canberra, with its great lifestyle and memories, was the logical place to make a fresh start. In 2006 they found their dream 31-acre block “Carinya”, at Murrumbateman.

Ian studied mushroom pest and disease courses and even a welding course, which came in handy when the extended family rallied together to build the large racks for the fungi crops to grow on.

“IN THE WARM AND DAMP CONDITIONS A MUSHROOM GROWS TO MATURITY WITHIN 16 DAYS, DOUBLING IN SIZE EVERY 24 HOURS.”

Growing mushrooms was a steep learning curve, with staffing a major problem.

“We started off with about four staff but no one had any training whatsoever and that was chaotic,” Helen says. “Prior to employing staff we relied on family support and a lot of us were working late nights.”

Today there’s accommodation quarters for their staff, who are mainly new migrants with basic English. It’s an ideal job for them.

The team grow the mushrooms in fully climate-controlled growing rooms, where the environmental conditions are regulated via advanced control systems and PCs. Adjustments to growing conditions can all be made remotely on Ian’s iPhone anywhere in the world.

“By simulating the ideal mushroom growing season, we are able to produce mushrooms all year round in rain, hail, shine or drought,” Ian says.

It’s a highly sophisticated business.

Special compost already spawned with the fungus is trucked in from Victoria while the peat is imported from the Netherlands.

In the warm and damp conditions a mushroom grows to maturity within 16 days, doubling in size every 24 hours before being picked, trimmed and packed by hand during harvest.

It’s a seven-day-a-week commitment with no margin for error.

“Everything works like clockwork,” Helen says. “Our biggest fear is contamination so we are stringent in our hygiene practices, including wearing rubber gloves and disinfecting our shoes when we walk into the factory. Even our clothes and aprons must be washed and changed every day.”

Every Saturday Ian and Helen religiously attend the Farmers Markets in Canberra, which helps put a face to the product.

“That’s our social life. We get to talk to people and not just mushrooms,” Helen laughs.

So what are the benefits? “They’re healthy, easy to cook and very popular with vegetarians,” Helen says, then she thinks about it for a moment.

“In the early days we virtually lived on mushrooms, but thankfully as the business grew, we progressed to a more balanced diet!” CWL ABOVE: Majestic Mushrooms are grown in a huge refrigerated shed.

FACING PAGE: Dedicated mushroom growers Ian and Helen Chu have worked tirelessly to become serious mushroom suppliers; in traditional dress on their wedding day.

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T O W N F E A T U R E Yass Valley | Murrumbateman

big days out The Murrumbateman Field Days just keep getting bigger and better.

The 2017 Murrumbateman Field Days lived up to its reputation as one of the Yass Valley’s premier annual events, drawing an estimated 20,000 visitors to the Murrumbateman Recreation Grounds over two glorious days.

Located on the Barton Highway just 30 minutes from Canberra and only 10 minutes from Yass, the field days provide a once-in-ayear opportunity for families to enjoy a unique country experience.

The 39th field days attracted more than 500 exhibitors from all over Australia, displaying products and services from the latest farm machinery to the best in local wines, produce and crafts.

From 23 exhibitors in 1979 to now over 500, the event is growing each year, attracting visitors from the surrounding area as well as further afield.

Children were entertained on the oval with pony rides, face painting and a nearby farmyard petting zoo and bubble soccer.

The Rural Fire Service had their Inflatable Smoke House on site to demonstrate the dangers of smoke in a fire, teaching kids to Get Down Low and Go, Go, Go. With horses, cattle, sheep, sheepdogs and alpacas, there was more than enough for kids of all ages while adults sampled the district’s best food and wine before taking in some shearing, live music, helicopter rides, animals and everything you never wanted to know (but need to) about snakes.

And then there’s the shopping!

The 2018 Murrumbateman Field Days will celebrate its 40th birthday on October 20 and 21, 2018. Mark it in your calendar. CWL Top image: Dr Anthony Ockwell

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Yass Valley | Sutton T O W N F E A T U R E

tiptoe through the tulips Come spring, the Rhodin family’s Tulip Top Gardens in Sutton is a place of intense colour and beauty.

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Yass Valley | Sutton T O W N F E A T U R E

Down-to-earth gardeners Bill and Pat Rhodin celebrated their 20th anniversary at Tulip Top Gardens, Sutton, with thousands of travellers, photographers and locals making the annual pilgrimage to the mustsee destination.

The place is a kaleidoscope of colour, with hundreds of blossom trees nestled between the tulips and every coloured viola and pansy you can imagine.

The tulips are set out in a magnificent garden, among a mixture of carefully placed English elms, clarions, crab apples, peach and plum trees. With stirring classical music wafting through the grounds, it’s easy to understand why it’s such a big tourist attraction.

“It’s all controlled by the weather,” says Bill, who has just received 8mm of rain overnight. “A few petals have dropped off but the water has definitely perked the plants up for their photo shoot.”

The season has been nothing short of phenomenal. The team has hand-planted nearly half a million tulips covering between 50 and 60 varieties, many from the Netherlands, the traditional home of tulips.

There’s been a lot of back-breaking work for the Rhodin family, who bought the 10acre block back in 1993 when it was little more than a grassy field tucked away in a hidden valley beside the Federal Highway.

“When we arrived the place was overrun with rabbits and dead trees,” Bill says. “Once we burnt it all off we saw great potential in the landscape.”

Tulip Top has been their most ambitious gardening project but these green thumbs have been transforming gardens for decades, even snaring two prestigious competition wins with different gardens: the 1978 Canberra Garden of the Year and the 1999 Bicentenary Garden of the Year.

The wins came with overseas trips to Europe and America. Naturally, they visited the tulip farms in Amsterdam where the seed was planted to start once more, this time with a blank canvas.

“Bill usually has a vision for the garden and has a really great concept of where all the plants should be,” Pat says.

“I know our garden looks fantastic,” quips Bill, her quietly spoken husband of nearly 40 years. “But there’s always room for improvement. So we just keep at it and at it. And that’s what makes it so good – we’re always working towards a higher standard and can’t wait to see the end result.”

CWL is visiting on one of the last days of opening in early spring. By Melbourne Cup Day it will all be gone.

“They all die off and then we get ready to start the entire process all over again,” Bill says.

An entire year goes into the one month when the garden explodes into colour and the family is finally rewarded for their efforts.

It really is a family business. Bill and Pat have three children, daughters Sue and Melissa and son Dallas. Melissa takes care of administration and all-rounder Dallas is the maintenance man.

“Some of the grandkids help out too and we all spend a great deal of time caring for the plants and doing the watering,” Pat says.

On a good weekend busloads will pour through the complex, enjoying the coffee shop, stalls and live music, but mostly to soak up the outstanding garden.

“On a still day you see people sitting in the chairs, falling asleep and it creates this atmosphere,” Bill says. “I don’t know what it does to people but it sends them into another world.”

Now with only three days to go before the show is over, Bill and Pat are feeling both relieved and a little sad.

Soon it will be time to prune the trees, dig and grade the bulbs and change the garden once more. Bill, now 72, estimates he spends up to 5000 hours in his garden in the months leading into spring each year.

“It certainly keeps us pretty fit,” he smiles.

“I grew up on a dairy farm out the back of Wagga, so I’m used to working seven days a week. CWL

ABOVE: Avid gardeners Bill and Pat Rhodin work all year to present their spectacular spring gardens; the property in 1969 reveals a bare field with almost no tree plantings.

FACING PAGE: The tulip garden is a kaleidoscope of colour.

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FOREVER HOME Nicola and Simon Lambert and their three boys are cherishing life in the lucky country.

Nicola Lohan was working in her parents’ pub in Galway, in western Ireland, when she first met Simon Lambert among a throng of revellers at Europe’s biggest thoroughbred race meeting.

They became friends but didn’t click until two years later. Within a week of hooking up, her new beau dropped the bombshell. He was sick of the bleak Irish weather and wanted to take his sweetheart “home” to his part of the world.

“Not long after, Simon took me out to this property near Canberra and said if I stayed he would build me a beautiful big house on top of the hill – a ‘forever’ home where I’d never have to move again,” Nicola says.

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It was a big call. Having moved at least 20 times with her parents in the pub game, Nicola had always dreamt of settling down and raising a family in wide open spaces. It was a sincere offer from the man she loved and she happily accepted.

At that stage there was barely a goat track up the hill and a road had to be built before the real building could commence. It was their biggest single expense but totally worth it.

The lovebirds designed their dream home together, working closely with local architect Claire Thornton, who had performed miracles at nearby Grazing. The home, all 48 squares of it, including basement and two-car garage, was built largely by Simon

Yass Valley | Sutton T O W N F E A T U R E

with the interior design left to Nicola, an artist with a natural flair for decor.

It was challenging from the start with three separate structures tied in together using structural steel, insulated foam blocks and rammed earth. After many sleepless nights, on January 18, 2017, the family moved in, the day of the disastrous Sutton fires.

“Simon called in the fire, he could see it from our great vantage point,” Nicola recalls. “It was so scary. I pulled over the side of the road and just cried, asking myself if I really wanted to live in such a landscape.” In Ireland out-of-control bushfires never posed a threat and the horror of losing everything was a new and harrowing concept. >

THE HOME, ALL 48 SQUARES OF IT, INCLUDING BASEMENT AND TWO-CAR GARAGE, WAS BUILT LARGELY BY SIMON WITH THE INTERIOR DESIGN LEFT TO NICOLA.

ABOVE: Simon and Nicola Lambert with their young boys Ted, Art and baby Syd; the open plan is great for entertaining friends and family.

FACING PAGE: The dream home fits in well with the rural landscape that surrounds it.

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The fire may have dampened the housewarming but not for long. They were finally at home – even if they were a year behind schedule and had blown their million-dollar budget.

Of far greater significance was the family head count. During the build Ted entered the world to join his brother Art. Just weeks before the arrival of CWL Nicola gave birth to a third son Syd – an obvious payback after growing up in a house with two sisters!

“It’s the most substantial home I’ve ever built,” concedes laidback Simon, who spent 2008 in the National Portrait Gallery, supervising the construction of the gallery space. Later he organised the internal fit-out at Perth’s new performing arts centre, incorporating the Heath Ledger theatre.

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Simon later returned to Perth to attend a weekend rammed earth workshop where he met Andrew Hooper from nearby Gunning who helped with the build.

“The idea was to naturally optimise the splendid view, with a kids wing on one side and us on the other,” Simon says.

Guests arrive through the courtyard where they immediately view the large spacious living room.

Everywhere is the breath-taking panoramic view overlooking fertile grazing lands below. A neighbour agists his cattle and sheep, which help with weed control, while five acres of grapes, Pinot Gris and award-winning Riesling are grown on a neighbouring hill.

Yass Valley | Sutton T O W N F E A T U R E

The floating concrete roof houses a native garden while recycled Canberra red brick floors cover the working areas like the kitchen and laundry, which flow to the sunroom.

The boys are already enjoying practice laps on their bikes.

Simon and Nicola have thought of everything, building a self-contained guesthouse, perfect for extended visits from Nicola’s parents. The kids cubby house is a huge hit with visiting families and the kitchen borders on modern perfection.

From a pristine wilderness to a thriving city barely 10 minutes away, the home is everything they dreamt of and so much more. CWL

EVERYWHERE IS THE BREATH-TAKING PANORAMIC VIEW OVERLOOKING FERTILE GRAZING LANDS BELOW.

FACING PAGE: Nicola has decorated the rooms for easy living.

ABOVE: The cubby house boasts glorious country views; modern heating; view from the top of the building.

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A U T U M N story name

WAR STORIES

One of the highlights of the 2016 Anzac Day service in Molong was a talk on the role of animals in war by Orange veterinarian Genevieve Liebich, who served as an Army physio in East Timor. Genevieve told the story of Bill the Bastard, a cantankerous WW1 stallion that carried five soldiers to safety in the Middle East campaign. Genevieve kindly allowed CWL to reproduce part of her speech.

I would like to tell the story of those who had no voice but played such a vital role in our efforts in the war and the men and women who were charged with their care – the story of the Australian Light Horse in the First World War. The acquisition of horses for the two main theatres of war in Europe and the Middle East was relatively easy.

Background or breeding didn’t matter, the horses just had to be disease-free and strong. After featuring in the Boer War, the hardy Waler – the horse named for its state of origin – was the main equine export during the war.

They usually stood between 14 and 16 hands, weighed about 500kg and were sired by English thoroughbreds from breeding mares that were often part draft horse but could include genetic input from Welsh ponies, Timor ponies and the brumby.

The first contingent of the AIF left Albany, WA, in late 1914 with nearly 20,000 men, including 19 veterinary officers and nearly 8000 horses carried in a variety of 38 transport ships escorted by four Navy cruisers.

I would like to share the story of one particular Waler, affectionately named Bill the Bastard.

Bill was a fractious, fierce and some thought unbreakable chestnut stallion who became a great war legend for his incredible stamina and effort in saving many soldiers’ lives. He was only one of over 130,000 Australian horses that served in WW1 and were never to return home.

Bill’s story starts in Sydney’s Liverpool Army Camp horse corral, where a young Ben Towers, from Cootamundra, was volunteering to serve in the Australian Light Horse.

Towers stated his age as 17 but the recruiting officer was sceptical. “Break out Bill for Mr Towers,” was the direction. Everyone around the corral knew that Bill was used as a test for the horsemanship skills of underage recruits. Anyone who could stay on Bill for any length of time was considered a good rider, and recruiting staff often turned a blind eye to their age.

Towers was the first rider ever to stay on Bill for over two minutes before being ceremoniously bucked off.

He also scored the second highest score on his rifle test, making him very attractive to recruiting. An assistant to the recruiting officer asked: “You gunna sign him up?”

The officer held his gaze and said: “I’d sign him up even if he couldn’t hit a barn door at 10 paces. Anyone who can handle Bill like that deserves a chance.” He

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advised Towers to go for a walk around the block and come back a year older. Three years later they learnt that Towers, whose real name was Ben Burke, was only 14 years old the day he enlisted.

Bill was much bigger than the average Waler. His eyes were cool and yet at the same time alert and nothing seemed to ruffle him. Instead he ruffled others, especially potential riders. There was something in his independent nature that would not allow him to be dominated.

Like many of the horses sent to war, Bill had never been fully broken in. The army was relying heavily on hundreds of Australian trainers who would be transported to its remount depots to prepare the horses for battle readiness. And so Bill was shipped off to war.

At the dock, the horses were loaded onto the transport ships in three decks. The upper deck was open to the air and on occasions, the sea. The middle deck was well lit and ventilated. The lower decks were dark, airless and poorly ventilated.

Bill caused trouble even before the convoy set sail.

He refused to go down to a stall on the lowest deck. He was then eased up to the top deck but was unable to be coaxed or forced into a stall. At this point the ship’s adjutant was starting to get frustrated and Bill was almost left behind.

Finally Bill was then led down to the middle deck.

Happy with his current position, Bill walked straight into the stall, giving no further trouble.

Bill’s minder on the long journey by sea was writer, poet and journalist Banjo Paterson. Paterson was keen to become a war correspondent, excited with the thought of battle, travel and competing for a ‘scoop’. He was turned down for the job in favour of Charles Bean, who would also act as the official war historian.

In desperation, Paterson turned to his other true passion, which was horses. He could ride almost before he could walk and he felt the horses would help facilitate his travel to war.

He secured a tenuous role as an honorary veterinarian on the troop ship with Bill among those under his care. As they steamed into the Indian Ocean, Paterson grew fonder of Bill than any other animal.

Everyone knew the temperamental Bastard’s reputation and Paterson was cautious with him, yet they found an unusual connection and a mutual respect developed. Unbeknown to Bill and Paterson, included

on this voyage was a 40-year-old Lieutenant Michael Shanahan. It was Bill’s later relationship with Shanahan that gave the horse the chance to become the hero he was meant to be.

The first stop for the convoy was Egypt under the command of Harry Chauvel. In February 1915, Chauvel offered Paterson (who was now working as an unofficial correspondent) the position as commander of the remount division in Egypt. Paterson politely declined and gained a job as an ambulance driver on the Western Front before returning back to Australia even more disgruntled than he had been before enlisting.

Chauvel began mounted training when the horses were fit and Bill was among thousands of horses being broken out for the troopers. Many attempted to be matched with Bill but time and time again they ended up bucked off and bruised.

In mid-April 1915, Chauvel informed his men that they in fact would not be taking their mounts into the battlefield but sent as back-up infantry for close combat trench warfare at Gallipoli. A small group of packhorses and mules would be sent for mail run and packhorse duties.

Bill’s bulk strength and endurance and the fact that no one could ride him meant he would be allotted to duties as a packhorse.

For the entire Gallipoli campaign Bill worked tirelessly carrying loads of wounded soldiers down the steep and twisting tracks. The Anzac field ambulance men and animals showed as much courage as any of the combatants.

Everyone noticed Bill in particular, along with a gritty yet always cheery Englishman John Simpson and his small donkey. It seemed fitting that Bill would be the one who would carry the limp body of Simpson back down the valley the day after being hit by a spray of shrapnel.

Each day a rider carrying urgent despatches would make the seven-kilometre run from Suvla Bay, north of Anzac Cove, to British campaign headquarters. The mail delivery had to be done at a gallop as the rider was fired at from the moment he left the shelter of Suvla Bay until he reached the wide communication trenches near the cove.

All the light horsemen were tumbling over each other to get the job and hundreds would place bets on whether the rider, his horse and the treasured mail would make it safely to the other end.

In early October, Captain Anthony Bickworth, an exceptional cavalryman, was ordered to mount the most difficult horse in an attempt to get a despatch through.

No one had been shot on this run for two weeks and the British wanted to change the odds to make it more ‘sporting’. It was ordered that Bill be brought out for this special ride.

The bet was usually that either the mail would get through or it would not. Once word got out that Bill was involved, the bet quickly changed to whether the mail would arrive with or without the rider. The result ended up with Captain Bickworth unconscious on the ground after two kilometres and Bill completing the gallop safely and delivering the mail riderless but with a bullet lodged in his flank.

It was here, in the veterinary sick bay, as Bill received treatment for his wounds that Shanahan claimed a bond with the big horse through sweet talk, daily walks and liquorice treats. This friendship continued well after the Gallipoli campaign ended and Bill was returned to the remount depot in Egypt.

Shanahan continued to visit Bill and became the first person to ride him without being bucked off.

In August 1916, Shanahan persuaded Paterson to let him take Bill into battle, when 100,000 horses headed out into the desert for the pivotal Battle of Romani. Bill soon gained the reputation for being fearless, standing his ground in an ambush and warning his rider of danger ahead, using his keen instinct and sense of smell.

At one point during the battle, spotting others in trouble, Shanahan was able to get four Tasmanian troopers who had lost their mounts onto Bill’s back and returned them to safety — earning Shanahan the Distinguished Service Order.

With monumental stamina, Bill powered on for six hours that night. It is said that one general went through 17 horses in the same time that Bill stayed with Shanahan.

It was during this battle that Shanahan was shot in the leg but kept fighting until he passed out. Bill, sensing that his rider was unconscious on his back, carried Shanahan three kilometres to the vet, who then passed him on to a medic where his leg was eventually amputated.

With Shanahan out of the war, Bill was officially retired from battle but continued to serve as a packhorse, including an impressive effort at the Battle of Beersheba.

He would carry machine guns or lead the line and was seen by all as a symbol of strength.

The end of the desert conflict triggered a certain disharmony, especially when the Anzac force learned the official word that most of the horses were to be sold wherever the British Government wished. The Horse Demobilisation Committee in London clearly had no understanding of the bonds between the troopers and their mounts.

Senior remount officers, including Paterson, turned a blind eye as many troopers took their mounts into the desert and shot them to stop them from being sold into Middle Eastern markets where they potentially would lead a life of abuse resulting in emaciation and flogging.

Bill, however, had the best possible ending. He was smuggled back to Gallipoli as part of the group of packhorses used on an artefact-gathering trip. There he was left, together with his best mate, a grey mare called Penny, with some villagers who remembered seeing him during battle. It was made clear to the village elder that Bill was only to be used as a packhorse and stud, never to be ridden.

Shanahan’s association with Bill the Bastard caused him to become a permanent part of the Anzac legend.

He died at the age of 92 in 1964. And Bill, well he is commemorated in a bronze statue at the village of Murrumburrah, nestled in the undulating hills 340 kilometres south-west of Sydney.

Genevieve acknowledges two books from which she derived much of the content of her speech: Bill the Bastard,

by Roland Perry, and Vets at War, by Ian Parsonson. CWL

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A U T U M N story name

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Australian history A U T U M N

a bronzed AUSSIE LEGEND Lovers of great war stories will soon be pulling up to Harden-Murrumburrah to view the spectacular two-tonne bronze statue of Australia’s greatest war horse.

This tight little country community boasts a long and distinguished history with the famed Australian Light Horse and is a fitting resting place for Bill the Bastard, now in its final stages of completion.

Local council has formed a community working party to decide the statue’s final location, possibly across the road from the existing Murrumburrah Memorial, which features bronze sculptures of Corporal William Bradford of the 1st Australian Horse (which preceded the Australian Light Horse regiments), a scaled-down version of Bill, a diorama of Beersheba, a wall of remembrance and several commemorative plaques.

It wasn’t far from here that the men on horseback first gathered back in 1897, following advertisements in local newspapers looking for country lads desiring a life of comradeship, sport and clean, honest fun.

Sixty competent local riders were recruited, each with their own mount, typically Walers, the preferred military horse at the time.

Captain Mackay of Wallendbeen soon had a unique volunteer militia unit of crack horsemen, which would later become part of a cavalry squadron in South Africa during the Boer War. The proud tradition is kept alive by dozens of local horsemen and one woman. CWL caught up with them during a very wet 2017 Anzac Day, with the steady and soaking rain only making them more determined to complete their journey to their ancestral home.

The committee is hoping this majestic art piece will be completed

by October 2018, in time to coincide with the centenary of the ending of the Great War. It’s been a huge labour of love for gifted stonemason and sculptor Carl Valerius, who has been diligently working on the project since March 2016.

Carl’s motivation came after reading Roland Perry’s book Bill the Bastard, and the words in its final page urging people to visit Bill’s “life-sized” statue at Harden-Murrumburrah.

While Carl had only completed a miniature “life-like” statue, this error spurred him on to create a fitting epitaph and permanent reminder of the heroism and endurance of both horse and rider – this time in real size.

Thousands of man hours later and a budget of $860,000, the epic project is nearing completion. The monument replicates Bill’s tremendous size (730kg and 17 hands) and depicts an infamous scene from the battle of Romani in the Egyptian desert on August 4, 1916.

In the thick of fighting, Major Shanahan located four Tasmanians of the 3rd Regiment without horses, facing imminent death or capture by the Turks. Bill the Bastard famously allowed the men on his back and carried all five (including the Major) over 3km of soft desert sand to safety. > FACING PAGE: Peter Beal epitomises the spirit of the Australian Light Horse.

RIGHT: The new life-size model of Bill the Bastard is nearly finished.

The monument replicates Bill’s tremendous size (730kg and 17 hands) and depicts an infamous scene from the battle of Romani in the Egyptian desert on August 4, 1916.

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A U T U M N Australian history

Carl’s motivation came after reading Roland Perry’s book Bill the Bastard.

Bill’s heroic actions in the early hours of that fateful morning have spurred Carl on.

“Every time I wanted to give up, my wife Fay kept me going by telling me I could do it,” he says. “This statue would not have been finished without her. Fay is the real hero.”

Carl has been ably assisted in getting the horse anatomically correct by local veterinarian and horse expert Dr Grahame Taylor.

The detail involved in getting everything right, even down to tendon structure, has been a real labour of love for both men.

Many others have been quietly working behind the scenes in their efforts to turn this dream into a reality. When it’s all done, the community will have a drawcard like no other. Furthermore, a new war museum is also planned for late 2018 to house predominantly Boer War and WW1 items from the collection of the late Brian Dunn. Head of the Historical Society Darren Sargent is overseeing the museum build.

Lest we forget. CWL Words and images: Shot by Jake

ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Local artist, stonemason and creator of the Bill the Bastard sculpture, Carl Valerius; Dave Young; troop president Kevin Maher; the late Brian Dunn; Barry McCormack.

LEFT: Members of the Harden-Murrumburrah Light Horse Troop march in the rain on Anzac Day.

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Pinn Cottage Bed and Breakfast is a beautifully restored 19th century bluestone cottage in the township of Crookwell.

grass-fed, pasture-raised lamb, delivered direct to you Stoneridge71 lamb boxes are a convenient and easy way to enjoy premium, natural lamb, grown locally in the Young region

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Our lambs are all born and raised on chemical-free pastures with a focus on their health and well-being.

Order online at www.stoneridge71.com.au P 0429 692 051 E info@stoneridge71.com.au Please check our website for areas where we offer delivery.

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.

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CROOKWELL GUNNING - TARALGA Binda - Bigga - Collector - Dalton - Grabben Gullen - Laggan - Tuena

So close but a world away

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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, baby clothing, alpaca products, hand dyed wools, handmade candles and soaps, Italian ceramics, organic teas, giftware & homewares.

OPEN 10AM - 4PM Thu to Mon • 77 Goulburn St Crookwell 2583 0407 254 954 • arcadia.crookwell@yahoo.com.au CWL 119

A U T U M N story name

doubly delightful

Harden and Murrumburrah may be twins but each town boasts a unique personality and streetscape.

Steeped in history, praised for scenic beauty and acclaimed for outstanding produce, the twin towns of Harden-Murrumburrah are an integral part of the Hilltops wine and food region.

The magnet for visitors is located on the Burley Griffin Way, 90 minutes north-east of Canberra, 90 minutes north of Wagga Wagga and some 60km from the Hume Highway.

Celebrated as the birthplace of the 1st Australian Light Horse and part of the newly formed Hilltops Council area, HardenMurrumburrah are two separate towns united as one community.

Murrumburrah was founded on the Murrimboola Creek in the 1840s. In 1877 a major station on the Sydney-Melbourne railway line was established a mile up the hill.

Murrumburrah remained the township while the station became known as Harden.

Because the towns developed at different times they offer distinctive architectural styles.

Murrumburrah features a number of significant Italianate and Arts and Crafts buildings. Harden’s main street, a block back from the Burley Griffin Way, has dramatic groups of mature date palms and shade trees framing attractive Federation-era shops, hotels, banks and halls.

The Harden railway station is a reminder of the scale of passenger and goods traffic that propelled growth in the area.

Renowned for charm and country hospitality, the twin towns and surrounding region have distinctive stories to tell about the rich history of the gold rush, wool production and waves of newcomers from across the globe who brought skills to develop pastoral, mining, agricultural and horticultural industries.

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Tourism accounts for $79 million in revenue for the Hilltops region with must-see locations including the Australian Light Horse Memorial honouring the district’s unique contribution to Australian military history, handsome heritage buildings, a magnificent railway viaduct, and the studio of Carl Valerius, where the sculptor can be seen at work.

Carl’s latest project is to complete a life-size statue of Bill the Bastard, Australia’s most famous WW1 warhorse and his five riders, cast in bronze and mounted in Murrumburrah as a memorial to the Waler horses who fought so bravely in the Great War. The finished statue will also fittingly commemorate the heroic deeds of the Australian Light Horse. More information can be obtained by visiting billthebastard.org.

The Gold Trail Experience museum offers visitors a glimpse into the rich history of the region with colourful stories about bushrangers, troopers and Chinese and European miners.

An array of pubs, cafes, restaurants and specialty shops are on offer along with a variety of accommodation options including farmstay opportunities and boutique B&Bs. Visitors should not miss a trip to the House of Honey, Witchcraft (a hub for coffee and handcrafts), Barnes Store Emporium, Terracotta restaurant or the Muddy Duck for local produce and fantastic coffee and cakes.

Major drawcard events include the fabulous Harden Kite Festival and Twin Towns Rodeo, both held in the spring.

Harden-Murrumburrah offers easy access to Canberra airport and a rail connection to Sydney. The twin towns are three hours from the beach and four hours from the snowfields.

The Hilltops region lies in the fertile South West Slopes and produces broadacre crops such as wheat and canola. In addition, the area is famed for delicious cherries, stone fruits (including plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots), cattle, sheep and poultry, with Pepe’s Ducks recognised as an industry leader across Australia and New Zealand.

Hilltops has emerged as an exciting viticultural region with high altitudes and rich soil facilitating the production of award-winning wines of intense flavour and finesse.

Quality wineries include Moppity, Freeman and McWilliam’s Barwang.

The village of Jugiong is the southern gateway to HardenMurrumburrah and the Hilltops region. It is a popular stop for Melbourne to Sydney travellers with the Long Track Pantry country food store and cafe offering much more than a great menu.

Extras include handmade relishes, preserves, chutneys, jams and marmalades, kitchenware, giftware and regular cooking classes.

The Sir George, a beautifully restored 19th century hotel operating as a restaurant, boutique bar and artisan bakery, is a fabulous attraction featured in the top 100 places to visit in Australia.

The iconic Wombat Hotel (north of Harden on the road to Young) is the oldest continuously licensed pub in NSW. The popular watering hole is a meeting place for bush poets and local farmers and orchardists.

Other regional attractions are Poppa’s Fudge and Jam Factory, beautiful Iandra Castle, the Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Garden at Young, St Clément’s Retreat and Galong’s remarkable walled cemetery, dating back to 1854. CWL www.visithilltopsregion.com.au Words: Heather Crosby Images: Taryn Mokotupu

FACING PAGE: Jugiong, on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, an ideal entry point in the Hilltops Region.

ABOVE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Harden-Murrumburrah, home to the first Australian Light Horse; visit Harden’s new Main Street, boasting a diverse range of retailers; Hilltops Honey is found in many shops; The Long Track Pantry is a thriving produce store and cafe loved by locals and travellers alike; loads of local produce, culinary delights to tantalise every tastebud; Wombat/Kingsvale is the heart of the stone-fruit industry; historic Murrumburrah boasts a rich history spanning the gold rush era.

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www.courthousecottage.com.au 122 CWL

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GARDEN

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Mayfield Garden will transform into an entertainment paradise when AutumnFest is staged at the acclaimed destination on Saturday, April 7.

AutumnFest will feature Bathurst-based multi-No.1 recording artists Smith & Jones and friends, multi-award winning Mickey Pye and trio, and dynamic Mudgee duo The Bootleggers and other great up and coming regional performers in a line-up not to be missed in a setting second to none.

To complement the quality entertainment, Mayfield has handpicked regional masters of food, craft beer and wine to treat the taste buds and quench the thirst. Creative crew Cirkus Surreal will roam the grounds in quirky and beautiful attire.

AutumnFest will run from 11am to 4pm. The ticket price includes entry to the enchanted garden in autumn colours, opening from 9am.

Spread over 14.5 hectares (36 acres), Mayfield is the largest privately owned cool climate garden in the southern hemisphere.

Inspired by the great gardens of Europe, the world-class venue run by a world-class team has won 11 national and four international awards across the industries of marketing, events and hospitality.

Outlining a new and exciting vision for Mayfield, chief executive officer Hamish Keith says the garden has become the artistic and entertainment hub for regional NSW, providing an immersive and intimate destination igniting the imagination.

“AutumnFest is our signature autumn experience and just one of a range of amazing events planned for 2018,” Hamish says.

“Bus transfers from Oberon, Bathurst, Orange and Katoomba will ensure a smooth ride to Mayfield and a truly hassle-free day.”

After the success of last year’s inaugural AutumnFest – attended by 1000 people – Mayfield went searching for a partner to further develop the event in 2018 and beyond.

The partner had to share the same vision and passion in promoting and celebrating regional NSW. A perfect collaboration was locked in after just one call to Central West Lifestyle Magazine publishers Alex and Elizabeth Tickle.

“CWL has a great relationship with Mayfield and the garden was featured on the front cover of our first magazine,” Elizabeth says.

“The relationship has flourished as both brands share the objective of promoting the best businesses and talent in the region.”

The Mayfield and CWL partnership will see two creative teams coming together with the vision of making AutumnFest the best and largest event in regional NSW. Hamish spent 15 years creating and producing events around the world while living in Sydney, Singapore and most recently New York before returning to the Central West. >

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entertainment A U T U M N

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entertainment A U T U M N

THE MAYFIELD AND CWL PARTNERSHIP WILL SEE TWO CREATIVE TEAMS COMING TOGETHER WITH THE VISION OF MAKING AUTUMNFEST THE BEST AND LARGEST EVENT IN REGIONAL NSW. He regards Mayfield’s collaboration with CWL as a great example of a perfect brand partnership.

“The property was purchased by the Hawkins family in 1984 as a small working farm and private garden,” Hamish says.

“It has grown into a 64.7-hectare (160-acre) destination that is so much more than a world-class garden.

“One of our biggest attributes is our food, where 80 per cent of the produce served on site is sourced from Mayfield’s extensive vegetable garden and orchard and the surrounding farm, which boasts premium lamb and beef. We also have a wonderful chook Hilton producing arguably the best eggs in the region.”

Hamish is excited about the future growth for Mayfield and its 60 full-time employees, including engineers, stonemasons, painters, plumbers, welders, construction workers, equipment operators, surveyors, landscapers and irrigators as well as marketing event and hospitality services.

Enormous benefits also flow on to contractors and casual staff as well as surrounding communities.

“Mayfield has created a new lifeblood of prosperity in the region,” Hamish says.

“Visitors are amazed by the scale and beauty of the garden and many return to the destination time and time again.

“Accommodation operators are ecstatic with occupancy numbers as much of the year is booked out well in advance.”

Mayfield is open 363 days of the year (closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day) and no matter the time of year visitors are assured of a picturesque experience.

Special features include breathtaking cascades, a stunning 2.5-hectare water garden, Chinese pagoda, beautiful sandstone

exhibition centre, European-inspired boxed hedge maze, numerous sunken gardens, a café and produce store, interactive educational space and a bluestone chapel overlooking the garden and rolling hills.

“There is so much to see and love at Mayfield,” Hamish says.

“If you’re a passionate gardener, have a love for architecture, or just enjoy the outdoors, it’s a place that inspires.

“Spring blooms with over 25 varieties of rhododendron and in summer we have beautiful hydrangea walks and rose gardens.

“Autumn brings magnificent colour changes and in winter the flowering bulbs are outstanding.

“The vision of one family has grown into something to be enjoyed by generations to come and it’s all been done by sourcing local materials and a great hardworking and passionate team.”

Mayfield caters for everything from large-scale food and wine festivals to intimate and fun workshops followed by a garden and paddock to plate menu served in its rustic café.

More than 40 special events are planned for 2018 as well as 20 weddings (to date). Corporate bookings involve catering for anywhere between 20 and 800 people. CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Mayfield Garden

FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Boom Crash Opera; Moubar Vintage, a 1950s caravan that is decked out as a mobile bar; Cath Grimmet soaking up the music festival atmosphere; a stage view of AutumFest; guests enjoying the day.

ABOVE: Visitors take in the fabulous sights and sounds of AutumnFest.

AutumnFest tickets can be purchased online at mayfieldgarden.com.au.

For more information on AutumnFest or other events at Mayfield visit mayfieldgarden.com.au/whatson or follow Mayfield on Facebook and Instagram.

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DIFFERENT STROKES Jude Fleming’s art classes are as much about camaraderie as they are about improving one’s practice.

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local artist A U T U M N

Jumping out of aeroplanes at 10,000 feet was once the reason Jude Fleming got out of bed.

These days she gets her thrills from painting colourful abstract collages and living the life as Warren’s bonafide artist in residence.

When she’s not painting her next masterpiece or taking her brushes to some exotic North African location, Jude conducts weekly painting classes in her delightful Westwing Studio, an artistic haven close to the meandering Macquarie River.

When CWL pays a quick visit, Jude is in the middle of a senior art class, with a group including farmers, agronomists, wine makers and teachers.

They all share something in common – a love of art and a wish to partake in the collaborative Westwing exhibition at the end of each year in the WOW (Window on the Wetlands) Centre.

“There’s plenty of mirth and hilarity with this class,” laughs Jude, as she encourages her fellow artists to follow their instincts, let go and savour the moment.

The atmosphere is warm and engaging, so much so that you could mistake it for an informal tea party – until the paint starts flying!

After a few hours there will be as much colour on their paint-splattered aprons as there will be on the floor and walls of Jude’s user-friendly studio.

“It’s all about having a go and escaping from the real world for a few hours,” Jude says with a smile. “At my classes no one is judgemental and the camaraderie is infectious. I only offer a bit of tuition if you get stuck.”

There are always options. “One painting has the potential to suck you into a dark hole very quickly,” she warns. “Having several paintings on the go means you can transfer energy to the next work. By the same token I can go out into the bush and return with finished works.”

On Thursdays after school Jude welcomes 15 junior artists. “It’s a highlight of my week,” she says. “The kids are marvellous, open and hungry and not jaded by life’s experiences – we enjoy the most wonderful synergy while producing fabulous drawings and paintings.”

It’s a walk-in-walk-out studio, with Jude providing all the paints, brushes, papers, smocks (usually old farm shirts) and aprons.

When classes are finished for the year, Jude likes to pack up her paints and head to her favourite destinations of Portugal, Morocco or Spain.

“I love learning from teachers all over the world, immersing myself in foreign cultures and absorbing different influences,” she says.

Travel is in the blood. Jude and husband Murr Shapley are both from Rotorua, New Zealand. As young adults they spent

five years in South Africa where Jude ran a restaurant, sold ladies clothing and worked in mental health. In her spare time she took to skydiving, achieving a personal tally of 300 jumps.

Australia was next on their radar. They chose Warren because of the potential for work for Murr, a qualified commercial pilot.

It proved a great choice. Thirty years down the track Murr is still crop dusting while Jude has discovered a new inner peace with the paintbrush.

They grew cotton for a few years but Jude eventually decided she couldn’t paint and farm. “I had to choose or else one’s energies become a little diluted,” she laughs.

“When I came here I discovered there was a TAFE in Dubbo teaching fine arts and I figured it was too close to not go. I started my formal qualifications, studying art, history, sculpture, painting, design, photography and ceramics.”

The next step was attending the National Art School in Darlinghurst from 2004-07, earning a BFA while making some great friends and contacts.

Since then her artworks have featured in exhibitions at the Cooee Heritage Centre, Gilgandra; the Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo; Art Unlimited, Dunedoo; and Outback Arts, Coonamble.

Although many of her paintings have made it into homes all over the country and beyond, a great body of work is tastefully displayed throughout her gallery/home.

“My bone sculptures are influenced by the British artist Andy Goldsworthy who creates artworks from objects he finds in the environment, such as leaves in a river. This influence has made me look at the cow bones in the paddocks around here with a different set of eyes,” she smiles.

“I’m very interested in our landscape and it comes out in my work. I love the smell of dirt and rain, camping, trees, rivers and the beauty and solitude of the Australian outback, which possess a majesty and magnetism I haven’t felt elsewhere.

“In my paintings I’m searching for something more than the visual scene, something to do with being connected to the land and its benign and enduring presence.”

Although the arts are often discounted in the bush, Jude is thankful she came to be in a small country town where she’s been heartily accepted as the resident artist.

“It’s very fulfilling doing the thing that satisfies my heart’s desires,” she says as she prepares to tackle her next abstract. CWL Words and images: Shot by Jake

FACING PAGE: Celebrated artist Jude Fleming; art pieces adorn her home and studio; Jude and husband Murr Shapley; the studio is awash with colour.

ABOVE: Elaine McLaughlin (sitting), Bronwyn Plunkett, Ann Walker, Penny Hewston, Gemma Plunkett and Jude Fleming love the camaraderie forever present in their studio.

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CWL 135

it’s a long story Warren newsagents Les and Yvonne Grindrod are having way too much fun to retire any time soon.

When Les and Yvonne Grindrod bought their newsagency in Warren in 1961, Robert Menzies was running the country, television hadn’t found its way to town and the daily tabloids ruled supreme.

Fifty-six years later these two much-loved octogenarians are still at the post, providing the same friendly service as the day they started.

The Grindrods well remember the days before TV and the internet, when customers would gather outside their front door prior to opening, eagerly awaiting their daily news fix from the Sydney papers, dropped off each morning at the nearby Nevertire train station.

The cost of keeping abreast of the news back then was seven cents per copy.

“These days with the internet and so many other forms of communication, newspapers have definitely taken a dive but they still hold importance, particularly for the older generation,” Les says.

A big bloke with a heart of gold, Les still drives the school bus as he’s done for the past 30 years, passing the regulatory health tests with flying colours.

It’s a long time since his days as an Orange paper boy after the war, delivering the news from his cherished 24 inch Malvern Star. His first job was as a storeman for a stationery business before taking on a job at an Orange newsagency looking after 10 paperboys and their runs.

Life was good and he married Yvonne, his school sweetheart, then working as the pay clerk at the Orange Base Hospital. They

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bought a house in Orange but after a few years the boss’s son came home from his jackerooing days, killing any chance of promotion.

Les became a stationery rep, covering a huge region from the mountains in Katoomba to outback Bourke, often spending weeks on the road.

In every town he inspected the newsagency, searching for one that would suit. In 1961 they settled on the Warren newsagency, planning to stay a minimum three years.

“In those days before you could become a newsagent you had to pass a selection committee set up by the heads of the newspaper to ensure you had the right attitude and finances. It was like going in front of a firing squad,” Les says.

By 1968 they established new shops and offices, including the newsagency, on a prominent corner. The Hon. Jack Renshaw officially opened the new premises.

At that time they had quite a big staff and kept both businesses going for several more years. Many of their junior staff went on to buy their own newsagencies, and still drop in to say hello when passing through town.

In the early 1980s the pair purchased a large vacant block in the centre of town where the Albion Hotel and shops once stood. The block was redeveloped into shops and offices still occupied by a bank, solicitors and accountants – a development that’s made a great contribution to the main street of Warren.

newsagent A U T U M N

Family Affair During their exceptionally long careers, they’ve seen a dozen prime ministers come and go as the 2500 Warren and district residents have gone about their daily business on the banks of the Macquarie River.

The Grindrods have been part of the furniture so long that generations of families have grown up before their eyes. It takes plenty of endurance to stay in the one business for more than half a century but Les and Yvonne have done it while barely raising a sweat.

They enjoy the daily ritual so much the word retirement ceases to exist. And, they get the chance to spend quality time with their only child, Merryn, who returned to Warren with her young family in 1989.

THE GRINDRODS HAVE BEEN PART OF THE FURNITURE SO LONG THAT GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES HAVE GROWN UP BEFORE THEIR EYES. Her two sons, Ryan and Zachary, followed in their mother’s footsteps and spent most of their time in and around the newsagency until old enough to go to college.

Married to local cotton farmer Stephen Quigley, Merryn has been in the business long enough to know that while some things change, others have stayed pretty much the same. In a small country town, life is constant, people are creatures of habit and readers still want their news.

In the old days there were hundreds of specialist magazines on offer with the most popular being the Women’s Weekly, New Idea and Woman’s Day for the females and Pix, People and Post for the men.

They were the first in town to introduce lottery tickets, writing down names and addresses and posting the entries to the lottery office for processing.

These days the automated lotto system is far more streamlined with many more games on offer and larger jackpots. The family have sold quite a few winning first division prizes.

Most days you’ll find Les out the back, sitting in the same tiny office that’s been his home away from home for 50 years, tending to paper work and his dreaded emails.

From his chair he can glance at a map of NSW showing all the flights he’s made in his beloved Beechcraft Bonanza since 1967. He hasn’t flown recently due to a back injury incurred while changing a tyre but the thought of taking to the skies is never far from his mind.

Les still comes in every day but has cut out the weekend work, particularly since Yvonne’s fall while washing clothes late one night. There was a blackout and she tripped and fractured her pelvis in the dark. It was her first time in a hospital for any length of time but the determined crusader is on the mend.

“I don’t think he’ll ever retire,” she says, casting her eyes in the direction of her husband. “He’s having way too much fun.” CWL Words and images: Shot by Jake

FACING PAGE: Family affair: Merryn Quigley and her parents Les and Yvonne Grindrod.

ABOVE: Les Grindrod has occupied this office for 50 years; the Grindrod Newsagency has played an important role within the Warren community for generations.

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A U T U M N story name

Beyond expectations

Over four decades Judy and Tony Barlow have transformed their Narromine property “Owendale” into a haven for flora, fauna, family and friends.

On the banks of the Macquarie River and secluded within a 20.23ha (50-acre) orange grove, “Owendale” at Narromine is a remarkable country garden. Large Yunnan Poplar trees lining the entrance drive and glimpses of mature tree tops above the citrus hint there’s a garden here.

And wow, what an outstanding example it is!

Judy and Tony Barlow’s magnificent garden has evolved over 41 years. A stone fruit orchard

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was removed and gradually the garden took shape around the house. Ideas, formed while spending many hours on the lawn mower, slowly and surely became a reality. Judy says when her children were little she took advantage of the early hours of the morning to work in the garden. Now adults, the three girls and their families love to return home to this very special place. >

ABOVE: Cool greens – an elegant grouping off potted topiary plants and pretty lace-work table setting add a touch of formality in this courtyard. Overhead a pergola is entwined with ornamental grapevine.

FACING PAGE: This beautiful marriage of tennis court and garden is a triumph of good design, clever planting and spot-on maintenance.

story name A U T U M N

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A U T U M N story name

“If y o u h a v e g o o d g a rd e n b o n e s , y o u h a v e e v e r y th i n g .�

story name A U T U M N

Rows of mature orange trees surrounding the garden on three sides provide the most magnificent shelter and create a unique microclimate for gardening. With protection from dust and prevailing hot westerly winds, Judy describes their situation as an ideal gardening environment. The combination of fertile, well-drained river soil, access to both stock and domestic river water are other important ingredients. Add to this a keen sense of design, wise plant selection and the result is very special.

Entering the garden, Judy’s dedicated eye for design is immediately evident, as is her love of a “good dollop of white”.

The white painted house and lace trimmed verandah is ornamented by scented star jasmine (Trachelopsermum) and bordered with standard ‘Iceberg’ alternately planted with soft pink ‘Bonica’ roses. Beneath the standards, a low lime green hedge of dwarf Nandina is edged with dark green mondo grass.

A white timber pergola and the car port are entwined with lush green ornamental grape vines. Beneath this cool shaded walkway, groupings of white painted cement tubs are filled with flowering hydrangeas, Ficus and variegated cumquats.

It is also a favourite resting place for the family’s old brown kelpie, Sandy.

The pairing of formal areas and soft informality, as well as textural layered planting apparent from the tops of the towering trees right down to the lush cover, is a triumph of excellent garden design and clever plant selection. No matter which way you look (or in our case point a camera) the view is picture perfect without being prissy.

Judy says “if you have good garden bones you have everything. Structure is the thing which makes a garden; it’s so important regardless of the season”. The bones are most obvious in winter when there’s little or no flower and some trees are bare.

Trees form the backbone of the garden structure. Some of the original trees on the property were fan palms, a massive white cedar (Melia azedarach) and Aleppo pine. The Barlows have planted many more trees with favourites including box elder (Acer negundo) in green and silver leaf forms; golden Gleditsia ‘Sunburst’; Golden Melaleuca and elms; and the upright conical form of ‘Swane’s Golden’ pencil pine are an architectural feature.

Textural planting is achieved using a variety of climatehardy shrubs, either left to grow naturally, enhanced by clipping into rounded forms or trimmed as hedges. Repetition of rounded shapes such as clipped may (Spiraea) and golden Duranta creates continuity in the garden. Tightly clipped plants including Buxus and Lonicera and lilly-pilly are used as formal accents or featured in groups of elegant pots.

Judy’s key point of advice for gardening in the Central West is to stick to what grows well and keep using it. >

FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: These magnificent arched ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ climbers are punctuated with white flowering ‘Iceberg’ roses and complemented with a swathe of emerald green mondo grass and neatly mown lawn; picture perfect outdoor living space; Judy has developed cool shaded gardens under the deciduous trees; owners Judy and Tony Barlow by the pool arbour.

RIGHT, FROM TOP: Acanthus or oyster plants are great space fillers under deciduous trees; the sun-drenched rose garden beds and a white feature arbour; bordering the garden, the orange orchard offers protection from the elements and perfumes the air in spring.

A U T U M N story name

“If something ha s a f lower on it and grows in this part of the countr y you should u se it!�

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story name A U T U M N

Judy uses foliage as a tool to add colour when flowers are scarce. Favourites among greys are germander (Teucrium) and native Westringea ‘Wynyabbie Gem’ with soft green-grey foliage.

Golds including Duranta ‘Sheena’s Gold’ and golden Lonicera feature prominently. Variegated foliage adds light and interest in shaded places among the textural dark greens of Clivia, oyster plant (Acanthus) and evergreen lilly turf (Lirope).

Tried and true plants like agapanthus, plumbago ‘Royal Cape’, golden Duranta , Abelia, Oleander, mondo grass and society garlic (Tulbaghia) are repeated in various areas throughout the garden. Judy recommends Photinia ‘Superhedge’ as a very tough and reliable screen plant for western NSW. Another of Judy’s loves is flowers. “If something has a flower on it and grows in this part of the country you should use it!”

Roses do really well here. The garden is a haven for birdlife; any aphids are controlled naturally by an abundance of fairy wrens. ‘Pinkie’ is a sentimental favourite rose as “Tony’s grandmother used to grow it on her verandah in Narromine, so I love to have it here”. Other rose varieties include ‘Shady Lady’, ‘Crepuscule’ and ‘The Rose of Narromine’.

Surrounding the tennis court are thick layered plantings of evergreen Viburnums and bronze red Photinia ‘Superhedge’.

On the fence delicious pink ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ climbing roses are shaped into seven arches, blurring the lines between garden and court. A glorious setting for a garden wedding, and the plantings don’t impinge on the tennis!

The pool arbour is a blaze of colour from a spectacular bougainvillea intertwined with ‘Pinkie’ roses. Colourful country stalwart pink valerian (Centranthus ruber) fills the spaces between Italian lavender, and silver-foliaged Gazania tomentosum spreads a blaze of sunny yellow.

The edges of most garden beds are softened with ground covers or bordered by dense mondo grass or clumping society garlic. The borders enhance and define the curved lines of the generous beds and there are plenty of green lawns or river gravel pathways to encourage a good garden stroll.

For Judy and Tony, future plans include downsizing, building a new house further along the river bank on their property. Starting from scratch and creating a smaller garden will be a challenge, especially without the orange trees to buffer the heat and wind. Is it because they want a smaller garden, or the realisation the past 41 years has been so rewarding they want to do it again? Watch this space!

Judy and Tony have happily shared their garden and raised funds for charities through open gardens over the years.

Judy and her business partner Sue McCutcheon run Horti Ladies Garden Design and Consultation.

Visit www.hortiladiesgardendesign.com.au. CWL Words: Elizabeth Swane Images: Robert Bruce

FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Golden foliage shrubs and trees provide highlight and contrast in colour and shape; the cool and relaxing front verandah has a delightful garden outlook; a row of alternating pink Bonica and white Iceberg standard roses and trimmed topiary planters create a welcome entrance; great gardens don’t happen overnight, the mature trees indicate the passage of time.

RIGHT, FROM TOP: Where’s the fence? Camouflaged by the ‘Swane’s Golden’ pencil pines and elegantly trained ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ roses; ‘Shady Lady’ is a colourful and heat tolerant rose; a good dollop of white; rest a while on this garden bench or head through the arbour and explore along a gravel pathway.

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Tibuc Gardens Cafe and Accommodation Barkala Farm - Home of Pilliga Pottery & Blue Wren Cafe.

Family friendly farm stay, pottery art gallery

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.

& workshop, with camping available

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.

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

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

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.

• Made in NSW from 100% cotton • Available in a full range of sizes • Attractive reversible padded and single padded ironing board covers • Table top boards & ironing mats for sewers, caravans and travellers • Other products include storage bags, laundry bags and suit covers P: 0438 423 824 146 CWL

E: suziehopedesigns@gmail.com

Check our website for season markets: www.suziehopedesigns.com

131 - 141 Clarinda St, Parkes P: 6862 4002 E: haysgifts@bigpond.com

NARELLAN POOLS WESTERN PLAINS YOUR ONE STOP SHOP Locally operated since 1989 Large range of great shapes and sizes of fibreglass inground swimming pools and spas. Fully installed or Kit options

GIVE US A CALL SO WE CAN HAVE YOU SWIMMING THIS SUMMER!

OBLIGATION FREE QUOTES Perennialle Plants Nursery offers a rare collection of frost and drought tolerant shrubs, perennials, and other plants.

The gorgeous emporium stocks high quality garden tools, giftware and designer homewares.

SERVICING:

Dubbo, Narromine, Mudgee, Nyngan, Lightning Ridge, Bourke, Cobar and surrounding areas

Monday- Friday 9am-5pm Saturday 9am-12pm Shop 1/ 31 Bultje Street Dubbo

FOR GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY CALL US

02 6884 3117

Open Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm Visit or mail order online at perennialle.com.au

NURSERY 52 Rodd St, Canowindra p: 0427 077 798

e: plants@perennialle.com.au CWL 147

A CULINARY GEM

Dining’s dream team is riding a wave of success with the Church Street Café in Dubbo.

Enjoying a prime position in the heart of the CBD, the widely acclaimed restaurant and bar has become a magnet for locals and visitors.

The popularity of the family owned and operated business is gratifying for Errin and Vince Williamson, head chef Jack Cross and night manager Talissa Meyer, who take enormous pride in presenting great coffee, fine wines and quality modern Australian food showcasing fresh local produce.

Trained as an executive chef, Errin always dreamed of having her own café/restaurant with menus that transformed eating into an experience.

She loved being in the kitchen but has now taken on the front of house role, helping to keep Dubbo caffeinated and paying close attention to all the details that ensure customers feel welcome.

“Running Church Street Café is something we love,” Errin says.

“Our staff are our family and our customers have become like family too. Over the years we’ve seen people dating, getting married and having children. They bring their babies in to meet us and we really love that.

“Because of our central location we see many of the visitors to Dubbo and often work as hard as the tourist office, promoting the city and helping people know where to go and what to do.

“The cafe is very much a meeting place and with free Wi-Fi a lot of business people regard us as their second office.

“We seat up to 120 at any one time for coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner and frequently put out trestle tables for larger groups of people.

“The café is popular throughout the day and we present a special night menu with live music and a 5pm to 7pm ‘happy hour’ on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”

Church Street Café began in smaller premises before expanding next door into a building formerly occupied by a jeweller.

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“We turned the original café into the kitchen and the jewellers became the restaurant,” Errin says.

“Peeling the render off the walls revealed the original 1880 brickwork.”

The building started life as the Globe Hotel, with an upstairs tearoom for ladies, and was later purchased by Mr Fischer, an optician and jeweller.

Several customers aged in their 80s and 90s have shared stories of buying special pieces of jewellery from Fischer’s Corner.

Later the home of more jewellers, the site has become the perfect location for a restaurant and bar. For Dubbo it is a real gem. CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Elizabeth Tickle and Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Head chef Jack Cross, Talissa Meyer, Errin and Vince Williamson with daughter Quinn; some of the delicious meals on offer at CSC.

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sleep easy Fashion yourself a five-star bedroom . . . because you deserve it.

The bedroom is often the most neglected room in the house since it is not on display to visitors, yet it is the space we spend most of our time – around eight hours every day. We retreat to our bedrooms in the evening to rest and restore our tired minds and bodies, so it needs to be a place where there are no distractions, no clutter, and there needs to be a focus on comfort. You don’t need to be a designer to make your bedroom feel like a high-class hotel. And really, don’t we all deserve the five-star touch at the end of the day?

REMOVE CLUTTER One of the best things you can do for your bedroom is clear out the clutter!

When checking into a boutique hotel, the first thing you will notice is that it is clean and uncluttered; everything is in its place. Hotel rooms are always well-organised and curated spaces. Life is busy, complicated and messy, so the last thing you need at the end of the day is more mess. Clear your room of distractions and your mind will feel clearer when you enter it.

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home & style A U T U M N

FOCUS ON COMFORT Comfort is of the utmost importance in the bedroom. If you want a truly good night’s sleep choose the best quality sheets, pillows, blankets and mattress that you can afford. These unseen layers need substance and quality, more so than the superficial layers. It’s nice to have a beautiful room, but that beauty won’t keep you comfortable while you sleep. Add beautiful throw cushions and blankets for an extra touch of luxury.

SIMPLE DÉCOR Having an uncluttered room doesn’t mean you need to remove all your décor, but you should carefully select what you want on display in your bedroom. Small boxes or bowls for jewellery, a scented candle, photographs or art pieces that bring you joy are all good choices. A fresh bunch of blooms on a bedside table is always inviting.

FURNITURE AND LAYOUT

PERSONAL TOUCH

Keep furniture to a minimum with a focus on the basics: bed, bedside tables, headboard, a dresser and chair. Your bed should take centre stage, with practically sized bedside tables that can accommodate a lamp, a few books or magazines and a space for your morning coffee. It is also nice to have somewhere to sit, whether it’s to read or take off your shoes. A comfortable arm chair makes a great reading spot, or try a bench seat at the end of the bed.

Finally, one thing you can do with your bedroom that five-star hotels can’t is reflect your own style! Hotels decorate with the masses in mind, so they design rooms that are classic and neutral to appeal to most guests. Your bedroom is your own so you are free to break from the boutique hotel rules and create your own unique decompression room. CWL Words and images: Amanda O’Sullivan

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P R E S S Coffee Roasters, Cafe & Events

A unique emporium bursting with

33 Bultje Street, Dubbo NSW 2830 www.pressdubbo.com.au (02) 6885 0621 Mon - Fri 7:30am to 4pm Sat 8am to 4pm Sun 8am to 4pm

FASHION | SHOES | ACCESSORIES GIFTWARE | PRODUCE Shop 2, 31 Bultje Street Dubbo 02 6882 5362 www.rubymaine.com.au

the

white place orange

100 byng street 6363 1160 sales@thewhiteplace.com.au www.thewhiteplace.com.au homewares • fashion • furniture jewellery • bridal registry

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At Choices Flooring we know that good interior decorating starts

from the floor up

Choices Flooring by Brights 61 George Street, Bathurst (next to Dan Murphy’s) 6331 4866 choicesflooring.com.au

Contemporary rural paintings.

Commissions welcome.

Email: kyahwilson@outlook.com www.kyahwilson.com.au

Giftware - Jewellery - China - Stationery Darrell Lea Chocolates - Body Products Handbags - Wallets - Baby Products

Featured: “Woodlands” 126x94cm

(02) 6847 0500 17 Miller Street Gilgandra, NSW 2827 /ThisNThatGilgandra CWL 153

SERENITY NOW Ian Birrell is retiring in style . . . and tranquility.

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FACING PAGE. The old church, now a formal living and dining space, is rich in detail and decadent décor.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The stone wall from the rear of the original church, which extends up into the loft bedroom above the entry hall; the regal main bedroom, decorated with luxury bed linen and throws, is a room fit for royalty; the impressive raked ceilings with exposed beams add beautiful architectural detail into the loft bedrooms.

After 25 years in Sydney working as an interior designer, Ian Birrell decided it was time for a tree change, with the focus on finding a property that exuded peace and quiet – a place where he could embrace retirement.

His search for a new home led him to a unique property, the old Methodist Church in Emu Swamp just outside Orange, with a completed addition that extended the once single-room church into a spacious four-bedroom home exuding character and rich in history.

With sweeping country views on his doorstep and the city of Orange just minutes away, Ian had found the perfect setting for his new life in the country.

The Methodist Church was built in 1873 and of those who witnessed the slab being laid in 1871, none would recognise the current home as the same place. Two seamless additions to the building over the years have meant the house now boasts four bedrooms, one with en suite, a cook’s kitchen and two living areas – one being the impressive formal lounge and dining that was once the old church. > CWL 155

I AN’ S B ACKG R O U ND IN DE S IG N IS O B VIOUS AS YO U MOVE THR O U GH THE HO ME ; E VERY PIEC E HA S B E E N ME TICU LO US LY CHO S E N A ND STYLED.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: A classically decorated guest bedroom that exudes luxury with quality linen and gold accents; ambient lighting adds warmth to the old stone wall that once would have been exposed to the elements; glass lanterns adorn the dining table in the refurbished kitchen.

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home & style A U T U M N

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The private courtyard is accessible though the living area and the main bedroom; a crucifix brought home from Ian’s travels to Vienna, adorns the mantel where the altar would have been; a round stained-glass window from an old doctor’s surgery in Orange graces the entry way and can be admired from the loft stairs; a highly ornate dresser in the loft bedroom houses Ian’s special book collection.

Ian’s background in design is obvious as you move through the home; every piece has been meticulously chosen and styled. Each of Ian’s previous four homes contained varying architecture that dictated the style of his furniture and décor. Therefore, his new home underwent a mini makeover to accommodate his eclectic collection. Luxe cream carpet was laid in the bedrooms, the extensive raked straw ceilings were treated and painted natural white, kitchen cupboards repainted and tiles resurfaced.

With so much history contained within the walls of the old church it was important to be respectful, and many of Ian’s beautiful pieces, some collected on his frequent travels to Europe, give a nod to the religious background of the church. A cross from Vienna adorns the fireplace where the altar would have been, a small hand-carved piece of limestone removed from Canterbury Cathedral hangs discreetly on the wall and a custom-made mantel in the main lounge is engraved with a simple crucifix. One of the stand-out features of the house is the rustic stone wall that lines the entry hall and dining room. This wall was exposed to elements for decades as the outer wall of the original church building and now serves as a stunning internal architectural feature, admired by all who enter the home.

Stairs at both ends of the home lead to loft bedrooms, lavishly decorated and with views overlooking vast green rolling hills.

Stained-glass windows from an old doctor’s surgery in Orange feature throughout the home, adding more history from the local

region. Vignettes in every nook and cranny create personality and interest. There is something beautiful to admire in every corner.

The high raked ceilings in the main living area give an incredible sense of space, and when combined with the view outside a sense of grandeur is felt upon entering. This room features a more masculine style, with black and white decor and a stunning row of pendants that run the length of the room and into the loft bedroom.

The main bedroom boasts its own mini wing; a small hall separates it entirely from the main living area. Fresh cream and a regal gold makes this room fit for royalty, an ideal sanctuary at the end of the day. Double doors open into an elegant manicured courtyard where a morning coffee can be enjoyed while doing some bird watching.

Ian has achieved a lot in the 2½ years that he has lived here, but he has more plans for the large garden now that the house has been completed. Retirement hasn’t meant he has stopped working. He has a meticulous eye for detail, which is reflected in every area of the home.

So, what advice does an interior designer have for those decorating/renovating their own homes? Chat to friends and family whose homes you admire and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’re not sure. An interior designer will help you fine-tune your style and guide you into creating a home that you will love. CWL Words and images: Amanda O’Sullivan

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CENTRAL WEST

& cooking centre

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

for all your heating needs...

WOOD - GAS - ELECTRIC - HYDRONIC

02 6885 2479

124 Erskine Street Dubbo NSW 2830 www.centralwestheating.com.au

DUBBO 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.

144 Brisbane Street Dubbo NSW 2830 Phone: (02) 6884 7354 www.grapevinecafe.com.au OPEN 7 DAYS 158 CWL

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.

Call us today to have one of our consultants arrange an appointment within your home FREE of charge.

Servicing Dubbo and the Western area.

Or call in and visit our showroom and friendly sales team.

62 Hawthorn St, Dubbo | Tel: 02 6882 8911 www.cramptonscarpets.com.au GALLERY MUSUEM CAFÉ COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE 76 WINGEWARRA STREET DUBBO NSW 2830 westernplainsculturalcentre.org 02 6801 4444

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the tradition continues A well-known firm steeped in the history of Dubbo is starting a new era in a high-profile main street location.

Dubbo Printing Works has been a focal point in Brisbane Street since the early 1950s. Now the business has a new home at 214 Macquarie Street, next to the National Australia Bank.

The light-filled, modern shopfront is allowing owners Janet and David Williams to better showcase their range of gifts, educational toys, specialised paper and stationery.

Digital printing has also moved to Macquarie Street while offset printing and binding are now based at 94 Erskine Street.

The printing works was established by Janet’s father, Albert Grace, in 1946.

Albert had operated a printing business in Sydney before the start of World War II. When global conflict erupted, he refused military service as a conscientious objector and was assigned to essential services in the mining industry at Cessnock, where his job was to pump the mine clear of water at each level miles underground before the miners arrived each morning.

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In 1945 Albert moved his family to Dubbo to take up another essential industry position as a compositor with the Dubbo Liberal newspaper.

Twelve months later he took over the lease of Claude Smith’s Dubbo Herald Printing Works. When Albert became the owner, he changed the name to Dubbo Printing Works.

Janet was involved in the business from childhood, helping fold race books and hand numbering and collating receipt books at the dining table.

During school holidays she often worked in the binding section at the printing works.

Janet trained as an art teacher and joined the staff of her first school in 1972, the same year David started working for her father in the pre-press department.

“David and I purchased the business in 1988,” Janet says.

“As commercial printers we are involved in producing everything from business stationery, account books and promotional material to wedding invitations and history books for families and towns.

“We pride ourselves on good customer service and our business has a reputation for dealing with people honestly, solving problems and producing professional results.”

Following the example set by Albert Grace over 70 years ago, the printing works has always been quick to adopt new technology.

“Dad was one of the first people in western NSW to do colour separations and colour offset printing,” Janet says.

“He was always an innovator and we are maintaining that tradition. Our printing works is very much part of Dubbo and we value the contributions made by long-term staff including Doug Back, who is retiring after 51 years, accounts manager Sue De Marchi, printer David Pilon and graphic designers Sarah Bennett and Damon Howey.

“Our front of house girls Nicky Marsden and Sophie Tosh are more recent employees but are also a vital part of the business.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Janet and David Williams, partners in business and life.

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ONE STEP

ahead

Robyn McLennan’s shoe store success can be attributed to business acumen and a strong commitment to customer care.

At least once a month Robyn McLennan is asked to set up shop in a new location. Such is the success of Easy Living Footwear, the multimillion-dollar enterprise the astute businesswoman created 20 years ago.

The company began when Robyn started importing shoes for nurses who spent long hours on their feet. A comfort range wholesaled to more than 100 retailers across the country morphed into a chain of retail stores incorporating fashion and leisure styles and the development and manufacture of the unique Easy Living Footwear label.

“We cater for regional women who want stylish, comfortable shoes that enable them to smile at the end of the day,” Robyn says.

“Stores at Dubbo, Bathurst, Tamworth and Newcastle carry an extensive range of latest season fashion shoes, walking, leisure and orthotic-friendly styles, as well as handbags, wallets, slippers and shoe care products.

“We cater for thousands of rural customers at our shop front locations and have expanded into a full online webstore for those further afield.”

Robyn has always had a head for business and an ability to conjure ideas and put colours together. Those innate traits have been expanded by practical experience, solid business planning and paying careful attention to customer needs and wants.

Robyn comes up with design concepts and works closely with small family-operated factories in China, sitting down with the shoe master to select every component of every shoe, from the last and upper to the heel unit, sole and buckle.

The hands-on operation includes personally going over every piece of leather and when manufacturing is finished, quality checking begins.

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“Once a season I fly to China just for the weekend to look at every single style.”

“Once a season I fly to China just for the weekend to look at every single style,” Robyn says.

“I also walk the shoe fairs of Europe to source brands to suit my customers.

“The exclusive Easy Living and Audrey Avenue range make up 60 per cent of our stock. The brands I bring in from Europe are only available in a handful of stores in Australia.

“The success of the business proves that we are on the right path and it is gratifying when people from Sydney drive to our Bathurst store to buy their shoes. They come on a Saturday, spend the night and go home happy with their purchases.”

Robyn encourages other people to start a business. Born onto the land as a farmer’s daughter and without an HSC or university degree, at age 22 she grabbed the opportunity to buy her first retail company when her boss decided to sell out.

With only $5000 in working capital she grew the business before later selling and moving forward with new ideas.

“With business you need to find a niche market,” Robyn says.

“Then it’s a matter of planning carefully, working hard and recruiting good staff.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Robyn McLennan puts her customers’ feet first.

Pikolinos 901-7312 brandy, black $249

Or thotic friendly!

Klouds CAPRINA taupe, black $249.95 Rieker R1401 grey, black $279

MENTION THIS AD FOR $10 OFF YOUR PURCHASE! Bathurst 94 William Street ● Dubbo 174 Macquarie Street Junction Fair 200 Union St, Newcastle ● Tamworth 284 Peel St Call in store for a copy of our brochure or phone 02 6332 3822

www.easylivingfootwear.com.au

*Conditions apply

WEBSTORE CODE: taketenweb

DESIGN - PRINT - PAPER - GIFTS

21 4

M AC Q U AR I E P: 02 6882 1233 F: 02 6882 1057 E: admin@printingworks.com www.printingworks.com Factory: 94 Erskine St, Dubbo

Celebrating 71 years as Dubbo’s printer

Visit our boutique gift shop for all your...

Business printing: letterheads, business cards, invoice, compliance & record books, brochures & presentation folders, large posters and digital printing from invitations to family histories. Experienced graphic designers in-house.

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.

Like us for all your gift ideas and new stock arrivals

ST Gifts for the whole Family!

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all saints’ college bathurst

Visit us at the Boarding Expos in Dubbo and Narrabri and AgQuip.

Educating For Life ALL GIRLS PRE-KINDER TO YEAR 12.

BOARDING FROM YEAR 5.

plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au 02 6770 1700 Educating successful women of tomorrow in a Christian environment

IN ALLIANCE WITH PLC SYDNEY

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ACADEMIC & MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2019 Now Open Online APPLY TODAY

saints.nsw.edu.au

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FUTURE PROOF

Mike Crowley & Associates, Orange, believes in helping businesses help themselves.

With a love of small business and having met and married a local girl several years prior, Mike Crowley decided to “hang out the shingle” in Orange. That was 26 years ago.

Today, Mike Crowley & Associates is one of Orange’s more progressive accounting firms. Driven by a keen sense of social responsibility, partners Mike Crowley and Adrian Acheson are providing business solutions that hold people at the core of their focus.

When Mike Crowley began in business in 1991, the landscape in which he practised was vastly different to that of today.

Compliance was the driving force behind daily work tasks. “New technology has now considerably improved compliance, allowing us to take on a more holistic role as our clients trusted business advisor. That’s a privilege!” Mike says.

Having worked for Mike for nine years, Adrian became a partner in 2016. However, Adrian’s life had not always pointed him towards this particular vocation. Falling victim to an act of terror in the 2002 Bali bombing, Adrian needed to change careers due to injury.

“Having a family in business, it made sense that I should make myself financially literate and accounting seemed a natural fit,” he says.

Analysing the highs and lows of his family’s own businesses, Adrian developed a passion for facilitating the protection, success and wellbeing of those who give their lives to small business. “Risk and asset protection, wealth creation and a work-life balance, these are the types of things that I am keen to assist businesses become smarter about. You never want to see anyone fall on hard times, especially when it can be prevented by risk assessment and strategic organisational planning,” he says.

“It is essential for businesses to embrace this change and to look to the future rather than into the rear vision mirror of their past.”

Apart from solving complex financial issues and providing professional business advice, Mike, Adrian and their team are keen to educate clients by actively seeking to demystify accounting processes. The firm encourages clients to become more self-reliant and operationally efficient, by assisting them in the adaptation of technology into their daily businesses functions. Mike considers the firm to be at the forefront of technological change. “It is essential for businesses to embrace this change and to look to the future rather than into the rear vision mirror of their past,” he says.

Mike believes in being of service to the community. He volunteers his expertise on the board of various community groups. His ethos on social responsibility has formed the foundations from which this firm was built. It’s all about helping people. CWL Words: Catherine Player Images: Robert Bruce

FACING PAGE: Mike Crowley and Adrian Acheson.

ABOVE: Mike Crowley, Monique Coady, Adrian Acheson, Anita Craw, Kerrie Hartin, Jess Alston, Jenny Waters and Kelly Schmidtke.

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food + coffee + fun

visitparkes.com.au

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@visitparkesregion

BUSINESS ADVISERS & ACCOUNTANTS

Delivering value and wealth to our clients through innovation, industry experience and commitment.

• Business

Advisers • Self Managed Super Strategies and Administration • Cloud

Accounting • Taxation • Tax Planning • Bookkeeping Visit our new premises at

8 McNamara Street Orange NSW 2800 02 6362 9436 mca@mikecrowley.com.au

www.mikecrowley.com.au You can find us on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn

A U T U M N recipes

AUTUMN FARE The secret to delicious dishes is to bring out the best in fresh seasonal ingredients.

Reflections Restaurant is quickly becoming known as Dubbo’s hidden gem. We change our menu every season and we love the flavours that autumn has to offer. We believe that Mother Nature has done the hard work, so with such fresh ingredients we just make them shine with simple style. We cater for not only our in-house guests, but Reflections Restaurant also has many regular avid food lovers, who enjoy the experience of simple, delicious food and change-of-season menus.

PRAWN COCKTAIL WITH A TWIST Serves 4

16 cooked prawns, de-veined and shelled, with tails on 2 avocados, cubed 7 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 5 tsp chopped coriander ½ cup diced Spanish onion Salt Pepper BASIL OIL Handful of basil Leaves Extra virgin olive oil CHILLI OIL ½ red capsicum Tabasco sauce (to your desired heat tolerance) Extra virgin olive oil METHOD BASIL OIL Hand chop a handful of basil leaves until fine.

Place in a bowl and mix with olive oil until completely covered.

CHILLI OIL Hand chop the capsicum until diced very small.

Place capsicum in a bowl and mix in a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce, then add olive oil until completely covered. Place in fridge to infuse.

PRAWN/ AVOCADO STACK Place the halved tomatoes into the oven for five minutes on 200°C. Take out and let cool.

Dice the cooked tomatoes roughly, then loosely mix the avocado, tomato, lemon juice, coriander, olive oil and onion in a bowl, being careful not to mash the avocado.

Once well combined, place three tablespoons (more or less depending on how much avocado you want) into a biscuit cutter on the centre of the plate.

Press down gently into the mould with back of a spoon to provide a snug fit. Pull the mould away, revealing a self-standing avocado stack.

Arrange four prawns on top of the avocado stack.

Place the basil and chilli oils around avocado on the plate.

Garnish with a sprig of coriander.

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CRISPY SALMON RED COCONUT BROTH WITH MUSSELS Serves 4

STOCK 3 chicken drumsticks 2 celery stalks, diced 2 shallots, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 kaffir lime leaf ½ stalk lemongrass 3 green mussels CURRY PASTE 8 dried large red chillies 4 red chillies, roughly chopped 3cm piece of galangal 3cm piece of ginger, roughly chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 stalks lemongrass, roughly chopped 3 kaffir lime leaves 4 coriander stems with roots chopped 1 shallot, roughly chopped 1 tbsp vegetable oil RED COCONUT BROTH 500ml stock (made above) 400ml coconut milk 60ml fish sauce Juice of 3 limes SNOW PEAS 250g snow peas FRIED CHILLI AND ONION 1 red chilli, thinly sliced 2 spring onions (including roots), thinly sliced 500ml rice bran oil SALMON AND MUSSELS 4 salmon fillets, skin on 200g brown sugar Salt flakes 12 black mussels, debearded GARNISH Fried chilli Fried spring onions Thai basil leaves METHOD Preheat oven to 180°C. For the stock, heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add chicken drumsticks and fry off until golden. Add celery, shallots and carrot and fry until softened and lightly caramelised, about 5 minutes.

Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and 1 litre of water and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add three green mussels and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain stock with fine sieve, reserve kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass and return pot to stove on low heat and keep warm.

Place dried large red chillies in a bowl of hot water to soften.

Place rehydrated large red chillies, red chillies, galangal, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, coriander and shallot in

a food processor with 1 tbsp of oil. Blend to a paste and transfer to a large pot and sauté until fragrant, about 5 – 7 minutes.

For red coconut broth, add the stock and coconut milk to the large pot of curry paste and reduce heat to simmer. Add reserved kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass from the stock. Simmer until broth has slightly reduced. Adjust seasoning with more stock, fish sauce and lime juice, to taste. Strain broth into a carafe and set aside, keeping warm.

For the beans, prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add snow peas and cook until bright green, about 1 – 2 minutes.

Remove from boiling water and immediately plunge into iced water. Drain off and set aside in a bowl until required.

To prepare the fried chillies and spring onion, heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add spring onion and chilli slices and fry until crisp. Remove from oil and set aside on paper towel until required.

To prepare for the salmon and mussels, increase oven temperature to 200°C. Place salmon fillets onto a tray, sprinkle with brown sugar and sea salt flakes and set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.

To finish salmon, place 1 tbsp of olive oil into a medium frypan over high heat. Add reserved salmon fillets, skin side down, and fry until skin is crisp. Flip fillets and sear on the other side then remove from pan.

To plate, arrange some mussels on a plate.

Place a fillet of salmon, on top of the snow peas, asparagus or broccoli. Garnish with fried chillies, spring onion and some Thai basil leaves.

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A U T U M N recipes story name

TRIO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE BASE 200g dark chocolate, chopped 200g butter, chopped 1¼ cups (275g) brown sugar 3 eggs ¾ cup (110g) plain flour 1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder ¼ cup (60g) sour cream CHOCOLATE MOUSSE 150g dark chocolate, chopped 1½ tsp powdered gelatine 3 eggs 1½ cups (375ml) thickened cream 150g milk chocolate, chopped 150g white chocolate, chopped CHOCOLATE SAUCE ¼ cup (60ml) thickened cream 50g dark chocolate 2 tsp brown sugar

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Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm slice pan with baking paper.

To make the brownie, combine the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring for five minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.

Add the sugar and egg and stir to combine.

Add the flour and cocoa, stirring until just combined. Add the sour cream, stirring until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Turn the brownie onto a clean work surface. Use a 6cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut 6 discs from the brownie.

Place brownie discs on baking paper.

Lightly grease the paper with cooking oil spray. Using brownie disc as the base, wrap the baking paper, greased side facing in, around the brownie making a tall collar.

Secure with plastic tape. To make the first layer of mousse, melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Stir 1 tbsp boiling water with ½ tsp of the gelatine in a small bowl until dissolved. Add the melted chocolate and stir. Separate 1 egg. Place the egg white in a medium bowl. Add egg yolk to chocolate mixture and stir.

Whisk ½ cup (125ml) of the cream until soft peaks form. Add the chocolate mixture and stir and combine. Use a clean electric mixer to whisk the egg white until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Divide evenly among the prepared baking moulds. Place in fridge for 20 minutes to set.

To make the second layer of mousse repeat steps 5 and 6 with milk chocolate. Pour over the chilled dark chocolate mousse layer and place in fridge for 20 minutes to set.

To make white layer repeat steps 5 and 6 with white chocolate. Pour over milk chocolate and place in fridge for 6 hours until completely set.

To make the chocolate sauce, combine the cream chocolate and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes or until chocolate melts and sauce thickens slightly, set aside to cool.

Remove the paper collars from the mousses. Serve with chocolate sauce.

Place a cherry on top and serve with chocolate ice cream. CWL Recipes: Reflections Restaurant Images: Zenio Lapka

wag snag Riverina Bred and Fed Grass fed and pesticide free 100% Premium beef sausage locally produced from paddock to plate

www.w-ag.com.au

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THE BYNG STREET BUZZ On the corner of a peaceful, tree-lined street in Orange – away from the hustle and bustle of the busy CBD – is a historic building with an eye-catching red door.

It’s home to Byng Street Local Store, an Orange institution, loved for its delicious food, excellent coffee and friendly staff.

Director Jeremy Norris opened the café in 2011. While visiting family in the area, he noticed the property for sale. An epiphany ensued and he bought the building with dreams to establish a delicatessen. From there, the Byng Street journey began.

The building dates back to 1865, and in recent times has undergone a renovation in keeping with its original era. Next door is the four-bedroom Byng Street Cottage, stylishly appointed by Jeremy’s wife, Juliet. All modern-day comforts are catered for here, not the least incredible Allpress Espresso coffee, just steps away at Byng Street Local Store. Up to eight people can enjoy a glorious evening away in this home away from home, with bookings available through Airbnb.

Initial plans to create a delicatessen quickly changed course, after Jeremy observed strong demand from the people of Orange for good coffee and a dine-in experience. Today, Byng Street is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an extensive menu including beautiful pastries, healthy salads and gourmet sandwiches.

Jeremy enjoyed a country upbringing near Young, on a property managed by his father – a childhood he still has fond memories of today. He and his family moved to Albury when Jeremy was 15,

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and he later studied Hospitality at TAFE in Wodonga. He did a traineeship at the five-star Travelodge in Albury and since then his career has taken him to some remarkable roles, both interstate and overseas.

Jeremy spent time in a variety of hospitality roles at the Cairns Holiday Inn, all the while enjoying the wonder of Far North Queensland. He later worked at Sydney’s Pitt Street Renaissance Hotel, followed by Perth’s Fraser Restaurant. In 2003, Jeremy worked in catering for the McLaren Formula 1 car racing team, living in London one week and travelling to another country the next, depending on the race location. Top that with establishing his own catering business in Scotland – preparing food for weddings and polo tournaments – and he’s just about done everything in the hospitality world.

“OUR POPULAR SUPPER CLUB EVERY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING OFFERS A SET MENU, FOUR-COURSE MEAL FOR JUST $40.”

Jeremy and Juliet now have a two-year-old son, Monty, and have certainly taken their business to a new high.

“Our focus at Byng Street is on customer service, with a special emphasis on staff training. We love to engage people from the minute they walk in the door,” Jeremy says.

“As a result, we’ve created a beautiful sense of community here, and our regulars are very much a part of that.

“We make all of our food from scratch, and are very proud of the ever-evolving Byng Street menu. Granola and breakfast rolls are long-time Byng Street favourites.

“Our popular Supper Club every Thursday and Friday evening offers a set menu, four-course meal for just $40, and regularly books out.

“Some wonderful classic items have been added to the menu here thanks to our chef, Chris Tudor, who loves charcuterie (prepared meat products).

“The Byng Street evolution has been incredible, and we’re looking forward to continuing to provide the food, drink, and all-encompassing dine-in experience our customers know and love.”

Jeremy is preparing for ASADO – an annual relaxed, Argentinian-style barbecue event to be held again in April 2018 at Jeremy and Juliet’s Hilltop Farm.

“We’re looking forward to another wonderful ASADO, this year featuring our home-grown lambs,” Jeremy says.

“Busloads of foodies come from far and wide for the celebration of all things meat, complete with a band from Sydney. It’s an incredible evening of great food and wonderful company.”

Tickets to ASADO 2018 can be purchased online at eventbrite.com.au. CWL

FACING PAGE: Jeremy Norris with wife Juliet and their two-year-old son, Monty, by the iconic red door at Byng Street Local Store.

ABOVE: From top: Nestled in one of Orange’s leafy streets, Byng Street Cottage is a few short steps from the Store; a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere awaits guests at the cottage, stylishly appointed by Juliet.

Words: Anna Tickle Images: Zenio Lapka

Byng Street Local Store, the cafe with the red door, is a foodie haven, known and loved for its delicious food, excellent coffee and friendly staff!

Tasty seasonal menus feature local produce and wines from Orange and across the beautiful Central West.

Breakfast & lunch every day from 7am

I

Dinner Thursday & Friday from 6pm

Byng Street Group also provides catering for functions, events, private dinners and parties in and around Orange.

02 6369 0768 I store@byngstreet.com.au www.byngstreet.com.au

9

O

"the locals {ave" - Good Food Guide

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A U T U M N country recipes

POT OF GOLD

Many a good country cook has proven that delicious doesn’t necessarily mean complicated.

PLUM AND GINGER CHICKEN THIGHS This deliciously different country chicken dish is very simple but oh so tasty.

6 chicken thighs (I use skin off) ½ bottle or 250g plum jam ½ cup tomato sauce 1 diced onion 1 dessert spoon grated ginger 1. P lace the chicken thighs in a casserole dish.

2. Add ingredients and mix together.

3. C over with foil or lid.

4. Cook for 1½ hours in a moderate oven.

5. T hicken the juice with a tablespoon of cornflour that has been mixed with a little water.

BAKED CREAMY RICE PUDDING Still cooked in many county kitchens, creamy rice pudding is a favourite among young and old.

The secret is in the baking. ¾ cup white medium rice 3 cups full-cream milk 1 dessertspoon good vanilla ½ cup white sugar 1. Rinse rice and place in baking dish.

2. Add milk, sugar and vanilla.

3. Bake in a slow-moderate oven for about 1¼ hours.

Tip: I give the rice a little stir halfway through. Watch that the top doesn’t burn. CWL

Recipes: Lorraine Hills

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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

At Countryman Motor Inn our service is paramount, ensuring your stay is an enjoyable one. Relax after your journey at the Lions Pride Cafe & Restaurant, the perfect setting to catch up with family and friends.

The Lions Pride Restaurant is open 7 nights a week, 5.30pm til late.

47 Cobra St, DUBBO Countryman (02) 6882 7422 The Lions Pride (02) 6884 3333

Email. countrymandubbo@bigpond.com www.countrymandubbo.com.au www.thelionspride.com.au

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Family and Senior friendly star gazing sessions.

Milroy Observatory CoonaAstroVentures Call 0428 288 244

GILGANDRA HOME OF THE COO-EE MARCH T H E FA M I LY F R I E N D LY H O T E L

We specialise in weddings, social Club

Stop for a coffee or stay for the night.

Museums | Art gallery | Boutique shopping | Southern gateway to the magnificent Warrumungle National Park

parties, client functions, birthday and engagement parties and Christmas parties.

Tel: 02 6848 5805 Merrigal Street Armatree NSW www.armatreehotel.com.au

gilgandra.nsw.gov.au 178 CWL

THIS BUSINESS IS FOR SALE

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

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

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 CWL 179

love at first sight The owners of Gulgong B&B – The Old Wesleyan Chapel have embraced the town and its history.

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Ray and Maureen Hall were taking their caravan around Australia on an extended honeymoon when they were first seduced by Gulgong’s historic charm.

It was a hot summer’s day in 2008 and the happy newlyweds were intending to pass through on their way to Mudgee. So impressed with their initial findings, they camped overnight at the Henry Lawson Caravan Park to explore the historic town.

While casually checking out properties in a real estate window the following morning, a complete stranger bailed them up, suggesting they take a look at a “very special house” for sale two minutes away.

Within 48 hours the paperwork was signed and the chapel was theirs.

“We were intrigued by the old gold-mining town the moment we walked down the main drag,” says Ray, a tall urbane Englishman with an easy-going style.

“Australia is known for its wide country streets – wide enough for a bullock team to turn around – but Mayne Street is as narrow as they come, built between the mine shafts, miners’ tents and haphazard buildings.”

Ray comes from the smallest town in England called Manningtree, seven miles from the oldest town of Colchester, an old Roman garrison.

“I was attracted by the old tin roofs and narrow windy streets that reminded me of home,” he says. “Then I heard a blackbird with its evening song, signalling the end of the day – it was a sound I missed enormously from days gone by. That was the clincher.”

Having sold everything before their wedding, the contents of their lives were packed in the caravan. It didn’t take long to move in.

Almost immediately Maureen began researching the history of her new home using the archives of the Gulgong Pioneers Museum, leading to a healthy interest in the town.

With the discovery of gold in 1870 the place was abuzz with 20,000 hopeful diggers. New churches sprang up nearly as fast as the hotels.

One of the earliest and most substantial was the Wesleyan Chapel, built from weatherboard and corrugated iron in 1871.

With falling numbers, the Wesleyans sold the chapel a decade later to the Manchester Unity order of Oddfellows. Members of the Loyal Happy Valley Lodge No.50 enjoyed meetings there for the next 70 years.

“A skillion roof kitchen with an open fireplace was added at the rear and two small rooms were built on either side of the front door, as preparation rooms for the Oddfellows,” Maureen says.

“Some of the locals might remember these as a ticket office and cloakroom, essential for the different social activities which were to engulf the little wooden hall in the future.”

The Oddfellows Hall hosted wedding receptions, kitchen teas, birthday parties, band practice, boxing, table tennis, ballet and social dances. For several years, in the 1950s, it even served as a classroom when the Red Hill School underwent renovations.

The next big change occurred in the 1990s when antique dealers Chris Treneman and Don Coleman built a stunning new house extension onto the existing structure.

With lots of hard work over three years Ray and Maureen were then able to take it to the next step, establishing Gulgong B&B – The Old Wesleyan Chapel in 2012.

This B&B is truly special – not just inside, where Maureen has thought of everything – but also in the courtyard and gardens.

The CBD is a block away. It’s no wonder the Halls have met some wonderful guests who keep returning.

Ray and Maureen are the perfect hosts.

Maureen arrived in the country from South Africa as a 30-year-old secretary, looking for a better life for her children.

She studied floristry and later beauty therapy but found her mojo running a motel.

In 2001 she met Ray at a singles function at the Boat House Cafe in Noosa.

Ray graced our shores 40 years ago. “I’m no 10 pound Pom,” he laughs. “I had to board a Russian converted cargo boat to get from Singapore to Fremantle, before flying to Adelaide to start bricklaying the next day in 42-degree heat.”

Later he set off on a three-year camping adventure around Australia as an itinerant bricklayer before finally finishing with a real estate business in Noosa.

Now 70 and officially retired, Ray has never been busier. “It’s crazy stuff,” he says.

“I’ve got to go harder before life runs out.

My favourite quote is ‘You can see the light at the end of the tunnel but it’s a train coming towards you’.”

From his favourite chair in the kitchen, Ray is writing his fifth novel. “I’m in the

“The Gulgong B&B has become one of the town’s special accommodation options.”

West Indies at the moment,” he says, deep in thought. “Everyone thinks they have a book in them so I took up writing in about 2014.

It’s taken over from my music (he plays guitar and keyboard) and I literally haven’t stopped.”

Ray draws on his workforce experiences as a farmhand, apprentice electrician, policeman, lab technician, bricklayer, builder and real estate agent.

Apart from one comedy, his novels tend towards the paranormal. The Haunting has been out for a few months and is receiving promising four-star reviews from the USA, where most of his books are sold.

“I love the adventure of writing and usually don’t know how or where it’s all

going to end. The story leads me. I spend a lot of time editing and correcting grammar but once that’s all over I can’t wait to get stuck into the next one.”

Anyone who strolls along Medley Street today, past the beautifully restored Oddfellows Hall, could well be pardoned for not noticing the old wooden building that’s faithfully watched over the shifting fortunes of Gulgong for nearly 150 years.

The Gulgong B&B has become one of the town’s special accommodation options but more importantly for Ray and Maureen, it’s become their dream home where they can follow their own passions and welcome guests from all over the world. CWL Words and images: Shot by Jake

Gulgong B&B “The Old Wesleyan Chapel” BUILT IN 1871 • LOCAL HERITAGE STATUS

Our unique residence will make you feel welcome and part of the Gulgong history.

The Wesleyan Chapel was one of the first buildings erected during the gold rush days and has Local Heritage status. Extensions to the chapel, now used as the guest accommodation, have received a heritage award for “Best sympathetic additions to a residential building” by the National Trust.

Two queen size rooms with private bathrooms • Tea & coffee making facilities • Fridge TV & DVD • Reverse cycle air-conditioning • Comfortable private seating arrangements Breakfast served in the Chapel dining room • Easy walking to clubs, pubs & restaurants P: 0458 487 706

E: bookings@gulgongbandb.com

W: www.gulgongbandb.com

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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

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

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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

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

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heavenly creatures The Galapagos Islands are an animal lover’s paradise.

Our adventure in the Galapagos Islands on a seven-night cruise aboard the Isabela II was one of our most surreal and extraordinary travel experiences. This 40-passenger luxury class of boat that tours the Ecuadorean archipelago was the perfect size vessel for this exploration – not so small as to incur motion sickness, but compact enough to get to the more difficult to reach landing spots.

All of the naturalist guides were Ecuadorean, extremely knowledgeable, and had a passion for the Galapagos. Before the first shore visit on our tour, we had been briefed on “the rules” – we were not to get close to the animals, and obviously were not to touch them, and certainly were not to feed them. So, lathered in sunscreen and armed with hats, cameras and sensible shoes, we shuffled into our 14-person panga to be transported to Santa Cruz Island.

Core strength on, I attempted agility and competence in my disembarkation from the boat bobbing in the shallow water. No trips or tumbles – good start. Glancing at the gentle rise of the hill ahead, I saw a sea lion sprawled across the narrow track, only five metres away. Immediately, the shiny, squidgy sausage with flippers was quietly approached and snapped on devices by many smitten admirers. Our subject cast a lazy glance in our direction, dark eyes rimmed with long lashes closed in indifference, and a snort punctuated the apathetic flop back to horizontal.

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As another panga landed behind us, our naturalist guide, Henry, tried to move us along with the reassurance that this was not the sole sea lion in the Galapagos, “Jes, amigos, there will be many more.”

Reaching the top of the hill, we stopped and gawped – there were sea lions everywhere, hundreds of them! Sleeping and nuzzling in contentment, galumphing and shuffling in the security that the visitors posed no threat – they were at home and their placid demeanours were an open invitation to the two-legged guests.

There is surprising diversity in landscape, flora and fauna on each of the islands in this remote archipelago. Genovesa Island revealed an abundance of birdlife, and Henry soon introduced us to the three types of boobies that inhabited it – the blue-footed, red-footed and Nazca boobies. While the blue and red-footed were intriguing to look at with their brightly coloured palmates, the Nazca boobies were aptly marked with cartoon burglar masks, which suited their nasty tendency to kill the young of other birds.

Too much testosterone makes them the biggest bullies in the Galapagos bird world.

As with all animals on the islands, these birds were not fazed by our presence, not even glancing our way as we followed the traveller path, which took us within reach of their nest where they snuggled with their chicks. When Henry stood in the open

travel A U T U M N

“Fe r n a nd i n a I sl a nd t r a n s p or t e d u s b a ck t o p r eh i s t or ic t i me s w i t h i t s m a r i ne i g u a n a i n h a b i t a nt s cove r i n g i t s c r a g g y s u r fa ce .” with his arms outstretched like an airport traffic controller, a low flying red-footed juvenile booby landed on his arm as if he were a conveniently placed tree.

Following our guide in single file, we soon noticed a couple of Espanola mocking birds hopping along beside us, like pet dogs, watching us with tilted heads. Once we stopped with daypacks on the ground, the birds immediately went to the bags to see if they could get at our water bottles. Discovering they were shut tight, they tapped them with their beaks and looked up, waiting expectantly. Henry explained that this response is a relatively new one for the birds, in terms of evolution. Over the years tourists have clearly ignored instructions and given the birds fresh water, which may seem kind, but in fact stops them from finding the fresh water themselves.

The volcanic rock of our next stop, Fernandina Island, transported us back to prehistoric times with its marine iguana inhabitants covering its craggy surface. The static creatures were almost invisible against the black, hardened lava, and it was easy to nearly

misstep, until a spiky head lifted and snorted seawater in greeting.

Gazing about, it was as though the rock was still molten as the beasts slowly readjusted their lounging poses in the sun.

Our week aboard Isabela II did not feel long enough. There were many more islands to explore and wonders to experience.

Nowhere else in the world are you able to get so close to so many wild creatures, whose absence of fear of their admirers makes them charming hosts and perfect photo subjects. This is a destination that is high on many a nature lover’s travel list, and I would jump at the chance to visit again. CWL Words: Nicole Bonfield Images: John Baltaks

ABOVE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Galapagos marine iguanas on Fernandina Island; Nazca boobies on Espanola Island; Sea lions on Espanola Island; Isabela II moored off Fernandina Island; Giant tortoise and ducks on Santa Cruz Island; Christmas marine iguana on Espanola Island; A juvenile red-footed booby landing on the arm of our naturalist guide, Henry, on Genovesa Island; Blue-footed booby on Santa Cruz Island.

FACING PAGE: Red rock crab on Fernandina Island.

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Our qualified staff offer professional and friendly health advice. We have a wide range of in-store services and products including: • • • •

CPAP equipment Home medication review Meds checks Nurse (baby weighing, blood pressure) • Flu vacinations service • French fragrance

• • • • • •

Leather wallets & handbags L’Occitane Clarins Dr LeWinn’s Revlon & Maybelline Pamper Me Plus (beauty room)

P: 02 6742 0024

Free home delivery Monday to Friday

270 – 274 Conadilly St, Gunnedah, NSW, 2380

karencarterchemist.com.au

jack&jills CAFÉ

Breakfast & lunch, cakes and slices baked in-house, Altitude coffee and a wide range of teas, milkshakes and cold drinks.

Indoor and outdoor seating Catering available

Open 7 days Mon - Fri 6am-5pm Saturday 6am-12pm Sunday 7am-12pm

213 Conadilly Street Gunnedah

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P: 02 6742 5500

We’re a part of your world.

Gunnedah Newsagency ‘We Deliver’

Stationery, ink/toner cartridges, magazines, maps, lotto, gifts and more...

ARMIDALE COONABARABRAN GUNNEDAH INVERELL NARRABRI TAMWORTH

260 Conadilly St Gunnedah NSW 2380 P: 02 6742 0677 E: admin@gunnedahnewsagency.com.au

www.forsyths.com.au 1300 447 007

Something for everyone!

• • • • • • • •

Louenhide handbags Glasshouse candles Adrift, Jendi and evening wear Love Henry Korango children’s wear Django and Juliette Diana Ferrari shoes Bobux childrens leather shoes

Exquisite giftwares, homewares, jewellery, handbags and more.

Opening hours Mon - Fri 9-5, Sat 9-12.30

02 6742 2895

sales@goodnessandgracious.com.au CWL 187

The Carrigan family, Zac and Ellie Carrigan, with Andy and Georgie Carrigan, Nat and Kate Groves.

CWL SUMMER 2017 LAUNCH Gunnedah

A jubilant crowd of more than 80 Gunnedah locals recently celebrated the launch of the Summer 2017 edition of Central West Lifestyle Magazine.

The Mayor of Gunnedah, Cr Jamie Chaffey, Deputy Mayor Cr Gae Swain, senior council staff, advertisers and local identities attended the official launch of the brand new edition, which is dedicated to uncovering the beauty, history, culture and bush spirit found in this special north west town and its surrounding area.

Held at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery on Friday evening, November 17, the launch was enhanced with magnificent catering by Tara Spence and Chris Harbour together with their staff from Jack and Jill’s Café.

The evening was emceed by Chris Frend, Gunnedah Tourism and Cultural Precinct Supervisor. He welcomed guests and introduced the evening by commenting that he was “blown away” by the 100-page feature on Gunnedah.

The Mayor expressed his pride in being part of the project, which he felt had depicted the Gunnedah area beautifully to a large and diverse Central West Lifestyle readership.

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“We all know Gunnedah is the Land of Opportunity, and a place that is known for its friendliness and strong sense of community,” Cr Chaffey said.

Elizabeth Tickle, Editor and Publisher of Central West Lifestyle, thanked the council for its vision in collaborating with the magazine and acknowledged the important role local advertisers played. She paid tribute to the talented Central West Lifestyle team for their work, and welcomed those team members present on the evening.

Jake Lindsay, features writer and photographer, spoke of his love for Gunnedah.

“Gunnedah has always been a great place to raise a family. Young people are shaping this town and it is obvious there is wonderful leadership here in this community, especially in council,” Jake said.

The edition is on sale at the Gunnedah Newsagency and in more than 200 stockists across NSW. Its cover features a young local farming couple, Kate and Nat Groves, pictured with their daughters, Grace and Elsie, in a cotton field at “Myalla’’ Gunnedah. CWL Visit www.centralwestmagazine.com.au for more information.

Words: Elizabeth Tickle Images: Zenio Lapka and Christoph Nagele – My Gunnedah

events A U T U M N

Don Finlay, ‘Glidon’ Mullalay with Tracie Finlay, Willow and Fli, Gunnedah.

Juliana and Peter McArthur, Oldfield Poll Herefords, Emerald Hill.

Garry O’Gorman and Trish O’Gorman, with Don Ewing, Ewing Real Estate (centre).

Renee and Craig Neale, Wholegrain Milling Co, Gunnedah.

Geoff Dawson, Skinny Lizard Longhorns, with Nat Groves, ‘Myalla’ Gunnedah.

Karen Carter, Karen Carter Chemist, Jake Lindsay, CWL Features writer and photographer, with Kellie Bennett and Jo Kelly both from Forsyths.

Alice Weinthal, Walker Beer Solicitors, Gunnedah with Robert Weinthal.

Mike and Gwenda Barnier with Ann and John Sturgess, Gunnedah Newsagency.

Mayor of Gunnedah Cr Jamie Chaffey with Deputy Mayor Cr Gae Swain.

Don Ewing with daughter, Lauren Robertson, Ewing Real Estate, Gunnedah.

Chris Frend, Gunnedah Tourism and Cultural Precinct Supervisor and Master of Ceremonies at the Gunnedah Launch with Elizabeth Tickle.

Susie Martin, Goodness and Gracious, with sister, Carly Donnelly and mother, Glynis Thibault.

Andrew and Angela Ordish with daughter Emma (centre).

Alex Tickle, CWL Publisher, with Ian and Lyn Pine of Emerald Hil.

Gerard Broekman and Tanya Palmer, Namoi Valley Bricks.

Janice and Chris Mammen.

Judy Chaffey with Jake Lindsay and Cr Helen Tickle, Deputy Mayor of Tamworth.

Jody Parkes, Care Services Manager, Mackellar Care with Sandra Strong, CEO Mackellar Care, Gunnedah.

Jenny Mathews and Nicole Robinson, Old Bank Gallery, Gunnedah.

CWL 189

Wholegrain Milling, millers of superior flours and grains for the discerning baker

P: 02 6742 3939 www.wholegrain.com.au For all enquiries please contact sales@wholegrain.com.au

190 CWL

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.

Annual On-Property Bull Sale 50 Bulls First Friday of September

Since 1984

Grass-Fed Only • Top Performance • Industry Leading Sires Free delivery in NSW & to Goondiwindi Emerald Hill via Gunnedah NSW • Peter McArthur 0427 431 521

Find us on Facebook or visit our website: www.oldfield.com.au CWL 191

A U T U M N events

WELLINGTON OPEN GARDENS Wellington Wellington Garden Group held an open garden day on October 22, 2017, as part of the bicentennial celebrations marking the entry into the Wellington Valley by John Oxley and his party on August 19, 1817.

The theme for the day was Historic Homes & Their Gardens.

Six gardens were opened: Ross and Kate Plasto’s ‘Keston’, c. 1897; Jon and Margie White’s ‘Narrawa’, c. 1908; Tony and Penny Inder’s ‘Nyrang’, c. 1898; Peter & Christine Conn’s ‘Towri’, c. 1880s; Terry Frost’s 51 Simpson Street, c. 1921; and Noel and Helen Grime’s 109 Arthur Street, c. 1919.

Sheila Bryant, Wellington, Anne Charlesworth, Bathurst, with Liz Dutton, Wellington.

Penny and Tony Inder, owners of ‘Nyrang’ Wellington, a large waterwise country garden.

Back: Nancy McColl and Kay McGrath, both from Parkes. Front: Pam Thomson and Judy Ellis, both from Forbes, Coral Barber, Parkes, Bev Penguilley, Eugowra, with Janette Thomas, Forbes.

Noel and Helen Grimes, owners of a champion prize winning Wellington town garden at 109 Arthur Street.

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Some 1000 visitors enjoyed a day of perfect weather, with delicious lunches and morning teas, interesting plant and garden stalls and local musicians.

Four Wellington schools – Wellington High School, Wellington Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic School and Wellington Christian School – will benefit equally from the $26,600 raised on the day. CWL Words: Di Whittle, President Wellington Garden Club Images: Elizabeth Tickle

Sue McLeish, Geurie, with her daughter, Alice Mitchell, from Maryvale, via Geurie.

Kate and Ross Plasto, ‘Keston’, Montefiores, own a well established landscaped country garden featuring a stone barn and cottage.

Chris and Peter Conn, Towri, Wellington shared a newly established country garden where many beautiful roses were admired.

Terry Frost, owner of a colourful town garden at 51 Simpson Street, Wellington.

Margie and Jon White, ‘Narrawa’, Wellington, shared their garden featuring a parkland of trees and sculptures.

Jennifer Purdie, Forbes, Lyn and Dennis Winter, Parkes, Judy Smith, Eugowra, Tup Drabsch, Forbes.

Jan Payne, member of the Wellington Garden Group, displaying artworks from Kinrock Gallery, Wellington.

Bill and Wendy Dickens, Dubbo.

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MORE INFORMATION www.discovertheriches.com.au www.cabonnecountry.com.au

CABONNE COUNCIL Ph 02 6392 3200 www.cabonne.nsw.gov.au

Gunnedah Fashion Fabrics Patchwork fabrics including a great range of flannels, day wear fabrics, haberdashery, ribbons and tubed buttons, Kwiksew and Simplicity patterns, wool & yarn, and Janome sewing machines.

P: 02 6742 1235 177 Conadilly Street, Gunnedah CWL 193

A U T U M N events

COLLECTOR’S EDITION LAUNCH Orange A night of reflection and celebration was shared by about 60 guests when The Collector’s Edition Volume 1 was launched in style at Kate Jones@one nineteen, in Orange, in late September.

Temora Shire Council’s Economic Development Officer, Craig Sinclair, emceed the evening. After a warm welcome was extended by Orange Mayor, Cr Reg Kidd, the Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee, officially launched the publication.

Seven mayors and deputy mayors from across the

state were in attendance as well as representatives from well-known businesses that had advertised in this special publication.

Featuring 50 iconic stories from the first 18 editions of Central West Lifestyle, The Collector’s Edition has quickly become a sought-after publication. Copies of this glossy magazine can be purchased in newsagencies and are available online. Stockists can be viewed on our website at www.centralwestmagazine.com.au. CWL Words: Elizabeth Tickle Images: Zenio Lapka

Economic Development Officer, Temora Shire Council, Craig Sinclair, Deputy Mayor of Tamworth Council, Cr Helen Tickle, Margaret Seymour with Cr John Seymour OAM, Mayor of Coolamon Shire Council, Deputy Mayor of Cowra Council, Judi Smith, Mayor of Carbonne Council, Cr Kevin Beatty, Mayor of Orange Council, Cr Reg Kidd, Cr Bruce Reynolds, Blayney Shire Council, Member for Calare, Andrew Gee, Tina Gee, Cr Maree Statham, Lithgow Council, Jane Medcalf with Mayor of Lachlan Shire Council, Cr John Medcalf, Cr Alan Ewin, Blayney Shire Council, Publishers of Central West Lifestyle, Elizabeth and Alex Tickle.

Melanie Monico, Community Development and Tourism project Officer, Blayney Shire Council with Bridie Kramer, Kings Plains.

Jay and Sampa Bhakta, Jemalong Wool, Forbes with CWL writer Catherine Player, Orange.

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Jane Medcalf and Paula Ewing from Lachlan Shire Council.

Natalie and Peter Snare, Talbragar Street Newsagency, Dubbo with Christine and Greg Nash, Parkes News and Gifts, Parkes.

Headmaster of The Scots School Bathurst, David Gates, with Lynda Ireland, Promotions and Enrolments, The Scots School and Michael Ireland, Bathurst.

Kerry Kidd, Orange , Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee with Dianne Gee, Lucknow Skin and Boot Barn.

Ian Frecklington, Hollywood Angus, Peak Hill, Alex Tickle, CWL Publisher with Cr Reg Kidd, Mayor of Orange.

Elizabeth and Alex Tickle with owner of Kate Jones@one nineteen, Orange and hostess for the evening Kate Jones.

XERO Gold Partner

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Home of the State’s Barefoot Ski Competition

www.amazingforbesnsw.com

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 CWL 195

A U T U M N events

upcoming events Mudgee Show and Rodeo 2 – 3 MARCH

Mudgee Showground Allison Beer (02) 6372 4099 secretary@mudgeeshow.org.au www.mudgeeshow.org.au

Boorowa Show 2 – 3 MARCH

Boorowa Showground Narelle Nixon (02) 6385 5217 boorowashow@hotmail.com visithilltopsregion.com.au

140th Blayney Show 3 MARCH

Blayney Showground Helen Burton (02) 63682270 phburton@bigpond.com

Greta Bradman Celebrates St Clement’s Centenary 10 MARCH

St Clement’s Retreat & Conference Centre, Galong Sue Rolfe (02) 6380 5222 info@stclement.com.au www.stclement.com.au

Heritage Transport Rally 10 – 11 MARCH

Oberon Railway Station Precinct Elaine Boxer (02) 6336 0441 admin@othr.com.au www.othr.com.au

Young Harness Racing Carnival of Cups 11 MARCH

Young Showground (02) 6382 1235 youngharness@bigpond.com.au visithilltopsregion.com.au

Flavours on the Farm 11 MARCH

Lazy River Estate, Dubbo Kelly McCutcheon (02) 6882 2111 events@lazyriverestate.com.au www.lazyriverestate.com.au

Boorowa International Women’s Day 11 MARCH

Boorowa Ex-Services Club Janene Hurley (02) 6385 1330 Janene.hurley@hilltops.nsw.gov.au

Textures of One 16 – 18 MARCH

Blayney Community Centre Loretta Kervin 0407 058 352 texturesofone@hotmail.com www.texturesofone.com.au

Binda Picnic Races 17 MARCH

Funny Hill, Binda Racecourse Dianne Layden 0466 996 426 dlayden2@yahoo.com.au Facebook: Binda Races

Western Sheep Breeders Race Meeting

AutumnFest 8 APRIL

17 MARCH

Warren Showground and Racecourse Warren Jockey Club (02) 6847 3749 info@warrenjockeyclub.com www.warrenjockeyclub.com

Mudgee Food and Drink Trail 17 – 18 MARCH

Various locations in Mudgee Mudgee Wine Grape Growers Association (02) 6372 7409 www.mudgeewine.com.au

Cowra Community Markets

17 MARCH, 21 APRIL & 19 MAY

Mayfield Garden, Oberon (02) 6336 3131 info@mayfieldgarden.com.au www.mayfieldgarden.com.au

27 Blenheim Avenue, Oberon 0427 070 956 gairloch@lowfamily.id.au www.gairlochgarden.com

Five gardens in and around Dubbo Prue Thompson 0429 771 373 dubbocanassist@gmail.com

Autumn Festival

5 MAY

14 – 29 APRIL

Gluttony

Mayfield Garden Park Drive 15 APRIL

Mayfield Garden, Oberon Heidi Stevens 0411 642 529 info@mayfieldgarden.com.au www.mayfieldgarden.com.au

Lambing Flat Chinese Festival 24 MARCH

Young Melanie Ford (02) 6382 3394 melanie.ford@hilltops.nsw.gov.au www.visithilltopsregion.com.au

Forbes Good Friday Camel Races 30 MARCH

Forbes Racecourse Forbes Services Memorial Club (02) 6852 1488 forbescamelraces@gmail.com Facebook: Forbes Camel Races

Blayney Hay Bale Art Challenge 16 – 22 APRIL

In paddocks of Blayney & villages Blayney Shire Council (02) 6368 2104 council@blayney.nsw.gov.au www.blayney.nsw.gov.au

Forbes Rodeo 18 APRIL

Forbes Rodeo Inc 0422 395 030 forbesrodeo@outlook.com Facebook: Forbes Rodeo Inc

Man from Ironbark Festival

Blayney Anglican Parish Annual Book Fair

Molong Street, Stuart Town Marcus Hanney 0417 467 459 manfromironbark@hotmail.com Facebook: manfromironbarkfestival

Blayney Anglican Parish Hall Elizabeth Russ (02) 63682122 or 0408682122 elizabeth.russ@hotmail.com

Orange FOOD Week

Mudgee Races

Orange and surrounds Jes Cunningham 0405 001 455 foodadmin@orangefoodweek.com.au www.orangefoodweek.com.au

Mudgee Racecourse Colleen Walker (02) 6372 6035 colleen@hwy.com.au

31 MARCH

Kandos CWA Gardens Fair 7 – 8 APRIL

12 town and country gardens in Kandos and Rylstone and surrounds Margot Palk 0417 029 457 www.kandosgardensfair.com

Millthorpe Markets 8 APRIL

20 – 21 & 27 – 28 APRIL

22 APRIL

6 – 15 APRIL

Millthorpe Public School & Redmond Oval Rachel Booth 0404 084 268 contactmillthorpemarkets@gmail.com www.millthorpemarkets.com

NSW Country Rugby Championships 27 – 29 APRIL

Victoria Park, Warren Greg Whiteley 0427 474 516 gregwhiteley5@bigpond.com Facebook: NSW Country Rugby Championships

Red Hot Summer Tour 28 APRIL

Lazy River Estate, Dubbo Kelly McCutcheon (02) 6882 2111 event@lazyriverestate.com.au www.redhotsummertour.com.au

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

196 CWL

Carcoar Showground chmuseum@hotmail.com www.carcoarvillage.com

Can Assist Garden Day

14 – 15, 21 – 22 & 28 – 29 APRIL

Mayfield Garden, Oberon (02) 6336 3131 info@mayfieldgarden.com.au www.mayfieldgarden.com.au

The Yard, Old Dubbo Gaol, Dubbo odg@dubbo.nsw.gov.au www.olddubbogaol.com.au

29 APRIL

Gairloch Open Garden

Cowra Showground Pavilion Kaye Chapman 0473 346 046 kanick@bigpond.com 23 MARCH

Down to Earth Gardening Expo and Plant Fair

C o m p i l e d b y H e a t h e r C ro s b y

29 APRIL

Boorowa Races Boorowa Showground John Kelly (02) 6385 8405 janene.hurley@hilltops.nsw.gov.au www.visithilltopsregion.com.au

Gooree Cup Race Day 6 MAY

Mudgee Racecourse Colleen Walker (02) 6372 6035 colleen@hwy.com.au

Collector Village Pumpkin Festival 6 MAY

Bourke Street, Collector Gary Poile 0401 811 233 collectorpumpkinfestival@gmail.com www.pumpkinfestival.com.au

Regional Australia Bank Dubbo Show 11 – 13 MAY

Dubbo Showground Sue Hood (02) 6882 4364 dubbshow@hwy.com.au www.dubboshow.org

Crookwell Potato Festival 12 MAY

Crookwell Showground Joyce Edwards (02) 4832 1988 secretary@crookwellpotatofestival.com.au www.crookwellpotatofestival.com.au

Mother’s Day Luncheon 13 MAY

Lazy River Estate, Dubbo Kelly McCutcheon (02) 6882 2111 events@lazyriverestate.com.au www.lazyriverestate.com.au

Bligh Picnic Races 19 MAY

Mudgee Racecourse Colleen Walker (02) 6372 6035 colleen@hwy.com.au

Stars of Young Dance for Cancer 25 MAY

Young Lily White (02) 6937 2608 lily.white@nswcc.org.au

Warren Show 26 MAY

Warren Showground and Racecourse Warren Pastoral and Agricultural Association (02) 6847 6314 warrenshow@hotmail.com Facebook: Warren Show All events are subject to change and we recommend contacting the organisers to confirm details.

Handmade colourful canvas swings for little ones.

For 6 months – 18kgs

T: 0408 254 325

www.sleepyjays.com.au

CWL 197

A U T U M N weddings

SUMMERSON + BIRD Gabrielle Summerson and Lewis Bird were married at Mayfield Garden, Oberon, on September 2, 2017.

In attendance were Lewis and Gabrielle’s closest friends and family as well as a bridal party of 20 to help them celebrate their special day.

The weather allowed for a beautiful ceremony to be held on the Mayfield Lawn with the signature obelisk and pond as the backdrop. Guests enjoyed delicious canapés and drinks before sitting down to a communal feast, which showcased Mayfield’s Paddock & Garden to Plate menu, from produce grown on site.

The couple honeymooned in Uganda and are living in Sydney.

Photographer: Henry Paul Photography

ABOVE LEFT: Chris Merchant, Brad Draper, Justin Collins, John McKenzie, Leigh Monaghan, Joshua Summerson, Dane Traeger, Harrison Bird, Xavier Summerson, Lewis Bird, Pastor Vince Harris, Gabrielle Bird, Stella Henderson, Annie Summerson, Meg Summerson, Christy Hingston, Olivia Bird, Ashley Bird, Kylie Bird, Elissa Chapman and Sarah Sligar.

198 CWL

Paleface Arcade, 242 Hoskins St Temora, New South Wales (02) 6977 4122 info@debsjewellery.com

www.debsjewellery.com

MODERN ITALIAN RESTAURANT | FUNCTIONS | EVENTS CASCADES MOTOR INN & BELLOTTI’S ITALIAN DINING 147 COBRA ST, DUBBO 02 6882 3888

RESTAURANT LUNCH FRIDAY – SUNDAY FROM 12PM DINNER THURSDAY – SUNDAY FROM 5.30PM WWW.CASCADESMOTORINN.COM.AU

BELLOTTISITALIANDINING

CWL 199

A U T U M N weddings

McRAE + TURPIN Paula McRae and Joel Turpin were married at Paula’s family property, “Avoca”, Tottenham, on April 14, 2017.

Some 120 guests were in attendance, including those who travelled from England, Ireland, Guernsey, France and America.

All siblings were involved in the celebration. Paula’s sister, Tanya Miller, was matron of honour, and the couple’s brothers Brad McRae and Emile Turpin were groomsmen. Paula’s brothers, Allan and Adrian McRae, acted as the MC and performed the wedding song, respectively.

The couple’s nieces and nephews Harriet, Augustus and Alan McRae and Oliver, Georgia, Toby and Madeline Miller were included as flower girls and page boys.

Special touches on the day included the reception menu featuring “Avoca” beef and hand-picked gum leaves and daisies from the property used to decorate tables and hay bales.

Joel and Paula enjoyed their honeymoon in Africa and Europe before making their home in Sydney.

Photographer: Edwina Robertson Photography

LEFT: Back: Liesel Schmidt, Brad McRae, Teneille Paul, Emile Turpin, and Bridgette Peacocke. Front: Alan O’Keeffe, Tanya Miller, Paula and Joel Turpin and Matthew Ashton.

200 CWL

winter issue SPRING 2015

NARRABRI

Available June 2018 Subscribe to experience the magazine in print or online: www.centralwestmagazine.com.au

Corner of Brisbane and Wingewarra Streets Dubbo NSW 2830 Phone: 02 6882 4411 Fax: 026881 8062

/DubboRSL

CWL 201

A U T U M N weddings

LINK + WALKER Steve Walker and Beth Link were married at St Laurence’s Church, Forbes.

The couple exchanged their vows in the traditional church ceremony in front of 208 guests. Afterwards, the guests danced the night away at Beth and Steve’s reception at the historic Forbes Town Hall.

JD Events, Edwena Mitchell Catering, Bespoke Country Weddings, Justin Walker Fine Furniture and Troy Howe Electrical all assisted with making the day special.

Friends and family also helped create a magical setting with Beth’s good friend, Edwina Bartholomew, spending hours putting together the floral arrangements.

Beth and Steve had a dream honeymoon in the Maldives before settling in to their home in Forbes.

Photographer: Jack of Hearts Studio

RIGHT: Sarah Le Quesne, Stephen Smith, Abby Nolan, Grant Walker, Beth and Steve Walker, Ashley Acheson, Amy Buttner, Andrew Walker and Danielle Post.

202 CWL

“A 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

Parkes

‘The Wedding Suit Specialists’ CWL 203

A U T U M N story name

the rite guy Aaron McDonnell said “I do” to a career change and is living happily ever after.

Becoming a civil celebrant was an unexpected career detour for Aaron McDonnell, a political adviser and public affairs officer who has poured his energy and ability into community engagement and government.

The deviation occurred a few years ago when good friends decided to marry. One was Catholic, the other an atheist. They opted for a civil ceremony but didn’t want to randomly select a celebrant from Google or the phonebook.

The answer seemed simple – ask Aaron to be the celebrant.

“The idea had never occurred to me but I was happy to give it a go,” he says.

“Qualifying as a legally authorised civil celebrant and establishing the business Ceremonies by Aaron has opened up a wonderful new world for me.

“I love the opportunity to meet new and interesting people and travel to all sorts of places.”

Aaron has conducted more than 20 weddings so far and already has another 27 booked over the next 12 months. Ceremony locations range from beaches, parks, farms and mountains to shearing sheds, restaurants and arboretums.

“I’m currently on the lookout for a Batman suit to preside over a fun wedding where the bride and groom plan to dress as super heroes, and they asked me to match their wedding theme,” Aaron says.

“I’ve conducted ceremonies in metropolitan cities including Sydney and Melbourne and in a range of regional and rural locations. Each occasion is different so I don’t like to work from a standard wedding template. Ceremonies are tailormade for the people involved.”

While weddings make up the bulk of his business, Aaron is also available for commitment, dedication and naming ceremonies, renewal of marriage vows and memorial and funeral services.

Born in Wagga Wagga and raised on the land in the Riverina, Aaron gained qualifications in politics and international relations at the Australian National University in Canberra. He has travelled extensively throughout the world and worked in clubs and pubs, a funeral home, retail and restaurants before carving a niche as a political adviser for a number of politicians.

204 CWL

Deciding on a tree change, Aaron returned to Wagga Wagga and joined the government and community relations staff of Charles Sturt University.

He enjoys spending time with family, friends, and his chocolate Labrador Beau. In his spare time he is studying a Masters in Secondary Education. CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Simply Pure Photography and Kelsey Jayne Photography

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Marrying Emma and Phillip McCarron at Lazy River Estate; Aaron with Sarah and Ryan Gormly at The Woolpress on Lake Hume; Aaron with Ryan Gormly’s groomsmen.

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CWL 205

Our Advertisers AUTUMN 2018 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.

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BLAYNEY SHIRE COUNCIL Blayney, 6368 3534 visitblayney.com.au

BOB BERRY REAL ESTATE Dubbo, 6882 6822 bobberry.com.au

BUDDENS B&B

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COURTHOUSE COTTAGE B&B Temora, 6978 1911 courthousecottage.com.au

Gulgong, 0458 487 706 www.gulgongbandb.com

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GUNNEDAH SHIRE COUNCIL Gunnedah, 6740 2100 gunnedah.nsw.gov.au

HART BROS SEEDS

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CASCADES MOTOR INN & BELLOTTI’S ITALIAN DINING Dubbo, 6882 3888 cascadesmotorinn.com.au

CATHOLIC EDUCATION DIOCESE OF BATHURST Bathurst, 6338 3000 bth.catholic.edu.au

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MONTE CRISTO GHOST TOURS

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FISH RIVER ROASTERS Bathurst, 6331 7171

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PEACOCKE ACCOUNTANTS

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Gunnedah, 6742 0024 karencarterchemist.com.au

FORBES SHIRE COUNCIL

KLR MARKETING

Gunnedah, 6743 0800 forsyths.com.au

SOUTH EASTERN LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE

TEMORA EX-SERVICES CLUB, GOLDTERA MOTOR INN & KOREELA PARK MOTOR INN

KINGS HALL JEWELLERS

FORSYTHS

TOYOTA CENTRAL WEST GROUP

Gulargambone, 0408 254 325 sleepyjays.com.au

PARKES SHIRE COUNCIL

Wellington & Dubbo, 0410 363 429 flowershere.com.au

CHATTERCHINOS

SLEEPY JAYS BABY SWINGS

Oberon, 6335 8116 tattykeel.com.au

Dubbo, 6885 3500 kingshall.com.au

Bathurst, 0428 953 925 klrmarketing.com.au

KYAH WILSON ART

Dubbo, 0439 996 730 kyahwilson.com.au

PARKES NEWS & GIFTS

Parkes, 6862 6000 parkes.nsw.gov.au

Dubbo, 6882 3933 peacockeaccountants.com.au

PERENNIALLE PLANTS

Canowindra, 0427 077 798 perennialle.com.au

PINN COTTAGE

Crookwell, 0421 457 135 pinncottage.com.au

PLAINSMAN MOTEL Forbes, 6852 2466

PLC ARMIDALE

Armidale, 6770 1700 plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au

PRDNATIONWIDE JUNEE Junee, 6924 1371 prdjunee.com.au

PRESS

Dubbo, 6885 0621 pressdubbo.com.au

PRESSED TIN PANELS Bathurst, 6332 1738 pressedtinpanels.com

PREZZIES

Coonabarabran, 6842 2660

TOWN & COUNTRY RURAL SUPPLIES

Bathurst, 6332 4044 townandcountrybathurst.com.au

Coonabarabran, 6842 2822

Gilgandra, 6847 1880

JUNEE LICORICE & CHOCOLATE FACTORY

EWE TWO ON DANDALOO

OUTSCAPE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

Crookwell, 4832 2319

SISTERELLEA’S

I LUV HAIR & BEAUTY

EASY LIVING FOOTWEAR

Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange 6332 3822 elfshoes.com.au

OLDFIELD POLL HEREFORDS

Coonabarabran, 6842 6211 sidingspring.com.au

Parkes, 6862 2296 parkesnewsagency.com.au

JUDE FLEMING PAINTER

Young, 1800 219 496 dunkinsurance.com.au

Coonabarabran, 6842 1460

206 CWL

TOP PADDOCK

Grenfell, 6343 8288 outscape.net.au

DUNK INSURANCE

Forbes, 6852 4155 forbes.nsw.gov.au

Gunnedah, 0422 375 413 chatterchinos.com.au

SIDING SPRING OBSERVATORY

Yass, 6226 1264

Central West & Riverina, 6933 7900 hutcheonandpearce.com.au

JEMALONG WOOL

CAFE DOLCETTO

MILLER’S PHARMACY

Gunnedah, 0427 431 521 oldfield.com.au

Gunnedah, 6742 5500

TIBUC GARDENS CAFE & ACCOMMODATION

Yass, 0447 225 524 tootsienotagallery.com.au

Orange, 6362 9436 mikecrowley.com.au

HILLTOPS COUNCIL

DUBBO PRINTING WORKS

Coonabarabran, 0447 148 276

Yass, 0403 999 899

TOOTSIE ART & DESIGN

CRYSTAL KINGDOM

Temora, 6977 4122 debsjewellery.com

SALTS OF THE HIMALAYAS

Murrumbateman, 6227 5827 shawvineyards.com.au

Orange, 6361 7777

DEB’S JEWELLERY

THYME TO TASTE

Coonabarabran, 0414 243 697

SHAW VINEYARD ESTATE

Murrumbateman, 0410 699 262 hillgrovepottery.com.au

HUTCHEON & PEARCE

SADDLERY BY THOMPSON

MIKE CROWLEY & ASSOCIATES

Dubbo, 6882 8911 cramptonscarpets.com.au

Narromine, 0428 890 151 cultivateadvisory.com.au

Yass, 6226 1158 thunderbirdmotel.com.au

Coonabarabran, 0455 112 535 tibucgardens.com

NORMAN J. PENHALL FUNERALS

CULTIVATE ADVISORY

THUNDERBIRD MOTEL

Coolamon, 0412 177 230

Junee, 0408 241 594 sandybeachboutique.com.au

HILLGROVE POTTERY

Coonabarabran, 6842 1927

West Wyalong, 6972 0393 tdhww.com.au

SANDY BEACH BOUTIQUE

CRAMPTON’S CARPETS

Young, 6380 1200 visithilltopsregion.com.au

ST. MICHAEL’S CONVENT

THOM, DICK AND HARRY’S

Yass, 6226 1240

HAY’S GIFT & GARDENWARE Parkes, 6862 4002

Dubbo, 6882 5362 rubymaine.com.au

Gilgandra, 6847 0500

MERCHANT CAMPBELL

Cowra, 6342 4333 cowratourism.com.au

DUBBO RSL CLUB

Molong, 6392 3200 discovertheriches.com.au

Bowning, 0413 476 255 mayfieldmews.com.au

NARELLAN POOLS WESTERN PLAINS

BYNG STREET LOCAL STORE

CABONNE COUNCIL

MAYFIELD MEWS

GUNNEDAH NEWSAGENCY

Gunnedah, 6742 1235

JACK & JILL’S CAFE

Parkes, 6862 1408 byrneclothing.com.au

Oberon, 6336 3131 mayfieldgarden.com.au

Junee, 0409 945 204 montecristo.com.au

Dubbo, 6882 1233 printingworks.com

BYRNE CLOTHING

MAYFIELD GARDEN

GUNNEDAH FASHION FABRICS

Gulargambone, 0428 438 253 Orange, 6369 0768 byngstreet.com.au

Dubbo, Wellington & Cobar, 6884 4077 maxastrioptometrists.com

Sydney, 9258 0123 nationaltrust.org.au/nsw

COWRA TOURISM CORP

THE WHITE PLACE

Dubbo, 6884 1166

ARMATREE HOTEL

Coonabarabran, 6842 2239 barkalafarmstay.com.au

Bathurst, 6333 4702 scots.edu.au

Orange, 6363 1160 thewhiteplace.com.au

Dubbo, 6884 0790 cscdubbo.com.au

Yass, 6226 3456 clementinerestaurant.com.au

Dubbo, 6882 4777 qualityinndubbo.com.au

THE SCOTS SCHOOL

Junee, 6924 1044

Crookwell, 0407 254 954

AUSTRALIAN ALPACA YARN

LUCKNOW SKIN SHOP & BOOT BARN

QUALITY INN DUBBO INTERNATIONAL

RAILWAY STATION CAFE

Gunnedah, 6742 2895

Armatree, 6848 5805

Coolamon, 0499 184 927

Lucknow, 6365 5330 lucknowskinshop.com.au

Ganmain, 6927 6401

Murrumbateman, 0431 552 640 clearviewcoaching.com.au

ARCADIA CROOKWELL

LITTLE RUSTIC PANTRY

TASTEBUDS ON DALGARNO Coonabarabran, 0431 862 357

TATTYKEEL

Temora, 6977 2433 temoraexservices.com.au

THE COFFEE CLUB ORANA MALL Dubbo, 6882 0347 coffeeclub.com.au

THE CROSSING MOTEL Junee, 6924 3255 thecrossingmotel.com

THE HUB

Bathurst, 6332 1565

THE LION’S PRIDE

Dubbo, 6884 3333 thelionspride.com.au

THE NEST AT GUNDAROO Gundaroo, 6236 8460 thenestgundaroo.com.au

THE NEXT GRIND COFFEE SHOP & GALLERY Gilgandra, 6847 2707

Central West, 6882 1511 toyota.com.au

UNITY PRODUCTIONS

Temora, 0432 902 619 unityproductions.com.au

UPPER LACHLAN SHIRE COUNCIL

Crookwell, 4832 1988 www.visitupperlachlan.com.au

WALGETT SHIRE COUNCIL Walgett, 6829 1670 walgett.nsw.gov.au

WONGAJONG AG

Ardlethan, 0428 782 271 w-ag.com.au

WALLINGTON WINES

Canowindra, 0427 936 054 wallingtonwines.com.au

WARRUMBUNGLE SHIRE COUNCIL

Coonabarabran, 6849 2000 warrumbungle.nsw.gov.au

WEST ORANGE MOTORS

Orange, 6361 1000 mbwestorangemotors.com.au

WESTERN PLAINS CULTURAL CENTRE

Dubbo, 6801 4444 westernplainsculturalcentre.org

WESTERN PLAINS WINDOWS & GLASS Dubbo, 6884 8818 wpwg.com.au

WHOLEGRAIN MILLING Gunnedah, 6742 3939 wholegrain.com.au

WILLOW & FLI

Gunnedah, 6742 6820 willowandfli.com

YASS LITTLE LEARNERS

Yass, 6226 2982 yasslittlelearners.com.au

YASS REAL ESTATE

Yass, 6226 1922 yassrealestate.com.au

YASS VALLEY PROPERTY

Dubbo, 6884 7977

Yass, 6226 6331 yassvalleyproperty.com.au

THE RAILWAY HOTEL

YLAD LIVING SOILS

THE OUTLOOK CAFE

Parkes, 6862 1553 therailwayhotelparkes.com.au

Young, 1300 811 681 yladlivingsoils.com.au

CWL 207

A U T U M N the last word

BARD HABITS

Robyn Sykes skilfully uses words to paint pictures of life on the land.

We talk of blood-red sunsets, lazy fishing by still lakes, of kangaroos, goannas, emus, crimson-bellied snakes.

The moon’s our silver sovereign, with time and tides in hand; decrees descend as moonbeams bearing wisdom for our land.

A verse from Voices of the Fire, the title poem of Robyn’s first book and CD.

A half century of writing and performing poems has not dimmed the appetite of the Binalong Bard, Robyn Sykes.

For many years Robyn shared her verses at the dinner table, around campfires and at small town functions. A chance meeting with the Australian Bush Poetry community ushered in a new and exciting pathway to performance poetry on stage.

Since then she has entertained all over the country, from Boyup Brook to Benalla, Kiama to King Island, Launceston to Leura, New Zealand to Norfolk Island, North Pine to Nowra.

She’s even been to the mecca of all poet gatherings, the Tamworth Country Music Festival – several times.

Only recently she performed in front of 2000 country music fans at the Boyup Brook Country Music Festival in Western Australia. It was her biggest crowd and she was understandably nervous.

“When musicians forget their words they can strum a few chords and get away with it. Poets only have their memory to get them out of trouble. Every poet can relate to the time when their mind suddenly goes blank,” she says.

“Once you’ve lost your lines there’s nowhere to go. You can fill in with a joke or off the cuff comments but you have to find your own way back. If it’s a well-known poem you can be cheeky and ask the audience for the next line.”

Fortunately this doesn’t happen often to Robyn, a natural with a microphone and an enthusiastic performer on stage. It’s been her style ever since winning the Arts Council’s Best NSW Junior Actress (Under 17) Award, at just 11 years of age.

Although she loves travelling and reciting, her hectic schedule has to fit in with farming duties. She and husband David are well-entrenched medium-fine wool and prime lamb producers at “Glendalyn”, Binalong. They’ve raised four sons, all of whom retain an interest in the land while pursuing independent careers.

On the farm, away from everything, Robyn takes inspiration from daily rural life. Her poems cover a broad range of topics from succession planning, organ donation, family violence, stereotypes and refugees to leaking water tanks and character sketches.

“I enjoy writing and try to do it each day – be it poetry or prose – to keep my creativity flowing,” Robyn says.

208 CWL

“I was born into a family where it was normal to quote Banjo Paterson at breakfast, Shakespeare at lunch and Oscar Wilde at dinner,” she laughs. “I thought it was all normal – and still do – although not everybody agrees.”

After boarding school she studied marine science, writing a thesis on the oxygen-carrying capacity of crocodile blood, before working in the vet pathology department at Sydney Uni. Once she met David her plans changed dramatically, knowing there would be little call for a marine scientist in traditional sheep country. Instead she took to her natural abilities, writing stories for publication and serving, at one stage, as editor of the Yass Tribune.

So far she has penned about 80 poems, many of them featured in her book Voices of the Fire and on the two CDs she had produced.

Some poems are fiction but often there’s a grain of truth. Robyn sees traditional poetry as a means of connecting with people. She likes to make people laugh, cry and think . . . and then laugh again.

David is her biggest fan closely followed by her parents in Kiama.

The octogenarian duo both have speaking roles in two of the poems featured on her latest album Thoughts, Rorts and Farming Sorts.

And the best advice to wannabe poets? “Take risks. Just do it and don’t take yourself too seriously. Many people request the very poems I was initially reluctant to share – sometimes the more outlandish the poem the better,” Robyn says.

Poetry has taken this award-winning writer and performer a long way but lovers of rhyming verse can rest assured . . . if the test of success were a quest for your best, then the Binalong Bard will have starred. CWL Words and image: Shot by Jake

ABOVE: Robyn Sykes is an award-winning poet delighting audiences all over the country.

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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

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